I greatly enjoyed this episode of the Stacy Keach series -casting was right up my alley. In addition to Shannon Whirry, getting a little pulchriutde into her role this time, the participation of a pair of underrated actors I really liked was a treat.
The story is a familiar one for mystery shows: a serial killer recalling a famous criminal Mike Hammer had put away years ago, involved in Satanic cult action and compared in the name-dropping screenplay to Charles Manson. Copycat killings and final identification of the real killer is quite predictable, a defect of the writing.
Quite enjoyable are the numerous double entendres and tough guy dialogue, at times over the top, but delivered with conviction by Keach. Satnist prisoner is a fun, oveacted turn by Cyril O'Reilly and a juicy little role for a girl who testified gainst him and is now in Witness Protection in the East Village working in a tattoo parlor (!) goes to Starr Andreeff. Cyril and Starr starred in a favorite movie of mine in 1989, "Dance of the Damned", almost a two-character piece directed by Katt Shea, a director I interviewed and "discovered" back in my movie journalist/critic days. They don't share a scene together here but kudos to the casting director Linda Berger for bringing them back!
Back to Whirry: she's kidnapped by the killer and we get to see her in bondage, tied up attached to the wall, stripped down to her bra - a real treat for her loyal fans back from her stint as second only to Shannon Tweed in the VHS erotic thriller genre. The killer's about to brand her on the forehead, but intrepid Keach saves the day and even, overstepping (syndicated) broadcast TV censorship, vividly brands the killer instead before turning him over to the police. That was really a surprise. Even the cameo by The Face could be renamed The Body, as she appears at a Halloween costume party showing alluring cleavage.
Quality control alert: the DVD company Tango Entertainment recycling this series as a set managed to mess up the sound sync for the final reel.
A bit much: Cyril in prison holds a grudge against Hammer, threatening at one point: "When you're dead I'm going to shampoo my hair with your blood".
The story is a familiar one for mystery shows: a serial killer recalling a famous criminal Mike Hammer had put away years ago, involved in Satanic cult action and compared in the name-dropping screenplay to Charles Manson. Copycat killings and final identification of the real killer is quite predictable, a defect of the writing.
Quite enjoyable are the numerous double entendres and tough guy dialogue, at times over the top, but delivered with conviction by Keach. Satnist prisoner is a fun, oveacted turn by Cyril O'Reilly and a juicy little role for a girl who testified gainst him and is now in Witness Protection in the East Village working in a tattoo parlor (!) goes to Starr Andreeff. Cyril and Starr starred in a favorite movie of mine in 1989, "Dance of the Damned", almost a two-character piece directed by Katt Shea, a director I interviewed and "discovered" back in my movie journalist/critic days. They don't share a scene together here but kudos to the casting director Linda Berger for bringing them back!
Back to Whirry: she's kidnapped by the killer and we get to see her in bondage, tied up attached to the wall, stripped down to her bra - a real treat for her loyal fans back from her stint as second only to Shannon Tweed in the VHS erotic thriller genre. The killer's about to brand her on the forehead, but intrepid Keach saves the day and even, overstepping (syndicated) broadcast TV censorship, vividly brands the killer instead before turning him over to the police. That was really a surprise. Even the cameo by The Face could be renamed The Body, as she appears at a Halloween costume party showing alluring cleavage.
Quality control alert: the DVD company Tango Entertainment recycling this series as a set managed to mess up the sound sync for the final reel.
A bit much: Cyril in prison holds a grudge against Hammer, threatening at one point: "When you're dead I'm going to shampoo my hair with your blood".
