John Aprea Movies

Robert L. Pike's crime novel Mute Witness makes the transition to the big screen in this film from director Peter Yates. In one of his most famous roles, Steve McQueen stars as tough-guy police detective Frank Bullitt. The story begins with Bullitt assigned to a seemingly routine detail, protecting mafia informant Johnny Ross (Pat Renella), who is scheduled to testify against his Mob cronies before a Senate subcommittee in San Francisco. But when a pair of hitmen ambush their secret location, fatally wounding Ross, things don't add up for Bullitt, so he decides to investigate the case on his own. Unfortunately for him, ambitious senator Walter Chalmers (Robert Vaughn), the head of the aforementioned subcommittee, wants to shut his investigation down, hindering Bullitt's plan to not only bring the killers to justice but discover who leaked the location of the hideout. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

The Arousers was also shipped out as Sweet Kill and A Kiss From Eddie. Former teen heartthrob Tab Hunter stars as a sex-obsessed serial killer. Hunter can't seem to convince the women he meets that he's worth loving and caring about, so he murders them. Based on an actual case history, the film is not as sleazily produced as one might expect. It's not for everyone's taste, but those who stick with are in for quite a jolt. Filmed in Venice, California (a suitably run-down location), The Arousers features a unexpected appearance by 1930s actress Isabel Jewell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Francis Ford Coppola's legendary continuation and sequel to his landmark 1972 film, The Godfather, parallels the young Vito Corleone's rise with his son Michael's spiritual fall, deepening The Godfather's depiction of the dark side of the American dream. In the early 1900s, the child Vito flees his Sicilian village for America after the local Mafia kills his family. Vito (Robert De Niro) struggles to make a living, legally or illegally, for his wife and growing brood in Little Italy, killing the local Black Hand Fanucci (Gastone Moschin) after he demands his customary cut of the tyro's business. With Fanucci gone, Vito's communal stature grows, but it is his family (past and present) who matters most to him -- a familial legacy then upended by Michael's (Al Pacino) business expansion in the 1950s. Now based in Lake Tahoe, Michael conspires to make inroads in Las Vegas and Havana pleasure industries by any means necessary. As he realizes that allies like Hyman Roth (Lee Strasberg) are trying to kill him, the increasingly paranoid Michael also discovers that his ambition has crippled his marriage to Kay (Diane Keaton) and turned his brother, Fredo (John Cazale), against him. Barely escaping a federal indictment, Michael turns his attention to dealing with his enemies, completing his own corruption. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Two bored and neglected suburban housewives find themselves intrigued by lesbianism after they watch two female lovers having an intimate lunch on the Sunset Strip. They are both fascinated and repelled, and one of the wives is disturbed to find herself attracted to the other. Still a passionate affair begins between the two friends. Giddy with love and happiness, everything falls apart when the wife who began the affair abruptly ends it by getting involved with a virile young actor. The other wife is devastated, decides that she really is a lesbian and sets out to prove it with a strong-willed dyke during a party. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the William Goldman-scripted, Bryan Forbes-directed adaptation of Ira Levin's savagely satiric sci-fi novel The Stepford Wives, housewife Joanna (Katharine Ross) moves with husband Walter (Peter Masterson) and their children to the "ideal" suburban community of Stepford, CT. Slowly, Joanna deduces that something is amiss; most of the other housewives are vapid creatures who speak in trivialities and live only to please their husbands. Together with new friend Bobby (Paula Prentiss), she investigates this curious status quo. When Bobby also succumbs to cloying sweetness, Joanna discovers that Stepford's husbands have conspired with male chauvinist scientists to replace all the wives with computerized android duplicates. The Stepford Wives became a massive, runaway hit, earning four million dollars domestically. Mega-producer Scott Rudin and director Frank Oz teamed up for a remake in 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The story of Philadelphia-based rock 'n' roll starmaker Bob Marcucci is given a pointed a clef treatment in The Idolmaker. Ray Sharkey plays Vincent Vacarri, who takes a couple of raw young kids (Peter Gallagher and Paul Land) and molds them into teen idols. If Gallagher and Land seem at times to be clones of Fabian and Frankie Avalon, then you've gotten the point. As played by Sharkey, Vacarri comes off as both maven and monster: he gives his boys everything they need professionally and everything they want personally, but it's subliminally clear that his interest is purely mercenary (incredibly, Bob Marcucci is the film's technical advisor). An excellent, clear-eyed view of show biz mechanics, The Idolmaker falters only in its anachronisms, notably the style of music performed by Vacarri's proteges. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John Sebastian's musical score lends an appropriately anachronistic touch to the endearingly outdated The Act. Robert Ginty and Sarah Langenfield are the principal participants in this satiric tale of political dirty trickery, with emphasis on underhanded union tactics. Also on hand are veterans Jill St. John, Eddie Albert and Pat Hingle, who laudably behave as if the dialogue they're spouting actually has some artistic value. If you don't remember The Act making the scene at your local theatre in 1982, don't feel bad. The film barely received a release at all until it was committed to videotape several years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When a woman is falsely accused of killing her father, private eye Matt Houston is called onto the scene. ~ All Movie Guide

To save rock singer Stevie Faith (Valerie Stevenson) from kidnappers who claim to be opposed to her politics, the A-Team hides Stevie in a quiet suburban neighborhood. This requires our heroes to curb their violent tendencies and act like gentlemen--an assignment taken to extremes by Murdock (Dwight Schultz), who adopts the "Hi, neighbor!" personality of Mister Rogers! Meanwhile, Hannibal (George Peppard) has his troubles with a neighborhood watch group led by the inordinately zealous Joe Skrylow (Walter Olkewicz). . .while Stevie's crooked manager, the man behind the kidnapping plot, bides his time, waiting to strike again. Future Murphy Brown regular Robert Pastorelli shows up in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An exciting climax at a gymnastics competition highlights this sports-themed drama. Steve (Olympic champion Mitch Gaylord) finds his hopes for a successful career are in doubt when his family relationships suddenly fall apart. He and his father are continually at odds while his younger brother and mother can do nothing about it. Gymnast Julie Lloyd (Janet Jones) arrives on the scene and a romantic liaison with Steve is in the works. A big championship competition looms ahead on the horizon as both Steve and Julie prepare for a final challenge. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Yvonne Wilder and John Aprea make their first series appearances as Irene and Nick Katsopolis, the bombastic parents of Uncle Jesse (John Stamos). After selling his first TV jingle, Jesse decides to give up his job with the family's extermination business and become a full-time musician--if only he can work up enough nerve to tell Irene and Nick. Meanwhile, a terrified Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) prepares to have her first cavity treated by the family dentist (Peter Kwong). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

San Francisco is blanketed in a heavy fog, stranding the members of the Tanner household with Jesse's parents Irene (Yvonne Wilder) and Nick (Jon Aprea), and DJ's friend Kimmy (Andrea Barber). Even before the fog rolls in, tensions are at the snapping point in the house, thanks to an uncharacteristic display of temper from Jesse (John Stamos) when he catches DJ (Candace Cameron) and Kimmy fooling around with his recording equipment. And when Jesse attempts to make up for his angry outburst, things just go from bad to worse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

On Spring Cleaning Day, Joey (David Coulier) accidentally gives away Stephanie's beloved toy teddy bear. The girl is totally crushed, especially since "Mr. Bear" represents one of the last tangible links between Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin) and her late mother Pam (played in flashback by Christie Houser) in her only series appearance). On a lighter note, Jesse (John Stamos) attempts to replace a broken drawer-handle on his own, without telling Danny (Bob Saget)...and with the expected disastrous results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide