Retroactive (1997)

Retroactive (1997)

The idea was there…
But the film is a complete failure.
That said, I laughed a lot. Not because the humour was funny, but because it was pathetic.

The film is so badly made that it’s unintentionally hilarious.
Are the actors bad or have they been badly directed?
A bit of both, I suppose. Even the dialogue is badly written.

There are of course inconsistencies (there are a ton of them) and everything just gets worse and worse right up to the end. The kid who throws himself on the steering wheel, the people who recognise each other even though they’ve gone back in time, the list goes on and on.

It was another painful film to watch and I couldn’t wait to get to the end. Well… at the same time, could a film starring James Belushi & Shannon Whirry really be good?

James Belushi is the younger brother of John Belushi, who died too young, aged 33, in 1982. John was one of the original seven members of Saturday Night Live and worked closely throughout his career with Dan Aykroyd, another of the show’s comedians. The pair are best known for the band and the film The Blues Brothers. John & James also have a sister Marian and a younger brother, Billy. Their parents came from Korçë, in Albania.James has long been in his brother’s shadow. In this film, he is annoying and obnoxious to a fault, but not necessarily a bad actor.

Shannon Whirry was born on 7 November 1964 in Wisconsin, USA. She is an actress. She is best known for Middle Men (2009), Out for Justice (1991), and Me, Myself & Irene (2000).

Whirry studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in the 1980s. She made her debut alongside Steven Seagal in the action film Deadly Revenge in 1991. In the thriller Animal Instincts (1992), she played a leading role alongside Maxwell Caulfield, and in the erotic thriller The Dark Power of Passion (1993) she played one of the main roles. In the TV thriller The Murderer in Her Bed (1995), she appeared alongside Heather Locklear. In the thriller Private Obsession (1995), she played the role of model Emanuelle Griffith, who is kidnapped by a fan. In the independent film Fatal Pursuit (1998), she played opposite Malcolm McDowell.

In this pseudo-thriller, Whirry played Rayanne, the wife of killer Frank (James Belushi), whom police psychologist Karen (Kylie Travis) is trying to stop.

I’ve read some fairly positive reviews and I wonder what kind of people were so pleased by such a turnip?
Fans of the actor?
Probably according to this sentence: ‘A brilliant story, a great Belushi !!!!’.
But there are also undoubtedly fans of kitschy action in view of the ‘Le top!’ or ‘Genius without clichés’!

For my part, I tried to get completely into the film, but it was very hard, if not impossible.

Oh yes, someone wrote: ‘Where’s Shannon Whirry and her sex appeal???’

As the actress is known for her erotic roles, it’s true that it’s hard to recognise her here.
She once said:

• If a role required some form of nudity, I would at least make sure the woman was intelligent and powerful. The roles that have required nudity have been good or interesting, or have given me the opportunity to work with actors I respect. I’ve never taken my top off and run down a corridor.
• If you think my body is that spectacular, good for you and I’m flattered. I’m not embarrassed by my body.
• Nudity has never bothered me, because the more you think about love scenes, the more they bother you and the more nervous they make you. You have to understand that it has nothing to do with you personally. In fact, it has nothing to do with your character.

And finally, Kylie Travis is undoubtedly a good actress, but this isn’t really where that comes through. It’s hard to carry a film like this on her shoulders, as she’s still the main character. She was also in the very good Gia (1998) alongside Angelina Jolie.