''Malibu Express'' is a 1985 American action film starring Darby Hinton,

Sybil Danning Sybil Danning (born Sybille Johanna Danninger; May 24, 1952) is an Austrian–American former actress, model, and film producer. She is best known for her frequent appearances in B movies during the 1970s and 1980s. Biography Early life Dannin ...

, Lori Sutton, and

Art Metrano Arthur Metrano (September 22, 1936 – September 8, 2021) was an American actor. He was noted for his role as Lt./Capt./Cmdt. Mauser in '' Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment'' and '' Police Academy 3: Back in Training''. Career Metrano's f ...

. It was directed, written, and produced by

Andy Sidaris Andrew William Sidaris (February 20, 1931 – March 7, 2007) was an American television and film director, producer, screenwriter. After a pioneering career directing televised sports beginning in the 1960s, Sidaris wrote and directed a succes ...

and is the first installment in the Triple B film series. The film features 1980s ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'' Playmates Kimberly McArthur, Barbara Edwards, Lorraine Michaels, and

Lynda Wiesmeier Lynda Ann Wiesmeier (pronounced WEES-myer, May 30, 1963 – December 16, 2012) was an American model and actress. She made her film debut in '' American Pop''. Wiesmeier was selected as both cover model and Playmate of the Month for the July 19 ...

in its cast, as well. In it, Danning "cinched her image as B-budget bad girl". Regis and Joy Philbin cameo as talk-show hosts.

Plot

A wealthy playboy/private investigator named Cody Abilene is hired by a government intelligence operative to investigate a lead into who is selling computer technology to the Russians. While investigating rich socialites, amorous naked vixens, and an ex-con with a penchant for blackmail, and keeping it all from his sexy lady cop friend Beverly Mcafee, Cody puts himself in the crosshairs of the traitorous tech spies who will gladly kill to stay in business. The scope of the conspiracy is revealed after Cody and Beverly make love at a suspect's beach house, only to find a pair of hitmen gunning for them as they get dressed. Gunplay, car chases, and races ensue.

Cast

* Darby Hinton as Cody Abilene *

as Contessa Luciana * Art Metrano as Matthew * Niki Dantine as Lady Lillian Chamberlain * Michael Andrews as Stuart Chamberlain * Shelley Taylor Morgan as Anita Chamberlain * Lorraine Michaels as Liza Chamberlain * Brett Clark as Shane * Lori Sutton as Beverly McAfee *

as June Khnockers * Kimberly McArthur as Faye * Barbara Edwards as May * Abb Dickson as P.L. Buffington * Busty O'Shea as Doreen Buffington * Randy Rudy as Bobo Buffington * Richard Brose as Mark * John Brown as Luke * Suzanne Regard as Sally "Sexy Sally" * John Alderman as Lieutenant Arledge * Robyn Hilton as Maid Marian * Les Steinmetz as Johnathan Harper * Robert Darnell as Douglas Wilton * Jeanine Vargas as Rodney * Peter Knecht as Peter * Harry Hauss as Helicopter Pilot * Ruth Stamer as Answering Service Girl * Peggy Ann Filsinger as Peggy *

Regis Philbin Regis Francis Xavier Philbin ( ; August 25, 1931 – July 25, 2020)Archived aGhostarchiveand thWayback Machine was an American television presenter, comedian, actor, and singer. Once called "the hardest-working man in show business", he held th ...

as Regis Philbin * Joy Philbin as Joy Philbin * Niki Patterson as Computer Operator

Production

Filming

Exteriors were shot in

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

, around Los Angeles such as

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

Willow Springs Raceway Willow Springs International Motorsports Park (commonly referred to as Willow Springs) is located in Willow Springs, Kern County, California, Willow Springs near Rosamond, California, Rosamond, California, about north of Los Angeles. It is the ...

and the

Mojave Desert The Mojave Desert (; ; ) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States. Named for the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous Mohave people, it is located pr ...

Soundtrack

The film's music was composed by

Henry Strzelecki Henry Pershing Strzelecki (August 8, 1939 – December 30, 2014) was a Nashville studio musician who performed with Roy Orbison, Chet Atkins, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Ronnie Milsap, Merle Haggard, and ma ...

, with Ronny Light producing the soundtrack which featured Strzelecki on bass, Bucky Barrett and Tommy Jones on guitar, Bobby Thompson playing guitar and banjo,

Weldon Myrick Weldon Myrick (born Weldon Merle Myrick; April 10, 1938 – June 2, 2014) was an American steel guitar player.Dobro Dobro () is an American brand of resonator guitars owned by Gibson and manufactured by its subsidiary Epiphone. The term "dobro" is also used as a generic term for any wood-bodied, single-cone resonator guitar. The Dobro was originally a gui ...

, Barry Walsh on piano, Dale Morris on fiddle,

Terry McMillan Terry McMillan (born October 18, 1951) is an American novelist known for her vivid portrayals of African American women's lives, relationships, and journeys of self-discovery. Her best-selling works, including ''Waiting to Exhale'' and ''How S ...

on harmonica and percussion, and

Kenny Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history." Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...

on drums.

Releases

The film was first released in March 1985, then on DVD in 2002. It then appeared in two DVD collections, ''Andy Sidaris Collection, Vol. 1'' (of six discs) in 2003, and ''Triple B Collection, Vol. 1'' in 2005.

Reception

''Malibu Express'' is described as a "routine erotic spy tale" by Eleanor Mannikka of ''All Movie Guide''. The ''Video Movie Guide 2001'' rated the movie with a single "turkey", amazed that the movie got an "R" rating, "since it's clearly soft porn". ''TV Guide'' gave the film two stars. Barbara Edwards' appearance in the hero's shower is cited as "one of the hottest topless lesbian shower scenes in the long and hot tradition of lesbian shower scenes".

Connections to other films

The material from the film was reworked from a previous Sidaris film, '' Stacey'' (1973). The role of Stacey Hanson (

Anne Randall Anne Randall (born Barbara Ann Burrus; September 23, 1944) is an American model and actress. She was ''Playboy'' magazine's Playmate of the Month for its May 1967 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli. Career In 1959, Barbara ...

) was divided into two new characters: private detective protagonist Cody Abilene ( Darby Hinton) and his girlfriend June Khnockers (

).Coffman (2012), p. 23-26 The openings of both films depict their respective female race car drivers in the finish of a practice race. Both films then have them getting out of uniform. Stacey is the protagonist, though, while June serves mostly as the source of a recurring joke in her film: "Knockers with an "h"?". June can still reliably drive a high-performance race car, but Cody performs most of Stacey's functions in the film.Coffman (2012), p. 23-26 The discreet homosexual nephew John (John Alderman) turns into Stuart (Michael A. Anderson), a

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...

, in the second film. In both films, the detective follows the character into a

gay bar A gay bar is a Bar (establishment), drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (LGBTQ+) clientele; the term ''gay'' is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBTQ+ communi ...

. The difference is that in the first film, John wears regular clothes, while in the second, Stuart is in full drag. Cody laughs while dictating notes into a recorder, but still admits that Stuart has great legs. Stuart is more of a cartoonish gay stereotype than John.Coffman (2012), p. 23-26 The youthful niece Pamela ( Cristina Raines) turns into the bit older niece Liza ( Lorraine Michaels) in the second film. Liza has her own sex scene with the houseboy Shane (Brett Clark). The difference in age was probably decided to allow this sex scene and more nudity than would be acceptable from a teenager.Coffman (2012), p. 23-26 The second film adds a character with no counterpart in the original: Contessa Luciana (

). Contessa has a romantic night with Cody, before he moves into his next assignment. The relationship to the family is unspecified, but she turns out to have murdered Shane. She is beyond the reach of the law and suffers no ill consequences for her murder.Coffman (2012), p. 23-26

References

External links

*
''Malibu Express'' on NanarLand
{{Andy Sidaris 1980s action adventure films 1980s American films 1980s English-language films 1980s spy action films 1985 films 1985 independent films American action adventure films American auto racing films American detective films American independent films American spy action films Films directed by Andy Sidaris Films shot in Los Angeles English-language independent films English-language action adventure films