George Dzundza Movies
George Dzundza's face slowly sank into the collective subconscious of American culture after nearly 30 years before the cameras. Audiences may be hard-pressed to name him, though his familiar face is like that of a distant cousin one has never met but keeps stumbling across while thumbing through old family photo albums. From his turn as an enraged, cheated-on spouse in the horror classic Salem's Lot (1979) to a recent turn as Robert De Niro's partner in 2002's City by the Sea, you can't get away from Dzundza once you've put a name to the face. Aggressively pursued by the president of the Stagers Society (who threatened to have him expelled lest he audition for an upcoming production) at college orientation, a nervous Dzundza hastily agreed and quickly landed the part. A quick rise through the theater circuit soon landed Dzundza some prime supporting roles on the small screen, and it wasn't long until he was gaining exposure on such diverse shows as Starsky and Hutch and The Waltons. In 1975, Dzundza made his film debut with a role in The Happy Hooker, and through the remainder of that decade and well into the '80s he frequently alternated between television and film. Following appearances in The Deer Hunter and Salem's Lot, Dzundza was cast as the lead in the short-lived sitcom Open All Night, and through the remainder of the decade he landed roles in such high-profile theatrical releases as Best Defense (1984), No Mercy (1986), and No Way Out (1987). It wasn't until 1990 that Dzundza would make a return to weekly television, though his role as Sgt. Max Greevey on Law & Order certainly made up for lost time. Even if he did leave the series after only one season, the decision ultimately served him well and his feature career subsequently flourished. As Dzundza's career advanced into the '90s, it also evolved and found him branching out by lending his voice to such animated television efforts as Superman and Batman: Gotham Knights. A short-lived stint opposite Christina Applegate followed with Jesse in 1998, and after moving back to features with roles in Instinct (1999) and City by the Sea, Dzundza settled nicely into the role of Father Tom "Grizz" Grzelak in the popular television series Hack in 2002. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi- 2007
In the first half of a two-part story, no sooner has George's father Harold O'Malley (Geoge Dzundza) nemerged from heart surgery than he must undergo another operation for cancer. Both Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) suffer mightily when Meredith's estranged father Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry) arrives in town to visit his other daughter Molly and his new granddaughter. While still putting off cashing her huge inheritance check from Denny, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) bonds with Heather, a teenager with a bad attitude, a worse case of spinal curvature, and no money for additional surgery. And the relationship between Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) reaches a whole new plateau. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2007
In the conclusion of a two-part story, things are sunny indeed (at least temporarily)for Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington), but things don't look so good for George's cancer-patient father (George Dzundza); even so, this medical crisis serves to bring George and Callie closer together. Elsewhere, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has harsh words for Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and even harsher ones for her estranged father Thatcher Grey (Jeff Perry). Bailey (Chandra Wilson) is none too thrilled when she is forced to keep a secret. And the money for Heather's operation is provided by an anonymous source (Hint: which of the series' characters has just come into a multimillion-dollar inheritance?) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
The male staffers at Seattle Grace go on a camping trip in the mountains, which culminates in a "slap fight" (so to speak) between George (T.R. Knight) and Alex (Justin Chambers). Addison (Kate Walsh) and Callie (Sara Ramirez) have a lot to talk over as they team up on a medical case. Bailey (Chandra Wilson) tears into Cristina (Sandra Oh) concerning her strange actions vis-à-vis Burke (Isaiah Washington). And Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) enters unchartered territory (for her) as she assists Sloan (Eric Dane) with a very delicate "corrective" procedure (Hint: the patient is named Donna, but she used to be Daniel). This episode earned a special award from the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
Things become more strained than usual between Burke (Isaiah Washington), who has been offered the position of chief surgeon, and Cristina (Sandra Oh), who is still keeping Burke's tremors a secret. Elsewhere, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) must bite her tongue to keep several secrets from her half-sister Molly (Mandy Siegfried), who has been admitted as a patient. George (T.R. Knight) senses his father's vulnerability for the first time when the elder O'Malley (George Dzundza) undergoes surgery. And Mark (Eric Dane) and Derek (Patrick Dempsey) must cope with conjoined twins (Jason Sklar, Randy Sklar) who refuse to be separated despite the consequences of not doing so. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
The ER is kept hopping by a spectacular traffic accident, which the wife of the driver blames on an "insane" car. Meanwhile, the burden of keeping Burke's hand tremors a secret is taking its toll on Cristina (Sandra Oh). Also, despite being on probation, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) cannot help but meddle in the matter of George's heart-patient father. And as for George (T.R. Knight), he has gotten on Burke's bad side by calling in Dr. Erica Hahn (Brooke Smith) as surgical consultant--the same Erica Hahn who made life miserable for Burke in med school, and who seems poised to do the same all over again at Seattle Grace. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
George (T.R. Knight) has trouble explaining to his somewhat thick-eared siblings that their father Harold (George Dzundza) must have heart surgery. When Burke (Isaiah Washington) is chosen to perform the operation, he wonders if he's up to it--and so, after a while, is George. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) is profoundly affected by her young patient Mia (Brooke Bryan), who seems to prefer her allegedly abusive nanny to her mother. After calling a truce with Addison (Kate Walsh), Derek (Patrick Dempsey) shares a few words (and a bath!) with Meredith. And two other couples face an uphill climb in search of common ground. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A man struggling to come to terms with the sins of his father makes the terrible discovery that his own son has fallen into a life of crime in a drama based on a true story. Vincent LaMarca (Robert DeNiro) is a dedicated and well-respected New York City police detective who has gone to great lengths to distance himself from his past; four decades earlier, Vincent's father Angelo killed a young child, and since then Vincent has carried emotional scars from this incident that he refuses to show to the world. Vincent lives alone in a small apartment building, though he has nurtured a close if tentative relationship with his downstairs neighbor, Michelle (Frances McDormand). One day, Vincent and his partner, Reg Duffy (George Dzundza), are assigned to investigate a murder when the body of a young man is found dead in a dumpster. It turns out the body was that of a drug dealer, and the dealer's partner in crime, Spyder (William Forsythe), believes the killer was one of his regular customers -- a junkie would-be musician who calls himself Snake (Brian Tarantina). City By the Sea was adapted from a piece by journalist Mike McAlary which first appeared in Esquire magazine; the cast also includes Eliza Dushku and Anson Mount. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, (more)
- 2002
Hack was essentially The Equalizer as Cab Driver. The protagonist was divorced, disgraced ex-Philadelphia cop Mike Olshansky (David Morse). At the end of his financial rope, Mike found steady employment as a cabbie, though he was never completely successful in suppressing his strong sense of justice. Thus, he frequently became involved in the problems of his passengers, usually rounding up and clobbering bad guys in vigilante fashion. Though the series never overlapped into Travis Bickle territory, it did tend to resemble a Western with a ticking meter. So over-the-top that many viewers tuned in just for the (unintentional) laughs, Hack made its CBS debut on September 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Morse, Matthew Borish, (more)
- 2001
To escape his enormous gambling debts, the highly unlikable Reese Williams (Marc Singer) decides to fake his own death, with the help of his long-suffering wife, Katie (Michele Greene). Once Reese is safely "deceased," Katie will fall heir to a five-million-dollar insurance policy, which will help the couple square their debts and start a new life elsewhere. But can it be that the scheme has not gone the way it was supposed to -- and that Reese is dead for real? Reese's sister-in-law Ginny (Veronica Hamel) may or may not be able to provide the answers to insurance investigators Logan (William Katt) and Mac (George Dzundza), one of whom has fallen in love with Katie. Though innumerable clues are adroitly planted along the way, the outcome of the story remains a jaw-dropping surprise. Originally intended for theatrical release, Determination of Death was not seen until its premiere on German television in 2002; thereafter, the film was added to the "Monday Night Movie" rotation on the American Lifetime cable channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
- R
One man lives two very different lives in this suspense thriller. Lisa (Annabella Sciorra) is a computer science instructor who is happily married to James Stockton (Scott Bakula), a businessman who has enjoyed considerable success as a land developer. Lisa and James are the proud parents of a daughter, Stacy (Cait Gentile), and James would seem to be the ideal father, eagerly volunteering for community activities and coaching Stacy's Little League team. But James is not really the man he seems to be -- James Stockton is actually a new identity fabricated 14 years ago by Tony Mancini, a mobster on the run from the law after killing his girlfriend. Shortly before Mancini disappeared, he was given a set of books with enough information on the Mafia's financial dealings to bring down the organized crime syndicate once and for all. One detective has refused to give up on his search for Mancini, and as he begins to zero in on James Stockton, Lisa finds herself wondering what the truth is about the man she thought she knew. Above Suspicion also stars Edward Asner, George Dzundza, and Red West. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Scott Bakula, Annabella Sciorra, (more)
- 2000
The popular daytime TV show "Breakfast with the Baxters" has been cancelled, and hosts Betsey and Bud Baxter (Tess Harper, George Dzundza) are out of work. As they sit in their home ruminating over their bad luck, Betsey and Bud are visited by their two biggest fans--who bear a remarkable resemblance to angels Monica (Roma Downey) and Andrew (John Dye). As the evening progresses, the Baxters reveal that they've put up all sorts of emotional roadblocks to shut out their past--and all because they've never forgiven themselves for aborting their baby 15 years earlier. Only when all defenses are down do Monica and Andrew reveal their true identities...and their true purpose of their visit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A man who leaves humanity behind to live with animals returns to society under unpleasant circumstances, but with valuable lessons about human and animal relationships. Anthony Hopkins stars as Ethan Powell, a noted anthropologist studying the behavior of mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The longer Powell follows the apes, the more he comes to admire their simple but peaceful society. He begins to spend most of his time with the apes until one day he ventures into the jungle and doesn't return. Powell throws in his lot with the gorillas and lives among them as primitive man once lived in the wild with animals. However, two years later, poachers kill several of the gorillas, and Powell flies into a murderous rage, killing two of the men who attacked his friends. Extradited to the United States, Powell is sent to a grim maximum-security prison in Florida, where he will be held while awaiting trail. A psychological evaluation must be performed on Powell, and the task falls to Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr.), an ambitious young psychiatrist who sees this as a case with the potential to make him famous. However, since Powell initially won't speak to anyone, getting through to him will be a challenge, and Powell's daughter Lyn (Maura Tierney) has little insight on the father she barely knew. As Caulder slowly builds a rapport with Powell, he comes to realize what Powell has learned from his experience with the gorillas -- and how much Powell can teach him about living with others. Loosely adapted from the novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, Instinct also features supporting performances from Donald Sutherland and George Dzundza. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Cuba Gooding, Jr., (more)
- 1998
In this TV sitcom, 26-year-old single mom Jesse Warner (Christina Applegate) is a waitress in a Buffalo bar owned by her father, John Warner Sr. (George Dzundza). Jesse's life centers around her ten-year-old son, Little John (Eric Lloyd), her dad, and her eccentric brothers -- nutty John Jr. (John Lehr), an elective mute, and dreamer Darren (David DeLuise), who concocts such get-rich-quick schemes as selling unfinished gnome statues. Jesse has to deal with her romantic feelings after Chilean immigrant Diego (Bruno Campos) moves next door. Filmed in Burbank, this series premiered September 24, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christina Applegate, Bruno Campos, (more)
In the science-fiction thriller Species (1995), Natasha Hentsridge appeared as the beautiful but deadly Sil, a human-alien DNA combo. In this sequel, Hentsridge portrays Eve, a government experiment concocted to gain an understanding of how to combat future aliens, while Michael Madsen and Marg Helgenberger repeat their roles from the earlier film. When astronaut Patrick Ross (Justin Lazard) returns from the first manned Mars expedition, he's infected with the same DNA that spawned Sil and Eve. Hailed as a hero, Ross is pressed into politics by his father (James Cromwell), a senator. Any woman who beds the sexually active Ross is immediately impregnated, with embryos quickly developing and killing the mother. Ross hides the offspring on a family estate, as LA cops begin to detect a pattern in the female deaths. At the lab where scientists are monitoring Eve, Dr. Laura Baker (Helgenberger) realizes that Eve has a telepathic link with Ross, and that these two hybrids hope to couple. Press Lennox (Madsen) and Colonel Burgess (George Dzundza) figure Eve can be used to lead them to Ross. Cleared as a murder suspect, Mars mission astronaut Dennis Gamble (Mykelti Williamson), joins Lennox and Baker and gets in on the action as everyone involved closes in on Ross. Richard Belzer does a cameo as the President of the U.S., while Peter Boyle makes an uncredited appearance as a scientist. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Natasha Henstridge, (more)
If given the chance, would Batman have the hots for Lois Lane? Would Lex Luthor get along well with The Joker? And what, if anything, would be left for Robin to do? All these questions and more are answered in this conflation of two of the most venerable comic book legends, The Batman Superman Movie. Up to his old tricks, The Joker has stolen a priceless statue from the Gotham City museum. When Batman learns that the green figurine is made of Kryptonite, however, he knows this isn't your ordinary evil caper. The Caped Crusader sets off for Metropolis to tell the Man of Steel the news, and along the way, he falls for the beguiling beauty of Lois Lane. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1996
While a serial killer continues to taunt and terrorize San Francisco residents, police detective Jon Lucca (Edward James Olmos) doggedly follows his tracks. Unlike other members of the department, Lucca does not believe the main suspect -- who was shot over a decade ago in a police gun battle -- was the guilty person. Still, Lucca firmly believes in the justice system and refuses to launch his own investigation, preferring instead to wait cat-like for the killer to make a mistake. The trouble is, the concentration required becomes obsession. As time passes, the obsession slowly erodes his sanity. Originally aired on cable, this taut psychological thriller ranks as one of the better entries in the genre. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The original Disney feature film, That Darn Cat, was a feel-good hit in 1965, thanks largely to stars such as Hayley Mills, Roddy McDowall, and William Demarest. This 1996 remake also closely follows the novel Undercover Cat by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon and features Christina Ricci in the Hayley Mills role. In a small Massachusetts town, two bumbling criminals mistakenly kidnap a maid, thinking her to be the wife of a prominent businessman. D.C., short for Darn Cat, is an alley cat who, while looking for his nightly snack, stumbles upon the kidnap victim, bound and gagged in a shed. The kidnap victim scratches a plea for help on the back of her wristwatch and puts it around the cat's neck. Patti (Ricci) finds the watch and links it to the missing maid. Playing amateur detective, she enlists the aid of an FBI agent, Zeke (Doug E. Doug), who has been assigned to the case. Patti and Zeke follow D.C. through tight openings to track down the captive. The cat also leads them to the woman's abductors (Peter Boyle and Rebecca Schull) and to a climactic car chase. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Christina Ricci, Doug E. Doug, (more)
In this drama, a school teacher discovers that it takes more than the ABCs to get through to a class of "uneducatable" kids. When Lou Anne Johnson (Michelle Pfeiffer), a nine-year veteran of the Marine Corps with a degree in education, begins a new job at an inner-city school in California, the principal (George Dzundza) warns her that her class will be the "rejects from Hell" -- kids with severe social problems and no interest in education. While at first her African-American and Latino students scoff at Lou Anne, she ultimately gets them to open up to learning and literature, through a combination of bribery (candy bars) and intimidation (her karate training from the Marines comes in handy), and she's able to reach out to the students who need her the most: Callie (Bruklin Harris), a bright girl who believes she's thrown away her future when she becomes pregnant; Emilio (Wade Dominquez), a macho bully whose violence is stifling his academic potential; and Raul (Renoly Santiago), the brightest kid in the class, who is afraid to show his intelligence. Dangerous Minds was adapted from a memoir by Lou Anne Johnson entitled My Posse Don't Do Homework. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, (more)
Two leaders with different philosophies about battle and leadership wage war with each other in this tense military thriller. Capt. Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) is the commanding officer of a nuclear submarine, the U.S.S. Alabama. Ramsey is a distinguished veteran near the end of his career, and he leads his men with an iron hand; as he puts it, "We're here to preserve democracy, not to practice it." Ramsey is assigned a new second-in-command, Lt. Cmmdr. Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington); Hunter is much younger than Ramsey, Harvard educated, and believes the goal of the military in the nuclear age is to prevent war, not fight it. While at sea, word reaches the Alabama that a splinter group of Russian forces have seized missile silos, and the ship is put on red alert. The Alabama has orders to fire, but as it is receiving a new incoming order the radio malfunctions. It's Ramsey's contention that an order is an order and they are to move forward with the attack, while Hunter feels if there is any question at all about their mission, they should wait until they can receive further instruction, with Hunter going so far as to threaten mutiny against Ramsey if the missile strike is carried out. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Towne both contributed to the screenplay without credit. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, (more)
An attempt to overthrow the President of the United States is the subject of this made-for-cable conspiracy-thriller. Forest Whitaker stars as Colonel Mackenzie Casey, a loyal member of President Foster's (Sam Waterston) inner circle. When Casey discovers a plot by his superior (Jason Robards) to stage a coup during military exercises, he teams up with Foster to thwart the plans before it's too late. The story was based on a novel by Charles W. Bailey and Fletcher Knebel, and Whitaker was nominated for a SAG Award for his lead performance. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Sam Waterston, (more)
- 1993
$Arlene Sanford's docudrama Seeds of Deception stars Melissa Gilbert as the female half of an infertile couple who seek help conceiving from a doctor who specializes in fertility issues. While by all appearances everything seemed to work well, the couple discovers that they, and many of the doctor's other patients, actually were impregnated with the doctor's own semen. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, George Dzundza, (more)
This cold, stylish erotic-thriller grossed over $100 million at the box-office despite vigorous protests at its depiction of gays and women. The shocking opening sequence features a graphic sexual encounter involving a rock-star bound with a white Hermes scarf by an unidentified blond woman. Despite the fact that the scene ends with a bloody icepick murder (horrifyingly realized by makeup artist Rob Bottin), Hermes scarves quickly sold out at stores nationwide. This seeming paradox is at the heart of the film's appeal, as it mixes perverse sexuality and erotic bloodshed in a manner common to European thrillers (director Paul Verhoeven had done it himself in 1979's marvelous De Vierde Man) but mostly taboo in America. The plot concerns Catherine Tramell (Sharon Stone), a successful bisexual mystery writer who may also be a ruthless murderer. Everyone close to Catherine dies, and troubled policeman Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) must find out why. In the process, Nick becomes sexually involved with both Catherine and police psychiatrist Beth Gardner (Jeanne Tripplehorn), while the bodies begin piling up and Catherine turns the cat-and-mouse game around on Nick. Verhoeven and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas -- who was paid $3 million for the script -- keep the tension ratcheted up throughout, even during the frequent sex scenes, which carry a violent edge reminiscent of the Italian thrillers of Dario Argento. The film's most notorious scene, a police interrogation in which Catherine makes drooling idiots out of her captors by revealing that she is not wearing underwear, became a cultural touchstone and was widely imitated and parodied. Sharon Stone, meanwhile, was embarrassed to the point that she claimed Verhoeven had aimed lights on strategic locations without her knowledge. George Dzundza and Dorothy Malone co-star. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, (more)
- 1992
When a district attorney starts an investigation into corruption that leads her back to her own family--rife with police officers--she finds some decisions hard to make. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, George Dzundza, (more)
As a clairvoyant, Demi Moore awaits signs from beyond that her true love, whomever he may be, is waiting for her, somewhere. When New York butcher George Dzundza shows up on the tiny North Carolina island where Demi lives, she is convinced that he is the man predestined to be her husband. After the wedding, Demi moves into George's blue-collar neighborhood, where she successfully commisserates with such eccentrics as withdrawn teenager Max Perlich, frustrated singer Mary Steenburgen, unlucky-in-love actress Margaret Colin, over-analytical psychiatrist Jeff Daniels, and lesbian Frances McDormand. As Demi helpfully tries to chart the destinies of her new friends, she fails to notice that Dzundza is falling in love with Steenburgen. Though there are many traumatic detours along the way, Demi's psychic talents have very positive effects on at least one of the characters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels, (more)
Something of a sleeper in its 1990 release, White Hunter, Black Heart is one of Clint Eastwood's most engaging films. It is based on Peter Vietel's novel about the location shoot of John Huston's immortal The African Queen. But the focus is never on Bogie and Hepburn. Egomaniacal director John Wilson (Eastwood) is far more interested in killing an elephant than in making a movie. His old friend and scriptwriter Pete Verrill (Jeff Fahey) and his producer, Paul Landers (George Dzundza), are on hand to try and talk him down from this pursuit. Eastwood's verbose, outlandish performance will be particularly remarkable to fans who tend to think of him as the soft-spoken tough guy. ~ John Voorhees, Rovi
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, (more)
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