White Rush

-- Video Business, 9/7/2004

Color, R (sexual situations, mature themes, nudity, violence), 87 min., DVD $24.95, VHS $39.95

DVD: no extras

Street: Oct. 12, Prebook: Sept. 21

First Run: Int'l. video premiere, 2003

Cast: Judd Nelson (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back), Louis Mandylor (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Sandra Vidal (Undisputed), Deborah Zoe (Road Trip), Tricia Helfer (TV's Battlestar Galactica), Charlie Schlatter (Ed)

Director: Mark L. Lester

MONARCH

A group of friends on a camping trip stumble across a drug deal gone bad, and the fall-out results in dealer Brian (Nelson) trying to track down policeman Chick (Mandylor), who took off with the loot. Meanwhile, the drug lord has sent a sexy hitwoman (Vidal) after all of them. Veteran genre director Lester's latest thriller takes some pretty typical twists and turns but still has a couple of things going for it: the first is former Brat Packer Judd Nelson, who has grown into a not-bad-at-all actor; the second is sultry Argentinean actress Sandra Vidal, who portrays a femme fatale with no conscience (think of a more ruthless Linda Fiorentino from The Last Seduction--with an accent). A lot of double-crossing and mixed loyalties might confuse some viewers, although anyone who's seen even one late-night thriller on cable TV will be able to figure this one out. But that doesn't mean it's doesn't succeed as an acceptable, quick entertainment. --Mayna Bergmann