Ted Lin Movies
Stripped to Kill 2: Live Girls, the sequel to the excellent Stripped to Kill, directed by Katt Shea Ruben, is a lurid, exploitation film which has none of the humor, suspense or eroticism of the original. As in the original, exotic dancers are being murdered at their strip club in a variety of bloody and inventive ways. A psychic is brought in to help solve the murders. Director Katt Shea Ruben has a great pace and visual sense and works well within the confines of her tight budget, but this film, despite her best efforts, remains a formula slasher film with little to recommend it except for the beautiful women in various stages of undress. Those who loved Stripped to Kill will be disappointed in this routine sequel which captures none of the appeal of the original. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Ford, Eb Lottimer, (more)
- 1988
- PG
Linda Shayne wrote and directed this children's story based on the 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley. Billy Johnson (Neal Patrick Harris) is joined by a friendly alien from outer space who wants to play in a rock & roll band. Peggy Lipton plays Billy's mom, with James Houghton as the father and Ned Beatty as Grandpa. The band lends a hand to some senior citizens in their fight to keep their beloved retirement complex. Add Little Richard and Chubby Checker to the fun as the heroes try and stop the greedy landlord Mr. Noodle (John Brumfield) from kicking out the elderly residents. Only one word in the film gives the movie a PG rating instead of G. Watch for Sheb Wolley in a cameo role as the trapeze instructor in this low-budget family feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ned Beatty, Neil Patrick Harris, (more)
- 1988
- R
This existentialist vampire tale essentially revolves around two characters: The Vampire (Cyril O'Reilly) and his intended victim, a young, brooding and suicidal stripper (Starr Andreeff). Selecting her as his prey primarily because of her desire to die, the morose supernatural predator chooses to spend an entire evening with his equally angst-ridden quarry -- a night in which the two have the opportunity to share their dreams, fears and desires. Good acting and an imaginative premise set this film apart from many low-budget vampire yarns of the period, but the talk-heavy "My Dinner With Dracula" script wears out its welcome after about an hour, and fails to realize the potential for erotic chemistry between the characters. Remade (for no apparent reason) as To Sleep with a Vampire in 1992. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Starr Andreeff, Cyril O'Reilly, (more)
- 1987
- R
Stripped to Kill is an exciting, low-budget, stylish mystery thriller where dancers at a local strip club are killed one by one. Detective Cody Sheehan (Kay Lenz) wants the case and is willing to go undercover as one of the dancers in order to catch her suspect. Stripped to Kill, directed with great style by Katt Shea Ruben, is a terrific thriller, despite its excessive gore and nudity. Kay Lenz seems somewhat uncomfortable in her role, which requires her to do a striptease, exposing her complete lack of dancing talent. However she is very effective as the ambitious Cody and has considerable chemistry with her partner Heineman (Greg Evigan). Despite the fact that the plot is routine and the ending implausible, the dancer's are gorgeous and photographed with flair, and there is a good deal of black humor that enlivens this erotic, highly-recommended fast-paced, lively thriller. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kay Lenz, Greg Evigan, (more)
Richard "Cheech" Marin, of Cheech & Chong fame, directed and starred in Born in East L.A.. Inspired by Marin's music-video parody of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA", the film casts Cheech as an East Los Angeles repairman. While paying a visit to a sweatshop toy factory, Cheech is caught in the middle when the feds raid the place and cart off all the illegal alien workers. Since he's forgotten to bring his own i.d., Cheech is also shipped off to Mexico-where, having next to no knowledge of the Spanish tongue, he's virtually helpless. Desperate, he takes a job with crooked Tijuana saloon owner Daniel Stern-the first of many "make-do" jobs that he assumes to earn enough money to return home. Along the way, he falls in love with El Salvadorian girl Kamala Lopez, whose English is as fractured as Cheech's Spanish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, (more)
