This is a steamy sweaty erotic movie set in a searing heatwave during hot humid Florida nights, as the two leads go at it several times. As the temperatures rise the suspense begins.

Ned Racine (William Hurt) is a promiscuous, seedy, small town lawyer that picks up Maddie Walker (Kathleen Turner), she’s married to a wealthy businessman Edmond (Richard Crenna) and a passionate affair ensues.  She wants to leave Edmund but there’s a prenup, so they hatch a plot to kill him.

In her cinema debut Turner is sexy, hot, gorgeous with her silky smoky sultry voice.   With a wife swappers mustache Hurt embodies the self-satisfied patsy whose zipper leads him through life.

Body Heat is the greatest homage to film noir ever.    The debut of writer and director Lawrence Kasdan is an unforgettable masterpiece.   He had just penned Raiders of the Lost Ark,  the Empire Strikes Back and was in the process of writing Return of the Jedi, when George Lucas helped get him his financing for the project.

Here’s an example of some of the dialogue:

Maddie “My temperature runs a couple degrees high, around 100.   I don’t mind it’s the engine or something.”

Ned “Maybe you shouldn’t dress like that.”

Maddie  “This is a blouse and a skirt.  I don’t know what you’re talking about”

Ned  You shouldn’t wear that body”

Turner’s character was modeled on film noir legend Lauren Bacall.   She was cast in the role due to her similarities to Bacall including a distinctive husky voice and long shapely legs.

Hurt and Turner wanted the crew to feel comfortable filming their love scenes so they lined up the crew and both actors introduced themselves to each crew member naked.

This was the first of several historically significant but unrelated two word titled adult thriller movies.   Body Heat (1981),  Body Double (1984), Fatal Attraction (1987) and Basic Instinct (1992).

With a production budget of $9 million Body Heat went on to do $24 million at the box office.