Wuchak 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)

Bolesroor It took me almost thirty years to see this movie. I probably should have waited another thirty.Black Widow is about a woman who marries wealthy men, kills them, and then inherits all their money. Then some lady who works for the FBI tries to catch her. A wild premise, I know. I'll give you a few minutes to digest that outrageous plot line. But seriously: what could have been a dark character study or Hitchcockian-suspense masterpiece simply dies on screen with an underdeveloped script and plot holes too gaping to overlook.Why does Catharine (Theresa Russell) repeatedly marry and bury wealthy older men when doing it just once would have left her enough cash to live the rest of her life in luxury? How could every law enforcement bureau miss Catharine's obvious poisoning of her victims and not even classify the deaths as homicides? Why does Alexandra (Debra Winger) become obsessed with nabbing Catharine only to launch the silliest, sloppiest investigation in law enforcement history? ("I don't really work for the newspaper- I freelance. Actually I'm trying to sell a piece to Cosmo") How does the detail-oriented Catharine not see Debra Winger's clueless federal agent a mile away? Why would she continue to marry and kill even AFTER she knows Alexandra's true identity? Are there really all-girl scuba classes in which women get to play lesbian by performing CPR on one another?And a word here on the homosexual overtones in the movie: they're poorly-constructed and entirely half-ass. We know absolutely nothing about Alexandra as a person except that she refuses to date. Debra Winger is no help by playing Alex as a comatose shell: she doesn't seem attracted to men OR women. If a movie is going to imply lesbianism there has to be more than two throwaway lines and a make-believe kiss. I feel sorry for the reviewers who have patted themselves on the back for catching the "deep subtext" of the gay implications: there isn't more here than meets the eyes, my friends. There's less.This brings us to the ending, which is so absurd as to be laughable: Alexandra is arrested and charged with the murder of Catharine's husband while Catharine struts like a peacock in front of attorneys and law enforcement officers, even going so far as to visit Alexandra in prison! Because, you know, doesn't everybody drop by the local jailhouse to say hey to their spouse's killer? The answer is no."Black Widow' is a sloppy potboiler-wannabe, a suspense-mystery with neither element to be found anywhere on screen. The film's only highlight is James Hong as a scuzzy heroin-addicted PI, a character dark and dirty enough to hold your interest. Otherwise this movie is two frozen-faced women doing things that the script tells them to. Feel free to miss it.GRADE: C-

Leofwine_draca Style over substance. Mood over plot. A director in love with his lead actresses. You can level many accusations at BLACK WIDOW, but a good film it isn't. Sure, it has potential; a decent set-up for one, and a first half hour that looks like it's really going somewhere. Sad, then, that the potential is wasted with a narrative that stalls and ends up going nowhere.The idea of a serial killer who murders a string of husbands for their inheritance is a solid one, and BLACK WIDOW bolsters it with a decent cast: Theresa Russell's icy blonde bombshell is a forerunner to Sharon Stone's femme fatales, while Debra Winger's dogged cop is just quirky enough to be interesting. Kudos for getting all those notables in too: Terry O'Quinn as the superior, Dennis Hopper and Nicol Williamson as potential victims, a nicely sleazy role for James Hong.But somewhere along the line the film loses its way. Instead of concentrating on building the suspense and developing a cat and mouse game between cop and killer, the writer and director become fixated on another kind of relationship between the two women, so much so that all the tension dissipates and it all becomes incredibly boring. There's no danger, no reason to keep watching. Even the twist ending does nothing to improve things. As a contrast, I recently watched the Hitchcock rip-off FINAL ANALYSIS, and despite the clichés it was ten times better than this because it remembered what it was throughout: a thriller, first and foremost.

filmalamosa Debra Winger plays the nosy who dunnit sleuth who tracks down Theresa Russell (the black widow) a young woman whose older rich husbands mysteriously die leaving her richer and richer.I watched this movie when it first came out and I couldn't believe I was watching the same thing I don't remember it being so bad! This movie did not age well.The beginning is really the worst part once you get to Seattle it stops being so clichéd juvenile & cheesy corny and slow. The Dallas part was particularly horrible with the fake Southern accents and three inch bright red finger nails. It has the feel of a B or made for TV thing yet clearly was shot on location etc...It would have been so much better if Russell had gotten away with it....but this is Hollywood corn at its height--none of that.Richly well filmed must have cost a lot. Needs a lot more subtlety.The movie was fairly popular at the time and made over 25 million dollars.There are a lot worst things out there.