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Variety 18 rating

Bette Gordon’s groundbreaking, gloriously subversive neo-noir thriller is one of the very best American underground films.

Drama 1984 101 mins

Director: Bette Gordon

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Overview

Christine, a young woman desperate for work, takes a job selling tickets in a pornographic movie theatre. Although her new gig unsettles her boyfriend, Christine actually finds herself becoming more and more drawn to what plays on the big screen every night, while also developing a keen interest one of the well-dressed regulars. This gender-inversed portrait of voyeurism is a gripping trip of fantasy and obsession, which shakes up sexual roles, and challenges ideas around female desire and the erotic gaze.

Director Bette Gordon so richly captures the seedy, neon atmosphere of early 1980s New York, the film also feels like a thrillingly immersive time capsule. Featuring early performances by Luis Guzmán and photographer/activist Nan Goldin, music by John Lurie and photography by future director Tom DiCillo (Living In Oblivion), Variety also boasts a veritable host of on and off-camera talent.

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