Judith Brown Movies
Frequent Star Trek actor and director Jonathan Frakes gets behind the camera again for this teen-sci-fi/action-drama in the Back to the Future (1985) mold. Jesse Bradford stars as Zak Gibbs, a teenager who discovers the latest invention to spring from the mind of his scientist father (Robin Thomas) and a research team that includes his dad's eccentric colleague Dr. Earl Dopler (French Stewart). It seems that they have developed a wristwatch that manipulates "hypertime," speeding up the passage of regular time 25 times for the wearer and those near him, making it appear that the rest of the world has become essentially "frozen" in time. Zak is delighted with the ability that he initially treats as the ultimate gag and superpower, until the National Security Agency begins pursuing both him and the device, intending to confiscate it for nefarious political purposes. Clockwatchers (2002) co-stars Michael Biehn, Paula Garces, and Julia Sweeney. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jesse Bradford
Recently widowed Dr. Nichols (Walter Matthau) finds himself ill at ease in re-entering the singles scene. Then he meets Ann Atkinson (Glenda Jackson), a patient recuperating from a jaw operation. Freshly divorced from a philandering spouse, Jackson is as reluctant to inaugurate a lasting commitment as Walter--but inaugurate they do, in a hilarious scene wherein Jackson and Walter try to emulate those romantic couples in 1930s movies who were forced by the censors to keep one foot on the floor while lying in bed. It is Jackson who encourages Matthau to stand up for his ideals during a lawsuit involving senile head physician Dr. Willoughby (Art Carney, who is unbearably funny at times). Richard Benjamin rounds off the cast of polished farceurs who add so much sparkle to House Calls. The film was later adapted into a TV sitcom starring Wayne Rogers in the Matthau role, Lynn Redgrave (and later Sharon Gless) in the Jackson counterpart, and David Wayne as a less aphasiatic version of the Carney character. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, (more)
Playwright Neil Simon turned to the hotel setting he used so successfully in his stage-play (later a movie) Plaza Suite to explore four more human dramas in his play California Suite, which was adapted into this quite successful movie. In the first episode, the divorced couple of Bill and Hannah Warren (Alan Alda and Jane Fonda) have rented a suite in a posh Beverly Hills hotel in order to have a discussion about who will get the custody of their child. In the next episode, Sidney Cochran and Diana Barrie (Michael Caine and Maggie Smith) are a hilarious pair of Hollywood stars who have rented the suite to await their appearance at the Academy Awards: it is a "date of convenience" which enables the sexually adventurous duo to conduct their other, more unconventional alliances out of the public eye. Drs. Willis Panama and Chauncy Gump (Bill Cosby and Richard Pryor) have brought their families to Beverly Hills for a vacation which takes on nightmarish tone. Finally, Marvin Michaels (Walter Matthau) tries frantically and unsuccessfully to explain the situation to his wife (Elaine May) when she catches him in flagrante delicto with a hooker. Actress Maggie Smith won an Academy Award as "Best Supporting Actress" for her role in this film, in which she plays the actress waiting to win . . . an Academy Award. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Alda, Michael Caine, (more)
- 1976
- PG
Karate expert Jones (Jim Kelly) is sent to Thailand to free a politico's daughter (Judith Brown) from enslavement to an evil war monger (Samuel Hiona). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jim Kelly, George Memmoli, (more)
- 1975
- R
In this drama, a greedy millionaire takes a Las Vegas showgirl for his new bride and no one in his family is terribly pleased. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1975
- PG
In this thriller, an innocent man is wrongfully committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. While there he learns how to tap into his psychic powers and to affect the lives of others via astral projection. These skills come in mighty handy after he is released and he heads out for revenge against those who framed him. This movie was originally filmed as The Kirlian Force. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Burke, Jim Hutton, (more)
- 1973
- R
This 1973 film, also known as Soft Touch, concerns the owner of a massage parlor who is being muscled by the mob in a protection racket; she decides to fight back.. ~ John Bush, Rovi
