Art Hindle Movies

This by-the-numbers action-revenge drama that plays like several other similarly-plotted, good ol' boy pulp flicks of its era, such as Billy Jack (1971) and Walking Tall (1973). Timothy Bottoms stars as Poke Jackson, a convict who's just been released from prison after a stint for drug trafficking. The catch is that Poke was innocent, having been framed for the crime by a corrupt lawman, Sheriff Duke (Bo Hopkins). Poke makes his way home to his beautiful girlfriend Mary Lee (Susan George) and their illegitimate son, only to find that Duke has moved into his place as Mary's lover. Incensed, Poke sets out on a course of vengeance that will pit him against the tough cop and culminate in a lethal car chase. With supporting characters named "Bull," "Cleotus," and "Buford," the redneck pedigree of A Small Town in Texas (1976) is distinct. The film was penned by screenwriter William W. Norton, who wrote several better examples of this high-octane, macho genre, including White Lightning (1973) and Gator (1976). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

This made-for-cable version of Arthur Miller's play The American Clock was adapted for television by Frank Galati. Inspired partly by Studs Terkel's oral history Hard Times, and partly by Miller's own recollections, the film is set at the beginning of the Depression. When the stock market crashes, the well-to-do Baumler family (John Rubinstein, Mary McDonnell, Loren Dean) loses everything. The Baumlers are forced to move from their plush penthouse apartment to the less-attractive Brooklyn digs of Mrs. Baumler's sister (Joanna Miles). Twelve-year-old Lee Baumler (Dean), the Arthur Miller counterpart, hits the road to find out how others are coping with the Long National Nightmare. The alternately depressing and uplifting storyline moves along briskly to a surprisingly abrupt climax. Kelly Preston, David Strathairn, Eddie Bracken, Darren McGavin, and Estelle Parson co-star in The American Clock, which premiered over the TNT Cable Network on August 23, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Geraldine Brooks guest stars as Judge Anna Gavin, who years ago straightened out the life of an aimless teenage punk named Tony Baretta. Now all grown up, Baretta (Robert Blake) is an undercover cop, eternally grateful to the dedicated female jurist who directed him toward the straight and narrow. Alas, all is not well with Judge Gavin, who is being blackmailed by the slimy loan shark over whose trial she is currently presiding. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Although this Canadian production saw its widest U.S. cable TV distribution in the early '80s (primarily under the title Stranger in the House) to capitalize on the phenomenal success of Halloween and its offspring, this effective suspense-thriller actually predates John Carpenter's film by four years. The story involves a dangerous psychopath hiding out in the attic of a sorority house who torments a small group of pretty young sisters (including Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder) who are staying behind over Christmas break. His tactics range from making obscene phone calls from their house-mother's phone, to stalking the terrified boarders with sharp objects and murderous intent. Director Bob Clark, who mistook dreariness for tension in his previous horror effort Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things! (1972), here demonstrates a tight, aggressive style that generates some very original shocks -- particularly the surprise ending -- which clearly influenced dozens of similarly-themed slasher films to follow. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Covert Action, badly directed by Romolo Guerrieri, is a predictable, dull espionage drama which concerns an ex-CIA agent (David Janssen) hunted by killers because of a book he has written about his experiences in the agency. While Janssen give a passable performance, the film is poorly plotted and badly directed. Shot on location in Greece, the lovely scenery is the film's only redeeming quality. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

This gentle comedy hearkens back to 1945, just after the war's end where a crazy small-town family awaits the return of one of their own. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In the year 2068, the Earth's surface is in a cataclysmic upheaval, much of it transformed into wasteland by unstoppable storms (the byproduct, of course, of the destruction of the Ozone Layer). A few hardy souls have dedicated themselves to preserving and protecting what is left of mankind; among these is former Army Captain John Thomas Garth (Grant Show). Approached by Lapierre (Steve Bacic), a former comrade in arms and now in the employ of grasping eco-profiteer Anton Reich (Art Hindle), Garth is made an offer he can't refuse. In exchange for the opportunity to save his father and several other apocalypse survivors, Reich agrees to lead a small team of mercenaries into the near-impenetrable Vincent estate to "liberate" the priceless works of art that had been stored there before civilization collapsed. Accompanied by reconnaissance specialist Fernandez (Naomi Gaskin), sniper King (Matthew G. Taylor), and tech genius Ebershaw (Wayne Ward), Garth must find some way to circumvent Encrypt, the deadly computerized security system surrounding the estate. Other obstacles include the Rook, a human-destroying robot, and Diana (Vivian Wu), the holographic security chief at the estate -- and a double danger because she possesses not only the means of mass destruction, but also a conscience. A two-hour cable movie that has "series pilot" written all over it, Encrypt premiered June 14, 2003, on the Sci-Fi Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Director Bob Clark, whose previous cinematic endeavors ran the gamut from Porky's to A Christmas Story, called the shots on From the Hip. Fresh out of law school, Robin Weathers (Judd Nelson) is hired by a law firm not known for its ethics. Weathers' first client is a man who, up to trial time, was perfectly willing to cop a plea. Instead, the novice lawyer sharkishly secures a "not guilty" verdict--not to mention a public reputation as a live wire. His jealous older colleagues decide to get even with Weathers by assigning him a case that cannot possibly be won. Thus it is that Weathers is assigned to defend insufferable murder suspect Douglas Benoit (John Hurt), who refuses to cooperate with his attorney even though he's facing a death sentence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A band of gorgeous models has turned crooked, using their sexual wiles--and a powerful "knockout" drug--to rob gullible men of their valuables. When one of the girls' victims turns up dead, Hunter (Fred Dryer) swings into action. Meanwhile, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) goes undercover as a model--only to end up as a hostage thanks to the effusive stupidity of street hustler Sporty James (Garrett Morris. Yes, that's a pre-ER George Clooney in the role of Matthew Adler. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A young drifter is caught in the clutches of a pair of femme fatales (Susan Anspach and Olivia D'Abo) in this thriller also known as Legend of Wolf Lodge. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Based on the book My 30 Years in Hoover's FBI by William G. Sullivan and William S. Brown, this made-for-cable biopic stars Treat Williams as the infamous Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Based on a Mary Higgins Clark novel, this made-for-TV mystery centers on a prosecutor who endangers her own life when she becomes overly curious about a 10-year-old unsolved murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

An aimless 23 year old who has yet to leave home attempts to prove his self-worth by tracking down his childhood love and convincing her to be his date for an upcoming family wedding. Darryl Strozka was breast fed until he was five years old. As a young boy, his classmate Sarah was the love of his life. These days Sarah is a B-movie starlet, and Darryl seems locked in a state of arrested adolescence. When Darryl gets invited to his cousin's wedding and learns that Sarah is shooting a movie in nearby Moon Point, he convinces his best friend Femur to help him get to the set, and score a date for the big event. Trouble is, the only transportation they've got is Femur's electric wheelchair. Along the way, Darryl and Femur encounter an eccentric array of wanderers and misfits ranging from a scrappy young hitchhiker (Paula Brancati) to a recovering alcoholic in a banana suit while learning just what it means to get a second chance at life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi