Silk

This is a low-budget effort about a maverick female cop who single-handedly fights crime and corruption, playing by her own rules (a la Dirty Harry). Set in Honolulu, the film opens with Silk thwarting a robbery with her trusty handgun, as she blasts numerous machine-gun toting bad guys.

Everything about the film is poor, but its difficult to totally dislike a film which is so blatant about its limitations and lack of originality. Cec Verrell as Silk is a statuesque, macho looking female lead, always wearing low-cut vests, with a body to die for - similar to Brigette Nielsen in Rocky IV. Film plays like a sub-standard tacky mid-70's American cop TV series, but it is mildly entertaining for the masochistic viewer.

Great video cover with Silk standing in full Rambo pose, with slicked back hair, denim jacket with turned up collar, firing a HUGE phallic machine gun.

My review was written in December 1986 after watching the movie on MGM/UA video cassette.

"Silk" is a 1985 Filipino action pic set in Honolulu, which recently bypassed theatrical release to debut as a video cassette as part of Concorde Pictures' deal with MGM/UA Home Video.

Tough bab Cec Verrell, previously seen as a cop in "Hollywood Vice Squad", title roles as a one-woman SWAT team for the Honolulu police. Episodic screenplay, resembling a tv episode of a cops show, has the police investigating a series of murders, ultimately resolved as drug-related. A corrupt cop teammate of Silk's is involved and the key element is a racke whereby the identities (papers, etc.) of dead people are sold to gangsters for reuse.

Action helmer Cirio H. Santiago does an okay job of staging stunts and shootouts, featuring a combination of American and familiar Filipino thesps. English-language dialog, much of it recorded in direct sound format, is effectively done.

Verrell sports an unusual hairdo: greased-back short haircut which is not punk nor butch. Fortunately, for social occasions her character goes glamorous with curls and dresses instead of the otherwise unbecoming macho look.

Cec Verrell plays one super-tough cop in this action thriller. She is a beautiful lieutenant with the Honolulu P.D. fighting criminals non-stop. Whether shooting them down with a shotgun, M-16, or handgun, she will stop at nothing to get her man. Wanted dead or alive does not apply to this movie because she takes them (over a dozen victims, yes they must be said to be victims of this super cop) in always in the same condition... dead!

Going by "Silk", Cec Verrell is an underrated 1980s action actress who should have gotten a bigger break. Her dialogue delivery is a little stiff, but in this genre actions speak louder than words, and Verrell shows her credentials right from the opening sequence, doing some pretty daring stunts. She has physical presence; her body looks strong, and that adds authenticity to her part as a cop. And she's not a female Dirty Harry: she always gives her targets the chance to drop their weapons and surrender, before opening fire (of course, if they try to play rough, she can play rough too). Beyond her, there is little else in "Silk" worth recommending. The plot is neither coherent nor interesting, and the supporting cast is largely indistinguishable. Quite frankly, when Verrell isn't on the screen, the film quickly becomes boring. ** out of 4.

I've noticed Cec Verrell in many movies and TV shows throughout the eighties. This B movie seems like this is what she's best known for.

The action scenes weren't too bad, but the story leaves a lot to be desired. Familiar yarn fighting drug smugglers and the bigger organization behind it with the result being cliche after cliche.

Cec Verrell isn't a bad actress in my opinion. She had a chance with this one to be known as a a serious action star; the writing definitely could have been better. I don't know if this work affected her career in a bad light.

She went to star in other works, even a series regular in a 1988 Top Gun like show. Even that fell apart.

Cec Verrell deserved better than Silk and others.