I've always loved this scene because of how it portrays Areola's fall from grace, from a sophisticated, unobtainable beauty to an object of laughter and derision.
When we first saw her - along with Grieco - in the casino, she was a drop-dead gorgeous, ice cold vixen - the villain's arm candy, only to see but never to touch. We in the audience could only fantasize of landing a woman that HOT. She knew Grieco was naturally charmed by her and she was only far to willing to exploit that.
She next shows up unannounced in his hotel room, wrapped in a slinky nightgown, already in full seduction mode. Helpless in her clutches Grieco is thrown backward onto the bed. In no time at all she is straddling him, in total control, everything going according to plan. She knew this assignment would be easy, but she didn't know how quickly this teenager would become puddy in her hands. She speaks will full confidence and composure, her voice flowing like honey.
Then ... a moment later ... everything changes.
Grieco unexpectedly leaps from the bed and disappears into the bathroom, in the process launching her pet scorpion high into the air. She is clearly startled by this turn of events, panic now filling her voice. She scans the room for the scorpion, looking under the pillows, under the bed, everywhere. Cracks have shown in the facade.
Suddenly, unbeknowst to Ms Canasta, the scorpion crawls out from within the ceiling lamp, teeters on the edge for a moment and plummets, falling squarely down the back of her nightgown. At this moment whatever sophistication Areola possessed is thrown right out the window. First, she lets out a ridiculously exagerated scream. Second, she falls forward and begins an ongoing parade of comical and definitely unfeminine poses. Third, during her performance she throws herself into the stereo system, accidentally turning on a high-tempo dance number. All of these elements contribute to making Areola look as silly and pathetic as possible.
I bet in her wildest dreams she never thought this assignment would turn into such an embarassing spectacle. She thought she would quickly seduce and eliminate this dumb teenager and be out of there in a matter of minutes.
Not so fast, honey! You're not nearly as sharp as you think you are!
That's why I find this scene hot as all hell! : )
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hrd171
12 years ago
Thanks for your excellent statement MK666!
I always love her role in this movie - and the story about falling from her salaciousness level - to become a deserved and self-inflicted, humilitiaded defeat:-)
As your words - the thrill is, that Areola is switched from a drop-dead gorgeous, ice cold vixen, the buxom-chick of the main-villain - not reachable for the good boy. A short appearance to show her sexiness and elegance - then she have no more important part in the movie (- in many spy-flics the femme fatale escape in the last or turned to goody -:-() but not this Lady!
The main-villain wishes that she eliminate the good-boy, and it seems no matter for Areola. In a sexy nightgown, black high-heels and her unforgettable cleavage, the boy lies down, close his eyes and is in kindly anticipation of a... errh... very obliging therapy of Areola;-) What a evil woman - she positioned her murder-weapon (the pet-scorpion) on the good-boy legs - in longingly expectance, that the scorpion bites the boy in his valuable place!!!!!!!!
But - hoist by her own petard - and very ironic - not Corben (Grieco) is stalked by the scorpion on his sweetest places - but Areola herself (and she "gets a bug up in her ass" - literally:-)!)
But not before Areola lost her control and her contenance completly! If the scorpion is fallen in her lingerie she is crying, screaming, moaning and dancing in a very ridiculously and exagerated way. Her facial expressions tells once more - that she is absolute desperate and thrilled...
It is always a pity, if a good looking villainess is blown up in a movie - but in the case of Areola, her downfall satisfacted, and it's very well to see, that she must join her own medicine:-)!
A very bitter defeat for Areola - but I am sure that Corben enjoyed it...
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sands-821-414469
10 years ago
lol very good detailed flashback hehe
I love this movie and I really don't see how anyone can't love it since it's pure fun and that scene is forever in my mind.
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johnnyb94109
10 years ago
Her comeuppance was so satisfying, on so many levels.
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hrd171
10 years ago
Thats it! Nobody deserves it more then her!!!:-)
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HarveyManfredSinJohn
10 years ago
I find this thread, much like this ghastly film, borderline misogynist. So many guys taking satisfaction at this woman's fate, as if to say, "Well I might not be able to get a woman like her but hey, at least I can watch Ms 'I think I'm so hot' Unobtainable completely humiliated before she dies in a nasty manner".
Even as a kid there was something about this scene that rubbed me the wrong way.
It also bugs me that these evil femme fatales are always dark, ethnic, usually Mediterranean-looking, women (Carole Davis is partly Jewish I believe). They're rarely blonde and WASPy, because some how blonde and WASPy is associated with 'goodness' and 'innocence', whereas dark women are considered to be 'evil'.
So the sexism is compounded by an element of racism/anti-Semitism. 'Great!'
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johnnyb94109
10 years ago
Absolutely, and MickeyKnox_666 analyzed the whole sequence of events regarding the femme fatale's demise very well in the fifth posting of this string. The only aspect I would add is that Ms Canasta was obviously quite smug and self-satisfied as she was sitting in that casino, her stupendous breasts glaringly exposed.
The element you're missing, Harvey, is that she was a cold-hearted assassin, whose ghastly scorpion-weapon indirectly led to her own demise. It was not only total humiliation and comeuppance--but mostly, justice.
Anyone else care to comment?
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hrd171
10 years ago
I agree strongly Johnny!!! The woman plays real a quite smug, self-satisfied, vain assassin. And she exposed her stupendous cleaveage in the casino (in favor for the main villain?!?).
Her justice humiliation and comeuppance is really satisfied - but I will find it justice if Ms. Canasta is played by a blonde Euro-chick or something too. Thats no matter for me (thats she is brunett and jewish or arabian...) - and I think also for the other users here...
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johnnyb94109
10 years ago
Areola was indeed the trophy girlfriend in the casino, but she would have blatantly displayed her breasts regardless. By the look on her face, she's not only smug, but on the verge of self-satisfied laughter when men groan at the sight of something they could never dream of touching. Ms Canasta surely gloats at the sight of men melting in her presence.
Areola Canasta could don a blonde wig and put on blue contact lenses, and her comeuppance would be just as satisfying. Speaking of that, justice could have come short of death, as in "Fate worse than death." Disfigurement, for instance? For a woman like Areola, one horrible scar upon her beautiful face would be enough.
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hrd171
10 years ago
Oh yes she did!!! She displayed her cleavage regardless and she gloats over the presented men... thats the point of the scene Corben using this kind of through-looking-glasses! Areola had not the faintest idea that Corben seeing her naked;-)!
For me a arrest would be okay too - for this evil chick - but it is really more ironic that she must die with her own murder-weapon - in a really humiliating way - in front of her former victim!!! And blowing her off - is really a kind of overkill! Her remains - the smirking and smoky skull - is established in relation to her smug looking face in the casino or during seducing Corben...
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johnnyb94109
10 years ago
I never noticed the skull with that kind of expression. Will go back to that part to check it out! By the way, another element of Areola's demise is that rocket was launched by her own side--as in friendly fire. Ouch!!!
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hrd171
10 years ago
Check it johnny!;-) Friendly fire - indeed - not her day, illfated in all belongs!:-0
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Claude_K6
7 years ago
1. Carole Davis has no jewish ancestry.
2. The producers of this movie are jewish
3. Even if she was jewish, how was there any antisemitism involved? Because she has an "ethnic" look? And? What's your point you fool?
You are unbelievably unintelligent.
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