Ladykiller

Ah, a direct-to-cable tv erotic thriller. A joint production of Showtime Networks Inc./Roger Corman Presents/Concorde-New Horizons.

The above all clues one both into what is to be expected here and the level of expectations.

Anyway, Ben Gazzara plays an aging, alcoholic, chain-smoking detective who enjoys guzzling booze and hanging out at a strip club when not working. Alex McArthur plays a marginally employed actor. Renee Ammann plays Gazzara's college-age art student daughter. The plot involves a homicidal maniac who wears pantyhose on his head and murders a series of girls at a local college. McArthur is Gazzara's prime suspect. McArthur also begins dating Gazzara's daughter. Is McArthur the killer? Is Gazzara's daughter in mortal danger?

Circa 1996, as America was only just starting to get wired into the worldwide interwebs, late night cable tv productions such as Ladykiller (which also apparently had a release title Scene of the Crime) were made to basically provide some mild titillation via some female nudity and some tame softcore humping onscreen. Such things as the quality of the plot, script, screenplay, cinematography and acting were, at best, of a secondary concern.

Within those limited aspirations and parameters, Ladykiller hurtled the lowered bar re: expectations. One gets a lot of scenes taking place on the same police station movie set. What else? Um ...a low speed car chase. A couple scenes at the strip club Gazzara frequents in order to throw in some requisite exotic dancer nudity. Some really pedestrian acting from pretty much the entire cast, including Gazzara. McArthur plays his role somewhat goofily and from a viewer perspective laugh-inducingly over the top, although as to if this was because he was directed to or something he just did is unclear, but at least McArthur tried. The centerpiece or raison d'etre for Ladykiller was the sex scene between McArthur and Renee Ammann. Ammann was a functional actress who churned out upwards of a dozen roles in various b-grade flicks in the 1990's, the unifying theme in all her roles being that her character usually, inevitably was required to disrobe and engage in some simulated horizontal mambo. Simply put, she was an absolutely gorgeous knockout and never adverse to a nude scene, thus her role here in Ladykiller was in keeping with that 1990's run of second grade cheese. Thankfully so, because what a babe she was!

Anyway, should anyone actually desire to see this Ladykiller via purchasing a 30-year-old vhs tape release of it, be advised NOT to confuse this one with the MCA Universal vhs release of the 1992 made for tv erotic thriller Ladykiller, which stars Mimi Rogers. You want to get the New Horizons 1997 vhs release to see the 1996 Ladykiller with Gazzarra/McArthur/Ammann.

I watched this film like two days ago and almost forgot all about what happened... Some of the acting is bad and the kill scenes look too thrown around and random...got kinda boring as well. Overall, it's watchable.

OK Roger Corman cable production delivers pretty much what you'd expect. A maniac kills shapely nude models on a small college campus by slitting their throats after force-feeding them coins. Troubled ex-policeman Jack `Jigsaw' Lasky (Ben Gazzara), who's haunted by memories of accidentally shooting and killing his partner, becomes personally involved when the prime suspect, cocky actor Richard Darling (Alex MacArthur), becomes involved with his blonde artist daughter (Renee Ammann).

The plot is often highly implausible and some of the characters behave brain dead, but some witty dialogue and good interplay between Gazzara and MacArthur are enough to keep you tuned in.

Score: 4 out of 10

All in all this is not too bad. The film has some moments of real suspense and drama, however they are unfortunately counterbalance by some appalling script points. Ben Gazzara is OK as the cop, not too nasty and not too nice. Alex McArthur is the other main character, and he turns in a pretty decent performance. In summary, a little brainless at points but not a bad film.