James Loxley Movies
- 1994
- R
This suspenseful thriller follows the exploits of a young wife as she tries to escape from an abusive mate and ends up on the gritty city streets. Jenefer manages to get away from her husband but must give her baby up for adoption before she can do so. Alone on the scary streets she encounters Ola, a street-wise hooker who takes her under her wing. Ola also tries to protect Jenefer from the murderous Hassan, her pimp and king of the neighborhood. Ola sees Hassan brutally kill another whore, but refuses to testify against him. She resists McClaren, a harsh police officer, and his attempts to interrogate her. She is then deported. The suddenly bereft Jenefer gives into Hassan and becomes a prostitute. This helps her become stronger and streetwise so that she is finally able to confront and dispatch her husband in the blood-filled conclusion. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rae Dawn Chong, Kari Wuhrer, (more)
- 1988
- PG
The 1920s-era play The Front Page was about a Chicago reporter who wants to retire and get married but is tricked by his editor into doing one last story -- which proves to be complicated. It was made into a classic film in 1931 and inspired the 1940 hit movie His Girl Friday, in which the reporter was changed into a woman. Billy Wilder also remade the original film in 1974. Switching Channels is a 1988 remake of His Girl Friday, with Kathleen Turner in the starring role, which has now morphed into that of a cable television network news anchor, Christy Colleran. She wants to marry a rich and handsome sporting goods manufacturer, Blaine Bingham (Christopher Reeve) and move out of town. But her ex-husband, John L. Sullivan IV (Burt Reynolds), who is also her producer and boss, gives her one final assignment to try to keep her around. Her reporting leads her into an investigation of a jail escape that follows a botched-up execution. Writer Jonathan Reynolds updated the original material. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Turner, Burt Reynolds, (more)
- 1984
This by-the-numbers comedy stars Wayne Rogers and Karen Valentine as Alex and Annabelle Grier. Alex is a well-paid ad executive who is laid off during an economic downswing. In order to continue living in the manner to which she he is accustomed, Alex's wife Annabelle decides to look for work. Unfortunately, her practical experience is nil, so Alex labors behind the scenes, training his wife to become a top-drawer copywriter. Inevitably, when Annabelle finally does land a job, it turns out to be a major blow to Alex's ego. Initially titled Paper Castles, this made-for-TV movie was first shown December 18, 1984. TV Guide/Marrill ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- PG
Donald Sutherland plays a brilliant surgeon who becomes a media celebrity after performing an artificial-heart transplant. Jeff Goldblum, inventor of the ersatz heart, likewise basks in the glow of sudden fame. The only person to have reservations about the procedure is heart recipient Mare Winningham, who becomes depressed over the knowledge that she's not altogether human. Several ethical questions are raised and left unresolved; the film assumes that the audience is intelligent and perceptive enough to draw its own conclusions. Released in Canada in 1981, Threshold was not offered an American distribution until after the Barney Clark heart transplant of 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, John Marley, (more)
