David Harris Movies
Supporting actor, onscreen from the '80s. ~ All Movie Guide- 2006
Filmmaker Mike Carroll took on the duties of director, writer, producer, cinematographer and editor for this understated comedy-drama, his feature debut. Bonnie Bennett, Kristen Heitman, Christine Nicholson and Carol Miranda star as four sisters at varying stages of adult life who experience a multitude of changes over the course of the titular year. The film screened at the 2006 San Francisco Independent Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hazel R. Johnson, Bonnie Bennett, (more)
- 2000
Greene (Anthony Edwards) takes care of his terminally ill father (John Cullum) at home, leading to a poignant moment between the elder Greene and Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston). Back at work, Corday tries to persuade an anorexic girl to continue treatment for her illness. Carol (Julianna Margulies) can't keep her mind on her work after receiving a silly birthday present. Carter (Noah Wyle) plunges back into his work and immediately runs afoul of ER policy. And Malucci (Erik Palladino) treats a young accident victim who is being sexually abused by her father. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The mother of Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) prepares to face the grand jury to answer questions about the death of Diane's abusive father. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) unearth additional family intrigue as they look into the murder of a mobster's son. And Diane has problems with the overly amorous stepson of another murder victim and the suspect's slick lawyer -- not to mention a trail of evidence leading circuitously back to the suspect in the case being followed by Andy and Bobby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Simone (Jimmy Smits) manages to catch a suspected serial rapist, but his triumph is short-lived. After a violent confrontation with her battling parents, Diane (Kim Delaney) has trouble remaining sober. The victim of a shooting has been attacked several times and doesn't know why; investigating this mystery, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) is teamed with Lesniak (Justine Miceli) -- who makes a show-stopping revelation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A young Puerto Rican graffiti artist signs his own death warrant when he tags a building in Little Italy. Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Donna (Gail O'Grady) come to a roadblock in their relationship when he meets her former boyfriend, who has shown up at the precinct to report a crime. And after being mugged, a traumatized Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence) reveals a disturbing secret to her fiancé Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) discreetly advises the divorce-bound Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) to keep his romantic involvement with Donna (Gail O'Grady) under wraps -- at least in public. An abused woman whom Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) tried to help ends up dead. Kelly (David Caruso) and an Asian-American detective (Tzi Ma) investigate the murder of an off-duty cop in Chinatown. And Detective Adrianne Lesniak (Justine Miceli, in her first series appearance), on the rebound from a sour relationship with another cop, is transferred to the 15th. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
The jury reaches a verdict in the murder trial of Janice Licalsi (Amy Brenneman, in her final NYPD Blue appearance). Internal Affairs wants answers from Kelly (David Caruso) regarding his involvement in Janice's defense and Detective Medavoy's (Gordon Clapp) ledger. Kelly and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) investigate a series of robberies targeting drug dealers and also a double murder. And Andy and Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence) renew their relationship over dinner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Originally made for television, this prison drama centers on a hard-core convict who for the past decade has been the king of the other prisoners. Just before he is to be paroled, a young inmate challenges him. This creates considerable tension until he learns that he and the youth are related by more than mere circumstance. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
The nervous witness to a murder committed by the Cepeda brothers proves to have good reason to be scared. Meanwhile, Kelly (David Caruso) tries to find out if his ex-wife, Laura (Sherry Stringfield), is being stalked. As these two plot strands are woven together by a sting operation involving an incarcerated Mob hit man, Roberts (Michael Harney) seeks out Kelly's help in securing work as a private bodyguard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Hoping to trap a suspected murderer, Kelly (David Caruso) tries to get the suspect to confess to a recent string of cab robberies. A topless dancer (Ginger Lynn Allen) helps Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) nail one of the Mob's top moneymen. Laura (Sherry Stringfield) is saddled with an unethical law partner while prosecuting the Giardella murder case. And the squad is shaken up by the arrival of sexy administrative aide Donna Abandando (Gail O'Grady, in her first series appearance). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Vietnam War Story is a feature-length "omnibus" film culled from the three-episode TV series of the same name. The film consists of a trio of playlets involving members of the American armed forces during the Nam era. In "The Mine," a soldier (Eriq LaSalle) is unable to accept his best friend's death. In "Home," a paraplegic soldier tries to adjust to his war-related injuries. And in "The Pass," three GIs spend their "R and R" time at a sleazy bar. Originally telecast on the HBO cable service between August 29 and September 20, 1987, Vietnam War Story was followed by a sequel series one year later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rita Rizzoli (Whoopi Goldberg) is a crusading narcotics cop assigned to track down the source of some killer crack cocaine in this pretentious and preachy anti-drug crime drama. Rita poses as a prostitute and is soon hot after two small-time hoods (Brad Dourif and Mike Jolly) who murder their way up the drug-dealing ladder in hopes of becoming kingpins. Cheech Marin and Catherine Blore provide interesting cameos in this feature that co-stars Ruben Blades and Sam Elliott. Contains stereotypical characters and gratuitous violence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Sam Elliott, (more)
- 1987
- R
When a police officer is killed while investigating the drug trade at a South Carolina high school, his partner, Sheffield (David Neidorf), decides to get even. With the help of officers La Rue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Sgt. Irwin Lee (Barry Corbin), Sheffield goes undercover to discover the source of the deadly drugs. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Neidorf, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
In this underscripted and not wholly convincing drama, Kevin Bacon plays Jack Casey, an up-and-coming broker who crashes on the stock market one day and cashes in whatever he has left to become a bicycle messenger in San Francisco. Although not exactly a logical alternative, bicycling the hilly streets of S.F. turns out to be dangerous after Casey runs into Gypsy (Rudy Ramos), the street pusher who has the messengers run drugs for him. A series of characters and events drop in and out of the conflict between Gypsy and Casey, including love interest Terri (Jami Gertz) and Casey's friend Hector (Paul Rodriguez). Music dominates throughout the film which includes scenes of breakdancing on bikes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Jami Gertz, (more)
- 1986
- PG13
A juvenile delinquent falls in love with a beautiful Catholic girl's school student in this fact-based adolescent melodrama set in an Oregon forest. The two meet by accident when the troubled young man is out on a nature hike and sees the lovely girl floating in a small lake as she works on a photography assignment. The two are immediately drawn to each other, but neither of their schools encourages contact with the opposite sex and when their relationship is discovered there is trouble all around, forcing the young lovers to flee. The question then remains: will they be able to evade the law and other authorities long enough to find happiness? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Sheffer, Virginia Madsen, (more)
- 1985
Based on the true story that took place in Harlem during 1971, this made-for-TV crime drama centers on assistant district attorney Robert Tanenbaum's desperate search for a trio of cop killers. Tanenbaum (James Woods) is assisted by an equally determined detective (Yaphet Lau Kotto). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Yaphet Kotto, (more)
- 1984
- R
This tale of doomed romance set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War was the last in a string of box office disappointments from director Sidney J. Furie before he struck gold again with Iron Eagle (1986). Ken Wahl stars as Dr. Don Jardian, a Navy medical officer assigned to duty in Vietnam. Jardian is no flag-waving patriot, however; the reluctant warrior is just biding his time until he can return stateside and start a lucrative private practice. Then he meets and falls in love with Deborah Solomon (Cheryl Ladd), a devoted nurse who at first keeps the handsome doctor at bay, disgusted by the avariciousness that led him to choose what Deborah considers a noble profession. Eventually, however, Deborah's selflessness inspires Don and their romance blooms despite their bloody surroundings, leading to a dangerous mission that could separate them forever. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Wahl, Cheryl Ladd, (more)
Inspired by the Herman Melville novel Billy Budd, writer Charles Fuller created the Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play, which he then adapted into this film drama in 1984, for socially conscious, liberal director Norman Jewison. In the racially-divided 1940s, Fort Neal, Louisiana, is a military base where black soldiers are sent not to fight in WWII but to play baseball against other armed forces teams. The murder of a black sergeant, Waters (Adolph Caesar) brings an investigator, Captain Davenport (Howard E. Rollins, Jr.) to the base. Davenport, the first black officer that most of the men have ever met, suspects that a pair of white men were responsible for Waters' death, but his probe reveals that nearly everyone, regardless of skin color, had ample reason to kill the loathsome but pitiable Waters. The cast of A Soldier's Story features early supporting performances from several African-American actors who would go on to greater prominence, including Denzel Washington, David Alan Grier, and Robert Townsend. The film was nominated for three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Caesar) and Best Adapted Screenplay. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard E. Rollins, Jr., Adolph Caesar, (more)
- 1982
Relying more on acting and attitude than makeup, Louis Gossett Jr. plays a cantankerous, fiercely independent old man in Benny's Place. A longtime employee of a steel mill, Gossett has set up his own tool repair operation within the mill, running things nicely, thank you, without the interference of his employers. He has rejected one white apprentice after another, but now is forced by affirmative action to accept an African-American assistant (David Harris)--whom Gossett suspects is being groomed to replace him. In his off-hours, Gossett juggles the affections of the two women in his life: a much-younger lady played by Anna Maria Horsford, and a mature lover closer to his own age, played by Cicely Tyson. Benny's Place was written by J. Rufus Caleb. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Colleen Dewhurst stars as psychologist Elaine Lipton in the made-for-TV Death Penalty. A strong opponent of the eponymous punishment, Dr. Lipton struggles valiantly to rehabilitate street gang member Carlos Rivera (David Labiosa). Convicted of murdering two rival gang members, Carlos faces the gas chamber unless Lipton can prove that he's cleaned up his act. This fictional drama would make an interesting double feature with the fact-based Dead Man Walking (1996). Death Penalty originally aired January 22, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Attica is a probing, no-nonsense TV-movie re-creation of the tragic events which followed the Attica (New York) Correctional Facility rebellion of September 9, 1971. Inmates demanding better food and living conditions used jerry-built weapons to take 38 guards as hostage. Negotiations begin immediately, only to continually break down thanks to uncompromising stubbornness on both sides. Four days into the crisis, the rebellion ends in a bloodbath, with state troopers firing on the prisoners-- killing several of the guards in the process. Based on the eyewitness reporting of the New York Times' Tom Wicker (here played by George Grizzard), who was one of the civilian negotiators during the stalemate, Attica was first telecast on March 3, 1980. (Perhaps significantly, Governor Nelson Rockefeller, whom many hold responsible for the climactic carnage at the prison, is never seen in either factual or fictional form during the film). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Fact-based drama starring Robert Redford as Henry Brubaker, the new inmate at a run-down Southern prison that's become notorious for corruption and violence. After he witnesses several instances of gross misconduct and defuses a tense confrontation with a crazed inmate (Morgan Freeman), Brubaker reveals to the guards and administrators that he's not a criminal at all, but the new warden, assigned by the governor to infiltrate the facility undercover. His identity confirmed, Brubaker takes office and sets about shaping up policies and procedures, despite resistance from, incredibly, even some of the more entitled convicts. With the help of the prison's chief trustee (Yaphet Kotto) and a compassionate ally (Jane Alexander), the warden effects some positive change, but powerful business interests line up against him when his ideas threaten their financial bottom line. A reform-minded, socially conscious, and politically liberal picture of the type usually associated with director Norman Jewison, this fact-based prison drama was the result of a troubled production that saw original director Bob Rafelson replaced with Cool Hand Luke (1967) and The Amityville Horror (1979) helmsman Stuart Rosenberg. Despite the backstage turmoil, Brubaker was an acclaimed release and an Oscar-nominated, career-finale triumph for co-screenwriter Arthur A. Ross, creator of Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) and father of successful writer/director Gary Ross. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, Yaphet Kotto, (more)
Walter Hill's hip, super-stylized action film unfurls in a dystopian near-future, when various gangs control New York City. Each gang sports a unique moniker ('The Warriors,' 'The Baseball Furies,' 'The Rogues'), with a costume underscoring its "theme"; each, in turn, is also responsible for one geographic area. Hill sets up the landscape as a massive, violent playground - replete with bridges, vacant subway tunnels, parks, abandoned buildings and the like, all ripe for exploration and adventure. As the tale opens, the titular Coney Island has traveled to the Bronx to attend a city-wide meeting of all gangs; at that event, however, the psychotic leader of a rival gang, The Rogues (David Patrick Kelly of Dreamscape) assassinates the head of the city's foremost gang, but The Warriors are pegged as culpable. This sends the gang fleeing through the labyrinthine city. With every thug in Manhattan in vicious, homicidal pursuit, they must also overcome all obstacles in their way. Throughout, Hill keeps the onscreen violence absurd, exaggerated and unrealistic, downplaying death to an extreme degree; despite this fact, the film sparked a massive amount of controversy and an ugly backlash for allegedly inciting violence and destruction in several theaters where it initially played. James Remar, Michael Beck and Deborah Van Valkenburgh lead the ensemble cast. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Beck, James Remar, (more)
- 1977
After a long estrangement, Lt. Kojak (Telly Savalas) is reunited with his tenement-dwelling godson, 17-year-old Theo Kojak Moore (Todd Davis). But it is hardly a joyous reunion: Young Theo is now in charge of a street gang specializing in shaking down shopowners and pensioners. Even so, Kojak believes it is not too late to redirect the boy to the right path--while at the same time, a high-profile hoodlum intends to use Theo as an accomplice in a diamond heist. Appearing in this episode are stars-to-be F. Murray Abraham and Brian Dennehy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cult filmmaker Herschell Gordon Lewis directed this outrageously campy story of an all-female motorcycle gang called The Man-Eaters. The butch, chain-wielding women pick men to service them from a line-up, fight with male bikers, and hold orgies. Nancy Lee Noble (The Girl, the Body, and the Pill) appears as a naive recruit named Honey-Pot, and there are the usual decapitations and crucifixions which the viewer might expect from the director of Blood Feast. T-shirts bearing images of the film's flamboyant poster ("Soft, HELL!") became trendy among urban teens in the 1980s. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
