Zandalee

Plot synopsis:
Zandalee Martin is a young boutique store owner living in New Orleans who is sexually frustrated and feeling unfulfilled with her marriage to Thierry Martin, and eventually gets tangled in a passionate, sensual and torrid adulterous affair with her husband's mysterious and free spirited old friend Johnny Collins. Zandalee and Thierry's marriage has hit a snag and seems to be eroding due to his lack of passion. Zan needs to explore, while Thierry wants to withdraw, and has become more and more distant and impotent in their relationship. He used to be a poet, but now has taken over the family’s communications business after the death of his father. As time goes on, Thierry has to sell the business and become basically a (vice president) figurehead. He is emotionally adrift as his dreams give way to disillusionment.
Johnny, an artist painter by trade, has been working for Thierry's business to help support his paintings. His only religion is self-gratification. Johnny also sells and mules cocaine for a local drug dealer as another source of income for himself.
Having not seen each other in a while, the two run into each other at a bachelor's party. After the party, Thierry brings Johnny home to meet Zandalee and his grandmother Tatta (Viveca Lindfors). While talking about old times, Johnny offers to paint a portrait of Thierry at their home.
Later, in another scene, after finishing the painting, Johnny shows it to Thierry, Zandalee and Tatta. While they go off to other rooms and sensing Zandalee's frustration and vulnerability, Johnny makes a pass at her. Johnny continues to pursue Zandalee and when they run into each other during a rain storm, he takes advantage and moves in by seducing her, first in his loft in an angry passionate scene, (interestingly, Zan's wedding ring is on the table next to the bed) which is followed by him erotically finger painting her. Their sexual liaisons continue to occur in various places including her laundry room a top a washing machine while Thierry and guests are having dinner. Thierry soon suspects the two are having an affair.
As the affair intensifies, Johnny meets Zandalee in a church and asks her to leave her husband. However, Zandalee feels that she must never abandon her true love Thierry, and quickly ends her affair with Johnny after he forces himself on her in the confessional. She and Thierry re-commit themselves to each other, but Johnny, now obsessed with her, will not be brushed off that easily. He tracks them to their vacation spot in the Bayou. All of this puts the three on a destructive collision course with a tragic sequence of events.
When Thierry figures out that Johnny has indeed been having an affair with Zandalee, he becomes drunk and confrontational (he pulls a gun out) leading to him becoming reckless when he takes Zan and Johnny for a speedboat ride on the Bayou, which ends when he falls off the boat and drowns, refusing to be saved by either Zan or Johnny who dive into the water to save him. Both Zandalee and Johnny become distraught by Thierry's death and begin to isolate themselves with Zan jogging for long periods and Johnny trying to work on his paintings, but becoming more self-destructive. In one scene, Johnny, in a rage rips up some of his paintings and pours black paint all over himself. He also consumes some of the cocaine he is supposed to sell, which gets him in trouble with his supplier.
When Johnny meets with Zandalee with the hopes to restart their romance and have a possible future together now that Thierry is out of the picture, she remains emotionally distant and instead goes for a walk along the Old Quarter with Johnny following her. But in the final scene, when Johnny's drug supplier attempts to kill him in a drive-by shooting outside the church that Zandalee frequents, she sees what is about to happen and shields Johnny, getting fatally shot in the process. The drug dealer flees from the scene of the crime (saying "you've got to make accounts payable man"), leaving behind Johnny, now alone, as he cradles and holds Zandalee's dead body. The movie ends with him walking in front of the church with the lifeless Zandalee in his arms.

Tags: tragedy, romantic, murder

Review:
Gratuitous nudity livens up dull melodrama.
Nicholas Cage is mis-cast as an irrestistable sex-god/brooding artist who comes to stay with an old friend (Judge Reinhold) and proceeds to VERY unsubtley seduce his wife, Zandalee (Twin Peaks' Erika Anderson).
Despite his lank, greasy (thinning) hair, scraggy goaty, boorish manner and an unfortunate fondness for spouting pretentious philosophy, rather than find him hilarious she is inexplicably drawn to him.The only thing that keeps the interest from flagging throughout this film are the strong sex scenes and the gratuitous nudity  involving the stunning Anderson, which begins, promisingly enough, before the opening credits have even finished and is sprinkled generously throughout the film.
On the downside, you also have to see Judge Reinhold's butt - not such a pretty sight - but sometimes sacrifices have to be made..
Lots of heavy breathing and local color....
This is a great-looking film, filmed in rich colors and beautiful New Orleans locations.
But dramatically it doesn't fare so well; it's mostly a monotonous series of heavy-breathing sequences, interrupted by dialogue passages that seem to exist only because a film can't be made ONLY with sex scenes.
We also get lots of gratuitous nudity from the statuesque Erika Anderson, who's married to Judge Reinhold (fairly good, but not good enough to be taken absolutely seriously as a dramatic actor yet) and pursued by Nicolas Cage (in a smug performance he would probably like to forget today).
Overall, not a horrible film, but not outstanding, either.
beautifully shot, poorly cut.
The movie is not as bad as the overall rating shows.
I presume too many people saw it on account of Nicholas Cage and got disappointed.
The problem is that the drama does not develop in one direction.
It ended as a banal story about adultery culminating in a theatrical suicide and an unconvincing tragedy.
Cage (Johnny), the outsider, turned up to be the guiltiest of all.
Yet, until the middle the movie had developed around Anderson (Zandalee) and at some point it looked as if the victim of the drama would be exactly Cage who fell desperately in love with beautiful Anderson while she was using him to overcome her frustrations with husband Thierry.
That seemed to be the purpose of the two supporting characters: Tatta and the gay shop-attendant who were pushing her into adultery, so as to save her marriage.
At some point, either when shooting or when cutting, the concept changed and the triangle lost everything even remotely intriguing..
Let Zandalee whet your whistle for a night.
If you like nudity, I mean if you really, really, like nudity, this is one of the more frank nudist films I've seen.
Some of it's nudity is naughty, for all you bird smugglers out there.
Popular to belief, this is a bad film.
It isn't.
It's one of these arty, more unnoticed films, especially on Cage's resume.
I've seen this film a lot.
If you look past the nudity and appreciative helpings of sex, there is a story, but it's through this three characters in this love triangle, where for one, jealously goes beyond it's limit, another one, sadly in it's finale is a victim of circumstance I guess, while Cage, the other, in the end, is really the loser.
He brings another crazy offbeat character that's mystifying in the form of a sleazy nude artist/university dropout/womanizer/part time magician, Johnny Collins.
He's now back in the bayou working for his new boss, old school friend/gifted poet Reinhold, particularly good here, who speaks a southern accent, the way he delivers his poetry, he's just great.
And so is his wife, Zandalee (Erika Anderson) not acting wise, just beautiful scenery.
She doesn't even try to act, which must of been a worry.
Joe Pantoliano, who almost trademarks character acting, is great as a cross dresser who works with Zandalee in her boutique.
Soon Cage is getting in Anderson's pants, and it's almost as though Reinhold cracked onto this from the start, but you aren't sure, where he makes soft insinuations here and there, some through poetry.
That's what I like about it, an incertitude, a scariness too, as what will Reinhold end up doing.
Reinhold's a very tortured man of past, who gave the poetry up, as well as his performance in the bedroom, which is why Zandalee is drifting away from him and satisfying her sexual yearning from Cage in some pretty raunchy scenes.
The prolonged last act of the film was interesting as that speedboat ride took a more than dangerous turn, but a real tragic one, evolved in the last breathing moments of the film, that was unforeseen, and truly climactic.
For sex lovers, this one's sure not to disappoint, but there is more to this film than that, and that's not just in it's story.
This is another of Cage's best performances among many.
His name defines acting in it's true purpose, to take that character all the way, not be inhibited, something Nick definitely, isn't, in or off camera..
Late Night Lock The Bedroom Door Flick.
Zandalee is the kind of movie that a teenage boy would watch late at night on HBO...only after locking his bedroom door.
New Orleans is very pretty, and there's some decent sex scenes, but other than that there's nothing more here that hasn't been done better somewhere else.
It's way too hot in New Orleans!.
There is a reason this went straight to video- the story is smarmy, Nick Cage plays Johnny in a sleazy way- sex in churches, and other scenes that border on tasteless(like the scene in the laundry room)  taint this movie.
Judge Reinhold as the cuckold is okay- but the movie itself with its themes of degradation and revenge are not well done.
But it is a good film for trivia contests- because so few people saw it..
"Not the best .
"Not the best .
Reviewer: A viewer from edison, nj USA For those of us who cherish the steamy city of New Orleans, Zandalee captures the steaminess while transcending its shortcomings.Rehinhold could have made more of an effort to exhibit a more tragic figure - and could have made an attempt at maintaining ANY accent.
Cage is satan personified.
More than a bit melodramatic in many scenes, good cameo appearances by Marissa Tomei, Joe Pantoliano (pricesless cross-dresser!) and Steve Buscemi (playing Steve Buscemi) add to the memorable scenes and memorable/quotable dialogue: ("I'm your reality check" "Its a heartifact" "A little decorum!".Its worth the 3 bucks to rent of the $15 to buy it.
Nice steamy, sexy movie.
Not the greatest .
Not good but ....
I don't understand why this film accumulates so scarcely votes.
Come on!
Nick Cage did a good job; Erika Anderson is beautiful and stimulating (she didn't need another skill, or she did??).
In my opinion, the story, the plot, could be a better fortune in the hands of an European director, like Chabrol or Goddard.
But "Zandalee" it is not so bad or dull to don't be advised to the spectators.
6 points..
nudity fails to heat up lifeless movie.
In New Orleans, Zandalee (Erika Anderson) is married to poet-at-heart Thierry Martin (Judge Reinhold).
He's struggling to keep afloat his father's business.
Their marriage is in trouble.
Childhood friend Johnny Collins (Nicolas Cage) comes back into his life after a bachelor party.
Zandalee starts an affair with the wild painter Johnny.This is a lifeless movie.
The stone-faced Erika Anderson lacks any kind of acting charisma.
She was probably much better as a model.
Her main contribution to the movie is nudity.
Director Sam Pillsbury tries to inject nudity to spice up this tired melodrama.
It doesn't work.
The dialog is clunky as heck.
The pace is as slow as molasses.
This is sexploitation B-movie with a lot of great actors and Erika..
An enjoyably ripe and overheated erotic melodrama.
Bored and unhappy young babe Zandalee (a winningly sultry and vibrant performance by luscious brunette knockout Erika Anderson) feels trapped in a stale and loveless marriage to failed poet and decent, yet dull businessman Thierry Martin (a solid and credible portrayal by Judge Reinhold).
Zandalee has a torrid adulterous fling with sleazy and arrogant artist Johnny Collins (deliciously played to the slimy hilt by Nicolas Cage).
Can the relationship between Thierry and Zandalee be salvaged?
Or is everything going to fall apart and go to seed?
Director Sam Pillsbury and screenwriter Mari Kornhauser lay on the tawdry soap opera-style histrionics something thick while attempting to tell a wannabe serious and insightful story about desire run amok and its potentially dangerous consequences; the plot goes gloriously off the rails in the laughably histrionic last third.
The dialogue is likewise hilariously silly and vulgar (sample line: "I wanna shake you naked and eat you alive").
Better still, this flick certainly delivers plenty of tasty female nudity (the gorgeously statuesque Anderson looks smoking hot in the buff) and sizzling semi-pornographic soft-core sex scenes (Johnny and Zandalee doing the dirty deed in a church confessional booth rates as a definite steamy highlight).
The tart'n'tangy New Orleans setting adds extra spice to the already steamy proceedings.
With his long, scruffy black hair, greasy mustache, foul mouth, and coarse manners, Cage's Johnny is an absolute hoot as the single most grossly unappealing "romantic" lead to ever ooze his way onto celluloid.
The cast deserve props for acting with admirable sincerity: Anderson, Cage and Reinhold all do respectable work with their parts, with fine support from Joe Pantoliano as Zandalee's merry flamboyant homosexual friend Gerri, Viveca Lindfors as Theirry's wise, perceptive mother Tatta, Aaron Neville as friendly bartender Jack, and Steve Buscemi as a funny, blithely shameless thief.
Walt Lloyd's sharp and gleaming cinematography gives the picture an attractive glossy look.
The flavorsome, harmonic score by Pray for Rain likewise hits the spot.
A delightfully campy and seamy riot..
Embarrassing to watch, but you can't look away.
This is the first of many Nick Cage (or is it Nic Cage?) movie reviews.
I'm trying to make a bit of a formula so we have a good standard.
I think it'll go something like this:Opening Rant: We start off with an early-90s gem that looks made for TV, but has far too much nudity to play on the Super Station.
Director Sam Pilsbury appears to be banished to TV movies after this, although he did direct the critically acclaimed Free Willy III.
For whatever reason Zandalee only played in Hong Kong and Italy, which would explain the Chinese menus on the DVD from Netflix.The Plot: Zandalee is married to a former-poet-now-exec who has no attraction to her whatsoever.
Enter Nick Cage, long haired, cocaine addicted painter who sweeps Zandalee off her feet...
in the other room...
while her husband is entertaining guests.
She falls for him, he falls for her, husband is unhappy, everybody's dead by the end except Nick Cage, who is very very sad.Favorite Nick Cage Line: "I wanna shake you naked and eat you alive."Favorite Nick Cage Moment: Nick Cage is very upset, strips down to booty shorts, and rubs paint all over his body while screaming.
Alternate: Nick Cage shoveling a mountain of cocaine into his lover's vagina as though the cops are at the door and he's gotta hide the stuff.My Impression: Frankly, it was embarrassing to watch.
Everybody was trying so hard to act, and obviously had no idea what they were doing.
The filming was awkward, the bar scenes were quiet enough to hear a pin drop, and the ADR and sound mixing were typical TV terrible.That wasn't so bad, was it?
Far easier to read than Zandalee was to watch..
Sensual and almost erotic thriller of the heart.
Recap: Zandalee is a young woman that feels more and more trapped in her marriage with Thierry.
Thierry himself is struggling with the death of his father the previous year and has lost his way.
He has submerged himself in work, laid of his writing, and Zandalee desperately misses the attraction between them.
Into this enters Johnny, and old friend of Thierry's who once were artists in exile together.
But Johnny has kept on painting, and just have a day job for the rent.
He takes the day as it comes and leaves tomorrow to its destiny.
There is an instant raw attraction between Zandalee and Johnny, and they enter into an affair.
But Zandalee struggles with her lust to be desired and her conscience and love for her husband.
But none of them, not Zandalee, not Johnny and not Thierry can stop the relationships between them to spin totally out of control.Comments: It is set as a thriller.
But maybe more a thriller of heart than a normal thriller where it's about life and death, and threat of violence.
Not that a thriller of heart can't take on fatal proportions, but the threat comes from a different angle.
And it is not really until the second half in Zandalee until the thriller emerges, and even though the foundation for it is laid in the first half, I can't really describe the genre as a thriller then.
Much more of a romantic drama than anything else, but with the underlying currents of other genres.
The developing thriller is there, but it also has more than a little tint of a sensual erotic kind.
Because that is what it is all about, what drives the characters and therefore the entire story.
Desire.
The need to have, and the need to be.In my opinion it is quite good, definitely a lot better than its current (4.1) rating anyway.
It takes its time but it grows a good feeling of suspense, and it handles the erotic part very well, with taste.
It is always an integral part of the story, needed to be there to give the story it's needed weight, and I never felt it was an excuse to show a naked breast or anything like that.
But unfortunately the climax of the story comes well before the end, and the end itself feels kind of flat, even if in its own way kind of dramatic.The cast is impressive, spearheaded by known actors like Nicholas Cage and Judge Reinhold.
But the show is almost completely stolen by Erika Anderson.
Beautiful and very adept at acting out the sometimes subtle feelings of desire, she excels were both Cage and Reinhold sometimes goes a bot overboard and become a little rough.
Her career afterward is too thin for the talent she shows in Zandalee, I can only hope it is because of her own choices.
Also two personal favorites appear in small roles that give some extra edge to the movie, it is Steve Buscemi and Joe Pantoliano.When you're in the right mood this is a very good movie, it could have used another end to get the credit it really deserves.7/10