By Melissa Antoinette Garza
When I was a kid this was one of my favorite episodes. I was a huge Lea Thompson fan and she starred in it. I still enjoy the episode but I must say that Thompson’s acting in it is atrocious.
She stars as Sylvia Vane, a former call girl who attempts to pawn jewelry she stole from one of her Johns. The pawnshop owner declines the jewelry but offers to buy her beauty for $10,000. She thinks he’s crazy but takes the cash.
Later, she goes to a party and seduces one the host. They start enjoying the good life together, but just as she is growing accustomed to it her looks begin to deteriorate. She ages at an exhilarated rate and though she is only 21, she looks like she’s elderly.
She goes back to the pawn shop only to be told she’s too late to get her beauty back. She holds a gun on him and asks what his demands are. He tells her $100k. She goes back to the loft she shares with her new beau and collects everything in sight to score the money.
This is an interesting tale. It’s not scary but most certainly it’s entertaining. The one major flaw is that Thompson uses this awful accent. Sometimes it disappears and then other times it’s ridiculously strong. It’s supposed to be some sort of tough street girl accent but it sounds so fake. If memory serves me, I believe Demi Moore did a similar accent in the episode she was in. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen that episode so when I review it, I’ll let you know if I’m right or wrong.
Still, this is worth a watch. I really wish HBO would bring back this show. I’d actually order the channel if they did.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6/10
