Running Hot

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).

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.

This is a good example of the kind of movies I like to watch. It's not a great classic that everyone (or, for that matter, really anyone) has heard of, but neither is it a campy "so-bad-its-good" type thing that people who like to watch "bad" movies supposedly seek out (most of these kind of would-be "cult" movies actually set out to be campy and still manage to fail miserably). The plot of this movie, treated seriously more or less, involves an innocent teenager (Eric Stoltz)sentenced to prison after killing his father in an incident involving his young sister (Juliette Cummins). He attracts the attention of a female admirer/stalker (Monica Caraccio), a thirty-year-old prostitute and kept woman, and after he escapes from prison, they meet up and go on the lam together.

This actually sounds a lot like the notorious Helen Slater/Christian Slater anti-classic "The Legend of Billy Jean" released around the same time. But while that was an especially insipid 80's teen movie this is definitely NOT for teens, despite the presence of clean-cut future teen heart-throb Eric Stoltz in an early pre-"Mask" role. Stoltz's character may be innocent of killing his father technically, but he manages to kill a lot of other people including a cop and the Caraccio character's sugar daddy. Stoltz is not bad and certainly better than he was in a lot of his 80's movies (like "Mask"). Carracio's character meanwhile is first introduced masturbating in a bathtub, and her sexually available character makes for interesting relationship with Stoltz's who, despite his murderous proclivities, is virginal and innocent in many ways. I've never seen Carracio before or after this movie, but she looks kind of like Jenny Wright (one my favorite obscure 80's actresses) and she gives a pretty decent performance. (She also has some nude scenes and there are lots of gratuitous shots of her fine, fine butt).

Believe it or not though, I actually watched this movie for Juliette Cummins, one my favorite 80's "scream queens". Cummins was far less prolific than fellow "scream queens" like Linnaea Quigley or Brinke Stevens and usually appeared only in movies with a number after them (i.e. "Friday the 13th Part V", "Slumber Party Massacre II", "Psycho III"). She was only in her teens when she made this movie though (and is very unconvincingly playing a twelve year old). She has a very small, but important part as the only witness to the murder of Stoltz's father. I don't know that I'm really seek this movie out,but it is kind of interesting if you get a chance to see it.

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