I think I’d credit Slam Dance as being the first time we see Virginia Madsen do her Femme Fatale thing. It was a bit of a break in stride for her at this point in her career. It’s just a shame we didn’t get to see more of her do her thing in the movie, despite her being on the poster.
When I originally watched this movie back in the day, I thought it was “OK” – I didn’t feel the urge to watch it again. Hell, even when it came time to watch it again on this project I can’t say it was top of my list.
The internet seems divided on this film, reading the reviews on iMDB.com there are quite a few split opinions on it.
Unfortunately, after the rewatch I’m falling down on the “what a mess this is” side of things. There is a lot that can be said about how the film looks, how it’s shot and the other technical stuff – It’s a very well made film. But, the plot and the story don’t do it justice. Mutton dressed as Lamb in film form.
I didn’t enjoy it, I contemplated turning it off a few times in all honesty but I got distracted with how little Virginia is actually in this one. Which is probably the opposite of what normally distracts me in one of her movies.
Slam Dance is a neo-noir thriller. CC Drood (Tom Hulce) is a cartoonist, he’s married to Helen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) but he’s been involved with a call girl, Yolanda Caldwell (Mrs Madsen). The cad.
Yolanda is found murdered near the start of the movie and Drood’s name is firmly on the lips and minds of the investigating Police officers, Detective Benjamin Smiley (Harry Dean Stanton) and Detective John Gilbert (John Doe).
Drood knows he is innocent but can see for himself how bad it is and so he sets about proving his own innocence.
And, that’s about all I can manage to describe without going down a rabbit hole with plots and other totally unnecessary things about the film. Probably doesn’t help that I only had one eye on it to be honest.
BUT – I’m not on my own, Googling the film while I was watching and checking out what others had to say about it, they pretty much say the same. I was thinking I might be missing something, but seems not – Style over substance seems to be the overall consensus about this one.
It’s hard to give any real guidance on Virginia’s performance in this one, I mean for sure it’s a sign of things to come but she’s basically wasted here.
Probably worth a mention that this is the first film which she’d share credits with both Harry Dean Stanton and Robert Beltran, both of whom she’d work with again. Harry on Blue Tiger and Ballad of the Nightingale (Los Angeles Cannes (Solo Andata), Robert on Star Trek: Voyager.
It’s also hard to recommend you watch it as a Virginia fan for the same reason, obviously as a collector you’re going to want to show up for this one, but other than that…
It does actually say something when the DVD cover actually manages to spell one of the lead actors names wrong… 🙄 
Availability:
Good. Not hard to find on DVD at all.
Gallery:
Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoT0iXDWWCA
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