Ladykillers (1988)

Simply Perfect

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

I liked this film a lot. I saw it over 10 years ago, it must be now. I can just about remember what it was about, and I would love to get it on tape again though - will start my search. The male-lead went on to star in Melrose place as roguish charmer, Michael. This film did stick in my mind as a teenager, and the music in the film was particularly memorable. I liked the notion of the film, that this time it was the female in charge and that she called the shots, over her hunky partner. It made a change for the man to be given the role of stripping - this is probably why the memory of this film has stuck with me for so long - the premise was different and unusualI would highly recommend this film as something like to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon

Lesley-Anne Down stars as the owner of 'Ladykillers', a hot nightspot where hundreds of women cram in to watch the endless stream of male strippers. The final routine each night consists of a top hat and tails number which drives the girls wild. Until one night, when the dancer is brutally killed. From then on, every dancer who attempts the closing routine is slain in full view of the audience. Marilu Henner leads an all-male homicide team who are assigned the task of finding the killer. This is a fun gender role reversal movie if somewhat cheesy, instead of the usual movie with a psycho guy runs around killing female strippers, here the killer is female the person in charge of the crime investigations is female (and in charge of a group of men), and the owner of the strip joint in charge of the strippers is also a woman. All of the dominant characters in positions of power are women, while the the usual submissive eyecandy roles here are provided by men. Here its the men are parading round half-naked as sex objects and serving to please women. It does make a pleasant change to see the heroin rescue her toy boy from the woman who's been slicing and dicing the sexy hunks.This movie is definitely worth watching for women, combined with its feminist slant and numerous strip scenes of gorgeous men with awesome bodies taking their clothes off (not fully mind, this is a TV movie) there is a lot of fun entertainment to be had here, if only there were a more explicit version.

An irresistible piece of 80's cheese. I actually remember this one from its initial broadcast. Back then I thought it was terrible. Now, though, seeing it through my world weary, irony-heavy eyes, it has a brand new appeal. Let's start with the premise. A killer is stalking and slashing male strippers in the middle of their act. Oh no! Well, I can only imagine the writers had intended this to be an antidote to the inherently misogynistic stalk and slash genre by putting a gender reversal spin on the proceedings. Here, the audience gets to see half naked men get butchered, and see the female protagonist(Marilu Henner)rescue her hunky young boyfriend from the the clutches of the killer. Being a made for television film, the slashings are remarkably tame. In fact, in the first kill scene, I had serious doubts the victim could die from the wound inflicted on him. It kind of looked like a big cat scratch. Also, the romance between Henner and a pre-"Melrose Place" Thomas Calabro(looking pretty comely here)is not particularly interesting. Better, is Lesley-Anne Down's Joan Crawford-like performance as the owner of the strip club and Susan Blakely's big hair. There's also a potentially interesting sub plot that's introduced early in the film involving a housewife/mother sneaking away to catch the strip shows. When her husband sees a story of one the murders on television, he asks "What type of woman goes to a place like that?". Unfortunately, we later find out this woman had been a prostitute. Although it probably was not intended, I think this plot point uncomfortably links her former life and her current interest in seeing men strip. It definitely underscores how marginalized women are sexually. Putting my soap box aside, though, this is still one of those oddities from the 80's that warrants at least one viewing.

A police detective assigned to a case where male strippers are being murdered at a club, commissions a gorgeous assistant to go undercover (or overcover) as one of the strippers and becomes slightly jealous of his success in the process. While it has it's down time, it has some good points as well. Some nice strip scenes help to polish this guilty pleasure up. Calabro is a great choice for the club's new star stud.