This film is gorgeous. Cinematography is original and startling; some of the shots are truly art. The unfortunate part is that the film itself needed some *major* help. The plot was so mysterious that the clues barely connected to the plot, and even at the end the answers were tenuous at best. It's all laid out but so flimsily and haphazardly that much of the story lacks proper explanation (for example: what part did John Gilbert have in the whole set-up? Why was Adam Ant's character friendly with John and why would he betray a seemingly close friend?) As well, much of the story was unbelievable, such as Helen sleeping with Adam Ant's character, which also really had nothing whatsoever to do with the story and could have been eliminated altogether without making a difference. And Nye's lackey who seems too involved with the whole situation for a flunky and his characterization was so back and forth it felt like he was schizophrenic...

Also, the pacing was really off. The fast pace contrasted too sharply with the slow, and the slow was *way* too damn slow. The film wasn't too long, but at times it dragged too much, which could have been solved by more consistent writing and better pacing and transition between scenes.

The cast was quite good as a whole, though most of the characters were too flat (not the actors' faults). But I *really* didn't like Tom Hulce. He whined and he was much too (how did the goon put it?) ‘chicken-shit' for a buff guy. And did I mention he whined a hell of a lot?? It was like watching Steve Guttenberg in a murder mystery. Adam Ant rocked though, he was definitely the best of the cast, though Harry Dean Stanton was good as always, though he got stuck with a fairly useless role.

Overall: the film needed a re-write. I appreciate what Wayne Wang was trying to do; and the moulding of art-film style shooting with a noir-style plot is a bold, albeit difficult, one to try. This film is admirable for what it attempts, and the vision succeeds; I have to reiterate: what a beautiful film!! Gorgeously shot; clever shots, fabulous lighting, and consistently great uses of mirrors! If only the story wasn't so awkward...it has such great potential!! For cinematography I give it a nine, but as an overall film, 6/10.

It is obvious from the music video included prior to the movie on the VHS version, that Slam Dance's strengths is in its visual elements, and as such, it is very simply and 80s movie in almost every visual respect. Unfortunately, what at least looked interesting, and was well-paced, was also a jumbled narrative which tends to deliver too much for its viewers to digest at one time with incoherent explanation. And while the movie's appearance may have been constructed with care, the fact that it's plot is delivered too hastily, may in the end turn the viewer off or at least, leave them confused by its finale.

The story involves a freelance cartoon artist (Tom Hulce) who appears to have little going for him. He is separated from his wife (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) with whom he has a daughter. He lives in a shoddy apartment (which looks more like an emptied indoor swimming pool) and in general, he is nothing remarkable. When his apartment is broken into one evening, and two men hold him hostage, his life is abruptly turned upside down. The men, and soon two police detectives, are investigating the whereabouts of his old (mysterious) flame (Virginia Madsen). What first seems like a case of mistaken identity turns into a complex mystery where everyone is a suspect with Hulce at its center trying to prove his innocence. But, what is revealed by its finale is a confusing and only partially explained story of high-end corruption, prostitution, and murder. (I would agree with the viewer who wrote that it's pool of potential talent such as director Wang and lead actor Hulce are squashed by Don Opper, characteristic ability to turn a script into a mess... I would point to 'City Limits' as an egregious example). And for this, even such care with the art direction cannot compensate.

Had a hard time following this one.

3 years removed from an Oscar nom, our man Tommy Hulce plays a fish out of water. A very Hitchcockian thriller here. Confused guy gets caught up in things he can't control. Been there seen that.

This seemed like a bunch of separate scenes thrown together in the hopes something coherent would rise. Pity it didn't happen that way. The wife goes from cheating whore to 'die for my man' attitude in record time. And John Doe's hit-man decides to shoot himself in sacrifice at the last minute.

I felt like stuff was missing. And this print is a bit dark too.

Wayne Wang is a talented director. What happened here?