Do they still describe the advertising world as a business where you have to "get out there and crack heads?" This TV movie gives that classic phrase a whole new meaning, as hard-charging Jennifer Kamplas takes over as general manager at HR&Y Advertising. But Jennifer isn't the one to fear, for no sooner is Jennifer installed in her new job than she's interrupted at lunch by one Stacy Sherman, an "interviewee" who's so tough and aggressive that she makes Jennifer look like a pussycat. Stacey's way of applying for a job at HR&Y is to hand Jennifer the secret business plans of a competing advertising firm. Stacey comes aboard as a manager and immediately starts to employ her own version of chaos theory, as company meetings become brawls where Stacy reams out long-time employees, not only for their performance but for the lifestyles, noting that a respected male employee is gay (read: not tough enough. When she's done with him she bullies everyone else into submission.
Not only do people who stand up to Stacy fare badly at meetings, but Jennifer's enemies start to turn up dead. First it's a business rival, murdered in his hot tub, then the punk who's been stealing the outside mirrors off Jennifer's expensive imported car (Stacy cracks his head open with a tire iron), then it's the CFO who won't approve of Jennifer's budget-busting perks and business plans. The police ask who would kill people over some car side mirrors or differences at work, but find no answers. Jennifer is a suspect, of course, but somehow she just doesn't seem vicious enough. Of course, we're in the know as we watch Stacey seduce then blackmail a client into extending his contract with her firm then put an end to the mirror thief. Next we're privileged to watch her use her Porsche to push the offending CFO's car into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer.
Finally the crows of Stacy's storm trooper tactics come home to roost. As the business starts to falter, expensive consultants are called in, meetings become even bigger fiascoes and Jennifer abandons her protégé Stacy in an effort to save her own marriage. Pushed to the brink, Stacy becomes even more desperate, then has a psychotic breakdown (completely superfluous, given her past behavior), as she confronts Jennifer's husband Patrick and then stabs him. As if on cue, Jennifer walks in, grabs a pistol and puts Stacy out of her misery, shooting her mouth off about her own complicity in the dastardly doings. Also as if on cue, the police walk in and grab Jennifer. The punch line is offered by the still-living husband (ach! Jennifer thought he was dead), who delivers the I-told-you-so line.
We've heard of being protective of your boss, but this girl Stacy takes the idea to deadly extremes. The acting is decent all around, with Sean Young competent as Jennifer and Georgia Craig standing out as the obsessive, loony Stacey Sherman. The biggest complaint we have with this movie is whether these 2 characters seem believable as people - it's the screenwriter's fault far more than the actors if they are not. The Jennifer character starts out all right as she takes over at HR&Y then seems abandoned by the writer as the action begins to focus around Stacy, leaving Jennifer seemingly with nothing to do. The Stacy character's motivation in killing her boss's rivals seems unclear: is she sexually obsessed with her boss or just homicidal? It's clear that after initially promising to "cover her back," Jennifer abandons Stacey as she ignores HR&Y to run home and "save her marriage." As for Stacy's turning into a complete psycho, let's face it, the network that finances these TV movies would probably be out of business if they didn't write at least one psycho into most of them.
Not only do people who stand up to Stacy fare badly at meetings, but Jennifer's enemies start to turn up dead. First it's a business rival, murdered in his hot tub, then the punk who's been stealing the outside mirrors off Jennifer's expensive imported car (Stacy cracks his head open with a tire iron), then it's the CFO who won't approve of Jennifer's budget-busting perks and business plans. The police ask who would kill people over some car side mirrors or differences at work, but find no answers. Jennifer is a suspect, of course, but somehow she just doesn't seem vicious enough. Of course, we're in the know as we watch Stacey seduce then blackmail a client into extending his contract with her firm then put an end to the mirror thief. Next we're privileged to watch her use her Porsche to push the offending CFO's car into the path of an oncoming tractor trailer.
Finally the crows of Stacy's storm trooper tactics come home to roost. As the business starts to falter, expensive consultants are called in, meetings become even bigger fiascoes and Jennifer abandons her protégé Stacy in an effort to save her own marriage. Pushed to the brink, Stacy becomes even more desperate, then has a psychotic breakdown (completely superfluous, given her past behavior), as she confronts Jennifer's husband Patrick and then stabs him. As if on cue, Jennifer walks in, grabs a pistol and puts Stacy out of her misery, shooting her mouth off about her own complicity in the dastardly doings. Also as if on cue, the police walk in and grab Jennifer. The punch line is offered by the still-living husband (ach! Jennifer thought he was dead), who delivers the I-told-you-so line.
We've heard of being protective of your boss, but this girl Stacy takes the idea to deadly extremes. The acting is decent all around, with Sean Young competent as Jennifer and Georgia Craig standing out as the obsessive, loony Stacey Sherman. The biggest complaint we have with this movie is whether these 2 characters seem believable as people - it's the screenwriter's fault far more than the actors if they are not. The Jennifer character starts out all right as she takes over at HR&Y then seems abandoned by the writer as the action begins to focus around Stacy, leaving Jennifer seemingly with nothing to do. The Stacy character's motivation in killing her boss's rivals seems unclear: is she sexually obsessed with her boss or just homicidal? It's clear that after initially promising to "cover her back," Jennifer abandons Stacey as she ignores HR&Y to run home and "save her marriage." As for Stacy's turning into a complete psycho, let's face it, the network that finances these TV movies would probably be out of business if they didn't write at least one psycho into most of them.