Jay Leno Movies
A popular comedian during the 1970s, Jay Leno is best known as the man who replaced Johnny Carson at the helm of The Tonight Show in 1992. Leno was born James Douglas Muir Leno to parents of Italian and Scottish heritage (Leno is particularly fond of discussing the Italian part) in New Rochelle, NY, but was raised in Andover, MA. During the year in which he was establishing his standup career, Leno was performing 300 nights throughout North America. He made his television debut on the Merv Griffin Show and his acting debut in Silver Bears (1977). That year he appeared in the cast of the short-lived Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Show, a musical variety summer replacement series. By the early '80s, Leno had left behind any notion of becoming an actor because his comedy career was in high gear. His subsequent film appearances have been as himself or as a parody of himself (The Flintstones, 1994). Leno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977. Though he can be sharp and is an astute political commentator, there is something nice and comforting about the soft-eyed, lantern-jawed funnyman that appeals to vast middle-American audiences, the same sort who regularly tuned in to Carson. It is small wonder that Leno became Carson's sole guest host by 1987. Leno hosted his first show as Carson's successor on May 25, 1992, with comedian Billy Crystal as his first guest. There was much furor surrounding the selection of Leno as many believed fellow late night gab-meister David Letterman would inherit the throne. Since taking the Tonight Show's reigns, Leno has attempted to inject the show with a slightly hipper edge by featuring more radical musical acts and affecting a more casual look. It's a tough balancing act, for he must do so without alienating his older, more conservative fan base. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2008
Millions of viewers are familiar with Aussie actor Eric Bana from his Hollywood blockbuster work, notably in Black Hawk Down (2001), Hulk (2003) and Munich (2005). Bana steps away from fiction and doubles as director-and-star with this unusual and highly personal outing, a documentary concerning the thespian's deep-seated love of his classic sports car. Nicknamed "The Beast," the vehicle in question is a Ford GT Falcon Coupe that Bana received secondhand from his father and has rebuilt on multiple occasions. The film explores Bana's ongoing, 25-year+ love affair with the auto, finds him discussing the nature of this relationship with celebrity psychoanalyst Dr. Phil McGraw, and documents racing in the famous 5-day Targa Tasmania Rally. Jay Leno also turns up and offers a tour of his massive collection of classic cars. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
A wicked warlock has cast a diabolical spell over Mystery, Inc. gang, and now it's up to Shaggy and Scooby-Doo to save the day. Join the lovable Great Dane and his easy frightened friend as they attempt to track down the Amazing Krudsky (voice of Wayne Knight), a second rate carnival magician who's using magic stolen from Princess Fairy Willow (voice of Hayden Panettiere) to transform everyone into grotesque Halloween monsters. If the dynamic duo can just hop on the Grim Reaper Railroad and make their way to Halloween land before Krudsky, perhaps they can retrieve the Goblin scepter from the Goblin King (voice of Tim Curry) and save the day. It's not an easy assignment, but fortunately Scooby and Shaggy have a little help from a friendly Jack O'Lantern and a flying broomstick that takes them on the ride of their lives. Additional voice talents include Jay Leno, Lauren Bacall, Wally Shawn, and Russi Taylor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, (more)
- 2007
- Add Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project to QueueAdd Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project to top of Queue
As one of the few heavyweight comedians of Vegas's "Golden Age" to topline standup routines in 21st century Glitter Gulch - a time and place that saw him still reeling in massive audiences well into his 70s and 80s - Don Rickles qualifies as a show business legend. Rickles, of course, pioneered the use of insult comedy to mercilessly rib, skewer, and cut down to size anyone who happened to fall into his line of fire, earning him the sobriquets "Mr. Warmth" and "The Merchant of Venom" and lending a whole new meaning to the term "hockey puck." This approach, which seemed unprecedented and even outrageously uncouth in the late 1950s and early 1960s, eventually won Rickles legions of fans and innumerable protégés within show business - everyone from Richard Pryor to Chris Rock and Sarah Silverman. Director John Landis (National Lampoon's Animal House, Trading Places) stands at the forefront of Rickles's fan club and created the documentary Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project as an homage to the comic's life and career. Landis intercuts footage from the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts and Rickles's appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, with extended clips from the shtickmeister's comedy routines and on-camera interviews in which the comedian reflects at length on his approach to comedy and journey through showbusiness. Admirers, colleagues and followers of Rickles also turn up to offer their views on the comedian - including Martin Scorsese, Christopher Guest, Robin Williams, Sarah Silverman, Sidney Poitier, Clint Eastwood and many others. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Rickles, Clint Eastwood, (more)
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth was a genius of outlaw art who took America's obsession with all that is fast, loud and streamlined and built it into an empire. In the 1950's, Roth was a hot-rodder who moved from body work and helping guys fine-tune the look of their jalopies to building unique custom machines. Roth threw out the rule book of conventional automotive design and created fantastic visions of chrome, fiberglass and supercharged engines which took one of America's most conventional consumer items and turned it into a freaked-out vision of post-adolescent cool. Roth was also a gifted cartoonist, and along with his cars he also created freaked-out automotive cartoons which made the artwork in Mad Magazine look sedate; his trademark character was Rat Fink, a maniacal, grinning rodent who was usually seen popping the clutch behind the wheel of one of Roth outlandish cars. Between Roth's crazed automobiles which drew thousands of fans to auto shows, the reproductions of them (in the form of model kits) which sold in the millions, and the Rat Fink and Monster T-shirts (which are still on the market today), Roth was one of the most influential figures in popular culture in the 1960's, and Tales Of The Rat Fink is a documentary by Ron Mann which features interviews with Roth's friends and fans as well as animated sequences that bring his cars and creatures to life on screen. John Goodman, Tom Wolfe, Brian Wilson, Matt Groening, Jay Leno and Ann-Margaret are among those who contributed their voices to the project; acclaimed indie-rockers the Sadies composed and performed the musical score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
When comedy legend Tommy Chong was arrested in 2003 and given a nine-month prison sentence for the manufacture and sale of drug paraphernalia, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft's revamped war on drugs soared, like a mighty eagle stricken with vertigo in mid-flight, to new levels of absurdity. Fortunately, filmmaker Josh Gilbert's cameras were rolling at the time, offering viewers a firsthand account of the vengeful American justice system in action. In addition to glamorizing drug use, prosecutors argued that Chong was also guilty of trivializing efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat drug proliferation. When all was said and done, Chong, along with 54 others, was indicted on federal charges. For two years, Gilbert's prying lens followed the highly publicized case, allowing an amusing and sometimes frightening portrayal of eroding civil liberties in modern-day America. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Taped approximately six weeks before the 100th birthday of comedy legend Bob Hope, this elaborate (and highly-rated) TV "love letter" to "Old Ski Nose" is hosted by former Today Show anchor Jane Pauley. The special covers the familiar biographical ground, tracing British-born Leslie Townes Hope from his first paying gig as a Charlie Chaplin imitator at age 12, then on to nearly two decades of singing, dancing, and adlibbing in vaudeville before achieving stardom on the Broadway stage in the 1933 musical Roberta. Achieving even greater success in films and on radio, Hope still remained just another entertainer until he began his celebrated, indefatigable tours of far-flung military camps in WWII, thereby kicking off a humanitarian "second career" that would extend well past the Vietnam era. Finally, the program covers in detail Hope's years on television, specifically the 285 specials which he headlined on NBC from 1950 to 1996. Many of the film clips will be familiar to even the most casual Hope fans, with one noteworthy exception: A clip from a mid-'80s Mike Douglas Show, in which Hope engages in a putting match with a two-and-a-half-year-old Tiger Woods. Dozens of Hope's contemporaries and fans from all walks of life show up to offer their own special tributes, though sadly many of his co-star's from his classic films -- notably Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour -- are no longer around to put in their two cents' worth. Nor does Bob Hope himself make a "live" appearance on 100 Years of Hope & Humor, though it is the understatement of the century to say he is certainly there in spirit. And need we add that the theme of the show (in more ways than one) is "Thanks for the Memory"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Jane Pauley, (more)
- 2000
First seen November 8, 2000 on ABC, this episode represents the second time that The Drew Carey Show was originally telecast live, with three different versions seen in the three main time zones (the syndicated version is the Pacific Zone broadcast--with all bloopers and ad-libs intact). The plot gets under way as Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson) fires an employee who objects to the shoddy treatment afforded Drew (Drew Carey). Feeling responsible for the man's plight, Drew gets him a new job--and before long, our hero has established a successful employement agency in his own home. Unfortunately, he is less successful finding new jobs for his old friends Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Styles), especially when both of them compete for a single opening at a ritzy restaurant. As in the previous "live" episode, several regulars from the Drew Carey-hosted series Whose Line Is It Anyway? show up to perform some truly weird improvisational sketches. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
While President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) is in Hollywood for a fundraiser hosted by politically active homosexual movie mogul Ted Marcus (Bob Balaban), Leo (John Spencer) is back in Washington politicking Vice President Hoynes (Tim Matheson) to vote the White House's position on an important tax bill that is currently in a 50-50 tie on the floor of the Senate. Meanwhile in L.A., Josh (Bradley Whitford) happily learns that political strategist Joey Lucas (Marlee Matlin) is staying in the same hotel as he is, and Bartlet meets his daughter Zoey's (Elisabeth Moss) new Secret Service bodyguard, Gina Toscano (Jorja Fox). ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- Add Hog Heaven: The Story of the Harley Davidson Empire to QueueAdd Hog Heaven: The Story of the Harley Davidson Empire to top of Queue
Hog Heaven: The Story of the Harley Davidson Empire explores the unsteady rise of this quintessentially American company. Tracing the roots of this multimillion-dollar manufacturer from the garage shop of two motorcycle purists, this video presents a true Horatio Alger tale. Featuring interviews with celebrity enthusiasts including Peter Fonda and Jay Leno, motorcycle historians, and plenty of footage of hogs past and present, the video provides a comprehensive look at this important slice of Americana. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Adhering to the "rules are rules" mentality, temporary ticket-counter clerk Antonio (Tony Shalhoub) refuses to let late arrival Danny Connelly (David Gianopoulos) board a plane. Unfortunately, Danny happens to be "Dead End" Connelly, star goalie for the Boston Bruins -- and thanks to Antonio, he misses an important game. Antonio's shame is compounded when even Jay Leno jokes about the incident! Meanwhile, Nantucket pays host to a most unusual social club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Will (Will Smith) thinks he's scored a major coup when he books a juror (George Wallace) who has been dismissed from Uncle Philip's sex-scandal trial as a guest on Hilary's show. Unfortunately, the ex-juror is mighty angry, and his on-the-air invective causes a heap of trouble for Philip (James Avery). Horrified at how things have turned out, Will and Hilary (Karyn Parsons) come up with a "musical" apology to Philip--as if that makes the situation any better! Jay Leno appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The Buchmans' dumb-dumb dog Murray lands a walk-on role in Paul's (Paul Reiser) commercial for Yum Yum Gum. In a twinkling, Murray has acquired an agent, an entourage, and a possible weekly series deal. Brent Spiner, late of the Star Trek franchise, guest stars as showbiz wheeler-dealer Bob -- and isn't that Jay Leno? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
What ever will princess Ebony do without the friends she so desperately wants? Her father, the king, has given her everything he can, except for friends she can call her own. This modernized fable finds the African-American princess Ebony kissing frogs in hopes of finding friends her own age. You'll notice the tale focuses on the princess finding true friends rather than true love, teaching the value of friendship. In the end, the enchanted frog teaches Ebony the meaning of being a friend. Danny Glover and Sinbad lend a hand in telling this yarn. ~ Amy Lewis, All Movie Guide
- 1994
To prove his worth to Lisa (Nia Long), Will decides to become a celebrity journalist. Though his proposed book "The Stars at Night" goes nowhere, he manages to get an autographed photo of TV talk host Jay Leno sold to a tabloid newspaper. Unfortunately, the photo is doctored to make Leno look like a jerk--and before long, Will is facing an enormous libel suit! In addition to Jay Leno, screenwriter-novelist John Ridley (later the "auteur" of the hit movie Barbershop) also appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this animated children's film from Amblin Entertainment, a group of four dinosaurs, including a tyrannosaurus rex, a triceratops, a hadrosaur, and a pterodactyl, are brought forward in time to New York City to entertain and befriend the children. However, when the dinosaurs are threatened by an evil circus owner, it is up to their young friends to save the day. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Blaze Berdahl, (more)
- 1993
Performance art certainly isn't for everyone, as Larry (Garry Shandling) quickly finds out in this installment of The Larry Sanders Show. Worried that the show has become too routine, Larry books a controversial performance artist on the show. Despite his initial enthusiasm, however, our gracious host gets cold feet and cancels the appearance after getting a taste of the act. Guest stars include Maureen Mueller, John Riggi, Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Jay Leno, Tim Miller, and George Segal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Rumors are flying that the executives at radio station KACL are planning to fire one of the on-the-air personalities. With no facts to back him up, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) speculates that the unlucky employee will be his nemesis, macho sports-show host Bulldog (Dan Butler). Overhearing this bit of gossip, Frasier goes ballistic and quits his job, unaware that the rumor was never true in the first place. Now it is up to loose-lipped Frasier to persuade Bulldog to come back -- and to persuade management to take him back. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Every so often, Tonight Show host Jay Leno conducts a highly slanted "independent poll" of viewers on one subject or another. This comedy routine had its roots in the made-for-cable Jay Leno: The American Dream. Decked out in a garish silver sports coats, Jay combs the hinterlands in search of the "real" America. Much of the humor is reliant upon Jay's deadpan commentary concerning various icons and landmarks (both famous and obscure) which the homefolk hold dear. Hilarious without ever stooping to cruelty, Jay Leno: The American Dream is a pleasant 49 minutes out of your life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This 1986 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Jay Leno and features musical guest the Neville Brothers. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Leno, The Neville Brothers, (more)
- 1985
Michael Nesmith (famed as the talented one from '60s pop-band The Monkees) directed this melange of music and comedy clips starring Whoopi Goldberg, Garry Shandling, Rosanne Cash, Jay Leno and Jimmy Buffett. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
