Written by: John Goff
Directed by: Nigel Dick
Starring: Lisa Eilbacher, Steve Railsback, Maud Adams, Fred Williamson, Persis Khambatta, Lance Henrikson, David Dukes, Solly Marx, Pamela Guest
Okay, you see a DVD cover (or read about a film on the web) with Maud Adams, Fred Williamson, Persis Khambatta and Lance Henrikson in the cast and you figure it has to be a decent bit of cheese. Well, check your expectations at the door, because Deadly Intent is intent on being a deadly dull cinematic experience.
Released on video in 1989, the story focuses on the trials of Laura Keaton (Lisa Eilbacher). She’s married to Raymond (Lance Henrikson), an adventurer who collects rare artifacts and is not above screwing over his partners. When the film opens, we see him beat a member of his most recent expedition (Harley, played by Solly Marx) senseless in order to walk out of the jungle with a massive diamond.
Stateside, we find out that the Keaton household isn’t a happy one — during the celebration of Raymond’s return from the jungle, Laura states she wants a divorce. Elise (Maud Adams), the financier of the expedition, isn’t too happy with Raymond either, as he claims to have returned empty handed. But she’s unable to press the issue, because Raymond dies in a car accident while trying to outrun Harley, who made it out of the jungle alive.
Another of Raymond’s partners, Jeff Kirkwood (Steve Railsback), is also at the party and it appears he and Laura once had some chemistry between them, and still might. Yet, as she’s recently widowed, Jeff ends up sleeping on the couch when he stops by to console her.
The next day, Laura is caught up in a web of intrigue. Someone breaks into her house and she is pursued both by Harley and a mysterious couple (Fred Williamson and Persis Khambatta). A mysterious priest (David Dukes) and nun (Pamela Guest) keep asking her about Raymond, though she wasn’t aware of his religious affiliations. And her best friend ends up murdered after agreeing to hold onto some jewels for her.
Okay, the pieces are in place. We know Raymond got the diamond out, we know all the characters in the film are looking for it and we know Laura doesn’t know anything about it. Yet, instead of a fun little B-grade film, we get a deathly dull picture that seems intent on killing the audience with boredom.
But, you might protest, the film features Fred Williamson, Maud Adams and Lance freaking Henrikson. And that’s part of the problem. While most of these actors were coming off of major pictures (hell, Henrikson did Pumpkinhead, Aliens, Near Dark and The Terminator before signing on to this film), they all have rather small roles. Given their limited screen time, it’s obvious this was a “cash the check quick” gig, as most of these better-known actors had hit a lull in their career.
This leaves the bulk of the film focused on Eilbacher, and it’s a big mistake. I’m not going to say she was a bad actress. She did a lot of television work before this, but she's outclassed by the rest of the cast. This is painful obvious in her brief, early moments with Henrikson. I’m sure she was fine in her '70s television appearances, but carrying a feature-length film, even one released on video, requires more than she was able to deliver.
The script doesn’t help. It’s obvious everyone is after the diamond, resulting in a lack of suspense. And, while I’ve never seen a Lifetime “woman in peril” movie, I imagine this one hits all the marks. Her cheating husband gets involved with some shady people, dies without leaving her a penny, and everyone is out to get the one item she knows nothing about. About the only question left unresolved until the final scenes is whether Jeff really cares for her or is just after the diamond like everyone else. And that’s not enough of a mystery to keep the audience interested during a feature-length film.
The biggest problem, though, is that Laura never does anything in the movie except be victimized. And, even though she grows a spine in the last nine minutes of the movie, all she does is make a phone call, then show up unarmed at the site of the final confrontation. Her best friend was murdered and she shows up to a secluded location without even a kitchen knife? If any character deserved to die, it was Laura. It’s just her luck that she misses all the action and is reduced to cursing her husband one final time before walking off in the rain.
The editing is horrid and rather choppy at spots. Also, Deadly Intent contains one of the most awful chase scenes ever committed to film. I don’t know how Nigel Dick got this job, but he seemed to take the track opposite from most other directors, sinking into the music video scene right after filming this trash.
The film is part of the MGM Limited Edition collection, and the picture and sound quality is very good for a MOD (Made On Demand) product. Don’t expect any extras with this DVD, but I doubt much other material was available for this release.
I suggest you pass Deadly Intent by. I hate to say it, but this is one movie that should remain buried. Too many other good, or at least enjoyable, films have yet to get a DVD release and offering this as an MOD is a slap in the face to genre fans, especially when one considers how Henrikson and the other actors are displayed on the cover. If MGM wants our hard-earned cash, at least give us something worth the price, not a film unworthy of a Walmart dump bin purchase.
Rating: (1 out of 5):
