Murder, a disease which, evidently, lurks in the minds of too many among us. From Shakespeare's Othello and Desdemona to real-life O.J. and Nicole, it's a deathly shadow always present in our society. And the real life horrors carry over into a fascinating source for fiction. For the movies there are generally two types of murder plots. First, the type where the audience knows "who did it" and we are captivated by watching detectives try to solve the case. Second, the type where the audience AND the detectives have a dead body on their hands and everyone discovers -- with thrills and chills lurking around each dark corner -- "who did it."

So let's get back to the Murder Mystery Movies. It's such a common genre with so many examples, no need to offer a list here. But within the vast Murder Mystery category resides the focus of this column ... the Spousal Murder Mystery (SMM) Movie.

It's a horrorific statement about our society, but it's true...whenever a married person goes missing or meets a violent or suspicious death...who becomes the focus of suspicion? The spouse. And with headline-grabbing cases like Lacy Peterson and Nicole Simpson, the SMM is a proven audience captivator. From millionaires in the Hamptons to preachers in Alabama...is any husband safe? From realtors in Dallas to nurses in Indiana...is any wife snug and secure? The horror of this perverseness within our culture continues to astound because the idea of spousal murder goes against one of the most honored tenants of our society: that there is one special person to whom we bind our hearts, minds and bodies for our lifetime and never would harm come to this companion by our own hand.

Part of the avid interest in these tales is the element of doubt. The accused spouse, whether they never serve a day in jail, or whether they're convicted to life imprisonment...the accused ALWAYS vehemently declares their innocence. It's the unfathomable nature of this particular crime that pokes and prods our mass-consciences. Guilty? Innocent? How could he/she have done it? WHAT IF THERE IS A MISTAKE?

When real-life murders are splashed across the news media, it shouldn't be a surprise that fictional SMM movies are equally fascinating.

Here, a few of my favorites...but don't worry I‘ll try not to spoil too much of the plot twists and turns...and there are always salacious twists and turns. Without them...where's the intrigue? The suspense?

Many critics point to 1944's Double Indemnity as the movie start-point for the SMM movie genre. Based on a Raymond Chandler story, which was based itself on a true event. Ruth Snyder was a housewife from Queens whose case occurred in 1927. Among long-time movie buffs, this is a famous movie, am including it here so younger buffs can add this to their 'classic' lists. Won't go into detail here about the plot twists...if you've never seen it...you've missed a classic.

Four time Oscar nominated writer/director Lawrence Kasdan made his directorial debut with Body Heat (1981). With a young, very provocative, Kathleen Turner as the scheming wife. This is one of the mysteries where the audience knows "who did it" but the suspense comes from the "will they get away with it"...very unexpected ending. Set in Kasdan's home state, Florida, the state's hot muggy summer heat pervades avery inch of film...Turner's co-hort in crime, William Hurt. The husband, Richard Crenna. Ten Danson has small role here.

Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) This remake from a 40s film was written by acclaimed writer, David Mamet. With Jack Nicholson at his sexiest, and Jessica Lange as the luscious ignored wife...the tagline for this movie was "If there was an Eleventh Commandment, they would have broken that too." After seeing this one, you'll be eyeing that island worktop in the kitchen a little differently. There's some hot lusty stuff in this one! Playboy magazine said it was one of the hottest movies in a decade.

Black Widow (1987). The name alone lets audiences know what's up in this movie right from the start. But watching Debra Winger as drab, harried federal investigator going after the luscious secretive serial murderess, Theresa Russell, is the intriguing basis for this "will she get away with it" spousal murder mystery.

Ashley Judd plays a loving wife and mom in Double Jeopardy. But once her husband turns up dead...the adventure begins. Tommy Lee Jones his usual character type as the law enforcement agent determined to catch this babe before things get really bad.

Hope this little list of murderin' mammas was a fun read. More mystery columns coming soon! Share your favorite "Little woman, sexy schemer" movie in the comments!