I realize Shannon Whirry was the main draw for "Private Obsession," but it was the director, the late Lee Frost, who was my reason for seeking this title out. Frost directed some of the grittiest and meanest grindhouse movies in the 1960s ("The Defilers," "Hot Spur," "The Pick-Up") and some of the more entertaining drive-in movies of the 1970s ("Dixie Dynamite," "Black Gestapo"). Even his hardcore films (most notably "Climax of Blue Power") were a notch above the usual porno fare.
But the fast-paced narratives, brutal violence and gritty style of Frost's earlier work aren't found in "Private Obsession," his last movie. Instead, it's just another humdrum direct-to-video erotic thriller, only it's not even that good. The story--about a psychotic male chauvinist (Michael Christian) obsessed with a famous fashion model/feminist icon(!)--should have been right up Frost's alley. After all, it's just a '90s update of "The Defilers." But his heart just doesn't appear to be in it this time. Even though Whirry's character is kidnapped and held against her will, there's no real tension or suspense. The torments inflicted on her are the equivalent of a bratty little kid locking his babysitter out of the house. The script, written by Frost, often meanders, with story points that appear made up on the spot, like when Christian's character inexplicably books a trip with a gay travel agent (Rip Taylor) to the Caribbean. I don't begrudge Taylor getting work, but his scene could have -- no, make that *should* have-- been left on the cutting room floor.
If Michael Christian's name rings a bell, he was titular Eddie in the notorious "Poor Pretty Eddie." In that movie he managed to be goofy, creepy and menacing. In "Private Obsession" he's just goofy (and 25 pounds heavier) playing the role as if it were written for William Shatner at his most desperate. As for Whirry, she's OK if a bit shrill at times, but most viewers won't be concerned about her acting. Though she gets topless periodically throughout the movie, the softcore action doesn't happen until the movie's final third. It really isn't worth the wait.
It's a shame that Lee Frost's last movie was this forgettable thriller. Other than its misogynistic attitude and the director appearing in a small role as a bumbling investigator, there's really nothing that distinguishes this as having been directed by Frost at all.
