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virginia madsen in third degree burn

Third Degree Burn

Third Degree Burn is a TV Movie from 1989 made for HBO Television. And, another of my early awakenings for Virginia. I can’t remember how or where I first came across this one but it’s always been one of my favourites. I think I used to get this one mixed up with Linda for a while. No particular reason, just sticks in my head from around the same time.

Anyways, it’s another Thriller movie. With another Private Eye. And, well. Yeah, such was the time I suppose.

This time we see Private Eye Scott Weston (Treat Williams) hired by Clay Reynolds (Richard Masur) who suspects his wife, Anne (Mrs Madsen), has been cheating on him. He wants Scott to follow her and report back on any shenanigans she might be getting up to.
Virginia Madsen as Anne Scholes in Third Degree Burn (1989), standing beside a red-striped vehicle under a bright blue sky. She wears a stylish pink halter dress, cat-eye sunglasses, and pearl earrings, brushing her blonde hair back as she gazes into the distance with a confident, enigmatic expression.Scott ends up introducing himself to Anne when he rescues her from a breakdown on the side of the road. The two hit it off and before you know it he finds out that Anne is indeed getting up to shenanigans behind her husband’s back, with him.
Virginia Madsen as Anne Scholes in Third Degree Burn (1989), leaning against a wall in a dimly lit room. She wears a red halter top, her blonde hair tousled, as she faces a shirtless Treat Williams. Their close proximity and intense expressions add to the film’s sultry, suspenseful tone.BUT – In a twist, it’s not long before Clay is killed and Scott finds himself squarely in the frame for his murder even though he’s innocent.

And what follows is a cat and mouse between various players as Scott tries to prove his innocence with everything working against him.
Virginia Madsen as Anne Scholes in Third Degree Burn (1989), gazing thoughtfully at someone off-screen. Her blonde hair is elegantly styled, and she rests her chin on her hands, her expression both alluring and mysterious. The dim lighting enhances the film’s moody, noir-like atmosphere.And as I wrote that I realised just why it reminds me of Linda.

Third Degree Burn isn’t ever going to win any awards for, well, anything – BUT – It is a fun thriller that keeps you on your toes. It’s well acted for the most part, Treat Williams keep up his end of the bargain against Virginia well.

Virginia is in fine form here doing her thing as the mysterious femme fatale, there aren’t many that do this kind of role as well as her and I imagine anyone that is up for this kind of role these days would study her performance in films like this.
Virginia Madsen as Anne Scholes in Third Degree Burn (1989), gazing intently at Treat Williams with an expression of fear or longing. Her blonde hair is elegantly styled, and she wears pearl earrings and bold red lipstick. The moody lighting and close framing heighten the film’s noir-inspired tension.There seems to be a lot of negative reviews about this film online – But, as I’ve said a few times now on this site – The film is what it is, switch your brain off and go along for the ride on this one. It’s just trying to entertain, and it does.

Availability:

Not that easy. It’s never had an official release on DVD, it can be found on VHS but then you need a VHS player. There are copies on YouTube but they tend to be fairly low in quality. I own the VHS and I did manage to find a copy on DVD as a backup which is probably better than the VHS. Don’t expect it to come with a case, sleeve or properly printed disc though if you do find one.

Gallery:

Trailer:
#Nope

Pseudo DVD Cover:
I’m not a graphic designer, I don’t claim to be a graphic designer and I never actually want to be a graphic designer.

However, I don’t like gaps in my DVD collection and so I made this from a scan of the VHS cover to print out and slot in there.

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