Earl Cameron Movies

An overheard conversation leads a woman into a dark world of deadly intrigue in this political thriller. Silvia Broome (Nicole Kidman) is an African émigré who works as an interpreter at the United Nations. One of the languages she understands is Ku, a dialect spoken in her home country of Matobo. One day, as the General Assembly auditorium is being evacuated for a routine security sweep, Broome overhears a man speaking in Ku, who makes a cryptic statement that could be interpreted as a threat against the life of Zuwanie (Earl Cameron), Matobo's controversial ruler. Secret Service agent Tobin Keller (Sean Penn) is brought in to investigate Broome's story, and it isn't long before he's convinced that she knows more than she's willing to tell. As Keller and his partner, Dot Woods (Catherine Keener), dig deeper into Broome's story as well as her past, they discover a shocking tale of violence and corruption tied to Zuwanie's regime. The Interpreter was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also appears in a brief supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This handsomely-mounted historical epic concerns the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the prophet Mohammed -- who, in accordance with the tenants of Islam, is never seen or heard (any physical depiction of the prophet is considered a heinous sin within the faith). In Mecca in the 7th century, Mohammed is visited by a vision of the Angel Gabriel, who urges him to lead the people of Mecca to cast aside the 300 idols of Kaaba and instead worship the one true God. Speaking out against the corrupt political and military leaders who rule Mecca, Mohammed and his followers struggle to worship God as they see fit, which eventually leads them into exile in Medina. However, one day God gives Mohammed a message to return to Mecca and take up arms against their oppressors -- while recruiting as many followers as they can along the way. With the help of his uncle, a brave warrior named Hamza (Anthony Quinn), Mohammed and his followers return to Mecca to liberate the city in the name of God. The Message (originally screened in the U.S. as Mohammed, Messenger of God) proved to be highly controversial during its production and initial release. Unfounded rumors had it that Mohammed would not only be depicted in the film, but that he was to be played by Charlton Heston or Peter O'Toole. This resulted in angry protests by Muslim extremists, until director Moustapha Akkad hired a staff of respected Islamic clerics as technical advisors. The advisors butted heads with Akkad, and they quit the production, which led the Moroccan government to withdraw their permission to film in their country. In time, Akkad ended up shooting on location in Libya under the sponsorship of Muammar Qaddafi, which presented a whole new set of political and practical problems for the filmmakers. Finally, when the film was scheduled to premier in the U.S., another Muslim extremist group staged a siege against the Washington D.C. chapter of the B'nai B'rith under the mistaken belief that Anthony Quinn played Mohammed in the film, threatening to blow up the building and its inhabitants unless the film's opening was cancelled. The standoff was resolved without explosion or injuries, though the film's American box office prospects never recovered from the unfortunate controversy. The Message was shot in two versions, one in English and one in Arabic (entitled Al-Ris-Alah), with different actors taking over some of the roles due to language requirements. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this symbolic drama of social and political turmoil, Jon Voight plays an aspiring revolutionary (who is only known as "A") working in a print shop. He lives with his bohemian girlfriend (Collin Wilcox-Horne) and studies philosophy at the local university. Despard (Robert Duvall) is his alleged communist boss who spurns him on to political activity. When a strike turns violent, "A" the print-shop worker is pegged as the one who passed out the leaflets that encouraged the strike. He returns home where he receives his draft notice. His first Army assignment is to forcibly break up the striking workers and he goes AWOL. When Despard denies involvement in the unrest, the disillusioned "A" aligns himself with the radical bomb-maker Leonard II (Seymour Cassel), who is constructing two bombs for a judge who sentenced the striking workers to jail time. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Jamie Hopkins (Cliff Richard) is a wayward young man who lives with his mother and steals drugs from the doctor's office where she works. His similarly unscrupulous girlfriend Carol (Ann Holloway) lives gleefully in her similarly amoral life until she is converted to Christianity when she attends a traveling religious crusade led by evangelist Billy Graham (himself). Carol's life is changed as a result of her conversion, and she attempts to show her wayward boyfriend the light. Jamie is eventually prepared to change his lowdown ways in this predictable, overly simple story of spiritual redemption and religious piety. Pop singer Richard delivers three songs as well as starring as the principle character in the film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Number Six awakens one morning to find that his appearance has been radically altered and that he has been reassigned the "identity" of Number Two. Compounding his confusion, he comes face to face with the new Number Six, who looks exactly like his "old" self (Patrick McGoohan plays both roles). It's all part of a scheme by the New Number Two (Anton Rodgers) to break down the protagonist's resistance --- and possibly, his sanity. Jane Merrow costars as Alison, a woman claiming to have a mental link with Number Six (but which one?) Written by Terence Feely, "The Schizoid Man" first aired in England on October 29, 1967, and in America on July 6, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Tenth Planet," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions come face to face with the Cybermen from the Earth's twin planet Mondas. In his effort to prevent the aliens from taking over the world, the Doctor begins to undergo a very profound change. Written by Kit Pedler and Gerry Davis, Doctor Who: The Tenth Planet, Episode 2 first aired on October 15, 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Thunderball finds James Bond matching wits with the sinister espionage organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E, (which stands for Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion). This time, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. hijacks a NATO nuclear bomber, hiding the bombs under the ocean depths and threatening to detonate the weapons unless a ransom of 100,000,000 pounds is paid. The mastermind behind this scheme is international business executive Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), who maintains a pool full of sharks for the purpose of eliminating enemies and those henchmen who fail to come up to standard. Dispatched to the Bahamas, lucky Mr. Bond enjoys the attentions of three nubile ladies: Largo's mistress Domino Derval (Claudine Auger), British spy Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick, previously seen as a gypsy girl in the 1962 Bond epic From Russia With Love) and enemy agent Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jock Mahoney makes his second appearance as the loinclothed one in Tarzan's Three Challenges. Tarzan is in Thailand this time, rescuing a young prince (Ricky Der) from his wicked uncle. Highlights include a fast-paced machete fight; lowlights include the scenes with a cute baby elephant named Hungry. Woody Strode, the African-American ex-athlete who would have made a pretty good Tarzan himself, is the Jungle Lord's principal adversary. The biggest challenge in Tarzan's Three Challenges was hiding the fact that Jock Mahoney was seriously ill all during shooting; if one doesn't notice that Mahoney's weight fluctuates from shot to shot, then director Robert Day did his job well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Versatile director Roy Baker tackles the question of racial bias in this dated but effective drama, a working-class version of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Jacko Palmer (John Mills) is a dedicated, talented union leader who manages to mediate an upheaval over a black foreman at work and prevent a strike. Meanwhile, Palmer's daughter Kathie (Sylvia Syms) has fallen in love with a schoolteacher colleague of hers, Peter Lincoln (Johnny Sekka), who happens to be black. The couple plan on marrying, and that creates havoc in the Palmer home where Kathie's mother throws a fit. The full gamut of racial prejudices unfolds, while the father tries to reconcile his own feelings and root out any biases that lurk there. Johnny Sekka might be better known to U.S. audiences as Dr. Benjamin Kyle in the TV series, Babylon 5. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The late Anthony Newley's star was already rising when he shared billing just after Robert Taylor and before Anne Aubrey in this fast-paced adventure story set in Africa. Adamson (Taylor) is an engineer in charge of a project to set up a railroad track through East Africa, the first of its kind -- well, almost. A rival railway gang is around to give him trouble. Aside from that kind of trouble, Adamson has to handle the convicts who are working underneath him, hungry crocodiles, dangerous lions, rhinos, and similar wild beasts, as well as Jane (Aubrey), a woman along for the duration. His sidekick Hooky (Newley) is a stand-out with his high energy brand of whimsy. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Nigel Patrick and Michael Craig portray two Scotland Yard detectives who are investigating the murder of a young black woman who had been passing for white. As timely a topic today as when made in an England rampant with racial prejudice in the 1950s, it stays just this side of an in-depth indictment of racism and bigotry as the detectives investigate the vast array of suspects--everyone from the girl's white boyfriend and his parents who feared that the association would destroy his career to the boys that the girl had spurned when she was accepted by white society. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

Prejudice is a main theme in this crime drama that follows the case of a West Indian man accused of a murder because of his dark skin. A lawyer helps the boy avoid arrest until the true murderer is revealed. The killer is discovered after the lawyer saves the boy who was captured by him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide