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Sensation

 Sensation
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Sensation
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Sensation
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Sensation is an American erotic thriller film directed by Brian Grant and released in 1994. The movie was co-produced by Mark Damon Productions and the Kushner-Locke Company.Lila Reed (Kari Wührer) is a college art student with a talent for Psychometry, the ability to sense the past history of objects. When Lila responds to an advert placed by Dr Ian Burton (Eric Roberts), he takes an immediate interest in her gift. Ian's motives initially seem benign, until he asks Lila to study objects that belonged to Carrie Reiner, a young student who was brutally strangled the previous year. Ian was the prime suspect in the killing, but had a strong alibi from his fellow teacher Paula Langford (Claire Stansfield), who claimed they were together the night Carrie was murdered.Despite warnings from her best friend Maryann (Tracey Needham) Lila falls for Ian's charms and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery, even changing her appearance to resemble Carrie and moving into dead girl's former apartment. But Detective Pantella (Ron Perlman) is convinced Ian is responsible for Carrie's death, and that Lila may suffer the same fate.
 Sensation
fetched
2023-05-18T04:58:23Z
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parsed
2023-05-18T04:58:24Z
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DBTropes
 Sensation / int_1b4ea159
type
The Alibi
 Sensation / int_1b4ea159
comment
The Alibi: When the police suspected Ian in Carrie's murder, Paula provides an alibi by claiming she was with Ian at the time the girl was killed. Paula is revealed to have lied, not to protect Ian, but to conveniently provide herself with an alibi.
 Sensation / int_1b4ea159
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 Sensation / int_1b65dfad
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The Cameo
 Sensation / int_1b65dfad
comment
The Cameo: Ed Begley Jr. gets an extended one as Earl, a creepy guy who comes onto Lila in a bar.
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 Sensation / int_274cf442
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Credits Montage
 Sensation / int_274cf442
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Credits Montage: A number of key scenes from the movie feature in the opening credits sequence, with a greenish tint applied to match the titles.
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Sensation / int_274cf442
 Sensation / int_29bc6e7b
type
Self-Proclaimed Love Interest
 Sensation / int_29bc6e7b
comment
Self-Proclaimed Love Interest: Denny repeatedly pressures Lila to go on a dinner date, despite continual rejection. It's only when he sees Lila in a party dress – and realises there's another man in her life – that he finally gets the message.
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 Sensation / int_2fb61faa
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Statuesque Stunner
 Sensation / int_2fb61faa
comment
Statuesque Stunner: Paula certainly qualifies, given the actress portraying her is over six feet tall. She's tall enough to stand above Eric Roberts while barefoot. Tracey Needham - who plays Maryann - is just shy of six foot and noticeably taller than Kari Wuhrer, but it's debatable whether she's a stunner. She's specatacled and rather academic in appearance, and the only major female character not to take off her clothes.
 Sensation / int_2fb61faa
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Sensation / int_2fb61faa
 Sensation / int_323fd510
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Everyone Is a Suspect
 Sensation / int_323fd510
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Everyone Is a Suspect: Every single man in Lila's life - Ian, her boyfriend Denny, Mitch the creepy landlord, an unnamed saxophone-playing tenant, a sinister man she meets in a bar - are presented as possible suspects with something to hide.
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 Sensation / int_3577923b
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Murder by Mistake
 Sensation / int_3577923b
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Murder by Mistake: The gloved killer strangles Maryann after she borrows Lila's coat, and Detective Pantella has no doubt Lila was the intended victim.
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 Sensation / int_40cc0c7e
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Bittersweet Ending
 Sensation / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Despite her ordeal (including her best friend being killed off), Lila gains little from the experience. Ian no longer has any romantic interest in her and life continues as normal.
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 Sensation / int_4143f84f
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Leg Focus
 Sensation / int_4143f84f
comment
Leg Focus: Late on Lila visits Ian's apartment to confront him, only to discover Paula is also present - and wearing only her shirt and underclothes. One Male Gaze camera shot focuses on her bare leg as she looks down from an upper-floor balcony.
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 Sensation / int_4de1a4f7
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Improvised Weapon
 Sensation / int_4de1a4f7
comment
Improvised Weapon: Two examples during the final confrontation: A metal sculpture - given to Lila as a moving in gift - becomes a murder weapon when the masked killer uses it to bludgeon Detective Pantella. After her reveal, Paula grabs a pair of scissors to hold Ian hostage.
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 Sensation / int_4e7017f1
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Wig, Dress, Accent
 Sensation / int_4e7017f1
comment
Wig, Dress, Accent: Midway through the film Lila takes on Carrie's persona, wearing the dead girl's old clothes and dying her hair to resemble the woman in her psychic visions.
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 Sensation / int_4e7c4536
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Wham Line
 Sensation / int_4e7c4536
comment
Wham Line: Lila believes she's involved in a harmless experiment until her visions lead her to Carrie's former apartment and her old landlord Mitch.
 Sensation / int_4e7c4536
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Sensation / int_4e7c4536
 Sensation / int_62f9d08e
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Freeze-Frame Bonus
 Sensation / int_62f9d08e
comment
Freeze-Frame Bonus: The masked intruder who attempts to murder Lila appears to be a tall hulking male at first glance, possibly a stunt double. However, freeze framing suggests it is Claire Stansfield under the mask, at least for the close ups. Also the exposed forearm of the gloved person wielding the sculpture is clearly feminine, and there is a female stunt double listed on the credits..
 Sensation / int_62f9d08e
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Sensation / int_62f9d08e
 Sensation / int_7e86ca0c
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Mr. Fanservice
 Sensation / int_7e86ca0c
comment
Mr Fan Service: In addition to the numerous female examples there are some (non-explicit) scenes involving male nudity. Setting the tone, the very first post-credits scene involves a man posing nude for female arts students. Eric Roberts appears shirtless in Lila's visions as fantasy blurs with reality. The most notable are him wearing tribal face paint performing a weird dance in his apartment, and stripping off and making sexual advances in the university cafeteria.
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 Sensation / int_7fe66c69
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Hand of Death
 Sensation / int_7fe66c69
comment
Hand of Death: One of Lila's visions shows the black-gloved killer stretching a leather cord, the weapon used to strangle Carrie.
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 Sensation / int_875f008a
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Psychometry
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comment
Psychometry: The central theme of the movie. Lila has a gift for seeing the past history of objects and their previous owners, and has many visions of Carrie - often sexual in nature.
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 Sensation / int_8bf19707
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No Dead Body Poops
 Sensation / int_8bf19707
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No Dead Body Poops: In his efforts to convince Lila that Ian is dangerous, Detective Pantella describes a murder scene in gruesome detail, noting the naked victim emptied her bowels while being strangled.
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 Sensation / int_970c790a
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Big Bad
 Sensation / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Paula Langford.
 Sensation / int_970c790a
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 Sensation / int_9d12bbc1
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Foreshadowing
 Sensation / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: The attentive viewer may spot a few clues that Paula is the killer. It's evident early on that Paula has feelings for Ian, providing her with a motive for murdering Carrie. While there are plenty of weirdos and scary situations in Lila's life, it's not until she discusses Ian's alibi with Paula that someone attempts to break into her apartment and Maryann is mistakenly killed. Also the least likely suspect scenario implies the killer will be someone not suspected by Lila or the police.
 Sensation / int_9d12bbc1
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Sensation / int_9d12bbc1
 Sensation / int_a18d407b
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Samus Is a Girl
 Sensation / int_a18d407b
comment
Samus Is a Girl: All the suspects in Carrie's murder are male, and neither Lila or the police consider the possibility the killer might be a woman. Also, it's relatively rare for a ski-masked killer in a 1990s thriller movie to be unmasked as a female. And Claire Stansfield is tall enough to fool viewers into thinking the intruder is a man before the reveal (closer viewing indicates it is likely the actress under the hood, and not a stunt double).
 Sensation / int_a18d407b
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 Sensation / int_a74ca4fc
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The Peeping Tom
 Sensation / int_a74ca4fc
comment
The Peeping Tom: Lila's landlord Mitch climbs onto the roof to watch her take a shower through a conveniently placed bathroom skylight. It's later implied he took a similar voyeuristic interest in Carrie before her demise.
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 Sensation / int_b032e4ed
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Ms. Fanservice
 Sensation / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: This being an erotic thriller, every major female character - except for Maryann - features in a topless sex scene. No surpise that Kari Wührer gets a nude scene. Several in fact, including her stripping off in front of a mirror when she takes on Carrie's persona and the obligatory shower scene. There's also a particularly weird moment where Lila relaxes in a bathtub after painting, multicoloured oils swirling around her body. Carrie Reiner herself is often seen naked in Lila's visions, notably during the climax where she warns Lila of the killer's impending attack. Claire Stansfield also gets a topless sex scene with Eric Roberts, seducing him while wearing sexy lingerie.
 Sensation / int_b032e4ed
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 Sensation / int_bef00ce9
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Whispering Ghosts
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Whispering Ghosts: As Lila's sensations become more vivid, she hears Carrie's whispery voice calling her name.
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 Sensation / int_c04b1231
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Jump Scare
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comment
Jump Scare: There's more than one moment where Lila bumps into someone in a dark or secluded place. Her boyfriend is the most common offender, though there are other weirdos around.
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 Sensation / int_d4bf11d1
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Dramatic Unmask
 Sensation / int_d4bf11d1
comment
Dramatic Unmask: In the final scenes a ski masked killer breaks into Lila's apartment and attempts to strangle her with a leather cord. Following a prolonged struggle, Lila pulls off the intruder's mask to reveal Paula as the murderess.
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 Sensation / int_db015585
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False Confession
 Sensation / int_db015585
comment
False Confession: Late in the movie Mitch turns himself in and confesses to Carrie's murder. Detective Pantella doesn't believe a word of it though, and is proved correct when it emerges the suspect was in custody for a DUI the night Carrie was killed.
 Sensation / int_db015585
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 Sensation / int_dbca2c99
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Red Herring
 Sensation / int_dbca2c99
comment
Red Herring: Quite a few, given the number of suspects.
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 Sensation / int_f10d3363
type
Distracted by the Sexy
 Sensation / int_f10d3363
comment
Distracted by the Sexy: Paula has no qualm flirting with her lover Ian, even when in his office. Later she spends a night at his apartment and goes into topless seductress mode. This proves to be an effective strategy on Paula's part, as her true agenda is to find out how much Lila knows, so she cleverly works questions in between stripping off and kissing.
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 Sensation / int_f3c801ef
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Cranky Landlord
 Sensation / int_f3c801ef
comment
Cranky Landlord: Mitch - the landlord of Carrie's old apartment - takes a disturbing interest in his new tenant Lila.
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Sensation

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

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Films of 1990–1994 / int_7ca9ff84
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No Dead Body Poops / int_7ca9ff84