Flareup

Alan Morris guns down his estranged wife in cold-blood, and blames her friends namely Vegas showgirl Michele for turning his wife against him. She was there when it happened and he goes after her. This leads her to flee Vegas and make her way to Los Angeles, but Alan tracks her down. Late 60s flabby psychedelic psycho stalker on-the-run thriller that's thick on melodramatics but lacks tension despite moments of searing cat- and-mouse action and neon noir shades. However it remains hypnotic due to the wonderful presence of Raquel Welch and vivid Las Vegas and Los Angeles backdrops beautifully projected by agile camera-work. Sometimes the locations are much more of a character on screen then its leaden stars. Even though it's seedy in context and the nightlife shows, it's probably a touch too polished in presenting it, but its acts of violence have a touch of brutality. Pacing is somewhat a problem, as it seems to get lost in the neon lights, glitter and dance numbers. But the romance angle simply lulls between Welch and Stacy's characters and the script awkwardly goes about it. This just makes the film drag, until it reaches the fiery conclusion (now I know what the title means) between Welch and the steely Luke Askew. It's hearty in execution and well-made by director James Neilson, but generically crafted and less than exciting.

"What's a girl gotta do to get a job around here"?

If you love camp as much as I do, then you will love "Flareup". From the opening credits we know it's a camp fest by the gyrating "go-go" dancer doing the boogaloo around the credits. Opening scene at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas is great, with Raquel and two friends having lunch "al fresco". The hairstyle on the one friend looks as though it needs a building permit. She immediately gets shot by her ex-boyfriend (maybe he thought the hair-do was a little too much as well). He then turns on Raquel (whom he blames for the breakup) and spends the rest of the movie trying to kill her. If you love location shooting then dig all the groovy shots of Las Vegas and Los Angeles before they made both towns into an overbuilt, gaudy mecca that both cities are today. What sends this movie over the top is when Raquel mounts a horse and practically dislocates her head from the throwing back and forth of her mane of hair. AND THIS WAS BEFORE PROZAC! I loved every second of this movie, it has more entertainment value than anything I've seen in the past 10 years.

Cars, Go-Go Girls and 60's Vegas. A fun time capsule. Unfortunately a pretty poor movie that would have sufficed being an episode of Police Woman. Worth seeing once if you're old enough to appreciate the time period.

Good, creepy bad guys that you can find in every 70's police dramas like Barnaby Jones or Mannix. This is one of those movies you want to label 'so bad it's good' but it falls short of that. The film stock quality seems to be very good which makes me wonder why so much money was invested in this unworthy effort.

Raquel is nice to look at. Stacy is a decent actor, and there are a few familiar character actors worth seeing. Otherwise, don't worry if you never see this one.

***SPOILERS*** Requel Welch in one of the most demanding roles of her film career as Michele a Las Vegas Go-Go dancer. Michele is stalked throughout the movie "Flareup" by a crazed killer Alan Morris, Luke Askew, who holds her as well as her friend and fellow Go-Go dancer Iris, Pat Delaney, responsible for the breakup of his marriage to Go-Go dancer Nikki, Sandra Giles.

Trying to get Nikki to reconsider at an outdoor café in Vegas, where she's with both Michele and Iris, she tells the hurt and despondent Alan to get lost where he pulls out a gun and shoots her! Alan then turns his gun on Nikki's fellow Go-Go dancers, Michele and Iris, as they run for their lives and escape.

Later Michele and Iris going to the hospital to find out how Nikki is doing, she died from her wounds, Alan runs down Iris and her police escort with his car as Michele escapes again. Michele is sent to L.A by the manager of the club that she dances in, the Pussycat, to work at the "Losers" nightclub in order to get away from the vengeful Alan.

At "The Losers" Michele meets Joe, James Stacy, the clubs parking attendant who changes her hose, car tire, and then gives her a sip of coke, the soft drink, from a bottle that he's drinking out of. This impressed the beautiful Michele so much that by the time the day was over she was shacked up with Joe in his apartment in L.A! I should be so lucky.

Alan gets the bartender at the "Pussycat" nightclub Silor,Ron Rifkin, to tell him where Michele is and then carjacks Mr.Willows, Tom Feddon, killing him and driving off with his car to L.A to murder Michele. Finding both Michele and Joe at the beach Alan is interrupted in his attempt to kill them by the police and runs down and kills a biker as he makes his escape.

Alan then tracks down Michele at a gas station as she out runs him, on wheels and on foot, to a zoo. It's at the zoo where she's rescued by the police with Alan again getting away and is put into a police guarded hospital room for her own protection.

Michele breaking out of the hospital goes to Joe's place only to be held hostage by Alan who was there waiting for her. After being held alive by Alan in order for Joe to come home; Alan plans to murder him so Michele can see it. Suddenly Michele breaks away from Alan and locks herself up in the kitchen and when Alan breaks in she pours a can of gasoline on him and lights a match setting him on fire thus the title of the movie "Flareup".

Luke Askew who's a pretty good actor seemed so embarrassed in the movie that he played it straight and tried to keep his emotions in regards to the part that he was paying under wraps. Especially in that incredibly unintentional hilarious last sequence with Miss. Welch, when he looked like he was either hypnotized or on drugs.

Well, Raquel Welch is Raquel Welch, she's not Joanne Woodward or Julietta Masina or Jennifer Jason Leigh. She is beautiful, sexy, cute. That's about it. She may be a great actress, but no film, script, role has been found yet, according to her hidden talent. Here, she's simply embarrassing. As are all the other actors. Very stupid script, super embarrassing acting.