Strictly average movie

Really Surprised!

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

A decent film with some awkward dialog telling a powerful tale of the price of honor. Stacy Keach is Jess Tyler, an isolated ranch hand type who is visited by his beautiful teen-age daughter, having not seen her in 10 years. Pia Zadora plays the sexy and seductive girl a bit amateurishly, but then some of her lines are simply laughable so it may not be her fault. If she'd had more confidence and experience she might well have told the director (Matt Cimber) "I'll say these lines but they'll make me vomit in my mouth." She's convincing as an incestuous lolita and slowly played against Keach's lonesome cowboy, the story does raise some heat.The setting is appropriate, the sun-baked and barren lands of the desolate South-West. The characters fit this rustic setting never exceeding a rural kind of sophistication. Yet aside from the questions of production, this film raises a important issue. Jess Tyler is recognized by virtually anyone he's had dealings with that he's the most honest and honorable man they know. This meme is repeated often enough to make it a central issue. Yet, when he discovers that he might be able to finally consummate his hands on and mutually adoring relationship with this lovely nymphette, his honor seems to disappear in the hot lava of his lust.Indeed, it's easy to lay claim to honor when it's never tested against an ultimate desire.

This is a movie with a history that is bound to bring out her fans or call out the hounds.Pia Zadora is very beautiful and sensual in the role of Katy, a young woman in need of a man that loves and cares for her. Having grown up without a father and having been hustled by men who used her for their pleasure, she is seeking a strong male figure. After returning home to her real father, she becomes confused about the different boundaries that society has established for the love between a girl and her father, and the love between a woman and her lover, and thus intertwines the two. Pia Zadora turns in a convincing performance. She's at ease before the camera, is always expressive, and acts and delivers lines as well as most. Stacy Keach is equally convincing in his roll. And Orson Wells? Well, after all, he is Orson Wells.The plot was good and moved along steadily. It has a really interesting ironic twist near the end that is sure to take you by surprise, and leads directly to the odd and convoluted climax of this film.After the claimed shenanigans involving Pia Zadora's winning an award for her part in this film, it seems to me that many reviewers were outraged at the thought of such a dirty deed as buying the award, (if that's even what happened). It looks like to me that buying an award proves to them you're no good as an actress? One couldn't possibly buy an award and deserve it too, could they? Perhaps because they took those accusations as truth, their own sentiments kept some critics from ever giving Pia an honest look. And frankly, it seems to me that the same negativity from critics has followed her all the way to the present as reviewers still love to pile on Ms. Zadora who is a talented and beautiful lady. That's exactly what I suspect after I watch this film and then read what others have to say. I think they are really wrong about this film, and about Pia. It is a film that is surely worth watching and would be much more widely acclaimed were it not for reviewers who either can't or won't be objective. If you're even a little interested in "Butterfly", I say you owe it to yourself to watch this film and make your on decision about the merits of the story, the acting and the whole package. It is well worth your time.Now for the answer to the title question, What's really wrong with "Butterfly"? Of course, nothing is wrong with "Butterfly".

1st watched 3/6/2010 -- 3 out of 10 (Dir-Matt Cimber): Laboring tease-fest with Pia Zadora winning the Golden Globe for newcomer of the year as a daughter of a miner who enters into his life and causes all kinds of havoc. The best part of the movie is a comical performance by Orson Welles as a judge gathering up all the facts at the end of the movie and giving a hoot of a performance(that definitely fits the film!!). The basic storyline is that Pia's character visits her father, played by Stacey Keach -- teases him sexually, and then finds out about a possible motherload of silver in a mine that he guards. They then try to harvest it(illegally, of course)for profit until Pia's fiancée comes into the picture trying to get her back. From here on there is sex, violence, murder and other mayhem followed by a courtroom scene to sort out all the pieces. Zadora's performance is pretty bad even though Keach does an OK job as the put-upon father. How Zadora got a Golden Globe I'll never know?? Anyway, this is really a pretty trashy piece of film-making that should be avoided, in my opinion, unless you want to get a peak at Pia(which is pretty much all you get).

My comment is not so much about the movie as about those who call the "bathtub scene" sexy. This was supposedly an incestuous scene and it is somehow sexy?As it turns out there was no incest, but the characters thought there was.And the man was tried for it.The movie may have stunk -- though Cannes loved it, Rex Reed loved it and Pia Zadora was never so good (yes, well) -- but at least a predator was portrayed having to answer for his crimes. Sort of.One wnoders what Orson Wells and Stacy Keach were thinking. They both had careers. But then Mickey Rooney was in some hortrible movies, as well.