Star 80

Director Bob Fosse's fact-based tale of Playboy centerfold Dorothy Stratten's short life and gruesome death focuses less on Stratten (played by Mariel Hemingway) than on her husband/manager, sleazoid pornographer and all-around failure Paul Snider (Eric Roberts, ideally cast). He sees the young ...more

Undeniably powerful but also intensely disturbing and difficult to take, Star 80 is a film that seems to want to make a statement but also can't seem to decide what that statement should be. Director-screenwriter Bob Fosse is to blame for this indecisiveness, but also deserves credit for much of the film's impact. The film has the same visual confidence that marks his best work, with editing by Alan Heim that is a key ingredient in the film's effectiveness. Fosse captures a riveting, full-bodied ...more