CURIOSITY KILLS

US, 1990, 86 minutes, Colour.
Rae Dawn Chong, C.Thomas Howell, Courtney Cox, Paul Guilfoyle, Jeff Fahey.
Directed by Colin Bucksey.

Curiosity Kills is an entertaining thriller made for cable television. It stars C. Thomas Howell and Rae Dawn Chong (husband and wife in real life at the time). It also has the advantage of Jeff Fahey, playing out of type as a quietly sinister assassin. There are good Los Angeles settings, the interior of an apartment building, studios, apartments and the various ducts linking the apartments.

The title plays on `Curiosity kills the cat' and so Howell's character is called Cat. He is also a rat-catcher as janitor in the building.

The film capitalises on audience familiarity with police stories, surveillance of people in witness protection organisations, mob assassinations. The film keeps a good pace. The characters are sympathetic. It is an entertaining example of its kind.

1.Entertaining thriller, action feature, for the television audience? Twists and action?

2.Los Angeles, the streets, apartments, interiors? Cat as a photographer, the style of his photographs - and the connection with violence, sexuality? Art? The musical score?

3.The title, curiosity killing the cat, the character of Cat? His being a rat-trapper?

4.The prologue, the assassination of the police and of the bodyguards? The need for safe houses and secrecy? Gangster influence and infiltration? Bodyguards, assassins, disguises? Accommodation for witnesses, for murderers? Phones, microphones? The deals, the killings? And the background of police corruption?

5.Cat, in himself, the artist, his darkroom? As janitor - reluctant? At work, painting, catching the rats? The landlord and his phone calls, his impositions? The friendship with the artist, the brutality of his murder, Cat's nightmare? His relationship with Gwen, her work, their ambitions, looking for the condominium? Gwen and her suspicions? Friendship with Jane, interest in each other's artwork, friendship? Their sharing the adventures? The actor and his taking the apartment? Their interest? The phone calls, suspicions, Jane's visit and the wine, the photo in the drawer? Going into the passages and ducts? Setting up the microphone, listening in? Jane and her spying, their following the actor - and getting the ticket from the police, Gwen's suspicions? The discovery of Dixie? Listening in - and Jane in the closet? Following the actor, the bridge, the deal, the tramp and the wallet? The tramp's death? Explaining everything to the police? Going into the actor's room, listening in, Jane's warning? Watching the actor getting dressed to kill, disguising himself as Dixie, the rat in the duct? Watching, ringing the police, seeing the murders?

6.Cat and Jane going to the roof, his injury, the actor pursuing them, the fight, the actor taunting them about dangerous games, his death? The police chief - and Jane shooting him? The recognition of the cough?

7.Jane, her art, friendship with Cat, with Gwen? Gwen calling her the blowtorch artist? The wine and her searching the actor's room? Her interest in the case, sharing the pursuit, hiding in the closet, the clashes with Gwen? The danger, the roof, her shooting the policeman - their future?

8.Gwen, her yuppy style, controlling Cat? Her not believing him, finding Jane? The party and her anger - the condominium, her leaving?

9.The actor, the spectacles and his being quiet? Disguises? The wine and being friendly with Jane? Going out to pursue Dixie? The meeting under the bridge? The microphones, the disguise, the brutality of the murders? His pursuit of Jane and Cat?

10.The background of the corrupt police, assassinations, cover-ups?

11.The landlord and his style, greedy? The artist, the old man and the brutality of his death? Dixie as the bodyguard and his being murdered, in the trunk of the actor's car?

12.Popular ingredients of a thriller - for audience involvement and entertainment?