Maria Ford! Who? Internationally renowned burlesque performer (stripper), actress, and model. Today we have her magnum opus. Get this, she choreographed her own routines, for which there will be many. Routines that include fire, a big snake, BDSM costumes, a whip, etc. It is not easy being an exotic dancer at the same time a choreographer, and killer. Killer? Yep, pure psycho...at least in this movie. In real life Maria Ford is a great philanthropist, working for positive change in her community, and an avid recycler of plastic bottles. Let us take a look at the 1996 erotic thriller "Showgirl Murders," directed by Dave Payne.
Stripper, sorry, exotic dancer, Jessica (Ford) rips off her boyfriend, Crank (Jeffrey Douglas), of his drug dealing profits and runs. Now she is on the run from this psycho and her talents are limited. Thus, she ends up at a strip club begging for a job. The club is owned by hunk Mitch (Matt Preston), and his dumpy wife Carolyn (D.S. Case). Carolyn wants to send Jessica on her way, but Mitch is aroused and hires her. Jessica's new routines, which are extraordinary in a prurient sort of way, helps the club increase their nightly take enormously. Now Jessica makes the moves on Matt and before you know it, Jessica is trying to get Matt to murder Carolyn. Uh oh...a DEA agent, Sam (Bob McFarland) enters the picture. He wants Crank and knows Jessica is still in touch with him.
Mitch tries to murder Carolyn...but he is not a killer. Is Jessica? Duh! In fact, the more we learn about Jessica the more she resembles Michael, or Freddie, or Norman Bates. Jessica's routines get hotter and she even introduces some lesbian themed routines with other strippers...oh, sorry...exotic dancers. Now Crank shows up and he wants his money that Jessica stole. Now Jessica has a whole bunch of peeps in her life that, in her mind, need killing. Armed with a whip, blunt instruments, a knife, a gun, Molotov cocktails, and attitude, Jessica decides to take control.
Will anyone in this film be alive as the end credits role? Is it true that before his death Bob Fosse was going to make this movie until Maria Ford murdered him? Why don't we have more burlesque performers making films today and if we did, would Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" have been watchable? See "Showgirl Murders" and get your fill of Maria Ford and all her talents.
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