 American Gigolo 1980  R, 117 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance / Thriller
Director: Paul Schrader
Cast: Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Hector Elizondo, Nina Van Pallandt, K Callan, Macdonald Carey, Bill Duke, Brian Davies, Carole Cook, David Cryer, Tom Stewart, Patricia Carr, Carol Bruce, Frances Bergen, William Dozier
Male hooker Julian Kay (Richard Gere) provides his services among the Beverly Hills matrons. When an ex-client is murdered, Julian is in big trouble. He is framed for the murder and becomes the prime suspect. The one person who can help is Michelle (Lauren Hutton) with whom he is enjoying an intense relationship, but she is married to Senator Charles Stratton (Brian Davies). Will Michelle's love for Julian be the answer to his problems?
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A Change of Seasons 1980  R, 102 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
Director: Richard Lang
Cast: Shirley MacLaine, Anthony Hopkins, Bo Derek, Michael Brandon, Mary Beth Hurt, Edward Winter, Paul Regina, K Callan, Rod Colbin, Steve Eastin, Christopher Coffey, Albert Carriere, Billy Beck, Blake Harris, Karen Philipp
This poor attempt at humor involves male-swapping between Adam (Anthony Hopkins) and Karen (Shirley MacLaine) Evans and Lindsey Rutledge (Bo Derek).
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Fast Break 1979  PG, 107 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Jack Smight
Cast: Gabe Kaplan, Harold Sylvester, Michael Warren, Bernard King, Reb Brown, Mavis Washington, Bert Remsen, K Callan, Jack Smight, Laurence Fishburne
Gabe Kaplan makes his film debut in this film about a coach at a Nevada college who brings along his NYC street players and turns them into a magnificent collegiate team.
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Frankie and Johnny 1991  R, 118 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Garry Marshall
Cast: Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Hector Elizondo, Nathan Lane, Kate Nelligan, Jane Morris, Greg Lewis, Glenn Plummer, Harvey Miller, K Callan, Al Fann, Ele Keates
Based on Terrence McNally's great play, this movie adaptation is about the romance of cynical waitress Frankie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and just-released-from-prison short-order cook Johnny (Al Pacino). 1 User Review
| User Review |
| | More than the sum of its parts | 1fatts 10/28/2007 | There are reasons this film should not work. It does not transfer well from its theatrical origins: there are "speeches" that are too clearly "speeches"; too many characters are stereotypical "New York menagerie of mankind." The ending is cornball by anyone's standards.
And yet the film DOES work, by and large. Credit to a really good cast and a more quiet control of tone and pacing than one generally expects from Garry Marshall. True, Michelle Pfeiffer is too pretty for the part, but she projects a quiet, sad emptiness which is convincing, even moving, and forms the center of the piece. And, true, Al Pacino can't quite pull off an optimistic innocent, but he is genuinely likable, and you pull for him.
We are ready to extend our suspension of disbelief a little farther than we might usually do because these are characters we care for, people who have not had an easy time of it and could use a break; and we are willing to gloss over the sit-com slickness of some of it to allow them the break. We would really like them to have a shot at doing better.
. . . and it helps if you like Clair de lune. |
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Joe 1970 R, 107 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John G. Avildsen
Cast: Peter Boyle, Audrey Caire, K Callan, Dennis Patrick, Patrick McDermott, Susan Sarandon, Reid Cruickshanks, Tim Lewis, Estelle Omens, Bob O'Connell, Marlene Warfield, Mary Case, Jenny Paine, Rudy Churney, Robert Emerick
After Melissa (Susan Sarandon, in her film debut) ends up in the hospital from a drug overdose, her business executive father Bill Compton (Dennis Patrick) is enraged and accidentally kills her junkie lover Frank (Patrick McDermott). Shaken by the murder, Bill heads into a bar and meets factory worker Joe (Peter Boyle) who shares Bill's prejudices about minorities and hippies of the 1960s' era. Bill tells Joe that he just killed a drug dealer, but Joe doubts Bill's assertion. Later, after watching news reports of the murder scene, Joe holds Bill in esteem. They form a friendship that will lead to a tragic confrontation with hippies–including Melissa.
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Mr. Murder 1998  R, 180 min.
Genre: Sci-Fi
aka: Dean Koontz's Mr. Murder
Director: Dick Lowry
Cast: Stephen Baldwin, Julie Warner, Bill Smitrovich, Thomas Haden Church, James Coburn, Kaley Cuoco, Brittney Lee Harvey, Don Hood, K Callan, Dan Lauria
Originally a two-part TV miniseries, this is the tale of scientists who set out to rule the world. To further their cause, they intend to create an army of superbeings through cloning, but good-old Marty (Stephen Baldwin) has his blood used for cloning by mistake. Now there are two Martys and the problems begin.
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Saved by the Light 1995 TV, 90 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Lewis Teague
Cast: Eric Roberts, Lynette Walden, K Callan, Don McManus, Don Harvey, Ted Manson, Amber Elias, Chris Nelson Norris, Michael Flippo, Fred Mooneyham
Set in South Carolina, this is the made-for-TV version of a grocer's, Dannion Brinkley (Eric Roberts), near-death experience after being hit by lightning in 1975, his subsequent change in personality, and his turn to faith healing.
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 Splendor in the Grass 1981 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Cast: Melissa Gilbert, Cyril O'Reilly, Ned Beatty, Eva Marie Saint, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jim Youngs, Nicholas Pryor, Ally Sheedy, K Callan, Graham Jarvis, Todd Elliot, Macon McCalman, Richard McKenzie, Doran Clark, Toni Kalem
In Kansas during the 1920s, teenagers Deanie (Melissa Gilbert) and Bud (Cyril O'Reilly) are in love. Deanie comes from a middle-class family, and her mother (Eva Marie Saint) preaches to her about keeping her virginity to the point that Deanie is headed for a nervous breakdown. Bud's wealthy father Ace (Ned Beatty) wants him to go to Yale, but Bud wants to get married and settle down as a rancher. While the story is about class consciousness and the strict rules of sexuality during an earlier era, it provides enjoyable fare.
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A Touch of Class 1973 PG, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Melvin Frank
Cast: George Segal, Glenda Jackson, Paul Sorvino, K Callan, Hildegarde Neil, Cec Linder, Mary Barclay, Michael Elwyn, Nadim Sawalha, Ian Thompson
This production tells the story of an affair between an American insurance executive (George Segal) living in London with his family and a British dress designer (Glenda Jackson) separated from her husband. They meet and have an affair in spite of a myriad of problems. Glenda Jackson won the Best Actress Oscar for her role. Somehow, this dull picture was also nominated for an Oscar.
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| 1. American Gigolo (1980)
2. A Change of Seasons (1980)
3. Fast Break (1979)
4. Frankie and Johnny (1991)
5. Joe (1970)
6. Mr. Murder (1998)
aka: Dean Koontz's Mr. Murder
7. The Return of the Shaggy Dog (1987)
8. Saved by the Light (1995)
9. Splendor in the Grass (1981)
10. A Touch of Class (1973)
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