Excellent mystery from actress turned director Kim Kane

Made as a piggy-back second feature during the shooting of Vivid's big-deal (but lousy) production "Wetwork", Kimberly Kane's "Family Secrets" is a most satisfying film noir, worth catching even though the distributor (Vivid Entertainment) and the fans have shunned it. 

I'll keep this review relatively brief to avoid spoilers, but the story concerns a dead girl (Penny Pax) found on a beach and police detective Kane investigating the murder. Interesting facts involving and linking nearly the entire cast lead to the solution of the murder, and along the way Kane wearing her director's cap stages invigorating sex scenes carefully integrated into the story.

The cast and the cameraman are courtesy of Bryn Pryor (he' s the lenser) who was busy directing "Wetwork" in which Kane was a co-star. Why the big-budget film stunk and the little quickie succeeds has to do with the usual hubris and pretentiousness that plagues "prestige" porno just as it ruins many a mainstream movie.

Shooting title was "Who Killed Vicky Valentine?", referring to Pax's character. On the DVD is an excellent 52-minute documentary sort of titled "Kimberly Kane Pornographer: The Story of the Making of..." and you can fill in the blank with either the shooting title or Family Secrets as the release title. It provides almost the opposite of those boring and misleading BTS short subjects which fill out most DVDs - I must have seen a thousand of them by now and can count on the fingers of one hand those of any value. This is valuable, as it documents how a quickie, almost an afterthought of a feature was made, and even includes, warts and all, blow-ups and real problems on the set, e.g., lead Steven St. Croix blowing his top when cameraman Pryor blows a set-up and they have to go back and start over.

I like Kane a lot, and have seen some of her other major work including a lesbian feature she directed "Pink Velvet" and her debut "Naked and Famou$", and hopefully the porno backers will afford her further assignments.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The mystery genre features the investigation and solving of a puzzle, typically a crime or an enigmatic event. Mysteries are known for their suspenseful narratives, intricate plots, and the challenge they present to readers or viewers to piece together clues and solve the central mystery alongside the characters.

Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and Kelvin Harrison Jr. in Chinatown (1974)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Family Secrets

Top Cast9

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed