Cher Movies
Born into a lower-income California family, actress/pop singer Cher (born Cherilyn Sarkisian) attempted to escape her poverty by entering show business as a go-go dancer at the age of 16. She met and married singer/promoter Sonny Bono, who lifted her from obscurity as half of the immensely popular singing duo Sonny and Cher. The diminutive, ebullient Bono and the tall, deadpan Cher became a top recording team (their big hit was "I Got You, Babe") and a regular guest act on the many variety shows of the period. Sonny and Cher continued their upward climb until musical tastes changed in the early '70s, whereupon they began concentrating on comedy sketches and kidding-on-the-square insults directed at one another in their own variety weekly, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, which enjoyed a successful three-year network run beginning in 1971. It was on this program that Cher, began sharpening her acting versatility in such sketch roles as brash housewife Laverne, sardonic waitress Rosa, and a whole slew of historical vamps. But Cher began to chafe at Bono's hold on her career and her private life, and the couple divorced in 1974. Both Sonny and Cher were starring on separate TV series that fall, but they also each faced poor ratings; so the pair decided to team up professionally once more in 1976 for a new Sonny & Cher Show, although Cher was now married to Gregg Allman and pregnant with their son Elijah. But the old chemistry was no longer there, and the new program was canceled in the following year.Bono eased out of show business for a successful political career, while Cher began seeking out film work. At first treated condescendingly by critics, she matured into a first-rate actress in such movies as Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982) (repeating her Broadway role), Silkwood (1983), Mask (1985), Suspect (1987), and Moonstruck (1987). She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Silkwood, received one for her role in Moonstruck, and shared a Best Actress award at Cannes for her supporting role in Mask. Something of an enigma in the show business world, Cher has managed to retain her stature as a highly respected film actress while promoting exercise videos and a line of cosmetics, in addition to recording new chart-topping songs and appearing in music videos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
In June 1998, the American Film Institute announced the top 100 films of the 20th century. The list was complied from a survey of 1,500 participants, including filmmakers, historians, critics, and other entertainment industry professionals. The AFI and CBS produced this multi-packet video feature that features film clips of those top films, including Citizen Kane, The Godfather, It's a Wonderful Life, Star Wars, and Gone With the Wind. This 145-minute special is hosted by Jodie Foster, Richard Gere, and Sally Field, and is annotated with features of the filmmakers like Martin Scorcese and Sidney Lumet. ~ Forrest Spencer, All Movie Guide
This road movie features Cher in her first title role. The story, written and produced by her husband Sonny, is the tale of Chastity, a wandering girl who goes hitchhiking across the U.S looking for adventure. She has taken on a new name and the attitude that she will spurn the advances of anyone who wants to give her more than a ride in their car. After fighting off several lecherous lunatics, she takes refuge in a bordello run by Diana Midnight (Barbara London). It turns out Diana has designs on Chastity in hopes she will not live up to her name. Chastity moves in with Eddie (Stephen Whittaker) for a few nights before hitting the road once again in this story written by Sonny Bono. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Barbara London, (more)
- 1992
- R
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Ever since her early days performing alongside the late Sonny Bono, multi-talented music diva Cher has captivated audiences worldwide. In this 1992 concert performance captured live at Las Vegas' Mirage hotel during her "Heart of Stone" tour, the legendary Cher performs eleven of her greatest hits. Songs featured in this performance include "I Found Someone", "If I Could Turn Back Time", "Takin' it to the Streets" and more. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher
After the chart topping hit "Believe" made Cher the oldest solo female artist to have a number one single, she set out on a successful concert tour where she played the biggest hits of her career to adoring fans, while donning a stunning array of outlandish outfits. This documentary captures one of the shows on that tour. Cher delivers over a dozen hits from every phase of her lengthy career including "I Found Someone," "Gypsies, Tramps, & Thieves," "The Shoop Shoop Song," "If I Could Turn Back Time," and "Believe." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher
Cher: The Farewell Tour features the Oscar-winning performer delivering close to two-dozen hits from every phase of her lengthy career. Originally aired on NBC, the special comes to home video with additional footage not seen in the original telecast. Among the hits performed by the beloved diva are "If I Could Turn Back Time," "The Shoop Shoop Song," "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves," "Heart of Stone," and the chart-topping dance hit "Believe." The DVD release of the special includes the video for "If I Could Turn Back Time." ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2004
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A true international superstar of pop music, Cher has earned a reputation for her one-of-a-kind visual style as much as for her powerful voice, and this video collection captures both the sound and image of Cher in 15 performance clips. Cher: The Very Best of Cher - The Video Hits Collection includes the songs "Believe," "If I Could Turn Back Time," "We All Sleep Alone," "The Shoop-Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)," "Half Breed," and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- NR
CherFitness: A New Attitude delivers just what you expect from a fitness program designed around the superstar's personal style. There's great rock music, a few jokes, costuming with flair, and an intensive workout to shape and tone the entire body. The routine consists of three segments. Following a brief warm-up is a 38-minute step workout, a ten-minute routine for abs and the back, and an effective 30-minute segment focusing on the hips and buns. Overall, the moves are consistently basic, easy to follow, and suitable for all fitness levels. ~ Sally Barber, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- NR
A fitness routine designed to help the participant gain confidence and feel great. Led by superstar Cher, the program has two segments. The first is a 38-minute "Hot Dance" routine that boosts the heart rate and metabolism. The dance steps are easy to follow and are a good aerobic lead-in to the toning section that completes the video. This section uses two heavy rubber weight bands (not included with video) and uses moves that are designed to sculpt and tone the muscles. Light hand weights can be substituted for the bands if desired. This video is a companion to the 1991 video Cherfitness: A New Attitude.
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
- 1982
- PG
Robert Altman directed this low-budget film version of the play by Ed Graczyk, also directed by Altman on Broadway with the same cast. The film takes place in the small Texas town of McCarthy in 1975. Inside of a five-and-dime store, a reunion is planned for the members of a local 1950s James Dean fan club. An odd assortment of women arrive, revealing hidden secrets, as Altman flashes back, showing the women as young James Dean fans, and then jumps forward to present day to reveal the ravages of time and lost innocence. Among the women returning for the reunion is Mona (Sandy Dennis), a disturbed woman who, in the '50s, got a job as an extra on the Giant shoot and nine months later gave birth to a son, who she claims is James Dean's child. There is Sissy (Cher), a wisecracking waitress, and also Joanne (Karen Black), who holds a shocking secret that is revealed at the reunion. Besides the three main players, a collection of supporting characters maneuver around the periphery. They are Stella Mae (Kathy Bates), the wife of a rich petroleum executive; Edna Louise (Marta Heflin), a shy, withdrawn woman with numerous children; Juanita (Sudie Bond), the manager of the five-and-dime store; and Joe Qualley (Mark Patton), a young man who likes to dress up in women's clothing. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandy Dennis, Cher, (more)
A hit man discovers the pros and cons of getting to know his victim in this dark comedy. Margaret (Cher) is supposed to be celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary, but she hardly feels like having a party; her marriage is in sad shape, her husband Jack (Ryan O'Neal) has just called to say he's going to be working late (she realizes this means that he's actually with his mistress), and she's sunk into a deep depression that borders on the suicidal. After a long bath, Margaret discovers that she's not alone in the house; Tony (Chazz Palminteri), a hit man, has been hired by Jack to knock her off (Margaret's death would mean a $5 million insurance claim for Jack), and he ties her to a chair, waiting for a call from Jack that signals he's out of town and that it's all right to proceed with the execution. With nothing to do while they wait, Tony and Margaret begin to talk; Margaret starts to feel like death isn't such a good idea after all, while Tony isn't so sure he wants to kill her anymore. Faithful was based on a stage play by co-star Palminteri; Robert DeNiro, who made his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale, written by Palminteri, served as co-producer for this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Chazz Palminteri, (more)
As its title suggests, the release Glen Campbell: Good Times Again actually culls and presents, in a single collection, an hour of the best performances from the now legendary musical variety series Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, which ran on CBS from January 1969 through June 1972. The 11 musical numbers herein find Campbell pairing up with such duettists as Anne Murray (one of the series mainstays), Linda Ronstadt, Ray Charles, Roger Miller, B.J. Thomas and others; Campbell also acts out a comedy sketch with Tom Smothers. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Pop singers Sonny and Cher are featured in this fluffy film that chronicles the popular duo's ideas for the film in which they are to make their cinematic debut. Much of the story centers around Sonny's movie fantasies as he tries to convince the studio head to use a more interesting script than the one he wants to present. Songs include: "I Got You Babe," "It's The Little Things," "Good Times," "Trust Me," "Don't Talk To Strangers," "I'm Gonna Love You" and "Just A Name." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Sanders, Norman Alden, (more)
The compilation film If These Walls Could Talk consists of three short films that each deal with the controversial issue of abortion. Although each of the stories is set in a different decade, the unifying element (aside from the subject matter) is that all three transpire in the same house. The first story stars Demi Moore as the widow of a soldier killer in combat. She becomes pregnant and does not feel it would be morally appropriate to have the baby. Because it is the '50s, she must attempt to secure an illegal abortion. The second story, set in the '70s, stars Sissy Spacek as a mother of a struggling family. Having successfully raised four children on a meager income, Spacek's character must now decide if she should seek an abortion after finding out she is expecting a fifth. The final story takes place in the '90s. Anne Heche portrays a grad student who crosses protestors' picket lines in order to consult a doctor (Cher) about having an abortion. The first two parts, "1952" and "1974," were directed by Nancy Savoca, and the last part, "1996," was helmed by Cher, in her directorial debut. If These Walls Could Talk aired originally on HBO. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
This is the true story of Rocky Dennis (Eric Stoltz), a personable young man suffering from "lionitis," a fatal disease which causes hideous facial disfigurement. The son of freewheeling biker Rusty Dennis (Cher), Rocky is accepted without question by his mom's boyfriends and cycle buddies, but treated with pity, condescension, and disgust by much of the outside world. The local high school principal tries to get Rocky classified as brain-damaged so he won't have to enroll the boy in his school, but Rusty fights for her son's rights with the ferocity of a mother lioness. Rocky makes friends easily both at school and at summer camp. He also falls in love with Diana (Laura Dern), a blind girl who cannot see his deformed countenance and is entranced by the boy's kindness and compassion. Now that he's got his own life in order, Rocky sets about to wean his chronically depressed mother from her drug habit. Mask is the sort of story that might have ending up wallowing in its own pathos had the acting, direction and scriptwriting (by Anna Hamilton Phelan) been anything less than very good. The film proved a much-needed financial success for director Peter Bogdanovich, though unfortunately it didn't come soon enough to stave off his declaring personal bankruptcy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Sam Elliott, (more)
There's no point in recounting the many production problems and personal hostilities which plagued the filming of Mermaids: the end result is all that matters. Set in the 1960s, the film details the relationship between an unorthodox, unmarried vagabond mother (Cher), and her two daughters. The 15-year-old (Winona Ryder), continually embarrassed by her flamboyant mother, wants to be the world's greatest Catholic; the nine-year-old (Christina Ricci) would be satisfied with becoming the world's champion swimmer. Moving with her family to New England, the older daughter falls in love from afar with the groundskeeper (Michael Schoeffling) from a nearby convent, while Mom takes up with a lonely salesman (Bob Hoskins). Mermaids is perceptively adapted from the warmly comic novel by Patty Dann. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Bob Hoskins, (more)
When there's a full moon over Brooklyn, anything can happen, and everything happens in the neighborhood where widowed bookkeeper Loretta Castorini (Cher) lives. First, Loretta agrees to marry a man she does not love, Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello), simply because he knows how to propose properly. Before the wedding can take place, Cammareri must visit his dying mother in Sicily. In his absence, Loretta is supposed to try to patch up the differences between Johnny and his brother, bakery operator Ronny Cammareri (Nicolas Cage). Having never forgiven Johnny for indirectly causing the accident that crippled him, Ronny flies into a rage whenever his brother's name is mentioned. He does, however, fall for Loretta like a ton of bricks. After a torrid affair, Loretta tries to avoid Ronny out of respect to Johnny, but he's just too fascinating to resist. Meanwhile, Loretta's father (Vincent Gardenia) is fooling around with his mistress Mona (Anita Gillette), while Loretta's mother (Olympia Dukakis) is wooed by a college professor (John Mahoney). These brief flings are forgiven and forgotten, but there's still the delicate situation of Loretta being in love with her future brother-in-law. A now-classic romantic comedy, Moonstruck won Oscars for Cher, Olympia Dukakis, and screenwriter John Patrick Shanley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Nicolas Cage, (more)
- 1988
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The secret word is "Happy New Year" as Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) and the Playhouse gang hold a Christmas party. Things threaten to get out of hand fairly early as the increasingly disappointed Pee-Wee receives one fruitcake after another. When he complains that he didn't get anything he really wanted, our hero learns an important lesson about sharing from none other than Santa Claus. Among Pee-wee's special guests are singers k.d. lang, Grace Jones, Dinah Shore, and the Del Rubio Triplets, "Beach Party" perennials Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon (who'd recently costarred with Pee-wee in the theatrical film Back at the Beach), the outrageous Little Richard (on ice-skates!) and such pop-culture giants as Oprah Winfrey, Charo, Cher, Joan Rivers, Magic Johnson, and even Zsa Zsa Gabor. Pee-wee Herman's Christmas Special first aired December 21, 1988 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reubens
This large, sprawling comedy directed by Robert Altman concerns a variety of romantic and personal intrigues that intersect against the backdrop of Paris's annual "Pret-a-Porter" fashion extravaganza. With 31 principal characters and a number of cameos from well known models, designers, actors and actresses, there's far too much going on to describe the film in a limited space, but Julia Roberts and Tim Robbins get stuck in a hotel room together, Danny Aiello wears a dress, Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni reignite their old passion (or at least try to), Stephen Rea humiliates a number of female journalists, Kim Basinger often looks dumbfounded, and Lyle Lovett plays a Texan (talk about imaginative casting!). Originally called Pret-a-Porter, this underwent a last-minute title change when the distributor discovered very few Americans understood what the French phrase means, with the English translation taking its place. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, (more)
- 2003
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While its best known as one of the great living institutions of American television comedy, Saturday Night Live has also earned a reputation as a great showcase for popular music, and this five-volume collection features many of the show's most memorable musical moments. Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music features both musically oriented comedy sketches from the show -- from Bill Murray's over-the-top lounge singer Nick Rovers and "Tom Snyder" (impersonated by Dan Aykroyd) interviewing Mick Jagger to Ana Gasteyer's impression of Celine Dion and Aerosmith appearing on "Wayne's World" -- as well as classic performances from SNL's many musical guests. Performers include Ray Charles, Billy Joel, the Grateful Dead, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Neil Young, R.E.M., Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Nirvana, Metallica, Roy Orbison, and many, many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1987
This 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Candice Bergen and features musical guest Cher. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Candice Bergen, Cher, (more)
Based on a true story, Silkwood begins and ends with Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) driving along a lonely road in 1974, heading to a meeting with a New York Times reporter to deliver evidence of negligence at the Kerr-McGee Plant in Cimarron, Oklahoma. The balance of the film flashes back to Karen's ribald private life with her lover (Kurt Russell) and her loose-living friends (Cher and Diana Scarwid). This is in contrast to her humdrum job at Kerr-McGee--or it least it was humdrum until Karen and several other employees become contaminated by radiation. The higher-ups want to sweep this incident under the rug, but Karen thinks that something's fishy, and informs the union of that fact. X-rays of the faulty fuel rods and written proof of the inadequate safety measures that caused Karen's illness are tampered with, forcing Karen to conduct her own private investigation. As she gathers evidence, Karen becomes a pariah to her boyfriend because of her obsession. She finally organizes the evidence into a briefcase, and heads off to her meeting with the Times reporter. She never makes it; the "official" report on her fatal auto accident is that Ms. Silkwood had been drinking and was under the influence of tranquilizers. Kerr-McGee was eventually forced to pay the Silkwood family an enormous settlement because of her contamination, but the full facts behind her convenient accident have never been revealed (though the filmmakers clearly indictate whom they hold responsible). Director Mike Nichols and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen surround this true story with a lively, improvisational atmosphere that gets the best out of Streep, Russell, and Cher, while providing perhaps the fullest on-screen realization of Nichols' theater-based techniques of realistic, character-centered, dialogue-driven filmmaking, as well as one of the first movie screenplays from future director Ephron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, (more)
Sixties Soft Rock from Passport Video isn't all that different from the accompanying Sixties Rock volume, except for the presence of the girl group the Dixie Cups in place of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs and the Kinks. Other acts on the disc include The Rascals, The Association, and The Turtles. The footage comes from the famous 60's music TV show Hullabaloo and features plenty of go-go dancing to go with the often live performances from these classic bands. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
- 1970
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Sonny and Cher, the popular '70s rock music duo, are featured in this humorous and musical video. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Bono, Cher, (more)
After tackling schizophrenia, obesity, and the inner workings of the vascular system (as represented by an animated Chris Rock), Peter and Bobby Farrelly set their comedic sights on a set of conjoined twins in this broad comedy. Written and directed by the non-twin Farrellys, Stuck on You stars Greg Kinnear and Matt Damon as, respectively, Walt and Bob Tenor, brothers who are so close, they're quite literally joined at the hip. While life in their sleepy, welcoming Martha's Vineyard burgh is comfortable -- the Tenor brothers are the quickest short-order chefs in town, unstoppable hockey goalies, and the most unlikely pair of dinner-theater thespians -- Walt longs to make good on his lifelong dream of becoming a professional actor. The shy, reticent Bob acquiesces to his self-assured brother's wish to move to Hollywood, in part to meet his longtime Internet romantic interest, May (Wen Yann Shih). The twosome finds Tinseltown to be less accommodating than life back east, however, as Walt and Bob come up against flea-ridden apartments, surly bar patrons, and a paucity of roles for actors with an extraneous person attached to them. Things begin to look up when they run into Cher on a studio backlot: Eager to end her commitment to star in a cheesy detective show, she casts Walt as her co-star, hoping the program will fail. When her plan backfires, however, the brothers find themselves on the cusp of fame and fortune -- and consider undergoing the risky surgery that could separate them forever. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Greg Kinnear, (more)
British filmmaker Peter Yates directs Suspect, a suspenseful courtroom drama set in Washington, D.C. After a Supreme Court justice commits suicide and a Justice Department secretary is found dead, a deaf-mute homeless veteran, Carl Wayne Anderson (Liam Neeson), is the suspected killer. Lonely yet dedicated public defender Kathleen Riley (Cher) is assigned to the case to represent Anderson. Suave lobbyist Eddie Sanger (Dennis Quaid) is on the jury, but he starts his own investigation by finding clues that prove Anderson's innocence. He shares his information with Kathleen, even though they could get arrested for talking about the case. Eventually, they develop a romance and reveal a conspiracy that leads to a twist ending. The mysterious conclusion involves a final courtroom scene presided over by Judge Matthew Helms (played by character actor John Mahoney, who would go on to co-star on the sitcom Frasier). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Dennis Quaid, (more)
