Looks normal so far…

I hadn’t planned on posting anything here until Monday, when we’ll tackle Judith Anderson’s Lady Scarface, but the mailwoman just dropped something off that changed all that. Behold, French Silk (and read on for its gonzo back cover and a special YouTube treat).

This 1994 Susan Lucci TV movie is one of her most elusive; I’ve been unable to find it on YouTube or other streaming platforms, and the Fremantle Media/Direct Source DVD is currently out-of-print. The only title of hers that’s caused me more grief has been 1986’s Mafia Princess — not to be confused with 1988’s Lady Mobster, a review of which is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.* The IMDb plot teaser suggests a must-see:

Susan Lucci stars as Claire Laurent, a New Orleans lingerie manufacturer accused of murder, who falls in love with the detective hired to investigate her.

imdb summary of french silk (1994)

As evidenced by my procurement of another out-of-print Lucci fiasco, Seduced and Betrayed, I’m willing to go the extra mile for this series of reviews, but for months the only French Silk DVDs I could find on the secondary market were priced at $50 to $90. This week, my patience finally paid off and I was able to snag a sealed copy for $20 plus shipping. It was worth it just for the laughs provided by the back cover.

Who doesn’t think of Susan Lucci in the same breath as Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin?

I’m not entirely sure how to feel about “A frighteningly sexy thrill-ride, in the tradition of Basic Instinct and Sea of Love.” Basic Instinct is beautiful, glorious trash in no small part due to Sharon Stone’s performance. Whatever your thoughts on Sea of Love, Ellen Barkin’s raw physicality was unlike anything other actresses brought to mainstream ’80s thrillers. As Roger Ebert noted in his review: “When she roughly embraces Pacino, and then stalks around the room like a tigress in heat before returning to her quarry, there is an energy that almost derails the movie.”

Meanwhile, this is perhaps Susan Lucci’s most memorable contribution to television. I am skeptical that French Silk will live up to its hype, but we’ll know soon enough.

Admittedly, I plan to say “I am Erica Kane!” if ever cornered by a bear.

*There is currently a copy of Mafia Princess on YouTube, but I take exception to its uploader converting it from color to B&W. You must respect a filmmaker’s artistic intentions, even when he’s the guy behind Prime Target and In the Arms of a Killer.