I am looking for the NAME OF A MOVIE, I currently know only the plot
line.

The movie is a B-grade suspense film I saw on cable (HBO? Showtime?-
uncertain)back in the summer of 1995).  I remember the following
elements to the plot line:

1) Movie takes place in Southern California (San Diego or LA)
2) The main character is an artist with a British accent
3) He paints a painting of a woman cut in half (it is like a portrait
painting but for some reason he chooses to paint her as if she is cut
in half)
4) She is later found dead (cut in half) and the artist becomes a
prime suspect
5) The real killers are on the loose as well and trying to get him
before he "solves" the case to clear his identity
6) At one point he is "stuck with a needle" by the bad guys and
knocked unconscious

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 13 Feb 2003 01:12 PST

Was the artist just released from an asylum where he had spent several
years following the murder of another model/girlfriend?

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 13 Feb 2003 01:15 PST

Let me rephrase that...

Was it part of the plot that the artist had previously spent time in
an asylum for murdering another model/girlfriend?

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Clarification of Question by thundermunge-ga on 13 Feb 2003 12:04 PST

Hi Juggler,

I'm sorry, those are the only facts I remember.  If you have a movie
in mind I will know right away when I look it up to buy on EBay or
Amazon.

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Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 13 Feb 2003 13:48 PST

Thundermunge:

The film that I have in mind in "Dark Side of Genius" (1994). It's set
in L.A. and involves an artist accused of murdering someone.
http://www.pb-store.com/fanarea/reviews/darkside.html
http://entertainment.msn.com/Movies/Movie.aspx?m=94023

I haven't seen the film, though, so this is basically a shot in the
dark. I've found nothing to suggest that the artist painted a woman
being cut in half. On the other hand, one web page mentions that the
guy paints "lurid nude paintings."
http://www.moviesunlimited.com/musite/product.asp?sku=062284

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Clarification of Question by thundermunge-ga on 13 Feb 2003 16:25 PST

I am pretty sure this is not it-- but I will check in a vide store. 
The artist in the movie I am thinking of is a young guy.  And the key
issue is that he paints a picture of a woman cut in half and then she
is found cut in half.  The artist is portrayed in a sympathetic
manner, not as a lunatic.  If you can't find the movie I'd still like
to pay you something for all the work you are doing...

Dear thundermuge:

I am confident I have found the exact movie you are looking for. It
contains the plot element of the painter painting a woman cut in half
a later finding the woman's body really cut in half, and being accused
of her murder.

The movie is called "Fleshtones."

Here's a snippet of a review from Amazon.com:

"Set in Los Angeles, "Fleshtone" is about a lonely painter (Matthew
Greco, played by Martin Kemp) who answers a phone sex ad, believing
he's finally found someone who understands him--and, most importantly,
someone who can turn him on.

After awhile of "getting to know each other"--which mainly consists of
them sharing sexual and morbid phone conversations--Edna Claire and
Matthew agree to meet each other in a motel room. However, when
Matthew arrives, he finds a dead, mutilated Edna instead--cut in two
at the waist, and posed eerily like the bisected portrait she had
insisted he draw of her awhile back."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6303932711/002-8095985-9797646?vi=glance

Here is the movie's IMDB entry:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0109810#comment

Search Strategy:
"painter murder" using IMDB's plot search:
http://www.imdb.com

I hope this helps! If you have any need for clarification, please
don't hesitate to ask. I would be more than happy to assist you
further.

Best Regards,
blader-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by thundermunge-ga on 17 Feb 2003 09:16 PST

I think you nailed it... this must be it... I will go to a movie store
today to see if it is in...

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Clarification of Answer by blader-ga on 17 Feb 2003 15:36 PST

Hi thundermuge:

Hope it's what you're looking for. It seems to be right though. Let me
know how it goes!

Best Regards,
blader-ga

It seems this is the movie I am looking for.  The answerer also
provided a link to purchase it online.