Heat *** (1972, Joe Dallesandro, Sylvia Miles, Andrea Feldman, Pat Ast) – Classic Movie Review 3137

The 1972 final part of director Paul Morrissey’s trilogy for producer Andy Warhol provides a great role for a brilliant Sylvia Miles, who is quite believable and touching as fading actress Sally Todd, who falls for breathtakingly handsome, young unemployed ex-child actor Joey Davis (Joe Dallesandro), now just a gigolo.

First Joey uses sex to get his landlady Lydia (Pat Ast) to reduce his rent. Next he tries to manipulate Sally into trying to help him. But then Sally’s psychotic, perhaps lesbian, daughter Jessica (Andrea Feldman) tries to muscle in on Joey.

Morrissey’s movie is a sexed-up, parody version of Sunset Blvd (1950), with the Andy Warhol sense of camp fun at its wittiest. As usual, following its predecessors Flesh and Trash, Heat is not exactly polished, though this time Morrissey does give it a veneer of professionalism, but generally it’s the charismatic acting turns that win the day.

Here, admittedly, sex is more upfront than back in Gloria Swanson’s day, but it’s still fairly discreet by some of today’s standards.

Also in the cast are Ray Vestal, Lester Persky, Eric Emerson, Harold Childe, John Hallowell, Gary Koznocha, Pat Parlemon and Bonnie Walder.

Andy Warhol agreed to do the cover art for John Cale’s album The Academy in Peril (1972) in exchange for the use of his song ‘Days of Steam’ in the film.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3137

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