the audience applauded

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Something about this movie grabbed my attention. It was familiar; I had heard of it somehow. I'd never seen it, but ... there was something. It's been available on Netflix for a while, and I put it on my list some time ago but had never watched it. Finally today I took the plunge. And I found it tedious watching from beginning to end. From the very first scenes I thought this movie had a cheap feel to it. Not low budget. Some low budget movie are smartly done; some realize they're low budget and make that part of their appeal. "Black Widow" felt cheap to me - a movie that wanted to be good and smart and taken seriously but didn't have the resources to pull that off. It was a huge disappointment.The story revolved around a woman (Theresa Russell) who makes a habit of marrying rich older men and killing them off for their inheritance - making sure that she does it in such a way that no one can pin anything on her or even suspect that the men were murdered. Except for one lonely FBI agent played by Debra Winger, who develops an obsession with the deaths of these men and, realizing that they had all married the same woman (who had used different names,) set out to get her. That's the movie. There's very little real suspense. We know Catharine killed them. It's a matter of seeing if Alexandra (Winger) can catch her.It's actually a kind of strange movie. Catharine and Alexandra develop a relationship; a friendship. There are hints that it could even be more than that - but, please, hardly a lesbian "subtext." It was far too obvious and forced for it to be a subtext - like the scuba diving classes where women give each other pretend mouth to mouth. Seriously? The story was bland and passionless - it was, indeed, tedious viewing. I managed to get through it. There was an attempt at a twist toward the end to keep the viewer off balance. Was this actually going to go down that way? But it wasn't a very convincing twist, and I never took the switch seriously; always assuming that things would work out as we suspected they would from the very beginning.A lot of people seem to have liked this; it's received a lot of good reviews. I just found it disappointing. (2/10)

Released in early 1987 and directed by Bob Rafelson from Ronald Bass' screenplay, "Black Widow" stars Debra Winger as a federal investigator who goes after a gold-digging femme fatale (Theresa Russell) who moves from husband to husband, killing them and collecting the inheritance. Sami Frey plays a French lothario living in Hawaii, a target of the 'Black Widow' and potential love interest of the heroine. Dennis Hopper and Diane Ladd have small parts. The plot is akin to Columbo in that we know who the murderer is right away and it's just a matter of the sleuth cleverly catching him or her. At first, I thought Winger was a newspaper reporter, but by the second half it becomes evident that she's a government agent. They shoulda been clearer on this.This is one of those movies I can take or leave. I acknowledge its good points and enjoy it when I see it, but there's not enough oomph to make it a must-see. Like Columbo, the plot is decidedly made-for-television, but the location shooting distinguishes it as a theatrical film. Winger makes for a fine heroine and there are little things thrown in that smack of real-life, which I appreciate, like the poker game at the office and the colleague's mild flirtations with the protagonist. Russell has the requisite looks that kill, but whatever body double they used for the naked buttocks scene lacked any curves to get excited over. Nevertheless, if you appreciate 80's period pieces, film noir and the two stars, "Black Widow" is worth catching, just don't expect greatness. The film runs 102 minutes and was shot in Seattle, DC and Hawaii.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

This is an engrossing film, one that merits repeated viewings. It's a cat and mouse game between two women, one a sociopathic serial killer and the other a justice department employee determined to track her down. There's great location photography in Washington, DC, New York, Denver, Seattle and, ultimately, Hawaii. Bob Rafelson's direction is taut. He moves things along quickly never letting a scene go on too long. Best of all are the two leading ladies. Debra Winger turns in a winning, self-deprecating performance few of her contemporaries could match. Theresa Russell isn't really a great actress, but her uncertainty contrasts well with her character's cold calculating determination. Both women look great, which adds to the film's already fine visual appeal. The plot is full of holes, yet it's so entertaining they're easily overlooked. And considering that the film is already thirty years old, it still seems current, despite the land line phones, clunky computers and big shoulder pads.

This movie is straight high camp, but put together exceedingly well. Ridiculous? Yes! Over-acted? Yes! Eyes-glued-to-the-screen good? Yes! Keep in mind that in addition to directing such dramatic works such as Blood & Wine, Bob Rafelson also directed The Monkees, so you already know this is someone who appreciates tongue-in-cheek! Just imagine....Debra Winger as a frumpy/unattractive closet lesbian lusting after the object of her obsession....a devastating Theresa Russell at the pinnacle of her sultry exquisiteness. Think Jane Seymour in East of Eden, or Lena Olin in Romeo is Bleeding and you get the picture. Don't expect high-brow storyline here, just sheer fun!