David Yorston Movies
Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book character. Opening on Krypton (where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father), the film follows the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) as he's sent to Earth where he develops his alter-ego Clark Kent and is raised by a Midwestern family. In no time, the movie has run through his teenage years, and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet, where he is a news reporter. It's there that he falls in love with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who is already in love with Superman. But the love story is quickly sidetracked once the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) launches a diabolical plan to conquer the world and kill Superman. Superman: The Movie is filled with action, special effects and a surprising amount of humor. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1975
Northern Ontario is the setting for this compact suspenser. Dominic Hogan plays Fred, a psychotic would-be entrepreneur who hopes to convince his wife Janet (Gay Rowan) to invest in a shady land deal. The wife refuses, and the couple continue their violent argument while driving through the Ontario backwoods. When their car crashes, Janet is seriously injured, but Fred leaves the scene, hoping that his wife won't last the night. But she is saved by an ingenuous good samaritan, Al, played by Dan Hennessy, a Canadian actor best known in the US for his prolific cartoon voiceover work. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic Hogan, Gay Rowan, (more)
- 1973
- G
A research facility becomes a death trap, and only an untested Navy vessel can save the day in this adventure drama. A team of scientists led by Hal Hamilton (Michael J. Reynolds) is studying marine life in an underwater research station called Sealab. Shortly before the Sealab crew are scheduled to return to the surface, a massive underwater earthquake strands them at the bottom of the ocean. Project director Dr. Andrews (Walter Pidgeon), who had often fought to support the Sealab project against funding coordinator Norton Shepherd (Ed McGibbon), knows that he must act quickly to save the lives of those on board; he recruits Cmdr. Adrian Blake (Ben Gazzara) to use his new experimental submarine to find the Sealab and rescue the crew. Joining Blake on his mission are veteran sailor "Mack" McKay (Ernest Borgnine), his assistant Bob Cousins (Donnelly Rhodes), and Leah Jansen (Yvette Mimieux), a respected scientist and Hamilton's bride-to-be. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Yvette Mimieux, (more)
- 1968
This shoestring-budget science fiction drama finds astronauts plagued by a mysterious green slime that clings to the men's backs, then turns into tentacled, red-eyed creatures that kill their victims. Jack Rankin (Robert Horton) is sent to a space station commanded by Vince Elliot (Richard Jaeckel). The two have a personality clash but soon must set aside their differences to destroy an asteroid, believed to be the source of the rapidly multiplying slime. The object is obliterated, but the mysterious slime remains. This feature is believed to be the first to combine United States and Japanese productions for a film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Horton, Luciana Paluzzi, (more)
