Rent Fear City (1984)

Shoddy & Daft Serial Killer Film - Fear City review by GI

Most definitely a film of its time, a clumsily scripted, poorly edited and exploitation film that strives for as many breasts as it can squeeze into a scene. Set in the strip clubs of 80s New York I suppose there might be some underlining theme of the exploitation of women and the voyeurism and deep rooted sexual violence inherent in men, if so it's even more nonsense than it is on the surface. It's basically a serial killer narrative, albeit a weak one, where a martial arts crazed killer stalks and slashes strippers. The victims are in the 'stable' of Tom Berenger's ex boxer with a guilt complex who is under the control of the mob and must find the killer before business suffers too much! There's a racist and shouty cop on the case too played by Billy Dee Williams and Melanie Griffiths plays a stripper and Berenger's lover who, of course ends up targeted by the killer. Griffiths role seems limited to her prancing about half naked or sprawled on the floor in a heroin daze. The acting is at times really wooden and the narrative is clichéd and silly. It's a glitzy production but endless scenes of bright neon lit and wet streets don't make for an interesting or entertaining film.