David Young Movies
- 1994
- NR
The highly acclaimed and famously eccentric classical pianist Glenn Gould is the subject of this idiosyncratic film portrait. As the title suggests, Gould's life is explored through a series of thirty-two self-contained but interrelated vignettes, a structure inspired by Bach's "Goldberg Variations," the compositions that were the basis for one of Gould's most famous recordings. Fictional recreations, many starring an excellent Colm Feore as Gould, follow the musician from his precocious childhood to his early death at the age of fifty. Juicy biographical details like a surprising early retirement from public performance and an addiction to prescription drugs are featured prominently, but equal attention is paid to Gould's challenging theoretical ideas. Director Francois Girard refuses to provide easy explanations for the pianist's quirks, instead using his unconventional structure to provide great insight while suggesting the real Gould remains essentially unknowable. Especially interesting is the film's mix of dramatization and documentary, as it juxtaposes its fictional recreations with actual interviews with Gould's friends and associates. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colm Feore, Gale Garnett, (more)
- 1994
A divorced Los Angeles detective is tracking down a psycho serial killer who strangles prostitutes. He becomes a suspect himself when the rich lawyer who represented all the murdered hookers is killed -- and the lawyer just happens to be his ex-wife's husband. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
A sleazy nightclub owner purchases a strange, disturbing sculpture, which he soon discovers contains a mysterious, ornate puzzle box. This box is a legendary object that promises the secrets of ultimate pain and pleasure, but is in fact a gateway to hell. Soon the box's new owner has unleashed the evil Pinhead, a member of a race of supernatural beings known as Cenobites. Pinhead proceeds to murder numerous clubgoers in an attempt to gain power and fully free himself into the earthly realm. He faces unexpected opposition, however, from a television reporter investigating the mysterious club murders. When she discovers the truth behind the enigmatic puzzle box, she realizes that only she can stop the carnage. However, she must not only defeat Pinhead, but his fellow Cenobites, including the barbed-wire-wrapped Barbie and the horrific CD-Head. (Yes, CD-Head does indeed kill people by shooting CDs from his head.) Though this third entry in the Hellraiser series pays lip service to the intricate mythology of the first two films, especially through a series of flashbacks to Pinhead's human past, the film soon reverts to a fairly standard slasher formula. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Farrell, Doug Bradley, (more)
Multimedia horror maven Clive Barker followed the success of his feature directorial debut Hellraiser with this equally surreal effort, based on his novella Cabal. The story involves the plight of Aaron Boone Craig Sheffer, a young man tormented by visions of monstrous, graveyard-dwelling creatures. Seeking the aid of his clinically cold therapist Dr. Decker (played by Canadian horror auteur David Cronenberg) in deciphering his nightmares, Boone becomes convinced that his frequent blackouts are linked to a recent spate of mutilation murders in the area. His frantic search for the truth leads him to the subterranean city of Midian, the dwelling place of a mythical race of undead nocturnal monsters known as the "Nightbreed." But it is only after he is cornered and shot dead by police that Boone's real journey begins -- he finds himself resurrected as one of the Breed and initiated into Midian's inner circle, where his latent supernatural powers are unleashed, leading to his realization of Dr. Decker's sinister role in the murders for which he was framed. Though Barker's unique and graphic vision is somewhat blunted by choppy editing (thanks to relentless tampering from the studio), this is nevertheless a fine sophomore project from a talented storyteller; the central conceit of presenting the monsters as the "good guys" -- at least compared to the gun-and-bible-toting lunatics who hunt them -- is handled with verve and originality. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Sheffer, Anne Bobby, (more)
- 1983
Murphy Cross reprises her role as Judy, the blind girl whom Louie (Danny DeVito) dated in the earlier fifth-season episode "The Shloogel Show." The good news is that Judy is undergoing an operation to restore her sight. The bad news, so far as Louie is concerned, is that Judy is undergoing an operation to restore her sight. It's a situation right out of Charlie Chaplin: Will Judy still be as fond of Louie when she looks down and gazes upon his homely mug for the first time? ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
This is a soap opera about a rich, suave, but self-aggrandizing villain and the women who either love or hate him. The melodrama sudses up with Ernie Stoddard's (Tony Curtis) determination to bring legal gambling to an island off the California coast and a local councilman's equally strong determination to stop him. The catch is Stoddard's ex-wife Erin (Carol Lynley) is now married to the councilman, but her heart still skips a beat when Stoddard walks into the room. The councilman is her third husband; her first, Stoddard's partner, was apparently killed by parties unknown. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Carol Lynley, (more)
- 1982
This superior ABC Theatre of the Month presentation is not so much about the reasons for divorce as it is about the tensions surrounding the actual litigation. Tom Selleck plays a topnotch Seattle divorce lawyer, juggling several delicate cases at once. Arrogantly secure in his legal prowess, Selleck suffers a major ego blow when his own wife (Jane Curtin) files for divorce. In a half-comic, half-serious manner, the travails of Selleck and Curtin are counterpointed with those of Selleck's clients. Donald Wrye and Linda Elstad's high-quality script for Divorce Wars: A Love Story bears a very faint resemblance to the recent movie hits Kramer vs. Kramer and Ordinary People--a resemblance pounced upon and amplified by the print ads for this TV movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
- R
Double Exposure is a dull, predictable mystery thriller with a fine cast but hampered by a poor script and bad direction and production. A photographer (Michael Callan) begins to have a series of nightmares concerning bloody, gruesome murders. When those murders become reality, he is the prime suspect and must find the real killer. The cast including Joanna Pettet, James Stacy, Cleavon Little, Sally Kirkland and Seymour Cassel, makes the most of their underwritten and poorly developed characters, but producer/director/writer William Byron Hillman substitutes nudity and lurid, gory special effects for both plot and character. Viewers looking for an interesting thriller based on the same premise might enjoy The Eyes of Laura Mars, and not waste their time with this plodding rip-off. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
Stewart Raffill directs the high-action comedy caper igh Risk about a four-man band of theives trying to pull off the perfect crime. Stone (James Brolin), Tony (Chick Venera), Dan (Bruce Davidson), and Rockney (Cleavon Little) hire two inept airplane pilots and plot a major heist. The plan is to rob a mansion in South America belonging to the wealthy drug lord Serrano (James Coburn). After they break open his safe and steal five million dollars, they try to escape the jungle while being followed by the Columbian army and a group of bandits led by Mariano (Anthony Quinn). Ernest Borgnine appears in a brief cameo. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brolin, Cleavon Little, (more)
In this biting comedy satirizing Hollywood cynicism from writer-director Blake Edwards, Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) is a motion picture director whose career is on the skids. Having just completed a family musical that is sure to be a $30 million flop, Felix knows that his days are numbered and tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide. When he recovers, Felix suddenly has a brainstorm and hatches a scheme to buy the film back from his studio and lens new scenes that will turn it into a pornographic movie with big stars, a sure-fire box office winner. In order to pull it off, he'll need to convince his female lead and wife, Sally Miles (Julie Andrews, not coincidentally the director's real-life wife) to defy her wholesome, squeaky-clean public image by baring her breasts on film. S.O.B. (1981) was the final film of legendary actor William Holden. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, William Holden, (more)
Also known as Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free, this TV pilot film stars Don Meredith in the title role. Banjo Hackett is a western horsetrader, circa 1885, who travels in the company of his orphaned nephew (Ike Eisenmann). While searching for a rare Arabian mare stolen from the nephew's late mother, Hackett occasionally pays a visit to Mollie (Jennifer Warren), a ranch owner whom Banjo would marry if he'd only admit he loved the woman. Millionaire Dan O'Herlihy and untrustworthy bounty hunter Chuck Connors are also after the stolen horse. The film's storyline is as rambling as Banjo Hackett himself, which was both its charm and curse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Meredith, Ike Eisenmann, (more)
- 1975
- R
A sultry artist (Cristina Ferrare) moonlights as a vampire while in Mexico, killing both male and female lovers. Seems the only person who has any chance of stopping the reign of terror is her father (John Carradine), also a vampire. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cristina Ferrare, David Young, (more)
- 1972
In this comedy, a burned out bookkeeper thinks about selling his soul to Satan. His thoughts invoke the presence of a bungling messenger from the devil himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
