Tonie Perensky Movies

A road comedy that touches on issues of racial and personal identity, Fools Gold was the feature-length debut for writer/director Jeffrey Janger. Flimp Lopez (Billy Gallo) is Hispanic and Sam Wechter (Blair Singer) is Jewish, which makes both of them outsiders in Oiltown, OK, where they work in a salvage yard. When Flimp hears that a wealthy Latino has moved into one of the town's most expensive dwellings, he's naturally curious and wants to stop by and take a look; Sam tags along. When they get to the house, they discover that something has gone horribly wrong and suddenly they're leading suspects in a violent crime. The pair makes tracks out of town, picking up two sales clerks from a roadside stand along the way, but soon the FBI is following close behind. Fools Gold was shown as part of the American Spectrum series at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this third sequel to slasher classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, four Texas teens are abducted by a family of psychos on their way home from the senior prom. Bloodshed, torture, and intrigue ensue. Barry (Tyler Cone) and Sean (John Harrison) meet their fates quickly, but semi-bimbo Heather (Lisa Newmyer) lasts long enough to be tortured and burned before having her head cracked open like a walnut by a mechanical leg. Meanwhile, sweet, befuddled Jenny (Renee Zellweger) actively resists her captors by stealing cars, breaking through windows, and jumping off roofs. Although Leatherface (Robert Jacks), the human skin-wearing transvestite based on real-life serial killer Ed Gein, is back on board, the cannibal cast this time out also includes several new characters, from bionic villain Vilmer (Matthew McConaughey) to trashy realtor Darla (Tonie Perensky) and literature-quoting flunky W.E. (Joe Stevens). The plot also adds an X-Files-esque conspiracy to the basic Chainsaw concept in the form of deformed businessman Rothman (James Gale), who descends on the family of killers to critique their torture techniques. Written and directed by original Massacre scribe Kim Henkel, the film appeared at 1995 festivals in a 104-minute cut under the title The Return of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre; after actors Zellweger and McConaughey became Hollywood stars, the film was re-titled, re-cut, and given a limited theatrical release in August of 1997. The nine minutes of deleted footage included scenes of Jenny's troubled home life. Both versions included brief cameos from Marilyn Burns, Paul Partain, and John Dugan -- all of whom appeared in Tobe Hooper's original film. Prodigious litigation preceded the film's re-release, although both the McConaughey and Zellweger camps denied attempting to block its release. The film's soundtrack includes a who's who of local Texas bands. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

A remake of the classic Robert Siodmak film noir Criss Cross, Steven Soderbergh's The Underneath follows much the same plot and narrative arc of the original, but expands the possibilities of its thriller structure to also explore the complexities and insecurities at the heart of modern relationships. Peter Gallagher stars as Michael, a compulsive gambler who returns to his Texas home for the wedding of his mother (Anjanette Comer). In his absence, his ex-wife Rachel (Alison Elliott) has married Tommy (William Fichtner), a ruthless local hood. Michael and Rachel soon resume their relationship, incurring Tommy's wrath. Out of their deceptions grows a plot to heist an armored car, a crime which requires the unwitting aid of Michael's stepfather (Paul Dooley) as well as a banker (Elisabeth Shue) with whom Michael shared a brief fling. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Like the feature film Network (1976), this made-for-television drama scathingly satirizes an amoral, avaricious media. The story is set in 1999, a time the pay-per-view television industry is in a tailspin. It seems with over 500 available channels, audiences have become jaded with movies and sports. Enter up-and-coming executive Jessica Traynor (Sean Young) a member of the Tycom network team. It is her brilliant idea that her company can attract new customers by offering them a chance to witness a real execution on live television. Once her company approves and she untangles all the government red-tape, Jessica is left with the task of choosing an appropriately photogenic and charismatic death-row inmate. Trouble brews when Jessica begins suspecting that the man she selected may be innocent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The original made-for-TV Pair of Aces starred Kris Kristofferson as a Texas Ranger who, while searching for a serial killer, is aided and abetted by introspective safecracker Willie Nelson. The Kristofferson-Nelson combo proved so unbeatable in the ratings that a sequel was immediately commissioned. In Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind, Kris and Willie team up to rout out a dangerous vigilante organization, headed by Rip Torn. The "third" of the kind is Joan Severance, playing Kristofferson's unlikely love interest. Written by Rob Gilmer and directed by actor Bill Bixby (Courtship of Eddie's Father, The Incredible Hulk et. al.), Another Pair of Aces was first telecast April 9, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the made-for-cable film Without Warning: The James Brady Story, Beau Bridges stars in the true-life story of the Ronald Reagan press secretary who was critically wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan by John Hinckley. Brady was left crippled by the shooting, and the film follows his recuperation process, as well as his fight for more stringent gun control. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide