Sonny Carl Davis Movies
Sonny Carl Davis came to the movies from an earlier stint on the music scene in Austin, TX. His rock group, Sons of Coyote, appeared for a time in the 1970s before metamorphosing into the Sons of Uranium Savage. His entertainment career took an upward turn when director Eagle Pennell cast him as one of the two lead characters in the offbeat film The Whole Shootin' Match (1979). Thus began the actor's career of making memorable portrayals of the diverse character parts assigned to him. After playing a redneck entrepreneur in The Whole Shootin' Match, Davis performed in one more Pennell film. Turning in one of his most outstanding performances, Davis played the aging Don Juan character in Last Night at the Alamo (1983). One of the great scenes in film occurs when the handsome, suave, pick-up artist removes his cowboy hat only to reveal a balding head. The change in persona is so great that audiences gasped out loud at the contrast.Davis is perhaps best known for his portrayal of the businessman with attitude in the highly acclaimed film Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), in which Davis set the benchmark for how to make yourself heard at a fast-food restaurant. Davis also starred as Louise's restaurant co-worker in Thelma & Louise (1991).
Throughout the '80s and '90s, Davis appeared in dramas and comedies in the theaters as well as made-for-television movies, often turning in performances that deserved a wider audience than these limited vehicles gave him. Notable among these were his portrayals in Nowhere to Run (1988); A Pair of Aces (1990); Bad Channels, Seedpeople, and Ned Blessing, all made in 1992; and Fair Game in 1995. Davis' next performances included his 2001 portrayal of a Santa Claus at the wrong place at the wrong time, in I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus; and in Big Time, made the same year. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 2005
- R
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Veteran screen star Tommy Lee Jones makes his directorial debut with the fractured tale of murder and injustice on the U.S.-Mexico border scripted by Amores perros and 21 Grams screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga. Mike Norton (Barry Pepper) is a fresh-faced Border Patrol officer in Cibolo County, Texas whose dedication to his new job leaves his lonely wife Lou Ann (January Jones) with little to do but spend her days at the local diner, where she strikes up a friendship with waitress Rachel (Melissa Leo). Despite her own status as a married woman, Rachel is unfulfilled in her marriage and is intimately involved with both rugged rancher Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones) and local Sherrif Belmont (Dwight Yoakam). Soon after Pete hires Mexican illegal Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cesar Cedillo) as a ranch hand, the growing bond between the pair is suddenly shattered when, in a moment of panic on a routine patrol, Mike hastily guns down the innocent Melquaides. When an enraged Pete learns that Mike had unceremoniously buried the illegal immigrant in an unmarked desert grave and local authorities opt to overlook the case, he kidnaps the crooked lawman and sets out to ensure that justice is served with or without the involvement of the local police force. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Barry Pepper, (more)
Supermodel and sex symbol Cindy Crawford made her acting debut in this high-decibel thriller. Kate McQuean (Crawford) is a lawyer who -- in the course of a divorce proceeding -- attempts to seize a 157-foot freighter docked off the Florida coast in lieu of unpaid alimony. It turns out that the freighter is the current base of operations of Kazak (Steven Berkoff), a former KGB agent who has become an international money laundering expert and leader of a crack terrorist team. As one might imagine, Kazak is not especially happy about possible eviction, and soon Kate has a hefty price on her head. Kate, however, doesn't know the nature of Kazak's business and isn't sure why someone is trying to kill her. Loose cannon police detective Max Kilpatric (William Baldwin) is assigned to protect Kate, and romance begins to bloom as they dodge a remarkable number of bullets and explosions. Fair Game was originally slated to star Sylvester Stallone alongside Crawford (the film's location was moved to Florida at his request); when he dropped out, Crawford found herself co-starring with Baldwin, another model-turned-thespian. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cindy Crawford, William Baldwin, (more)
- 1992
Made for cable television, a TV-show homemaker (Dyan Cannon) invites a local hero (Kris Kristofferson) over for a live-broadcast Christmas dinner, but her lack of cooking skills could cause a problem. The film was directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Set in the 19th century on the eve of his execution, the title swashbuckler decides to tell the truth about his life and his professions as both upholder of the law and criminal. As he speaks, his adventures unfurl upon the screen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Baldwin, Chris Cooper, (more)
- 1992
Paull Hipp plays "Dangerous" Dan O'Dare an entertaining radio host who gets locked up in the station's control room when an alien being takes over the broadcast. The being starts mesmerizing attractive female listeners with jivy tunes and then uses some sort of transmission contraption to shrink the listening lasses and transport them to the station, where they're placed in foot-high bottles. Apparently, he intends to take them back with him to wherever he came from. While all this goes on, the locked up DJ O'Dare is broadcasting the goings-on, but everybody listening thinks its another of the over-the-airwaves pranks that he's famous for. When a TV reporter named Lisa (Martha Quinn) shows up, the alien wants to bottle her up too, but O'Dare sees how the alien does it, and figures out a way to thwart his kidnapping scheme. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
People-eating plants sown from outer galaxies are turning local yokels into human zombies. Watch this, and you're probably already one yourself! It's hard to believe that the creators of this film hadn't just viewed The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. However, this could pass as pretty good comedy. ~ All Movie Guide
Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon play Thelma and Louise, two working-class friends who together have planned a weekend getaway from the men in their lives. Thelma's husband, Darryl (Chris McDonald), is an overbearing oaf, and Louise's boyfriend, Jimmy (Michael Madsen), simply will not commit. Though the road trip starts out as a good time, the pair eventually wind up at a bar. A tipsy Thelma ends up in the parking lot of the bar with a would-be rapist. Louise shoots the man dead. The two decide that they have no choice but to go on the run. They eventually meet up with a young criminal named J.D. (Brad Pitt), whose cowboy spirit rubs off on the timid Thelma. The pair is pursued by a police officer (Harvey Keitel) sympathetic toward their plight. He chases them to the Grand Canyon, where the women make a fateful decision about their lives. Directed by Ridley Scott, Thelma & Louise brought first-time screenwriter Callie Khouri many accolades including the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, (more)
- 1991
Though based on fact, the two-part TV movie False Arrest plays more like one of those Linda Blair "babes in prison" flicks. Donna Mills plays Joyce Lukezic, a well-off Phoenix businesswoman/homemaker accused of murder. She knows, and we know, that she didn't do it. The double homicide was the handiwork of her sleazy husband Robert Wagner, who works diligently behind the scenes to make certain his wife is convicted. And with the "guilty as charged" verdict, he leaves Joyce high and dry at the end of part one. Part two of False Arrest was telecast three days later, with Joyce fending off hostile and sexually abusive inmates, courting a nervous breakdown, and battling to have her conviction overturned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
Once again someone from the future has come back to create an army of Trancers, human zombies who do what they're told without question or pause. Now officer Jack Deth, a cop from the future stranded in the past, must once again go forth to stop them. This sci-fi action sequel chronicles his courageous actions as he struggles to save the future. His difficulties are compounded when his boss sends his first wife back from the future to help Deth who has unfortunately, married a 20th-century girl. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Thomerson, Helen Hunt, (more)
- 1990
Gregory Harrison is the Angel of Death in this made-for-TV suspenser. In love with artist Jane Seymour, escaped convict Harrison vows to protect Seymour and her six-year-old son Brian Bonsall from any and all antagonists. Trouble is, Harrison is apt to love Seymour and her boy to death. If you don't care for the melodramatic angle, you'll love the scene wherein Harrison gains Seymour's confidence by agreeing to pose nude for her! Angel of Death premiered on October 2, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this made-for-TV western, Willie Nelson portrays a safecracker in the custody of a Texas Ranger (Kris Kristofferson) who is also in pursuit of a serial killer. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, (more)
- 1988
- R
This grim tale is based upon actual events and chronicles the coming-of-age of two high-school seniors living in gritty Caddo, Texas in 1960. The teens lose their innocence when they become involved in the corruption and seediness that exists about their town after its leading citizen, the town judge and the town sheriff begin working on the latter's re-election campaign. The sheriff's challenger is desperate to win and so engineers the release of a dangerous convicted killer, whose actions he plans to blame upon the sheriff by making it look as if the incumbent accepted a bribe for the crook's early release. No one comes out clean in the end as the crook begins a vengeful killing spree and the corruption of both the judge and the sheriff are exposed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Jason Priestley, (more)
- 1987
- R
This crime drama tells the story of the man behind the terrible Kansas City massacre, Verne Miller. Miller started out as a South Dakota sheriff and during the 1920s became a notorious gangster hit man. He started out doing jobs for Al Capone in Chicago and was so good at his job that Capone appointed him head of his Kansas City operation. The trouble begins when Miller thinks he has more power than he actually does and defies his boss to save two captured gangsters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Barbara Stock, (more)
- 1986
The hokey TerrorVision is more an unintentional model of how horror films were made in the early '50s than a trend-setting story about the TV monster who ate them all. When Stanley (Gerrit Graham) goes outside to adjust his family's satellite dish, a living, organic alien monster-cum-garbage-disposal is zapped into the TV sets in Stanley's household. The monster pops out of the sets once in awhile to grab a quick snack of anyone within reach. Hopefully, the young boy in the family -- the only one close to normal in the house -- might have a solution to their problem. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Franklin, Gerritt Graham, (more)
- 1986
- R
A bible-totin' preacher from out East arrives in wild Montana to spread the Good Word to all. When his wife takes off with another man, he straps on the pistol and extracts his vengeance. Then he must struggle to find his way back to the hallowed life. Willie Nelson plays the preacher and Morgan Fairchild is his inconstant wife. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willie Nelson, Morgan Fairchild, (more)
- 1983
When three young men are lured into the drug trade by the promise of wealth, they are ill-prepared for the repercussions of their illegal activities. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1983
The Alamo is a seedy Houston bar, slated for demolition. The bar's habitues gather for one last binge before the wrecker's ball descends. In the course of a long evening (boiled down to 80 minutes' worth of film), the patrons laugh, cry, ruminate over the past and pontificate on the future. One of the more ambitious barflies (Sonny Carl Davis) stages an eleventh-hour effort to save the bar by touching bases with his old college roommate, who is now an important politician. Last Night of the Alamo is charmingly effective in its own crude, slapdash manner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sonny Carl Davis, Lou Perry, (more)
Amy Heckerling's adaptation of Cameron Crowe's Fast Times at Ridgemont High is often considered one of the finest films of a disreputable genre (the teen sex comedy), and kick-started the careers of many future stars. The center of this ensemble film is Jennifer Jason Leigh as Stacy Hamilton. She is a young, innocent high-school student who, as the film opens, is asking for advice from her friend, the sexually outspoken Linda Barrett (Phoebe Cates). Stacy takes a liking to nebbish Mark Ratner (Brian Backer), but he is too afraid to make a move even after Stacy all but throws herself at him. She eventually hooks up with Mark's more confident best friend, Mike Damone (Robert Romanus). When not concerning itself with these four characters, the film spends time with stoned surfer dude Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) and his ongoing feud with history teacher Mr. Hand (Ray Walston). The film includes brief appearances by such future stars as Nicolas Cage, Eric Stoltz, and Forest Whitaker. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, (more)
- 1981
- R
Designed as a spoof of slasher movies, this gory comedy is set in a town that more than a decade ago was home to the infamous lawnmower killer. Set just before the big Halloween soiree at the local high school, it follows officer Dick Harbinger as he desperately tries to convince the town that the dreaded mechanical reaper is about to return for more bloodshed and horror. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Stella Stevens, (more)
Based on the writings and experiences of "gonzo" journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Where the Buffalo Roam details the adventures of Thompson (Bill Murray) and his attorney (Peter Boyle), whose character is rewritten as Mexican-American rather than Samoan, as they pillage and plunder their way across America on a drunken, drug-saturated mission to...well, their mission is as yet undetermined, but they set about it anyway. Highlights include a staged broadcast of the Super Bowl from Thompson's hotel room and a scene in which he escapes from the police with a little help from his trusty sidekick. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Boyle, Bill Murray, (more)
A low-budget, sepia-toned mini-classic that shows the dignity and humanity of the human spirit, The Whole Shootin' Match is the story of two young Texas men chasing their dreams to get rcih. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
