JinRoz For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

haildevilman Had a hard time following this one.3 years removed from an Oscar nom, our man Tommy Hulce plays a fish out of water. A very Hitchcockian thriller here. Confused guy gets caught up in things he can't control. Been there seen that.This seemed like a bunch of separate scenes thrown together in the hopes something coherent would rise. Pity it didn't happen that way. The wife goes from cheating whore to 'die for my man' attitude in record time. And John Doe's hit-man decides to shoot himself in sacrifice at the last minute.I felt like stuff was missing. And this print is a bit dark too.Wayne Wang is a talented director. What happened here?

madsagittarian I may be a one-person cult for this picture. I have had a soft spot for it ever since I saw the movie on the late show in 1989. Some of the other reviewers for this title have made a reasonable assertion as to why they don't like SLAMDANCE, and interestingly enough, I understand and agree with their decisions. Yes, this movie is a disjointed mess, but it has a strange beauty on a visceral and emotional level; this sets it apart from way too many films made in the decade which threw everything together in order to seem different, regardless of whether everything gelled. For instance, this film veers uncomfortably from goofy comedy to more sordid material. However, that makes sense as the central character is a cartoonist- a man-child who teeters between the comic book sensibilities of his work, and the demands of the very adult real world (he seldom lives up to his responsibilities). Mr. Drood is a perpetual screw-up; he was barely supportive of his wife and child, and now must deal with unfathomable emotions since he is now implicated in the murder of a fleeting flame.I've never been much of a fan of Virginia Madsen, particularly because this classy, slightly mysterious blonde has never been given good material... at least until recently. But Wayne Wang understands her screen presence perfectly. The highlight of the film is Tom Hulce's scenes with her (set in the movie's past). These moments with the femme fatale are beautiful evocations of allure, desire and implicit danger underneath the colourful settings- classic traditions of film noir. With their saturated hues and sexy jazz soundtrack, these moments work on an almost dreamlike approach.Even though SLAM DANCE is a dog's breakfast of styles and tones, this segment is nonetheless indicative of the film's success on a completely non-literal level. Yes this is another 1980's quirky film which has the obligatory cameo by a punk musician... and the "hip" quotient also given by a Harry Dean Stanton role, but there's just something more about it that makes not just another curiosity piece. The first time I saw it in 1989, I was with two others who didn't like the movie at all. As much as I could understand their reasons why, I still feel that this odd duck of a movie has that special "something"... and I have still felt that after repeated viewings. It either works for you, or it doesn't. It just depends on whether the film hits you on the right emotional level. If you looked up this title because you have a strange attraction to this picture, you're not alone.

kergillian This film is gorgeous. Cinematography is original and startling; some of the shots are truly art. The unfortunate part is that the film itself needed some *major* help. The plot was so mysterious that the clues barely connected to the plot, and even at the end the answers were tenuous at best. It's all laid out but so flimsily and haphazardly that much of the story lacks proper explanation (for example: what part did John Gilbert have in the whole set-up? Why was Adam Ant's character friendly with John and why would he betray a seemingly close friend?) As well, much of the story was unbelievable, such as Helen sleeping with Adam Ant's character, which also really had nothing whatsoever to do with the story and could have been eliminated altogether without making a difference. And Nye's lackey who seems too involved with the whole situation for a flunky and his characterization was so back and forth it felt like he was schizophrenic...Also, the pacing was really off. The fast pace contrasted too sharply with the slow, and the slow was *way* too damn slow. The film wasn't too long, but at times it dragged too much, which could have been solved by more consistent writing and better pacing and transition between scenes.The cast was quite good as a whole, though most of the characters were too flat (not the actors' faults). But I *really* didn't like Tom Hulce. He whined and he was much too (how did the goon put it?) ‘chicken-shit' for a buff guy. And did I mention he whined a hell of a lot?? It was like watching Steve Guttenberg in a murder mystery. Adam Ant rocked though, he was definitely the best of the cast, though Harry Dean Stanton was good as always, though he got stuck with a fairly useless role.Overall: the film needed a re-write. I appreciate what Wayne Wang was trying to do; and the moulding of art-film style shooting with a noir-style plot is a bold, albeit difficult, one to try. This film is admirable for what it attempts, and the vision succeeds; I have to reiterate: what a beautiful film!! Gorgeously shot; clever shots, fabulous lighting, and consistently great uses of mirrors! If only the story wasn't so awkward...it has such great potential!! For cinematography I give it a nine, but as an overall film, 6/10.

jbdean Ready for a wild ride into the underworld?Murder, sex, Mafia, cops, love and marriage ... Slamdance has it all!C.C. Drood* is a cartoonist but his life is anything but a comic strip. When an affair with a mystery woman he meets at a friend's club leads to murder and his implication, life turns upside down for Drood. Just wanting to reunite with his wife and their daughter, Drood has to solve a mystery that even the cops can't figure out. And life begins to imitate art ... the art of being treacherous!==========> *TOM HULCE is C.C. Drood. Tom, again, brings us a complete character ... as real as life. Drood has a funny side, a serious side, a vulnerable side and a loyal side. He shows us the chaos of being caught in a lie and the struggle of trying to straighten it out. Drood is a great role and is done to perfection by Hulce!