My review was written in October 1986 after watching the film on Trans World Entertainment video cassette.
"Desperate Moves" is a truly oddball motion picture.unreleased domestically since its 1980 filming until recently surfacing in home video stores. Pic is an all-American picture made by Italian filmmakers in San Francisco, headed by Ovidio G. Assonitis, who previously made the horror hit "Beyond the Door" there.
Pic's alternate titles were: "Steigler and Steigler", "Save the Last Dance for Me" and "Rollerboy", last of which suggests its goofy storyline of a young man (Steve Tracy) addicted to roller skating who leaves his small hometown to venture to the big city (Frisco) with dreams of glory. He meets a beautiful but nasty girl (Dana Handler) who alternately teases him and romances him.
Landing a flunky job at the local rollerama, Tracy is befriended by fellow employee Eddie Deezen, local gay deejay Paul Benedict and worldwise landlady Isabel Sanford. Sanford even gives him $50 from her "Billy Dee Williams fund" to buy a prostitute's services, but is dismayed to find the young hero has blown the cash on an unproductive date at a posh restaurant with Handler.
Picture's best subplot has Tracy sent by Benedict to a psychiatrist who's an expert in ways of dominating people: enter Christopher Lee, deliciously cool as the master of viciousness.
Its age betrayed by frequent outbursts of dated disco music, "Desperate" is an enjoyable rites of passage opus. A conventionally happy ending fails to resolve the mystery of the leading lady's behaviour. Tech credits are flat, with sound recording up to U. S. standards (none of the artificial post-synching favored by Italian helmers).
