Peter Coyote Movies
There are several theories as to why Peter Cohon chose the stage name of Peter Coyote; for his part, the actor is reluctant to discuss an event that apparently was the end result of an evening's experimentation with controlled substances. In the late 1960s, Coyote quit his job as a dockworker to "turn on, tune in and drop out." With hair so long that he could sit on it (by his own admission), Coyote was a "fringie" with such varied organizations as the Grateful Dead and the Hell's Angels, and also worked for a while with a guerilla mime group. After years of deprivation, Coyote dropped back into society in 1975, accepting a job as a drama teacher at a public school. Rapidly approaching middle age, Coyote entered films with 1980's Die Laughing. Throughout the 1980s, he alternated between good guys, villains, and a vaguely defined stereotype known as "loser boyfriends." As the vengeful public prosecutor in The Jagged Edge (1985), Coyote turns out not to be the film's principal heavy; even so, we leave the picture disliking his character more than anyone else's. Leading roles came his way in such films as Exposure (1991), but even here he could not completely escape an aura of slime (his ostensibly heroic character burrows through the seamy underside of Rio in search of a prostitute's murderer). One of Coyote's few unconditionally "nice" roles was as the enigmatic scientist Keys in the champion moneymaker E.T. (1982). In the late 1990s, Coyote published Sleeping Where I Fall, a candid memoir of his years as a cultural drop out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1999
Actor Peter Coyote, of Roman Polanski's dark sex comedy Bitter Moon, narrates this History Channel series that examines human biology, art, humor, and attitudes regarding sex down through the ages. Directed by Melissa Peltier, this fourth of five episodes examines the greatly varying sexual mores held by various influential individuals and groups, including, but not limited to, Don Juan, the Pilgrims, Casanova, the Marquis De Sade, and Queen Victoria. The program is closed-captioned. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Actor Peter Coyote, of Roman Polanski's dark sex comedy Bitter Moon, narrates this History Channel series that examines human biology, art, humor, and attitudes regarding sex through the ages. Directed by Mark Hufnail, this last of five episodes examines the importance of sex to the movie industry, the pioneering Masters and Johnson study of human sexuality, the sexual revolution triggered by the simplicity and ease of the female birth control pill, the phenomena of Viagra, and the prevalence of pornography on the Internet. The program is closed-captioned. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Directed by William Tyler Smith, The Third Mind is a video montage of images, poetry, and music that chronicles the artistic joint venture of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek and Beat poet/playwright Michael McClure. The "third mind" (as described by Beat guru William Burroughs) that evolves from the collaboration of these two icons from the '60s is seen from conception to performance in this 58-minute film, which not only explores the history behind the partnership of Manzarek and McClure, but also what is behind the creative process. The film features comments from Jim Carroll, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, and others. ~ Kristin Alynn Hussein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote
- 1999
Based on a true story, this crime drama is adapted from Emily Mann's play about the murder of Harvey Milk (Peter Coyote), the first openly gay City Supervisor in San Francisco, who was assassinated along with Mayor George Moscone (Stephen Young) in 1978. While city employee Dan White (Timothy Daly) was found guilty of the crime, the charge was reduced from murder in the first degree to voluntary manslaughter when his lawyers claimed that White became emotionally unstable after eating too much junk food; this controversial and much-derided legal tactic became known as the "Twinkie Defense." White served five years in prison for the double murder before committing suicide in 1985. Execution of Justice was produced for the Showtime premium cable network. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Stephen Young, (more)
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Encompassing over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the very beginnings of the Empire, beginnings that are shrouded in mystery. Where did the Romans come from? How did they manage to subsume the empires around them? This episode is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Covering over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the military might of the Roman Empire. It examines the Roman legions, highly organized forces that stretched Rome's domination from the foggy hills of Scotland to the burning sands of Africa's deserts. Some of Rome's greatest military campaigns are described, including the war against Carthage and the great general Hannibal. Also examined are the changes in the Roman army over time and the dissolution and scheming that they led to. This tape is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Covering over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the political life of the Roman Empire. Through republics, dictatorships, and monarchies, the Roman people struggled to find a balance between absolutist policy and the inclusive, representative governments they claimed to value so highly. The rise of Julius Caesar is described in some detail. This episode is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Covering over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the years that would come to be known as the Pax Romana, the centuries of peace Rome imposed on the Mediterranean basin. The lasting legacy of that peace is seen through Roman-built roads, aqueducts, and enormous state buildings. The human cost of that peace is examined, contrasting the lives of Romans with those of the slaves that kept them in such style. This episode is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Covering over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the dissent raised by the Romans who protested the slide of the Empire into decadence. Coincident with this feeling was the rise of Christianity, and, of course, intensive efforts by the Empire to suppress the new religion. This episode is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Each episode of Rome: Power and Glory charts a chapter in the growth of one of the world's greatest empires. Covering over two million square miles and standing for nearly 1,300 years, the Roman Empire was crucial in determining the future direction and stance of the great empires that would follow her. Through the use of computer graphics, careful research, and re-creations, the lives of those who lived under the aegis of Rome spring to life. This particular episode focuses on the decline of the Empire, due primarily to succession of weak rulers unable to face down the army and an increasingly intransigent bureaucracy. The upshot of this decline was the decision of the Emperor Constantine to move the capital of the empire west, a move that for all intents and purposes plunged Europe into anarchy. This episode is narrated by Peter Coyote. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- R
Set in an apartment block in Santiago, Chile, Last Call follows three separate stories about three different sets of characters. Nico (Eric Michael Cole) is watching his brother's apartment while he's out of town on a photography assignment when his brother's significant other comes by, drunk and not interested in taking no for an answer. Elsewhere, a model named Helena (Elizabeth Berkley) finds herself held hostage by a stranger with a thick accent (Bastian Bodenhofer). And a shady salesman (Peter Coyote) is holed up in the basement, trying to arrange some sort of transaction with a pair of visitors from America (Elizabeth Rossa and Garrett Dillahunt). Last Call received its American premiere at the 1999 Hollywood Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Elizabeth Berkley, (more)
- 1999
Inspired by actual events, this made-for-television suspense story stars Michele Lee as Barbara Traynor, a wife and mother who has enjoyed a long and happy marriage to her husband Denny (Peter Coyote). However, the peace of her household is shattered when Denny is arrested for a murder that was committed 27 years ago in Oregon. Initially, Denny protests that he's never even visited Oregon, but evidence proves that Denny has been living a secret life hidden from Barbara and their children. However, despite the revelations about her husband and circumstantial evidence produced by the police, Barbara doesn't believe that Denny is a murderer, and she begins investigating the killing herself, trying to track down the only witness to the crime in an effort to clear Denny's name. A Murder on Shadow Mountain was based on the book Mountain Madness: A Deadly Night, A Bloody Secret by Jimmy Dale Taylor and Donald G. Bross. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Lee, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1999
Actor Peter Coyote, of Roman Polanski's dark sex comedy Bitter Moon, narrates this History Channel series that examines human biology, art, humor, and attitudes regarding sex through the ages. Directed by Mark Hufnail, this first of five episodes takes a look at sex in the olden days, including, but not limited to, documents concerning sex dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, information about ancient Egyptian contraceptive methods, and a peek at Roman orgies. The program is closed-captioned. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
Two people who've known the pain of loss and the sting of betrayal are brought together under trying circumstances in this romantic drama. Dutch van den Broeck (Harrison Ford) is a police detective based in Washington D.C. whose wife works for an upscale department store; flying to Miami on business, she dies shortly after takeoff in one of the worst aviation disasters in the city's history. However, Dutch finds out that his wife wasn't actually traveling on business: Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a prominent political figure whose husband was also killed in the crash, and Dutch and Kay discover that their spouses were on the plane together because they were having an affair. Random Hearts was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also worked with Harrison Ford on his previous film, Sabrina. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
- 1998
Larry Brothers scripted this adaptation of the James Lee Burke novel that begins in a Louisiana penal colony during the 1830s. After middle-aged Allison (Kris Kristofferson) and young Holland (Scott Bairstow) make an escape, they take along Sana, a Choctaw (Irene Bedard, of Disney's animated Pocahontas) and head for the encampment of Sam Houston (Tom Skerritt) in East Texas. When Holland and Sana get too close, Allison tells Holland to drop her, and the two ride off, leaving her in the dust. Eventually, they link up with Houston and Allison's longtime pal Jim Bowie (Peter Coyote), but Bowie is off to confront General Santa Anna (Marco Rodriguez) at the Alamo. After the battle, Allison and Holland meet widow Dickinson (Karey Green) at the Alamo ruins. This TV movie premiered January 18, 1997 on TNT. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kris Kristofferson, Scott Bairstow, (more)
- 1998
- Add National Geographic: The Battle for Midway to QueueAdd National Geographic: The Battle for Midway to top of Queue
This National Geographic documentary follows Dr. Robert Ballard, his crew, and four surviving veterans as they search for sunken Japanese and American warships. As Dr. Ballard sails toward Midway Island and the area of the famous World War II battle, a brief history of the conflict is shown using actual wartime footage, maps, and commentary from the four survivors (two Americans and two Japanese). Dr. Ballard's search for five Japanese ships is fruitless, but the team does manage to find the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier. The film follows Ballard down to the wreckage as he takes a mini-sub and team of underwater robots and dives 17,000 feet beneath the surface. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
The fact-based story of an unconventional physician who attempted to heal patients with laughter, based on his own book and mixing equal doses of scatological humor and pathos. Robin Williams stars as Hunter Adams, a troubled young man who commits himself to a mental institution in the late 1960s. His experiences there convince Adams to become a doctor, and he enrolls in medical school, where he is appalled at the cold, clinical professionalism that alienates patients from their caregivers. Determined to provide emotional and spiritual relief as well as medicine, Adams clowns around for his patients, getting to know them personally. Although his efforts seem to work wonders and the hospital nursing staff is grateful for the levity Adams provides, his methods alienate his uptight roommate Mitch (Philip Seymour Hoffman) as well as the staff and faculty of his school. Adams perseveres, however, even starting his own low-cost rural clinic called the Gesundheit Institute, and wooing a pretty fellow student, Carin (Monica Potter). Tragedy strikes, and Adams' career is put in jeopardy, forcing him to defend his style and philosophy before a board of jurists determined to bar him from practicing medicine. Patch Adams (1998) was produced by former M*A*S*H (1972-83) star Mike Farrell, who met the real-life Adams when the offbeat doctor served as an advisor to the actor's popular TV series. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Daniel London, (more)
Two lawmen find the call of corruption too loud to ignore in the drama Route 9. Booth Parker (Kyle MacLachlan) and Earl Whitney (Wade Williams) are two deputies in a small town who discover a crime scene along a deserted highway. There appears to have been a shoot-out with no living witnesses, and left in the dust by the side of the road are a van filled with illegal drugs and $1 million in cash. Booth and Earl are too weak to resist the urge to take the money, but when a federal agent (Roma Maffia) arrives to look into the case, they soon discover there's more to the crime than they originally expected. The knots become even more tangled when another sheriff (Peter Coyote), whose wife has been sleeping with Booth, starts sticking his nose into the case. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Peter Coyote, (more)
Barry Levinson directed this $100+ million adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction novel about the investigation of a half-mile-long spacecraft sitting on the South Pacific ocean floor. Government functionary Barnes (Peter Coyote) assembles a crack scientific team -- psychologist Dr. Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman), who wrote a presidential report on alien contact; biochemist Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), once involved romantically with Goodman; mathematician Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson); and astrophysicist Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber). After descending a thousand feet, they set up housekeeping at their underwater Habitat base, suit up, and enter the craft, finding evidence that it's a U.S. ship from the future. However, the craft's cargo of a shimmering, golden sphere is definitely alien. After Harry contrives to enter the sphere, Norman notes his odd behavior. When the Habitat computer system receives an email message from the sphere ("I am happy"), it's not long before the messages from this entity take a threatening turn ("I will kill you all"), triggering fears to surface along with violent attacks to the Habitat. The film is divided into chapters, such as "The Ride Down," "The First Exchange," and "The Monster." Shot on soundstages at the abandoned Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California), the effects combine animation, miniatures, prosthetics, animatronics, and digital images. Ed Asner reads the Sphere audiobook. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, (more)
- 1998
- R
An alcoholic cop turned private eye falls for the woman he's hired to investigate in this thriller produced for cable network HBO. Monied Zachariah Dodd (James Read) wants to divorce his wife, Eve (Gloria Reuben), so he hires recovering drunk Michael Nash (Luke Perry) to spy on her, hoping to prove she's an adulteress. Michael instead learns that she's a kindly woman who takes care of her elderly mother -- and endures physical abuse at Zachariah's hands. When Eve tries to commit suicide by drowning herself, he rescues her. Soon, the investigator and his subject find themselves caught up in a passionate affair. One night, Eve shows up claiming to have killed her husband after another domestic incident. Michael helps her cover up the crime and soon finds himself under suspicion of murder. Only attorney Beth Sussman (Lisa Edelstein), Michael's friend and employer, can save him from the meticulous detective (Peter Coyote) who's out to get him. Director Marc Bienstock previously collaborated with screenwriter Vladimir Nemirovsky on another thriller, 1997's The Beneficiary. Nemirovsky himself appears in the cast of Indiscreet, alongside Beverly Hills 90120 vet Luke Perry and ER actress Gloria Reuben. Indiscreet bears no relation to any of the earlier films of the same name -- not even the 1931 musical starring a different Gloria -- Gloria Swanson. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Perry, Gloria Reuben, (more)
Real estate agent Maceda (Chris Sarandon) once testified against drug trafficker Orosco (Miguel Najera). Now Orosco is out of prison, and Maceda has a problem. He flees, hiding out at a near-vacant California Central Valley inn where innkeeper Kat (Mariel Hemingway) is happy to have him sign the register. His presence, however, arouses the suspicions of lone cop Gilchrist (Dennis Hopper). Meanwhile, Fed agent Gere (Peter Coyote) hopes to track Maceda before Orosco's thugs pick up the scent. Shown at the 1997 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Peter Coyote, (more)
- 1997
In this science-fiction-tinged drama a wily serial killer leads the FBI to take extreme measures: in order to catch him, they implant cells from another woman's brain into the head of a rookie agent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicollette Sheridan, Stacy Keach, (more)
- 1997
Originally aired on PBS, Nature: John Denver -- Let This Be a Voice follows the late Denver piloting a private plane above American scenery. The singer was known for his great appreciation of nature's splendor, and the soundtrack is supplemented by several of his songs. Ironically, Denver died in a plane crash shortly after the filming. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1997
This video takes the armchair traveler to the Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The park covers over six million acres in the Alaskan range. It is home to myriad species of plants and animals. The film surveys the sweeping majesty of the landscape, from alpine meadows to tundra fields to rugged mountains. The most celebrated of these peaks is Denali, formerly called Mt. McKinley. Denali, "the high one," is the Athabascan Indian name for this highest peak in North America. Its summit reaches 20,320 feet, with a vertical relief of 18,000 feet, the greatest of any mountain in the world, including Mt. Everest. The film shows many of Denali Park's inhabitants, including wolves, grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, deer, lynx, wolverines, frogs, and birds. Northern lights dazzle the viewer with their brilliant display. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
Iconoclastic director John Dahl used a screenplay by John Geddie as the basis for this far-fetched story of a man -- suspected of killing his wife -- who borrows murder victims' memories to track the real culprit. Ray Liotta plays Dr. David Krane, a Seattle medical examiner charged with murdering his wife Cara (Caroline Elliot). Charges are dropped because a police officer mishandled evidence. Krane has recovered from alcoholism and is obsessed with proving his innocence. While investigating a store shooting, he discovers clues that convince him that the murderer also killed his wife. Krane attends a lecture by researcher Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino), who is studying a technique to transfer memory that involves injecting rats with the spinal fluid of other rats combined with a serum that she has perfected. Krane steals the serum, breaks into a police evidence room and steals his wife's spinal fluid, and injects himself, even though Briggs has warned that the technique may lead to heart attacks in humans. It's not until Krane has injected himself with the fluid of the store shooting victims that he gets a clear picture of the presumed killer, Eddie Dutton (Kim Coates). ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
