The Worst Film Ever

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Had this been produced by a major studio with an experienced director at the helm, this movie would of been so much better. Keys to Tulsa contains both the look and music of countless straight to video/cable movies from the same period. Which is a shame because the cast is great and was clearly game for anything. Fans of David Cronenberg's Crash will find it amusing to see James Spader and Deborah Kara Unger reuniting, playing a trailer trash couple instead of a yuppie couple. But just like in Crash, their characters aren't exactly faithful to each other. However it's the beautiful Joanna Going who steals the show, looking like a skinnier and smaller breasted Alyssa Milano as the stripper named Cherry who is constantly under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at all the wrong times. It's surprising to know that she was around 34 when she made this movie, as she looks more like 24. Adding more insult to her great performance, despite her large role her name nor picture is nowhere to be found on the region 1 DVD case from Artisan. Meanwhile, Cameron Diaz who only has a cameo that lasts a few minutes at the beginning of the film has second billing.

"Keys To Tulsa" is not completely uninteresting - that would be impossible with the cast it has (including a made-up-to-look-like-Elvis James Spader and a HOT Deborah Unger). But the story never seems to build and the movie drags from one purposeless dialogue scene to another; it goes on so long that it begins to resemble a soap opera. Certainly the only two tense scenes are not enough for the "thriller" this was misleadingly promoted as. (**)

This is a really good movie. I mean that. Great acting, dialogue, and full bodied plot keep this film moving just fine. You'll need to dig this one up in VHS at your local video dealer, but it's well worth the search. This one's a gem. 7 of 10

While I may be wrong about many things, compelling trash is not one of them. This film, like the much under-appreciated "Freeway" is NOT a "so-bad-it's-good" film. Rather, it is "Dynasty" for very corrupt smart folks. The film has a definite made-for-cable pace, but I think this adds to its "colored-umbrella in my drink" ambiance. Kind of like "Miami Vice" should have been. The primary reasons to see this film are the acting and the script. First, Eric Stoltz is wonderfully blissed out and funny. Second, Spader does a great stretch in this film, and he makes the catch. Third, Ms. Going walks on water. Fourth, so does Michael Rooker. Trust me; you really want to see James Coburn say "We, Richter, we're men, we love our women badly." It's a grade "A" genuine hoot and a half. And Cameron Diaz has precisely 3 minutes of screen time.