A Time to Die

Traci Lords (who as horrible as she is can still out act Sharon Stone almost any day of the week) is Jackie, a photographer who finds herself being framed for possession of coke by a cop on the take. So she reluctantly teams up with another cop (Jeff Conway, whom his role in Taxi grows more and more ironic throughout the years) to clear her name. This movie is the definition of bad. Horrible acting, totally inept dialog, idiotic action sequences, and a script from Charles Kanganis all collide to make this travesty a must miss. Oh and Jackie has one of the most annoying kids this side of "Problem Child" and Richard Roundtree also has a small part as a police captain (yes the early 90's were a horrid half decade for Shaft).

Eye Candy: Nitchie Barrett gives the only two reasons to even think of subjecting yourself to this, but sadly nothing close to what she showed in "Preppies"

Where I saw it: Showtime Extreme

My Grade: F

Jackie (Lords) is a fashion photographer who accidentally witnesses and photographs a murder. Her new boyfriend is a policeman. In the past she has been set-up for cocaine possession that stops her seeing her son. She tries to clear her name and uncovers corruption in the police force.

Traci Lords is one of the better actors in this film. She is often regarded as a bit of a joke after making the transition from porn to straight to video B-Movies, but she has proven herself to be reliably bankable and a cult favourite. Jeff Conaway and Robert Miano are a bit corny and not totally convincing, but ok for the role. Richard Roundtree is hugely enjoyable as the police chief and looks like he is having fun, while lending a bit of star power to the film.

This is a bog standard B-movie action film. Okay production values which neither look cheap or big budget, decent acting and a mediocre script. Sadly those expecting an action fest will be disappointed. There are some violent shoot outs, a bit of martial arts and a few explosions, but these are brief and not very exciting. This came on the back of sexy thrillers like No Way Out and Body Double, if you are expecting a lot of sex you will be disappointed. There's some nudity and a fairly lengthy sex scene, but nothing special.

That said for a B-movie it is worth a watch and back in the day it would be worth a rental, but it's nothing special or stand out.

Censorship: The film was classified 18 uncut in the UK for VHS and DVD. It would still be 18 today due to cocaine use, some bloody violence and a lengthy sex scene with topless nudity.

This had a lot going for it, but the poor writing totally blew it. The pacing was all wrong and the central conflict of the story was left unexplained (why was Traci Lords' character framed to begin with?).

The first 20 minutes (after the initial opening scene) are an absolute drag. The plot barely advances, while the movie wastes time on irrelevant details. Lords and Roundtree do their best given the material, but can't save it.

Don't get me wrong: I love low-budget movies and I'm not expecting anything elaborate here. But you need a solid foundation: a good story and a screenplay that proceeds logically. Sadly this writer/director failed to deliver.

In A Time To Die, Traci Lords proves that she's more than a rocking bod, long blonde tresses, a bee-sting pout, and a willingness to please: she can act too. Unfortunately, her efforts go to waste, the film being a tepid piece of forgettable '90s straight-to-video trash that makes one wish that Traci hadn't gone all respectable (no sign of any T&A here, folks, at least not from Traci).

Traci plays Jackie, photographer and mother, whose wrongful arrest for possession of drugs (it was her model's) resulted in her losing custody of her son. When Jackie photographs corrupt, cocaine-snorting cop Lt. Eddie Martin (Robert Miano) committing murder, she sees an opportunity to get her kid back, using the pictures as a bargaining tool. In doing so, she puts her life in danger.

With much of the film dedicated to Jackie's romance with lawman Frank (Jeff Conaway), this weak movie is more daytime soap than edgy thriller. Director Charles T. Kanganis lifeless execution means that the film drags from one dull scene to another, and even a surfeit of cheesy '90s style (smoke and blue light) cannot hide the fact that this one is a stinker. The final act, in which Jackie gets trigger happy, livens things up a bit, although Frank's sudden character arc is a little tough to swallow.

3.5 out of 10, rounded down to 3 for a truly terrible turn by Gino Dentie as angry pimp Jinx.

Despite the cover and the title, "A Time To Die" is not an outright action film; it's more of a drama with action elements. I have to admit it surprised me a bit with its relaxed pacing, its fairly ambitious (if not totally unpredictable) script, its quirky sense of humor, and its emphasis on the characters. There are some outrageous contrivances (especially the never-seen-before "best friend" who gets mistaken for the heroine at one point), and the abrupt ending leaves the fates of some characters unclear. But Traci Lords is very appealing here, and Richard Roundtree is highly amusing as the loud police captain. **1/2 out of 4.