Stateline Motel

For reasons wholly obscure, and not just a trifle baffling, most appraisals of, Maurizio Lucidi's profoundly entertaining Poliziottesco, 'Motel of Fear' (aka) 'L'ultima Chance' (1973) are somewhat lukewarm affairs, this is a dismissive reading I happily don't share, since, Lucidi's lively, jewel-heisting, dangerously double dealing actioner remains a prime example of punchy Italian exploitation, with solid performances from two legitimate icons, the eternally sleek and moistly fabulous, Fabio Testi, and indelible cult hero, Eli Wallach playing a querulous pair of hard-boiled jewel thieves on the lam who discover to their considerable cost that hot rocks and a hotter blonde are too much for them to handle!

Tougher than a butcher's stropping belt, 'L'ultima Chance' is all about the devious machinations of hard-nosed wise guy, Joe (Eli Wallach), and slickly scheming, funky-looking baller, Floyd, played with a singular machismo by the tremendously testicular tearaway, Testi! The hopped up hoods fretful flight to the Stateline Motel is propelled by robust filmmaking, and a booty-boppin' deluge of righteously funky 'action-riffs' from the funk-master general of B-Movie cool, Luis Bacalov! While much of the amusingly pulpy narrative feels overly familiar, its reliance on all the bellicose, bullet-blasted poliziotteschi clichés works to its advantage.'Stateline Motel' is well worth a visit, the decor's a bit dingy, but who cares about the skeevey upholstery when you can eyeball dazzling screen sirens, Barbara Bach & Ursula Andress?

L' ultima chance is one of those Italian films overdubbed in English in order to appeal to english-speaking audiences. It's about the love of a woman for a criminal who stays at the motel she owns. Well, it's a little more complicated than that, but it's an interesting plot. The movie, however,is poorly made, complete with lousy acting (Andress being an exception). Suspense is maintained throughout the movie, which is certainly a plus.

5

Notable actors: Ursula Andress! Eli Wallach! Fabio Testi! Barbara Bach! Howard Ross! Carlo De Mejo!

Most of the plot of this film occurs because Fabio Testi's character is such a dumbass. Really, if you were just released from prison and told to leave Canada, then take part in a jewel heist and sent over the border by your violent partner, would you then start making your car 'dance' all over an icy road because you heard a song you like on the radio? That's what Fabio does, and of course he crashes and ends up not meeting his partner and even more stupidly losing the diamonds he had with him.

The young Ursula Andress stays in the hotel with older husband Fred and step-daughter Barbara Bach. Barbara is going out with a local cop and Ursula seems to be getting it on with a local mechanic (Howard Ross), so Fabio's just walked in on a bloody soap opera. Ursula also makes a beeline for Fabio once he shows up, but when everyone in the hotel catches a news report detailing the heist, some folks figure out what's going on...and violent mobster Eli Wallach is getting impatient for his share of the loot...

Part Eurocrime film, part old school giallo, this one might not have enough nakedness and gore for more folk, but it's an interesting film anyway. It's one of those 'someone has loads of money and everyone is out to get it one way or another' films, like those late sixties Umberto Lenzi gialli. It's got a fair few twists and turns but might just be a wee bit too laid back for its own good.

It probably didn't have enough Eli Wallach when I think about it. How can you underuse Tuco? Especially with that mighty combover he's sporting in this one.

There's a reason why "Stateline Motel", despite the presence of four impressive and well-known cult names, is so obscure and never shows up in lists of unjustly forgotten exploitation movie gems that you must see. It is simply not a gem. It all starts fantastic and promisingly, with the hunky Fabio Testi who, upon his release from a Canadian prison, immediately drives to a jewellery store and commits a violent robbery! What an example of a criminal who has learned lessons from his prison sentence. His partner, the mighty Eli Wallach, shoots an innocent witness and they get involved in an exciting chase with the police. All this happens in the first 10 minutes, so at that moment you think that "Stateline Motel" is going to be a top movie.

From the moment the two break up and agree to meet again on the other side of the border, things go wrong... with Wallach's plan, but also with the film itself. Fabio's character Floyd is stupid enough to deliberately swerve his car on a snowy road and drives into the verge. He ends up in a motel near the border and falls head over heels for the lady of the house. Of course, you can't blame him for that, because she's Ursula Andress and she looks unhappy. Meanwhile, everyone in the motel suspects that Floyd is one of the wanted jewel thieves and wants to get hold of them. And of course, partner Wallach isn't happy with Floyd not sticking to their agreement.

Even after the genius first ten minutes, "Stateline Motel" is still worth watching, but everything is so slow and predictable. There are no surprises in the script (except for one implausible one, at the very end) and there is overall too few action and excitement. Eli Wallach and the beautiful Barbara Bach (as the daughter of the motel owner) are underused, while the script builds too much mystery around the character of Ursula Andress. Does she genuinely love Floyd, or do you just want the jewels? There is also a long lovemaking scene, but you can hardly see anything in the dark motel room. If you want to see Ursula undress and admire the splendor of her naked body, you better watch "Colpo in Canna" or "Perfect Friday".

Ursula's performance is definitely brilliant in this movie. She proves not only is she beautiful, but given the right role she can act the hell out of it.

Fabio Testi looks good, but isn't the greatest actor, though he does try to hold his own.

An interesting plot that keeps you interested to the end.