Wild Things: Diamonds in the Rough

In the grand tradition of cinematic franchises, there is a cynical adage that the third instalment is usually when things undeniably start to go downhill for the series. This rule applies with brutal efficiency to the series of exploitative erotic thrillers that started with the 1998 surprise hit *Wild Things*. While the second direct-to-video sequel, *Wild Things 2*, managed to maintain a decent level of schlocky e…