Storyville (1992)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Mark Frost

Writers (WGA):

Frank Galbally (novel) and
Robert Macklin (novel) ...

Release Date:

30 September 1992 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

One woman's passion can hurt you. One man's power can kill you.

Plot:

A young candidate for the senate is filmed with a hooker as blackmail. As he investigates, he discovers...

Plot Keywords:

Political | Blackmail | Family Secret | Southern Gothic | Ex Wife

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

James Spader	...	Cray Fowler
Joanne Whalley	...	Natalie Tate (as Joanne Whalley-Kilmer)
Jason Robards	...	Clifford Fowler
Charlotte Lewis	...	Lee Tran
Michael Warren	...	Nathan LeFleur
Piper Laurie	...	Constance Fowler
Michael Parks	...	Michael Trevallian
Chuck McCann	...	Pudge Herman
Charles Haid	...	Abe Choate
Chino 'Fats' Williams	...	Theotis Washington
Woody Strode	...	Charlie Sumpter
Jeff Perry	...	Peter Dandridge
Galyn Görg	...	Spice
Justine Shapiro	...	Melanie Fowler (as Justine Arlin)
George Cheung	...	Xang Tran

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Davis Entertainment

Trivia:

Mark Frost first started writing the screenplay in 1987.

Quotes:

Cray: The past isn't dead. In fact, it isn't even past.

Soundtrack:

When It's Sleepy Time Down South

Plot Leaves One to Be Desired

A rampant fan of James Spader or not, this film is awful. The acting is brutally contrived, and I'm sick of seeing Spader in those pointlessly sexual situations, as has been his claim to fame, as it were. The fact that Spader is a decent actor doesn't do justice to the unremitting bouts of horridity.

A beautiful and "mysterious" Japanese maid seduces James Spader by way of leaving him a note on a napkin. "Meet Me At Storyville" sayeth aforementioned note. Storyville is some kind of neo-classical, über-Gothic club replete with with all-too-gothy foot-watching shuffle dance and one random couple making out as the only rapid action I'd venture to guess that club ever saw. He meets the sultry and readily available Charlotte Lewis (Lee); she takes him back to her swanky Japanese-motifed apartment (and makes him take off his shoes) where she then changes into kung-fu garb and pulls the pancake roll from hell. Long story short, he winds up sleeping with her in her bathtub while the camera pans around to a hidden room that is filming their love-making.

I also failed to mention Spader's character is a candidate in the senate, thereby making this recording of their sudsy festivities (I say "sudsy", but there were no suds) blackmail. Spader discovers this the hard way as he also discovers random things about his father, their past, et al.

I personally wouldn't spend two licks on this movie. It's horrid. Save your money, save your time, seriously.

...Though, I wouldn't mind having the soundtrack.

But still.