Stephen Hibbert Movies
Arguably the least successful of the many feature film spin-offs of Saturday Night Live television sketch characters, this comedy barely won a quick theatrical release. Julia Sweeney stars as the titular Pat Riley, an obnoxious, drooling nerd of mind-boggling androgyny. Pat is also a bit of a klutz, which leads to his/her dismissal from a range of workplaces, including a sushi bar and the United States Postal Service. As a next door neighbor, Kyle (Charles Rocket), becomes obsessed with distinguishing Pat's gender, even to the point of seducing Pat and stealing his/her diary, things begin looking up for the plucky hero/heroine. Pat meets a significant other, the equally sexless "Chris" (Dave Foley), gets engaged, and wins fame and success as a frank radio talk-show host. The real-life rock band Ween also plays a significant role in Pat's misadventures, casting him/her in a rock video after catching Pat's cringe-inducing musical performance on the TV show "America's Creepiest People." Despite a rumored rewrite of the script by Sweeney's hip longtime friend Quentin Tarantino, the film was considered one of the year's biggest turkeys. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Sweeney, Dave Foley, (more)
Outrageously violent, time-twisting, and in love with language, Pulp Fiction was widely considered the most influential American movie of the 1990s. Director and co-screenwriter Quentin Tarantino synthesized such seemingly disparate traditions as the syncopated language of David Mamet; the serious violence of American gangster movies, crime movies, and films noirs mixed up with the wacky violence of cartoons, video games, and Japanese animation; and the fragmented story-telling structures of such experimental classics as Citizen Kane, Rashomon, and La jetée. The Oscar-winning script by Tarantino and Roger Avary intertwines three stories, featuring Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta, in the role that single-handedly reignited his career, as hit men who have philosophical interchanges on such topics as the French names for American fast food products; Bruce Willis as a boxer out of a 1940s B-movie; and such other stalwarts as Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Christopher Walken, Eric Stoltz, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, whose dance sequence with Travolta proved an instant classic. ~ Leo Charney, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, (more)
- 1996
As indicated by its title, this episode was a originally a crossover between Boy Meets World and the MTV dating series Singled Out. In order to get airtime on the show, Eric lies to host Chris Hardwick, claiming that he attends Harvard University. This earns him a date with Columbia University coed Linda (Bridget Flannery)--who isn't all she claims to be either! Meanwhile, Cory (Ben Savage) becomes convinced that he will vanish from the face of the earth if his tonsils are removed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Appearing as contestants on the prestigious but low-rated TV academic quiz show "Knowledge Fever", Cory (Ben Savage), Shawn (Rider Strong) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) score a hit with their wisecracks and hilarious cultural references. In fact, the producers are so impressed that they invite the trio to make a return appearance. Flattered by all the attention, Cory and his friends are blissfully unaware that the producers plan to "dumb down" all future quiz questions in order to keep the threesome coming back week after week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this crossover episode with Boy Meet World's "T.G.I.F" neighbor Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Eric (Will Friedle) suspects that Jack's weird new girlfriend Millie (Candace Cameron-Bure) is a witch. Outraged, Jack (Matthew Lawrence) tells Eric that their friendship is over. Ironically, by the time the pals have made up, Eric is himself dating a certain Sabrina Spellman (Melissa Joan Hart), the "teenage witch" from the series of the same name. Meanwhile, Cory (Ben Savage) tries to help Topanga (Danielle Fishel) overcome her fear of flying--with unexpected results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Inspired by the book Black Like Me, in which a white reporter poses as a black man, Cory decides to write a school newspaper article on sexual harrassment--and in order to research the subject, he intends to disguise himself as a girl! Somehow or other, it is Shawn (Rider Strong) who ends up donning a wig and skirt and going out into the dating world as "Veronica Wasboyski"--and needless to say, he gets more "research" than he bargained for. Elsewhere, Eric (Will Friedle) tries to acclimate mountain-gal Lonnie (Jen Campbell) to the Big City. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Cory (Ben Savage) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) are together again (finally!), but pretend to still be apart so that Shawn (Rider Strong) can have the privilege of "reuniting" them. This strategy proves to be the latest in a long line of blunders in the Cory-Topanga relationship, resulting in yet another breakup. Will Cory retreat to the arms of Lauren (Lauren Cardellini) while Topanga does likewise with Ricky, or can Shawn come to the rescue for real? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Following up on the success of 2000's How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Imagine Entertainment presents The Cat in the Hat, their second live-action adaptation of a classic Dr. Seuss book. Starring Mike Myers, the film follows the adventures of Conrad (Spencer Breslin) and Sally Walden (Dakota Fanning), a young brother and sister who find themselves visited by the titular mischievous cat (Meyers) and his entourage when their mother (Kelly Preston) leaves them home alone. Also starring Alec Baldwin and the voice of Sean Hayes, The Cat in the Hat is the directorial debut of Oscar-nominated art director Bo Welch. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin, (more)
- 2007
- PG
- Add National Treasure: Book of Secrets to QueueAdd National Treasure: Book of Secrets to top of Queue
In this adventure-filled sequel to the 2004 blockbuster National Treasure, Nicolas Cage reprises his role as artifact hunter and archaeologist extraordinaire Ben Franklin Gates. In this outing, Gates learns of his own family's implication in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by John Wilkes Booth. Gates must then locate an elusive diary, not only to clear his family's name, but to unearth and connect several secrets, buried within the book, that point to a massive, global conspiracy. The film co-stars Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, and Helen Mirren as Ben's mother. Jerry Bruckheimer returns as producer. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Justin Bartha, (more)
