Christopher Collins Movies
Comedian and actor Christopher Collins frequently worked on television series of the late '80s and early '90s; he also appeared in a handful of feature films. Collins appeared in many radio and television commercials as well as having a steady career as a voice artist for children's cartoons. A native of East Orange, NJ, Collins was the son of stage actor Robert James Latta. Before launching his career, the comic studied at the New York University School of the Arts and with famed mime Etienne de Croux in Paris. He got his start performing standup in New York comedy clubs and as a guest on the cable TV show Night at the Improv. Collins won the San Francisco International Standup Comedy Competition in 1990 and went on to guest star in a variety of television series ranging from NYPD Blue, Seinfeld, Doogie Howser, M.D., Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Mr. Belvedere. Collins launched his film career in 1989 with a small role in Road House. His subsequent film credits included Blue Desert (1991) and A Stranger Among Us (1992). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2002
The feature-length debut of Francesca Joseph, Tomorrow La Scala!, is about an unusual production of a musical. Victoria (Jessical Stevenson) is the head of a small opera company that goes to maximun-security Seaworth Prison to mount a staging of Sweeney Todd. Gurad Kevin (Shaun Dingwell) warns the troupe of the restrictive behavior expected from them. Janey (Samantha Spiro) is in charge of costumes and she resists the tamping down of her natural flamboyance. The inmates and the theater group learn from each other during the rehearsals. Tomorrow La Scala! was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Stevenson, Samantha Spiro, (more)
In this artful blend of suspense and black comedy, a woman who wants to find out the truth about the murder of her boyfriend finds out more than she ever suspected. When Sean (Stuart Laing) is found dead after attending a particularly uninhibited party, his girlfriend finds it hard to believe that his passing was entirely accidental, and she begins doing some amateur detective work on the matter. In time she discovers three minor-league public figures were the last to see him alive -- Angel Farnham (Con O'Neill), Andrea Wallis (Frances Barber), and Harry Roberts (James Fleet). The deeper the woman digs into the lives of these three, the more disturbed she becomes about the strange and sordid society that they inhabit, and she's drawn into a dark netherworld of crime and corruption. 3 Steps to Heaven was written and directed by Anglo-Greek filmmaker Constantine Giannaris; the film was purchased for American distribution by Miramax in 1995, but it was not seen in the United States until its video release in 2005. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Three aging Klingon Warriors arrive on Deep Space Nine to makes certain that a blood oath made 80 years earlier by Curzon Dax be fulfilled. Though startled to learn that Curzon Dax has metamorphosed into Jadzia Dax, the Klingons insist that she honor the oath. As a result, Dax is torn between honor and duty, a not uncommon dilemma on DS9. Though heavily disguised by the makeup staff, the Klingons are played by three highly recognizable character actors: John Colicos, Michael Ansara and William Campbell. First telecast March 26, 1994, "Blood Oath" was written by Peter Allan Fields. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
When he insults one fat female customer too many, Al (Ed O'Neill) is ordered to go for three weeks without "blowing up" on the job--or else! Angry over being persecuted by the minions of Political Correctness, Al and his fellow NO MA'AM members embark upon a long and (needlessly) difficult journey to commiserate with legendary machismo guru Ironhead Haynes (guest star Waylon Jennings), who lays down his "Nine Commandments" of male chauvinism. This episode marks the final appearance of Hill Harper as Aaron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Alien criminal Rao Vantika (James Harper) is brought on board Deep Space Nine by security officer Ty Kajada (Caitlin Brown). When Rao dies en route to prison, it seems as though everyone's troubles are over. But Ty warns that the danger has just begun; Rao's consciousness lives on in the body of an unwitting DS9 crew member. Initially airing February 20, 1993, "The Passenger" was scripted by Morgan Gendel, Robert Hewitt Wolfe and Michael Piller, from an original story by Gendel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Detective Sharon LaSalle (Wendy Makkena), who'd attended Police Academy with Kelly (David Caruso), joins the unit. Before long, LaSalle's ex-cop husband is killed, and Kelly and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) are assigned to investigate. Elsewhere, detective Medavoy (Gordon Clapp), having left his wife, discovers that his feelings toward Donna (Gail O'Grady) are mutual. And a drunken woman turns out to be more than "just talk" when complaining about her husband. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
When a group of women invade the sanctity of Al's bowling alley and favorite nudie bar, Al (Ed O'Neill) retaliates by creating his own anti-feminist group, the National Organization of Men Against Amazonian Masterhood--or NO MA'AM for short. The group's first act is to stage a coup at the TV talk show "The Masculine Feminist", bind and gag host Jerry Springer--yes, THAT Jerry Springer--and deliver their macho manifesto. Dan Tullis Jr. makes his first series appearance as Officer Dan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When a Jewish jeweler is found dead and his store is missing more than one million dollars in diamonds, a New York police detective (Melanie Griffith) goes undercover in a community of Hasidic Jews to find the criminal. Once she is immersed in the community, she falls in love with one of the most devout members, who helps her find the criminal. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Eric Thal, (more)
Despite his status as a major action star, Sylvester Stallone has made a number of attempts to remodel himself as a comic actor; one of his more infamous efforts in this direction was Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot!. Police detective Joe Bromowski (Sylvester Stallone) has just broken off his relationship with his girlfriend (and fellow police officer) Gwen Harper (JoBeth Williams), so Joe's mother Tutti (Estelle Getty) decides it's time to pay him a visit. Tutti proceeds to make Joe's life miserable by nagging him about his clothes, cleaning his apartment, washing his gun, tagging along on investigations, and somehow getting involved with a gun-running organization that the police have been trying to infiltrate. After this film, Stallone would stay away from comedy until 1997, when he played a cameo in another unenthusiastically received film, An Alan Smithee Film -- Burn, Hollywood, Burn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Estelle Getty, (more)
- 1991
- G
Mr. "No Respect" Rodney Dangerfield appears as cartoon character "Rover Dangerfield" in this animated effort dreamed up by the irrepressible comedian. The cartoon dog has to leave his Las Vegas home and ends up on a small farm in nowheresville USA, where his big-city ways aren't always appreciated by a more genteel folk. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rodney Dangerfield, Susan Boyd, (more)
- 1991
- R
Charles Lane directed Andy Breckman's script, based on an old "Saturday Night Live" sketch of Breckman's that featured Eddie Murphy. Comic Lenny Henry takes Murphy's place in True Identity as a black man forced to don white face in order to save his life. Henry plays Miles Pope, an agreeable British actor whose luck sours when he finds out that businessman Leland Carver (Frank Langella) is actually a notorious underworld mobster. Carver now wants to rub Miles out and the only way that Miles can escape Carver's retribution is to disguise himself as a man named Frank LaMotta, the Italian-American killer that Carver has hired to kill him. During the story, Miles finds that he has to assume a variety of roles to keep from getting shot --a gay real estate agent, a British lord, James Brown's brother Val, and even Othello. But the biggest shock for Miles comes when he plays the white man and discovers that he is given preferential treatment --not only by whites, but also by blacks and Hispanics. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lenny Henry, Frank Langella, (more)
Long before she was in Friends, Courteney Cox had to deal with a few enemies in Blue Desert. A rape victim, Cox is given the runaround by the New York police. Fed up with city life, she heads for the wide open spaces of Arizona. Not long afterward, she is propositioned by lowlife Craig Sheffer. She reports this to sympathetic local cop D.B. Sweeney, who replies matter-of-factly that this is not the first time that Sheffer has been accused of a sexual offense. To her amazement, Cox is later visited by Sheffer, who agitatedly warns her not to trust the supposedly sweet-natured Sweeney. Someone is lying about something-and Cox plain doesn't know who to believe. When she finally finds out, it's nearly too late. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Courteney Cox Arquette, D.B. Sweeney, (more)
Love, treachery, and broken furniture are the hallmarks of this rollicking action drama. Dalton (Patrick Swayze) has a Ph.D., but rather than make a living teaching Socrates at some university, he's opted to become a top-drawer "cooler" -- an expert barroom bouncer who can break up fights without getting himself killed in the process. Dalton is hired to keep the peace at the Double Duce, a rough-and-tumble honky tonk in Jasper, Missouri, where beer-soaked free-for-alls are a nightly event. Dalton is hurt on his first night on the job, and he is patched up by "Doc" Clay (Kelly Lynch), a beautiful woman working as the town's physician. Dalton and Doc immediately hit it off, but Dalton learns that another man, Brad Wesley (Ben Gazzara), already has his eye on her. Wesley is a man used to getting his way; he's an extortionist and crime boss who has nearly everyone in Jasper under his thumb, and he sets out to teach Dalton a lesson, while Dalton is determined to clean up the town like he breaks up brawls at the Double Duce. Sam Elliott plays Dalton's mentor Wade, and Red West, a one-time member of Elvis Presley's "Memphis Mafia," appears as Webster; Canadian blues-rock guitarist Jeff Healey leads the Double Duce house band. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Kelly Lynch, (more)
- 1989
The Enterprise transports Picard to Starbase Scylla 515 for a heart operation. During his absence, Geordi is taken hostage by the Pakleds, a group of primitive aliens who are in dire need of Geordi's technical expertise. The rest of the episode cuts back in forth between Picard's fight for life and Geordi's efforts to save himself and his "hosts." Written by Robert L. McCullough, "Samaritan Snare" was originally broadcast May 20, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Cmdr. Riker is chosen as the first Federation officer to participate in an exchange program with the Klingons. He is assigned to take charge of the Klingon vessel Pagh, fully intending to take whatever comes with the territory, including a meal of serpent worms and a strange bacteria which seems to have infested the ship. Disaster looms when Riker's new superior, Klingon Captain Kargon, assumes that the bacteria is the handiwork of the Federation and orders Riker to attack and destroy the Enterprise. Originally telecast February 11, 1989, "A Matter of Honor" was written by Burton Armus, Wanda M. Haight, and Gregory Amos. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
