Hot Target (1985) User Reviews

Hot but off-target

[Chase_Witherspoon · 4/10 · 12 April 2012]

Thin on cogent storyline, thick on gratuitous nudity (which is either a plus or a take depending on your moral barometer), "Hot Target" tells us the story of an attractive American woman (Griffeth) in an unhappy marriage of convenience to wealthy Pom (Marshall) with whom she has a young daughter, living in New Zealand. Her regular dog walks at the park attract the attention of an American stranger (Marachuk) who proceeds to seduce Griffeth into a torrid affair that ultimately leads to murder and financial gain.

It's a tired formula given a soft-porn treatment, Griffeth's ample full frontal nudity guarantees the R-rating and is sure to set pulses racing. Marachuk gets in on the act a few times in less detail, but seems to benefit from the situation nicely. It's good to be an actor. Marachuk might be familiar from "Piranha II", while Griffeth has an exploitation film career as long as her legs. Strangely, Marachuk doesn't seem to have any more credits to his name after this film? Marshall is dependable but not nearly as objectionable as he should be to evoke Griffeth's infidelity, and if you blink, you'll miss fellow ex-pat Pom Terence Cooper in a bit part.

The film meanders aimlessly from one opportunistic bump 'n grind to the next - in the woodlands beside a cricket match, at a 'borrowed' apartment, on the billiard table - but does pick-up for the final thirty minutes. Then, just as the plot thickens and things get interesting, the film decides to end prematurely, leaving a gaping plot hole and wasted potential in its wake. When a half-dozen climaxes doesn't result in a satisfying ending, clearly, you're doing it wrong.

YOU ARE MY ACCOMPLICE

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 7 May 2019]

This is a low budget mid-1980's drive-in movie flick...about second feature good. Christine (Simone Griffeth) has a wonderful life married to businessman Clive (Bryan Marshall). They have a chauffeur, a cook, and someone to butter the kid's toast, but no one to walk the dogs. Christine takes her dogs to a park where she meets Greg (Steve Marachuk), a handsome second story man who brings chaos to her home.

The sell point of this whole film is Simone Griffeth who looks like Bo Derek's sister, a look very popular look in this era. And like Bo, she is not shy. The story is fairly lame by today's standards.

Sex and nudity (Simone Griffeth) No f-bombs.

A fine example of soft-core pornography

[ah_mann · 3/10 · 15 December 2000]

Billed as a thriller in the spirit of "Body Heat", this film was only available on video in North America -- not surprising, since it is very thin on plot and very heavy on heavy breathing. Loaded with gratuitous nudity, Hot Target will appeal to anyone who is looking for titillation. The American cat-burglar, like the rest of the film's characters, is laughable; there is actually a little bit of entertainment value in the stunningly horrid dialogue. You need only look at the filmography of the cast members to see what a fabulous piece of work can do to a life in film - like, say, end it.

Basically, it's 100 minutes of horizontal jogging under the flimsiest pretenses - great, if you like that sort of thing. If you were looking for a thriller "in the spirit of 'Body Heat,'" then I suggest you see Body Heat.

Direct-to-video. Kills careers - dead.

Not on target

[Wizard-8 · 13 April 2012]

"Hot Target" comes with several interesting aspects attached to it. For starters, it seems to be an attempt to be a modern day film noir, inspired by films like "Double Indemnity" and "The Postman Always Rings Twice" though having "R" rated elements like nudity and sex. It's also interesting that this film's focus is on the woman, instead of the man. As well, it's interesting that this time around the movie is not American, and is instead an English/New Zealand co-production and set in New Zealand (not England, as some previous user comments have stated.) No doubt this movie had the potential to be entertainingly different, though the actual execution makes it anything but. For starters, while this was made for theaters, it sure doesn't look like it - it has a cheap British made-for-TV feel throughout, and the music score also has this feeling. Second, in several aspects the movie's plot is too close for its own good to another modern day film noir ("Body Heat"). But what really sinks the movie is its weak tone - it never comes across as terribly sexy, terribly tense, or terribly mysterious. And it's capped with an ending that's far from satisfying and raises questions that are never answered. Apparently these filmmakers didn't look carefully at past film noirs to know that you don't just need certain elements - they have to also be well executed.

Modern day film noir

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 24 November 2015]

HOT TARGET is a UK/New Zealand co-production masquerading as an American thriller, although the British accents in the cast and the surroundings will make the viewer soon realise we're not in Kansas anymore, so to speak. This one's a forgotten addition to the short run of revamped film noirs that were popular in the 1980s following on from the success of the POSTMAN RINGS TWICE remake and BODY HEAT.

This was put out by Crown International Pictures, so is chock full of nudity and sex scenes used to pad out the running time, as you'd expect from the studio. The characters are thinly-drawn and rather unlikeable, even though there are familiar faces in the cast list, notably the lead Simone Griffeth who was in the B-movie favourite DEATH RACE 2000. The whole of the production has a tired and overly familiar feel to it and the many and involved thriller elements don't really hold your attention, despite all the twists. It's just too cheap for that.

The target is your wallet. Don't give your money over to seeing this.

[dbborroughs · 3/10 · 30 July 2009]

I'm not sure what this film is completely about. The film has a woman getting some much need spice and romance in her life after meeting a 'nice" man only to find that there is something else on his mind. The trouble is that the film seems to be more interested in the sex than it is in the plot. It might have been me but this film seemed to spend too much time watching bodies entwine and talking about things that really aren't necessary to plot for any real interest to be maintained. Don't get me wrong I don't mind watching pretty people in an erotic thriller do their stuff, but don't tell me its a thriller when the plot only seems to kick in until the last half hour or so. For my money this is little more than a soft-core romance wannabe. Probably slightly better than the 3 out of 10 I've rated it but that still isn't a reason to see it. Take a pass.

Simone Griffeth

[RavenGlamDVDCollector · 6/10 · 16 July 2017]

Don't be fooled by reviewers making it sound like a blue movie. There isn't nearly that much sex in it. I liked it, I mean, as the story progressed, there was more than just a spark of hope to have a-not-too-dismal find on the "Dangerous Babes" box-set, and after junk SEXTETTE and big yawn SEPARATE WAYS I was just relieved that this one was at least watchable. The story is there, it is plain and simple, it is a small low- budget movie. Exploitation? Yes, there is a lot of nude scenes with Simone Griffeth. What (I suppose) nobody else mentions, is that the nude scenes are very tastefully done. A climbing- out-of-bed-after-sex scene, and an in-bathroom- after-sex scene which turns into a shower scene. There's nothing lurid, it's pretty straightforward. The sex scenes itself are quite tame even by vanilla standards, and really integral to the story- line. So, to all the Mother Grundies out there, get over it 'n' stop yer whining!

What is to moan about is the way this story unfolds. Our burglar 'hero' gets wounded, and then...

...then what? Hell, I don't know. I can't figure it out. Seemingly mortally wounded, he got carried off by the thuggy blokes from Christine's opening nightmare. And what then? Unlikely medics? He was right as rain, she thought he was dead. But how did those guys fit into the story? Aw well, who cares?

Simone Griffeth is worth watching. Researching her, I learned she was the lead in SWAMP GIRL at the start of her career (1971), and had the female lead in DEATH RACE 2000 (1975), which I've only heard about but never seen. Here she is much older, but as the title would suggest, still HOT!

Loved the little kid. Renee Johansen. Gonna Google and see what happened with that one.

I'm not complaining too much. With the chance I took in my quest for NIGHT CLUB, I could have drawn several more (and worse) stinkers, as Crown International Pictures is fertile breeding ground for just exactly that. Anyway, it is more than a hundred times better than running mate SEPARATE WAYS.

hot target is hot stuff

[froberts73 · 8/10 · 25 June 2011]

As has been noted, this is part of a Crown International series, almost all of which contain the same scenes of nudity and lovemaking, all surrounded by ho hum plots. Those were the USA offerings. "Hot Target" is a New Zealand offering starring absolutely stunning Simone Griffeth, an American lass now, with her husband, selling expensive real estate in South Carolina. And, she is a damn good actress. Those love scenes could, and should have been, more abbreviated and it would have appealed to a more general audience - well - not the Pixar enthusiasts. Anyway, all the palaver about the plot is a lot of horseradish. It was easy to understand, the story tight and taut. The acting by all involved was first class. Steve Marachuk, the only other American in the cast, was excellent as the cad. All involved turned in excellent performances. Anyway, ignore the naysayers and, if you can get hold of this, grab it. I guarantee it will keep you involved for at least 92 of its 93 minutes.

Pretty decent Kiwi erotic thriller

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 6 August 2016]

Hot Target is one of those utterly generic and vague titles that could be applied to a plethora of films, most likely a late 80's effort starring Steven Segal or Jean-Claude Van Damme. So it doesn't really give you much of a clue of what to expect in advance of watching it. When you press play and are then presented with the familiar logo of Crown International Pictures, it would only be fair to say that most will be anticipating a cheap action movie that will be too low budget to even afford Chuck Norris, far less Segal or Van Damme. So, it turns out to be something of a surprise to discover that this one turns out to be a Kiwi erotic thriller. There aren't too many New Zealand set films out there and it's certainly atypical territory for a Crown International release.

Its story focuses on a woman who is unhappily married to a rich businessman. She starts an affair with a stranger she meets by chance one day in a public park. It soon turns out that this stranger has engineered this encounter and has nefarious plans in mind. This film seems to have garnered mostly negative criticism if the reviews here are anything to go by. But I have to say that I found this to be one of the better Crown International 80's efforts. I think the unusual Kiwi setting certainly added a nice unexpected dimension, while the acting and plot line were overall pretty decent. It's no hidden classic of course but it's a good deal better than anything called Hot Target has any right to be.

Worth the penny?

[lazarillo · 25 September 2008]

This movie recently appeared as part of a collection of 8 movies retailing for about $4 (used). So while it's not good, the real question perhaps is, is it worth 50 cents? Well, I'd say Simone "Death Race 2000" Griffeth's generous nude scenes are definitely worth 49 cents. But it's that extra penny that's the real sticking point.

In the movie's favor, it was pretty early entry into the "erotic thriller" genre, a genre which has only gotten worse and worse with each passing year, and it was obviously inspired by "Body Heat", perhaps the ONLY classic erotic thriller. Interestingly, the gender roles are completely reversed here--it's Simone Griffeth's character, an American woman married to an obnoxious British industrialist, who is the naive prey, while the man, a handsome American thief and con artist, is the seductive predator (a homme fatale?). The overall plot though occupies that gray area between uniquely bizarre and completely non-sensical. It's also interesting that it is set in Britain, and aside from the two leads, features an entirely British cast. After all, the Brits are not exactly known for erotic thrillers (or for anything erotic, for that matter). Of course, that doesn't make the movie good or bad, but it is interesting.

But is any of this really worth that extra penny? I don't know--flip a coin.

A Hot Target but cool viewing

[bbhlthph · 6/10 · 25 August 2009]

Filmed in New Zealand in 1985 but first seen here as an NTSC DVD in the late 1990's, this film is set in the U.K. and features such esoteric activities as cricket matches. Believing it would only have a limited appeal to North American audiences, distributors never released it for theatre showings here . The original DVD was not reprinted, and by now the film would no doubt have achieved almost complete oblivion this side of the Atlantic but for the fact that a couple of years ago the distributor, Crown International, packaged it with seven other thrillers as a dual double sided DVD release marketed at about the usual price for a single film on DVD disk. Clearly this compendium was of considerable interest to IMDb users as most of the eight films suddenly started to become candidates for user comments again.

Such packaging arrangements work well for many older viewers who have nostalgic recollections of one of the films featured, and have been waiting for a DVD version to become available. The film which led me to buy this complete set was French Quarter, a film that I would rate above any equivalent current release I have seen so far this year. I commented on it for IMDb in 2005 at a time when no DVD was available, and my comments (still on record in this database) indicated that I would certainly buy a DVD version should one become available. The other seven films were a bonus. All new to me, only two proved to have any interest - Pick-up and Hot Target. Comments so far made on this database.do not fully do justice to either. Perhaps I will pick up the computer to comment on Pick-Up later, now it's time to consider Hot Target which has been described as an inferior English imitation of Body Heat. Technically inferior certainly; with Kathleen Hepburn and Mickey Rourke starring in Body Heat this could be taken for granted:, but it is not an imitation. I felt the story in Hot Target was one which was much closer to real life as most people experience it - making it a film many viewers may find more meaningful and remember longer. 90% of paperback books listed as crime thrillers are about premeditated murders which, thank heaven, almost certainly constitute less than 10% of the serious crimes committed. The same goes for films, most viewers will never carefully plan and commit a murder and this makes it harder for them to identify with the characters in Body Heat In Hot Target we have a wife who feels suffocated by life with an overbearing husband,(SPOILER IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWS)and is therefore a relatively easy prey for the confidence trickster who seduces her in order to take impressions from her house keys whilst she is in the bathroom. Neither of them has any killer urge and this makes it easier to become involved in the story which seems closer to real life than to a lurid paperback novel. Don't get me wrong - I really enjoyed watching Body Heat but, just as with most paperbacks, it's story started fading as soon as I had seen it - Hot Target left me with much more to think about, and in this respect it was a better film.

Although it did not have quite the intensity that Hepburn and Rourke achieved, there was nothing shabby about it. Other commentators on this database confirm that Simone Griffeth, Steve Marachuk & Bryan Marshall all gave very competent performances (as did Peter Mc Cauley in a shorter part as the Police Inspector). One viewer even commented that Simone Griffeth sweated in a most convincing way during her sex scene - I would not go this far, most aspiring actors would give a lot to be able to control their sweat glands during moments of stress, but I do not believe many of them have ever mastered this art. It is probably fairer to comment that the make-up department showed more care than is often the case by providing a supply of body oil at the critical moments. Kudos to them! Another reviewer comments that Griffeth's nude scenes are worth all but a cent of the price he paid for the DVD, but that he cannot quite decide whether the rest of the film warrants this last cent. I enjoyed the humour, but this and other comments do give an impression that we are discussing soft-core porn rather than erotic drama. This should be corrected, the nudity is very brief, extending for a total of perhaps two or three minutes of the running time, and is certainly not exploitive. For example during a tryst in a secluded spot at a cricket match, a nipple shot lasting about one second served to show the couple were not discussing the finer points of England's national game. The nudity could probably have been dispensed with, but it contributed to the story so why should it have been? Some may not have been happy with this film's conventional aspect ratio, but all things considered I felt it was a competently made and enjoyable film. If you are considering buying this collection do not let these reviews deter you.

IMDb currently rates Body Heat at 7 and Hot Target at 5. Both are good but not great films, I rate them equally at 6, Hot Target is less sophisticated, but it is closer to everyday life and for me this balanced things up. It is easy to make a film more intense when the characters become caricatures, however whether I have become involved with these characters is more relevant to my assessment. Is this not a good basis for judgement? .

A solid little erotic thriller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 5 January 2009]

Wealthy and lovely, but bored and dissatisfied American Christine Webber (nicely played by gorgeous blonde knockout Simone Griffith of "Death Race 2000" fame) feels trapped in a stale and unhappy marriage to cold, ruthless New Zealand businessman Clive Webber (an effectively callous and obnoxious portrayal by Bryan Marshall). Christine receives some much-needed excitement in her life when she meets and gets seduced by suave professional thief Greg Stanford (a fine and charismatic performance by the hunky Steve Marachuk), who plans on breaking into Webber's house so he can steal all their valuables. Writer/director Dennis C. Lewiston relates the compelling story at a steady pace, doesn't skimp on either the tasty female nudity and steamy soft-core sex (the luscious Griffith looks absolutely delectable in her birthday suit and sweats quite fetchingly during her lusty love scenes), and delivers a few nifty twists in the film's last third after Greg's plans go disastrously awry. Griffith and Marachuk display a strong and engaging chemistry as the attractive and appealing leads, with sound support from Marshall (who makes for a perfectly hateful jerk), Peter McCauley as the determined, no-nonsense Detective Inspector Nolan, John I. Watson as Clive's loyal bodyguard Benjamin, and Renee Johansen as Christine's adorable daughter Sandy. Both Alec Mills' crisp cinematography and Gil Melle's supremely funky'n'jazzy score are up to snuff. An enjoyable movie.