Clothes-Off I caught this while flipping dials in a hotel waiting to leave for a wedding. This is how one ends up watching movies like this. And it's not a bad idea for a movie. We've seen lots of women on film transform themselves to become belle of the ball; why not take a schlubby guy and turn him into a hunky action hero? Of course, already knowing what Jack Scalia looked like, I knew their job would not be that difficult! (Not uncommon in the female version of this familiar scenario, I might add.)Once the main character makes his transformation it becomes a story about someone who can have everything but it means nothing without that one true love. With the schmaltz factor set on "high" the story sails along to a satisfying conclusion, and no matter how many bathroom trips you make during the proceedings you won't feel like you missed anything.On paper this film doesn't look like much, with its C-list cast and knowing it was made as pay-TV "filler" material. But for what it is, I dare say it slightly exceeds those low expectations, even though it's not something to go out of ones way to seek. Surprisingly, I kinda liked the fact that a bunch of people got together and made this so I'd have something to watch while flipping dials other than home shopping, infomercials, or even worse--an overblown colossal flop with bigger name stars who should have known better. With that comparison, mediocrity seems just fine.

dinky-4 There's the germ of an idea at the heart of this movie but neither script nor direction goes far enough in developing it. The result is a story too contrived and unlikely to fully capture our attention. We're asked to believe that a well-known and socially-prominent New York multimillionaire could, following a mid-life "crisis," go to Hollywood, change his name and appearance, and become a hot new movie star -- all without anyone becoming the wiser. How could the tabloids miss a once-in-a-lifetime story like this? The movie doesn't even seem to believe its own premise, padding its lazily-developed plot-line with montages and song interludes which seem designed to lull viewers into an indulgent state and to s-t-r-e-t-c-h out the film's running time to about 90 minutes. Attempts to satirize the movie business are too bland and obvious to provide any real humor. (The movie studio is called "B.S. Pictures.") Worst of all, the hero's millionaire status robs him of the appeal he might have were he the "little guy" struggling against the System. As it is, he merely seems to be a rich guy who's "slumming" it. And why is his screen writing girlfriend so upset when she discovers he's working under an assumed name and has a different past than the one described in his official studio biography? What turnip-wagon did she just fall off of? George Hamilton has a few tolerable moments as an actor in old b&w movies which keep appearing on TV sets, but little is done to develop this aspect of the script. Instead, leading-man Jack Scalia must carry the movie himself and, even granted there's little to work with, he's not up to the task. Scalia's early exposure came when he modeled Eminence briefs in magazine ads, back in the late 1970s. This was in the era when Jim Palmer posed for Jockey ads and Jack Youngblood did the same for Munsingwear. Those bulgy "jocks" projected a hearty image of "real men" who'd be comfortable inside a locker-room, but Scalia's ads exuded a languid sexuality. (He never smiled and was often in a reclining position.) It's no wonder that acting roles followed but Scalia never quite seemed to find the right niche. He wavered between light-hearted comedies, sexy romances, and tough-guy action movies, but none of these images clicked. The only consistency in his work rested in the fact that, sooner or later, his shirt would come off in the course of the movie. "Amore!" is no exception. There's a scene of his character filming his first movie -- a spy caper called "From Roma with Love" -- and in this scene he's stripped to the waist and hanging from his wrists in mid-air as he's lashed with a whip. Perhaps the feeling was that adding a bit of sadomasochism to the usual "beefcake" would expand Scalia's appeal, but the results don't bear this out. Scalia still seems like nothing more than an attractive, amiable actor of limited skills and range who seems fated never to find the right project but who always looks good with his shirt off.

Brian Thibodeau Called "a PRETTY WOMAN for the 90's" on the box (an honor yours truly finds somewhat more befitting 1990's PRETTY WOMAN) and also compared to the Rock Hudson/Doris Day classics (of which we all know there are none), this rare foray outside of PM Entertainment's usual kung-fu-car-crash actioners comes off with all the plastic sincerity of a swanky LOVE BOAT episode - and feels as dated despite being set in the present day. Jack Scalia is a rich banker who decides to escape his mundane existence - and shrill wife (Betsy Russell) - by becoming a Hollywood star with the help of off-key lounge singer Brenda Epperson, her agent Elliot Gould (in another useless cameo), and - here's the stretch - movie screenwriter Kathy Ireland (!), with whom he falls in love. Katherine Helmond, James Doohan, Norm Crosby, Frank Gorshin and George Hamilton contribute cameos (presumably to give PM's marketing department something to work with) while the questionably talented Frank Stallone warbles two tunes on the soundtrack (as if Epperson's screeching weren't enough!).

Amy Adler Saul (Jack Scalia) is married and in business with his family yet, he gets a sudden inclination to become an actor. Divorcing his wife and leaving everything behind, he goes to Hollywood and worms his way into securing an agent. Agent George (Elliott Gould) promptly suggests a change in name and appearance for Saul. With a course in body building and hair transformation, Saul becomes the Italian dreamboat, Salvatore. Enter Taylor (Kathy Ireland). She's the writer behind a spy film set to star Saul/Salvatore. Initial encounters between the pair cause sparks to fly but once Taylor discovers Saul's true past, she begins to doubt his trustworthiness. Is there a future for Salvatore, the actor, in the movies and one for Saul, the man, in Taylor's heart?This low budget romantic comedy has a few funny and endearing moments but, overall, is a rather lame entry in this genre. Ireland looks and acts great so fans of this model/actress may want to give the movie a try. George Hamilton, in a minor role, is outstanding as a leading actor from the thirties. As for the male star, Scalia is handsome and affable but his Italian accent is laughable. Only the most stalwart fans of humorous love stories will probably want to seek this one out.