Tim Curry Movies
For several years, the name of British actor Tim Curry was known only to the privileged few who'd seen his performance as transvestite mad scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter in the stage and screen versions of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. By one of those wondrous quirks of fate, the 1975 Rocky Horror film was resuscitated from its disappointing initial run and became the archetypal "midnight movie," and for nearly two decades its faithful fans have lined up in front of theaters in bizarre costumes and makeup, toting toilet paper and toast (suitable for throwing at the screen). Unlike these fans, Curry was not content to relive his past triumphs, but moved on to such prestige assignments as the role of Mozart in the Broadway production of Amadeus and the part of William Shakespeare in a TV movie biography. A polished farceur, Curry was seen at his best in comedy film roles, notably the repressed music teacher in Oscar (1991) and the supercilious concierge in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992). But audiences must have their villains, and Curry has aimed to please in such insidious roles as Cardinal Richelieu in 1993's Three Musketeers (possibly the most lascivious Richelieu ever -- so much so that Milady De Winter pulls out a knife and threatens to "change his religion.") Curry's heart remained in the theater, and for an unfortunately short period in the early '90s he excelled in the Peter O'Toole role in a musical stage version of the 1982 film My Favorite Year. He has also contributed his vocal talents to such animated cartoon series as Peter Pan and the Pirates, winning an Emmy for his con brio portrayal of Captain Hook. Curry's reputation preceded him when he was hired to give voice to a nasty character on Hanna-Barbera's Paddington Bear cartoon series in 1988; appropriately, even the character's name was Mr. Curry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Local teens cruelly tease Tara (Victoria Sanchez), the intelligent but hairy wolf girl of Harley Dune's (Tim Curry) traveling freak show that has set up near a rural town. One of the young men is particularly vicious, throwing darts and feces at Tara during her performance, but Tara is helpless to defend herself as she spends much of her time isolated in a trailer or hanging out with the fat lady, dwarves, and other freaks. But she's befriended and taken into town by outcast teen Ryan (Dov Tiefenbach), whose mother (Lesley Ann Warren) happens to be a chemist working on an experimental depilatory treatment. Without telling anyone, Ryan begins injecting Tara with the chemical, and her hair gradually begins to fall out. But there are two side effects no one counted on -- the chemical makes Tara carnivorous and easily enraged. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
This sequel to a box-office sleeper hit that spoofed teen slasher flicks takes its cues from haunted house and possession films, particularly The Haunting (1999) and The Exorcist (1973). Although many of the first film's main characters were homicide victims, Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, and Anna Faris return anyway to "re-possess" their roles for this follow-up in which four students are invited by their professor (Tim Curry) to his haunted mansion, Hell House, for a weekend sleep-deprivation study. Providing the sleep deprivation, however, is a series of murderous, supernatural goings-on. Scary Movie 2 co-stars Tori Spelling, Andy Richter, Christopher Masterson, Kathleen Robertson, James Woods, Chris Elliott, and Natasha Lyonne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, (more)
Through the use of computer generated imagery, everyone's favorite doll Barbie takes to the stage to portray both Clara and the Sugarplum Fairy, the two central roles in the Nutcracker. The dances were choreographed by the director of the New York City Ballet. The orchestration is provided by the London Symphony Orchestra. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly Sheridan, Kirby Morrow, (more)
An unemployed New York doctor with a suspended license and few prospects for the future travels to Jamaica to care for the ailing brother of a wealthy landowner, only to make a horrifying discovery regarding the ailing man in director Avi Nesher's contemporary re-imagining of Jacques Tourneur's I Walked with a Zombie. Dr. Alice Dodgson (Jennifer Grey) is an open-minded oncologist whose experiments with an unapproved drug have just cost her patient his life and found her license to practice medicine promptly revoked. Subsequently summoned to Jamaica by affluent American Paul Claybourne (Craig Sheffer), Dr. Dodgson is assigned the duty of caring for Claybourne's cancer-stricken brother, Wesley (Daniel Lapaine). Though Dr. Dodgson at first dismisses the local tales of zombies and possession as mere superstition while she cares for the increasingly despondent Wesley, her growing feelings for her patient soon bring her to the realization that Wesley is not suffering from cancer after all, but the powerful curse of a local witch doctor. Now, in order to save the man that she has come to love, Dr. Dodgson must uncover the secret behind the potentially fatal curse while facing off against a vicious voodoo queen with the power to destroy anyone and anything in her path. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Grey, Craig Sheffer, (more)
- 2000
Jeff Stolhand directs this quirky romantic comedy set in slacker-haven Austin, Texas. Radio DJ Adam (Ryan Wickerham) gets fired from his morning radio show just as independent book owner Ollie (Marie Black) learns that her partner and beau is planning to sell the store out to a big chain franchise. Soon, of course, they meet and fall in love. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marie Black
In this animated adventure inspired by the well-loved characters created by Frank L. Baum, a performing lion from a circus (Jason Priestley) is given a special prize for courage and is sent out to visit the fabled Land of Oz to claim his reward. En route, the lion encounters the Wicked Witch of the East (Lynn Redgrave), who demands that the lion bring her the magical flower of Oz, which will allow her to possess even more power. With the help of a girl named Wimsik, the lion finds the flowers the Wicked Witch needs, but he realizes that he's thrown away his valor in the process, becoming the Cowardly Lion. The Lion of Oz and the Badge of Courage also features the voice talents of Tim Curry, Bob Goldthwait, Jane Horrocks, and Dom DeLuise. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Lynn Redgrave, (more)
They're beautiful, they're brilliant, and they can kick your butt -- the most glamorous private eyes in the world are back in action in this big-screen adaptation of the popular '70s television series. Natalie (Cameron Diaz) is the smart but silly one, Dylan (Drew Barrymore) is the tough but fun-loving one, and Alex (Lucy Liu) is the classy but hard-as-nails one, and they work for a man named Charlie (voice of John Forsythe), who never meets his employees face to face. Along with their helper Bosley (Bill Murray), the Angels are sent into action when electronics genius Eric Knox (Sam Rockwell) is kidnapped, with the nefarious Roger Corwin (Tim Curry) as the prime suspect. But they soon learn even bigger danger is afoot -- the kidnappers have gotten their hands on Knox's latest invention, a system that can monitor voice communication from anywhere in the world, virtually ending the notion of private conversation. Charlie's Angels also stars Crispin Glover, Luke Wilson, Kelly Lynch, and Tom Green. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, (more)
After his attention-getting turn in the London stage production of The Graduate, actor Matthew Rhys took the lead in Sorted, a British clubland thriller directed by Alex Jovy. Rhys plays Carl, an attorney who travels to London upon hearing of his brother Justin's sketchy drowning death in the Thames River. Upon investigation, Carl tracks down Justin's circle of raver friends and club-owning acquaintances, including his girlfriend Sunny (Sienna Guillory), the megalomaniacal promoter Damian (Tim Curry), and his sex-for-hire friend Tiffany (Fay Masterson). As he becomes ensconced in the city's rave culture, the usually reserved Carl eventually submits to it and finds himself at the center of a dangerous drug operation. An Academy award nominee for his 1998 short Holiday Romance, Jovy is no stranger to London's club scene; he was once a promoter himself. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Rhys, Tim Curry, (more)
The biggest babies in the entertainment business take their act to Europe in this sequel to the surprise-hit animated feature The Rugrats Movie. Chuckie (voice of Christine Cavanaugh) has been fretting over his father Chas (voice of Michael Bell) and his status as a single father, as he wants to have a mommy like all of his friends. Chas and his father Stu (voice of Jack Riley) were hired to create a bevy of electronic critters for the newly opened Euro-Reptarland theme park, but the robots are acting up, and park manager Coco La Bouche (Susan Sarandon) is hopping mad. So Stu and Chas are flown to Paris to do some repairs, with Chas bringing Chuckie and all his friends along. Their visit to the City of Lights proves to be one adventure after another, as Chuckie tries to find a suitable mother (with Coco leading the pack) and Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Dailey) somehow gets behind the wheel of the giant Reptar robot. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie features original songs from T-Boz from TLC, The Baha Men, and Mylene Farmer, while John Lithgow, Debbie Reynolds, and Mako contribute to the voice cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Daily, Christine Cavanaugh, (more)
Founder of the Slamdance Film Festival Paul Rachman makes his feature-length debut with this tale of dishonor among thieves, solidly in the vein of 1994's Shallow Grave. When four friends (Olivia Williams, Balthazar Getty, Daniel London, and Stacy Edwards) travel to Buenos Aires to crash a wedding reception, they have more on their mind than just a lively evening of free drinks and the Chicken Dance. With the aid of ace thief Felix (Tim Curry), they steal a precious Degas statuette from the mansion owner hosting the shindig and abscond to L.A. Unfortunately, the objet d'art is nowhere to be found, and the covert dealer (Forest Whitaker) who's expecting it is none too pleased. He demands that they come up with the piece or $1,000,000 immediately. To solve their problem, the four compadres take out life insurance policies on each another and plot out which friend is going to die in order to proffer the heist money. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Williams, Balthazar Getty, (more)
- 1999
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Scooby, Shaggy, Velma, Fred, and Daphne once again pile into the Mystery Machine and stumble onto danger. This time they happen upon some ghoulies in a small New England town. ~ All Movie Guide
Ace animator Don Bluth directed this direct-to-video follow-up to his 1997 hit Anastasia, concentrating on the adventures of Bartok the Albino Bat (voice of Hank Azaria). Bartok and his best friend, Zozi the Bear (voice of Kelsey Grammer), are now making their way as street performers, but they find themselves drawn in when Prince Ivan is kidnapped by the wicked Ludmilla, who wants to get rid of the man who stands in her way as heir to the throne. Bartok and Zozi decide they must come to Prince Ivan's rescue, and they confront the evil and powerful witch Baba Yaga. Along with Azaria and Grammer, who repeat their roles from the original, Bartok the Magnificent features voice performances from Jennifer Tilly, Catherine O'Hara, and Tim Curry. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hank Azaria, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
The inimitable Tim Curry and Carol Kane provide the voices for this distinctly autumn-oriented tale of a duckling who is misfortunate enough to lose his the rest of his flock whilst trying to fly south for the winter. Our hero Sean is taken in by Voley, another bird who teaches him how to support himself as he braces for his first winter. Worse yet, Sean has to learn how to outsmart the foxes which may be after him. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dermot Morgan
Soul diva Jackie Washington is determined to hit the comeback trail but seems to be having trouble finding the on-ramp in the mock-documentary comedy Jackie's Back. Jackie (played by Jenifer Lewis) was a Rhythm and Blues singer who had a few late '60's and early 70's hits, including "Yield" and the memorable "Look At Me (My Love For You Has Only Made Me Love Me More)," but she's spent much of the 80's and 90's playing the "Where Are They Now?" circuit. However, Jackie has organized what she hopes will be a gala comeback concert, and filmmaker Edward Whatsett St. John (Tim Curry) is on hand to film the event, and discusses the high and (frequent) low points of Jackie's career with such friends and well-wishers as Bette Midler, Liza Minnelli, Penny Marshall, Jackie Collins and Dolomite himself, Rudy Ray Moore. Meanwhile, Jackie's big gig is not going quite the way she planned. Directed by Robert Townsend, Jackie's Back was produced for the Lifetime Cable Network and originally aired June 14, 1999. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, (more)
A young boy with a habit of daydreaming discovers that reality has caught up with his imagination -- with a vengence -- in this comedy-adventure for the whole family. Bobby (Seth Adkins) is an eight-year-old boy growing up on a remote community in the rural Midwest with his mother (Dee Wallace Stone) and grandfather (Charles Napier), who are struggling to keep the family farm afloat. With few friends and not much to do besides his chores, Bobby entertains himself by retreating into a world of fantasy, where he battles cowboys and spacemen and can always outsmart the bad guys. One day, the town looks as if it's about to be hit with a freak storm, as dark red clouds fill the sky, but it turns out that a portal in time has appeared in the atmosphere, and who should drop through but Jezebel Jack (Tim Curry), a swaggering pirate (or, as Jack prefers to put it, "an adventurer of independent means") from the 17th century. Bobby rescues Jack and gives him a place to stay in their house; the boy is happy to have an interesting new friend. However, where pirates go, trouble follows, and it's not long before the ship of a gang of rival pirates follows Jack through the window in time, and Bobby must join forces with Jack as they defend Bobby's home against a pirate ship sailing through the wheatfields. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Dee Wallace, (more)
- 1998
This TV drama series, produced and scripted by Irwin Winkler and Rob Cowan, is adapted from their feature film, The Net (1995), a thriller with Sandra Bullock as reclusive Venice, California computer expert Angela Bennett, whose life is threatened. Brooke Langton (Melrose Place) portrays Angela Bennett in this new interpretation. During the debut TV series episode, Angela is puzzled by a cryptic computer message on her screen and goes out jogging. On her return, she discovers her bank account closed, her credit cards canceled, and her identity wiped and switched. Files show that she has been given the name Elizabeth, and state secrets are now stored on her hard disk -- which explains why the feds capture her at gunpoint. A stranger, Trelawney (Joseph Bottoms), engineers her release, but his true program is a kill file. After navigating to the info he wants, he intends to delete Angela right out of existence. Her only hope is Sorcerer (voice of Tim Curry), a helpful but anonymous voice from cyberspace. Filmed in Vancouver, B.C., the series premiered July 19, 1998 on the USA Network. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brooke Langton, Joseph Bottoms, (more)
- 1998
This Nickelodeon series follows an eccentric family throughout the rainforests and wilds of the world as Nigel, the patriarch, films his travels for a future nature documentary. Unbeknownst to him, Nigel's 12-year-old daughter Eliza (voiced by former Party of Five star Lacey Chabert) is the one with the inside scoop on the wild kingdom at hand -- she can quite literally talk with any animal that crosses her path, most notably Darwin, her pet chimpanzee. Eliza's travels inevitably lead her into trouble; in each episode she is faced with saving her family and a host of wild animals from various terrible fates. Complicating the matter is Eliza's pact not to tell anyone of her mysterious gift, lest she lose her abilities. The series includes some interesting voices -- besides Chabert, Tim Curry, Flea, Marisa Tomei, and Lynn Redgrave have lent their vocal chords to the long-running Nick toon. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lacey Chabert, Jodi Carlisle, (more)
- 1998
In this made-for-TV sequel to the popular films, the Addams set out to find some of their weirder relatives. Tim Curry and Darryl Hannah star. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Daryl Hannah, (more)
This animated retelling of the Charles Dickens classic makes for light holiday viewing. The familiar tale begins with the miserly Ebeneezer Scrooge (voice of Tim Curry), who would rather count his money than celebrate the season with his put-upon employee, Bob Cratchit (voice of Michael York). In the middle of the night, the ghost of Scrooge's dead partner, Jacob Marley (voice of Edward Asner), warns him that he will be visited by three spirits. The Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood, the Ghost of the Present takes him to visit the poverty-stricken Cratchits, and the Ghost of the Future is merely a silent cloaked figure, representing his death. Upon seeing the error of his ways, Scrooge reforms and attempts to bring good cheer to the Cratchit family. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Whoopi Goldberg, (more)
- 1997
Set in a heavily polluted, post-nuclear future, an evil entity and his minions stalk the last remaining children as they desperately search for a clean and healthy place to live. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Curry, Lea Moreno, (more)
The most disorganized crew in the Navy returns in this updated adaptation of the once-popular TV sitcom. Lt. Cmdr. Quinton McHale (Tom Arnold) has retired from the U.S. Navy and is living on the old PT boat he used to command. He spends his days making the rounds of the Caribbean Island of San Moreno, where he was stationed at the end of his career and now peddles pin-up calendars and booze to sailors. However, McHale's idyllic surroundings are soon spoiled when Vladikov (Tim Curry), tired of being known as the "second-best terrorist in the world," decides to stage a bid for world domination and targets San Moreno first. Desperate to fend off Vladikov, Capt. Binghampton (Dean Stockwell) calls McHale back to active duty. McHale is once again saddled with a crew of misfits and losers, including the easily frightened Ensign Parker (David Alan Grier), straight-laced Lt. Carpenter (Debra Messing), good-natured Happy (French Stewart), and Virgil (Bruce Campbell). Ernest Borgnine, star of the original TV series, appears in a small role as a high-ranking Pentagon official who turns out to be McHale's father. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Tim Curry, (more)
