Jeff B. Cohen Movies
Music bridges a gap between two cultures in this made-for-TV drama. In 1957, Derek Sanders (Peter Scolari) is hired to teach music and direct the choir at Blanton Academy, a private school in South Carolina. Integration has not yet come to Blanton, and a number of students display an open hostility towards African-American in the community, most notably Taylor Bradshaw (Justin Whalin), one of the school bullies who makes no secret of his dislike of people of color. As Sanders tries to impress a more open-minded attitude upon the boys in his choir, he introduces a new vocalist to the group -- Landy Allen (Eugene Byrd), the teenaged son of Zeke (Moses Gunn), the school's black caretaker. Despite his initial enmity, Bradshaw strikes up a friendship with Allen based on their shared love for music, and as Allen teaches Bradshaw about the blues, he also finds himself learning about a people and a community he previously know almost nothing about. Noted folk-blues Richie Havens also appears in the film's supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1986
The 60-minute comedy Ask Max stars Jeff B. Cohen in the title role. A 12-year-old genius, poor Max is a washout socially. To impress his girl friend, he sells the design of his latest invention-a jumping bike-to a major toy company. The upshot of this is that Max is appointed a company vice-president (but he still hasn't quite won over that girl!) Cassie Yates, Ray Walston, and Glynn Turman costar, while Karem Abdul Jabbar makes a guest appearance. Ask Max originated as the November 2, 1986 installment of TV's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin wasn't alone when he noticed similarities between Goonies and the 1934 Our Gang comedy Mama's Little Pirate. Adapted by Chris Columbus from a story by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a group of misfit kids (including such second-generation Hollywoodites as Josh Brolin and Sean Astin) as they search for buried treasure in a subterranean cavern. Here they cross the path of lady criminal Mama Fratelli (Anne Ramsey) and her outlaw brood. Fortunately, the kids manage to befriend Fratelli's hideously deformed (but soft-hearted) son (John Matuszak), who comes to their rescue. The Spielberg influence is most pronounced in the film's prologue and epilogue, when the viewer is advised that the film's real villains are a group of "Evil Land Developers." The musical score makes excellent use of Max Steiner's main theme from The Adventures of Don Juan, not to mention contributions by the likes of Richard Marx and Cyndi Lauper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, (more)
