Doppio gioco

Trapped in the convoluted aftermath of a double cross, kindly, overworked waitress Maxine's (Carey Lowell) decision to assist her sketchy roommate Michelle (Trudi Dochterman)rapidly descends her ordered life into a chaotic maelstrom of increasingly dangerous incident! B-maestro Albert Pyun's laudably energetic, downward spiralling crime thriller Down Twisted, while not often mentioned, happily remains a fun, quick-fire 80s time killer. Carey Lowell's naïve, yet plucky hard luck protagonist Maxine is hugely sympathetic, and the amusingly unsavoury group of ne'er-do-wells she brusingly encounters are frequently choice. I appreciated the film's zippy pace, Lowell's charming personality, and the splendidly boppy new wave'd synth score!

One of the best art theft genre movies ever made. Lots of back stabbings with double-crossings, triple-crossings, and quadruple-crossings galore.

However, it's a very 1980's movie, and didn't age well, which probably accounts for it's contemporary unpopularity. A remake would be immensely popular.

For years, the only way to see Down Twisted was to catch it late at night on Cinemax. The movie was not available on VHS (except for $100 rental store copies), and isn't currently available on DVD, so you'll have to beg AMC to broadcast it.

If you can find it, it's well worth the viewing.

Cannons take on Miami Vice mixed with Romancing the Stone and James Bond

The film starts off with a fun chase sequence set to Oingo Boingo's Dead Mans Party. We then meet our main heroin in a series of scenes almost barely different from our introduction to Sarah Connor in Terminator before she gets involved with a drug deal gone bad where her roommate is killed and she finds herself hi-jacked en route to San Lucas with a seemingly bumbling insurance salesman. But all is not as it seems...

Seeing the cannon logo and Albert Pyun's name you'd think the rest would be a cheesy action thriller. But Down Twisted aka Treasure of San Lucas has almost zero action scenes after its opening bit. Instead we get a lot of plot twists set to a fun theme. Thom Matthew's has a fun role as a hitman who leaves too soon. I'd really only recommend this film to cannon aficionados as there's not a whole lot here for the casual viewer. The music is easily the best part, and it ends with a very long cover of Suspicious Minds by Fine Young Cannibals that plays over a character montage that was 100% meant to have each actors name on screen during their part but somebody forgot to add the titles(!)

I started watching this for the soundtrack, who doesn't love a little Oingo Boingo. I have also been a fan of the beautiful and charming Carey Lowell. I always thought she and Linda Kerridge would have has bigger careers.

A nice little mystery adventure in the mold of "Romancing the Stone," with a better looking cast.

The moral of the story is thieves and liars think everyone else is a thief and a liar. Great twist at the end.

OK, so you probably already know it's not on the leader board for best movies of the decade. But, really, it is a fun movie. If you like campy comedies you will really like this one. Sure its a bit predictable, sure it doesn't have a-list stars, sure it requires willing suspense of disbelief, but come on, if you look at the cast and director, what more can you expect. Charles Rocket does a fine job as the bumbling hero and everyone else fills in the necessary protagonist and antagonist roles. Give it a chance. You remember Evil Dead? Stakeout? Big Trouble in Little China? As long as your expectations aren't too high you won't be disappointed.