Movie Type: Action Thriller, Police Detective Film
Themes: Going Undercover, Drug Trade
Main Cast: Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott, Rubén Blades, Harris Yulin, John Ryan
Release Year: 1987
Country: US
Run Time: 104 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Rita Rizzoli (Whoopi Goldberg) is a crusading narcotics cop assigned to track down the source of some killer crack cocaine in this pretentious and preachy anti-drug crime drama. Rita poses as a prostitute and is soon hot after two small-time hoods (Brad Dourif and Mike Jolly) who murder their way up the drug-dealing ladder in hopes of becoming kingpins. Cheech Marin and Catherine Blore provide interesting cameos in this feature that co-stars Ruben Blades and Sam Elliott. Contains stereotypical characters and gratuitous violence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Jennifer Warren - Cecile Jaeger; Brad Dourif - Leo Nova; Mike Jolly - Earl Skinner; Charles Hallahan - Deputy Getz; Neil Barry - Denny Miflin; Cheech Marin - Bartender; Ebbe Roe Smith - Marty; Belinda Mayne - Traci; Celeste Yarnall - Laura; Steven Getson Akahoshi - Shigeta; Fred Asparagus - Delgadillo; Jim Bentley - Paramedic; Sandra Bogan - Teri; Carlos Cervantes - Basqual; Michael Champion - Buzz; Phil Chong - Chinese Father; Michael de Lorenzo - Flaco; David Dunard - Cowboy Hat; M.C. Gainey - Darndollar; Larry Hankin - Jerry Murphy; Bernie Hern - Mike Weinstein; Prince Hughes - Big Bubba; Clayton Landey - Jimmy Silver; James LeGros - Zack Jaeger; Boyd "Red" Morgan - Fletch; Mark Pellegrino - Frankenstein; Walter Robles - Clay; Parker Whitman - Coroner's Attendant; David Harris - Raphael; Emilia Ayarza - Candy; Catherine Blore - Charlene; William Martin Brennan - 1st Assistant Chef; Jane Chung - Chinese Lady; Ellarye - Chinese Daughter; Joycelyne Lew - Chinese Mother; Lucia Nagy Lexington - Stripper; Richard Milholland - Charlie; Reed Morgan - Fletch; Cliff Murdock - Len; Dower Phillips - Teenager; Josh Pickard - Teenager; Tom Spiroff - Cop in Kitchen; Rick Telles - Epifanio; Jonathan Wong - Chinese Son; James Smith - Ritchie
Credit
Joseph C. Nemec III - Art Director, Art Schaeffer - Associate Producer, Richard Pagano - Casting, Sharon Bialy - Casting, Aggie Guerard Rodgers - Costume Designer, Michael Green - First Assistant Director, Tom Holland - Director, Don Zimmerman - Editor, Harold Faltermeyer - Composer (Music Score), John Bokowski - Songwriter, Reggie Calloway - Songwriter, Bernadette Cooper - Songwriter, Scott Cutler - Songwriter, David Michael Frank - Songwriter, Tony Haynes - Songwriter, Sylvester Levay - Songwriter, Cornelius Mimms - Songwriter, Mic Murphy - Songwriter, Linda Never - Songwriter, Danny Sembello - Songwriter, Tom Whitlock - Songwriter, Scott Wilk - Songwriter, Cynthia Will - Songwriter, Michael Germain - Makeup, Joe McKinney - Makeup, James Newport - Production Designer, David M. Walsh - Cinematographer, Leonard Kroll - Producer, E.C. Chen - Set Designer, Rick Simpson - Set Designer, Ken Pepiot - Special Effects, Walter Scott - Stunts, Walter Scott - Stunts Coordinator, Hilary Henkin - Screenwriter, Tom Holland - Screenwriter, Dean Riesner - Screenwriter, Deric Washburn - Screenwriter, Bill Svanoe - Screenwriter, Deborah Gibson - Featured Music
In a house in Los Angeles, a gang prepares plastic envelopes of imported cocaine stamped with the gang's brand name "Fatal Beauty". One worker, however, has been sampling too much of the drug and in his intoxicated state, prepares envelopes with a fatally high concentration of cocaine and a misaligned stamp. His bosses discover the error but before they can correct it, the house is attacked by two small-time hoods (Brad Dourif and Mark Pellegrino) who kill everyone within and steal the lethal product.
Detective Rita Rizzoli (Goldberg) is a crusading narcotics police officer who begins following the trail of bodies left by the killer cocaine, finding the crooked-stamped "Fatal Beauty" envelopes. She attracts the attention of Mike Marshak (Elliott), a security agent working for Rizzoli's prime suspect, and a romance develops. Their love scene was controversially abbreviated in the North American release, due to the racial taboo at the time.
