Brad Dourif Movies
Brad Dourif is a quirky character actor whose gallery of killers, sociopaths, and other lost souls brought to life any number of contemporary horror and science fiction projects. Born March 18, 1950, in Huntington, WV, he began his professional acting career after graduating from college, honing his skills during a three-year apprenticeship with New York's Circle Repertory under the celebrated drama coach Sanford Meisner. While appearing off-Broadway in a production of When You Comin' Back, Red Rider?, Dourif was spotted by director Milos Forman, who immediately cast him in his 1975 film adaptation of the Ken Kesey novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Dourif's turn as a suicidal teen asylum inmate was one of the most acclaimed film debuts in memory, earning a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe as well as an Oscar nomination. However, the performance also typecast him as a talent best suited to idiosyncratic, off-center character roles, a straitjacket he remained unable to break from for the duration of his career. He then did not reappear onscreen for another two years before co-starring in the 1977 West German production Gruppenbild mit Dame.Dourif's next major performance came in the 1978 Irvin Kershner thriller The Eyes of Laura Mars, followed by a superb starring turn as a damaged war veteran in John Huston's Wise Blood. Upon completing a supporting role in the 1980 television film Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones, Dourif next surfaced in Michael Cimino's legendary flop Heaven's Gate, the first in a string of big-budget disasters to which the actor was attached including Forman's Ragtime and David Lynch's Dune. A series of low-budget projects followed before Dourif reunited with Lynch for a small role in the director's 1986 masterpiece Blue Velvet. However, no other offers of a similar caliber were immediately forthcoming, and instead he found himself providing the voice of the evil doll Chuckie in the Child's Play series of slasher movies. In the years which followed, Dourif occasionally reappeared in more substantial projects (including the 1988 Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, the 1990 Ken Loach picture Hidden Agenda, and Hanif Kureishi's 1991 directorial debut London Kills Me), but he remained primarily confined to low-budget genre work; additionally, he often guest starred on television, appearing in series including The X-Files, Millennium, and Star Trek: Voyager. In 2001, Dourif took a break from low-budget fright flicks to appear in a decidedly more enormous production, director Peter Jackson's eagerly anticipated Lord of the Rings trilogy. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
The story contained in this bizarre psychological drama/horror movie adds a new dimension to the term "dysfunctional family." It is set in a small town in New Mexico and is told through the eyes of "Sonny Boy," a horribly abused child who was raised by the brutal giant Slue, who rules Harmony with an iron fist and makes his money stealing and fencing televisions. Slue's "wife" and fellow gang member is the cross-dresser Pearl. They get Sonny Boy after their fellow gang-mate Weasel botches a car theft and kills the owners. He brings the car back and that's when they find the baby, whom Slue would have fed to the hogs had not Pearl begged him to let him raise the child. The kid might have been better off dead, for Slue constantly tortures the boy and even sets him afire one day. When not "toughening the boy up," Slue keeps him in a water tower and only feeds him live chickens to give him a craving for fresh blood. Seventeen years pass in this way. One day, Slue gets angry with the town mayor, loads Sonny in an ice cream truck and takes him to visit the town leader. Sonny Boy rushes in and bites the hapless mayor in the neck. From then on, Slue uses the poor teen to terrorize the town. One day, he leaves the boy briefly in a bar where Sonny meets seductive Sandy and is attracted to her. Had Slue not cut out his tongue, to keep Sonny from telling secrets to the police, he would have talked to the girl. Later Slue goes off on a business trip and Weasel and another take Sonny Boy out to kill a prospector for his gold. This is the final straw and the townsfolk finally retaliate. Sonny Boy survives the ensuing massacre and for the first time in his life is given a chance for normalcy and maybe even happiness. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Paul L. Smith, (more)
A pair of minor league crooks discover they're playing way out of their league when they have to face off against a legion of supernatural beasts in this tongue-in-cheek horror opus. Two low-level thieves think they've discovered a big score when they manage to steal a rare and ancient artifact that's long been held in a secret tomb. However, they don't realize just how big an item they've lifted until they realize that the relic is capable of summoning up demonic spirits; taken from its sanctuary, the artifact lets loose a legion of monsters upon the world, and the thieves are forced to turn to an angel of the dark world in order to send the demons back from where they came. Rodney Rowland and Kevin Patrick Walls star as the thieves in over their heads, while the supporting cast is dotted with horror and exploitation film notables, including Karen Black, Robert Davi, Brad Dourif, and Michael Ironside; former teen pop singer Deborah Gibson also appears in a cameo role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod Rowland, Kevin Patrick Walls, (more)
In this horror outing, a secret government experiment produces a man capable of using his mental powers to start fires. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Adapted from the once-notorious trilogy of novels by James T. Farrell, the three-part miniseres Studs Lonigan isn't quite as earthy and explicit as its source, but is lot more faithful to the original than the 1960 film version. Set in Chicago and covering the years from 1916 to 1931, this is the story of a brawling, braggadocio young Irish-American lad named Studs Lonigan (played as a child by Dan Shor, and as an adult by Harry Hamlin in his first major TV role). Despite his rough veneer, Studs is sensitive and concerned about his future, though he doesn't want to follow the values set forth by his tradition-bound parents (Charles Durning, Colleen Dewhurst). Hanging around with his childhood buddies, Studs gets into all sorts of scrapes and becomes involved with a number of women, notably the decent, demure Catherine (Diana Scarwid) and the lusty, libidinous Lucy (Lisa Pelikan). Though he grows in age and size, Studs has trouble maturing emotionally, surrounded by the pressures of a rough, prejudice-ridden neighborhood and the increasing hooliganism of his cronies. As the Depression crashes heavily upon the scene, Studs finds himself "trapped" in the very sort of middle-class quagmire that he'd always hoped to avoid. Earning an Emmy Award for art/set direction, the 6-hour Studs Lonigan originally aired March 7, 14 and 21, 1979, as part of NBC's Novels for Television anthology. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jana Dane (Cynthia Rothrock) is a psychologist and forensic prosecution witness whose testimonies have earned her the respect of her colleagues while putting some of the most dangerous criminals on the street behind bars. When Jane is beaten to within an inch of her life by masked burglars who subsequently murder her sister and nephew, the injuries she sustained leave her with remarkable psychic powers. As Jane's thirst for revenge grows, she learns to hone her newfound telekinetic abilities and use them to serve justice by night while enforcing the law by day. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
In this police drama, a rookie cop finds his idealism nearly destroyed when he discovers that most of the officers in his new precinct are corrupt. This is based on a true story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist, directed this intriguing, deliberately-paced thriller based on his novel Legion. Ignoring the events of John Boorman's disappointing Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), the film moves ahead 15 years from the end of the original, when Georgetown is being plagued by occult murders bearing signs of the long-dead Gemini Killer, James Venamon (Brad Dourif). Although the killer was executed 15 years earlier, a young boy is horribly mutilated and the ailing Father Dyer (Ed Flanders) is drained of blood in his hospital bed. George C. Scott takes over the role of dedicated police Lt. William Kinderman, who is convinced that the key to the killings lies in an amnesiac mental patient who looks exactly like the dead Father Karras (Jason Miller) at some times, and like Venamon at others. It appears that Venamon was executed at the exact moment that Father Karras became possessed by the killer/devil and hurtled from the window at the end of the first film. Kinderman slowly comes to accept that the patient is Venamon and enlists an exorcist, Father Morning (Nicol Williamson), to free Karras' soul and stop the murders. The Exorcist III is heavy on dialogue, but contains some fine performances and some chilling moments, particularly the haunting opening in a Georgetown church. George DiCenzo, Viveca Lindfors, and Zohra Lampert also appear in this underrated, low-key horror film. Award-winning makeup artist Greg Cannom contributed to the special-effects, Gerry Fisher's cinematography is excellent, and the cast includes some notable bit parts by Samuel L. Jackson, Patrick Ewing, and Tyra Ferrell. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Jason Miller, (more)
- 2000
A rivalry between two career criminals leads to a chase across two continents in this action thriller. Jing (Chung Lai) is a beautiful but deadly Chinese hit woman who, after being abandoned as a child, was adopted by the Tong, the Chinese organized crime syndicate to whom she has sworn lifelong allegiance. A dispute between Jing and criminal overlord Chang (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) leads Chang to swear vengeance by killing off the members of Jing's Tong faction. With nowhere to hide at home, Jing escapes to the United States posing as an Asian mail-order bride, but when Chang learns she's fled to America, he hires Dan (Michael Madsen), a ruthless bounty hunter whose need for a pay day outweighs his scruples. The Ghost also stars Brad Dourif, Richard Hatch, and Louis Herthum. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Michael Madsen, (more)
Written and directed by Rolfe Kanefsky, the horror thriller The Hazing begins with a group of college kids attempting to spend the night in a spooky deserted mansion as part of an attempt to pledge fraternities and sororities. A deranged instructor at the college begins murdering the students. Those still alive must figure out not only why they are being murdered, but also if one or more of them are working with the evil professor. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
Kurt Voss' neo-noir stars Brad Dourif as ex-con Bud Cowan, who falls prey to the schemes of an artist (M.K. Harris) and his twisted sister (Sammi Davis). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Dourif, Sammi Davis, (more)
Popular comic Wayne Brady stars as a skilled young advertising executive who knows exactly what he wants in a woman, and isn't willing to let his disillusion with the dating scene prevent him from finding true love. Upon assembling a list of attributes that would define his ideal woman, the ambitious adman sets out to see if she truly exists. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wayne Brady, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, (more)
- 2002
- PG13
- Add The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to QueueAdd The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers to top of Queue
The second film in Peter Jackson's series of screen adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's internationally popular Lord of The Rings trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers literally begins where The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ended, with the Fellowship splitting into three groups as they seek to return the Ring to Mordor, the forbidding land where the powerful talisman must be taken to be destroyed. Frodo (Elijah Wood), who carries the Ring, and his fellow Hobbit Sam (Sean Astin) are lost in the hills of Emyn Muil when they encounter Gollum (Andy Serkis), a strange creature who once carried the Ring and was twisted by its power. Gollum volunteers to guide the pair to Mordor; Frodo agrees, but Sam does not trust their new acquaintance. Elsewhere, Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd) are attempting to navigate Fangorn Forrest where they discover a most unusual nemesis -- Treebeard (voice of John Rhys-Davies), a walking and talking tree-shepherd who doesn't much care for Hobbits. Finally, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), and Legolas (Orlando Bloom) arrive in Rohan to discover that the evil powers of Saruman (Christopher Lee) have robbed King Theoden (Bernard Hill) of his rule. The King's niece Éowyn (Miranda Otto) believes Aragorn and his men have the strength to defeat Saruman, his henchman Wormtongue (Brad Dourif), and their minions. Éowyn soon becomes infatuated with Aragorn, while he struggles to stay faithful to the pledge of love he made to Arwen (Liv Tyler). Gandalf (Ian McKellen) offers his help and encouragement as the Rohans, under Aragorn's leadership, attempt to face down Saruman's armies, but they soon discover how great the task before them truly is when they learn that his troops consist of 10,000 bloodthirsty creatures specially bred to fight to the death. Most of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was shot in tandem with The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King during a marathon 18-month shooting schedule, overseen by Peter Jackson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, (more)
In the third installment of the series that began with The Prophecy, the Angel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) has taken up residence on Earth, where he's learned to enjoy the simple pleasures of life among humans, such as frosted doughnuts and driving a convertible. One night, he witnesses Danyael (Dave Buzzotta), a heretic preacher with a storefront church who tells his flock that God doesn't care much for the people who tend the Earth. A blind man (Brad Dourif) who claims to hear the voice of God shoots Danyael several times in the chest. However, several hours after he's pronounced dead, Danyael rises from his slab at the morgue and heads out into the street. Maggie (Kayren Ann Butler), his understandably upset girlfriend, is then approached by Zouhael (Vincent Spano), a fallen angel who needs Danyael for his own evil purposes. It seems that Danyael is half human and half angel, and both Gabriel and Zouhael want his help. A Spirit of genocide and destruction is about to rise on a Native American reservation, and if Gabriel is going to stop it -- or Zouhael is going to bring it forward -- they will need Danyael's guidance. Prophecy 3: The Ascent marked the directorial debut of Patrick Lussier, who has often worked as an editor for horror director Wes Craven. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Planet Earth has been decimated, and as mankind searches space for a new planet to inhabit, a race of aliens attempt to make a new home on the now-inhospitable planet abandoned by the human race in director Werner Herzog's strange sci-fi saga. Filmed in collaboration with NASA musician/photographer Henry Kaiser, The Wild Blue Yonder travels light years into the stars, and fathoms deep into the Antarctic Ocean, and speaks with noted scientists to offer a unique view of the universe and a cautionary tale which stresses the importance of preserving our natural resources for future generations. Oscar-nominated actor Brad Dourif plays the role of the alien who arrives on Earth only to discover that the planet hasn't fared much better than the dying world that he once called home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A mysterious magician has some very unpleasant secrets in this gory tale of terror. Edmund Bigelow (Kip Pardue) is the publisher of Cacophony Gazette, a journal that covers the cutting edge of art and performance in California. Jaded Bigelow thinks he's seen it all until he and his girlfriend Maggie (Bijou Phillips) take in a show by Montag the Magician (Crispin Glover), who with the help of his sidekick the Geek (Jeffrey Combs) delivers a stomach-turning show in which he brings volunteers on stage and dismembers them, only to have his victims stagger off stage at the end of the show, shaken but still very much alive. Bigelow soon becomes obsessed with Montag's show and wants to know more about him and his illusions, but he suspects that there might be more to the magician's show than he imagined when maimed bodies start appearing all over L.A., and with the help of his pals Jinky (Joshua Miller) and Dr. Chong (Brad Dourif) they discover the bizarre secret behind Montag's hold over his audience. Based on a cult-favorite gore film from Hershel Gordon Lewis, The Wizard of Gore also features several members of the contemporary burlesque troupe the Suicide Girls as Montag's volunteers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kip Pardue, Bijou Phillips, (more)
- 2007
Oscar nominees Ed Harris and Robert Forster star in self-taught identical twin filmmakers Logan and Noah Miller's autobiographical family drama about a pair of twin brothers who return to their small town after failing to find success as major league baseball players. Their dreams of becoming professional athletes dashed, the brothers attempt to rethink their lives while reconciling their love for their homeless father (Harris). Deeply shamed by their derelict dad's chronic shameful behavior, the brothers find themselves in a personal crisis after going to work at the local rock quarry and having to contend with their ne'er do well friends. Foster co-stars as the sympathetic town sheriff in a film also featuring Brad Dourif and Lee Meriwether. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Logan Miller, Noah Miller, (more)
In this suspenseful horror movie, a lovely runaway and a helpful hero go looking for the fearsome "Headhunter," the ghoulish hooded killer who sawed off the heads of her parents. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Rydell, Asia Argento, (more)
- 1989
In this suspenseful drama, a bereaved bricklayer vows to avenge the brutal murder of his parents. The killer is brought in, but is not given the death penalty. The young man then decides to take matters into his own hands. He oversteps the law and eventually begins to question his actions. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Directed by former CIA officer Michael Sellers, Vlad chronicles the far-reaching consequences of a professor's (Child's Play veteran Brad Dourif) request that his students visit the tomb of the infamous Vlad Drakul (aka Vlad the Impaler). Known as one of the cruelest figures in world history, Drakul's reputation for dismembering his victims ultimately led to the belief that he himself may have been a vampire -- he was, in fact, the inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula. With this in mind, four foreign-exchange students, along with their Romanian tour guide (Billy Zane), venture into the bowels of Drakul's final resting place. When the students come into contact with a legendary necklace, they realize that its rumored ability to traverse throughout time and space is no myth. Vlad features performances from Kam Heskin, Monica Davidescu, Nicholas Irons, and Paul Popowich. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francesco Quinn, Billy Zane, (more)
Just after the turn of the 21st century in L.A., Harry (Belushi) works for a television station that uses a revolutionary technology, virtual reality projected for at-home viewers with 3-D holographic programs. A sinister group known as the Fathers, headed by Senator Kreutzer (Loggia), has a scheme to use it for mind-control. ~ All Movie Guide
