Two Moon Junction

All the fun of the fairground worker

When thinking of a shower scene from a movie, most people remember that terrifying moment in ‘Psycho' when Janet Leigh is stabbed to death by the owner of the Bates Motel. But what comes to my mind is the steamy shower scene from the 1988 movie ‘Two Moon Junction' starring Sherilyn Fenn as a repressed debutante and Richard Tyson as the hot, sexy carnival worker who sets her libido free.

When it was first released, this movie caused quite a stir for its explicit sex scenes.  I think reactions would be the same today. Because although we have become used to violence, death, murder and even bloody vampire love, sex between a man and woman is still taboo. At least here in the United States.

I will admit that in some movies the sex scenes are just thrown in for shock value, but in this movie every erotic scene moved the plot forward, as well as moving me closer to my husband, sitting next to me on our couch.

The theme of this film is not a new one, by any means. Forbidden love between two people from opposite sides of the track. It's been done over and over.

April Delongpre, a beautiful southerner, is two weeks away from marrying her college sweetheart, Chad Douglas Fairchild (Martin Hewlitt). He's handsome, rich, upper class and boring. While with her younger sisters, April meets carnival worker Perry Tyson, who is everything her fiance isn't. From the moment we see him standing against a pole, arms crossed in front of his bare chest, we get a sense that he is arrogant yet unsure of himself. A man who knows that women drool over him (I had to wipe my chin a few times) but one who is not completely satisfied with anyone that he has met. Yet.

Enter April. April tries to pretend she doesn't see him. But when she sneaks a peek at him over her designer sunglasses, we can feel her heartbeat quicken as everything shifts inside her. That first glance between them says it all. He wants her. She wants him. He knows he'll get her. She knows he's all wrong for her (that bad boy syndrome).

When her parents conveniently leave town, as does her fiance, it doesn't take April long to release her inner siren and explore this unknown, inviting territory. Unfortunately, April's grandmother, Belle Delongpre (Louise Fletcher) gets wind of this affair and has the local sherrif (Burl Ives) keep an eye on April. Grandma even goes to drastic means to keep Perry away forever.

Some of this would not work in today's world of cell phones. April wouldn't have to use a payphone to call her grandmother (arousing even more suspicions) in order to pass along a message to her parents. Instead of waiting until the last possible second for April to show up in Two Moon Junction, Perry could have sent her a text message. But that would definitely have ruined the suspense. Of which there is plenty, along with the juicy sex. The splicing of April's wedding with Perry's fate, had me sitting on the edge of my seat. And even though, I'd already seen this movie, I was nervous up until the last scene.

Now I won't rate this up there with an Academy Award winning film. And I don't condone April's behavior. But hey, we all know forbidden sex takes place and if we're going to watch it, why not have it part of a good story with actors who know how to make their desires come alive?

If you're looking for a movie to spice up your night, I suggest seeing this one. It definitely made my evening. The only thing better would have been getting into that shower with Perry and well...you get the picture.