Pedestrian 1980s comedy with supporting turns by Cherie & Marie Currie

This is a kitchen-sink comedy that weaves stock characters and standard plot devices into an unremarkable 84 minutes. There’s a scheming father, an offbeat militant handyman, horny desk clerks, kooky guests, and a business-savvy hooker. The story involves a failing Florida hotel whose revitalization is undermined by the owner’s attempts to embarrass the prospective son-in-law he’s installed as manager. Peter Scolari, who in 1984 had finished his run in Bosom Buddies and was just starting Newhart, gives a professional performance as the milquetoast son-in-law, while his co-star, Colleen Camp seems to be reading cue cards. Christopher Lee shines in a brief, over-the-top scene as the hotel owner, and Fran Drescher and Monique Garbriel hot things up as hookers. Two interesting cast footnotes are the performances by former Runaways lead-singer Cherie Currie and her sister Marie, and a bit part by ‘60s folkie legend Hamilton Camp as an arsonist. Fans of the Curries will enjoy the performance sequences in which they don red catsuits and skintight spandex pants, as well as their contributions to the soundtrack. If you want to see Cherie Currie act, or even speak lines of dialogue, you’ll need to check out Foxes. This isn’t a complete turkey, but the script doesn’t live up to the talents of the film’s cast. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]