Chick Vennera Movies

A former member of an elite Soviet military team is ordered to kill three men or his family will be exterminated. ~ Rovi

In this outdoor adventure a young boy uses his ingenuity and expertise to save a toy magnate's daughter from a goofy pair of kidnappers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Benton Quest and Race Bannon are invited to attend a phenomenology conference in the Himalayas, little suspecting that the conference is a sham created by their old enemy Jeremiah Surd. With Quest Compound apparently unprotected by adults, Surd leads his henchmen on an assault of the Quest team's Maine headquarters -- and also enslaves the mind of Jonny's friend Hadji. With no other choice, Jonny and Jessie pretend to be their fathers, Benton and Race, in order to foil Surd's mad scheme. "Assault on Questworld" first aired on September 4, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ira Buchman (John Pankow), the ex-gambler cousin of Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser), falls off the wagon and returns to the racetracks and gaming tables. Before long, Ira is lavishing expensive gifts on Paul and Jamie (Helen Hunt) -- but there's a hidden price tag. Of course, none of this intrigue does the Buchmans' shaky sex life any good. And what about the 4,000-dollar bath? ~ Rovi

Dr. Quest utilizes Questworld computer technology to reassemble a shattered statue of the God Apollo. His efforts are interfered with by Quest's perennial foe Jeremiah Surd, who, hacking into the computer system, lures Jonny into a surreal chamber of horrors in which the statue's supernatural powers are summoned to their full, frightening height. The 25th filmed episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, "Heroes" was the 18th episode to be telecast, on September 18, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

While flying to Northern Siberia to join the rest of the Quest Team, Jessie is forced to make an emergency landing. Exploring the area, she comes across a ancient colony of Russians, living in a subterranean ice fissure -- and, of course, completely unaware that many centuries have passed since their imprisonment. The best scene finds Jessie "improvising" a hot-air balloon. "Ice Will Burn" originally aired on September 26, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this fluffy romantic comedy, Miranda Castillo, a Latin American woman, comes to LA as a mail-order bride where she is to marry Raul, an executive for a uniform manufacturer. The trouble begins when Raul's close buddy and colleague, Gib Nash, falls in love with Miranda and she with him. Raul is not at all happy at being jilted, and neither is Gib's fiancee, who is also his employer. Miranda has troubles of her own, especially when the US government tries to deport her. Fortunately, she is assisted by a caring INS agent. It is later revealed that she had been tortured as a political prisoner in her native country. In addition to dealing with his tangled love life, Gib's company must decide whether they will buy products made in other countries by non-unionized companies. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Based on a true story, the made-for-television movie Runaway Father is about a husband who fakes his death so he can abandon his family. After surviving 20 years of poverty, his wife discovers he is still alive, and she sues him to collect 17 years of back child support. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

This mystery thriller is the first in a series of soft-core direct-to-video features co-created by star Andrew Stevens. Stevens plays Will Griffith, the owner of a high-tech Los Angeles security and surveillance company. Will is hired by Brian Walker (Warwick Sims), a rock star undergoing a messy divorce from his philandering wife Nikki (Tanya Roberts). Will's job is to rig the Walkers' home with burglar alarms and most importantly, video cameras that will capture Nikki's frequent trysts with various lovers. As Will gets to know Nikki better, however, he grows attracted to and protective of her, eventually embarking on a kinky sexual affair. When the jealous Brian discovers their relationship, he breaks into the home enraged, forcing Will to kill him in self-defense. Everything is not as it seems, however, and events unfold that force Will to realize that he has been a stool pigeon. Night Eyes (1990) was followed by several sequels featuring Stevens in the Will Griffith role, usually opposite leading lady Shannon Tweed. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

It's advisable to know from the beginning of The Milagro Beanfield War that "milagro" is the Spanish word for "miracle." The scene is a rundown Hispanic community in New Mexico, bordering a posh housing development. In full control of the local water rights, the powers-that-be are secure in the belief that they'll be able to expand their development without resistance from the locals. No one can foresee that impoverished farmer Joe Mondragon (Chick Vennera), during a burst of frustrated rage, will accidentally open a heretofore hidden sluice, thereby providing free water for his bean field. At first, the locals are against Mondragon's "insurrection," reasoning that the new housing development will provide jobs. But with the help of Charlie Bloom (John Heard), a burned-out '60s activist who now runs the community newspaper, Mondragon becomes the hero of the hour, the spiritual leader of an ever-growing "no development" movement. The evil land developers send their minions to intimidate or coerce Mondragon; each time, however, he is seemingly protected from harm by divine intervention. When Mondragon is forced to shoot a trespasser on his land, it looks as though his luck has run out. Chased into the hills by private detective Kyril Montana (Christopher Walken), Mondragon is once more rescued in the nick of time by what appears to be a miracle. And there are more wonders to behold before fade-out time!

Whimsical, yes, but thanks to its hand-picked ensemble cast (including Sonia Braga, Rubén Blades, James Gammon, Daniel Stern, Freddy Fender, M. Emmet Walsh, and Melanie Griffith) the film remains totally credible throughout. Adapted by John Nichols and David Ward from Nichols' own novel, The Milagro Beanfield War may be the most likeable "liberal-tract" film of the 1980s. Robert Redford's appropriately Capraesque direction is matched by Dave Grusin's vibrant Oscar-winning musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A syndicate of Los Angeles gangsters is kidnapping beautiful young women, drugging them, and forcing them to participate in the filming of pornographic movies. A young woman teams up with a vice cop to try to find her sister, whom she suspects of falling victim to this gang. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi

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, Rovi

In this film, the whereabouts of a runaway teenage girl are sought by a Las Vegas detective (Robert Urich), whose investigation uncovers more than he bargained for. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi