John Lee Movies

Rob Fresco directed this astoundingly bizarre thriller featuring one of the more unusual psycho killers of recent years, Gary Burghoff, best known as Radar O'Reilly from the film and TV series M*A*S*H. As the demented Fleck, Burghoff gets to kidnap children from shopping malls and resell them to their parents, sleep with young boys, slash people to death with a razor, and have sex in a chair with a buxom female victim. As if that weren't reason enough for all fans of extreme cinema to hunt this film down, Burghoff gets to wear women's clothes as elderly fortune-teller Lady Esmerelda Zolotov, whose suicidal roommate (Alan Popper) gets shot by police while running around naked. The Exorcist's Jason Miller shows up as a wino, Playmate Rebecca Ferratti is the wife of the investigating cop (Fred Carpenter), and New York Daily News editor Tom Poster appears as one of Esmerelda/Fleck's henchmen. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Placed in a mental institution by her twin sister's unscrupulous husband, in this comedy the two sisters decide to trade places, and succeed in doing so. Once freed, the "mad" sister rapidly manages to put her slimy brother-in-law in his place, brings solace to the life of a lonely old man, has an adventure which puts her in the position of preventing some hired killers from doing their jobs, as well as falling in love with a government worker. In the meantime, her previously downtrodden sister finds love at the madhouse with a doctor who is unpopular with his colleagues. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Set in the 1830s, this historical drama stars Robin Soans as George Loveless, a Methodist minister whose flock is a group of working families in Tolpuddle, a small town in the British Southwest. Most of the workers in the community are under the thumb of Frampton (Robert Stephens), a ruthless land owner, and his overseer Clerk (Murray Melvin); Frampton and Clerk demand long hours from their workers and pay meager wages. Convinced that the workers deserve a better shake, Loveless, encouraged by organizer Mr. Pitt (Michael Hordern), forms the Society of Friends, an early labor union, and organizes the men to negotiate with Frampton for better pay. When their salaries are instead cut, Loveless and his men go on strike, which could cripple Frampton financially. However, Frampton is well-connected, and soon both the government and private militias are sent in to break the strike and punish the rebellious laborers. The supporting cast includes James Fox, Freddie Jones, and Vanessa Redgrave. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this British variation on the old "Thin Man" theme, John Stride starred as detective novelist Rupert Wilde, with Julia Foster as his wife Amy. Not surprisingly, on each episode Rupert got mixed up with an actual crime (usually murder), using his accumulated literary knowhow to come up with a solution. Equally unsurprising were the efforts by wife Amy to be Dr. Watson to Rupert's Sherlock Holmes, sometimes with amusing results. Created by Ian Mackintosh, the first of the 13 The Wilde Alliance episodes aired on January 17, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"The German Air Force is not at all what it used to be," says Anne Bancroft's Countess, about 16 minutes into The Hindenburg, pausing and then adding, "But then, nothing is these days." That seems to sum up the ponderous, irony-laden script and plot of Robert Wise's movie, which is posited -- in true post-Watergate fashion -- upon notions of conspiracy and cover-up behind the destruction of the German airship. The movie opens with a handy Universal newsreel that gives a vestpocket history of lighter-than-air flight, and that carries us to 1937 Germany. Colonel Franz Ritter (George C. Scott), a former hero pilot now working for military intelligence, finds himself assigned to the flight of the Hindenburg as chief of security; reports and rumors about the destruction of the zeppelin have circulated both in Germany and America, and the Nazi government takes these very seriously. What Ritter walks in on is a "Grand Hotel" of the air, several dozen passengers and crew whose ranks contain enough red herrings to keep Ritter (and us) jumping through hoops for most of the first half of the film, when we're not watching glorious shots of the zeppelin in flight. The answer to the script's presentation of the plot against the airship,and theidentityof the bomber and his motivations, are actually presented in the first 15 minutes, but there are so many false leads, subplots, and blind alleys put before us that the solution will probably pass by unnoticed. In the meantime, Ritter dances around with his ex-paramour (Bancroft), scheming businessmen (Gig Young), and passengers with skeletons in their closets (Alan Oppenheimer), an entertainer (Robert Clary) with a knack for offending loyal Nazis, several officers and crew with known "political" differences with the Nazi Party, a Gestapo man (Roy Thinnes) who's got an agenda of his own, and two genuine mystery men (Burgess Meredith, Rene Auberjonois) who don't seem to have any reason for traveling on this particular voyage. It's all a little tiring, or would be, if the setting and special effects weren't that interesting, and the cast wasn't so entertaining to watch in these relatively thankless roles. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide

Jean Simmons is a housewife on a brief shopping trip to London. A young, unemployed lout (Leonard Whiting) who, seeing her on the inbound train, sets his sights on her, and tries to get a response from her as he chases her all over town. At one point desperate, he steals her purse so that he will be the one chased. Eventually, he breaks down her reserve and they are able to meet properly, converse, and get to know one another. A romantic energy has developed in their relationship as the unlikely twosome joins together briefly. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this violent thriller, a gumshoe sets out to find a young woman's missing brother. His investigation leads him into the seamy world of drug smugglers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Future Oliver! costar Ron Moody adds most of the spice to this above-average fifth-season Avengers episode. Moody plays Jordan, one of several people involved in a plot to smuggle military secrets to the Enemy by way of a parrot named Captain Crusoe. In the course of the Avengers' investigation, Emma once again finds herself in one of those perilous situations which require her to begrudgingly accept Steed's gallant assistance (on the other hand, she does get to show off her high-diving skills). Scripted by Brian Clemens from a story by Alan Pattillo, "The Bird Who Knew Too Much" was first seen in England on February 11, 1967, and in America on March 10 of that same year (after being rescheduled from its original February 10 playdate). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), and Susan (Carole Ann Ford) join forces to rescue Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) from the mutant Daleks. In his efforts to find out why the Daleks want to resume their nuclear war with the humanoid Thals, the Doctor discovers that the mutants need radiation to survive. Unfortunately, this will require the utter descruction of Skaro by a neutron bomb. Written by Terry Nation, "The Survivors" first aired on January 4, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fourth episode of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions are still on the dead planet Skaro, again in the clutches of the mutant Daleks. In attempting to escape, Ian (William Russell) is paralyzed, and the Doctor and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) are weakened by radiation sickness. It is up to Susan (Carole Ann Ford) to make her way back to the TARDIS in order to return herself and her friends back to the 20th century -- while the Daleks continue formulating their plans for mass destruction. Written by Terry Nation, "The Ambush" originally aired on January 11, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the sixth episode of the seven-part story arc "The Daleks," Susan (Carole Ann Ford) has successfully returned to the TARDIS, whereupon she formulates a plan to rescue the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), and Barbara (Jacqueline Hill) from the Daleks. Meanwhile, the mutant villains prepare an all-out assault on the humanoid Thals, hoping to trigger a nuclear war that will enable the radiation-absorbing Daleks to stay alive -- but will ultimately destroy all of Skaro. Written by Terry Nation, "The Ordeal" originally aired on January 25, 1964. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this crime drama, an ex-con goes looking for his late cellmate's hidden loot. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide