Lieux Dressier Movies
Director John Badham's remake of French action thriller La Femme Nikita moves the action to the U.S., where Maggie (Bridget Fonda) is a strung-out Washington, D.C. drug addict who kills a policeman in a pharmaceutical-induced haze. Sentenced to death, Maggie is rescued by a shady operative, Bob (Gabriel Byrne), who offers to save her life if she'll become a covert government assassin. Maggie agrees and trains for a life as a professional killer under a new name, Claudia. Her classes include weaponry, martial arts, explosives, and even social graces under the tutelage of Amanda (Anne Bancroft). Claudia is transformed into a classy sophisticate and is assigned to Venice, California, where she falls for J.P. (Dermot Mulroney), an attractive photographer who lives downstairs. Claudia's highly dangerous job soon interferes when she's ordered to carry out a series of clever assassinations, including a hit in a restaurant and a hotel bombing. When one particular killing goes horribly wrong, she gets some assistance from Victor the Cleaner (Harvey Keitel), a disposal artist who may have also been ordered to get rid of Claudia. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bridget Fonda, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
- 1977
Having consulted his friends and patients to face up to their fears and phobias, Bob experiences an epiphany of sorts when he nearly falls down an elevator shaft. Convinced that his days are numbered, Bob can't be talked out of his conviction -- not even by those whose problems he has solved in the past. Series executive producer Tom Patchett makes a guest appearance as Mr. Death (or, to be more precise, Mr. Dave Death); others in the cast include Oliver Clark as Mr. Herd and Lieux Dressler as the Laughing Lady. Written by Sy Rosen, this classic Bob Newhart Show episode originally aired on February 12, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
In Kingdom of the Spiders a swarm of huge tarantulas, enraged by the misuse of pesticides, try to take over their part of the world. Dr. Robert Hansen (William Shatner), a local Arizona veterinarian joins forces with entomologist Diane Ashley (Tiffany Bolling) to keep the spider population under control. Woody Strode and Altovise Davis also appear as the owners of a neighboring ranch. Unstylishly directed by John Cardos and produced with a sense of humor by "Arachnid Productions," -- and despite bad dialogue, wooden acting and poor special effects -- Kingdom of the Spiders has become a cult classic and favorite of several generations of giant insect horror film buffs. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Tiffany Bolling, (more)
- 1976
This episode is a sobering lesson in civil liberties--or rather, the lack of those liberties when an innocent citizen is brought before a Federal Grand Jury. Much to his dismay, Jim Rockford (James Garner) is repeatedly subpoenaed and harrassed by zealous Federal prosecutor Gary Bevins (William Daniels), who is convinced that the detective knows more than he is willing to admit about the disappearance of union boss Frank Sorvino. When he isn't serving jail time for contempt of court, Jim is kept busy ducking and dodging Sorvino's cronies, as well as someone who is trying to kill him. Though ultimately Jim clears himself, justice has still not been served--and the episode ends with a blistering attack on the iniquities of the legal process as Rockford throws the prosecutor's sanctimonious words right back at him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Geraldine Brooks guest stars as Judge Anna Gavin, who years ago straightened out the life of an aimless teenage punk named Tony Baretta. Now all grown up, Baretta (Robert Blake) is an undercover cop, eternally grateful to the dedicated female jurist who directed him toward the straight and narrow. Alas, all is not well with Judge Gavin, who is being blackmailed by the slimy loan shark over whose trial she is currently presiding. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 1975
A Cry for Help (working title: End of the Line) stars Robert Culp as an acerbic, Don Imus-like radio talk show host. When one of his callers, an anxious young woman, threatens to kill herself, Culp laughs it off. Later, however, he realizes that the girl wasn't kidding, and mounts a frantic effort-with the help of his loyal audience-to locate the would-be suicide. Richard Levinson and William Link's script stretches the tension level to the snapping point, and you'll love every minute of it. Made for television, A Cry for Help originally aired February 12, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
Mark L. Lester directed this exploitation feature that treats sex, violence, and sensationalism with love and affection. The story concerns a bloody turf battle between Smith (John Martino), a mob hit man, and independent gun moll Anna (Lieux Dressler) over Anna's prostitution and theft operation, originating out of a highway truck stop. Helping Anna to fight for her right to promote thievery and debauchery is her well-endowed daughter Rose (Claudia Jennings). As the plot and plenty of flesh is revealed, Rose is coaxed to Smith's side of the field with the incitement of some long green, while the body count on both sides continues to rise. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Jennings, Lieux Dressier, (more)
- 1973
The Red Pony is a 1973 TV-movie adaptation of John Steinbeck's novel, previously filmed for theatrical release in 1949. Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara star as a turn-of-century farming couple. Clint Howard plays their 10-year-old son, a rebellious lad constantly at odds with his taciturn father. The catalyst for the ultimate reconciliation of father and son is the magnificent (but foredoomed) red pony whom the boy raises. Farm hand Billy Buck, the colorful character portrayed by Robert Mitchum in the 1949 version of The Red Pony, is missing from this otherwise faithful adaptation, which premiered on March 18, 1973 as a Bell System Family Theatre special. The film would later be honored with a Peabody Award for "Outstanding Dramatic Special." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This dark, violent British production stars Michael Pataki as a brutish vampire apparently lacking in Dracula's powers of seduction, since he finds it necessary to brutally rape a young woman (Kitty Vallacher) in order to sire a child. The product of this unholy mating is a half-human, half-vampire baby boy, bottle-fed on the blood of his now-insane mother (a truly sickening sight) until her eventual death from anemia. Later as a young man, the son (William Smith) is able to spend short periods in daylight, and his bloodlust is considerably lesser than that of his father. Tormented nevertheless by his evil condition, he curses his bloodline and defies his vampire heritage, tracking his father down to the university where he teaches occult sciences. Aside from Pataki's coarse but imposing performance, this low-budget film is a fairly routine genre entry, but the climactic, bloody duel between father and son vampires is quite gripping. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
