Joe Cortese Movies
Cortese, a supporting actor, has been on screen since the late '70s. ~ All Movie Guide- 2007
Indie stalwart Abel Ferrara helms this quirky comedy about the goings-on at a downtown cabaret. Willem Defoe stars as Ray Ruby, the proprietor of a joint where all of the dancing girls have big dreams of working their way up to bigger and better things. But trouble begins to brew when money suddenly comes between Ray and his two associates, played by Bob Hoskins and Matthew Modine. Asia Argento and Drea de Matteo also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, (more)
A sleazy movie producer hatches a plan to shake the entire movie industry in this dark satire of Tinseltown politics featuring Gary Busey, Joe Estevez, James Russo, and John Savage. Underhanded producer Spencer Spector (Joseph Cortese) isn't above resorting to mischief in order to turn out a genuine hit, so when his latest film "The Last Rock and Roll Cowboy" opens on the big screen, he pirates 500,000 copies of the other two movies that opened that weekend to ensure the numbers are good. Yet while Spencer's film has a $14 million opening weekend and lead actor Sonny Westwood proves an overnight sensation with moviegoers, the production company still doesn't manage to turn a profit. Fortunately, Spencer has a plan for breaking even: If he can just convince Sonny to kill all five of his producing partners on camera, Spencer may finally have a shot at revolutionizing the movie Industry. Later, after enlisting the aid of two desperate female filmmakers they met at a local bar, Spencer and Sonny start rolling camera on the ultimate snuff film. Each murder pays special homage to some of Hollywood's biggest hits, securing the murderous auteurs a permanent place in the curious annals of cinema history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silvio Pollio, Joe Cortese, (more)
Charles S. Dutton's feature-length directorial debut Against the Ropes is based on the real-life story of Jackie Kallen, a Jewish woman from Detroit who became a successful boxing manager. Played by Meg Ryan, Kallen works her way up in the world of boxing by believing in the fighting skills of Luther Shaw (Omar Epps). Director Dutton appears as veteran trainer Felix Reynolds, whom Kallen encourages to come out of retirement. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
A one-time mobster and an attractive FBI agent join forces to shut down organized crime in this thriller. Dean (Peter Dobson) is an important witness in a case that the FBI is desperate to crack. Dean is also a wanted man in the underworld, so the FBI assigns its top agent to watch over him. He's surprised to discover that he is being protected by a beautiful woman, Monica (Dina Meyer), but he soon finds out that she's more than equal to the task. Good thing for Dean, since the mob has sent a pair of expert hitmen (Jon Polito and Francesco Quinn) to silence him permanently -- before he can testify. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Tony Kaye made his feature directorial debut with this dramatic exploration into the roots of race hatred in America. In a shocking opening scene, teen Danny Vinyard (Edward Furlong) races to tell his older brother, neo-Nazi Derek (Edward Norton), about the young blacks breaking into his car in front of the house, whereupon Derek gets his gun and with no forethought shoots the youths in their tracks. Tried and convicted, Derek is sent away for three years in prison, where he acquires a different outlook as he contrasts white-power prisoners with black Lamont (Guy Torry), his prison laundry co-worker and eventual pal. Meanwhile, Danny, with a shaved head and a rebellious attitude, seems destined to follow in his big brother's footsteps. After Danny writes a favorable review of Hitler's Mein Kampf, black high-school principal Sweeney (Avery Brooks) puts Danny in his private "American History X" course and assigns him to do a paper about his older brother, who was a former student of Sweeney's. This serves to introduce flashbacks, with the film backtracking to illustrate Danny's account of Derek's life prior to the night of the shooting. Monochrome sequences of Derek leading a Venice, California gang are intercut with color footage of the mature Derek ending his past neo-Nazi associations and attempting to detour Danny away from the group led by white supremacist, Cameron (Stacy Keach), who once influenced Derek. Director Tony Kaye, with a background in TV commercials and music videos, filmed in L.A. beach communities. Rated R "for graphic brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity." ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, (more)
Shot in 33 days, this $9.6 million biographical drama of behind-the-scenes interactions within the Rat Pack group of Frank Sinatra (Ray Liotta), Dean Martin (Joe Mantegna), and Sammy Davis Jr. (Don Cheadle) is set against the political backdrop of the '60s, establishing links of singers, gangsters, actors, and politicans (sometimes brushing shoulders in the same rooms). The film also explores Sinatra's relationship with John F. Kennedy (William Peterson). Deciding to support Kennedy, Sinatra patches up his feud with Peter Lawford (Angus Macfadyen), since Lawford's wife, Pat (Phyllis Lyons) is JFK's sister -- and a Sinatra-Kennedy friendship soon follows. However, when Joe Kennedy (Dan O'Herlihy) decides Sinatra's nightclub, mob and commie connections are a no-no for JFK, the patriarch's interference angers Sinatra. Meanwhile, Sammy Davis Jr. enters into an interracial liaison with May Britt (Megan Dodds), and the dynamics of the situation are visualized in an imaginative musical fantasy sequence in which Davis sees himself singing and dancing for an unresponsive line of white supremacists. Broadway's Savion Glover stepped in with the film's choreography. Substitute singers featured the voice of Michael Dees for Sinatra and Mantegna duplicating Dino. Also covered here are the events that led to the filming of Ocean's Eleven (1960). For an actual Rat Pack stage performance, see The Rat Pack Captured (1965). Filmed in LA, the TV movie premiered August 22, 1998 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Joe Mantegna, (more)
- 1994
Moira Davis (Shannon Tweed) is married to a doctor, Daniel Davis(Joseph Cortese), but their relationship is in bad shape; he has seduced several of his patients and treats Moira with careless cruelty. She has frequent dreams in which she visits a large house; inside she meets a handsome man named Nick (Andrew Stevens), who is always waiting for her in the bedroom where they make love. One day, Moira sees a house just like the one in her dream -- and to her surprise, Nick, the man from her dreams, is waiting inside. Moira and Nick soon fall into a passionate love affair, but when a jealous Daniel intervenes, it's up to Nick to protect Moira. Illicit Dreams reunited Andrew Stevens (who directed as well as starred) and Shannon Tweed, who had previously appeared together in the cable-TV staple Scorned (they'd appear together again in Scorned 2). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A reporter tries to balance his loyalty to friends with his personal integrity in this drama. Martin (Timothy Hutton) is a newspaperman from Detroit who has just published a book on organized crime. Doc (Joe Pantoliano), his close friend, has low-level connections to the Mob, and helped him get much of the information. While working on a story, Martin meets Sara (Michelle Burke), an exotic dancer with a complex story. He and Sara find themselves attracted to one another, and a romance grows between them, but Sara is angered when Martin uses deeply personal details of her story in one of his columns. After Martin promises Sara he'll never again betray her confidence, Doc approaches him with an offer -- a movie studio has expressed an interest in Martin's book, and Doc is having a cash-flow problem that's put him in debt to Mob loan sharks. Why not make Doc the producer on the movie so he can make some quick money and pay off the thugs? While Martin weighs the wisdom of this course of action, a studio chief tells Martin he's interested in his recent column about the stripper; if he can integrate the story into his book, they're certain to make a deal. The Last Word also stars Richard Dreyfuss, Chazz Palminteri, Cybill Shepherd, and Roma Downey. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1992
TV journalist (and recovering alcoholic) Marcy Singer (Suzanne Somers) is promised an Exclusive by anonymous phone an caller. Singer is advised to show up at a well-known bar at an appointed time. Once she's arrived, she finds six corpses awaiting her. Investigating, Singer follows the trail of evidence to an unexpected-and all-too-close-source. Joe Cortese and Michael Nouri co-star in this made-for-TV melodrama. Exclusive originally aired October 4, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Somers, Michael Nouri, (more)
Here's a fictionalized account of Jack Ruby's perspective of the events leading up to his assassination of Lee Harvey Oswald. Danny Aiello appears convincingly as the nightclub-owner Ruby who (according to this telling) points the finger at an FBI conspiracy as the force behind the Kennedy assassination. The film includes some actual footage from Ruby's Oswald shooting. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Sherilyn Fenn, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this futuristic film, the controlling corporations of the world gain and lose power by competing with one another in one-on-one death matches. However when fighter Falchion (Paul Coufos) refuses to compete, he must run from the wrath of the big businessmen and his spurned opponent. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
In this whodunit, several cops are picked off one-by-one as two young investigators try to make sense of the murders. They soon find that the victims themselves were involved in some violent and less-than-honorable activity. Evidence may lead to fellow cop (C. Thomas Howell) who seems to fit the vigilante profile. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1991
While dining out in Boston, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) and Seth (William Windom) are witness to a mob "hit." The victim is a member of the powerful Abruzzi crime family, who despite Seth's efforts to save him does not survive. Enter the dead man's vengeful son Michael (Vincent Irizarry), who kidnaps both Seth and Jessica--meaning that it is literally a matter of life and death for Jessica to find out who ordered the elder Abruzzi's assassination and prove to Michael that Seth was not responsible for his dad's demise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
Businessman Chester Grant (Danny Aiello) will do anything it takes to get the sale, but finds himself getting older and must choose a successor. Instead of the logical man for the position (James Karen), Grant decides that he will invite two rival salesmen to dinner and then make a decision. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Michael Paré, (more)
- 1989
- PG
In this special-effects laden sci-fi adventure, a specially designed woman with super powers is sent out to insure that the corporation that designed her claims ownership of a priceless antique spaceship. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tracy Davis, Hans Bachmann, (more)
- 1988
Something Is Out There is an expensive (and expansive) sci-fi TV movie in the tradition of the miniseries V and the theatrical picture The Hidden (1988). LA cop Joe Cortese finds himself with an unlikely partner--gorgeous extraterrestrial Maryam D'Abo. Both Earthling and alien are on the hunt for an evil entity called a "xenomorph," which has escaped from D'Abo's spaceship. The xenomorph has the capacity to take over the bodies of humans and to assume any shape (Alien meets The Thing). The creature design is courtesy of makeup maestro Rick Baker, while the special effects are cooked up by Star Wars' John Dykstra. Still, the one element of Something Is Out There that sticks in the memory is also the simplest: Maryam D'Abo is attracted to Joe Cortese because she thinks his hands are beautiful. Too insubstantial to be stretched out over four hours (and two consecutive evenings),it nonetheless resulted in a TV series, which lasted from October to December of 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
A gumshoe gets in deep kim-chi when he agrees to murder a fellow's wife in exchange for $25,000 up front. No sooner does he accept the money than he is running off to his intended victim to first warn her and then sleep with her. As soon as they finish making love, he learns that she was not the wife and that the real one has been killed. Now the detective finds himself framed for murder and must somehow avoid the determined police detective who constantly dogs him while continuing his own investigation of the circumstances. His search leads him into the fashion-model world where he encounters more deception, double-crossing and danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Dee Williams, Vanity, (more)
- 1987
One can only hope that the real-life marriage of actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry is more harmonious than the one depicted in the made-for-TV Assault and Matrimony. Tucker plays a meek New England accountant and Eikenberry portrays his nitpicking wife-who becomes even nitpickier when the couple purchases a historic home. When he's driven to distraction by Eikenberry's nagging, Tucker hatches a murder scheme. At the same time, she comes up with a plot to bump off her husband. Adapted from James Anderson's novel by John Binder, this frenetic farce first aired September 28, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
William Friedkin, a product of television, returned to the small screen to direct the made-for-TV feature C.A.T. Squad. The titular acronym stands for Counter Assault Tactical. The heroes and heroines are fitted out with state-of-the-art hardware and weaponry that would make the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pale with envy. Captained by Joe Cortese, the squad is assigned to an anti-terrorist mission, the goal of which is to protect a top-secret laser project. Filmed in Canada and Mexico, C.A.T. Squad was plagued by a tiny budget that grew tinier with each passing day. Friedkin had hoped to include an elaborate car chase in the manner of his earlier French Connection, but the money ran out before the vehicles could gas up. First telecast August 27, 1986, C.A.T Squad was followed by a TV movie sequel, C.A.T. Squad: Python Wolf. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
On his deathbed, a syndicate hitman confesses that it was he who killed Hunter's mobster father fifteen years earlier. No sooner has Hunter (Fred Dryer) digested this news than he learns that the man who put out the contract was his father's former partner--still very much alive. To prove the culprit's guilt, Hunter must locate a prostitute (Kay Lenz) who has vital information before the homicidal ex-partner can strike again. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In this Stephen Cannell-produced pilot for a potential TV detective series, Mac Davis plays an ex-highway patrolman and Joseph Cortese an ex-trucker, related by marriage. Their wives were twin sisters--were, because in addition to all the other "ex" qualifications in their lives, Davis and Cortese are ex-husbands. Still pals after their group divorce, the boys become private eyes. Their first case is to get the goods on a shady tycoon (Robert Culp), who happens to be their former father-in-law. Brothers-in-Law was the first Steven J. Cannell independent production which failed to sell as a series, but it wouldn't be the last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Letting Go stars John Ritter as a widower and Sharon Gless as a lonely unmarried woman. They meet during a group-therapy session. Romance is inevitable, but the road to true happiness is pockmarked by a series of comic complications. Advertised as a straight romantic drama, Letting Go is actually more akin to the screwball comedies of the 1930s, with a strong satirical bent regarding "behavior modification" theories. The made-for-TV film debuted May 11, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
