Jon Purdy Movies
A mysterious stranger brings both spiritual comfort and a certain level of distrust to a small community in this drama based on the spiritual best-seller by Joseph Girzone. A mysterious man named Joshua (Tony Goldwyn) arrives in the small Midwestern town of Auburn sometime in the late 19th century. Joshua sets up a carpentry shop in Auburn, and soon develops a reputation for his kind and unselfish nature; after bad weather nearly destroys a church in the town's African-American neighborhood, Joshua offers to help repair the building, and has soon persuaded much of the community to offer their support, including Father Pat (Kurt Fuller), a priest at Auburn's Catholic church. Father Pat's superior, Father Tardone (F. Murray Abraham) is also struck by Joshua's talent, charm, and humble desire to help others, and asks him to carve a new statue of Saint Peter for their church. However, while much of the town is following the good example set by Joshua, when people begin to ascribe supernatural powers to the town's new carpenter, Father Tardone begins to become suspicious, and wants to know who Joshua really is and what he really intends to do in Auburn. Joshua features an original song score by popular contemporary Christian musician Michael W. Smith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, (more)
- 1998
- NR
This low-budget sci-fi horror film from the Roger Corman stable stars Athena Massey as an alien vampire jellyfish who takes over the body of an Earth woman. Operating from a dead fortune-teller's house, Massey proceeds to kill a lot of people, hanging them upside-down and draining their blood before zapping them with pink electric bolts from her eyes. Steven Bauer is the doctor who falls in love with Massey, and there's an alien biker cop who comes after her with murder on his mind. The effects are pretty silly, but Massey and Bauer are engaging leads, and fans of the genre should be mildly amused. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Athena Massey, (more)
- 1996
This real-life drama follows a determined postal inspector as he doggedly tracks down the notorious unabomber who terrorized the mail system during the mid-1990s. It also centers on the accused terrorist's brother, who played a key role in the investigation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Stockwell, Robert Hays, (more)
- 1995
- R
In 1934, J. Edgar Hoover and the boys made headlines for mowing down John Dillinger in a hail of bullets outside Chicago's Biograph theater. But in fact, according to this Jon Purdy gangster thriller, the Feds iced Dillinger's brother. Fast-forward five years, when mobster kingpin Al Capone (F. Murray Abraham) gives the real Dillinger (Martin Sheen) an offer he can't refuse: rob millions from a secluded vault or watch his wife and child get whacked. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This prison thriller is told in a series of flashbacks that lead to doubts about the guilt of a Death Row inmate. Mimi Rogers stars as Regina, a prisoner waiting for the date of her execution for the murder of her husband, James (John Terry). Curious about his beautiful charge, a prison guard, Colin (Billy Zane) begins questioning Regina about the crime and gets conflicting responses from her about the method of James' death and whether or not she truly intended to murder him. What becomes clear, however, is that James became possessive and abusive of his wife, fixating on an earlier romance that Regina's never gotten over. As she's led off to her death, the truth about what happened to James is finally revealed. Reflections on a Crime (1994) was alternately entitled Reflections in the Dark. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mimi Rogers, Billy Zane, (more)
Based on the Japanese comic-book character created by Toshiki Takaya, this hyper-kinetic science fiction fantasy plays like a live-action cartoon. The title initially refers to a mysterious piece of technology capable of generating a powerful bio-mechanical exoskeleton around the body of its operator. After scientist Tetsu Segawa (Greg Paik) is murdered while trying to deliver it to CIA agent Max Reed (Mark Hamill), the device is stumbled upon by Sean Barker (Jack Armstrong), a friend of the scientist's daughter Mizki (Vivian Wu). Sean discovers the object's power when it encases him with protective power-armor during a fight -- armor which comes in handy when the similarly-clad minions of the diabolical Chronos Corporation come after him to reclaim it. The technology they employ is revealed to be from another planet, which has enabled the head of Chronos (David Gale) to transform his henchmen into reptilian creatures known as Zoanoids (whose ranks include Jimmie Walker from the '70s TV sitcom Good Times!). In the ensuing battle, Sean's consciousness becomes merged with the power of the Guyver, bestowing him with remarkable strength and agility, as well as the convenient ability to regenerate himself when damaged. Helmed by Kung Fu Rascals creator Steve Wang and special-effects wizard Screaming Mad George, The Guyver is a colorful but ultimately clumsy comic-book adventure, bogged down by a pedestrian "Hollywood" script that seems out-of-lace amid the exotic premise and fanciful creature designs. Apparently targeted at younger audiences -- who may enjoy the broad comedy and wild monster effects -- this is relatively safe sci-fi fare compared to its ultra-violent source material. Look for "Scream Queen" Linnea Quigley in a brief cameo. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Hamill, Vivian Wu, (more)
