Peter Fernandez Movies

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: 1983

Syndicated in America as part of the Greatest Tales Productions package, this half-hour version of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was produced in Japan, possibly as the pilot for that country's 24-episode series Fushigi no kuni no Alice. The story focuses mainly on Alice's first Wonderland encounters, including the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Providing voices for the US version of this special were the same actors who previously dubbed such imported "anime" series as Speed Racer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starring:: Peter Fernandez, Gilbert Mack, (more)

The Super Inframan: 1976

A Chinese volcanic eruption frees a number of prehistoric monsters into the modern world, and only the superhero Infra-Man can save the day. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Starring:: Li Hsiu-hsien, Wang Hsieh, (more)

Speed Racer: Episode 40: The Man Behind the Mask: 1967

Technically speaking, the Japanese anime adventure series Speed Racer has yielded only one season's worth of episodes -- but it's a big season, 52 half-hours strong! The re-dubbed and reedited American version of this property remains relatively faithful to the Japanese original, Mach Go Go Go, though some of the more violent passages have been muted or excised, and additional emphasis has been placed upon "comic relief" characters Spridal (the kid brother of hero Speed Racer) and Chim Chim the monkey. The opening episode not only introduces Speed Racer and his jet-powered Special Formula Mach 5 racing car, but is also generous enough to explain the functions of each of the seven buttons on the car's control panel: Button "A" activates the jets, "B" handles the special-grip tires in case of rugged roads, "C" starts the rotating saws that enable the car to cut through heavy foliage, "D" puts into place the mechanism that deflects bullets and other missiles, "E" switches on the long-range headlights, "F" is used for underwater driving (oxygen tanks, periscope, et al.) and "G" ships out the tiny robot bird which delivers messages to Speed's friends Trixie and Sparky, and to his mom and dad. Later episodes establish the omnipresence of the mysterious Racer X, who always seems to be on hand when one of the characters whom we care about is in danger; the annoying tendency of Spridal and Chim Chim to stow away in the Special Formula Mach 5 when Speed tells them to go home and stay out of trouble; and the astonishing number of criminals: enemy, spies, and other lowlifes who seem to have but a single purpose in mind: to destroy Speed's car, and Speed with it! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starring:: Jack Grimes, Corinne Orr, (more)

City Across the River: 1949

This slightly bowdlerized version of Irving Shulman's The Amboy Dukes was used by Universal-International to showcase several of its new male contractees. Set in the slums of Brooklyn, the film follows the exploits of the Amboy Dukes, a teenaged street gang. Foremost among the Dukes is Frank Cusack (Peter Fernandez), who loses all opportunity to escape his grim existence when he accidentally kills his high-school teacher. The film tries to demonstrate that the so-called "code of the streets"--never rat on a pal--is possibly more destructive than any brass knuckle or switchblade. Maxwell Shane and Dennis Cooper's screenplay resists any temptation to sentimentalize the kids or trivialize their plight; the closest the film comes to comedy relief are the shattered romantic illusions of the near-moronic Crazy Perrin. Prominent among the supporting players are Thelma Ritter as Frank Cusack's anguished mother, Stephen McNally as a community center counselor, and Anthony (Tony) Curtis as the leather-jacketed gang leader. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starring:: Stephen McNally, Thelma Ritter, (more)

Speed Racer: 2008; PG; Add Speed Racer to Queue Add Speed Racer to top of Queue

The Matrix masterminds Andy and Larry Wachowski usher anime icon Tatsuo Yoshida's classic 1960s-era hit into the new millennium with this family-friendly story of a young racecar driver who takes on the mysterious Racer X in a custom-made, gadget-loaded speed machine named the Mach 5. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is the kind of driver that every wheelman wishes he could be: a born winner whose unbeatable combination of aggression, instinct, and fearlessness always finds him crossing the checkered flag with a comfortable lead. In Speed Racer's mind, the only driver who could present him with any real challenge is his late brother -- the legendary Rex Racer. Rex died in a heated cross-country rally known as The Crucible many years ago, and now his younger sibling is driven to fulfill the legacy that Rex left behind. To this day, Speed Racer is fiercely loyal to family. It was Speed Racer's father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the unbeatable Mach 5, and even a lucrative offer from racing giants Royalton Industries isn't enough to get the young ace to break his family ties.

Upon turning down Royalton's (Roger Allam) astronomical offer, Speed Racer makes the shocking discovery that the outcomes of the biggest races are being predetermined by a handful of powerful moguls who pad their profits by manipulating the drivers. Realizing that his career would be ruined if word of the fix gets out, Royalton vows that the Mach 5 will never make it to another finish line. Now, the only way for Speed Racer to save the family business and beat Royalton at his own game will be to win the very same race that claimed his brother's life so many years ago. In order to accomplish that formidable feat, however, Speed Racer will not only have to rely on his family and the aid of his longtime girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), but form a tenuous alliance with his longtime rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide