Variety Reviews

An independent film loaded with potential, VARIETY falls far short of its intended goals. Christine (Sandy McLeod) works as a cashier for the Variety Theater, a pornographic movie house. With no life of her own, Christine grows obsessive in watching the X-rated films at the Variety then starts dating one of the theater's regulars. It turns out that the man is involved with crime, and the lonely Christine follows him about. She receives obscene messages on her answering machine and takes to making up pornographic stories herself. The film clearly wants to say something about the relationship among women, pornography, and power, but it just doesn't quite know how to accomplish this. Written and directed by women, the story is hampered by a nondescript visual style that infuses little into the often-aimless story. McLeod isn't much better as the lead, never letting the audience know what is going on inside her.