Looker (1981), early 80s thriller. We want Susan Dey on Blu-ray. (1 Viewer)

[Kyrsten Brad]

OK here's one I have on DVD but would love to see a blu-ray.
This movie is a 1981 mystery thriller which by many accounts (from a 2014 perspective) gave us one of the most accurate "future prediction" themes. Much more accurate than say "Back to the Future II". Fun seeing this movie nowadays and how technology in some areas (virtual fantasy) has come to fruition.

I briefly remember this movie coming out in 1981 but never made it to the theater to see it. I caught it several times on cable (HBO or Cinemax) back in 1983.
As I mentioned, I do have the DVD. PQ is acceptable but a Blu would rock.

That and a buck-naked Susan Dey (Laurie Partridge from the Partridge Family 70s TV series) make this film worthy of a blu edition (correctly done of course).

I believe Warner Bros. still holds the rights. Maybe a candidate for WAC. I'll bring it up on WAC's FB page.
Looker (1981) Wiki

SciFiMovie Page on Looker

Looker (1981) trailer.

Wiki Page on Looker

Looker clip featuring Susan Dey (NSFW Warning).

 

[atfree]

I remember this one was a favorite of mine when it showed (almost continuously, it seemed) on HBO/Cinemax. The film, IMO, was actually pretty good but getting a buck-naked Susan Dey instantly made it a classic.

I saw it on either Sony HD or HDNet Movies about six months ago. It looked pretty good (and my memory of Susan Dey was confirmed; she was a Looker!).

 

[Louis Letizia]

Haunting title song that still rings in my head 33 years after seeing it in theaters. I movie, like Demon Seed, that was well ahead of its time.

 

[Radioman970]

One of my favorites from seeing it on cable in the 80s. I've seen it recently, it's not bad. I'd love to own it. Maybe in a set with some other oddities from 80s cable.

Dey was perfect for my own early cable years. naked girls on TV. Woo hoo! I probably called my cousin Dennis and made sure he saw it too! lol

 

[Chuck Anstey]

I think about this movie every so often when I think how we haven't yet been able to reproduce the technology shown where we can scan a person and then create a realistic model controlled by the computer. We have gone the reverse route where humans control CGI characters. I've always wanted the technology so they could make new Star Trek: TOS episodes. Of course such technology would open up a huge ethical and legal can o' worms.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

This is a fun movie and I am a big fan of Crichton.I have the DVD and there's a nice commentary. If they re-did the blu they could include the deleted scenes that air in the TV version as well.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Well I must say that this confirms why I had such a crush on Susan Dey back when I was 11-12 to the point where her pics (stolen from my older sister's 16 Magazine) we're up on my wall, alongside my NFL posters & drag racer pics. And back then, 11 year old boys didn't put "girly" stuff up on their bedroom walls.

Oh and I did bring this up on WAC's Facebook page. Hope somebody in charge reads it.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

Don't forget it also had Playmate of the Year Terri Welles.... who Michael Crichton married. Dude had it all going back then - blockbuster films, novels and ...

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Don't forget it also had Playmate of the Year Terri Welles.... who Michael Crichton married. Dude had it all going back then - blockbuster films, novels and ...

Wish Michael was still here to tell us the stories.

You know, I wonder. In the second (abbreviated) season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, it featured a robot named "Crichton". Wonder if there was any connection with Michael in naming that robot?

 

[Dick]

This would go well with WOLFEN for a Halloween release this year, no?

I love the first two-thirds of it (it grows ridiculous in a stupid-action-film way toward the end). Especially cool is that "light" gun makes a person oblivious to what is going on until after he "comes to" and finds things in disarray or missing -- like a very short black-out drunk.

Yeah, Susan Dey. I always thought she was pretty hot in L.A. Law. Used to go to the school in Mt. Kisco, N.Y. where I grew up.

 

[Clyde's Place]

I like Looker and own the DVD.

But if I want to just gawk at Susan Dey in the buff, my go to movie is First Love (1977) with William Katt. The movie itself is just so-so but there are a couple of interestingly strange moments such as Katt's strange interrogation of Dey as to how he knows for sure she had an orgasm. Then there's Dey's character having an affair with Robert Loggia's character who was 47 years young to her 25 years. But he looked 57. (I think Dey's character, Caroline Hedges, had Daddy issues). There's a creepy almost make out scene in a little girl's playhouse. Then there's the odd coupling of John Heard and Beverly D'Angelo. The movie is no work of art by any means, but it's worth viewing once just so you can say, "Wtf was that all about?"It was available on Netflix Streaming for a while before moving on to other pastures, and is now available on Amazon Prime for the time being. Unfortunately both versions are pan & scan (filmed at 1.85:1), Not on DVD or Blu-ray and I don't see it getting released any time soon so watch while you can.

 

[Brian McP]

Terri Welles, my alltime favorite Playmate (December 1980) -- many years llater, Playboy and Hugh Hefner went after her for using or even mentioning the title 'Playmate of the Year' on her website and it eventually ended up in the courts, with Terri retiring from public life after the case was settled -- unbelievable.....

Pretty sure she didn't marry Michael Crichton, she may have been going out with him at the time this movie was being made -- she ended up marry an ice hockey player around the time she won the Playmate of the Year title (I still shake my fist at the heavens over that to this day)

She didn't have a big movie career, but certainly brightened the screen when she did appear on screen, notably, if you look quick, dancing with Gene Hackman in "The Client".

 

[SilverWook]

There was a deleted sequence that popped up in tv broadcasts of the movie. There's a bit of overlap between these Youtube clips, but it covers what I remember seeing many years ago.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

I like Looker and own the DVD.

But if I want to just gawk at Susan Dey in the buff, my go to movie is First Love (1977) with William Katt. The movie itself is just so-so but there are a couple of interestingly strange moments such as Katt's strange interrogation of Dey as to how he knows for sure she had an orgasm. Then there's Dey's character having an affair with Robert Loggia's character who was 47 years young to her 25 years. But he looked 57. (I think Dey's character, Caroline Hedges, had Daddy issues). There's a creepy almost make out scene in a little girl's playhouse. Then there's the odd coupling of John Heard and Beverly D'Angelo. The movie is no work of art by any means, but it's worth viewing once just so you can say, "Wtf was that all about?"

It was available on Netflix Streaming for a while before moving on to other pastures, and is now available on Amazon Prime for the time being. Unfortunately both versions are pan & scan (filmed at 1.85:1), Not on DVD or Blu-ray and I don't see it getting released any time soon so watch while you can.

I do remember First Love although I've never seen it completely through, just YouTube clips of the "good" parts with Susan Dey. I also remember reading a People magazine article on Susan and that movie as well. In real life, Susan did marry a guy about 35 years her senior (they eventually divorced) back in 1977. And to go with it the photo of Susan in People magazine (with the see-thru top).

First Love might be worth a blu.

 

[Brian McP]

Both "Looker" and "Wolfen" were comeback movies for Albert Finney -- I remember it was big news when he returned to movies after another hiatus years earlier in 1974, as Hercule Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express".

Many thought after the tepid response both his 1981 movies had, he might retire again -- but quite the opposite, he was back with Diane Keaton in Alan Parker's "Shoot The Moon" which led a few years later to Oscar nominations for "The Dresser" and "Under The Volcano" -- and his career has never stopped, making many movies including a welcome performance in "Skyfall"

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Both "Looker" and "Wolfen" were comeback movies for Albert Finney -- I remember it was big news when he returned to movies after another hiatus years earlier in 1974, as Hercule Poirot in "Murder on the Orient Express".

Many thought after the tepid response both his 1981 movies had, he might retire again -- but quite the opposite, he was back with Diane Keaton in Alan Parker's "Shoot The Moon" which led a few years later to Oscar nominations for "The Dresser" and "Under The Volcano" -- and his career has never stopped, making many movies including a welcome performance in "Skyfall"

And hopefully Albert will be,around for Bond 24.

 

[Brian McP]

Absolutely -- that would certainly be a treat.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

Now that we know that Looker (1981) is getting a Blu-ray release (should be this Fall), thought I'd kick this back up for informational purposes.

Thank you WAC.