Fake-Out

If you are expecting to Gone with the Wind, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting a watch a Pia Zadora movie, you will be pleasantly surprised. I say this because outside of watching Zadora shake, rattle and roll across the screen, Fake-Out offers a fun ride in and around 80's Las Vegas. Among witnessing Zadora in the flesh, we get to see the Lake/Great Telly Savalas. Every time he is on screen, it is worth the price of admission. The cast also includes multiple guest appearances along with strong supporting leads with Desi Arnaz Jr., Larry Storch and Tim Rossovich at their very best. Worth the watch and worth watching to the very end.

Pia Zadora stars in a torturous, feature length advert for Pia Zadora and her husband's Las Vegas hotel ("The production is indebted to the Riviera Hotel for its many considerations and extends you a cordial invitation to visit and enjoy its newly remodelled facilities."). At least Telly got a paycheck and a trip to the Riviera out of it, brother 'Demosthenes' tagged along too, let's hope they enjoyed its newly remodelled facilities.

Okay, this isn't the best flick in the world, but Pia Zadora, and the Vegas scenery, in and out, help jazz it up. Zadora, plays Bobbi, a nightclub singer (again, is she acting here?), the girlfriend of a mobster she won't testify against. She's thrown in the clink. A near sexual experience with a tough hottie in a shower, forces her into a plea, as Zadora's not that sort of girl. She's taken under protection by Nevada cops, Savalas, perfect, minus a lollipop, and younger cop, Desi Arnez Jnr-yes "I love Lucy/Here's Lucy", who she develops an attraction for. Arnez Jnr is a kind of an uptight youngie who Zadora loosens up, especially in the motel room. She even plays a couple of the machines down in the lobby, a tradition in Vegas, where if you hold back on ever playing a machine here, you have amazing self control, something our beauty doesn't have, although she is a hot watch. The mob of course are getting restless and paranoid so you know, they're out to put a hit on our hottie, who does try to escape the clutches of her protector, who's so nicey nice, it's becomes slightly irritating. Unlike him, hardened detective Savalas sees right through her. Fake Out is somewhat strangely entertaining, that could of had better detail to story, but we have action, glittering lights, a little sex, and Pia's acting that is a good laugh. Her no acting is like watching Marilyn Chambers. What we do have in a fun performance is Larry Storch as a bumbling mob guy, who makes himself popular, by knocking the wheel of his car, against a machine while it's side up. And the machine rewards this certain player in spades. Not something you see everyday in movie. Love Pia's performed song at the start. Yeah... really loved it?

This well made film, is a bit of a weird one. A tight comedy drama, a film which stands alone, if too as an obscure one, to which I admire it more. None too many people, would know about Fake Out, but should, this humble actioner. Pia Zadora, who like Marilyn Chambers, shows such a fakeness to her acting, does still have a great sexual presence. Better in Butterfly, where she really oozed eroticism heavily, for which she must be commended, here she puts on the same act. Playing a nightclub singer, she refuses to testify against a mobster boyfriend, so she's sent to prison, where we have a similar Chained Heat, shower scene going on. And you should see her upscale prison cell. She even runs an aerobics class in the prison. Finally cracking, she agrees to testify (ulterior motives here, of course) and is put under police protection, by lollipop icon Savalas, and hunky nice guy, cop, Arnez junior, and it's a likeable performance and character, someone you really wanna root for. But keeping Zadora, under lock and broken key, becomes a full time job, and you guessed, a romance blooms. I liked the other characters too. 'F Troop' Storch is a hoot, as a shady showbiz agent, who has his new sexy protege. There are some surprises in Fake Out, but it's just a real fun entertainer, definitely a live one, and we are in Vegas, don't forget. It also has one of the worst sniper hitmen, ever seen on film.

Pia Zadora has done some strange things in movies...most of them bizarre, like her role in Butterfly, with the incestuous theme.

This film, though, is way bizarre. It's soft-core porn, really. The nudity and the strange lesbian kiss from actress Connie Hair, now a political PR flack for several conservative organizations, make it a film most will not enjoy. I doubt that Ms. Hair would enjoy references to this film these days.

I don't like the "women in prison" genre anyhow, but this one is pretty egregious.

That said, Pia Zadora is always as cute as a bunny, and I wouldn't miss any of her films, no matter what. Love ya, Pia!