Mark Blankfield Movies
American comic actor Mark Blankfield rose to popularity on the ABC TV sketch-comedy series Fridays (1980-1982). Though he essayed many characterizations on this series, Blankfield's best-received "persona" was his speed-freak pharmacist. In 1982, Blankfield played the title role (or roles) in the feature-film horror spoof Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again. Since that time, his film assignments have been secondary parts in films like The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981) and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993). Mark Blankfield was also seen on a weekly basis in the TV sitcoms The Nutt House (1989, as Freddy) and Good and Evil (1991, as George). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Mel Brooks does it again with this send-up of vampire films. That Leslie Nielson plays the great blood-sucking count gives viewers a good idea as to what they are in for. This Dracula takes himself very seriously despite the fact that he's a bit of a klutz with a tendency to slip in the bat guano that adorns his castle floor. Staying very close to Bram Stoker's original story, Brooks also pays sly homage to other major vampire film classics, including Nosferatu. Though silly but subtle gags abound in this outing, Brooks has taken great care to recreate the late 19th-century atmosphere in rich detail and harkens back to Hammer horror movies popular during the '50s and '60s. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Peter MacNicol, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
Mel Brooks directed and co-wrote this satiric comedy which lampoons a number of cinematic treatments of the legend of Sherwood Forest, including Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Robin Hood (Cary Elwes) comes home after fighting in the Crusades to learn that the noble King Richard (Patrick Stewart) is in exile and that the despotic King John (Richard Lewis) now rules England, with the help of the Sheriff of Rottingham (Roger Rees). Robin Hood assembles a band of fellow patriots to do battle with John and the Sheriff, including Asneeze (Isaac Hayes) and his son Ahchoo (Dave Chappelle), the blind watchman Blinkin (Mark Blankfield), Will Scarlet O'Hara (Matthew Porretta), and Rabbi Tuckman (Brooks). The Sheriff is eager to put Robin Hood out of business with the aid of criminal mastermind Don Giovanni (Dom DeLuise), but Robin soon has an ally in the royal palace when he falls for the lovely Maid Marian (Amy Yasbeck), whose minder Broomhilde (Megan Cavanagh) has uncooperatively outfitted Marian with a chastity belt. The cast also includes Tracy Ullman, Robert Ridgely, and Clive Revill. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, (more)
- 1990
Good thing they told us this Jury Duty: The Comedy; we might have thought it was Jury Duty: The Term Paper. This comedy salad features a whole slew of TV luminaries--Alan Thicke, Bill Kirchenbauer, Lynn Redgrave, Heather Locklear, Tracy Scoggin, Reginald VelJohnson etc.--playing judge, jury, defenders and prosecutors in an embezzlement case. The clue as to the film's sobriety level is the fact that Bronson Pinchot plays four roles: Sanford, Arthur Lloyd, Jorge Jimenez, and Magda. Highlights include a mid-trial pizza delivery, a faulty oxygen tank, and a kid holding up a "Hi Mom" sign for the benefit of the courtroom cameras. This dumb-but-lovable TV movie first aired January 15, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The fact that ALF is around 230 years old isn't surprising, in that the average Melmaccian life span is nearly 650 years. Unfortunately, humans don't enjoy this sort of longevity--and as a result ALF begins to brood over the fact that the Tanners' children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be obliged to look after him as the years roll on--and the alien's vision of the future is bleak indeed. A pre-stardom Fran Drescher appears as Roxanne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The Road Raiders was not, as might be expected, an American rip-off of The Road Warrior. It is instead a made-for-TV combat film, set during World War II. Bruce Boxleitner heads a group of "Black Sheep Squadron" style misfits, stationed on a lonely South Pacific island (along with the requisite voluptuous nurses). When they can find the time, Boxleitner's raiders bedevil the Japanese. Road Raiders had all the earmarks of a pilot film for a proposed series--including a quickie TV playoff when the series didn't sell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
Dr. Bob Frankenstein (Mark Blankfield) is the great-great grandson of his legendary relative Victor in this horror spoof. He uses the basement of General Hospital for his experiments to create what he hopes will be the perfect human. Kathy Shower plays the female psychiatrist Alice Singleton, with Irwin Keyes as the monster. This one is so bad it's good, and Leonard Maltin's searing critical indictment makes it a must-see. It has been called the worst English language Frankenstein film ever made, elevating it to near cult status. Bobby "Boris" Picket appears and reprises his smash Halloween hit The Monster Mash. Nudity and profanity resulted in the feature's R rating. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Blankfield, Leslie Jordan, (more)
- 1988
This comedy is based on the comic fantasy hit Splash and was designed as the pilot for a television sitcom. In the story, the Manhattan yuppie and his magical mermaid marry and try to live a normal life in the big city. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this the third in the "Angel" series, former hooker Angel is reunited with her mom just long enough to make friends (her mom left when Angel was a baby) and learn that she has a half-sister somewhere. Mom is soon the victim of some sort of hit squad and Angel decides to find her half-sister and avenge her mom's death. Her half-sister, it turns out, is a prostitute, and former-hooker Angel, virtuously "born-again," is dead-set against prostitution so she's out to save her sibling. Unlike its predecessors, there's lots of nudity in this film. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mitzi Kapture, Mark Blankfield, (more)
- 1988
- R
Danny Warren (Edward Albert) is a former minor-league shortstop who becomes a narc to uncover drug dealing in this situation comedy. Investigating at a high-school adult-education class, he falls for the tempting teacher Katherine, played by the exotic Barbara Carrera. Danny forgets the reward of $10,000 per arrest when he elects to continue his "education." He joins a colorful group of characters that includes ex-cons, illegal aliens, and brain-dead baby boomers who cause more trouble than their younger counterparts. Swimming classes and wine tasting serve as background for a series of comic catastrophes. Danny soon suspects Katherine's colleague Mrs. Grant (Susan Tyrell) of being in cahoots with the drug dealers, and Katherine and Mrs. Grant have a prolonged fight scene that is memorably funny. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Albert, Barbara Carrera, (more)
- 1987
Season Four of Hunter begins as police detectives Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) investigate the seemingly motiveless murder of a skid-row derelict. It turns out that the "bum" was anything but, and that he had been deliberately targeted by a hit man. Despite the interferences of the Feds, Hunter is determined to get the whole truth--and to save the life of the hapless bag lady (Beah Richards) who witnessed the hit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This is the first of four "Day in the Life" episodes, in which Harry (Harry Anderson) must judge a huge number of cases before a predetermined deadline. In this instance, Harry wants to dispense justice to 200 defendants in order to beat a midnight "general amnesty" ordered by a retiring federal judge. Among those appearing before Harry is NBC programming chief Brandon Tartikoff, who pleads on behalf of a Nielsen family that doesn't want to go to jail before they get a chance to watch Misfits of Science! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Kiss has always been a rock band determined to give their audience plenty of bang for the buck, and whether they were in the midst of their fabled "monsters in makeup" period of their flashy neo-glam post-makeup period, they always set out to be the biggest, loudest, and most outrageous show in town. Kiss: Exposed combines live performances (with and without makeup), concept videos, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage of their wild life on the road to give a full picture of the decadent juggernaut that was Kiss in the 1970s and '80s. Songs featured include "Deuce," "Strutter," "Detroit Rock City," "I Love It Loud," "Tears Are Falling," and (of course) "Rock and Roll All Night." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1986
As a high-school prank, several high-school students unwittingly release an ancient witch and her demons in this made-for-TV comedy-thriller. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shari Belafonte, LeVar Burton, (more)
- 1984
Navin Johnson, the consummate idiot, returns in this remake of Steve Martin's popular 1979 film The Jerk. As in the first, Johnson, the lily white adoptee of a black sharecropper sets out across the country in search of true love. This version was designed as a pilot for a TV series that never materialized. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
This Faerie Tale Theatre (Shelley Duvall) episode is about the man who fell asleep for twenty years, only to awaken an old man. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1983
This is one of many versions of the fairy tale about a boy who trades his family cow for magical beans and soon finds himself on an adventure in a magical land. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Former Fridays regular Mark Blankfield guest stars as Zifka, a monk who hails from the same foreign land as Latka (Andy Kaufman) and Simka (Carol Kane). Though bound to a lifelong vow of silence and sacrifice, Zifka is allowed one day every ten years to "cut loose" and indulge in all worldly pleasures.. This leads to an exhilarating night on the town for Zifka and Elaine (Marilu Henner) -- but will this 24-hour period of reckless abandon lead the merry monk to renounce his vows? ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
- R
- Add Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again to QueueAdd Jekyll and Hyde... Together Again to top of Queue
Robert Louis Stevenson's novel is satirized in this comedy about a scientist (Mark Blankfield) who is hopelessly addicted to his latest invention, a strange white powder. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Blankfield, Bess Armstrong, (more)
- 1982
An impressive cast drives this early episode of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Dennis Christopher -- best known from the 1979 sleeper hit Breaking Away -- is Jack, a boy who acquires a handful of magic beans in exchange for his poor family's cow. His mother, Soap's Katherine Helmond, is furious and throws the beans into garden beside the house. However, the beans grow overnight into a magnificent beanstalk that reaches into the clouds. Jack climbs the beanstalk only to find that it leads directly to the castle of a fierce yet wealthy giant. Elliot Gould and Jean Stapleton star as the giant and his equally gigantic wife. ~ Carrie Downes, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- PG
The Incredible Shrinking Woman, directed by Joel Schumacher, is an attempted social satire focusing on the position of women in our society and our social values. After being exposed to a bizarre mixture of household chemicals, Pat Kramer (Lily Tomlin) begins to shrink. While this baffles scientists and makes parenting difficult, Pat captures the hearts of the American people. An evil political group who plots world domination kidnaps Pat and performs experiments on her to learn the secret of how to shrink everyone. The screenplay was written by Jane Wagner, Tomlin's frequent collaborator; Charles Grodin plays Pat's husband. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lily Tomlin, Charles Grodin, (more)
