rsoonsa Review of If Looks Could Kill

If Looks Could Kill (1986)

A MINUSCULE AMOUNT OF TALENT RESULTS IN A PITIABLE MOTION PICTURE.

[1/10 · 25 September 2003]

This wretched attempt at filmmaking features Tim Gail, in his first and last credited role, as George Ringer, a youthful photographer of such fare as weddings, who is commissioned by a bank attorney, Jack Devonoff (Jamie Gillis), to videotape a woman while she is inside of her apartment in order to build an embezzlement case against her. Handsomely paid and supplied with a filming site - an apartment across from that of his subject, Ringer immediately determines that he has double trouble: (a.) from viewing events that are more knotted than he had expected; (b.) from his live-in girlfriend, unhappy due to an increased amount of time being spent away from her. Witnessing a murder is more than Ringer has anticipated, but when he attempts to pull out from his employment, his future appears to be laden with difficulties that he is not prepared to face. Director Chuck Vincent, screenwriter Craig Horral, and most of the principal cast members apparently have, as cinematic backgrounds, experience only in pornographic film production, or, as it seemingly must be labelled: the "adult film industry". Plainly as a result, no difficulty presents itself for various females of the cast in the matter of removing their clothing, which they do with alacrity, and with none of those silly old undergarments with which to deal. It is ostensibly very much more challenging for the director, scriptor, and crew to structure a film that makes sense and is visually interesting, as test patterns would have greater artistic interest and entertainment value. The work unaccountably becomes, during an interminable climax, a horror movie, with gore generously included, yet even this can not expunge from the viewer's sensibilities the completely inane dialogue and lamentable acting which antecede the foolish ending.