Lou Diamond Phillips Movies
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips is no stranger to the dramatic ups and downs and surprises of his profession. Just look at the way he burst onto the Hollywood scene in 1987 with the surprise hit biopic La Bamba after years of working in Fort Worth theater and small Texas-produced independent films. His portrayal of doomed '50s rocker Ritchie Valens won him acclaim. His next role, that of a troubled gangleader who is reluctantly inspired to change by a charismatic math teacher in Stand and Deliver (1988) -- which was actually finished before La Bamba's release -- and his portrayal of young outlaw Jose Chavez Y Chavez in Young Guns (1988) made it seem that Phillips' youthful prediction that he would become a major star would indeed come true. But then Phillips showed up in a long line of box-office and direct-to-video bombs and he disappeared into obscurity and he seemed destined to remain there for the rest of his career.Phillips is one of Hollywood's most distinctive actors and is known for his intense performances. He is a tall, slender man with raven-black hair, deep-brown almond-shaped eyes, and cheekbones reminiscent of ancient Mayan statues. His distinctly "ethnic" looks come from his rich family heritage. Phillips claims he is part Hawaiian, Filipino, Cherokee, and Scots-Irish. His dark complexion and exotic looks have relegated him to "ethnic" roles in Hollywood. Phillips was born Lou Upchurch in the Philippines, the son of a naval aircraft mechanic, and raised in Flour Bluff, a small town near Corpus Christie, TX.
Though he received scholarships to the U.S. Naval Academy and to Yale, Phillips preferred to attend the local University of Texas at Arlington so he could remain close to his high school friends. While at school, Phillips found a growing passion for acting and after appearing in several drama club productions and in a local comedy troupe, believed himself destined for stardom. When real stars came to town, he would go to elaborate lengths to meet them. For example, when his idol Robert DeNiro came, Phillips dressed up as a bellboy and snuck up to the great actor's hotel room. After college, Phillips joined Fort Worth's tiny Stage West theater and stayed there for four years. During that period, Phillips appeared in such made-in-Texas independent films as Trespasses (1987) for which he also wrote the script. He associate-produced another of these films, Dakota.
After the only moderate success of Young Guns, Phillips' career faltered with films such as First Power (1989), the dismal Young Guns 2 (1990), and the laughably self-important Shadow of the Wolf (1992). Phillips made an inauspicious directorial debut with Dangerous Touch (1993), following it up with Sioux City (1994). Though he worked steadily in films through the decade, Phillips was almost a forgotten quantity in Hollywood.
In 1995, Phillips' career took a surprising and unexpectedly successful turn when a casting director spotted Phillips and brought him in to audition for the role of King Mongkut in a new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I. Despite having only worked relatively briefly on-stage, Phillips was personally approved by the Rodgers estate to play the part. Phillips realized that in taking it, he would be expected to fill the shoes of the great Yul Brynner who originated the role. It did not help that many critics did little to hide their surprise and dismay at the audacious casting of Phillips, who was determined to find new nuances in the Siamese King's relationship with British schoolteacher Anna. Phillips also made important changes for the character, especially in his appearance. Despite the naysayers' dire predictions for the musical's revival, Phillips succeeded in his goals and the show became a smash hit. Among the benefits of his reemergence has been renewed interest in Phillips from Hollywood. Though he never really left, Phillips had a "comeback" when he starred opposite Denzel Washington in Courage Under Fire (1996). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
It's the old switcheroo in this action comedy that follows the exploits of desperate extortionists. Gloria is a fluffhead with a Chinese dragon tattooed upon her chest. She wears lovely holograph earrings that just happen to contain classified detail of the U.S. space program. She is taken hostage by the bumbling extortionists and their leader Carl, former head of a freezer treat company. Unfortunately for them, Gloria accidently drowns in their pool when she tangles with a beach ball. Now the crooks must find a look-a-like for Gloria. They find her in Teresa, a college girl with a talent for mathematics. She is captured and tattooed. She soon escapes leading the crooks on a merry chase. Joining in the hunt for Teresa is an FBI agent and her new boyfriend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Shelly, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
The United States military has made a revolutionary breakthrough in time travel technology, and now it's up to one special agent to ensure that a dangerous rogue scientist doesn't destroy the future of our entire civilization. It was the holy grail of scientific technology. Some said that it could never be achieved, but military scientists have finally mastered the fine art of time travel. But Dr. Daniel Winter (Lou Diamond Phillips) doesn't trust the military with such dangerous technology, and when he steals it, Special Agent Caleb Smith (Jason Priestly) is assigned the task of tracking him down. When Special Agent Smith comes face to face with the man who now has the ability to alter the course of history, the stage is set for a showdown that will distort the very fabric of time. The stakes are higher than ever before, and should Agent Smith fail, everything he's ever known could simply disappear in the blink of an eye. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
Kirk Wong directed this comedy actioner about mild-mannered, beleaguered hitman Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg), who very much wants to be liked. However, the naive Mel is being taken advantage of by both his girlfriends and associates (who cheat him out of his bonuses). Mel and his "Odd Squad" -- Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.), and Gump (Robin Dunne) -- work for Paris (Avery Brooks), head of an international crime cartel and a contractor for hit jobs. Mel's mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon), who views him as a meal ticket, lives rent-free in his house, misspends his money, and is continually thinking of ways to get more from him. Her latest scheme is concocting tales about overdue mortgage and car payments, but she really wants the money to run away with her lover Sergio. Mel and his team head into a big shootout to waste some rival mobsters. One person kills the electricity; the others don night-vision goggles. Melvin handles most of the action, including shooting while bungee-bouncing near a staircase, finally making a spectacular bungee-exit from the top floors of the building just as it explodes in flames. A quick and easy weekend job backfires when their kidnap victim, a rich industrialist's teenage daughter Keiko Nishi (China Chow), turns out to be the godchild of their boss, crime czar Paris. When Cisco, mastermind of the plan, is summoned by Paris, he manages to shift blame to Mel. Meanwhile, Chantel absconds with Mel's earnings just as the disapproving parents (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) of Mel's fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) are due for a visit. Since Pam gave her parents $50,000 from Mel's bank account, they're on their way to thank him and hopefully benefit from another financial windfall. As his professional and domestic woes collide, Mel finds himself dodging bullets while trying to impress his potential in-laws. Throw in an overzealous video-store clerk demanding the return of an overdue tape (King Kong Returns), and it's not long before Mel's life starts to unravel. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
Noted documentary filmmaker Errol Morris made his dramatic feature debut with this story about murder and other dirty dealings on an American Indian reservation. Recent college graduate Jim Chee (Lou Diamond Phillips) has just taken a job with the Navajo Reservation Police in Arizona, where he helps keep the peace with his superior Joe Leaphorn (Fred Ward) on land earmarked for joint use by Navajo and Hopi tribes. Cowboy Dashee (Gary Farmer), a sheriff from the Hopi law enforcement group, discovers a decaying and unidentified body in the desert, an event he thinks may be linked to a recent robbery at the reservation's trading post. The shop's Hopi manager, Jake West (John Karlen), is convinced that Joe Musket, a Navajo drug dealer and ne'er-do-well, is responsible, and as Chee and Leaphorn investigate the murder, the robbery, and a mysterious plane crash, they find themselves drawn into a web of corruption, prejudice, and deceit. Dark Wind was based on a novel by noted crime author Tony Hillerman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Fred Ward, (more)
This lackluster attempt at blending equal parts action movie and supernatural thriller ends up sacrificing the merits of both genres. The plot finds baby-faced homicide detective Logan (Lou Diamond Phillips) on the trail of "Pentagram Killer" Patrick Channing (Jeff Kober), negligibly assisted by lots of occult mumbo-jumbo espoused by various doomsaying members of the Catholic Church. Channing is eventually captured and executed, but this turns out to be a big mistake: one of the Satanic powers Channing managed to acquire through ritual sacrifice is the power to transfer his soul into other living bodies, allowing him to roam about incognito and continue his killing spree. There is little overt horror on display, as we usually see only the aftermath of Channing's evil deeds; there is scarcely enough mystery to propel the police-procedural elements either. Worse, the producers apparently decided to toss in a romantic subplot involving Phillips and psychic Tracy Griffith to keep things interesting, but fail to sustain credibility even in this department. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Tracy Griffith, (more)
- 1999
Dale Midkiff stars as Tom Cooper, a victim of amnesia who is being hotly pursued by unknown assailants. Hiding out in a shelter for the homeless, Cooper contemplates the small metal case which he carries with him at all times. The case contains five vials, into which have been deposited all of his memories. Assisted by a young woman named Hope Wilson (Robbi Chong), Tom painstakingly reassembles the pieces of his shattered past -- and the more he knows about himself, the less he likes it. Directed by actor Lou Diamond Phillips, "Blank Slate" was originally broadcast on April 2, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Barbra Trent's Oscar-winning documentary takes a harsh look at a black period in 20th-century democracy, the late '80s and early '90s when during "Operation Just Cause," the U.S. invaded Panama, ostensibly to oust dictator and known arms and drug kingpin General Manuel Noriega, whom the U.S. aided for over a decade. Basing her information on eyewitness accounts, Trent alleges that U.S. troops killed up to 4,000 Panamanian men between the ages of 15 and 55, buried them secretly in mass graves, and then reported back home that only 250 civilians died. She also alleges that the troops destroyed untold amounts of buildings. Shocking photographs back up her stunning allegations. Trent spares neither the U.S. government nor the media -- that blindly accepted and reported anything released by the White House -- from blame in keeping the horror a secret. The film begins with a history of the U.S. relations with Panama, beginning with Panama's fight for independence from Colombia -- something the U.S. backed so it could build the Panama Canal -- to President Carter's 1977 treaty that would give control over the vital shipping lane back to Panama in the year 2000. One of the most shocking aspects of the story is that according to Trent, "Operation Justice" was really launched so that the U.S. could renege on the treaty and retain control. She also suggests the U.S. military used the invasion to test out sophisticated new weapons in preparation for the Gulf War. The photos and violence depicted are not for the squeamish. Elizabeth Montgomery narrated the events. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
The made-for-TV Three Kings stars Jack Warden, Lou Diamond Phillips and Stan Shaw as three patients in a Los Angeles-area mental institution. Dressed as the Three Wise Men for a Christmas pageant, the trio is suddenly struck with the delusion that they are really their Biblical counterparts. As TV cameras grind away, the three ersatz Kings ride out of the Pageant--on camels--and into the mean streets of LA. As the story draws to its conclusion, the three escapees find themselves providing Christmas cheer for a group of homeless people on the outskirts of the city. Aaron Spelling's original story veers dangerously close to being devoured by its own cuteness at times, but Stirling Silliphant's script for Three Kings keeps the whimsy in check and the sillier events reasonably credible. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An epic-Western in the grand tradition, the made-for-cable The Trail to Hope Rose stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Keenan Deerfield, a half-Indian outlaw just released from prison. Determined to start life anew, Keenan takes a grueling rock-mining job in a town controlled by the odious Driggers family, headed by flint-eyed patriarch Samuel Drigger (Warren Stevens), with the coldblooded Gerald Rutledge (Richard Tyson) as the family's chief henchman. Keenan's fellow workers are treated like slaves and forced to live in squalor, but none dare complain lest they meet with one of the many convient "accidents" that have befallen anyone who dares stand up to the Driggers. With stoic fortitude, Keenan waits for the right moment to strike a blow for justice, benefiting from the moral support of the town's honest but ineffectual Marshal Toll (Lee Majors) and good-natured farmer Eugene Lawson (Ernest Borgnine). The plot thickens when Keenan falls in love with Gerald's "woman," the pregnant Christine Beckford (Marina Black), and when one of Keenan's past associates, A.J. Foster (David Shackelford), rides into town intent upon stealing the Drigger mine's payroll. The rather endearing old-fashioned quality of the film is enhanced by the location-shooting at the Paramount Ranch, a reconstructed western town in Agoura, CA. The Trail to Hope Rose first aired July 4, 2004, on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
When a series of cargo ships vanish into the open waters of the Bermuda Triangle, a team of determined specialists attempt to uncover the mystery of the planet's most perplexing phenomenon in Storm of the Century and Rose Red director Craig R. Baxley's spooky sci-fi miniseries. Billionaire Eric Benirall's (Sam Neill) ships have gone missing at an alarming rate, and it's high time to find out if there's a human factor behind the strange disappearances. With each surprising revelation the plot surrounding the Bermuda Triangle only seems to deepen, though, and as the bizarre stories about the cursed waters slowly begin adding up to a bigger picture, Benirall and his fearless crew are about to discover that the truth is most certainly always stranger than any work of fiction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Stoltz, Sam Neill, (more)
- 1991
Head back to the days of the old, wild West with this insightful look at the villains of the day. Part of The Untold West three-part series, this program documents such scoundrels as Billy the Kid, Jesse James, Butch Cassidy, and Belle Starr. Narrated by Lou Diamond Phillips and shot in a fast-paced humorous manner, watch how the Old West rebels shot, robbed, or conned their way to infamy through feature film clips, rare archival photographs, and interviews with historians and researchers. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
Sharon Rae (Mary Pillot) is a Texas rancher who seeks vengeance against the two drifting rapists (Adam Roarke and Lou Diamond Phillips) who attacked her while her spineless husband Richard (Van Brooks) watched. Her neighbor Franklin (Robert Kuhn) loses his son Johnny (Thom Meyer) when he is murdered trying to save Sharon Rae during the attack. When Sharon Rae's father August (Ben Johnson) dies, he leaves his bank business to her cowardly husband. Love blossoms between Sharon Rae and Franklin, and the vengeful Richard hires the rapists to poison Franklins cattle. After killing the despicable duo, Franklin goes after Richard. This routine and unbelievable feature is the last screen appearance for John Henry Faulk who became a victim of the McCarthy blacklist of the early 1950s. Faulk later wrote about his experiences during the McCarthy era. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Kuhn, Van Brooks, (more)
- 1996
- R
Lost in a storm, transient Jack (Lou Diamond Phillips) seeks shelter in a remote woodland cabin and suddenly finds himself held at gunpoint by a deranged mountain man who lives there with his child bride. The storm is but the harbinger of a hurricane and though the reclusive Lyle Yates (Charles Dance) knows it, he is too paranoid to leave and so forces his wife Willie (Mia Sara) and Jack to flee. It's a small cabin and as the storm rages on, tensions mount. Matters reach one of several climaxes when Jack tries to persuade Willie to escape with him. Eventually the situation escalates into deadly violence, meaning that only two will walk away from their lonely shelter. Originally aired on cable, Undertow is set in the U.S. but was filmed entirely in Eastern Europe. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Mia Sara, (more)
- 2001
Due to the round-the-clock coverage of the World Trade Center tragedy, the beginning of the fall 2001 TV season was delayed on all of the major networks. The first "new" primetime series to be unveiled was CBS's Wolf Lake, a quirky supernatural effort in the tradition of The X-Files and Twin Peaks. Six months after the disappearance of his girlfriend Ruby, Seattle policeman John Kanin (Lou Diamond Phillips receives an anonymous tip that the girl was spotted in the remote Pacific Northwest community of Wolf Lake. Unbeknownst to John (at least at first!), the community is controlled by shapeshifting werewolves, several of whom are locked in a power struggle to attain the coveted title of Alpha Wolf. Working hand and glove with local lawkeeper Sheriff Jack Donner (Tim Matheson), John sets about to solve Ruby's disappearance, while at the same time trying to sort out the strange goings-on in Wolf Lake. Meanwhile, John's 16-year-old daughter Sophia (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is herself beginning to exhibit wolflike tendencies, carries on a clandestine romance with local "wild boy" Luke Cates (Paul Wasilewski), the son of powerful industrialist Willard Cates (Bruce McGill), who happens to be the chief competition of local entrepreneur Tyler Creed (Scott Bairstow) for the Alpha Wolf position. The only person who knows all the dark secrets of Wolf Lake is enigmatic biology teacher Sherman Blackstone (Graham Greene. Not surprisingly, the weekly, 60-minute Wolf Lake was executive-produced by an X-Files alumnus, Alex Gansa. The series debuted on September 19, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Tim Matheson, (more)
In this Western based loosely on actual events and people, Emilio Estevez stars as William H. Bonney (aka Billy the Kid). Sought for a petty crime in Lincoln County, Billy is taken in by John Tunstall (Terrence Stamp), a British ranch owner seeking to make it in the cattle business. Tunstall employs a group of "regulators," comprised of wayward youths he's gathered over the years, to watch over his ranch; in turn, he teaches them how to read and reforms them into better men. Tunstall's business interests come into conflict with those of corrupt and murderous businessman Lawrence Murphy (Jack Palance), whose widespread connections make him a power to be reckoned with. When Tunstall won't budge from his right to pursue a living, Murphy's henchmen stage an ambush and kill him. This triggers a vow of vengeance from the quick-tempered Billy and his five fellow regulators, who are deputized to serve arrest warrants in the murder. However, when Billy decides to gun down the suspects instead of detaining them, his loyal pals become accessories in a vigilante spree to wipe the territory clean of Murphy and his web of conspirators. Soon, the supposed lawmen are on the run from bounty hunters, henchmen, and government soldiers, from all directions of the compass. This box-office hit also stars Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Dermot Mulroney, and Casey Siemaszko. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
Only three of the original five "young guns" -- Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez), Jose Chavez y Chavez (Lou Diamond Phillips), and Doc Scurlock (Kiefer Sutherland) -- return in Young Guns, Part 2, which is the story of Billy the Kid and his race to safety in Old Mexico while being trailed by a group of government agents led by Pat Garrett (William Petersen). Along the way, Billy's crew gains three new recruits: Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh (Christian Slater), Tom O'Folliard (Balthazar Getty), and Hendry French (Alan Ruck). Though the film suffers from an uneven script, many performances -- particularly Slater's -- are surprisingly strong, and the movie looks great. The theme song, "Blaze of Glory", is performed by Jon Bon Jovi in his first solo appearance; the rocker also has a cameo in the film. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
