Jack Yates Movies
The sophomore film from former music video and commercial director Michael Bay, this fast-paced action yarn featured rapid-fire editing, a cutting-edge rock soundtrack and liberal use of shots awash in a haze of burnished hues, all trademarks of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Nicolas Cage stars as Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI chemical weapons expert handed a unique assignment. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris), an insane Marine Corps general, has taken 81 tourists hostage on the abandoned island prison of Alcatraz. He and his men are threatening to bomb San Francisco with deadly gas unless $100 million is paid in war reparations to the families of servicemen killed in covert operations. Goodspeed is teamed with former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man ever to escape "The Rock," as well as a Navy SEAL team. When their military escorts are ambushed, it's up to odd couple Goodspeed and Mason to break into Alcatraz and stop Hummel. The Rock was the last film produced by Simpson, who died of a drug overdose before the film's release. Solo, his partner Bruckheimer continued making the sort of glossy, frenetic films for which the duo was famed. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, (more)
Some teen girls take to the road in this made-for-cable remake of the 1956 original. Set in 1957, three guy-crazy friends take to the road in a stolen car, trying to track down one of their ex-lovers before he goes off into the Navy. The film was part of Showtime's "Rebel Highways" series of remakes. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Rudd, Julie Bowen, (more)
The manic writing-directing comedy team of Tom Stern and Alex Winter (the latter of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey) followed up their deranged short-film collaborations and the short-lived MTV series The Idiot Box with this comic fantasy, which amounts to a virtual car crash of anarchic, mind-blowing weirdness. The brain-damaged plot follows self-centered sitcom actor Ricky Coogin (Winter), official spokesman for the E.E.S. (Everything Except Shoes) corporation, into the jungle-bound South American nation of Santa Flan. Coogin has been sent as an emissary on behalf of E.E.S. to placate the media uproar over a substance called Zygrot-27, a chief ingredient in many E.E.S. products which has been decried as a fatal environmental toxin. Accompanied by his friend Ernie (Michael Stoyanov) and environmental activist Julie (Megan Ward), Ricky takes a detour into the jungle to a bizarre amusement park overseen by bombastic barker/inventor Elijah C. Skuggs (Randy Quaid), who specializes in the display of "Hideous Mutant Freekz" (the film's original title). The trio soon discover that Skuggs manufactures his oddities himself, and they find themselves at the mercy of his hideous freakmaking factory -- which coincidentally uses Zygrot-27 as a catalyst. Once he has the hapless heroes strapped down, Skuggs reveals his intention to transform Coogin into an evil mega-freak who will destroy all the others in a slam-bang, standing-room-only closing event. Miffed at the notion of sustaining an acting career as a spine-covered, pus-gushing monster, Coogin joins a rebellion within Skuggs' captive stable of other man-made freaks -- whose ranks include such monstrosities as effete human worm; a bearded lady (Mr. T in a frilly dress); a man with a sock-puppet for a head (voiced by Bob Goldthwait); and Ortiz the Dog-Boy (an uncredited Keanu Reeves). Their plans to turn Ricky into a zygrot-powered superhero go astray, however, leading to a hilariously apocalyptic finale. Doomed to home-video status by lethargic distribution from Twentieth-Century Fox, this unappreciated gem deserves a second look; packed with hilarious visual gags, ultra-gross setpieces and body-function jokes, Freaked is a hallucinogenic funhouse of a movie. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alex Winter, Megan Ward, (more)
- 1991
It was impossible back in September of 1991 to objectively critique the TV movie Us. The film had been intended as the pilot for a new series, to be produced, directed and written by its star Michael Landon. Landon had died of a lingering illness only six months earlier, thus the film was heralded by the publicity people as "His final gift to us all." One publication, which had devoted no fewer than three cover stories in a row to Landon in his final weeks, labelled as "compassionate" this story of a man released from prison after 18 years for a crime he didn't commit, who now needed to touch base with his long-estranged family. Removed from the understandable emotionalism surrounding its premiere, it must be noted that Us was fair to middling at best. Its premise of having Landon and his family stage a reunion while on a cross-country trip was a viable one, but in execution Us was far below Michael Landon's usual standard. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the high-school rivalry between Peg (Katey Sagal) and Connie (Lisa Raggio) continues spilling over into adulthood as the two women vie for the honor of prom queen at their class reunion. The proceedings get down and dirty (or, to be precise, downer and dirtier than usual) as Peg bribes the voters and Al (Ed O'Neill) squares off against Connie's husband Jack (Jack Yates). Meanwhile, Al and Peg's kids Kelly (Christina Applegate) and Bud (David Faustino) dress up as hippies in hopes of crashing the prom banquet. Playboy centerfold Lynne Austin makes a cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1989
In the first episode of a two-part story, Al (Ed O'Neill) and Peg (Katey Sagal) attend their high school reunion, where Peg hopes to be crowned prom queen. Unfortunately, her competition is her old archrival Connie (Lisa Raggio), who seems to have the inside track to the crown. What results is a duel between the former Peg Wanker ("Don't Bother to the Thank Her") and Connie Bender ("Bring a Friend It Won't Offend Her"), with Peg spending nearly 3,000 dollars to fix the voters. The musical group the Why makes an appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1988
Season Five of Hunter begins as police detectives Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) try to break through the wall of silence surrounding a traumatized teenager. Danny Sanderson (Chad Allen) has not spoken a single word since witnessing the murder of his father and the wounding of his mother, presumably at the hands of a crooked sports agent with whom the father was doing business. Only after the main suspect is arrested and Danny's mother has recovered do the detectives realize that the case is far from closed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Benjy Taylor (D.B. Sweeney) is a rookie cop who goes undercover to nab a gang of car thieves in this routine crime drama. Taylor salivates over the lifestyle and money enjoyed by Ted Varrick (Charlie Sheen), the smooth operator who leads the Porsche pilferers, and he reports back to Lieutenant Vincent Bracey (Randy Quaid), who is convinced Ted is a cop killer but needs more proof. Taylor joins the gang and begins to justify car theft and the money it brings as gathering evidence. Soon his reasoning is clouded and the rookie cop gets in deeper when he actually begins to like Ted and the suspect's sultry sister Ann (Lara Harris). ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, D.B. Sweeney, (more)
- 1986
On his deathbed, a syndicate hitman confesses that it was he who killed Hunter's mobster father fifteen years earlier. No sooner has Hunter (Fred Dryer) digested this news than he learns that the man who put out the contract was his father's former partner--still very much alive. To prove the culprit's guilt, Hunter must locate a prostitute (Kay Lenz) who has vital information before the homicidal ex-partner can strike again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1986
The Children of Times Square are alienated and disenfranchised kids from all over the country. With nowhere to go and no real purpose in life, they converge on the streets of New York, totally vulnerable despite their outward toughness. Howard Rollins plays a ruthless cocaine dealer who, in the tradition of Fagin, wins the confidence of many of these kids and organizes them into a criminal gang. The film traces the "recruitment" by Rollins of two teenagers, runaway Brandon Douglas and New Yorker Danny Nucci. Joanna Cassidy plays Douglas' mother, who desperately tries to free her son from Rollins' influence. Made for TV, Children of Times Square debuted on March 3, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
Margaret (Loretta Swit) has a new phonograph but no records. Charles (David Ogden Stiers) has a huge record collection, but a lousy phonograph. Obviously, one of these people is going to try to curry favor with the other--and B.J., caught in the middle of the intrigue, tries to play both ends down the middle. Meanwhile, Col. Potter (Harry Morgan) must confront the possibility that his old WW1 buddy, Col. Woody Cooke (John McLiam), is a dangerously incompetent military leader. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1983
Cooter (Ben Jones) nervously prepares for a visit from his daughter Nancy Lou (Kim Richards), whom he's never met. With the help of the Dukes, Cooter is able to clean up his property and himself sufficiently to be a respectable parent. Unfortunately, as far as Nancy Lou is concerned, Cooter is now too respectable to help those disreputable Duke boys battle a pair of evil landowners who plan to dump toxic wastes in Hazzard County! (Trivia note: Actress Kim Richards is the Aunt of the inimitable Paris Hilton). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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