Wichita's Kirstie Alley in "Blind Date," a.k.a. "Deadly Seduction" (1984)

Starring Wichita's, Kirstie Alley

"Blind Date," a.k.a. "Deadly Seduction" is a 1984 movie that takes a visionary approach to the old "serial killer" genre in this high-tech (and eerily prophetic) thriller by award-winning writer-director Nico Mastorakis. The movie stars Kirstie Alley, Joseph Bottoms, James Daughton, Marina Sirtis, Valeria Golino, and Lana Clarkson.

Plot:
When Jonathan Ratcliff (Joseph Bottoms) suddenly becomes blind, doctors fit him with an experimental electronic device designed to partially restore his sight. With his renewed vision, he witnesses a murder and must stop a serial killer.

Jonathan Ratcliff (Joseph Bottoms) is an ad exec working in Greece who should be happy with his life and his current flame, Claire (Kirstie Alley). Yet one day, he thinks he sees Marien (the doomed in real-life Lana Clarkson), a woman from the past who went insane after being assaulted by multiple men. He drops everything and starts to stalk her, even after discovering her name is Rachel. And then, the movie is flipped around when Jonathan loses his sight. Helpless to protect Rachel from a knife-wielding point of view, Giallo’s gloved psychosexual murderer — the Scalpel Killer — runs wild through the dark nights of Athens; he has Dr. Steiger (Keir Dullea) create a medical miracle: a small unit that allows his eyes to see Atari 5200-style graphics of the real world. If he uses it too much, he’ll fry his brain. The killer might get him before that.

The Scalpel Killer makes his way through several victims, starting with Antigone Amanitou, who goes from her shower directly to being drawn on and operated without the benefit of any painkillers. His second victim is a pre-Star Trek: TNG Marina Sirtis, back in the days when she was stuck being the victim of Michael Winner in Death Wish 3 and The XXX Lady. There’s some wonderful stalking POV here, making this feel closer to Italy than Greece. The Scalpel Killer changes his M.O., taking out a married couple, played by Kathy Hill and Louis Sheldon, before finding one more single lady in the tub, played by Noelle Simpson.

While Ratcliff may not be the most compelling hero, the film introduces some unique elements. The concept of headphones that transform sound into visuals is fascinating, as is the scene where Ratcliff accidentally unplugs the headphones, rendering himself blind and in danger as he’s being stalked on the edge of a building.

Cast:
Joseph Bottoms as Jonathan Ratcliff
Kirstie Alley as Claire Simpson
James Daughton as Dave
Lana Clarkson as Rachel
Keir Dullea as Dr. Steiger
Charles Nicklin as Robert
Michael Howe as Subway Gang Member
Gerard Kelly as Subway Gang Member
Gerry Sundquist as Subway Gang Member
Marina Sirtis as Hooker
Kathy Hill as Murdered Couple
Louis Sheldon as Murdered Couple
Antigoni Amanitou as First Victim (credited as Antigone Amanitis)
Noelle Simpson as Final Victim
Danos Lygizos as Production Manager
Ankie Grelson as Rachel's Friend
Valeria Golino as Girl In Bikini
Ali Spanoghe as Girl In Bikini
Maria Marinelli as Girl In Bikini
Yvette Jarvis as Girl In Bikini
Laura Rozos as Girl In Bikini

This movie has Kirstie Alley’s only known nude scene. Alley died from colon cancer at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida on December 5, 2022, at the age of 71. The cancer had only been recently discovered.

Alley was born in Wichita, Kansas, on January 12, 1951, to Robert Deal Alley, who owned a lumber company, and Lillian Alley. She had two siblings, Colette and Craig.

Alley attended Wichita Southeast High School, where she graduated in 1969. She attended college at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas, where she dropped out after completing her sophomore year.

Her breakthrough role was as Rebecca Howe in the NBC sitcom "Cheers" (1987–1993), for which she received an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1991.

Alley won her second Emmy Award in 1994 for the television film "David's Mother." In 1997, Alley received another Emmy nomination for her work in the crime drama series, "The Last Don."

Among his credits, Director, Nico Mastorakis, was a writer for The Greek Tycoon (1978) starring Anthony Quinn, Jacqueline Bisset and James Franciscus. He also directed "Island of Death", "Hired to Kill", "Nightmare at Noon", "Zero Boys" and "In The Cold Of The Night".

---

This video is for educational, historical, and informational purposes only and has not been monetized in any manner whatsoever.

It has been posted to be ad-free.

In Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the US Copyright Law and under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, historic preservation, scholarships, education and research.

Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.