Lou Butera Movies
Take a trip to the streets of San Francisco for a fascinating look at twenty years of graffiti culture in this documentary from filmmaker Nic Hill. Some consider this stylized brand of street art an urban landscape eyesore, while others view it as a colorful expression of life in the city. Whatever side of the fence you fall on, Hill offers an informative take on the history of urban art by exploring the culture from which it has emerged, and offering informative interviews with the artists themselves. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG
- Add Police Academy 6: City Under Siege to QueueAdd Police Academy 6: City Under Siege to top of Queue
Who do you send after a gang of stump-dumb crooks? Who else but the most intellectually-challenged police force in America, in the sixth installment of the Police Academy series. The Wilson Heights Gang, three thieves whose success as criminals is in inverse proportion to their outwardly-displayed intelligence and criminal talent, are managing to terrorize the city in spite of themselves. The increasingly feeble Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) and his much-put-upon second-in-command Capt. Harris (G.W. Bailey) are instructed to bring the crooks to justice; of course, with the Police Academy regulars as their task force, that's much easier said than done. Bubba Smith, Michael Winslow, Leslie Easterbrook, Marion Ramsey, and Bruce Mahler are on hand once again as the comical cops; Peter Bonerz, a former regular on The Bob Newhart Show, stepped in as director. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bubba Smith, David Graf, (more)
Sean Penn graduated to full stardom with the 1984 drama Racing with the Moon, even though the film itself hardly set new box office records. Set in the early years of World War II, the film stars Penn as a small-town teen-aged hotshot, six weeks away from being shipped out to fight overseas. In the meantime, Penn begins to date Elizabeth McGovern, whom he assumes is from a wealthy family. Penn's pal Nicolas Cage, who's gotten his girlfriend Suzanne Adkinson pregnant, imposes upon Penn to hit up McGovern for the abortion money. That's when Penn discovers that the girl barely has a penny to her name. Convinced that Penn cared for her only when he thought she was rich, McGovern walks out on him, but later teams up with Penn to help the unfortunate Adkinson. The plot is pure James Dean, a fact not lost on fans who regarded Sean Penn as the second coming of Dean. A very slight piece, Racing With the Moon is buoyed by the engaging performances of the stars, and by director Richard Benjamin's meticulous attention to period detail-especially in those peerless bowling-alley and skating-rink sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, (more)
- 1980
James Coburn is "The Baltimore Bullet", a legendary pool player who's seen better days. Coburn "adopts" aspiring pool champ Bruce Boxleitner, teaching him practically everything he knows. As we know it must, the plot requires Coburn and Boxleitner to face each other in the climactic winner-take-all match. As much fun as Baltimore Bullet is, the film can't help but be dwarfed by the 1986 Hustler sequel The Color of Money. Ronee Blakely proves an appealing heroine, while several real-life pool greats (Willie Mosconi, Irving Crane, Steve Mizerak etc.) show up in cameo roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Coburn, Omar Sharif, (more)
