Born in 1958 in Lombard, Illinois, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio made waves in the cinema landscape with her role in Slam Dance (1987), where she navigates a world of danger as tensions rise amidst the gritty narrative. Known for her compelling performances, Mastrantonio emerged as a strong presence in the films of the late 1980s, showcasing her range from stage to screen. Her career includes notable roles in various acclaimed films, yet her work in Slam Dance remains a significant contribution to the cult cinema catalog.
Slam Dance
A married cartoonist named C. C. Drood becomes involved in the cover up of a political sex scandal after his lover, Yolanda Caldwell, a call girl, is found murdered. Drood has betrayed his wife Helen with the exotic Yolanda, who takes him to a club where the patrons slam dance, violently crashing into one another on the dance floor. Bobby Nye, a former lesbian lover of Yolanda's, hires a hit man named Buddy to do away with Drood, who is also hotly pursued by the police. Drood ultimately comes to believe that Bobby and Buddy are the ones responsible for Yolanda's death. A corrupt cop, Gilbert, is doing everything in his power to pin the whole thing on Drood, but a police colleague, Smiley, intervenes on the wanted man's behalf. Buddy is eventually overcome with guilt in his role in the killing of Yolanda, so he spares Drood's life and takes his own. To escape with his wife and his life, Drood tries to make Nye and the cops believe that Buddy's body is actually his.
