Ian Abercrombie Movies
Ian Abercrombie achieved broadest recognition in the mid-'90s for his work in character roles, principally stuffy upper-crust types, including Mr. Pitt, Elaine's employer on
Seinfeld, Alfred the butler in the series
Birds of Prey, and the staid auctioneer in the climactic sequence of
Mouse Hunt.
Abercrombie was born in 1936 to a working-class English family, and he showed a natural interest in performing from an early age, taking up tap dancing as a boy. At 17, he left for New York and pursued the beginnings of a career on stage -- among his early engagements, he appeared in a 1955 production of Stalag 17 starring
Jason Robards Jr., and he understudied
Roddy McDowall in a stock production of Bell, Book and Candle that also starred
Maria Riva, the daughter of
Marlene Dietrich. He did a short stint in the army, in Special Services, where he directed plays as well as acting in them. A trip to California for a production of a play about W.C. Fields that never materialized ended up putting
Abercrombie into movies, and over the next few years he played small roles in pictures like
Von Ryan's Express,
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?,
The Molly Maguires, and
Young Frankenstein, as well as leading parts in theatrical productions of The Vortex and Crucifer of Blood.
Abercrombie was working steadily for most of the 1980s and beyond, appearing in such movies as
Army of Darkness, Wild Wild West, and
The Lost World. It was with his portrayal on
Seinfeld of Mr. Pitt -- lovably eccentric and just sufficiently full of himself to put Julia Louis-Dreyfus's Elaine on the defensive -- that
Abercrombie became an actor whose name and face were remembered by the general public. He remained active on prime time television portraying Alfred the butler in the Warner Bros. television series
Birds of Prey, while also doing a huge amount of voice-over and radio work, as well as a one-man show entitled Jean Cocteau -- A Mirror Image. Back on the big screen, Ambercrombie could be spotted in both the family comedy Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties and David Lynch's Inland Empire in 2006.
Abercrombie died of kidney failure at age 77 in early 2012, not long after being diagnosed with lymphoma. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

- 2011
- PG
- Add Rango to Queue
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A pet chameleon who has lived his entire life in the confines of a cozy glass terrarium discovers adventure beyond his wildest imagination in this animated Western adventure from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski. When we first meet Rango (voice of Johnny Depp), the sheltered pet chameleon is safe in his terrarium, and embarking on epic adventures through the power of imagination. Then, suddenly, his safe existence is irrevocably upended thanks to a bump in the road that sends him soaring out of a car window and right onto the searing-hot asphalt of a desert highway. On the advice of a wise armadillo who relays the story of the Spirit of the West, our conical-eyed hero sets out in search of a town called Dirt, narrowly escaping a hungry hawk and encountering a self-sufficient pioneer named Beans (voice of Isla Fisher) along the way. Upon arriving in the dusty desert town, Rango wanders into the local bar and convinces the townspeople that he's a notorious gunslinger with a lightning-fast trigger finger. When one of the locals challenges Rango to a showdown on Main Street, the hawk that menaced our hero on his way to town shows up looking for a rematch, and ends up beak-down in the dirt. Convinced that Rango is the real deal, the Mayor (voice of Ned Beatty) decides to name the brave chameleon their new sheriff. But Rango's honeymoon in Dirt is short-lived when bandits steal the town's entire supply of water, and the newly christened sheriff forms a posse in order to get it back. Little do they realize they were all being manipulated by one greedy power-monger who's determined to keep the people of Dirt under his thumb with the help of a diabolical villain named Rattlesnake Jake (voice of Bill Nighy) whose Gatling-gun tail makes Swiss cheese of all challengers. Now, if Rango can just locate the Spirit of the West (voice of Timothy Olyphant) and summon the courage to realize his true potential, perhaps he can finally free the people of Dirt from the tyranny that binds them, and discover his true destiny under the scorching desert sun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Isla Fisher, (more)

- 2010
-

- 2008
- PG
- Add Star Wars: The Clone Wars to Queue
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George Lucas continues his most popular franchise's legacy with Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a computer-animated 3-D film that takes place between Star Wars: Episode II and III. The first-ever animated feature from Lucasfilm Animation, this action-packed space adventure follows the heroic Jedi Knights as they attempt to maintain order and restore peace during a time of monumental galactic strife. The Clone Wars have engulfed the galaxy in chaos, and as the dreaded droid army of the Separatists wipes out everything in its path, the future of the Galactic Republic becomes increasingly uncertain. Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano embark on a pivotal mission that pits them directly against the dreaded Jabba the Hutt and his criminal minions while Count Dooku enlists the aid of Asajj Ventress and the rest of his sinister agents in ensuring that the young Jedi fails in his noble mission. Back on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda attempt to fend off the forces of the dark side with the assistance of a massive clone army. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Matt Lanter, Ashley Eckstein, (more)

- 2008
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- 2006
- PG
- Add Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties to Queue
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The laziest cat in America swaps places with the richest feline in England in director Tim Hill's lasagna-laden sequel to the 2004 theatrical hit Garfield. Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) is on his way to London to propose to his veterinarian girlfriend, Liz Wilson (Jennifer Love Hewitt), and his unflappable cat, Garfield, is determined to be there when Jon pops the big question. Of course, Garfield wouldn't go anywhere without his old pal Odie, and soon after arriving in the land of Big Ben, the clueless tomcat inadvertently changes places with royal look-a-like Prince. It seems that Prince's owner, Lady Eleanor, has recently passed away, leaving the care of her sprawling estate Castle Carlyle in the capable paws of her devoted kitty companion. The trouble is, Prince has decided it's due time for a vacation, and with Garfield in charge there's no telling what kind of trouble will befall Castle Carlyle. Despite having a devoted butler named Smithee (Ian Abercrombie) to cater to his every whim and a whole host of fun-loving critters with whom to pass the lazy days spent lounging in the sun, this crowned head begins to feel the sting of deceit as the envious Lord Dargis (Billy Connolly) hatches a dastardly plan to do away with the whiskered heir and claim Castle Carlyle all to himself. Meanwhile, as Garfield attempts to hold his ground against his greedy would-be nemesis, the fun-loving Prince is living it up with Jon and Odie by taking a trip to some of London's most popular pubs. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Breckin Meyer, (more)

- 2006
- R
- Add Inland Empire to Queue
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Cinema of the surreal icon David Lynch follows up the success of his critically acclaimed 2001 feature Mulholland Drive with this dark mystery, shot on a handheld Sony PD150 digital video recorder. It is the tale of an actress whose personality becomes increasingly fragmented as she delves ever deeper into her work for a high-profile filmmaker. Kingsley (Jeremy Irons) is a director looking to adapt for the screen a Polish gypsy folktale that was previously stalled when the two leads were viciously murdered. Having offered the female lead to devoted actress Nikki (Laura Dern), Kingsley warns her male co-star, Devon (Justin Theroux), to maintain his professional distance, as Nikki's husband (Peter J. Lucas) is known to be notoriously possessive. As the passionate co-stars quickly cross the line and become lovers, Nikki's slowly slipping sense of reality causes her to eventually become lost in her character while the mysterious story of a Polish couple unfurls, and a trio of giant stage-bound rabbits (voices of Naomi Watts, Scott Coffey, and Laura Harring) lounge around on the sofa and tend to their domestic duties. Shot over the course of two and a half years and without a formalized script, Lynch's hallucinogenic look at a doomed film project features all of the abstract imagery and strange symbolism that have long made the director a favorite of film fans who embrace his disorienting approach to unconventional storytelling. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, (more)

- 2004
-
The Cleaners, whose job it is to erase all evidence of mortal contact with witches, try to cover up videotaped proof of Phoebe's (Alyssa Milano) and Paige's (Rose McGowan) witchcraft by framing Inspector Daryl Morris (Dorian Gregory) for murder. When the Charmed Ones try to help Daryl, they end up on trial for their lives themselves. Despite the friction between them, Leo (Brian Krause) and Chris (Drew Fuller) join forces to save Daryl and the girls. But there's a fly in the ointment -- namely, the Charmed Ones' perennial nemesis Barbas the Fear Demon (Billy Drago). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)

- 2000
-
In this follow-up to the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Fair Haven," a computer glitch causes the citizens of Fair Haven, an 18th century Irish village created in the Holoprogram, to cross over into the "real" Voyager. Observing the crew playing holographic games, the "fabricated" villagers assume that the crew members all have magical powers, possibly demonic in nature. As Janeway renews her romance with Fair Haven bartender Michael Sullivan (Fintan McKeown), Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and Kim (Garrett Wang) are captured by several other holographic villagers, who fear that they are on the verge of being banished to oblivion. "Spirit Folk" originally aired on February 23, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson

- 1999
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- 1998
-
In the concluding half of Seinfeld's controversial series finale, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), Kramer (Michael Richards), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) find themselves stranded in Latham, MA -- and even worse, they are facing arrest for violating the town's new Good Samaritan law (it seems there was this mugging...). Hoping to beat the rap -- and make it to California in time for Jerry to sell his proposed sitcom "about nothing" -- the gang engages the services of flamboyant lawyer Jackie Chiles (Phil Morris). Alas, the prosecution has managed to round up a daunting array of witnesses to bolster their case against the foursome, including Sidra (Teri Hatcher) of "they're real and they're spectacular" fame, the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas), Marla the Virgin (Jane Leeves), and the Bubble Boy (Jon Hayman) -- while the sour-faced judge (Stanley Anderson) with the familiar-sounding name fumes, and a vengeful Newman (Wayne Knight) chuckles from the sidelines. As for the now-legendary final scene...haven't we had this conversation before? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- 1998
-
It's Homecoming at Sunnydale High and Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) is determined to be crowned Homecoming Queen. As Angel (David Boreanaz) is still chained up in his mansion, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) accepts Scott's (Fab Filippo) invitation to the dance. Cordelia's self-involved behavior over her Homecoming campaign irks Buffy into running herself. Meanwhile, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) share more than their prospective outfits for the dance. Elsewhere, Mr. Trick (K. Todd Freeman) invites a motley band of psychotics and vampires back to Sunnydale for their own slayer killing festivities. Hoping to give Cordelia and Buffy a chance to mend their friendship, Xander arranges for the limo driver to pick up the feuding pair separately. This works fine, except that the limo driver is German psycho killer Hans Gruenshtahler (Joseph Daube), one of Mr. Trick's guests. Mayor Richard Wilkins III (Harry Groener) is also introduced in this episode, and his demonic intentions established. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi
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- 1997
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Granted one hour by Andrew (John Dye) to set his affairs in order before his death, wealthy old Edward Greeley (John McMartin) uses the time he has left to straighten out his spoiled-rotten son Kevin (Charlie Schlatter). After Edward shuffles off his mortal coil, Kevin is shocked to learn that his dad has cut him out of his will. Enter angelic caseworker Tess (Della Reese) in the guise of a lawyer, informing Kevin that he must embark upon a cross-country odyssey in search of one Joseph Wells (whom he's never even heard of!) to claim his inheritance. Along the way, Kevin learns a few sobering life lessons from a philosophical dishwasher who looks a lot like Tess' supervisor Sam (Paul Winfield), and from no less than the Angel of Music, played by singer Keb' Mo'. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- 1996
- PG13
It would seem that the producers of the made-for-cable chiller Rattled had not only used Joseph Gilmore's novel Rattlers as their inspiration, but had also supped full of such horror movies as Poltergeist and Arachnophobia. The scene is Eden Valley, a luxurious housing development carved from a mountainous wilderness by architect Paul Donohue (William Katt). But things are hardly Eden-like in the valley (or, on second thought, perhaps they are!) when the development is suddenly invaded by a swarm of deadly rattlesnakes. Guilt-ridden by the realization that this serpentine invasion has been brought about by the explosives used to excavate the valley, Donohue takes it upon himself to stop the snakes -- and to overcome his mortal terror of the slimy predators. Rattled debuted February 14, 1996, on the USA network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- William Katt, Shanna Reed, (more)

- 1995
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The ongoing war between the Narn and Centauri threatens to escalate throughout the universe. G'Kar implores Sheridan to fight on the side of the Narns. Elsewhere, Ivanova must negotiate with the Lumati, a hostile alien species, and Londo begins to allow his newly acquired power to supercede his good judgment. Paul Williams guest-stars as Taq. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Acts of Sacrifice" first aired on February 22, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)

- 1994
- NR
- Add Grief to Queue
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Richard Glatzer's bittersweet comedy concerns the production of a sleazy tabloid television program called "The Love Judge" and the problems that arise when the Divine-esque producer Jo (Kent Fuher) announces that he/she is leaving to become a Hungarian housewife. Mark (Craig Chester), the head writer who is mourning the loss of his lover to AIDS, spends the time he has not mourning worrying about whether he'll get a promotion to producer of the show after his boss leaves. In his way is the smarmy Paula (Lucy Gutteridge), who also is hoping for the promotion. In the meantime, Mark is flirting with male office worker Bill (Alexis Arquette), even though his old college friend Jeremy (Carlton Wilborn) is warning against Mark's flirtation -- for reasons of his own. In the midst of all this, it's no wonder that the office secretary Leslie (Illeana Douglas) has sworn off men altogether. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Craig Chester, Jackie Beat, (more)

- 1994
-
Murphy (Candice Bergen) appears on PBS to defend her negative views of modern art before a panel of pompous art critics. Upset at the critics' patronizing attitudes, Murphy gets even by arranging for them to analyze a painting by a "new, untried" artist--namely, her infant son Avery. Featured in the cast is Harriet Sansom Harris, better known to Frasier fans as barracudalike talent agent Bebe Glazer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- 1994
- PG13
- Add Clean Slate to Queue
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Dana Carvey plays a private detective who forgets everything when he goes to sleep at night, waking up each morning with a "clean slate," in this hit-and-miss comedy that plays like a companion piece to the much funnier Groundhog Day. Pogue (Carvey) is afflicted with his unique form of amnesia after getting injured in a car explosion. With the aid of a mysterious woman (Valeria Golino) who allegedly died in the bombing, he must find a priceless coin and evade the murderous clutches of the mobster (Michael Gambon) who executed the explosion and who wants to silence Pogue before he can testify against him. Carvey fares reasonably well in his role, but the best moments are provided by Pogue's dog, a one-eyed Jack Russell named Barkley who makes a habit out of running into things headfirst. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Valeria Golino, (more)

- 1993
- PG13
- Add Addams Family Values to Queue
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The ghoulish cartoon family created by Charles Addams returns for a second big-screen outing darker and nastier than the first. When Morticia Addams (Anjelica Huston) gives birth to new baby boy Pubert, the other Addams children, Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) and Wednesday (Christina Ricci), devise any number of ways to kill off their new sibling. This leads Morticia and her husband, Gomez Raul Julia, to hire a nanny (Joan Cusack) to oversee all three children. But the nanny has an agenda of her own, packing the Addams children off to a horrid parody of summer camp and setting out to seduce Uncle Fester (Christopher Lloyd), all with the goal of getting her hands on the Addams family fortune. Of course, the Addams eventually triumph, with this blacker-than-most satire extolling the virtues of eccentricity and non-conformity above all. It was followed by 1999's direct-to-video Addams Family Reunion, with Darryl Hannah and Tim Curry replacing Huston and the late Julia. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, (more)

- 1993
-
Born into a futuristic world in which procreation is merely a mixing of biochemicals and sex is banned, a group of teenagers tire of repressing their desires and time-travel to the past in hopes of preventing the sex-hating woman from enacting her frosty schemes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Morgan Fairchild, Ian Abercrombie, (more)

- 1992
- R
- Add Army of Darkness to Queue
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The third in director Sam Raimi's stylish, comic book-like horror trilogy that began with The Evil Dead (1982), this tongue-in-cheek sequel offers equal parts sword-and-sorcery-style action, gore, and comedy. Bruce Campbell returns as the one-armed Ash, now a supermarket employee ("Shop Smart...Shop S-Mart") who is transported by the powers of a mysterious book back in time with his Oldsmobile '88 to the 14th century medieval era. Armed only with a shotgun, his high school chemistry textbook, and a chainsaw that mounts where his missing appendage once resided, the square-jawed, brutally competent Ash quickly establishes himself as a besieged kingdom's best hope against an "army of darkness" currently plaguing the land. Since the skeleton warriors have been resurrected with the aid of the Necronomicon (the same tome that can send Ash back to his own time) he agrees to face the enemy in battle. Ash also finds romance of a sort along the way with a beautiful damsel in distress, Sheila (Embeth Davidtz), and contends with his own doppelganger after mangling an important incantation. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, (more)

- 1992
- R
Howard Franklin wrote and directed this film noir character study based on the famed New York Daily News photographer Weegee. Joe Pesci plays a character named Bernstein, a freelance photographer for the New York City tabloids of the 1940s. His life is dedicated to his work; with a police radio under the dashboard of his car and a darkroom in his trunk, he quickly and efficiently races to the scene of crimes, accidents and murders to snap photographs of gangsters, politicians, cops, and prostitutes, which he promptly delivers to the newspapers. His knack for arriving at a crime scene before the police earns him the nickname the Great Bernzini. The trouble begins for Bernstein when he agrees to look up a gangster for Kay (Barbara Hershey), the sexy owner of a fancy Manhattan nightclub. After making inquiries, Bernstein traces the man Kay is looking for, but he turns up dead. When he informs the police, he becomes a suspect in the murder; it also turns out that the FBI is interested the case. Bernstein then uncovers an elaborate conspiracy concerning gas rationing, the mob, and the government. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Barbara Hershey, (more)

- 1991
- R
In this thriller, poet Thierry Martin (Judge Reinhold) takes over the family business, abandoning both his art and his sex life, much to the dismay of his wife, Zandalee (Erika Anderson). However, when Thierry's painter friend Johnny Collins (Nicolas Cage) comes to town, his fling with Zandalee could prove more complicated than he imagined. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Judge Reinhold, (more)

- 1991
- R
This entry in the horror thriller series shows how the mad French puppeteer Toulon created his supernaturally animated demonic marionettes. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Guy Rolfe, Sarah Douglas, (more)

- 1988
- R
- Add Warlock to Queue
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Julian Sands oozes maleficence as a warlock of the 1600s cast forth to 1980s Los Angeles, where he continues to work his deviltry. The story begins in 1691 Boston when a warlock is condemned to die. Calling for Satan's help, the warlock is sent forward in time to contemporary Los Angeles, where he comes crashing through the window of Kassandra (Lori Singer) and her roommate Chas (Kevin O' Brien), who think that the warlock is a LA drunk and let him stay the night to sleep it off. The next day, the warlock brutally murders Chas and then locates a spiritualist (Mary Woronov) who, possessed by the devil, tells the warlock that he must find the three parts of the Grand Grimoire, the witches' bible that contains the secret name of God. Meanwhile, Kassandra, grieving over the death of Chas, comes upon Giles Redferne (Richard E. Grant), a warlock hunter from the 16th century, sent into the future to find the warlock. While Giles is busily putting together a "witch-compass" to track the warlock, Kassandra calls the police and has him arrested. But then the warlock returns and puts a curse on Kassandra. She blacks out, only to awaken the next morning to discover that she has aged twenty years. Realizing she has put the wrong representative from the 16th century in jail, she bails out Giles and they both go in search of the warlock. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Richard E. Grant, Julian Sands, (more)