Joe George Movies
- 1992
- R
The man with the granite mug (Ray Sharkey) appears as Stoneface, a crook who has stashed his ill-gotten loot in the trunk of a Rolls-Royce which two unsuspecting guys have "borrowed" from one of their uncles. The fellows, of course, are unaware that there is loot in their car trunk; they're on their way to a modeling contest where one guy's girlfriend is a hot model. The two bozos soon get involved in an all-out chase when Stoneface wants his dough back. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1989
Tracey Thurman was a real-life Connecticut housewife who, throughout her marriage, suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of her husband. The beatings culminate in a single bloody night when Buck Thurman stabs his estranged wife 13 times. She survives--barely--and Buck is arrested. Having failed to get proper protection from the local police force, Tracey successfully sued the officers in 1989. The long-range result was the Thurman Law, which called for mandatory arrests in wife-beating cases in Connecticut and several other states. Nancy McKeon, who plays Tracey Thurman in A Cry for Help, starred in the film in the hope that it would prevent Buck Thurman's early release from prison. A Cry For Help: The Tracy Thurman Story first aired on October 2, 1989; Thurman was scheduled for release in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy McKeon, Bruce Weitz, (more)
- 1989
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Clyde Ware handled the directing chores in Bad Jim. The film is worth noting as the cinematic debut of John Clark Gable, the son of guess who. Gable, James Brolin, and Richard Roundtree play three soft-hearted bandits who purchase a horse from Billy the Kid. They use the easily recognizable steed to convince their victims that they are members of Billy's gang-thus eliminating the nasty necessity of gunplay. One of the gang members breaks away from the others, taking the horse with him, and pretty soon he's every bit as mean and dangerous as the real Billy. The film's pace may be a bit too measured for some tastes, but the characters are believable and the story has its own peculiar logic. Bad Jim is slightly reminiscent of John Ford's Three Godfathers; both films, in fact, feature Harry Carey Jr. is a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brolin, Richard Roundtree, (more)
In this routine spoof of government and media foibles, Sunny (Goldie Hawn) is an ordinary cocktail waitress, someone who graduated in the top 75% of her class. When she dramatically prevents the assassination of a visiting dignitary, an Emir (Richard Romanus) from an Arab country. the event puts her dead center at a whirlwind of media attention, and she gets her a job in the protocol department of the government -- nothing that cocktail waitressing can really prepare one to do. Sunny's nemesis is the evil Mrs. St. John (Gail Strickland) who does not appreciate her inane blunders, and with a few cohorts, she schemes to ship Sunny off to join the Emir's harem, in exchange for a military base in his country. The daffy ex-cocktail waitress is not also blind and deaf, and before long, she suspects that something underhanded is in fact, underfoot. Now she has to find out what it is and how to stop it. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Goldie Hawn, Chris Sarandon, (more)
- 1983
- R
Convicted of murdering his father, 17-year-old Eric Stoltz is sentenced to death. While in prison, Stoltz begins a pen-pal correspondence with fortysomething prostitute Monica Carrico. A long distance romance results, culminating in Carrico helping Stoltz escape from death row. When he finally makes it to the outside, it turns out that Stoltz was innocent all along-and a fat lot of good this does him. Best to ignore the haphazard plot of Running Hot and concentrate on the performances and the action highlights. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Carrico, Eric Stoltz, (more)
- 1978
Bob and his fellow doctors look forward to honoring Carol as "Secretary of the Year." Their enthusiasm is dampened when Carol, hoping to expand her professional horizons, quits her job and goes to work for Bob's pet patient, real-estate agent Elliot Carlin. Featured in the cast are Madeline Fisher as Miss Pringle, Jerry Terry Bell as Gary Johnson, Joe George and Mert Rich as the Angry Men, and Neil Flanagan as Mr. Stevens. Written by Lloyd Garner, "Carol Ankles for Indie-Prod" originally aired on March 4, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1978
Mel (Vic Tayback) battens down the hatches and gets ready for a big-business bonanza when a busload of hungry customers are slated to arrive at the diner. But the event turns into something less than festive when the bus driver speeds off, leaving his passengers stranded. Contrary to several published reports, this episode was not originally telecast on March 26, 1978; on that occasion, CBS was running the first part of a week-long network retrospective. The actual debut date has been obscured by the fact that "The Bus" is shown out of sequence in the current Alice syndication package (it might have been seen on March 28, as a last-minute replacement for the cancelled variety series Shields and Yarnell). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rollercoaster was a by-product of the brief "Sensurround" craze of the 1970s. Nutsoid Timothy Bottoms sabotages an amusement-park roller coaster, killing several innocent revelers. After several other acts of terrorism, Bottoms (whose character is credited as Young Man) presents his demands to the authorities via audio tape: one million dollars, or he'll stage five roller-coaster disasters simultaneously in five different parks. Because detective Harry Calder George Segal evinces a grudging respect for the elusive extortionist, Bottoms declares that only Detective Calder will be permitted to deliver the money. Thus the stage is set for an explosive climax, which during the film's original run was accompanied by the Sensurround effect, a gimmick that electronically caused the filmgoer's chairs to begin shaking and vibrating during the "thrill scenes." As with most disaster flicks of the era, Rollercoaster is top-heavy with "guest stars," including Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Harry Guardino, and Susan Strasberg. Watch for 13-year-old Helen Hunt as Detective Calder's spunky daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Segal, Richard Widmark, (more)
- 1977
Even though he holds down two "civilian" jobs, rookie cop Kenny Murray (Michael Durrell) can't afford to be laid off. Not only are his debts are mounting astronomically with every passing day, but he must also pour more money into psychiatric treatment for his mentally disturbed wife Ann (Jenny O'Hara). In desperation, Kenny goes to work for a notorious loan shark--and what follows proves calamitous not only for the beleagured young cop, but also for detective lieutenant Kojak (Telly Savalas). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
With a storyline evocative of the previous year's smash gay-themed The Boys in the Band, this drama centers on a varied group of homosexuals who meet in a New York bar on a Christmas Eve to talk about their lives, their travails, and relationships. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
