Stripped to Kill (a.k.a. Strip Me Deadly) is a 1987 American erotic thriller/sexploitation film directed by Katt Shea and starring Kay Lenz, Greg Evigan and Norman Fell.
When Detective Cody Sheehan discovers the body of an exotic dancer from the Rock Bottom strip club, she wants the case, but the only way Cody can get the assignment is to go undercover at the club as a performer. To her surprise, she learns that stripping holds a powerful allure for her, and her professional and personal lives take on shocking new dimensions.
The film would receive a direct-to-video sequel in 1989 titled Stripped to Kill II: Live Girls. It starred a new protagonist known as Shady.
Troped to Kill:
- Action Dress Rip: While performing in Amateur Night at Rock Bottom, the zipper on Cody's dress gets stuck. Because she needs to win the contest, she rips the entire dress off her body to continue her routine.
- Caught with Your Pants Down: Thinking there is someone in her apartment, Cody bursts into her bathroom to discover her partner Heineman jerking off.
- Chekhov's Skill: Throughout the film, Heineman is attempting to teach Cody that the way to defend yourself against an attacker with a knife is to watch their eyes, not the blade. Guess what saves her life when she confronts the killer?
- Coat Full of Contraband: The character identified as the 'mobile entrepreneur' sells a bewildering array of merchandise of dubious provenance out of the trunk of his car: everything from butterfly knives to classical music CDs. He can usually be be found hanging out in the alley behind the strip club.
- Creepy Crossdresser: The Serial Killer turns out to be Roxanne's brother Eric who has killed his sister and adopted her identity, including dancing at the strip club in her place.
- Cue Card Pause: Sgt. Heineman is reading from an arrest report regarding Dazzle:And I quote: "I never hit her. I only held her fanny."
(Pauses. Looks at the report again.)
"I never hit her. I only held her." (Beat) "Fanny hit her." - Dance Battler: Eric/Roxanne uses pole dancing moves to devastating effect against Cody during the fight in the strip club.
- Dead All Along: Roxanne was actually killed by her brother Eric, who is actually a Serial Killer impersonating as her.
- Dirty Harriet: A Serial Killer is killing strippers, so a policewoman becomes a stripper to lure him out.
- Dramatic Gun Cock: Heineman breaks into Roxanne's apartment and is searching the locked closet when he hears the sound of a shotgun slide being pumped him. He turns around and finds Derek pointing a shotgun at him.
- Fanservice: The film has a lot of scenes showing scantily clad, half-naked women dancing at Rock Bottom given that it is set in a strip club.
- Food Slap: Cody tosses a cup of coffee into the killer's face during their fight in Roxanne's apartment.
- Gay Guy Dies First: Angel, the first victim of the Serial Killer, is a lesbian. The end of the film reveals that her partner Roxanne had also been murdered by her brother Eric who had assumed her identity.
- Gender-Blender Name: The main protagonist is a young woman named Cody.
- A Handful for an Eye: During the fight in Roxanne's apartment, Cody tosses a cup of coffee in the killer's face, causing his shot to miss and allowing her to jump behind the couch.
- Jack Bauer Interrogation Technique: When Heineman catches the mobile entrepreneur trying to get back into his car, he slams his foot into the car door: pinning the entrepreneur between the door and the car. He questions him by repeatedly pressing on the door until the entrepreneur tells him what he wants to know.
- Kill and Replace: Eric murders his sister Roxanne and assumes her identity.
- Man on Fire:
- The killer douses his first victim in gasoline after pushing her off a bridge and then lights her up just after Det. Cody Sheehan trips over the victim.
- At the end of the film, Cody soaks the killer with the can of gasoline he was trying to kill her with, and he turns himself into a Roman candle when he fires his gun at her.
- Mistaken for Masturbating: There is a creepy patron in the strip club the dancers refer to as 'Mr. Pocket', because he always has one hand in his pocket and they assume he is jerking off through a hole in the pocket while he is watching them. He actually does this to conceal the fact that he is missing a hand.
- Notable Non Sequitur: One so subtle that it borders on
Fridge Brilliance. In a scene in the dressing room, Roxanne goes to use the bathroom and one of the other strippers tells her "not to leave the seat up again". The strippers have been dissing each other all through the scene, and this sounds like just another friendly insult and is easily missed amidst the dialogue. However, Roxanne has already been killed and her identity assumed by her brother Eric. So it is entirely possible that some previous he had forgotten and left the toilet seat up. - Only Known by Their Nickname: One of the club patrons is referred to by the girls as 'Mr. Pocket': because he always keeps one hand in his pants pocket. His actual name is never revealed.
- Pocket Protector: During their final fight, Cody plunges the killer's own knife into their chest. However, he is saved by the fake latex breasts he was wearing as part of the bodysuit that allows him to impersonate his sister.
- Razor Floss: Cinnamon, victim no. 2, is garrotted with piano wire.
- Serial Killer: A killer is targeting dancers working for the Rock Bottom strip club.
- Serial Killer Baiting: A Serial Killer is killing strippers, so a policewoman becomes a stripper to lure him out.
- Stocking Filler: Cody/Sunny always wears garter belts and stockings during her striptease act.
- Tae Kwon Door: When Heineman catches the mobile entrepreneur trying to get back into his car, he slams his foot into the car door: pinning the entrepreneur between the door and the car. He questions him by repeatedly pressing on the door until the entrepreneur tells him what he wants to know.
- Vehicle-Roof Body Disposal: A variant. After murdering Cinnamon, the killer ties her body to the underside of a semitrailer which drives off.
- What a Drag: After the killer ties Cinnamon's body to the underside of the semitrailer, she gets dragged for about 100 miles.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: With much of the action taking place in a strip club, the audience is treated to a huge array of very professional striptease routines. Director Katt Shea wanted to make this movie in order to show the more artistic aspects of stripping.
