The Dallas Connection (1994)
The Dallas Connection is hilariously inept. In many ways, it’s got everything you want out of a "so bad it's good" action film. The performances are awful, with the title of “least convincing” constantly moving from one actor to the next. The plot is simplistic, bordering on idiotic, making it easy to follow even if you’re spending more time shouting insults at the screen than paying attention to what’s going on. The script contains gems like “I’d like to suck the polish off your toes” to keep you laughing. There aren’t a lot of action scenes but when bullets are exchanged, they usually result in some unconvincing dummies blowing up. Most important of all, it takes itself completely seriously, with several final act twists proving that some of the “mistakes” we saw previously were actually intentional. Only one thing prevents me from wholeheartedly recommending it to everyone. What is it? Read on.
A trio of beautiful assassins - Black Widow (Julie Strain), Cobra (Julie K. Smith) and Scorpion (Wendy Hamilton) - eliminate three of the four scientists involved in the creation of an advanced satellite system. To ensure Antonio Morales (Rodrigo Obregón) doesn’t fall prey to the same fate, special agents Chris Cannon (Bruce Penhall), Mark Austin (Mark Barriere), Samantha Maxx (Samantha Phillips) and Nicholas Lang (Roland Marcus) are sent to protect him.
Though the plot is easily summarized, it’s made to seem needlessly complicated. This is because of some equation that was split up among the scientists and then converted into microchips that need to be brought together so the satellite can be activated by a meteor shower. This will allow whoever uses it to detect any weapon on earth, anywhere - even underground. Huh? What? It makes no sense but doesn’t matter. The point is, we have a bunch of male scientists with something the evil people want. How do you get a man to hand over something useful? By seducing them, or blowing them up. Enter the trio of female assassins, all of whom are played by Playboy playmates. Like I always say, if you can’t be good, be sleazy and this movie takes that mantra to heart. Unnecessary shower scenes, prolonged sex scenes, a trip to a strip club and loads of inappropriate outfits make this the kind of movie that would be watched over and over by teenage boys late at night. It’s not quite as bad as Skyscraper, but it’s close. The most hilarious R-rated moment has to be a sequence set in a fancy restaurant. Mr. Morales begins fantasizing about what his bodyguard would look like in lingerie so of course we see Samantha Philips out of her clothes. They had to find some way to get it done… beyond the sex scene she had earlier.
While this obsession with the female body is hilarious and pleasing to anyone who might enjoy the female form… it might also be the one thing that won’t make The Dallas Connection fun for every crowd - especially if your group contains couples. Reportedly, Bruce Penhall’s wife was pretty upset by his enthusiasm in the hot tub scene. It’s easy to see why.
The ladies were cast primarily for their ability to dazzle audiences with their shirts off but the male characters aren't exactly Shakespearean all-stars either. One-liners that should have you cheering will instead make you groan, important dialogue is thoroughly unconvincing (and contains grammatical errors at least once) and everyone comes off as an idiot. It certainly doesn’t help that the story is full of inconsistent behavior - even if you take the twists at the end into consideration. You can spot a boom mike in the upper left corner of an early scene and the story will have you scratching your head. You’d think with the villains’ team being primarily composed of three “strong” women that Samantha would be the big hero at the end. She’s the only one that can’t be seduced, she’s the one that gets closest to Morales, and as the only woman on the team, she stands out. Except she’s a terrible agent. One punch and she’s down for the count - hardly a badass. You might say I was expecting too much but some of the reveals at the end are proper "Oh!" moments that force you to pause and think. Not much, but for a movie of this level, that counts for a lot.
Ultimately, The Dallas Connection is light on the action but makes up for it with the gratuitous nudity. At first, you'll say “Alright, I see what you did there” but it’s expected out of a film like this one. It’s what the poster is promising, after all. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, etc. time the film finds a way to get the women out of their clothes are so absurd you'll be howling. Once in a while, it also switches things up with some bad performances, unconvincing dummies, lousy dialogue, and nonsensical writing. From my research, it sounds like this is par for the course for director Christian Drew Sidaris. If that's the case, I’m looking forward to seeing more. (March 26, 2022)
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Beautiful People 👑
jadecargill:
Somewhere private with loved ones for the holiday 🌺
samanthairvinwwe:
hump day dump 12
sherylleeralph:
On this Thanksgiving I am THANKFUL for these @divassimplysinging looks! Styled by my one and only daughter @ivycoco23. Photography by @kavipictures
swerve strickland (credit: @aew)
therealcokoswv:
“SWV @therealcokoswv @therealleleeswv @tajgeorge Joins Forces with J.Bolin, Owner of Shop J.Bolin, for a Week of Slay! SWV, the legendary triple-threat group known for their incredible impact on fashion, culture, and music, is teaming up with @stylistjbolin owner of Shop J.Bolin, to bring you a week like no other. Get ready to witness these iconic ladies in a whole new light! From Monday to Friday, prepare for a week of jaw-dropping looks, exclusive releases, and a showcase of SWV's undeniable style. We all know SWV has taken the world by storm with their music, but now they're about to dominate the fashion scene as well.” On Thursday night at 8 PM, the highly anticipated collection curated by SWV will be released. Brace yourself for a fusion of fashion, glamour, and the essence of SWV's signature style. This collection promises to be a reflection of their remarkable influence and impeccable taste. J.Bolin, the mastermind behind Shop J.Bolin, is thrilled to partner with SWV. "SWV is not just a musical powerhouse, but also a fashion icon in their own right. This collaboration is a celebration of their timeless talent and the impact they've had on fashion and culture. Get ready to be blown away!" Fans and fashion enthusiasts alike are encouraged to mark their calendars and be a part of this historic collaboration. Join us for a week of slay as SWV takes the fashion world by storm!
tayrussell:
in discussion with brilliant Lucy Prebble about our play The Effect for The Face shot by @senta.simond
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A Modern Great War (PT. 16)
The war was never-ending.
They just kept fighting. But Alex was happy to fight now. His precious Kyle was okay.
Now they just had to end this, once and for all. Kill Kortifex, get home...
It didn't go as planned...
The war hadn't stopped. They hadn't stopped fighting. Kortifex’s power was strongest in the Dark Aether.
But so was Kyle's and Maxis'.
And Alex kept looking back up at him, making sure he was still okay, still fighting.
But it seemed like the Blood Rite would never end.
"When will you just give up?!" Kyle yelled
"When you die, red blood."
"Ha! Good luck! You're not an Archon anymore, once you're out of strength, you're a goner!"
Alex smiled at that, taking the small chance he had to get a few shots landed on Kortifex. Which gave Kyle a chance to get a little extra damage on him.
"Yes! Get him, Kyle!" Graves yelled.
"You can't defeat me, red bloods!!"
"Fucking watch us. We did it once before, we will do it again."
He watched as Kyle took control of most of the hoard, bringing down one of the sacrifice towers. It was the last one.
"No! You won't do this!"
"Yes, we will!" Price yelled.
"You can't win, Kortifex. You were always meant to lose." Kyle yelled, "and we will defeat you again in the place you lost years ago."
"Not only that." Maxis said, "But you're already losing!"
Both Maxis and Kyle managed to get Kortifex down, and held him down.
"All stations, Bravo 2-6, guns on Kortifex, we're trapping him." Kyle said.
They all went over to the edge of the cliffs they were on, aiming at Kortifex while Maxis took two Artifacts out of her pack.
A mirror and a orb with symbols.
"The Mirror Relect and Summoning Key?" Kyle asked Maxis
"Need him gone for good this time. With these, that can happen. And the Dark Aether will close. Trap him in his Artifact, trap his soul in the Summoning Key, put it in the Dark Aether, destroy it." She responded
He nodded, still trying to hold him down.
She placed the mirror down, and he screamed in anguish as it trapped him in his Artifact. Then she immediately used the Summoning Key to trap him in a place he couldn't get out without help this time.
“Vercanna, help us out a little.” Kyle said.
“Good work, seedling. You’ve done it. You stopped him. Again.” she opened the portal for him to throw the Summoning Key in the deep parts of the Dark Aether.
“Good work, baby…” Alex said, standing up, smiling.
But then it really hit him.
He hadn’t been truly close enough to him to touch him for a month. He had barely heard his voice. Seen his face. In a month. And it had been nearly a year for Kyle.
He suddenly just wanted to run up to him, hug him, kiss him, tell him he loved him, he was proud of him.
So he did.
He threw his gun down, running down the cliff to run up to his precious boyfriend- his Kyle.
“Kyle!”
He turned, looking upset, but Alex scooped him up in his arms, holding him tight, kissing his cheek lightly a few times.
“I love you- Kyle, I love you so much. I’m so proud of you- you saved us… you saved us all. I missed you so much.”
Kyle froze up, and Alex put him down, seeing him looking up at him in shock. But his eyes were a dark purple. Which were beautiful on him, though he hoped the brown would come back.
“You… your not upset?” Kyle asked, “I… i lied. I left without warning. I…”
“No. I could never be upset with you. You did what you had to do. And you saved us with it.”
Kyle smiled a little, melting into Alex’s touch on his cheek.
“I love you, okay? Kyle, I love you…”
“I love you too… please, I’m so sorry…”
“No, my love, don’t be… you did nothing wrong.” he gently kissed his forehead, still holding him to his chest.
“I’ll open a portal, seedling. Get you all back home before we close the Dark Aether.”
“I won’t hear you guys anymore?”
“Unless it opens back up. But it's better this way. No mortal should ever have to go through this again.”
The portal opened up, and they quickly went back through it to the base.
Alex kept Kyle close, refusing to let go, while Maxis stayed behind to close the Dark Aether.
They went back to their room after getting the others out of the bunker and getting Rose, who was ecstatic to see them.
They relaxed for a while, just cuddling in bed before Kyle flinched.
“Baby?”
“It’s Maxis…” He mumbled, “Wait, what?!”
“Kyle?!”
“She… Fuck, the Aetherim, it’s… what’s going to happen…?”
Alex panicked pulling back to hold Kyle’s face.
“I��ll… Since I’m not an Agarthen, but still not fully human anymore, like the Aetherim going into my system was hell, it all leaving at once will be worse.”
He panicked more. “What will happen?!”
“The… the days that you woke me up when I was exhausted were the days that it was at its worse. I’m sure that it’ll be even worse then that.”
Alex nodded, “I’ll be right here.”
Kyle nodded, “Thanks, Maxis… And the rest of you guys.” he smiled after a few seconds.
Then his eyes glowed that same dark purple, and he lightly gasped.
Alex pulled him up, trying to see what was going on.
But he went limp in his arms…
---
@lvndr-swtr
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