I think the reason that a good director like Abel Ferrara made this predictable film was that after making such low budget films he would branch out and make something more commercial. After gaining good notices for the cult hit "Ms.45" Ferrara probably was given an assignment by a decent studio with a decent budget. Well, "Fear City" is a violent and raunchy thriller that goes from being predictable to downright silly! Tom Berenger who is about two years from "Platoon" plays an ex-boxer who along with his pal Jack Scalia run an agency that sends strippers out to work in dance clubs. Unfortunately, they're is also a psycho who is killing strippers and its creating havoc in the clubs. The woman are afraid to work and the cops are coming down hard on the clubs trying to find the killer. Billy Dee Williams plays a cop that is so racist and sleazy that he becomes a cliche'. Melanie Griffith appeared in this film the same year that "Body Double" was released so this was the year that her career really started to blossom. She appears nude here and so does her friend in the film Rae Dawn Chong. There is an abundant of nudity in the film as most scenes take place in the strip clubs. The ending is preposterous as... ***SPOILER ALERT*** I'm about to describe the ending as Tom Berenger gets in shape ala' Rocky and takes on a psycho who knows karate. You can guess the outcome! Good shots of authentic New York locations before that section of the city was cleaned up. Ferrara is a very good director but at that time I think he was just trying for a more mainstream audience and the result is a cheesy thriller. The raunchy settings make it somewhat watchable and seeing these actors in early roles is interesting but its clearly a misfire.
Review of Fear City
