Directed by Joan Freeman
Starring Melissa Leo, Dale Midkiff, Julie Newmar
The problem with winning an Academy Award is that all the skeletons in your closet suddenly re-appear out of nowhere. This is one I’m sure Melissa Leo wishes would have stayed there.
The Movie
Cookie (Melissa Leo) and her brother escape from their abusive home and runaway to New York City. At the bus station they meet Duke (Dale Midkiff) who is a pimp and he charms Cookie into going to work for him. Everything seems fine, at least as much as can be expected, until one of Duke’s streetwalkers threatens to quit, and he nearly beats her to death. Cookie decides she’s had enough and runs away with an infuriated Duke giving chase and not caring who gets in his way. Oh, and Julie Newmar is in the movie for about five minutes in all.
This concept has been played over and over again to varying success. Cookie is supposed to be the sympathetic lead, Duke the heavy-handed protagonist and Queen Bee (Julie Newmar) the street hardened and wise elder. The problem is that there isn’t any reason to care about ANY of the characters. Any time we see Cookie or any of the other girls in Duke’s employ they just act like everything is business as usual. There isn’t any sense of danger in their lives leading up to the incident. This movie is so by the numbers that the numerical sequence could be any random combination of digits (except for 4,8,15,16,23,42, they are awesome incarnate).
Yes, we do get to see Melissa Leo topless, several times. But there is nothing titillating about these scenes. They play very sterile and matter of fact, especially the first scene. Throw on top of all this clutter a very dated soundtrack and you have one craptastic piece of cinema.
2/10
The Video
It’s about what you’d expect from a Shout Factory release: anamorphic widescreen in a 1.78:1 ratio. Nothing spectacular.
5/10
The Audio
Once again the audio is nothing spectacular. I searched all around (meaning I checked one website then said, “f*** it”) but could not find info on the audio. I’m pretty sure it’s Dolby.
5/10
The Packaging and Special Features
The packaging is a simple clear clam shell case but the insert is dual sided with the original 1985 photo cover. Along the top is a banner that reads “Roger Corman’s Cult Classics.” On the opposite side is a new photo cover prominently featuring Melissa Leo.
The special features are almost non-existent. Of course there is the required audio commentary and trailers but these items are so commonplace on DVDs these days they barely register as “special features.”
2/10
All in all this is not a very good movie. Apparently some think it is a “cult classic” but really this is a studio taking advantage of someones success.
Overall (Not an Average)
The Review
The Movie 2/10
The Video 5/10
The Audio 5/10
The Packaging and Special Features 2/10
Overall (Not an Average) 2/10