Time Served

Admittedly, my boyfriend and I did not rent this movie because we thought it would be oscar material. However, this movie is flawed because the director or screenwriter tried to combine a legitimate drama (inspired by a true story) with a T&A movie. This formula does not work because there is too much nudity for it to be taken seriously, but too many disturbing events (Like Sarah's rape, and her crying while dancing on the pole) for it to be an enjoyable T&A film. I would consider this movie a "Showgirls- Lite" --and that's not a good thing.

The best thing I can say about this film is that the production values (cinematography, lighting, and sound) are respectable. A not too original variation on the old women-in-prison formula: Woman shoots man, goes to jail, forced to strip, is freed by forgettable hero; this film manages to fail as either sleazy exploitation or tolerable story. The acting is flat, Catherine Oxenburg (the heroine) never really believable in her reluctance, humiliation, or any other emotion for that fact. It's hard to blame her, though, as this movie is clearly nothing more then window dressing for the extended strip preformances by the several dancers, only one of whom is memorable. In fact, this feels more like an audition tape for these dancers, with a plot slapped on at the last minute. All in all, if you're looking for a story or a guilty pleasure, this film is neither.

This t.v. movie comes of better than was intended I feel, and I'm talking the quality of the film. Like Chained Heat, if done unintentionally with style and finesse. What we have here quite a good solid drama, about an abused woman (hot Oxenberg) an actress who's name almost slips under the radar, if not for existing much more in the 80's. Batting for her little boy who shot the arsehole of a hubby, she takes the rap, and with a failed hearing, due to corrupt parties, ends up serving her time, which is no picnic, thanks to some of the sick and bent guard folk, and others, in cahoots with that bent judge, who run an operation, involving strip dancing at a club called Mr D'S, owned by and aged and hobbling Bo Hopkins, who's never been funnier. Appointed to Oxenberg's case, is not the brightest of lawyers (Jeff Fahey) an underrated actor, and he does us solid here, where he befriends the son, and starts to investigate the stink. One unintentionally funny scene has him in stupefaction, gawping at Oxenberg, getting her gear off at Mr D's. On the inside though, we're not forgotten about the brutality at the hands of one corrupt, sick, and repugnant, warden who beats the girls if not abiding by his sexual favors, and he plays violent. All in all, Time Served, rises about the average mire of these sorts of prison type films, with a fresh spin off, angle of story, that manages to be bloody entertaining. Solid t.v. movie drama with some hot bods to boot. You might just enjoy this one, and again, Mr 'Dynasty' Hopkins is hilarious, of course not the only star here, who was in that famous 80's soap.

Well, lets see. Woman goes to prison for a crime she didn't commit. Just so happens she's a really hot woman. So obviously she's a perfect candidate for the prison's "work release program", a strip/prostitution bar! Sound believeable so far? And what do you know, the very judge that put her away happens to frequent this bar and you better believe that he "wants a piece" of our heroine. The whole plot is a sort of mask for the stripping parts. Those were actually pretty believable. You won't se any buxom women like in that Demi Moore movie. Some of them are, shall I say, not so "asthetically pleasing." Well, in summary it's not the best movie, but for a budget of what seemed to be about $1,000, it wasn't that bad.

"Time Served" is a cartoon-like women in prison movie that has little going for it. The plot is ridiculous, a work release program at a strip club, a judge with a very dim view of women is the club's best customer, the warden, Louise Fletcher, gets a piece of the action, and finally, the wrongly imprisoned Catherine Oxenberg pole dances about as well as my goldfish. All is forgiven however whenever Bo Hopkins is on the screen. With his hair dyed blonde, the corpulent Hopkins as "Mr.D", the strip club owner, plays his part in a bizarre, overacting stupor. My suggestion for viewing "Time Served" is to hit the fast forward button anytime a pole appears, and it's almost watchable. A couple stiff drinks wouldn't hurt either. - MERK