If they ever create an official Softcore Movies Hall of Fame, then Shannon Tweed would have to be the first actress inducted into it. She was making softcore films before the phrase softcore was invented. They just called them erotic thrillers back then. And there were different standards for the films, than there are now. They often had decent budgets, scripts that had coherent stories in them, and actors who were required to act, not just look good naked. During the 1990’s, Shannon reigned supreme as the undisputed queen of late-night cable TV, in films with names like Night Eyes, Body Chemistry, and Indecent Behavior (& multiple sequels). And this 1994 film, written by Barry Avrich & Karen Kelly, and directed by co-star Andrew Stevens, is one of her most famous roles.

Shannon stars as Patricia Langley, a housewife who is married to Truman (Daniel McVicar), an architect who is desperately trying to make partner in his film. He’s so desperate that one night he invites a major potential client, a creepy old man named Mason (Stephen Young), over for dinner. And he actually convinces Patricia to have sex with him, in order to seal the deal, saying that he needs this deal to work in order to become a partnet. Patricia reluctantly goes through with it, even though she’s clearly disgusted by it. But then the next day at work, Truman finds out that a named man named Alex Weston (Stevens) has been hired by the firm and is getting the partnership instead. Truman is devastated and goes to his office, which is going to be given to Alex instead, and commits suicide by shooting himself in the head.

This sets Patricia on a path of revenge against everyone she holds responsible for Truman’s death. First she goes to Mason’s house, and when he opens the door she shoots him dead, in broad daylight. Then she comes up with a much more complicated plan to destroy Alex Weston. Through some amateur investigating she discovers that Alex’s teenage son Robie (Ron Melendez) needs to improve his grades to get accepted into a special boarding school, and schemes her way into getting hired to be the Westons’ live-in tutor for the next couple of weeks, using the fake name Amanda Chessfield. Kim Morgan Greene plays Alex’s wife/Robie’s mother Marina, who is often very frazzled, insecure about getting older, and taking several anxiety medications.

Over the course of the rest of the film Patricia sets about causing conflict within the household. First she seduces young Robie, the scene where she first takes his virginity being one of the hottest I’ve ever seen. And they carry on a secret affair, with two more sex scenes. She begins messing with Marina’s medication, causing Marina to sleep a lot and act erratically. When the housekeeper, Belle (Perla Walter), becomes suspicious of Patricia and Robie, Patricia kills her and makes it look like an accident. Then Patricia seduces Alex, having sex on a pool table in the house, knowing that Robie can see them, and then she lies to Robie and claims Alex forced her to have sex with him, causing more tension between father and son. Patricia even sort of comes on to Marina, they share a few kisses while Marina is all doped up, but they don’t go all they way (unfortunately).

Eventually the tutoring is a success, and Robie goes off to the new school, and Patricia plans to kill Marina and make it look like a suicide. But then Alex finds out who Patricia really is and rushes home just in time to save Marina. He knocks Marina through a 2nd story window but then she disappears. The police convince them that they’ll find Patricia and their ordeal is over.

But then final scene has Marina on the phone with Robie at his new boarding school. She decides not to tell him the story of Patricia yet, because she doesn’t want to distract him for his studies. But when they hang up, he goes to his bed, where Patricia is waiting for him. THE END

Okay, maybe it’s not the most original story ever written, it certainly owes a lot to The Hand The Rocks The Cradle, but it’s very well-acted by the cast. As I said, the scenes with Shannon and Ron Melendez were hot, they had excellent chemistry, he played the “innocent young man” and she the “seductive older woman” very well. Shannon and Andrew Stevens have made multiple films together, and are always good. I’m impressed with Stevens because he played double-duty, also directing, and did both jobs very well. And Kim Morgan Greene is also a very a good actress, especially during the final act when her character starts freaking out, as she realizes the danger that she’s in. Above all, Scorned contains just the right amount of suspense to keep you interested until the end. Chacebook rating: FIVE STARS

This film is out of print, and therefor can be difficult to find (especially the UNRATED version, which is the version you want to see), but I found some sellers on iOffer, who are selling it on a double-disc, which includes the sequel, which I will review next.