Richard Epcar Movies
The naughty little monkey from Margret Rey and H.A. Rey's beloved children's stories makes the leap to the big screen in this animated adaptation. Ted (voice of Will Ferrell) is an explorer with a large yellow hat who is good friends with Bloomsberry (voice of Dick Van Dyke), who runs a natural history museum. Bloomsberry's greedy son, Bloomsberry Junior (voice of David Cross), wants to tear down his dad's museum and put a parking ramp in its place, but the elder Bloomsberry is convinced that a spectacular new exhibit could save the museum from the wrecking ball. Ted heads to Africa on an expedition to find some special artifacts that will keep his friend in business, but while he's there he befriends a playful monkey he calls George (voice of Frank Welker). While George is friendly, he has a taste for mischief and seems to always get Ted in hot water; Ted thinks he's seen the last of his simian friend when his ship heads back to America, until he discovers that George managed to hide aboard the boat before it set sail. Ted's search for a eye-catching exhibit proved to be a failure, and Ted and his good friend Maggie (voice of Drew Barrymore), a schoolteacher who's sweet on him, struggle to find of a way to save Bloomsberry's museum. But time becomes precious for Ted when George has an entire new city to explore. Curious George features a handful of original songs composed for the film by surfer-turned-singer/songwriter Jack Johnson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, (more)
Directed by the prolific Rob Zombie, The Devil's Rejects is a sequel of sorts to 2003's House of 1000 Corpses, and picks up several weeks after House left off. This time, the clash revolves around the tribe of violent lunatics and decidedly valueless family members of the original film, who have come to be known as the "Devil's Rejects." After learning of the extended family's horrific attacks, a SWAT team is sent to take them into custody; all but their crazed Mama escape. In addition to creating a full-fledged media circus, this sends the sociopath housemates on the run, and they initiate a deadly road trip. Meanwhile, Mama has to deal with a violent, vengeful sheriff (William Forsythe). The Devil's Rejects features Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Sheri Moon, Michael Berryman, and Ken Foree, among other cult horror regulars. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, (more)
Vin Diesel returns as the nocturnally gifted antihero Riddick in this sequel to the 2000 cult item Pitch Black. Riddick, on the run from the law and evading mercenaries eager to claim the price on his head, seeks refuge on the planet of Helion, only to discover he's walked into a world in chaos. Helion has been seized by the Lord Marshall (Colm Feore), leader of the Necromongers, a race of bloodthirsty warriors determined to wipe out humanity throughout the universe. Aereon (Judi Dench), leader of Helion's "elementals," pleads with Riddick to join them in their fight for survival; Riddick agrees, hoping to fill out some of the blank chapters in his history along the way. As he plots his battle strategy against the Necromongers, Riddick becomes reacquainted with Kyra (Alexa Davalos), whom he knew as a girl but has since grown into a strong and beautiful woman eager to join him in the fight against the Lord Marshall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, (more)
- 2003
This series relies on dry, non sequitur humor, puns, general bizarre content, and breaking down the fourth wall in the name of comedy. The plot serves mainly to create excuses for humor but is in itself something of a joke: the evil and entirely bald Margarita Empire is on a rampage to take over the world and render every inhabitant bald as well. The empire is led by the obviously hairless Emperor Tsuru Tsuruiina, whose name, in Japanese, is an onomatopoeia for something slippery. Only the hero, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (whose own name is based on a mimic word in Japanese that describes shrubbery or unkempt hair), can save the world by harnessing his power to command every hair on his body to perform his own unique form of martial arts. He can "hear the voices of hair," including those of his giant yellow afro, which he can use to project images of squirrels in order to confuse his enemy. Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo mocks many manga and anime series to hilarious ends, including itself. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Epcar, Michael McConnohie, (more)
Chevy Chase stars, though not always visibly, as Nick Halloway, a low-level businessman with an acerbic approach to life and work, whose humdrum existence utterly bores him. Nick gets an unexpected jolt of excitement when, nursing a hangover, he's the only one not to evacuate an office building that becomes a disaster area after a mishap involving nuclear testing equipment. An unexpected by-product of the accident is that it turns the molecules of the building, as well as Nick and the clothes he's wearing, transparent. When a team of shady government agents, led by David Jenkins (Sam Neill), notices that a human has been turned invisible, they try to take him into custody, planning to use him as the most dangerous secret intelligence agent the world has ever known. Distrusting their motives, the frantic and confused Nick escapes, and quickly begins learning new information about his unusual condition, such pragmatic details as trying to sleep when he can see through his eyelids and any unprocessed food he eats will give him away. Soon, however, he discovers that the scientist in charge of the experiments (Jim Norton) has no idea how to return him to normal, and begins plotting how best to live a semblance of a normal life while steering clear of his pursuers. Nick involves a beautiful woman he met the night before the accident (Daryl Hannah) in his dilemma, and soon she too becomes a target. Memoirs of an Invisible Man was adapted from a book by H.F. Saint. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Daryl Hannah, (more)
- 1991
- R
In a futuristic world, the U.S. is ruled by a repressive government that bans most forms of media. As part of the enforcement, a cop (Billy Zane) is sent to the rebel state of Megaville on an undercover mission to infiltrate an unlawful media organization. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, J.C. Quinn, (more)
- 1991
Uh oh. An alien blob has oozed from the sky and is attempting to suck all the electricity from the earth in this sci-fi film. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Ever anxious to impress her corporate bosses, Rebecca (Kirstie Alley) takes it upon herself to promote Norm's (George Wendt) modest painting business into a major moneymaking enterprise. Not surprisingly, Norm nearly suffocates from Rebecca's good intentions. Meanwhile, Sam (Ted Danson) has a hard time keeping up (literally) with his new, hyper-athletic girl friend Erin (Lisa Aliff). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
This grim sci-fi film presents a dim view of the near future in which humanity has been decimated by a virulent plague. The survivors are rigidly divided into those who are plague-free and those who are dying. The former live in heavily-guarded areas and have most of the wealth and power, while the latter are quarantined. A few people have a fatal but not contagious mutation of the virus. These are the Zero Men, and during their lives they are able to move in an out of the different zones; some of them are mercenaries and when the daughter of a prominent industrialist is kidnapped and taken to the plague zone, it is up to one of these terminally ill soldiers of fortune to save her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wings Hauser, Brion James, (more)
- 1985
Maddie (Cybill Shepherd) is shocked when her favorite radio DJ Arthur Boyd is murdered right in the middle of a broadcast. David (Bruce Willis) prods Maddie into investigating the tragedy, which she does. In the process, Maddie discovers that the "late" Mr. Boyd is still alive--but if she doesn't mind her own business, her own life may be in dire jeopardy. Actress Melinda Dillon provided a few uncredited contributions to the script of this episode: However, Dillon had nothing to do with the celebrated "boinking" discussion that serves as the highlight. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
