''Lovely But Deadly'' is a 1981

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

about a

cheerleader Cheerleading is an activity in which the participants (called cheerleaders) cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity. It can be performed to motivate sports teams, to ente ...

who goes undercover to fight

drug dealers The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...

. The film stars

Lucinda Dooling Lucinda Schiff (née Valles) (April 19, 1954 – December 30, 2015), better known by her stage name Lucinda Dooling, was a Puerto Rico-born American actor. She was best known for her roles in the films '' Lovely But Deadly'' (1981), ''The Alchemist ...

, John Randolph,

Mel Novak Mel Novak (born June 16, 1942) is an American actor who is best known for villainous roles in ''Black Belt Jones'', ''Game of Death'', and ''An Eye for an Eye''. He is also known for doing all of his own stunts and fighting scenes. Career 1970s ...

and

Richard Herd Richard Thomas Herd Jr. (September 26, 1932 – May 26, 2020) was an American actor, appearing in numerous supporting, recurring, and guest roles in television series and occasional film roles, from the 1970s to the 2010s. He was well known in th ...

. Directed by David Sheldon with a story by Lawrence D. Foldes, the film follows Mary Ann "Lovely" Lovitt (Dooling), who goes back to high school to find the drug pushers that she holds responsible for the death of her brother, who died from an overdose.Budnik, Daniel R. (2017) 80s Action Movies on the Cheap'', McFarland & Co. Inc., , pp. 19-20 The film features several fight scenes, with Lovitt using kung fu to deal with an array of villains. It was subsequently released on VHS by

Vestron Video Vestron Video was the main subsidiary of Vestron, Inc., a home video company based in Stamford, Connecticut, that was active from 1981 to 1993, and is considered to have been a pioneer in the home video market. The name is now used for a collect ...

Reception

Daniel R. Budnik, in his book ''80s Action Movies on the Cheap'', calls the film "enjoyable" but "schizophrenic", stating "the film's style changes so much there could be ten directors involved". ''Shock Cinema'' called it an "amusingly braindead romp".Puchalski, Steven (2017)
Lovely But Deadly
''Shock Cinema''. Retrieved January 1, 2018

Principal cast

as Mary Ann Lovitt * John Randolph as Franklin van Dyke *

as Warren Lang *Susan Mechsner as Suzie *

as "Honest Charley" Gilmarten

References

External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes, lovely_but_deadly 1981 films 1981 action films American martial arts films 1980s English-language films American films about revenge American exploitation films 1981 martial arts films Films scored by Robert O. Ragland American vigilante films Teensploitation 1980s American films English-language action films