Lesley Donaldson Movies

This uninspiring drama was unfortunately the last feature film directed by Richard Marquard and was released posthumously. Bob Dylan plays the retired and reclusive rock star (there's a stretch) Billy Parker who falls for aspiring rocker Molly McGuire (Fiona) and takes her under his wing on his tour of England to benefit from his experience. When Molly is "discovered" by lecherous music promoter James Colt (Rupert Everett), Billy flies the coop back to his stateside chicken farm while Molly makes music magic. Billy and Molly are eventually reunited when she returns for a triumphant tour of the United States. Songs from Dylan, Neil Young, Shel Silverstein, Andy Goldmark, Tony Swan, Wang Chung, John Dexter, Cyril Neville, John Hiatt, and Steve Jolley help the thin script and uninspired thesping. The film opens up with the 1982 hit Tainted Love from Soft Cell. Musicians Ian Dury and Richie Havens are included in the acting cast. One can only wonder if the feature was just wrapped up too quickly after the untimely death of Marquand from a stroke at age 49 on September 4th, 1987. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

This derivative Canadian thriller plays like a distaff version of Samuel Fuller's cult classic Shock Corridor fused rather crudely to a standard mad-slasher plot. The story takes place primarily at the country villa of a sleazy horror film director (scenery-chomping John Vernon), where auditions for the title role of his new film Audra are taking place. The casting session is called after the film's intended star had herself committed to an asylum in order to properly research her Frances Farmer-type role, then found herself unable to get out. It comes as little surprise, then, that the six actresses vying for the plum role in her absence are not long for this world, as a witch-masked marauder is wandering the premises with some well-honed implements. This film's surprisingly stylish look is probably due to the initial direction of acclaimed cinematographer Richard Ciupka, but the film was actually completed by a pseudonymous replacement. (The credited director, "Jonathan Stryker," is actually the name of Vernon's character.) ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Certainly the low point in Glenn Ford's acting career, this Canadian production is, nevertheless, one of the slickest-looking slasher films from that subgenre's early-'80s heyday. The plot (what one can make of it) involves an unseen killer stalking a group of college students at the prestigious Crawford Academy. The well-staged murders are mysteriously linked to the slightly off-kilter Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, formerly of Little House on the Prairie), whose disturbing past holds the key to the killer's identity. Though this film brought nothing new to the psycho-horror field, it did feature one of the more interesting ad campaigns of the period. One-sheets loudly boasted, "Six of the most bizarre murders you've ever seen!" and barred all late-arriving patrons from entering the theater during the final ten minutes (a promotional stunt stolen from Psycho). This hype proved less than apropos since the murders in question are not particularly bizarre or original (aside from the shish-kabob impalement depicted in the ads), and the film's climax is so painfully contrived that latecomers may be more able to comprehend it than those bemused viewers who watched the film from the beginning. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Despite the promise of his early career, the life of former world-class runner Michael Andropolis has been a crashing failure. The icing on his life's bitter cake was his divorce from the woman he still loves. Wanting to win back both his wife and his self-respect, Andropolis decides to start running again in hopes of making it to the Olympic marathon team. This sports-melodrama chronicles the 34-year old's heroic struggle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide