Black Widow (1987)

Released in early 1987 and directed by Bob Rafelson from Ronald Bass' screenplay, "Black Widow" stars Debra Winger as a federal investigator who goes after a gold-digging femme fatale (Theresa Russell) who moves from husband to husband, killing them and collecting the inheritance. Sami Frey plays a French lothario living in Hawaii, a target of the 'Black Widow' and potential love interest of the heroine. Dennis Hopper and Diane Ladd have small parts. The plot is akin to Columbo in that we know who the murderer is right away and it's just a matter of the sleuth cleverly catching him or her. At first, I thought Winger was a newspaper reporter, but by the second half it becomes evident that she's a government agent. They shoulda been clearer on this.This is one of those movies I can take or leave. I acknowledge its good points and enjoy it when I see it, but there's not enough oomph to make it a must-see. Like Columbo, the plot is decidedly made-for-television, but the location shooting distinguishes it as a theatrical film. Winger makes for a fine heroine and there are little things thrown in that smack of real-life, which I appreciate, like the poker game at the office and the colleague's mild flirtations with the protagonist. Russell has the requisite looks that kill, but whatever body double they used for the naked buttocks scene lacked any curves to get excited over. Nevertheless, if you appreciate 80's period pieces, film noir and the two stars, "Black Widow" is worth catching, just don't expect greatness. The film runs 102 minutes and was shot in Seattle, DC and Hawaii.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

This is a creepy and alluring crime thriller starring Debra Winger as Alexandra, a federal agent who is committed to tracking down Catharine (Theresa Russell), a serial killer who marries her husbands and then poisons them to get their fortune.The plot is well-paced and the acting is good - intriguing to see the beautiful but deadly Catharine do her husbands in one at a time while Alexandra struggles to make a case against her, even going as far as posing as her friend in order to obtain enough evidence to arrest her. With Catharine's obsession with money and with Alexandra's obsession in catching the killer are two plot elements that compliment each other well and gives the movie good pacing and suspenseful elements that leaves little room for boring fillers. I would have like to see some actual action, though, and it would have been nice to explain how Catharine was able to escape her crimes and assume a new identity so easily every time.Overall, it's a fun thriller who surprises and unpredictable moments.Grade B+

I had seen Body Heat from 1981 with the similar femme fatale theme and that film just comes to my mind after seeing Black Widow on TV tonight.Actually Black widow tries to copy some elements from the earlier film with very little success. I can give this film 1 point for high production values, 1 point for the score and 1 for good sets. That's just about it and it's such a shame that if this film had had a really good intelligent script, the outcome could have been much better.The film's actually really dumb and there's plenty of things that make very little sense. The pacing is actually so dull that nothing seems to happen in it for the first hour. It's just tough to watch when everything is so obvious from the very beginning to the very end. It's like watching a daytime soap opera that never ends.The main character's quite tame and uninteresting just like everything else in this film. Plot twists in the end of the film are just a little too late to save the film. It appears that there was very little substance but it still had to be made to last 102 minutes.Save yourself from an obvious disappointment and watch The Body Heat instead. It's got very similar story and it's the original.

A really clever thriller written by Ron Bass & unexpectedly directed by Bob Rafelson. Debra Winger is a government agent who insinuates herself into the life of the much-married Theresa Russell, knowing full well that the gold digging Russell mates and kills her wealthy husbands. There's undeniable (and quite erotic) chemistry between Winger & Russell...and between Russell and Dennis Hopper...and between Russell and Sami Frey...you get the point. Rafelson weaves a complex and very satisfying tale. Winger gives a powerhouse performance and Russell is perfect as an utter psychopath. The large cast also includes Diane Ladd, Lois Smith, Nicol Williamson, Terry O'Quinn, James Hong (as a decidedly sleazy private eye), and, briefly, Mary Woronov.