Bryan Cranston Movies
A familiar face to a nation of television viewers thanks to his role as the more-than-slightly demented father on the popular FOX sitcom Malcolm in the Middle, longtime stage and screen actor Bryan Cranston has had a rich and varied career, lending his talents to everything from anime voice work (Armitage III and Macross Plus) to daytime television (as an original cast member of Loving). His commanding but off-kilter presence and quirky charm have easily provided Cranston with the necessary range to essay such diverse roles, and the longtime actor can always be counted on to inject a healthy dose of personality into his performances, no matter how large or small the role may be.Though the San Fernando Valley native made his television debut as a commercial actor at the age of eight, it wasn't until college that Cranston truly realized his calling as an actor. Following college graduation, Cranston's passion eventually drew him to Daytona Beach, FL, where the burgeoning actor appeared in such community-theater productions as Barefoot in the Park and Death of a Salesman. In 1982, he joined the cast of the then-new soap opera Loving, and though he would only remain with the daytime drama for a short time, appearances in Airwolf and Hill Street Blues, among various other series, found the actor maintaining a notable presence on television. Following a series of supporting feature performances, Cranston moved back to the small screen with a regular role in the 1988 sitcom Raising Miranda. In the years that followed, he would frequently shift between film (Clean Slate) and television (The Louie Show) while supplementing his income with voice-over work for such popular anime series as Armitage III.
Supporting performances in such high-profile features as That Thing You Do! and Saving Private Ryan helped to increase the busy actor's recognition factor, and in 1999, Cranston wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his first feature film, a low-key drama entitled Last Chance. Though the film failed to gain much attention, Cranston was soon receiving numerous positive notices for his Emmy-nominated role as the hapless father in the breakout television hit Malcolm in the Middle. His performance alternately eccentric and endearing, Cranston injected the role with the perfect balance of fatherly weirdness and down-to-earth charm, and the series embarked on a healthy run. In the years that followed, Cranston became an increasingly familiar face to television and film viewers, and in addition to offering vocal work for the short-lived animated television series Clerks, he would contribute to such family-friendly fare as 'Twas the Night and The Santa Claus Brothers. After taking the lead in the 2003 made-for-television feature Thanksgiving Family Reunion, Cranston could be spotted opposite screen legend Kirk Douglas in the 2004 drama The Illusion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In this holiday-themed comedy, Danny (Josh Zuckerman) is a teenage boy who doesn't always have the good sense to ignore the bad advice of his Uncle Nick (Bryan Cranston), a good-natured small-time con man. The night before Christmas, Danny and Uncle Nick make an amazing discovery -- Santa Claus has designed a new, state-of-the-art sleigh, and Danny and Nick can't resist the temptation to take it out for a ride. But once they head out, the question becomes: can they get the sleigh back in one piece -- and in time for Santa to deliver his toys? Produced for The Disney Channel, 'Twas the Night first aired on December 7, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Josh Zuckerman, (more)
The 1987 portmanteau comedy feature Amazon Women on the Moon lampoons several film genres in general and the 1954 sci-fi cheapie Cat Women of the Moon in particular. Other sketches in Amazon Women include an opening bit with Arsenio Hall; a vignette titled "Son of the Invisible Man" wherein a naked Ed Begley Jr. runs around in full view of the nonplussed supporting cast; the It's Alive parody "Hospital", which offers the spectacle of Michelle Pfeiffer giving birth to Mr. Potato Head; and a Siskel & Ebert takeoff, featuring Arche Hahn as a TV viewer whose entire life is given a "thumbs down." Directed by several hands, including Joe Dante, Carl Gottleib, Peter Horton, John Landis, and Robert K. Weiss, Amazon Women on the Moon also features a satire of the Kroger G. Babb school of "sex hygiene" exploitation cheapies, with syphilis victim Carrie Fisher being counseled by unctuous doctor Paul Bartel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Bellamy, (more)
- 1997
Captain Sheridan and Delenn summon their forces for a final showdown with both the Vorlons and the Shadows. Londo's ruthlessness pays off when he receives a promotion in the Royal Court of Centauri. And as G'Kar struggles to escape, Centauri Emperor Cartagia (Wortham Kimmer) has his own rendezvous with destiny. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "The Long Night" was syndicated to American television during the week of January 27 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 2009
Things go from breaking bad to breaking worse for Walter White (Bryan Cranston), the cancer-stricken chemistry teacher, and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul), his former student and partner-in-crime, in Season 2 of the drama about two methamphetamine cookers. Having watched drug dealer Tuco (Raymond Cruz) "beat a dude to death...for nothing," Walt and Jesse decide they need to cut ties with the psychotic pusher. Impetuous Jesse devises a half-baked plan of attack, but cooler-headed Walt has a more surefire way to get rid of Tuco. Once free of him, Walt and Jesse face a new pair of problems. First, their business takes a financial hit, and second, Walt's brother-in-law, DEA agent Hank (Dean Norris), gets a major break in the investigation into the meth ring-and it just may put Walt and Jesse in his crosshairs. In response, Walt cooks up an elaborate ruse that has him spinning intricate webs of deceit and misdirection, while a rattled Jesse establishes a shaky alibi that places him in Hank's sights. To get their product back on the streets, Jesse organizes a crew of dealers, and one of them is jacked by two drug-addled losers who make off with his stash and cash. Arguably the season's most riveting episode, it ends in a shocking scene of crushing finality. Meanwhile, on the home front, Skyler (Anna Gunn) is extremely concerned about Walt's mysterious disappearances. When he finally makes overtures to reconnect with the family, she keeps him at arm's length, still wondering what he's been up to while he was away. As for Jesse's personal life, he once again finds himself on the streets, and his quest for living quarters not only proves successful, but lands him a girlfriend as well. ~ Ray Stackhouse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston, Anna Gunn, (more)
Dana Carvey plays a private detective who forgets everything when he goes to sleep at night, waking up each morning with a "clean slate," in this hit-and-miss comedy that plays like a companion piece to the much funnier Groundhog Day. Pogue (Carvey) is afflicted with his unique form of amnesia after getting injured in a car explosion. With the aid of a mysterious woman (Valeria Golino) who allegedly died in the bombing, he must find a priceless coin and evade the murderous clutches of the mobster (Michael Gambon) who executed the explosion and who wants to silence Pogue before he can testify against him. Carvey fares reasonably well in his role, but the best moments are provided by Pogue's dog, a one-eyed Jack Russell named Barkley who makes a habit out of running into things headfirst. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Valeria Golino, (more)
Two business rivals, a domineering careerwoman (Mary Crosby) and her rival (Peter Scolari), make life hard for each other while scratching their way to the top. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Scolari, Mary Crosby, (more)
- 1991
Dead Silence begins with a spring-break spree and ends with a chain reaction of duplicity. Three inebriated college girls, driving along a lonely road, strike and kill a pedestrian. Rather than ruin their futures, the girls cover up their crime, vowing one another to silence. But months later, the body is discovered, and the ladies find that one among them is planning to incriminate the others. Originally networkcast as a Fox Night at the Movies, Dead Silence is distinguished by its second-generation star lineup: Martin Sheen's daughter Renee Estevez and Robert Mitchum's granddaughter Carrie play two of the coeds. The third is played by Lisanne Falk, who isn't related to Peter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
Set in the further reaches of the galaxy, this sci-fi horror film, a cross between Forbidden Planet and Alien, tells the story of a spaceship commander's battle to protect the universe against the terrifying mutation-causing virus that threatens to wreak havoc upon the planet Phabton. The creatures created by the disease are nearly unstoppable so Commander Steve Kreiger has his hands full. The irony of the situation is that the sharp-fanged virus monsters came about as the result of Phabton scientist's attempts to create a virus to destroy the deadly Delta-Five virus ravaging the planet. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Singer, Laura Tate, (more)
- 1994
This unique, erotic film is a compilation of four separate vignettes done by four different artists. The first episode, "Let's Talk about Love," focuses on a phone-sex worker, Rosie, who finds herself attracted to a regular caller. The story focuses upon their conversations and upon the revenge she exacts from him after she learns the truth. In the second, "Taboo Parlor," two lesbians plan to go out and make it with a man. They go to Taboo Parlor, a local club which is managed by Hilde and Franz. In the third episode, "Final Call," a teacher who gets attacked on a train begins a relationship with her rescuer. The fourth episode, " Wonton Soup," examines an Australian-born Chinese man and his ex-girlfriend from Hong Kong, who reunite after years apart. In an effort to reconnect, the man prepares an evening of gourmet food and Chinese sexual techniques for the ex-girlfriend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Cranston
Originally aired on HBO and directed by Apollo 13 star and space enthusiast Tom Hanks, among others, From the Earth to the Moon explores the ups and downs of space travel, beginning with President Kennedy's famous speech before Congress on May 25, 1961, and chronicling the journey to putting the first man on the moon. This highly acclaimed, Emmy-nominated, 12-episode series is available in a six-tape VHS set and a four-disc DVD set. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Andrews, Bryan Cranston, (more)
- 1998
President John F. Kennedy issued the challenge to America in a speech to Congress in 1961: Land a man on the moon within the decade. This HBO mini-series, produced by Tom Hanks, chronicles the story of NASA's efforts to carry out the vision. In episode six, the goal is in sight, as astronauts Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong, and Buz Aldrin take off on a historic flight to the moon, and Neil Armstrong makes that "one small step for a man" onto the moon's surface. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Based on a true story, the two-part TV movie I Know My First Name Is Steven tells the tragic story of Steven Stayner. At age seven, Steven was kidnapped by two men who held him captive in a tiny shed for seven years. One of the men, a habitual child abuser named Kenneth Parnell, sexually assaulted Steven on an almost daily basis during the boy's ordeal. At age 14, Steven finally was able to escape and return to his family. But we are shown that Steven's safe return was far from the happy ending it appeared to be. He's forced to adjust to a family he'd never really known, to convince himself that his parents had never forgotten him, and to put his seven-year hell behind him. While I Know My First Name Is Steven ends on an upbeat note, the real Stayner died in a motorcycle accident only a few months after this film was first telecast in May 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Michael A. Goorjian's Illusion tells the tale of a dying film director who, after leading a lavish life of fame and fortune, finds out too little too late what it truly means to live and be loved. Mr. Baines (Kirk Douglas) is a Hollywood icon who has agreed to grant one final interview before drifting into that good night. As Mr. Baines drifts wearily in and out of consciousness throughout the course of the interview, his long deceased editor returns to join him in going back over the footage of his life. While Mr. Baines never married, he did father an illegitimate son named Christopher (Goorjian) whom he abandoned as a child and never returned to. Now, on the screen before him, Mr. Baines watches mournfully as the tragic life of his long lost son plays out to its devastating conclusion. Upon viewing the heartbreaking footage Mr. Baines begins to realize that it was his own cowardice that ultimately fed his son's crippling sense of worthlessness and cemented the boy's grim fate. Despite Christopher's lifelong love of his childhood sweetheart Isabelle, an endless series of fateful mishaps constantly seemed to prevent the boy from finding true happiness with the ethereal beauty. As the film of Christopher's life careens towards tragedy time and again, the dying director implores his faithful editor to allow him the final cut that will save the picture. After living a lifetime of missed opportunities, the man who thought he had it all will now attempt to summon the dying might for one last opportunity to let his son know what it truly means to love, and be loved in return. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirk Douglas, Michael A. Goorjian, (more)
- 1995
In this fluffy romantic comedy, Miranda Castillo, a Latin American woman, comes to LA as a mail-order bride where she is to marry Raul, an executive for a uniform manufacturer. The trouble begins when Raul's close buddy and colleague, Gib Nash, falls in love with Miranda and she with him. Raul is not at all happy at being jilted, and neither is Gib's fiancee, who is also his employer. Miranda has troubles of her own, especially when the US government tries to deport her. Fortunately, she is assisted by a caring INS agent. It is later revealed that she had been tortured as a political prisoner in her native country. In addition to dealing with his tangled love life, Gib's company must decide whether they will buy products made in other countries by non-unionized companies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
When dreams collide in a small café located in the dry California desert, a woman and a man must decide between giving up on their past or gambling on an uncertain future in this quiet romantic drama from director Bryan Cranston. A woman who has lived in the wilderness feels as if she has been stripped of all her aspirations in life, but when she makes the acquaintance of a man who has lived his entire life as defined by his dreams, she may find the courage and inspiration to start anew and truly live life to its fullest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
When a pudgy, bespectacled seven-year-old, Olive (Abigail Breslin), voices her desire to take home the coveted Little Miss Sunshine crown at an upcoming beauty pageant, her wildly dysfunctional family sets out on an interstate road trip to ensure her a clear shot at realizing her dreams in former music video directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' quirky feature debut, starring Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, and Toni Collette. Despite early career success as an outspoken motivational speaker, family patriarch Richard (Kinnear) continues to cling to his "Refuse to Lose" philosophy, much to the chagrin of his increasingly annoyed spouse, Sheryl (Collette). Add into the mix a Nietzsche-reading teenage son (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence until he finds his fate as a fighter pilot; a horny, heroin-happy grandfather (Alan Arkin) with a penchant for creative profanity; and a suicidal genius (Carell) and Proust scholar still reeling about losing both his male lover and his MacArthur Foundation genius grant -- and the stage is set for a road trip in which sanity is sure to take the back seat. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, (more)
- 2010
Helen Mirren and Joe Pesci star as a married couple whose faithfulness is tested with deadly results after starting Nevada's first legal brothel in this Capitol Films drama. Mark Jacobson adapts the screenplay based on a true story that ended with the death of boxer Oscar Bonavena at the Mustang Ranch in 1976. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helen Mirren, Joe Pesci, (more)
- 2005
- Add Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D to QueueAdd Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D to top of Queue
Twelve men who belong to one of the world's most exclusive fraternities -- people who've walked on the surface of the moon -- are paid homage in this documentary. Using newsreel footage, rare NASA photographs, and digitally animated re-creations, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon examines the Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 which put astronauts on the moon. In addition to explaining the technological know-how necessary to take our fliers to the moon, the film shares the thoughts of astronauts about what they saw and experienced in space, taken from their speeches and writings and read by a cast of distinguished actors, including Paul Newman, Morgan Freeman, Scott Glenn, Bill Paxton, and many more. Narrated by Tom Hanks (who also co-produced), Magnificent Desolation was shot and originally exhibited using the IMAX high-definition film format. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) serves as narrator for tonight's story, which centers around working-class private eye Frank Albertson (a pre-Politically Incorrect Bill Maher) and his wife Sunny (Faith Ford). After years of sponging off Frank and Sunny, Frank's uncle Charlie (John Finnegan) suddenly inherits a fortune--and just as suddenly disappears. Later on, a mangled corpse is found on a local railroad track, whereupon Frank attempts to claim the body as that of Uncle Charlie.. However, there seems to be several other people interested in claiming the corpse--and the aforementioned inheritance--themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In Boston, Jessica agrees to serve as honorary chairperson at a charity tennis tournament where her former student Carol (Linda Hamilton) is one of the players. It so happens that Carol is the girlfriend of a much-hated tennis star, who ends up being blown to bits by a bomb planted in Carol's car. At first, it appears that Carol was the intended target of the bombing, but when a second murder occurs, she ends up accused of both crimes--and as everybody knows by now, no relative of Jessica Fletcher can ever be guilty of anything, least of all murder! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This week, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is visiting the set of "Floppieville", a TV puppet show based on one of her children's stories. But it isn't kid stuff when the designer of the puppets finds out that someone is profiting from his ideas without proper credit or remuneration. Inevitably, a murder takes place--with one of the smiley-face Floppieville puppets as the weapon! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
