Adrienne Barbeau Movies
American actress Adrienne Barbeau was encouraged by her mother to take dancing and singing lessons. Adrienne was active in theatre both in high school and at Foothills Junior College; by age 19 she was touring Pacific military bases as a member of the San Jose Light Opera. After an unprepossessing job with a termite-control company, Adrienne set out for New York, paying the bills with a variety of jobs including go-go dancing in New Jersey nightclubs. In 1968 she was cast as Hodel in the long-running Broadway production Fiddler on the Roof, and three years later was featured in Grease, winning a Tony nomination through her rendition of "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee." From here, Adrienne was hired by Norman Lear to replace first-choice actress Marcia Rodd in the role of the divorced daughter on the controversial TV sitcom Maude. She played the role from 1972 through the series' cancellation in 1978, after which she began a whole new career as a successful horror-film star and sexy pin-up model. Adrienne married film director John Carpenter in 1979; most of her subsequent screen appearances were in such Carpenter-directed terrors as The Fog (1980), Escape from New York (1981) and Creepshow (1982). Perhaps Adrienne Barbeau's most enjoyable performance was as the Marlon Brando counterpart (!) in an uproarious distaff parody of Apocalypse Now, sublimely titled Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa, Nicollette Sheridan, and Tim Curry lend their voices to director Ben Stassen's (Haunted Castle and Encounter in the Third Dimension) animatedchildren's fantasy about three preteen flies who hitch a ride into space on the Apollo 11 moon mission. The year is 1969, and Americans all across the country are buzzing about the first manned mission to the moon. Even the insects aren't immune to the excitement, as evidenced by the enthusiasm of adolescent flies Nat (voice of Trevor Gagnon), IQ (voice of Philip Daniel Bolden), and Scooter (voice of David Gore). Over the years, Nat's grandpa (voice of Lloyd) has often recalled the time he hitched a ride on Amelia Earhart's airplane during the famed aviator's cross-Atlantic flight, and now Nat's dreams of recreating that feat on a much larger scale are finally set to come true. But while the three young flies only believe that they'll be gone for a few minutes, the fact is that they'll be drifting through space for almost an entire week. Just as they're about to sneak aboard the ship, the flies are spotted by a keen-eyed NASA ground control official and stored in a test tube for future study. Later in the flight, when the ship's engine malfunctions, the only ones capable of fixing the problem are the three tiny stowaways. But their mission isn't accomplished just yet, because grandpa's old flame Nadia (voice of Sheridan) has just arrived from Russia to warn him that a tiny fly-spy named Yegor (voice of Curry) has been assigned the task of traveling to Cape Canaveral and sabotaging the computer flight plans. Should Nat, IQ, and Scooter fail to act in time, Yegor's mission could spell disaster not only for the three thrill-seeking flies, but the entire U.S. space program. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lloyd, Kelly Ripa, (more)
Daryl Goldberg's Unholy stars Adrienne Barbeau and Nicholas Brendon as a mother and son who must save their family from a complicated conspiracy involving elements as disparate as a witch, the United States government, and Nazi occultists. The script, by Samuel Stephen Freeman, is based loosely on actual events described in Nazi papers seized by the Allied forces. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Barbeau, Nicholas Brendon, (more)
The Devil's Rejects director Rob Zombie resurrects one of the most notorious slashers in screen history with this re-imagining of the 1978 John Carpenter classic that spawned numerous sequels and countless imitators. As a child, young Michael Myers (Daeg Faerch) committed one of the most unspeakable crimes imaginable. Subsequently locked in an asylum and placed under the care of Dr. Loomis (Malcolm McDowell), the hollow-eyed boy grew into an emotionless man determined to escape back to his hometown of Haddonfield and complete the murderous mission that he began so many years back. These days, the long-abandoned Myers house sits decrepit and overgrown on a peaceful suburban street, its boarded windows and rotting wood a silent testament to the slaughter that has haunted Haddonfield for decades. Now Michael Myers (Tyler Mane) is back, and as the children of this typical Midwestern town fill the sidewalks for a fun-filled night of tricks and treats, Haddonfield is about to find out that there is no escape from pure evil. Brad Dourif, William Forsythe, Udo Kier, Dee Wallace, Sheri Moon Zombie, Danny Trejo, and Adrienne Barbeau co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Sheri Moon Zombie, (more)
A ne'er do well father and ex-husband who always raced his way through the holidays is forced to relive Christmas Day time and again until he gets it right in this family oriented fantasy comedy starring Jay Mohr. It's Christmas time once again, and as usual Kevin (Moore) is scrambling to get his son Ben a last minute gift before stopping by his ex-wife Jill's house for a quick swig of eggnog. Ben can't stand Jill's impossibly perfect new boyfriend, and the prospect of spending the entire evening with his former inlaws is nearly too painful to ponder. But this Christmas things are going to be different, because this Christmas might just last forever. At first Kevin resists the curious development by simply reverting to his childish ways, though he is about to find out that sometimes in order to build a better future one must finally make amends with the past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Mohr, Daphne Zuniga, (more)
As the final war between Good and Evil looms two powerful avatars divided by fate share one mission. For Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin, the race is on to find the elusive Henry Scudder--and the fate of the world depends on who finds him first.
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, (more)
When the singer of a popular rock band disappears under mysterious circumstances, a contest to find a replacement soon turns from dream-come-true to waking nightmare for the young singer who hopes to take the job. For years young musician Shawn (Stephen Martimes) has awaited his big break in the music industry, and when his talents land him in the final three it appears as if his efforts may have finally paid off. Swept away to a remote island with his girlfriend Stacy (Ryan Starr) and the other finalists, their joy quickly turns to terror as one by one the contestants disappear into the darkness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Originally telecast in tandem with "The Passion of the Wick", this aptly titled episode marks the series finale of The Drew Carey Show. At virtually the same moment that she agrees to marry Drew (Drew Carey), Kellie (Cynthia Watros) goes into labor. Racing against time so that Kellie's son won't be born a bastard, Drew hastily arranges a hospital-room wedding, then seeks high and low for a priest to perform the ceremony. Unfortunately, the only priest available is currently administering the Last Rites to a dying patient--and he isn't about to be distracted by anything as mundane as marriage until the aforementioned patient expires! In the tradition of Seinfeld, this climactic episode goes full circle by repeating the final gag of the very first episode--just before the "fourth wall" is smashed for the umpteenth time, and the Drew Carey Show cast streams out of the studio to greet their many fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
The ninth and final season of The Drew Carey Show was what is known in showbiz as a "burnoff", with ABC running the last 28 episodes as quickly as possible to compensate for higher costs and lower ratings. Thus, the season opener, "Drew Hunts Silver Fox", was shown in tandem with the second episode "Eye of the Leopard", just as all of the Season Nine episodes would be telecast back-to-back over a fourteen-week period in the Summer of 2004. The plot of "Silver Fox" finds both Drew (Drew Carey) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) attempting to marry off their respective mothers Beulah (Marion Ross) and Kim (Adrienne Barbeau) to a wealthy widower named Woody. Unfortunately, Woody turns out to have a lot of "baggage", making him a most unappealing catch indeed. (Incidentally, this episode reveals that Drew's dad George has died, but the actual episode in which this occurs would not be seen for several more weeks). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A boy grows to manhood with revenge on his mind in this martial arts-influenced Western. When John Slaughter (Michael Worth) was a boy, his family was killed by a gang of bloodthirsty outlaws. Twenty years on, Slaughter has become a sure hand with a gun and has learned the mysteries of Asian martial arts. Slaughter tracks down one of the men who killed his parents but is unable to exact revenge upon them; however, he does discover that one of the outlaws. Jack Pickett (Gary Busey) is now the mayor of the town of Ghost Rock and is using his political power to rob his constituents for all their worth. Determined to seek a greater justice than mere personal revenge, Slaughter joins forces with a small band of do-gooders to end Pickett's stranglehold over the town once and for all. Ghost Rock also features supporting performances from Jeff Fahey, Adrienne Barbeau, and James Hong. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Michael Worth, (more)
1934. The Dustbowl. The last great age of magic. In a time of titanic sandstorms, vile plagues, drought and pistilence - signs of God's fury and harbingers of the Apocalypse - the final conflict between good and evil is about to begin. The battle will take place in the Heartland of an empire called America. And when it is over, man will forever trade away wonder for reason. See the conflict of good vs. evil played out against a pair of vivid and unusual backdrops: a traveling carnival working the American Dustbowl circuit, and an evangelical ministry in California.
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, (more)
- 2002
It's Mother's Day in Cleveland, and all of the gang's moms have arrived to celebrate--including Kate's new stepmom, who looks just like her. The ladies' arrival coincides with the launching of an anti-pornography website which publishes a list of Ohio's biggest porn users--and among those listed are Drew (Drew Carey), Kate (Christa Miller), Oswald (Diedrich Bader), Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson). Mortified, the moms move back in with children to exert a "good influence", but succeeding only in driving everyone crazy. The whole thing ends up in court, with Drew and his friends suing the anti-porn site, and their moms defending it! The episode's best gags are self-referential comments about the glittering array of "guest moms", including June Lockhart, Marion Ross, Adrienne Barbeau, Phyllis Diller)...and Richard Chamberlain. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
- Add John Carpenter: Fear is Just the Beginning... The Man and His Movies to QueueAdd John Carpenter: Fear is Just the Beginning... The Man and His Movies to top of Queue
Filmmaker John Carpenter helped redefine the American horror film in 1978 with Halloween, a low-budget thriller which became a major box office success. Since then, Carpenter has devoted his career to bringing a fresh perspective to genre filmmaking, striving to maintain the freedom of an independent while working within the studio system. (Carpenter not only writes and directs his own projects, but often also serves as producer and composer as well.) John Carpenter: Fear Is Just the Beginning...The Man and His Movies is a documentary about this two-fisted maverick auteur, which offers a look at the making of such favorites as Escape From New York, The Thing, The Fog, and many more. The documentary includes interviews with Jamie Lee Curtis, Kurt Russell, Adrienne Barbeau, Debra Hill, and other friends and colleagues. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Carpenter
After discovering an alien that just crash landed on Earth, two teenage siblings due the best to keep their extraterrestrial secret under wraps as they help the desperate star man find his way back home. Mel and his brother Mac were simply going about their business when the sky was suddenly set ablaze by a blinding celestial explosion. Later, when the curious teens discover that the flash in the sky was actually a UFO crashing through the atmosphere, they meet a mysterious figure (Geoff Stults) from beyond the stars. Now, as the kids seek the advice of nearby Navajo descendent Evie (Adrienne Barbeau) while attempting to keep the otherworldly visitor a secret from their inquisitive father (Judge Reinhold), a local law enforcer (Richard Moll) and a tenacious government agent (Joanna Pacula) do their best to ferret out the truth and be the first to get undeniable proof of life on other planets. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 2001
- R
After getting kicked out of law school, fast-talking Jay Garvey (Brad Raider) and his failed medical school pal, Nick (Sean Murray), discover that the wild beach partiers during college spring break need legal assistance to stay out of jail. Their business takes off, with Jay double-talking the judge into acquittals and Nick writing phony doctor's notes for defendants, until Jay becomes a local pop culture legend. But self-righteous Senator Claxton (Gary Grubbs) decides to crack down on the rampant juvenile behavior with maximum penalties, and Jay and Nick get tossed into the slammer for minor offenses. Meanwhile, the case of a pathetic innocent who was railroaded into jail increases in importance -- particularly with Jay's ostensible girlfriend, Jenny (Busy Philipps) -- and Jay has to use all of his pseudo legal skills to get himself and Nick out of jail to save the day. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Raider, Sean Murray, (more)
Adrienne Barbeau stars in this campy horror flick about dead nuns and the undead. The film opens with the legendary massacre at the St. Francis Boarding School for Girls. One night in 1960, a disgruntled former student saunters into the school chapel and kills a bunch of nuns and a priest with a shotgun. The deranged student, young Christine (Oakley Stevenson), then douses the mother superior with gasoline and sets her on fire with the flick of a lit cigarette. Forty years later, the shuttered school is a popular haunt for drunken frat boys and pasty-faced goths. When the cops make their usual bust of trespassing revelers, black-bedecked Mo (Megahn Perry) sticks around, only to be kidnapped for a Satanic human sacrifice. The inept devil worshippers inadvertently call up a real live demon when they stab Mo. Most of the ersatz Satanists are either butchered or rendered evil ghouls. Fortunately, Clarissa (Joanna Canton), the obligatory "nice-girl" in the band, manages to flee the school and find refuge with Christine (Barbeau), who was recently released from a mental asylum. With some coaxing, Christine agrees to break out the armaments and fight against the demons. Rap star Coolio appears as a freaked-out cop in the film. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Barbeau
Anthony (Vincent Pagano) is a white fledging actor who is in a happy relationship with Alissa (Victoria Rowell), who is beautiful, gainfully employed, and black. In spite of being sharply reminded that it has been 30 years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Anthony is reluctant to introduce her to his large traditional-minded family. Yet when Alissa does accompany Anthony home when his grandfather dies, he learns that race is only one of many issues this eccentric family contends with; two of Anthony's cousins are under the mistaken belief that they are wanted by the mob, his uncle talks endlessly about his testicles, and his aunt takes Alissa aside and tells her that the only way to survive in this wacky family is to drink. A Wake in Providence was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Pagano, Victoria Rowell, (more)
- 1999
Quitting her job (again!), Kate (Christa Miller) goes to work at the new beauty salon owned by Oswald's mother Kim (Adrienne Barbeau). Figuring that everyone should get into the act, Drew (Drew Carey) talks Sharon (Jenica Bergere) into doing some repairs on the salon's roof, resulting in trouble all around when the roof is destroyed in a storm. The ensuing hostility between Sharon and Kim spills over into the relationship between roomies Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles), with the latter leaving their apartment in a huff--and moving into a storage locker! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
One of several made-for-TV movies originally seen as part of NBC's off-and-on "Moment of Truth" series, this film is adapted from Lurlene McDaniel's novel Don't Die My Love. Katie Harrod and Scott Vickaryous head the cast as Julie and Luke, brilliant students and high-school sweethearts (Luke is the school star athlete in the bargain). When Luke is diagnosed with terminal cancer, the trickle-down effect of the tragedy brings out the best and worst in the couple's friends and family members. Originally titled Champion's Fight for its January 7, 1998 TV debut, the film has been renamed Shattered Hearts for cable-TV rerun play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beth Broderick, Katie Harrod, (more)
- 1998
With this episode, Charlie O'Connell) becomes a regular in the role of Colin Mallory, long-lost brother of seasoned "slider" Quinn Mallory (Jerry O'Connell). Having arrived on an agrarian alternate Earth which is bereft of modern technology, Quinn is finally reunited with Colin--who, as the only scientist on the planet, is regarded as a pariah. Joining Quinn, Maggie (Kari Wuhrer) and Remmy (Cleavant Derricks) in their search for the Mallorys' home planet Kromagg Prime and the brothers' birth parents, wide-eyed Colin is ill prepared for the "outside universe". Indeed, his naivete proves to be his undoing when he ends up in the clutches of a predatory female and a gang of renegade body-snatchers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Oswald (Diedrich Bader) gets some disturbing news about his mom (Adrienne Barbeau), even as she's trying to digest the equally disturbing news about his "man-boob" transplants. Elsewhere, Steve (John Carroll Lynch) and his fellow transvestites (isn't that a contradiction in terms) take over the Warsaw Bar, driving all the female customers away. So as not to lose his most fertile mating ground, Drew (Drew Carey) talks the Warsaw bartender into offering half-price drinks for women--thereby incurring the wrath of Steve, who is denied the lowered price even though he's decked out in his most gorgeous dress and most alluring makeup! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
After an animated opening sequence wherein Drew (Drew Carey) does battle with Daffy Duck, this final episode of The Drew Carey Show hunkers down to the business at hand: namely, the wedding of Kate (Christa Miller) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader). Trouble is, Kate doesn't want to go through with the ceremony, and enlists Drew's aid in breaking the bad news to her would-be groom. But Oswald has prepared for such an eventuality by planning a surprise "ambush" wedding--and just in case this doesn't work, Oswald's formidable mother Kim (Adrienne Barbeau) certainly seems capable of breaking a few bones to ensure her son's happiness! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This softcore exploitation effort from the Roger Corman stable is a peculiar attempt to reinvent Bram Stoker's story as a T&A film featuring marauding babes in rat-pelt bikinis. The story posits an Amazonian group of Victorian-era lesbians who have formed a colony under Queen Adrienne Barbeau. Barbeau is sort of a Pied Piper to a group of vicious rats used in the women's murderous raids on men who have wronged them. In one such attack, the women capture writer Bram Stoker (Kevin Alber), who is recruited to chronicle the women's activities. But the plot is really secondary here. The main point of this film is to show scantily-clad women running around in bikinis, having swordfights and performing topless veil-dances. Barbeau is particularly over-the-top, saying things like "I am the Queen of the vermin!" and sporting hairdos which get progressively bigger and sillier as the film goes on. An amusing second-rate attempt at a Hammer-style historical horror film, this is a fun, trashy timekiller for genre fans. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- G
Adrienne Barbeau narrates this inside look at the art and craft of motion-picture special effects. Find out how effects technicians make rockets travel through space, dinosaurs return to life, and high-rise buildings burst into flames through the magic of stop-motion animation, digital image manipulation, robotics, pyrotechnics, and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
