Eric Allen Movies
Out of the Blue captures the turbulence of youth culture of the early '80s by presenting a three-person nuclear family that is about to implode. In a prologue, Don Barnes (Dennis Hopper), a school bus driver, is drunkenly distracted one day behind the wheel, resulting in a horrible accident. He comes home from a stint in prison to find his wife, Kathy (Sharon Farrell), hooked on drugs and his now-teenaged daughter, Cindy (Linda Manz), sullen and remote. Don's old buddies are a fun-loving bunch who work only to afford to get high and party, and he seems to be falling back into his old ways instead of getting straight and pulling his family out of their funk. The story focuses on Cindy's alienation from both her parents and most of her classmates. She's influenced by the energy and anger of punk music and considers her parents pathetic relics of the '60s counterculture. Hopper reportedly took over direction of the film after co-producer/co-writer Leonard Yakir departed the production. It was Hopper's first job behind the camera since The Last Movie, his legendary flop follow-up to Easy Rider. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Manz, Sharon Farrell, (more)
- 1977
In the first episode of a two-part story filmed in France, a Russian "K" agent, imbedded as a "sleeper", commits mass murder and then drops dead, aging rapidly as he expires. This occurs in 1965; twelve years agent, another long-imbedded "K" agent is likewise reactivated and likewise launches a murderous attack--this time on an empty house. Steed (Patrick MacNee) and his associates find out that there are 250 sleeper agents throughout France and England, all programmed to be activated by a Soviet satellite--which is now malfunctioning, unleashing death and destruction on an unsuspecting world. Former Avengers costar Diana Rigg appears as Emma Peel in scenes culled from the 1960s episodes "The Winged Avenger" and "The Hidden Tiger". Parts one and two of K is for Kill were telecast in the US as a "feature film" on March 23, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gareth Hunt, Joanna Lumley, (more)
- 1975
- PG
This western chronicles the struggle of a post-Civil War mountain family to prove that they did not betray the Confederate side during the conflict. The film contains the last film appearance of Walter Brennan. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Mike Leigh began his career as one of Britain's most interesting directors with this realistic drama about a woman looking for respite from an unsatisfying life. Sylvia (Anne Raitt) is a slightly overweight woman who works as a secretary and hasn't had much luck in romance. She shares her home with her retarded sister, whom she looks after, and has been dating Peter (Eric Allen), a schoolteacher whom she hopes will ask her to marry him. However, one evening they have a date that doesn't go especially well, and Sylvia discovers that Peter is impotent; he breaks up with her shortly afterward. The only other interesting relationship in her life is with Norman (Mike Bradwell), a hippie who rents out Sylvia's garage as a workspace for his underground newspaper and plays songs on his guitar for her sister. Bleak Moments was adapted from a play written by Leigh; as is his habit, the story was created in collaboration with the actors who originated the roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Raitt, Mike Bradwell, (more)
