My review was written in June 1985 after watching the movie on Embassy video cassette.
"Perfect Strangers" is a dull suspense thriller shot in New York under the title "Blind Alley" two years ago by indie filmmaker Larry Cohen, before his recent pics "Special Effects" and "The Stuff". Film was released briefly in Indianapolis last November by distrib New Line and now is entering the home video market.
Anne Carlisle (of cult hit "Liquid Sky") toplines as Sally, mother of two-year-old Matthew (Matthew Stockley), who refuses to help the police when her infant witnesses a gangland slaying in an alley near their Greenwich Village apartment. The killer is Johnny (Brad Rijn, male lead in "Smithereens"), a young guy with no criminal record who works for an organized crime syndicate.
Johnny introduces himself to Sally and convinces himself the kid doesn't recognize him, but his crime bosses insist he kill the child to avoid the chance that the police will be able to use psychologists (as happened in a real-life case in the Midwest) to have the kid help create a positive identification.
Johnny refuses, instead becoming romantically involved with Sally and even seemingly protects the child from its father, her estranged husband Fred (John Woehrle). Pic climaxes in Johnny kidnapping the child and having a fatal confrontation with Sally.
Low-budget picture suffers from bland, inexpressive acting and routine development of its premise (there never is any indication that the kid could actually finger the killer). In particular, Carlisle is styled as very plain, with a most unbecoming hairdo, resulting in none of the allure of her dual role debut in "Liquid Sky".
"Perfect Strangers" is a dull suspense thriller shot in New York under the title "Blind Alley" two years ago by indie filmmaker Larry Cohen, before his recent pics "Special Effects" and "The Stuff". Film was released briefly in Indianapolis last November by distrib New Line and now is entering the home video market.
Anne Carlisle (of cult hit "Liquid Sky") toplines as Sally, mother of two-year-old Matthew (Matthew Stockley), who refuses to help the police when her infant witnesses a gangland slaying in an alley near their Greenwich Village apartment. The killer is Johnny (Brad Rijn, male lead in "Smithereens"), a young guy with no criminal record who works for an organized crime syndicate.
Johnny introduces himself to Sally and convinces himself the kid doesn't recognize him, but his crime bosses insist he kill the child to avoid the chance that the police will be able to use psychologists (as happened in a real-life case in the Midwest) to have the kid help create a positive identification.
Johnny refuses, instead becoming romantically involved with Sally and even seemingly protects the child from its father, her estranged husband Fred (John Woehrle). Pic climaxes in Johnny kidnapping the child and having a fatal confrontation with Sally.
Low-budget picture suffers from bland, inexpressive acting and routine development of its premise (there never is any indication that the kid could actually finger the killer). In particular, Carlisle is styled as very plain, with a most unbecoming hairdo, resulting in none of the allure of her dual role debut in "Liquid Sky".