Heat (1972)

Director:

Paul Morrissey

Writers:

John Hallowell (idea)
Paul Morrissey (story)

Release Date:

6 October 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

"Heat" is a parody of "Sunset Boulevard." Joey Davis, an unemployed ex-child actor, uses sex to get his landlady...

Plot Keywords:

Actor | Lesbian | Oral Sex | Aging | Gay Parent

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Joe Dallesandro	...	Joey Davis
Sylvia Miles	...	Sally Todd
Andrea Feldman	...	Jessica Todd
Pat Ast	...	Lydia
Ray Vestal	...	Ray
Lester Persky	...	Sidney (as P. J. Lester)
Eric Emerson	...	Eric
Harold Childe	...	Harold
John Hallowell	...	John
Gary Koznocha	...	Gary
Pat Parlemon	...	Girl at pool
Bonnie Walder	...	Bonnie

Directed by
Paul Morrissey

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
John Hallowell		idea
Paul Morrissey		story

Produced by
Jed Johnson	....	associate producer
Andy Warhol	....	producer

Original Music by
John Cale

Cinematography by
Paul Morrissey

Film Editing by
Jed Johnson
Lana Jokel

Production Companies

• Andy Warhol Factory

Distributors

• Levitt-Pickman (1972) (USA) (theatrical)
• Constantin-Filmverleih (1973) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Art House (????) (Greece) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Marvin Films
• Paramount Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Andy Warhol's Heat
Hollywood (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Canada:R (Ontario) | West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Norway:15 (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (1991) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Andy Warhol Factory

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lydia: Hey! Don't throw that kid in the pool!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Factory Days: Paul Morrissey Remembers the Sixties (2006) (V)

Endearingly Trashy

The perennially struggling actor, the withering diva, the junkie daughter, and the sleazy motel owner are the main clowns in Paul Morrissey's trash fest, "Heat", famously produced by Andy Warhol. Most are already familiar with the film's plot and the "Sunset Boulevard" connection, as well as the infamous cast including Pat Ast, Andrea Feldman, Sylvia Miles, and, of course, Joe Dallesandro.

The memorable opening theme, the mostly eccentric characters, and the retro vibe of the film are major reasons why "Heat" is so entertaining. Dallesandro helps set the tone right from the beginning in one of my favorite opening scenes on celluloid. I'm not the type to go gaga over theme songs but I can still hear the film's very retro-kitsch opening music. The 70's California vibe is so palpable it's almost a character unto itself. It could be as simple as a pony-tailed Dallesandro lazing around the pool but a lot of the scenes are somehow so definitive there's no mistaking time and place. Opportunistic, predatory, needy, or just plain deranged, these characters form a hodge-podge of amusing characters that would make Jerry Springer proud. There's a lot of sex and fighting going on and they all center on the Dionysian male sex object and Warhol muse, Dallesandro. The film was made certainly just to have an excuse to ogle him on screen for 90 minutes.

"Heat" is among the trashiest films I have seen and my favorite, the most palatable in the famous Warhol trilogy (with "Trash" and "Flesh"), and the quintessential 70's "art"/trash film. There are no grandiose aspirations here, just a sunny, lackadaisical brand of California nostalgia punctuated by one of the era's most prominent male sex symbols.