Shot back to back and semi-simultaneously released with his equally effective PEEPING TOM, this finds underrated adult film genius Gary Graver (a/k/a "Robert McCallum") facing up to the more frugal financing of the mid-1980s with his customary class. Met with a distinctly lukewarm reception at its premiere, CRAZY WITH THE HEAT has gone on to garner a cult following of sorts over the years courtesy of a knockout central performance by superstar Joanna Storm at her lustiest. From her early days playing Jerry Butler's scheming teen mistress in Chuck Vincent's classic IN LOVE onwards, Storm expanded upon her initial "dumb blonde" image - re-enforced by her resemblance to Goldie Hawn in her prime - in often surprising ways, adding subtle touches of toughness (as in Ron Sullivan's SEXCAPADES and its sequel GREAT SEXPECTATIONS) or tenderness (as in Howard Winters' FIRESTORM) whenever the role required such. CRAZY and its video equivalent JOANNA STORM ON FIRE, also made by Graver at around the same time, eloquently illustrate just how far she had come both as an actress and as a sexual being without one ever canceling out the other.
A star vehicle of sorts then, this finds her playing Laura Welton, a hard-working yet sexually repressed computer design specialist about to sign a contract with Franklin and Ramona Delmar (late sexploitation character actor John Alderman a/k/a "Frank Hollowell" and weird, scary if intriguing Tantala) who run an asylum where the security system has been designed by Laura. Her sexuality spinning spectacularly out of control at this point, the woman's quickly carted off to the Delmar loony bin where she's to receive extensive treatment along with the other deviant inmates. From this moment on, the sex hardly lets up for an instant, showcasing some of the finest mid-'80s adult film talent doing what came naturally. Then husband and wife team Buck Adams and Janette Littledove (unforgettable together in Fred Lincoln's MORE THAN JUST SUMMER LOVERS) kick off the carnal proceedings in grand style before relinquishing the crown to the film's undisputed star. She comes across like a woman possessed in a scalding threesome with beautiful brunette Shanna McCullough and wannabe suave Shone Taylor, Colleen Brennan's incestuous son from Kirdy Stevens' TABOO 5. Fighting a losing battle with Tantala wielding her trusty vibrator, she yields to the charms of a very young and handsome Steve Drake before his wife Kristara Barrington steps in and takes over. Her every attempted escape thwarted by the technology she herself designed (a stab doomsday-preaching writer Stephen Sayadian a/k/a "Rinse Dream" obviously could not resist), Laura has to take on oddball supreme Snakey (an outrageous turn by Ron Jeremy) before being declared sane. Meanwhile, her husband Eric Edwards has been receiving the Delmar treatment on the outside, including turns with scrumptious Tamara Longley (the smoky-voiced heroine of Vinnie Rossi's DESIRE) and mixed blessing Tantala herself. Eric and Joanna's impassioned lovemaking proves that all's well at last. The contract can finally be signed. Nothing can go wrong...or can it ?
Just like in the days he was shooting lavish movies such as THE ECSTASY GIRLS and INDECENT EXPOSURE for Harold Lime, Graver pays the utmost attention to all aspects of good film-making, making this one of the slicker features to come along at a time when the genre's avowed "Golden Age" was grinding to a stand-still. His bright, colorful cinematography easily stands as the flick's most obvious asset, maintaining a professional sheen in what was rapidly evolving into a corner-cutting industry at that time. Of course, it's the star turns that keep fans coming back for more. In addition to those already mentioned, there's also the real Mrs. Eric Edwards back then, plump 'n' pretty Rene Summers (who was in the opening trio with her better half and Ms. Storm in GREAT SEXPECTATIONS) who does a brief but enthusiastic oral scene with muscle hunk Dennis Conan whose only other credit was for Bruce Seven's LOOSE ENDS 2. With all the feverish fornicating going on, this puts most of the current carnal blockbusters to shame.
