Story: As an investigative reporter, Zac McKay (Terry Reeves-Wolf) is used to being up close and personal with the news stories, even the dangerous ones, but this time, perhaps the story hits too close for home. A mysterious murder has local authorities baffled and when it looks like a violent pattern is emerging, the heat is turned up even higher. Zac tries to get some answers from the police and despite making Lt. Cochran (Christopher Ginnaven) look foolish at times when he won’t assist her, Zac values her contacts at the local police department. But she is shocked to discover that she is a person of interest in the cases, as she knew the victims and while she is married, at least one victim was known to pursue the reporter. She denies any involvement, criminal or romantic with the suspects, but she runs head on into a serious problem, as someone is harassing and threatening her, someone obviously close to her. Can Zac keep her wits about her even as the case descends into near chaos, or will this elaborate criminal claim the reporter as their next victim?

Entertainment Value: This regional thriller is an absolute blast, with a wild narrative, off the wall dialogue, and a colorful cast that is a lot of fun to watch. The story here is not going to rack up any awards for script work, but it sets up a number of fun, if inexplicable plot twists and such. Meanwhile the final act really ratchets up the reveals, including a finale that might not make sense, but it is a memorable one. Stay Tuned for Murder takes a serious approach, but of course some unintentional humor and b movie vibes creep in, making for a great blend. You can tell this was meant to be a serious thriller, complete with some small bursts of social commentary, but the script and cast derail it into b movie schlock at times and to me, that is where this one really shines, entertainment wise. This one has tension, drama, romance, and a brisk pace, the movie rarely slows at all and wastes little time on passive exposition. The end result is immense fun and has massive 80s atmosphere and regional cinema elements, making this a start to finish satisfying cinematic ride. I had a great time with Stay Tuned for Murder and for anyone who appreciates b movies, 80s cinema, or regional films, this is highly recommended.

Most of the cast here was inexperienced and didn’t go on to many other movie projects, but I think the performers are fun to watch for the most part. The only name I recognized was Dominique St. Croix, the pinup model and she fits right into the 80s vibes, even if her role is small and mostly to provide some eye candy. The real star here is Terry Reeves-Wolf and I was crushed to find out she didn’t have any other movie roles, as I couldn’t wait to see what else she had done. Wolf has a great accent and her banter with her costars is fantastic, she has a fast cadence and a great vibe, she shreds anyone who goes toe to toe with her, I just wish she had been in other pictures. In any event, here she really shines and gives us a likable, driven character to get behind, even if she might be seen as curt by some viewers. Her character of Zac faces a lot of harassment and obstacles because she’s a woman in a male dominated field, something the movie explores lightly and Wolf is able to embody quite well. I think Wolf elevates this material not just by providing that crucial anchor role to make it all work, but she is able to get the most of the material and her costars, she really enhances the entire movie. The cast also includes Robert Ginnaven, B.J. Hardin, Christopher Ginnaven, Todd Tongin, and Phil Zeni.