Scott P. Levy Movies
Joanna Pacula stars in this thriller as Liz, an analyst who introduces her husband, the owner of an art gallery, to an attractive female artist suffering from severe depression and thoughts of suicide. Before long, she begins to suspect that her husband may be having an affair with the painter, but after she hires a detective to keep tabs on them, Liz begins to suspect that infidelity may be the least of her problems -- her husband may be a murderer. Also stars Joe Mantegna and Kate Jackson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 1996
A couple looking to make a fresh start discover the sins of their ancestors are still following them in this tale of terror. Will and Maura South (Greg Evigan and Alexandra Paul) are a couple trying to put their marriage back on track after Maura learns of Will's infidelity. When Maura inherits an estate in Ireland, the couple decides to move there, bringing along their young daughter Aubrey (Briana Evigan). As the family settles into their new home, Aubrey begins playing will an old doll she's found -- and discovers the doll can speak to her. After darker and more threatening magical events begin occurring, Will and Maura find the long-gone remains of a dead girl in the basement. Paranormal investigators are brought in, and they discover that the old house was once used for evil occult practices, and the demons that have infested the house are not going to go away without a fight. Spectre was also released under the title House of the Damned; Roger Corman served as executive producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greg Evigan, Alexandra Paul, (more)
- 1995
Joe Dante's original Piranha (1979) was a small gem, a clever parody of and homage to the numerous eco-kill pictures which followed in the wake of Jaws (1975). It featured a witty script by then little-known screenwriter John Sayles (Lone Star) and a great cast including Paul Bartel, Dick Miller, and Barbara Steele. This made-for-cable remake, however, is an abomination. It was as if director Scott Levy set out to make the original, scene-by-scene, only without benefit of a good cast and script. Screenwriter Alex Simon seems to have intentionally removed any trace of the sly, knowing humor of Sayles in favor of maudlin stock dialogue mouthed by mannequin-like drones. William Katt delivers a tedious performance which makes Bradford Dillman's work in the first Piranha look like art, and the sluggish Alexandra Paul's female lead is only a shadow of Heather Menzies, which is pretty difficult to imagine. The makeup by John Carl Buechler can't hold a candle to the craftsmanship of Rob Bottin's work in the original, either. About the only thing this disaster has going for it is a fairly interesting song called "Killer Mutant Piranhas," performed over the closing credits by Uncle Dog Food. The rest of the film is like watching a dull summary of the original rather than a real movie. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Katt, Alexandra Paul, (more)
In this "sequel" to Roger Corman's 1971 Von Richtofen and Brown (produced by Corman himself), a toy World War I plane belonging to a young boy (Tobey Maguire) is possessed by the spirit of the deceased Red Baron. The possessed plane begins killing people with real bullets from a toy machine gun. The boy turns for help to his grandfather (Mickey Rooney) -- who just happens to be the man who actually shot down the Red Baron in World War I. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Tobey Maguire, (more)
- 1996
- R
An expedition is sent out to find a missing submarine and apparently suffers the same fate of the missing sub- they are transported into the future. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Fahey, Richard Tyson, (more)
- 1995
- R
This exciting crime drama recounts the life and times of one of the Prohibition's most famous and feared gangsters as he engages in a territorial battle with his nemesis Al Capone. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Lisa Zane, (more)
One of the more popular features from Roger Corman's "B"-factory Concorde/New Horizons, Carnosaur perpetuates the grand Corman tradition of zeroing in on a big-budget Hollywood studio moneymaker, then dashing off a quick-and-dirty poor man's version before moss gets a chance to grow on the larger film's concept. This bargain-basement spin on Jurassic Park was actually based on a novel by John Brosnan (under the pseudonym Harry Adam Knight). It features Diane Ladd (whose daughter Laura Dern took the high road on Spielberg's film) as a kooky mad scientist whose experiments on human and dinosaur DNA result in dual disasters -- first, a rubbery midget Tyrannosaurus bred from dinosaur and chicken DNA (imagine the barbecue potential!) which escapes the lab and goes on the requisite bloody rampage; and second, a specially-engineered virus with the ability to replace human beings with dino-babies. Although this exploitation quickie doesn't waste too much time delivering the standard Corman cargo (blood and breasts), the mayhem is too often derailed by endless genetic techno-babble from Ladd, whose freaked-out performance is the film's sole plus. The downbeat ending is pure '80s, and paves the way for the inevitable sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Ladd, Raphael Sbarge, (more)
