If you only like marvel movies dont bother watching this classic.. you wont get it.

The director does a fantastic job showcasing the filth and grime of N. Y. C. In the 1980's.

Also if you need your hand held and must have everything explained to you dont watch this film.

Do watch this film if you enjoy stories about the dark underbelly of society and descents into madness.

I really like it . The film held my interest right to the end and keep me thinking about the film for some time after viewing it.

Christine (Sandy McCloud) is desperate for employment to the point where she accepts work selling tickets at a porno theatre off of Times Square. As expected some customers give off a creepy aura, though she accepts the invitation of one well heeled, mysterious gent's invite to a game at Yankee Stadium. The porno theatre environment meanwhile begins to have an effect on her, disturbing her boyfriend and spurring her to stalk the mystery man.

Variety is a lurid crock in search of an edge, but it's all location, location, location under neon on 48th street with a cast, crew and script ill prepared to mount a production. Most of the performers sleepwalk through their roles with McCloud's dense and dull lead insipidly gullible, her tailing skills amateurly obvious.

Bette Gordon's direction falters in nearly every department with anemic performances, disjointed storyline, overlong scenes and sloppy camerawork while talking dirty to you. Pounding her misandrist theme home she does offer up some provocative anecdotes from some minor players who look and sound like they've been around the block but with the leaden and lifeless McCloud in the lead Variety becomes an ordeal made to endure. A complete waste of time.

Christine (a fine and fearless performance by Sandy McLeod) gets a job selling tickets in a both at a Times Square porn theater. Christine experiences a sudden sexual awakening and subsequent obsession with porn.

Director Bette Gordon and writer Kathy Acker offer a thoughtful and provocative exploration of voyeurism, obsession, carnal desires, and sexual fantasies that's told from a refreshingly tasteful, intelligent, and perceptive female perspective. Moreover, Gordon and Acker deserve extra praise for neither glamourizing nor sensationalizing the basically lurid subject matter; instead said lurid subject matter is handled in an admirably straightforward and nonjudgmental manner.

In addition, there are sturdy supporting contributions from Will Patton as the amiable Mark, Richard M. Davidson as dashing businessman Louie, and Luis Guzman as jovial coworker Jose. John Waters movie regular Cookie Mueller pops up as a bar patron while Spalding Gray has a hilarious vocal cameo as an obscene phone caller. Shot in a plain documentary style by cinematographers Tom DiCillo and John Foster, with an excellent bluesy score by John Lurie and lots of choice footage of New York City red light districts in all their gloriously seedy 80's glory, this unjustly neglected sleeper is eminently worthy of rediscovery.