Customer Reviews

Las Vegas Lady

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Disclaimer: This film is included in Mill Creek's Big Screen Bombshells: 12 Movie Collection, which is the version I saw. As such, I cannot comment on the quality or packaging of the item as offered on this product page. My review is concerned with the entertainment value of the disc itself.

'Las Vegas Lady' is a heist and con film, designed specifically to take advantage of the talents of Stella Stevens. In this case, she's an older but wiser player in the Las Vegas scene, one who is hired by an unidentified party to steal a half million dollars from a shady casino manager. With the help of two other Vegas attractions (Lynne Moody and Linda Scruggs), Ms. Stevens, as Lucky, attempts to carry out the theft during a special invitation-only gambling event at the penthouse level of the casino. But, like the tagline suggests, 'it's easy to steal a million - the hard part is getting away'.

This is such an average film for its type that it's hard to even review it. Much like the film 'Best Friends', also directed by Noel Nosseck the same year as 'Lady', it isn't a bad flick - just that it's entirely mediocre. There's little here to rescue it from oblivion - other than Ms. Stevens and Lynne Moody, (and a one-note performance by Jesse White, the Maytag Repairman), and a few moments during the heist that are mildly suspenseful. But it seems to me that for any con movie to work, the main people needing to be conned are the audience, and I doubt many savvy movie-goers who appreciate this kind of film are going to be much fooled. Still, the story is logical, if far-fetched, and the acting is competent, which at least makes it a not unpleasant (Orwell be darned) experience.

This is also a very PG movie (although there does seem to be a lot of cleavage around), so those viewers interested in some of the more outlandish aspects of exploitation cinema are probably going to be disappointed in that area too. The entire film could probably be transplanted directly onto TV with few if any cuts. And that's probably what it reminds me of the most, mid-seventies television, with a sort of 'Charlie's Angels' suggestiveness and verve. Three stars, and not particularly recommended except for those viewers who have a special interest in Ms. Stevens, Ms. Moody, or Las Vegas of the seventies.

As I mentioned before, I can't speak to the quality of this OOP Rhino release, but I do believe that the film included in the Bombshell collection is a sufficient alternative. The listed time on the Rhino disc matches the DVD timer from the Mill Creek edition, and the Mill Creek version is also anamorphic, which is not specified in Rhino's information. It's also a very clean transfer, with no real noticeable artifacts or abrasion damage in the film (nor any Mill Creek watermarks). It still looks like a seventies film though, with much of the grain intact, which is actually how I prefer them. The only drawbacks are no subtitles and no special features.

The beautiful Stella Stevens rules in This wonderful Las Vegas heist movie.It's a must see!!!!!!!1

A cute, campy 70s style movie, that was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. Stella Stevens was adorable, and it is so obvious how female actresses now are so prone to plastic surgery...the more natural 70s beauty was, to me, so much more appealing...well that is another story...So this is a cute light Vegas caper, fun to watch on a Saturday afternoon for a light easy escape. Silly fun. OH! it is really nice also to see old school Vegas!

Stella Stevens may be old, but she will always be great in my book

If you're a fan of beautiful sexy underated Stella Stevens then get this just to see her at her prime. But dont expect much from the movie itself, middling, lame story, and actually quite boring, and once again proves that Stevens was much better than the material offered to her.