Mel Johnson, Jr. Movies
In this horror thriller, a wealthy collector of mutant human freaks finds himself in deep trouble when the owner of his latest acquisition decides he wants it back. But while the two men are battling it out over ownership, the creature himself musters his horrifying compatriots to get bloody revenge on their captors. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Citriniti, Mel Johnson, Jr., (more)
- 1994
Robert Guillaume of Benson fame guests as Pete Fletcher, a fast-talking car dealer who hires Will (Will Smith) on an impulse. Will proves so adept at his new job that Fletcher tries to talk him into quitting college so he can work for the dealership full-time. When word of this reaches Will's mom Vy (Vernee Watson-Johnson), she embarks upon a terrifying campaign of Righteous Anger--and no one, but no one is spared her wrath! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
- R
In this thriller, a poor aspiring rock singer earns a steady wage at night working as a phone-sex girl. Trouble comes in the form of a wacko-caller who talks with her on the phone while murdering another woman. Now it seems he's after her. Fortunately a loner cop shows up and enlists her aid in trying to capture the killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Harry, James Russo, (more)
In Paul Verhoeven's wild sci-fi action movie Total Recall, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a 21st-century construction worker who discovers that his entire memory of the past derives from a memory chip implanted in his brain. Schwarzenegger learns that he's actually a secret agent who had become a threat to the government, so those in power planted the chip and invented a domestic lifestyle for him. Once he has realized his true identity, he travels to Mars to piece together the rest of his identity, as well as to find the man responsible for his implanted memory. Verhoeven has created a fast, furious action film with Total Recall, filled with impressive stunts and (literally) eye-popping visuals. Though the film bears only a passing resemblance to the Philip K. Dick short story it was based on ("We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"), the movie is an entertaining, if very violent, ride. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, (more)
- 1989
American Blue Note concentrates on a Manhattan jazz quintet. Peter MacNichol, Carl Capotorto, Tim Guinee, Bill Christopher-Myers and Jonathan Walker play the five musicians, each with individual crosses to bear. Allotting themselves one year to get booked into a major jazz club or else they'll split, the quintet performs a lot of nickel-and-dime gigs in the meantime. But only one of the five makes it to the band's "Valhalla." Louis Guss, Zohra Lampert and Trini Alvarado appear in peripheral roles. Filmed in 1989, the independently produced American Blue Note didn't get a distributor until 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter MacNicol, Carl Caportoto, (more)
- 1989
When a wealthy homosexual man (Wlad Cembrowicz) turns up missing, his sister (Debra Sandlund) convinces her ex-husband (Sam Behrens) to investigate the legion of suspects. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sam Behrens, Shari Belafonte, (more)
- 1987
- R
This uneven comedy came and went quickly in commercial release. An American triathlete (Mark Neely) trains for an upcoming event, with the main competition coming from a pretty Russian exchange student (Terry Farrell). Billy Barty excels in his character role as a diminutive Russian, and the slapstick rivalry between the two event announcers and some sight gags help but fail to bring this feature to the finish line. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Neely, Terry Farrell, (more)
- 1982
Eubie! began life as a Broadway musical, celebrating the life and work of legendary black entertainer/composer Eubie Blake. This taped version was specially prepared for cable TV in 1981, then released on videocassette a few years later. Gregory and Maurice Hines head the exuberant, toe-tapping cast. Among the highlights are such Blake standards as "I'm Just Wild About Harry". The race issue is brought into play every once in a while, but never in such an omniprescent fashion as to dampen the spirits of this sparkling example of Broadway at its best. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
