Charles Durning
- 2008
- PG13
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A hot-shot college card player and a retired poker legend team-up to take Sin City for all its worth, only to find themselves going toe-to-toe in the ultra-high stakes World Poker Tour. Alex Stillman (Bret Harrison) is a Yale senior with a knack for Texas Hold 'Em. But while Alex dreams of the day he'll be able to dominate the tables out in Las Vegas, he hasn't mastered the art of the cards just yet. Alex's luck begins to change, however, after a chance encounter with legendary poker player Tommy Vinson (Burt Reynolds). Tommy gave up gambling twenty years ago in hopes that he could save his family. He recognizes the potential in Alex, and he's beginning to regain his confidence after two decades of maintaining a low profile. Alex agrees to become Tommy's protégé, and together the pair wins every tournament they enter. But Alex's attraction to beautiful Las Vegas call girl Michelle (Shannon Elizabeth) has caused his attention shift away from the tables, and that distraction has opened up a deep chasm between the emerging talent and the undisputed master. Later, after Alex and Tommy calls off their partnership, they find themselves on opposite sides of the table at the prestigious World Poker Tour. Who will take the top prize? Will it be the old pro who promised he would never gamble again, or the newcomer who learned all of his tricks from the true master of the trade? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Bret Harrison, (more)
- 2007
- R
When a lonely young girl named Anna walks into her local independent video store in search of an erotic film, the clerk behind the counter vows to transcend her emotional barriers and win her heart in this quirky relationship comedy written, directed by, and starring Marianna Palka. Though the lovelorn clerk in question (Jason Ritter) is a bit of a creep and perhaps even a potential stalker, the contentious relationship forged between the pair as he repeatedly seeks Anna's affections (and is continually shot down) eventually leads to an unusual, yet wholly unavoidable, confrontation that offers offbeat insight into the state of modern romance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marianna Palka, Jason Ritter, (more)
Upon moving with his family to a new town and befriending a pair of magical mutts, a ten-year-old boy must choose between his love of animals and his desire to do the right thing in director Richard Gabai's affectionate family adventure. Like any young boy, Zack is nervous about moving to a new town. After happening across a pair of abandoned dogs with surprising magical powers though, Zack discovers that his new home may not be so bad after all. Now, with a pair of determined criminals struggling to steal the dogs for themselves and a growing determination to return his four-legged friends to their rightful owner, Zack sets out to thwart the thieves and ensure that his remarkable story has a happy ending. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janine Turner, Patrick Muldoon, (more)
Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris joins forces with literary horror icon Stephen King for this, the pair's sixth onscreen collaboration. In the wind-swept Nevada town of Desperation, a malevolent sheriff (Ron Perlman) delivers arrestees to a jail cell from which, by all accounts, no one has emerged alive. The streets are littered with the corpses of dead residents, and it appears that a sinister supernatural force has tightened its deadly grip on the once-thriving community. Arrested by the sinister lawman and subsequently thrown behind bars, a vacationing family, a traveling writer (Tom Skeritt), and a drifting hitchhiker (Steven Weber) narrowly thwart death by escaping their cold metal confines. Upon coming into contact with a mysterious prepubescent boy named David (Shane Haboucha) who seems to possesses an eerie insight into the ancient evil that haunts the town, the brave group boldly determines to solve the combat the evil that has infected this desolate landscape. Despite some notable help from the surviving town veteran (Charles Durning) and the dejected female half of a married couple (Annabeth Gish) who recently incurred the wrath of the nefarious sheriff, this unlikely band of weakened mortals seems no match for the powerful evil that now inhabits the town of Desperation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Skerritt, Steven Weber, (more)
Burt Reynolds, Robert Loggia, and Charles Durning star in this crime comedy following three retired war veterans who stumble upon $4million in stolen mob money and quickly find themselves targeted by both the Mafia and the Feds. Sam (Reynolds), Carl (Loggia), and Eddie (Durning) have all managed to survive their turbulent tours of duty, and now all they want is to settle down and enjoy their retirement in the desert paradise of Sunrise Park - located just outside of Phoenix, AZ. Up until now, the biggest concern for these three friends was who would wind up winning the affections of their sultry neighbor, a former Las Vegas showgirl named Christine (Raquel Welch). The stakes get more than a little higher, however, when the Witness Protection Program drops mob-informant Angelo Nitti in their midst. Having recently turned evidence on some of the most dangerous underworld heavies around, Angelo has been given a new name and a new home in Sunrise Park. But despite the fact that he's come clean about his criminal life, Angelo still harbors a whopper of a secret: He's quietly stashed $4million in stolen mob money, and he's planning on spending the rest of his days in style. His plan hits a hitch, however, when his three neighbors discover the loot and head out on a wild spending spree. Now, as Angelo's secret spreads among both the underworld and the authorities, unsuspecting trio Sam, Carl, and Eddie soon find themselves pursued by trigger-happy treasure hunters on both sides of the law. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Raquel Welch, (more)
- 2005
Once again, the Griffin household is invaded by Peter's crabby father Francis, an old-line Catholic who hates anyone who doesn't adhere to his own peculiar set of religious values. In his efforts to re-convert the family, Francis causes little Stewie to become a "bubble boy." As a result, rebellious Peter attempts to establish his own religion, with "The Fonz" from Happy Days as his new Deity. Without revealing any more, please note that the episode's star-studded voice cast includes Marion Ross and Tom Bosley--and before we forget, Gary Cole is back as obstreperous boss-man Bill Lumbergh, the character he'd played in the movie Office Space (Shucks! There's no space left to mention Jaws: Fire Island). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The controversial satire The LA Riot Spectacular plays for mordent laughs the events that consumed L.A. in 1992, after the police officers on trial for beating motorist Rodney King were found innocent. The city was engulfed by a massive riot, but the film plays these moments for laughs. In addition to recreating some of the images seen on television, the film skewers a variety of figures including the police, the media, and the citizens of the city. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher McDonald, Emilio Estevez, (more)
A guy is forced to do a lot of stupid stuff to protect the girl of his dreams in this teen comedy. Zach Harper (Milo Ventimiglia) is a senior at a high school with a strange tradition in which upcoming graduates are challenged to perform a series of pranks known as "the Dirty Deeds" if they want to avoid a humiliating encounter with the football team. In Zach's case, Dan Lawton (Matthew Carey) is a jock who has always had it in for him and has made it clear that if Zach can't complete the "Dirty Deeds," he won't be the only one in trouble -- he'll also go after Meg (Lacey Chabert), the girl Zach's sweet on, as well as Meg's little brother. Dirty Deeds also stars Charles Durning, Tom Amandes, and Mark Derwin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Milo Ventimiglia, Lacey Chabert, (more)
A concerned grandfather gives his troubled grandson one last shot at redemption in director William Katt's sensitive tale of survival in the wilderness. Clay Watkins (Sam Huntington) is a seventeen-year old boy who still hasn't gotten over the recent death of his father. His anger over the death sending him into a rapid downward spiral, Clay struggles to fit in at his new school after he is ejected from the basketball team and sought out by the police for his involvement in a petty crime. When wayward Clay's troubles begin to spell trouble for his concerned grandfather Buster (Barry Corbin), the local sheriff, the sympathetic lawman presents the reckless juvenile with an ultimatum: set out on a sixty-mile stretch of the Pecos River and prove your worth by navigating nature, or go to jail. While at first the choice seems like an obvious one, Clay soon finds his attempt to navigate the rugged Pecos River complicated by the appearance of two fugitives who are racing towards the Mexican border with a frightened hostage (Amanda Brooks) in tow. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Huntington, Barry Corbin, (more)
One man's life begins to crack under the weight of his compulsions in this drama. Michael (Patrick Cupo) works as a salesman for a garment firm in Los Angeles. Michael has a job, a wife named Gina (Anita Barone), and a baby on the way; however, he also has a gambling problem that is threatening to destroy him. As his debts mount, Michael is forced to lie to his boss (Charles Durning) in order to come up with money to pay his bookies, and as the pressures of his job and the coming responsibilities of fatherhood weigh on him, Michael sinks deeper and deeper into his addiction to gambling, always convinced the next bet will be the big win that pulls him out of the hole. One Last Ride was based on a play written by leading man Patrick Cupo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Cupo, Chazz Palminteri, (more)
Death & Texas mixes humor and drama in order to tell the story of a football player who ends up on death row. However, when his team begins to lose without him there is a movement to get him released. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Durning, Steve Harris, (more)
In season one of the FX network "dramedy" Rescue Me, it is abundantly clear that the harrowing events of September 11, 2001, are still taking their toll on the firefighters of New York City's Engine 62 company even after three years. Senior firefighter Tommy Gavin (Denis Leary) is carrying around so much emotional baggage that he has prompted his wife, Janet (Andrea Roth), to file for divorce. Desperately hoping to remain close to his three children, Tommy moves into the house across the street from his estranged wife, and spends most of the first season trying to drive a wedge between Janet and her current beau, Roger (Jay Potter) -- even though Tommy himself is hardly what one could call celibate. At the same time, our "hero" courts insanity by carrying on spirited conversations with the ghost of his cousin Jimmy (James McCaffrey), a firefighter killed in the line of duty. He goes so far as to promise Jimmy that he'll look after the man's widow; trouble is, he doesn't like what he sees. Elsewhere at Engine 62, Chief Jerry Reilly (Jack McGee) continues to compulsively gamble away not only his life savings but also his future pension; rookie Mike Siletti (Mike Lombardi) is the butt of some truly nasty practical jokes; Franco Rivera's (Daniel Sunjata) serial womanizing catches up with him in appalling fashion; Laura (Diane Farr), the new female member of the previously all-male firefighting team, does her best to bear up against a barrage of cloddish chauvinism; and the ongoing bitter rivalry between the FDNY and the NYPD culminates in a savagely brutal hockey game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denis Leary, Jack McGee, (more)
Way back when she was 13 years old, lonely Holly Grant (Kelli Williams), envying the busy social lives of her best friends, made a wish to receive a boyfriend for Christmas. Instead, Holly was given a glass globe, ostensibly by "Santa Claus" himself, with the attached message that her wish would be granted within the next two decades. Flash forward 20 years: Now a dedicated pro bono attorney, the still-unattached Holly has experienced great success in making everyone happy -- except herself. Enter two men in our heroine's life: Ted Powell (Bruce Thomas), her onetime high school heartthrob, and some guy calling himself Doug, who strangely resembles a person whom Holly ardently dislikes -- and who may well be the answer to the wish posted to Santa twenty years before! A Boyfriend for Christmas originally aired over the Hallmark channel on November 27, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelli Williams, Patrick Muldoon, (more)
- 2004
Having lived a respectable and rather dull existence for most of his time on earth, database designer Frank Griffin (Joe Mantegna) is rudely awakened from his ennui when his wife Ellen (Jean Smart) announces that she is having an affair and wants a divorce. Although the couple agrees to stay together for the present out of respect for their daughter Zoe (Jordy Benattar), it is clearly going to be an unhappy Christmas for Frank. In his efforts to get his mind off his problems, Frank signs up to be a volunteer Santa Claus, subjecting himself to a curious training regimen conducted by a relentlessly optimistic fellow named Ozzy (Charles Durning). Although his first Santa experiences are grueling, Frank finds a kindred spirit in photographer Donna (Kari Matchett), who has similarly split from her husband and is raising her son Gabe (Andrew Chalmers) by herself. In his efforts to help Donna and to patch up his own domestic troubles, Frank begins to wonder if he should consider a future not with Ellen but with Donna. . .and that's only the beginning of the story. A few mildly risqué scenes notwithstanding, A Very Married Christmas proved to be suitable family fare when it was first broadcast by CBS on December 5, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Bound by the rules of the Confessional, elderly priest Father Madden (Charles Durning) is unable to turn in the person who has tipped him off about a planned bank robbery. The only person who could help the Father solve his dilemma is angel Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli), but he refuses to believe she's whom she claims to be. Ultimately, Gloria and her fellow Heavenly emissaries--including Angel of Death Adam (Charles Rocket) in a return appearance--must infiltrate both the robbers and the cops in order to prevent a horrible tragedy. . .and, incidentally, to reunite two long-estranged brothers. This is the only episode in which series star Roma Downey does not appear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Kelsey Grammer stars as Nick St. Nicholas, a Miami-based playboy philanthropist who is about to make his life complete by wedding the girl of his dreams, gorgeous TV weathercaster Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix). Not known to the general public is that the profligate St. Nicholas is really the son of none other than Santa Claus (Charles Durning)--or, as the jolly old elf is known in this story, Nicholas XXX. Expected to take over the "family business" at the North Pole before his father's power fades, Nick balks, choosing instead to remain in Miami, where he is about to launch his latest charity at the behest of his fiancee Heidi. By the time he realizes that his "dream girl" is actually a mercenary nightmare, Nick finds himself besieged by a vindictive INS agent (Colin Cunningham)--and racked with guilt over the gloomy fate awaiting his father and the North Pole toy factory. It is up to Santa's head elf Jasper (Brian Bedford) and Nick's lovely Latino cook Lorena (Ana Ortiz) to come to the rescue. Armed with a surprising number of sexually suggestive jokes for an ostensible family film, Meet St. Nick was coproduced by Disney Films and Hallmark Entertainment, and was first broadcast as an episode of ABC's Wonderful World of Disney anthology on November 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelsey Grammer
- 2002
Hoping to utilize the Supreme Court in the same dramatic manner that West Wing utilized the White House, the weekly, 60-minute CBS series First Monday focused on the nine Justices who laid down the law for the United States. Joe Mantegna headed the cast as Joseph Novelli, the newest member of the nine-person Supreme Court. Entering a political arena that was evenly divided between Conservative and Liberal, the "moderate" Justice Novelli generally acted as the tie-breaker in matters of national jurisprudence (though supposedly noncommittal politically, Novelli's beard and pugnacious personality indicated that he was the "champion of the underdog" type). James Garner co-starred as staunchly conservative Chief Justice Thomas Brankin, who displayed his contempt for contemporary political correctness by puffing away on a cigarette in his "officially" smoke-free private office. Brankin's chief ally was the whimsical, womanizing Justice Henry Hoskins (Charles Durning), while on varying extremes of the political spectrum were Jewish jurist Esther Weisenberg (Camille Saviola) and black Justice Jerome Morris (James McEachin). Created by Jag's Donald P. Bellisario, First Monday premiered on Tuesday, January 15, 2002, before settling into its standard Friday-night slot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
After a Career Day visit to Chris' (voice of Seth Green) junior high school class, Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) feels that his job at the toy factory is going nowhere. Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) suggests he invite his boss, Mr. Weed (voice of Carlos Alazraqui), over to dinner to impress him. Peter goes along, despite unpleasant memories of Margot Kidder's (voice of Rachael MacFarlane) dinner visit. That night, the kids do a number from The Sound of Music and dance off to bed. Peter has trouble with small talk. "I don't care what the guys at work say," he tells his boss. "I don't think you're an effeminate weirdo." But Mr. Weed is so impressed with Lois that he offers Peter a promotion before choking to death on a dinner roll. During his eulogy, Peter mistakes Jesus for The Incredible Hulk. After the funeral, Mr. Weed's video will is played, and it turns out he's arranged to have the toy factory demolished. After Peter unsuccessfully tries working as a washroom attendant, a deaf guy who hands out cards asking for donations, and a transvestite streetwalker, Lois tells him she has some money saved, so he can pursue his dream job. So Peter sets out to become a Renaissance Fair jouster, just like the Black Knight (voice of Will Ferrell) who saved his life when he was an acid-tripping teen. Peter trains with a tough drill sergeant-type coach (voice of R. Lee Ermey) but is disenchanted when he learns that the Black Knight is actually a jerk who drives a yellow Hyundai. Things get more ugly when the Black Knight catches his girlfriend flirting with Peter. This episode also features the voice talents of Jimmy Kimmel, Adam Carolla, and Charles Durning. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
