Johnny Spoiler dives deep into White Palace (1990) — the controversial erotic romance starring Susan Sarandon and James Spader that dared to mix sex, class warfare, grief, and hamburgers into one unforgettable adult drama.

Set in working-class St. Louis, White Palace follows Max Baron (Spader), a grieving yuppie ad exec, who falls hard for Nora Baker (Sarandon), a loud, unapologetic diner waitress from Dogtown. What starts as raw attraction turns into a full-blown class collision — country clubs vs. coffee counters, reputation vs. desire.

We break down:

• The infamous intimate scene that nearly pushed the film toward NC-17

• Why White Castle refused to license the original title

• The real St. Louis locations (including Dogtown and the Hi-Pointe Theatre)

• The deleted scenes that changed the ending

• Robert Downey Jr.’s alternate-universe screen test

• And whether Max destroying his social status for love is romance… or self-sabotage

Plus:
Home Video Headlines on Dawson’s Creek, Robert Duvall’s late-career legacy, and why Wuthering Heights’ $83M box office surge could signal the return of messy, obsessive romance in Hollywood.

Staff Pick rewind: 10 Things I Hate About You — and why one infamous classroom gag hits very differently today.

Is White Palace a forgotten erotic drama classic?
Does adult romance still have a place in modern Hollywood?
And would you torch your status for love?

Binge Now? Binge Later? Binge Never?

Hit play and find out.

The perfect gift for car lovers? Try Modello Turbo https://tr.ee/CarArtJohnny