By Steve Vivona

Easy-going college dean Andy Safian's (Bill Pullman) quiet New England world has just been terribly disrupted. Two co-eds have been raped, a third has been killed, and the police are beginning to suspect him!

At home, bills are piling up, his wife (Nicole Kidman) is developing severe stomach cramps and the new tenant, Jed -- a devilishly handsome surgeon (Alec Baldwin) -- is regularly "entertaining" nurses late into the night. Andy and his wife have been unsuccessfully trying to have children which puts an additional strain on their marriage. After Jed performs emergency surgery on Andy's wife she alleges malpractice on his part.

Little does Andy know that all of these events are related, and that he's about to be blindsided by something more daring and deadly than anything he could have ever imagined!

Alec Baldwin turns in one of his most chilling performances in a role that proved he could be more than just the dashing leading man, but something a tad more sinister. Pullman and Kidman also acquit themselves well but it is Baldwin who steals the show here.

This film benefits from a great cast that includes Bebe Neuwirth, Gwyneth Paltrow and Peter Gallagher. Screen veterans George C. Scott and Anne Bancroft also turn up in great cameo roles.

"Malice" is a thriller in the vein of Hitchcock with enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing up until the very end. It's one of those films that requires complete attention throughout or else you will miss something essential.

MGM has served up a nice transfer for this DVD that was previously released under the now defunct Polygram label. Both widescreen and fullscreen transfers are provided and either presentation works well. Colors are strong and vivid and the image is extremely sharp with no artifacting. A theatrical trailer has been included.