Erika Eleniak Movies

After the phenomenal box-office and critical success of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, a series of big-budget remakes of '50s horror favorites rode in on its coattails in the late 1980s -- though none managed to rise above mere camp clones of their elders, albeit garnished with modern makeup effects in an attempt to draw modern teen horror-junkies. One remake that managed to live up to its cheesy inspiration was Chuck Russell's version of The Blob, in which the title goo crashes to earth and promptly begins digesting the residents of a small California town while growing to gargantuan proportions. The clean-cut teen hero originally portrayed by Steve McQueen (his first starring role) is replaced here with a rebellious outsider (Kevin Dillon) whose preppie rival (Donovan Leitch) for the affections of the cute heroine (Shawnee Smith) is quickly eliminated by the all-consuming space-gelatin. No sooner has the plasma menace set up house in the town sewers when a shadowy government Blob Squad shows up under the direction of the grandfatherly Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), to clean up the mess... or not. This high-spirited remake replaces the '50s "Daddy-O" conventions of the original with '80s cynicism -- not even likeable characters are spared from the slaughter -- and anti-government sentiment. It also pushes the gore envelope in ways unavailable to its low-budget parent -- e.g. the scene in which one victim is sucked through a sink drain was only hinted at in the 1958 film, but here viewers are treated to the entire bone-crunching ordeal. Though the quality of blob effects seems inversely proportional to the creature's size (some of the climactic "wall-of-blob" footage is painfully cheap-looking), the end result is more blob for the monster-movie fan's dollar. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV film served as the pilot for the internationally popular adventure series Baywatch. David Hasselhoff stars as Lt. Mitch Buchanan, the man in charge of the LA County lifeguard squad at Malibu beach. Future series regulars spotlighted herein are Shawn Weatherly as Jill Riley, Parker Stevenson as Craig Pomeroy and Erika Eleniak as Shauni McLain. Not that it should matter to the film's "babewatchers," but there is a plot-a "Fatal Attraction"-style thriller involving a woman scorned. And, as bonus, there's a thriller explosion-at-sea vignette. Baywatch: Panic at Malibu Pier was first telecast April 23, 1989, some six months before the premiere of the series proper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A mother is determined to keep her daughter from the seedy world of prostitution in this made-for-television movie. Jane Alexander stars as Peggy Ryan, a busy single mom who doesn't have much time for her daughter Charly (Roxanna Zal). Lacking guidance, Charly drifts from the wrong crowd into prostitution. Realizing what Charly has gotten herself into, Peggy refuses to accept this as her daughter's fate and sets out to get her back home. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Penelope Spheeris directed this compulsively faithful film adaptation of the popular 1960s television series. The familiar story 'bout a man named Jed Clampett (Jim Varney), a poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed, continues to follow the TV show's format. Jed discovers oil on his Arkansas property and overnight becomes a multi-millionaire. He moves his family to Beverly Hills, wanting to turn his daughter Ellie May (Erika Eleniak) into a sophisticated woman. At his new Beverly Hills mansion, he meets Mr. Drysdale (Dabney Coleman), a kow-towing banker, and Drysdale's assistant, the repressed crone Miss Hathaway (Lily Tomlin). Jed announces that he would like to re-marry, and that leaves the door open for Drysdale's scheming lackey Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider) and his fortune-hunting partner Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson) to make the moves on Jed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In director Dennis Hopper's comedy reminiscent of The Last Detail, Rock Reilly (Tom Berenger), a gruff naval veteran who plays by the rules, arrives at a Marine base, in tow with his wheeler-dealer companion Eddie Devane (William McNamara), and finds himself assigned to escort the voluptuous Toni Johnson (Erika Eleniak) to military prison, Toni being sentenced from seven to ten years for assault and going AWOL. As in The Last Detail, the three service-persons get to know each other (in the case of Toni and Rock, they get to know each other intimately) as they make their way across the Southeastern seaboard to deliver Toni to prison. As they travel on, Toni repeatedly tries to escape from the two men as the trio encounters an array of guest-star cameos (Gary Busey, Seymour Cassel, Crispin Glover, Dean Stockwell, Frederic Forrest, and Marilu Henner -- among others). Even Hopper himself makes an appearance -- as a dirty old man with an inflatable date. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In this satirical horror-comedy, a gumshoe investigates a combination TV ministry/whorehouse/vampire infestation. After bounty hunter Vincent (Phil Fondacaro) unearths the remains of Lilith, queen of the vampires, he restores the alluring creature to life and lords over her using a magical talisman. Later, rowdy youngster Caleb Verdoux (Corey Feldman) convinces one of his dim-witted buddies to accompany him to a combination mortuary/house of ill repute where both young men fall prey to Lilith's charms. Rather than merely drinking her victims' blood, this vampire has a tendency to rip out their hearts with her projectile tongue. Caleb's sister, Katherine (Erika Eleniak), who works for a large televangelism operation run by the shady Reverend Current (Chris Sarandon), hires private dick Rafe Guttman (Dennis Miller) to track down the errant Caleb. Rafe's wise-guy antics soon get him in trouble with Lilith and the law, but not before he uncovers the ties between Lilith's organization and Current's ministry; it seems Vincent, and therefore Lilith, are working for the reverend. Soon, Rafe finds himself in the boudoir of Lilith's bordello, armed with a holy-water squirt gun and fighting to save Erika from the glamorous but deadly vampire. Like Tales From the Crypt Presents Demon Knight, the previous film spin-off from HBO's EC Comics-inspired Tales From the Crypt series, Bordello of Blood features interludes hosted by the puppet skeleton known as the Crypt Keeper (voice of John Kassir). Director Gilbert Adler, who previously helmed Demon Knight, would go on to produce 13 Ghosts and The House on Haunted Hill. Whoopi Goldberg makes an uncredited cameo as a hospital patient. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Los Angeles suburbanites Quinn (James Wilder) and Laura (Kimberly Kates) host a backyard barbecue of co-workers, including a doctor (C. Thomas Howell), his wife (Erika Eleniak), rough-edged Barry (Jack Scalia), and winsome Jude (Karen Black), who was recently widowed when her executive husband was killed in a botched kidnapping. A confrontation with an irate neighbor (James Russo) turns ugly, and it seems there is more to the guest list than first thought. And then it gets uglier once the accusations fly -- much uglier. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Jim Wynorski and John Terlesky teamed to write and direct this low-budget action thriller, zoning in on the adventures of agent John Lacy (Daniel Baldwin), due to be married to news anchor Wendy Lane (Erika Eleniak). Former agent Bill Stenwick (Richard Tyson) steals a weapon that kills humans yet leaves crops and buildings undamaged. Lacy goes in pursuit, hoping to complete the case before his wedding day. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This action-adventure saga stars rapper turned actor Ice-T as Turner, who was once an ace pilot for the Air Force before faking his own death ten years ago. Now, in cahoots with an underground arms dealer who has gotten his hands on a nuclear submarine, Turner steals a Stealth bomber and together they intend to hold the U.S. government hostage. But one of Turner's friends from his days in the military (Costas Mandylor) knows his old pal just well enough to be able to guess his next move as he tries to foil their plot and keep America safe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A woman finds a whole new world opens up to her when she learns to stand up to the man who beats her in this independent drama. Patty (Erika Eleniak) is a woman involved in an abusive relationship who decides to take boxing lessons to better protect herself when her boyfriend becomes violent. While practicing at a health club, Patty attracts the attention of June (Aunjanue Ellis) and Fred (John Doman); she's a female boxer and he's a promoter who books fights at local clubs. Both June and Fred think Patty might have what it takes to go pro, and they introduce her to Tommy (James Colby), a trainer who runs a local gym and who helps Patty get into fighting shape. In June, Patty finds a friend who gives her a good reason to get away from her boyfriend, and she begins a slow but steady climb up the ladder of the women's boxing circuit. The Opponent was the first feature for writer and director Eugene Jarecki. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Beautiful, sultry Jayne Ferre (Julie Du Page) is a ruthless, mob-connected hitwoman who, in the opening scenes, "eliminates" several mobsters by pretending to seduce them before blowing them away. Her greed gets the best of her, however, when she absconds with a metal briefcase containing a million dirty dollars rightfully/wrongfully belonging to her boss, the equally ruthless Frank Bianci (Louis Mandylor). In an effort to escape with the cash she hitches a ride from California to Texas with down-and-out Emily (Erika Eleniak) and her 16-year old son Kerry (Jeremy Lelliott), who is on the run from a small time drug dealer. Meanwhile, a detective (Adam Baldwin) is tracking the trio as a gaggle of Bainco's henchmen close in on their car -- which breaks down, sending Jayne and Emily in different directions in search of Kerry who now has the million bucks. Emily is eventually picked up by a friendly stranger (James Remar), who happens to be in cahoots with Jayne. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Second to Die stars Erika Eleniak as Sara Morgan, a woman who plans the murder of her husband (John Wesley Shipp). Soon afterward, she discovers that further homicides may be necessary in order to keep the truth about her husband's death from becoming public knowledge. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide