John Crocker Movies
Michael Lindsay-Hogg wrote and directed this cool and sleek comedy about a seemingly perfect combination -- an American couple staying at a chic London hotel whose pride doesn't permit them to recognize that they are broke, and a hotel staff so brimming with proper British reserve that they can't inform the American freeloaders they need to be paid. Jake (John Malkovich) and Tina (Andie MacDowell) are the American couple trapped in splendor at a London hotel after Jake's cocoa deal in a Third World County is stalled by revolutionary upheaval. Their plight is so dire they walk up the stairs to their luxurious suite rather than take the elevator and risk encountering the hotel manager. Hitting rock bottom, they take stock of their assets and find one -- a $50,000 Henry Moore bust. They decide to fabricate a robbery and collect the insurance money, but a deaf maid (Rudi Davies) has fallen in love with the bust and stolen it herself. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Malkovich, Andie MacDowell, (more)
- 1988
New Orleans influenced British jazz musician Chris Barber offers fans a glimpse into the creative process that fuels his work in this documentary comprised of both interviews and performance footage. From the difficulties of touring and coordinating a band while attempting to maintain his musical integrity to the joys of delivering a memorable performance, interviews with Barber as he reveals the true struggles of a working musician are contrasted with concert footage that proves you don't have to be from Louisiana to have the soul of a jazz musician. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1967
A spoof of the superhero craze of the late 1960s, this episode gets under way when several businessmen are found clawed to death. All evidence seems to point to a comic-strip character called The Winged Avenger -- but that's impossible, isn't it? While trying to get to the truth of the matter, Steed and Emma find themselves besieged by characters who seem to have sprung full-grown from the American series Batman (there's even a "BANG! POW!" fight sequence, performed with cardboard cutouts of comic-strip "balloons"). Written by Richard Harris, "The Winged Avenger" first aired in England on February 18, 1967 -- the day after its American TV debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1963
Cathy dons an eye-patch when she goes undercover as part of a plan to expose an insidious black-market pharmaceutical ring. The plot thickens when it is learned that one of the villains intends to wage biological warfare in the Middle East -- the better to foment widespread anti-British sentiment. In one scene, Steed poses as a Russian art dealer. First telecast in England on November 23, 1963, "The Medicine Men" was written by Robert Hulke; the episode made its American cable TV bow on March 15, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1962
The title of this Avengers episode refers to a new liquid rocket fuel. Assigned to rendezvous with the man delivering the fuel to the Government, Steed and Cathy discover that the man has been murdered. They spend the rest of the episode trying to wrest the fuel from the hands of enemy agents, cornering their quarry in a bakery where Cathy deploys a most unusual concealed weapon. Written by Jon Manchip White, "Propellent 23" was originally telecast in England on October 6, 1962; its first American appearance didn't take place until January 28, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1961
It's probably no surprise that Invasion Quartet has four leading actors; what might be surprising, especially to the unwary war-film fan, is that film is a comedy. British funster Spike Milligan joins the sobersided Bill Travers, John LeMesurier and Gregoire Aslan; the foursome are undercover agents, travelling by train behind Nazi lines. It's all part of a plan to disarm a huge German gun that is aimed at the port of Dover. Just so the audience knows it's supposed to be laughing, the creators of Invasion Quartet pile joke upon joke by having the Nazis portrayed as bumbling buffoons. What works for Hogan's Heroes does not necessarily add to the effectiveness of Invasion Quartet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Travers, Spike Milligan, (more)
- 1958
When the English Civil War is winding down but the Roundheads and Royalists are still at odds with each other, it is decided that the King, Raymond, should be moved from England to France for safekeeping. When the Cavalier assigned the task is thwarted by the discovery of the scheme, other measures must be taken. Good action scenes with a smidgen of romance thrown in for good measure. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Baker, Sylvia Syms, (more)
