A mutual friend of my most recent ex, a lady, were talking about erotic scenes in mainstream movies and she chose to single out the assault of DeNiro on Illeanna Douglas in Scorsese's pointless and bad remake of 'Cape Fear' from like 100 years ago. I'll admit that I have disturbing and conflicted feeling about some rape scenes ('The Accused', 'Irreversible', 'Straw Dogs') I never found this scene titillating beyond a bit of a sense of dread. When I asked her to explain she said it had to do with Douglas's playful attitude right up to the point of the real violence and the foreknowledge that DeNiro was a true blue psycho. Scorsese is a lot like Spielberg in that he is largely shy and pofaced in regards to sex and that scene always struck me as just a functional plot point rather than the flight of perverse fancy it might have been in the hands of a Lynch or a Peckinpah. Peckinpah in particular was a madman. Watching 'Straw Dogs' you get the impression that the entire film was just an excuse to stage sexual assault scenes with Susan George. He would've made a great pornographer.

I really liked Douglas in everything I've seen her in. Most of all as the goofy Summer school art teacher in 'Ghost World'. And her bit in 'Goodfellas' where's she's rubbing Lorraine Bracco like she's in love with her like she's the only Jew she's ever seen up close.

She was great in To Die For as the vengeful sister. She was also really funny on Larry Sander's Show. Glancing at her IMDB, she once played a character named Anita Dick.

I've interviewed her a few times, she's a pretty cool lady. I actually invited her to a party but she declined (shocker)