Scott Layne Movies

A wealthy Beverly Hills husband and wife are forced to reevaluate their lives after losing their jobs in writer-director Michael Tolkin's aloof satire. Peter Witner (Peter Weller) and Katherine Witner (Judy Davis) have become so accustomed to their high-class, shallow lifestyle that they feel helpless when circumstances leave them facing imminent bankruptcy. Lost and confused, their marriage on the verge of collapse, they seek help from a number of spiritual gurus, who offer ineffectual New Age philosophies as the solution to their problems. These remedies provide little comfort, however, and the Witners' attempt to make their own way by opening a hip clothing store also disappoints, leaving them ostracized and desperate for a direction in life. Best known for the cutting screenplay of Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and for his own earlier film The Rapture (1991), Tolkin provides sharp dialogue and a well-observed critique of the Los Angeles high life. This film continues the social criticism of those earlier efforts, as Tolkin consistently portrays American life as mindlessly materialistic, spiritually hollow, and bereft of meaningful purpose or moral direction. While some viewers may feel distanced from the unsympathetic characters and detached tone, Tolkin continues to be one of the most trenchant social satirists in contemporary American movies. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Ginger Lynn Allen and Linnea Quigley reprise their roles as Holly and Didi from the first Vice Academy film, this time chronicling their adventures after finally joining the police force. The two new recruits argue ceaselessly over who is the better officer, though in reality they both make the same dumb mistakes and are equally in hot water after accidentally injuring fellow cop Petrolino (Scott Layne). Demoted to switchboard duty, the girls get another chance to prove their worth when the evil supervillainess Spanish Fly (Toni Alessandrini) threatens to poison the city's water supply with a dangerous aphrodisiac. Since her hideout is rumored to be the Vicerama Strip Club, Holly and Didi are sent there to get jobs and search for clues. Unfortunately, the only position to be filled is bookkeeper, so when the girls arrive in skimpy outfits and proposition the boss, they fail to make the right impression. Luckily, the police force has a new secret weapon that will render police women obsolete: Bimbocop (Teagan Clive), an Amazonian robot who is "half woman, half machine, and all trash!" Bimbocop is assigned to help Holly and Didi save the city from Spanish Fly once and for all. However, this amazing contraption has four settings (Work, Rampage, Overload, and Worthless) and when her controls are tampered with, nothing works out according to plan. ~ Fred Beldin, Rovi

Marilu Henner stars as a Los Angeles police detective in The Ladykillers. Thomas Calabro co-stars as Henner's new partner, who also happens to be her lover. Together, Henner and Calabro attempt to solve the murder of a stripper. No, the title does not refer to the murderer: "The Ladykillers" is a male stripper club, and the victim is certifiably masculine. Also starring Lesley-Anne Down and Susan Blakely, this leering little escapade was first broadcast November 9, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi