Christopher Allport Movies
A character actor predominantly specializing in "tough" types, such as guards, military personnel, and the like, screen performer Christopher Allport worked in a myriad of genres but placed a markedly strong emphasis on horror and science fiction outings. Efforts included the 1981 zombie movie Dead and Buried, Tobe Hooper's 1986 sci-fi remake Invaders from Mars, and the slasher comedies Jack Frost (1997) and Jack Frost 2 (2000). In the 2000s, Allport increased his television presence via guest work on such series as ER, NYPD Blue, and Mad Men. An avid backcountry skier, Allport was killed in early 2008 by an avalanche in California's San Gabriel Mountains. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 1978
This TV movie dramatizes a catastrophic event of April 26, 1976. A plane carrying Lauren Elder (Blair Brown), and two other passengers, crashes into Mount Bradley in the Sierra Nevadas.12,000 miles above sea level, the survivors are tortured by their injuries and battered by the elements. Eventually, only Lauren is left alive after a valiant effort to save her comrades. With a broken arm and injured knee, she trudges across the merciless mountain terrain in the fading hope of reaching safety. The location-filmed And I Alone Survived was first telecast on November 27, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
- R
Also known as Mystique, Brainwash and The Naked Weekend, Circle of Power is not recommended viewing for any aspiring executive about to undergo leadership classes. Yvette Mimieux plays the head of an organization called Executive Development Training, or EDT for short. Her grueling technique requires that both the male trainees and their wives participate. Few of the participants seem psychologally suited for the EST-like excesses of EDT: one man is a closeted homosexual, another an alcoholic, a third a transvestite. Nor is Yvette about to cater to the more sensitive of her charges: at one point, an obese trainee is forced to eat garbage. It's hard to tell if we're supposed to take all this seriously or not. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvette Mimieux, Christopher Allport, (more)
- 1988
China Beach was the second and more successful of two Vietnam-era TV dramas of 1987-88 (the other was Tour of Duty). Set at a Da Nang r-and-r center in 1967, China Beach recounts the era as seen through eyes of several women who served. The distaff stars are Dana Delany (the nurse), Nacy Giles (the AFRS disc jockey), Concetta Tomei (the special services officer) and Marg Helgenberger (the civilian volunteer worker). The anecdotal two-hour pilot film for the series was first telecast April 26, 1988. Chloe Webb, who appeared in the pilot and the first few episodes, portrays a buoyant USO entertainer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In his last appearance before the cameras, David Janssen plays an alcoholic journalist desperate for a comeback. Janssen hitches his star to ruthless publisher Robert Vaughn, who is exploiting a rash of brutal murders to sell papers. The danger here is that the unknown serial killer, who preys upon beautiful young women, is rapidly becoming a media celebrity--and may be prompted to continue killing just to see his name in print. Beyond its own potential for sensationalism, City in Fear raises several provocative questions about the responsibility (and culpability) of the press. For its March 30, 1980 premiere, City in Fear was given a two hour and fifty minute timeslot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Another of several made-for-TV movies based on the best-selling novels of Danielle Steel, this one stars Jenny Robertson as Paxton Andrews, a sheltered Southern belle who falls for law student Peter Wilson (Steven Eckholdt) on the campus of Berkeley in the late '60s. After Peter is drafted and dies in Vietnam, the grief-stricken Paxton becomes the Saigon-based correspondent for a San Francisco newspaper, determined to use her column "Message from 'Nam" to bring comfort and solace to others whose loved ones are mired in the Southeast Asian quagmire. Before the inevitable slam-bang climax during the fall of Saigon, Paxton has not only grown emotionally and spiritually, but she has also enjoyed tender romantic interludes with a hard-bitten Army captain (Nick Mancuso) and a likeable sergeant (Ted Marcoux). Also featuring such formidable personalities as Rue McClanahan, Billy Dee Williams, and Esther Rolle, Danielle Steel's 'Message From Nam' originally aired October 17, 1993, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this above-average made-for-television drama, Bernadette Peters stars as a mother facing the greatest challenge of her life. Based a true story, Matthew Lawrence stars as David Rothenberg, a six year-old who was viciously set on fire by his jealous father. Severely burned and disfigured, David courageously clung to life despite the odds against him. Determined to see her son through the ordeal, the film shows how his mother Marie (Peters) tirelessly worked to help nurse him back to life. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the screenwriters behind the highly successful Alien, turned their attention to earthbound terrors with this creepy horror tale. Dead and Buried focuses on Dan Gillis (James Farentino), a man who has recently returned to his hometown of Potter's Bluff to be its sheriff. His job becomes difficult when a series of strangers who visit Potter's Bluff begin dying in violent and mysterious ways. To make matters worse, his wife, Janet (Melody Anderson), has begun to act strangely, taking an odd interest in voodoo and acting like she might be having an affair. As the murder victims pile up, Gillis discovers that all his troubles have an occult origin that has to do with the town's elderly mortician, Dobbs (Jack Albertson, in his final feature film role). Gillis gets to the bottom of the mystery, only to discover that the truth is much worse than he imagined. Despite effective direction and solid acting, Dead and Buried got lost in the shuffle of the early '80s horror boom and failed to click with the movie-going public. However, it later gained an audience via home video and cable and remains a minor cult favorite today thanks to its singular blend of creepy atmosphere and gruesome shocks. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Farentino, Melody Anderson, (more)
- 1987
Matt Salinger suffers a double blow when his wife is murdered and his baby disappears. All evidence points to the grim possibility that the child has also met with foul play. With the help of reporter Lisa Eilbacher, Salinger unearths a horrible family secret that may hold the key to the mystery-and learns the truth about his baby. Cunningly written with a surfeit of nightmarish setpieces by Gordon Cotler, the made-for-TV Deadly Deception costars Bonnie Bartlett and Mildred Natwick as two human cogs in a wheel of lies. The film was first telecast March 8, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A tormented Kovac (Goran Visnjic) precipitates a barroom brawl and later lobbies unsuccessfully to operate on an ailing Croatian child. Demoted from surgery, Romano (Paul McCrane) becomes more irksome than ever before when he is placed in charge of the ER. A mother-to-be must choose between giving birth to her child or undergoing life-saving chemotherapy. Chen's (Ming-Na) birthday is spoiled by Pratt's (Mekhi Phifer) ill-advised gift. And the staffers get their first look at Lewis' (Sherry Stringfield) brand-new husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Loretta Swit was still appearing on a weekly basis in MASH when she starred in the made-for-TV Games Mother Never Taught You. She plays Laura Bentells, the first female executive in a traditionally "good ole boy" office. Refusing to be patronized or disregarded, Laura quickly learns the ropes of corporate gamesmanship. Sam Waterston and Eileen Heckart co-star as, respectively, Laura's husband and mother. And that's an uncredited Madlyn Rhue as the wife of skirt-chasing executive David Spielberg. Based on the "from the front lines" book by Betty Lehan Harrigan, Games Mother Never Taught You first aired November 27, 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loretta Swit, Edward Grover, (more)
Filmmaker Jason Freeland draws inspiration from the eponymous song for this tale of five lost souls attempting to navigate the treacherous urban landscape of contemporary Los Angeles. April is an ambitious beauty in search of success, but can she learn to get by and keep on her clothes at the same time? Sally St. Clair is a sexy realtor with a secret past. She's got a great eye for spotting lost souls, and thrives on giving them direction in life. One of those lost souls is Nathan, her new assistant. Nathan moved to Los Angeles from Nebraska seeking to find success as a dancer, but now most of his time is spent making photocopies for Sally and her clients. One of those clients is Todd, a porn-addicted artist who agrees to help Sally get revenge for a past indiscretion in exchange for her helping him realize his greatest fantasy. Meanwhile, as starry-eyed street musician Sammy moves in with Nathan, the new roommates both have disparate ideas about the direction their relationship is headed, and everyone involved becomes hopelessly ensnared in Sally's kinky entanglements. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vinessa Shaw, Willa Holland, (more)
- 1987
Hunter (Rick Hunter) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) are faced with an ethical dilemma while investigating the murder of Latino crime boss Max Santiago (Fred Asparagus). Early on, the detectives figure out that the killer was a prominent community leader, and are also able to determine the motive for the killing. Painfully aware of the ramifications of revealing this information, Hunter and McCall are on the verge of giving up the case--and quitting the force! Rudy Ramos joins the regular cast in the role of Reuben Garcia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Invaders from Mars, horror-film director Tobe Hooper's remake of the classic 1950's science fiction film, directed by William Cameron Menzies, centers on a young boy named David (Hunter Carson) who tries to stop an invasion of his town as aliens take over the minds of his parents George (Timothy Bottoms) and Ellen (Laraine Newman), his teachers and the townspeople. With the help of the school nurse (Karen Black), the boy enlists the aid of the U.S. Army to help save the world. With makeup effects supplied by Stan Winston and visual effects by John Dykstra, Invaders From Mars is a wild sci-fi feast that hearkens back to the 1950's invasion films, made popular by the original film and others like Invasion of the Body Snatchers. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Black, Hunter Carson, (more)
In this low-budget horror outing, a psychopathic killer loses the last of his warm feelings for humanity after he is involved in a freak accident. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Allport, Stephen Mendel, (more)
Snowmen just don't get more abominable than the frozen serial killer in this tongue-in-cheek sequel to the cult horror hit Jack Frost. Sam (Christopher Allport) is still a bit spooked after his encounter with Jack Frost (Matt Falletta), a bloodthirsty snowman posessed by the spirit of a mass murderer. However, his wife, Anne (Eileen Seeley), convinces him to go on a vacation in the tropics to attend a friend's wedding, reasoning that a snowman who's already been destroyed by anti-freeze couldn't survive long in 80 degree heat. But Anne has seriously underestimated Jack's tenacity; thanks to a scientific experiment gone wrong, Jack appears on the island and starts picking off tourists one by one, leaving it to Sam to defeat the winter wonder all over again. Jack Frost 2 also features Ray Cooney and David Allen Brooks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1975
The weather outside is below freezing and the enemy shelling is relentless as the 4077th tries to deal with a fresh supply of incoming wounded. The rattled surgeons try to save the life of an equally nervous patient--and it's a toss-up as to who is more scared. Somehow or other, Frank (Larry Linville) finds time to rifle through Hot Lips' tent in search of compromising letters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Pete oversteps his bounds in dealing with a valuable client, puts his foot in his mouth and gets a lesson from Don in toeing the company line. At home, he gets pressure from his newlywed bride to buy their own apartment unit. ~ Ray Stackhouse, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Man on a Swing, purportedly based on a true case, is a puzzling crime thriller concerning a clairvoyant who helps find a murderer. After a murder is committed, supposed clairvoyant Franklin Wills goes to police Chief Lee Tucker (Cliff Robertson) and gives him details of the crime that he has seen in visions. The details are startlingly correct and could only have been known to the killer. Tucker, not convinced that Wills is indeed clairvoyant, begins to suspect him of the murder. Man on a Swing, directed by Frank Perry, over-complicates its central theme, distracting the viewer from the film's strong central theme, the ambiguity of Wills. Joel Grey gives an outstanding, scene-stealing performance in that role, giving Wills both menace and a surprising vulnerability. Cliff Robertson is far-less successful in his portrayal of the no-nonsense police chief. The film's ambiguous ending should increase the suspense of the film but instead further confuses the viewer. However, because of the superb performance of Grey, Man on a Swing is worth a view. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Wayne Rogers returns as Chicago PI Charlie Garrett, who journeys to Martinique in search of a missing woman. What follows for Charlie is an unanticipated romance--and a murder charge. Coincidentally, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is also in Martinique, and she offers to help Charlie clear his name and solve the mystery...partly out of friendship, and partly because she feels responsible for the victim's death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) enters the rarefied world of art collecting when Julia Marcus Granger (Anne Scheeden), the heiress daughter of one of Jessica's oldest friends, is murdered. The most likely culprit turns out to be Julia's husband Donald (Christopher Allport), a known art thief. But Julia's sister Sabrina (Andra Millian) is convinced that Donald is innocent, and she prevails upon Jessica to prove it, leading our heroine down a twisted trail involving two entirely different sets of clues. This is the final episode of Murder She Wrote's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This time Jessica (Angela Lansbury) travels to Quebec, there to attend the trial of an old friend who has been charged with murdering his wife and then torching his house. In order to prove her friend's innocence, Angela ends up agreeing to serve as a witness. . .for the prosecution. The lawyers in the case are played by Claire Trevor and Patrick McGoohan, the latter making an amusing courtroom reference to the astonishing number of Jessica's nieces and nephews who've been accused of murder in the past! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A series of holdups in massage parlors culminates in murder, with several precincts working together to crack the case before things get worse. As result, John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) is forced to team with his estranged father, John Clark Sr. (Joe Spano), bringing the bad blood between John Sr. and Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) to a boil. In another case, a gang of thieves posing as exterminators prey upon elderly victims. After working hours, Andy tries to resist becoming permanent bodyguard for the eccentric Mrs. Hornby (Elmarie Wendel); Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) grows closer to Andy's son, Theo (Austin Majors); Valerie Haywood (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) is pregnant, and Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) is the father; and more ominously, new squad member Det. Rita Ortiz (Jacqueline Obradors) is harassed by her possessive husband, ADA Don Harrison (Stan Cahill). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
News at Eleven is a stacked-card study of journalistic ethics -- or rather, the lack of same. Martin Sheen stars as the well-respected senior anchorperson at a fictional San Diego TV station. Honcho news-director Peter Riegert insists that the news is becoming a tune-out, and demands more sensationalism in the coverage. When a junior high school teacher is accused of statutory rape, Riegert orders Sheen to exploit the story to the hilt. This results in a near-tragedy involving the high school girl who's accused the teacher. The conscience-stricken Sheen exacts a clever "hoist on his own petard" revenge for the unrepentant Riegert. Made for television, News at Eleven was actually telecast at 9 PM (EST) on April 2, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Sheen, Peter Riegert, (more)
This is a relatively early entry in the slice-n-dicer genre that while made in 1976, was not actually released until the early '80s. Like most of the subsequent slasher flicks, the terror begins when a few horny couples head out to a remote location for fun and frolic. Unfortunately, their sexploits are interrupted by a homicidal maniac wearing a mask. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Allport, James Doerr, (more)
- 1980
Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris is a fact-based TV movie, inspired by a book by Charles L. Mee. Penelope Milford stars as Kathy Morris, a 22-year-old Manhattan-based songstress. Kathy undergoes brain surgery to halt her occasional seizures. Unfortunately, her brain begins swelling, resulting in severe neurological damage. In a surprisingly dispassionate fashion, the film chronicles how Ms. Morris overcomes her handicap with the help of a skilled but brusque doctor (Leonard Nimoy), whose solicitous attitude towards his patient results in a reconciliation with his estranged wife. The Felliniesque climax of Seizure: The Story of Kathy Morris finds the real Kathy Morris taking over from Penelope Milford during a singing engagement. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
