As a senior at a college in northeastern Pennsylvania, I accepted the opportunity to be an "extra" in a movie being shot in Honesdale, PA. Well, guess which movie it was - you got it - "Playing for Keeps"! I don't think I've told anyone I was ever in it (except my wife) as I'm sure I don't want them seeing it! We spent the day there - mostly outside in the cold, and shot 1 scene - the final scene where the guy comes back from jail - for the night. I thought I performed well, and am still waiting for my credit! (And the lunch that was promised!) Was a fun experience - haven't seen it in years - guess I've gotta get a copy! Actually don't remember seeing Marisa, but do remember hanging around with some of the other cast members during the unbelievably long down-time. Guess that's why they call it work...

I rented this movie last week because I love 80's teen movies (License To Drive, Can't Buy Me Love, Don't Tell Her It's Me, etc.) I read the reviews (which were pretty negative), but decided to give "Playing For Keeps" a chance anyway. My conclusion: YOU GUYS WE'RE RIGHT! This movie is LOUSY! I tried so hard to like it, but I couldn't. I won't bother explaining the reasons why (because there are so many reasons). Just trust me, and all the other reviewers. Don't bother.

When I first looked at the LaserDisc jacket, I thought this movie was going to be a bomb, but was instead pleasantly surprised. Better than below average 80's Teen Adventures (like Kevin Bacon's often cheezy Quicksilver '86), this fun movie included a very young Marisa Tomei and super cute Mary B. Ward. Worth a watch.

This movie could only be interesting to someone who is conducting an anthropological study of 1980s pop culture. Bad hair, bad soundtrack, bad lipstick, gratuitous shots of women's legs, bad over-acting, ludicrously tight pants, bad plot. It's just very bad.