24 ore per non morire

Sentenced to death for the murder of his abusive father, 17-year-old Danny (Eric Stoltz) escapes from the cops on his way to San Quentin and hides out with Charlene (Monica Carrico), a 30-year-old prostitute who has been sending Danny love letters in jail. The duo head to Arizona so Danny can see his sister one more time, but they don't know that one of the cops Danny escaped from is hellbent on getting his revenge. Wow, this was an incredible surprise. Director Mark (HARDBODIES) Griffiths made his debut with this and it is far removed from his T&A comedy hit. This is a pretty grim and relentlessly sleazy effort that is cinematic kin to flicks like OUT OF BOUNDS. What really makes it work are the two lead performances and some really odd supporting characters who feel like they stepped out of a pulpy novel. The film also packs one hell of an ending. Carrico is the real surprise here, a spunky combination of Elizabeth Daily and Caroline Williams. There is a totally bizarre scene where she starts to get it on with her sugar daddy while wearing a Richard Nixon mask. It is a shame she didn't do any more movies. Also highly recommended for some great desert locations and if you want to ogle some great 80s decor.

Charlene Andrews (Monica Carrico) is a masseuse among other things. She falls for seventeen year old Danny Hicks (Eric Stoltz). He's convicted of killing his father and sentence to death. She becomes his pen pal as he reminds her of a boy she used to know. He manages to escape and shows up at her doorstep. She has been harassed by corrupt cop Tom Bond (Richard Bradford). There's a struggle when he shows up and Bond is killed. Hicks is heading for family in Arizona and the couple is followed by a vengeful investigator.

There are some weak stuff here. The writing is poor and there is an overall low quality about almost everything. The escape from the police is weak. Charlene and Tom Bond should be scary but it gets too silly. The saving graces are the two leads, Monica Carrico and Eric Stoltz. Stoltz would go on to bigger better things. Carrico is a relative unknown but she has real charisma. Writer/director Mark Griffiths never rose too high for a reason. This is more like a TV-movie thriller.

A Lost 80s gem...

It has a lot of cool trashy action and adventure which you can slurp up with a spoon. Overall well made B-movie that definitely captures a specific moment in time.

A great cast of one-off characters and sadly the only starring role of Monica Carrico,who is sexy as all get-out and very enjoyable to watch. Shes a quirky vixen who likes to dance...I almost think she had to have been a stripper or a gymnast in real life to have that figure.

It is kind of exploitation cinema, what with its allure to the seedy side of life; but there is an honesty and realism there, in people looking for redemption, but getting caught up in the moment.

and if nothing else, we can come away with the fact that...Burgers can kill

Danny Hicks (Eric Stoltz) is on trial for having murdered his father and sentenced on death row. Charlene Andrews (Monica Carrico) is a masseuse that is also Danny's pen pal because he reminds her of a boy she dated time ago. So, when Danny manages to escape he arrives to Charlene's home just when she is harassed by violent cop Tom Bond, who ends killed after a struggle with Danny. Danny and Monica don't have any other choice to flee to Arizona unknown to the fact that an investigator is on their track because Danny is about to find the truth on who killed his father, and as you might have guessed there is the big confrontation at the end where Charlene makes the investigator blow up.

The plot was interesting and a then unknown Stoltz (who then passed on to greater things, or so I have been told) acted nicely. My only problems where that the pace at times became slow and that the investigator character was a bit nasty to tolerate. Overlooking this, it's a nice thriller with also a bit of skin in some points (if you see it you'll see what I mean).

Saw this on TV late one night during the '80s (yep, it's one of those) recorded it, and then stupidly erased it. Never seen it on the box since, unfortunately. It's the type of film that you see, and cannot possibly guess the ending.

The plot summary explains the story concisely, so I won't add to it.

Catch it somewhere sometime.