User Reviews

I like this movie. It was my first movie that I ever appeared in. I am the guy playing guitar on a bench and get robbed , right before the body gets set on fire. We shot all of that ,that night. The fire scene as well,,,very cool to watch that unfold.Shot at or about 8pm in the park downtown L.A. and was a little bit cold. Greg was less than receptive on the set,,UNLIKE KAY who was very nice and sweet. I also struck up a chat with the script supervisor who was an actress (cant remember her name thou) and she was very nice and good looking. This movie is slow at times but still has depth and a Good plot line. Peace B

Those of you (And myself included) that enjoy sleazy and low budget exploitation films will find it difficult to ignore this little gem. How can you not be interested in a film about strippers, murders, and a well known actress cast in the lead that also strips? Admit it, you can't! Story is about Detective Cody Sheenan (Kay Lenz) who along with her obnoxious partner Heineman (Greg Evigan) accidentally come across a stripper being burned to death but the murderer gets away. The dead stripper works at the Rock Bottom strip joint and Heineman gets an idea of convincing Cody to go undercover there and find out what she can. Cody can't dance and is not sure about her fellow cops looking at her topless but she decides to do it. Heineman makes sure that she wins amateur night that enables her to get hired by the club owner Ray (Norman Fell) who gives her an opportunity despite her terrible dancing.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Cody gets to know each of the girls and the dead stripper turns out to be the lover of Roxanne (Pia Kamakahi) who is also a dancer there. After time passes Cody starts to perfect her dance routines and actually becomes pretty good. Unfortunately her superiors tell her to stop but she doesn't want to because it seems to have liberated her and also she feels that she is getting closer to finding the murderer.

This film is directed by Katt Shea Ruben who is competent at making entertaining low budget efforts but one of the flaws in this film is the amount of dancing that takes place. Every stripper in this film has her routine shown and it's not cut down in length at all. Each of the dances goes on and on for countless minutes. This film was co-produced by Roger Corman and it never ceases to amaze me how Corman can get a popular actress in his projects and get them to take their clothes off. To this day people are still talking about Angie Dickinson's nude scenes in "Big Bad Mama". Kay Lenz gets topless here in a few scenes and she's absolutely beautiful to look at but she's also a very good actress even in low budget junk like this and she's pretty good here. One thing that I did not buy was the forced romantic angle of the film between her and Evigan. He comes across as a big sleaze bag and he actually lies to Lenz about her assignment to go undercover and get topless which turned out to be for his own benefit. She was never assigned and she got topless for nothing! Some partner! I don't want to knit pick too much on a film like this because it's too easy so I'll just mention again that Lenz looks great and does a good job and Fell is fun as the grouchy club owner. This film also has an ending that you won't see coming so there is enough going on here for me to recommend it.

Roger Corman the king of the B movie usually has pretty interesting movies to watch and with this one it's not the greatest still it's a watch for it's story of a strip club being stalked by a killer as strippers are being murdered one by one! At the Rock Bottom dance club in L.A. one by one strippers are turning up dead and this has a detective named Cody(Kay Lenz from 1986's "House")to go undercover as a stripper to get inside the club and strip to help find the killer! On stage she meets some wild characters as these girls are strange they have family problems, drug problems still that doesn't take away from the fact that they look sexy dancing on the pole in their outfits and look good in their sexy colored bras! This film leads you down the dark and wild wicked mean streets of Los Angeles it also stars Greg Evigan(from "BJ and the Bear" and "My Two Dads" fame)as Cody's partner friend and one night stand. Overall this is an exciting suspense sexy thriller that twist with a surprise find when the killer is revealed!

Ladycop Kay Lenz goes undercover as a dancer in a seedy strip joint to investigate a string of murders the club is linked to.

STRIPPED TO KILL is a fast-moving, occasionally clever, and overall above-par sexploitation thriller, and in a cheesy way, it's a pretty sexy one to boot. Unfortunately, some of the the girls playing the strippers are rather average looking(a couple of them might even bark if you offered them a Milk-Bone), and Ms. Lenz's male sidekick in the investigation is a grating character who gets a lot more screen time than he should. Still, this is buoyantly trashy fun, released just as the death-bell tolled for the grindhouse era.

5/10

WHen I first saw this film, I must say I wasn't too impressed with it. Poorly lighted in some spots, shoddy acting from some of the girls, a lame twist ending, etc. A few rays of light shines on in this film. The late Norman Fell was one, the gorgeous dancers were too. But I really loved the soundtrack. I think the soundtrack saved this film from being a complete bore.

All the girls were excellent dancers,except for Kay Lenz, who despite having a decent body, can't dance to save her life!

Greg Evigan was here as the hero, but he was boring too.

This is the kind of film one might see on a late night cable program. Something that SHOWTIME or HBO might run at around 2:00 am.

If you are wondering what the most typical type of movie HBO aired in the late 80s, it's this one.

A good deal of this film is padded out with 1980s stripper scenes, but I'm not complaining. Big hair, classic heels, g-strings and fishnets pepper this film about a serial killer killing off the dancers one by one.

The acting is pretty terrible. There isn't much for character development, as you will find the typical cardboard cutout types here.

The sleaze factor in this movie isn't hidden, and probably falls into the undocumented mythical "hard R" rating HBO would have. Sure, it's rated R, but for some strange reason(probably all the nudity), you could only catch this movie at 2am.

What happens when you hire a competent female writer/director to make a low-budget T&A horror-thriller with a strip club setting? You get compromise, and a kind of tug-of-war effect between exploitation and realism. While this one has a more-than-generous amount of T&A and violence, it should also be given credit for delivering a gritty, credible and often unflattering look inside a strip club and the women who populate it. The dancing is explored for all its worth and from all possible angles; exploitation, entertainment, eroticism, even as art. Some of the dancers view their occupation as being a way to express themselves through dance while others think of it as just a paycheck for another night's work. A few are lesbians, some have drug problems, most have criminal records and a few even seem like reasonably well-adjusted women who find stripping unpredictable and exciting.

The club itself is so atmospherically represented that you can almost smell the cigarette smoke in the hallways. The door of the girl's dressing room, the congregation place where the girls change, bitch about customers, reflect on their lives and pasts, etc., has "Women" scratched out and "Sluts" amusingly spray-painted over it. Much of the dialogue between them is laced with cynicism, no doubt based on a life's worth of problems, failures and disappointments. All of the girls are given just enough personality to be likable and what seems seedy at first eventually turns into a somewhat accommodating place for outcasts of all types once the heroine of this film gains employment as one of the dancers.

The heroine is question is a reserved tomboy policewoman played by Kay Lenz, who goes undercover at the club when a serial killer begins targeting the strippers. Sure, we've seen this exact same plot many times before (at least I have), but this movie takes it a step further. Not only is Lenz trying to crack the case but her character is learning and opening up in the process. This assignment allows her an outlet from the male dominated police force and the opportunity to explore her femininity and sexuality. She also discovers an odd kinship and inner working between the women and gets a little too involved on a personal level. It's an interesting role and Lenz (a sorely overlooked actress over the years) is great in it. And yeah, she does several nude scenes and looks great doing so, but it's a thoughtful, very good performance that doesn't rely on her couple of nude scenes to be memorable. Norman Fell also has a great supporting role as the no-nonsense club owner, who's every bit as dry and world-weary as his girls.

The biggest gripe I see about this film is that there are too many dance scenes and they're too long. This is no doubt just filling producer Corman's quotient of T&A for direct-to-video profit. Well fine, we get the naked girls and get the stripping. Plenty of each. What I don't see usually pointed out is that the dance scenes themselves are entertaining. They usually incorporate some interesting props (motorcycles, fire, a giant spider web...) or have a specific theme and with the lighting mixed in, it does come off as performance art at times. In addition, you can tell the women hired in these roles are actually either professionally trained dancers or actual strippers (or ex-strippers) because their stage performances incorporate flips, splits and a flexibility that requires dance training. The soundtrack is full of dated 80s-style rock, usually with a female vocalist, but it's tolerable. The biggest gripe I had with the film is that the slasher movie plot seems almost an unnecessary afterthought. I was far more interested in the everything else that was going on that I almost lost complete interest in who was actually killing the strippers.

Without question, Katt Shea Ruben is one of the most talented writer-directors Roger Corman employed in the 80s and 90s. She was one of the few with the ability to transcend the formulaic material and anemic budgets to create films that are distinctive, thoughtful, personal and interesting. And like many other notable cult/underground directors, she has never, and may never, receive much recognition or attention, and that's a true shame. I especially recommend her films DANCE OF THE DAMNED (1988; an intriguing and original vampire film which has sadly slipped into obscurity over the years) and STREETS (1990; a grim drama/thriller starring Christina Applegate). While STRIPPED TO KILL might not be as impressive as the aforementioned films, and a bit more weighted down and padded out, it's still a bright starting point for the director and well worth checking out.

I watched the two "Stripped to Kill" films back-to-back, and here are a few thoughts on them in case anyone (?) is interested:

1. The original is a piece of almost unbelievably sleazy gutter trash. There is no other way to describe it. If this description attracts you, see it, otherwise, AVOID IT. To be fair, though, the revelation of the killer's identity IS a surprise, and Kay Lenz is pretty good under the circumstances.

2. The second film is a slightly more polished production (though it still seems rushed), and has a few less strip numbers (though still too many). Again, the finale is kind of unexpected, but other aspects (like dialogue and sets) are very bad.

Conclusion: Rent these two films only if you need a voyeuristic fix. "Stripped" is the key word here.

Somebody is murdering the sexy lady dancers at a low rent strip club in L.A. Ambitious undercover detective Cody Sheehan (Ms. Lenz) decides that she wants the case, and her cheerfully sleazy partner Heineman (Greg Evigan) gets the bright idea to have her pose as a stripper. She wins a gig at the aforementioned club - despite not being much of a dancer - and eventually starts to find that she may be enjoying the prospect of being uninhibited for once.

This stylish movie marked the directing debut for actress Katt Shea. She co-wrote this with her now ex-husband Andy Ruben and went on to direct such things as "Dance of the Damned", "Poison Ivy", and "The Rage: Carrie 2". With Roger Corman as the executive producer, this is engaging, deliberately seedy entertainment. The low budget helps to create a spare, sordid atmosphere, enhanced by the music by John O'Kennedy. Yes, there may be a fair amount of the running time here devoted to protracted dance numbers, but they *are* erotic and well choreographed, with the ladies showing off some great moves.

The lovely Ms. Lenz does a creditable job in the lead. Her character is reasonably strong, in the tradition of Cormans' productions which were often as empowering as they were exploitative. Evigan is amusing and engaging as the somewhat chauvinist Heineman. A glum looking Norman Fell of 'Three's Company' fame wearily walks through his role as the club owner. There are some tantalizingly sexy ladies in the supporting cast; character actress Diana Bellamy has a particularly fun role as a gruff police dispatcher, while exploitation buffs will recognize actor Brad David (who plays the D.J.) from the 70s movies "The Candy Snatchers" and "The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse".

Thankfully, some viewers may actually be caught off guard by the reveal of who the killer is, or at least how they avoided detection for so long.

Overall, this is an enjoyable B picture for lovers of the genre.

Seven out of 10.

When a stripper by the name of "Angel" (Michelle Foreman) is raped and murdered, "Detective Cody Sheenan" (Kay Lenz) goes under cover and auditions at the strip club in the hope that she can find some clues that will help capture the perpetrator. Backing her up is her partner "Detective Heineman" (Greg Evigan) who keeps his eye on her and makes no secret of the fact that he enjoys her topless performances. Anyway, as far as the merits of the movie are concerned this particular one appeared to just meander from one scene to another and lacked cohesion, passion, eroticism and suspense. Along with that there seemed to be too many characters without any development and simply weren't necessary for the movie. Likewise, the ending was totally bizarre and unrealistic. Even so I liked the performance of Kay Lenz and Norman Fell (as the nightclub owner named "Ray") and because of that I have rated the movie a bit higher than it probably deserved. Slightly below average

Female police detective Cody Sheenan (Kay Lenz) goes undercover as a pole dancer to try and find out who has been killing the girls working at the Rock Bottom strip club (where all the profits are funnelled into elaborate stage props, smoke machines, neon signs and lava lamps).

With Stripped To Kill, director Katt Shea Ruben proves that women are just as capable of making voyeuristic exploitation as men, her debut film loaded with gratuitous female nudity solely designed to titillate the viewer. The majority of her film consists of expertly handled stripping scenes that benefit from glossy photography and stylish lighting, the girls showing off their toned and extremely flexible bodies in well choreographed dance routines.

While Cody is on stage proving that she has a rockin' bod to rival even the hottest stripper, her designer-stubbled partner Detective Heineman (Greg Evigan) is on the beat trying to track down suspect Mr. Pocket (Peter Scranton), a weirdo who has an obsession with the Rock Bottom performers.

Starting with the brutal immolation of one of the strippers and closing with a revelation that shouldn't come as much of a surprise (those who don't figure out the twist should be extra wary when chatting up women), Stripped to Kill is slick, consistently entertaining trash, unlikely to win any awards, but fun enough for the duration.

6.5/10, rounded down to 6 for the unnecessary romantic subplot between Sheenan and Heineman which is only there to pad out the runtime, and the fact that a couple of the girls qualify as butterfaces (nice legs, shame about the boat race, as The Monks used to sing).

Although not to be taken really literally. And a stripper bar is not exactly a discothek - though I guess close enough. With much more nudity (depending on the club you go or used to go to of course). That being said, there is also a murder mystery going on, so if you like those two elements combined there you go. And before you scream anything at the screen, this was directed by a woman. I guess this is what they were willing to give her money for.

In her audio commentary she does talk about discrimination a bit I guess. When people where not expecting a woman director. It had to do with her name not being as clear as other first names (male or female that is). I'm not sure it's really a surprise but maybe if you just let yourself immerse into that world and don't think too much, you will be mesmerized (by the visual content). It's not a bad movie, it's not a good movie either though ...

STRIPPED TO KILL examines the dark, dangerous world of pole dancing. Yes, there are scantily-clad and half-clad women dancing around, on, and up and down poles.

How could this possibly be hazardous?

Well, firstly, there are the injuries that could be incurred through all of that gyrating and wiggling! Whiplash is a definite concern! Worst of all is when a psychotic killer is on the loose, with a particular hatred of poles and their dancers.

Enter Detective Cody Sheenan (Kay Lenz), who goes undercover at the Rock Bottom strip club, run by the world's grumpiest owner (Norman Fell). Obviously, Cody must audition for a job at the club. In spite of being the worst pole dancer in the history of either poles or dancing... she nails it! Her act has a sort of slow-motion, performance art thing going on. Can she catch the misogynistic madman before more poles are left without partners?

If you actually believe that a movie that's called STRIPPED TO KILL could be a serious take on either stripping or homicide, then you are in for utter disappointment. However, if you're looking for a movie with just enough of a plot to justify nearly non-stop topless frivolity, then heaven has come for you! The ludicrous, brain-imploding "shock" finale is laugh-out-loud bananas! Whew!...

Greg evigan plays a childish cop and kay lenz acts the bait as a stripper ... norman fell is the cheap club owner ... the girls weren't particularly good looking nor did they have ample chests so small wonder not much tipping was seen ... strippers make their money from tips not salaries so most of the setting for this film is bogus

And what better way to mark the occasion, than to review a film about an undercover policewoman taking her clothes off. Yes sirree, she is moonlighting as a stripper in order to catch a nasty guy who has been murdering all the dancers at a local club. Of course the nudity takes second place to the fascinating plot, which is full of thrills and spills! The attention to detail on actual police procedure is nothing short of exemplary! Why, I even think a spotted a shoot-out at the end! How original! Sorry I can't be more help, I nodded off long before then. I must be working harder than I thought.. I really feel I missed out.

Still, don't let that put you off.. this is a great film! If you like gyrating hips, strobe lights and well-oiled thighs.. Why, don't just buy a copy.. steal it! The music too is nothing short of sensational. It's amazing how many times you can say "I want it, baby" and still make it sound fresh! Why wasn't the soundtrack nominated for any Grammys? And the costumes.. Darling, you have outdone yourself! Especially with that yellow and pink polka-dot number.. I can see Ms Naomi Campbell modelling that come London Fashion Week! I won't even go into the Oscar calibre performance of leading lady Kay Lenz! Watch out Meryl, someone's after your crown!

So overall, I would have to say this is the best film I have ever seen and.. huh? Who are you people? No, I don't need another jacket! Hang on, where are you taking me? This isn't my car! This is kidnap! HELP! HELP! MURDER! POLICE! *DOORS SLAM SHUT, SIREN FADES INTO THE DISTANCE*.

0/10

This is so much more than just a T&A film. This movie has a very good plot. There are plot twists involved. Kay Lenz is a truly good actress. The only thing I have seen where she was better was in Breezy. But that movie was directed by Clint Eastwood. On the downside, there are too many stripper dances which wastes time that could have been spent to add to the plot such that this would have been a great movie. Had that occurred, I would have rated this movie a nine of ten. Norman Fell plays a role of the bar manager. So, if you don't mind seeing a lot of topless and thong scenes (there are no scenes showing pubic area nudity), you might really enjoy this film.

This was way better than it had any right to be. Despite too many stripping scenes (is there such a thing?) the plot was fast moving enough and the "twist" at the end done well enough that it managed to be better than the sum of its parts. Schlock, but well done schlock. Colour me surprised.

I can't believe how bad the music is in a film about a strip club. Music is rather essential to the setting and the plot, and they made certain scenes difficult to watch with incredibly bad songs. However, men will put up with a lot of bad songs to see girls take off their clothes...

This film is way more exotic dancing than stripping, but it's plenty sexy and fun to watch. I will watch this again, someday. There really isn't anything exceptional here, but most aspects of the film are solid and the girls are hot enough to keep my attention.

RealReview Posting Scoring Criteria: Acting - 1/1; Casting - 1/1; Directing - 1/1; Story - 1/1; Writing/Screenplay - 1/1;

Total Base Score = 5

Modifiers (+ or -): Originality: 0.5 (The twist reveal at the end actually surprised me. I predicted the killer, but not the twist. It was clever and ahead of it's time.);

Music Score/Soundtrack: -1 (Worst. Soundtrack. Ever.);

Total RealReview Rating: 4.5 (rounded up to 5 for IMDB)

well,one of us is confused. With the right attitude,this is a terrfic movie starring the lovely Kay Lenz. If you liked her in "Breezy", you'll like her as much in this campy romp.

A maniac is killing strippers at a club..and the strippers won't talk to the cops. There is only one answer. The beauteous Detective Cody has to go undercover.Her partner talks her into entering an amateur contest.The winner ,as measured by an applause meter, get a full-time job .She does so,and then says to her partner, "But what if I don't win the applause meter?" "Sure you will " says her partner."All the guys will be there!"

The audience packed with hooting cops, Detective Cody is hesitant at first,but loosens and bring it all home.The problem is that she is a gorgeous woman, but not a great stripper. But she works hard, watches others, practices, and learns from the other girls. Soon she is a star, and liking it more and more. She is..liberated! (hey,it could happen. right?)At one point, the cops think they've nailed the guy and she is pulled off the case..but she refuses to quit! Dedication to justice is a praiseworthy quality. When to see her final show,you will agree!

This is a movie with good music,lots of stripping, some humor, a plot, and Kay Lenz (and friends)with no clothes on frequently. I'm ready for a sequel! Recommended...

A whiskey stream of consciousness review

Opening strip dance sequence is impressive skill. If only the opening song lived up to it. What?! Is that a Mr. Roper sighting? Outstanding. Mr. Roper owns the strip club. So that's where he went when he gave up being Jack tripper's landlord.

Movie includes a few extended strip sequences. Some of the sequences are of poor quality. Probably poor transfer from vhs maybe? As told film progresses, however, their routines grow more and more elaborate. All of the girls are quite talented and show off well. Kay Lenz is excellent as the undercover detective hero and downright cute and tough. And Greg Evigan is also good as punky sword-pierced ear ringed partner, Detective Heineman and their chemistry is surprising considering the low brow subject matter. Heineman drives a Suzuki Samurai- which is also a plus. I'm honestly surprised this doesn't have more of a cult following. There are heaps of entertaining moments, titillation, and a few grisly horror scenes to keep you interested to make up for the few slow takes. Stripped down with a dram of Old Soul select. Cheers!

Good looking 80s flick that seems to run just a little long but it's an enjoyable watch about some cops trying to catch a consistent, persistent killer at large. The movie soundtrack stands out (as does Kate Lenz)