Even in the 1970s, movies were still reluctant to portray a female cop as a "Dirty Harriet". Connie Stevens is game, and there are two (count 'em) well-shot & fairly original chase sequences, but in general the action is sparse, the story is confusing, and the supporting cast is poor. *1/2 out of 4.
Scorchy
1976
Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller
Scorchy
1976
Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller
Keywords: grindhouse
Plot summary
Connie Stevens is Jackie "Scorchy" Parker, the hottest undercover agent the Feds have ever known. She makes fast friends - and deadly enemies. She can handle anything - from a car - to a chopper - to a .357 magnum. But the alluring agent may have her hands full when she takes on a drug-smuggling ring ruled by the sinister Philip Bianco (Cesare Danova). Will our titular heroine emerge triumphant? Fire up Scorchy and find out.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Movie Reviews
Scorchy is not scorching
She's a polyester-clad Fed with frosted hair...
Bargain-basement claptrap has female narcotics agent in Seattle about to blow the whistle on international heroin ring. Two well-directed action sequences (one involving a speed-buggy, the other a helicopter) saves this tacky flick from turkey status. Connie Stevens tries hard, but her girlish voice hasn't caught up with her body (most often she sounds like she's trying to be coquettish). Her hair is a marvel though: frosted wings that do most of her acting for her. Masochists will revel in one sequence which typifies the rest: as Connie's lover is grinding away, he is murdered and Stevens, realizing there's a dead man on top of her, opens her mouth as wide as she can and screams like Fay Wray; the killer comes into the room, hauls off and slaps Screaming Connie across the face like a cheap whore. It's almost as jaw-dropping as the Statement-Making finale, which is so self-important it goes beyond cheap laughs. * from ****
Connie Stevens in a dune buggy
"She's killed a man, been shot at, and made love twice already this evening...and the evening isn't over yet!"
I mean, how am I not going to watch this movie after all that?
Man, American-International kept putting out awesome movies late into the 1970's, with this Howard Avedis written, produced and directed caper (made back when he was still Hikmet Avedis). If you're looking for more Avedis goodness (Goovedis?),I'd recommend The Teacher, Dr. Minx, The Fifth Floor, They're Playing With Fire and the awesome Mortuary.
Jackie Parker (Connie Stevens!) is a cop by day and a drug smuggler by night, when she isn't hooking up with Greg Evigan. She's after drug dealer Philip Bianco (Ceaser Danova) and has to deal with the awesome William Smith as Carl, one of the henchmen, who leads her on a chase through the streets of Seattle that involves a dune buggy, a vehicle which seems quite out of place in the City of Flowers.
At some point in the 1980's when this was released on VHS, the original Igor Kantor-supervised soundtrack was replaced with a Miami Vice inspired score, which is completely out of this world great.
Stevens had a clean image before this movie, so it must have been shocking to see her bed guys and suggest that her elder boss get some fellatio to improve his mood. It's like this movie has the dialogue of an adult film without any of the actual penetration!
Actually, the only penetration is when Carl attacks Scorchy while she's scoring with a guy, entering her Lake City home to shoot the guy in the ass cheek with a harpoon as if this was an Emerald City version of A Bay of Blood.
Man, I live in Pittsburgh and the movies that the world knows my hometown for all involve zombies, which is certainly an awesome thing, but if I were from Seattle, I would be quite honestly inordinately proud of having Scorchy made there. It's a near-perfect drive-in movie and ends James Bond style with a barrage of cops descending on the drug dealer's house and people being shotgun blasted left and right.
I wish Avendis made twenty sequels to this movie.