Butterfly (1982)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Matt Cimber

Writers:

James M. Cain (novel)
Matt Cimber (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

5 February 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

From the author who gave you "The Postman Always Rings Twice"..."Double Indemnity"..."Mildred Pierce" ...Now, his most powerful and daring love story comes to the screen!

Plot:

Orson Welles, as judge Rauch, holds a lengthy trial against Jess Tyler, a caretaker deserted by his wife ten years before...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female Nudity | One Word Title | Seduction | Desert

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Stacy Keach	...	Jess Tyler
Pia Zadora	...	Kady Tyler
Orson Welles	...	Judge Rauch
Lois Nettleton	...	Belle Morgan
Edward Albert	...	Wash Gillespie
James Franciscus	...	Moke Blue
Stuart Whitman	...	Rev. Rivers
June Lockhart	...	Mrs. Helen Gillespie
Ed McMahon	...	Mr. Gillespie
Paul Hampton	...	Norton
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Ed Lamey (as Buck Flower)
Ann Dane	...	Janey Tyler
Greg Gault	...	Bridger
John O'Conner White	...	Billy Roy
Peter Jason	...	Allen

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Company:

Par-Par Films

Soundtrack:

IT'S WRONG FOR ME TO LOVE YOU

It's not as Bad as many say, but its not that good either.

Once again, as I write this, I gotta tell ya, I saw this on the "Z" Channel in Los Angeles in the early 80's. I had three emotions while seeing this..one was, "This is messed up" then laughter, and one more was: "Pia Zadora isn't THAT bad of an actress."

You see, it WAS the 80's. Pia had an on screen "something" that with the right vehicle could have given her a decent film career. Leading Lady? No way. The second or third important female role? You betcha. Such as "the wicked sister" or "the backstabbing girl friend" roles, with the type of stuff that was coming out then. She could have been a "cheap rent" Jane Seymour type in films playing those rolls. But she got this one...and it wasn't that great. The story was all over the place, the sexual tension was laughable and...very confusing at times. This film is bad, but top 200 bad, not top 50 bad.

The gosh-awful script didn't help ANYONE in this film. It was bad. There is a bit of "camp" film quality running through this film at points, not enough to make it a "good-camp" film to redeem it. A lot of misguided areas here, a hodgepodge of a story and a lot of wasted talent.

Thank goodness for all involved, there was a paycheck waiting for them at the end.