Sue Allen Movies
Sean Penn graduated to full stardom with the 1984 drama Racing with the Moon, even though the film itself hardly set new box office records. Set in the early years of World War II, the film stars Penn as a small-town teen-aged hotshot, six weeks away from being shipped out to fight overseas. In the meantime, Penn begins to date Elizabeth McGovern, whom he assumes is from a wealthy family. Penn's pal Nicolas Cage, who's gotten his girlfriend Suzanne Adkinson pregnant, imposes upon Penn to hit up McGovern for the abortion money. That's when Penn discovers that the girl barely has a penny to her name. Convinced that Penn cared for her only when he thought she was rich, McGovern walks out on him, but later teams up with Penn to help the unfortunate Adkinson. The plot is pure James Dean, a fact not lost on fans who regarded Sean Penn as the second coming of Dean. A very slight piece, Racing With the Moon is buoyed by the engaging performances of the stars, and by director Richard Benjamin's meticulous attention to period detail-especially in those peerless bowling-alley and skating-rink sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, (more)
- 1979
A rare TV project from animator Don Bluth, Banjo the Woodpile Cat begins in somewhere in the Great Midwest, where the title character, a mischievous kitten, pulls one too many pranks on his mom and dad. Fearing severe punishment, Banjo hops a truck bound for Salt Lake City. Here he is befriended by a brace of worldly street cats named Crazy Legs and Zazu, not to mention a bevy of jazz-club showgirls. Wearying of scrounging for food, dodging dogs and braving thundershowers , Banjo prevails upon his new friends to help him get back to his old farm. Originally shown back to back with another animated special, Stanley the Ugly Duckling, Banjo the Woodpile Cat first aired May 1, 1982, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sparky Marcus, Scatman Crothers, (more)
- 1969
This dull but amusingly-titled horror parody stars (Vince Kelly) as a descendent from the bloodline of the nefarious Count, who travels to Los Angeles in search of virgin blood (why he chooses L.A. as the ideal site for virgins is never really explained). To this end, he enslaves a modern-day Dr. Jekyll (Bill Whitton), who periodically transforms into a werewolf, to abduct nubile young things and cart them back to his remote cabin to satisfy his carnal and sanguinary appetites. This arrangement seems fairly secure until the wolfman manages to fall in love with one of the pretty abductees, leading to a rather unreconcilable falling-out with the boss... which results in the inevitable Vampire vs. Wolfman grudge match. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
