Phil Buckman Movies
- 2001
Former Seinfeld stalwart Jason Alexander returned to series television as the eponymous star of the ABC sitcom Bob Patterson. On this occasion, Alexander portrayed a high-profiled motivational speaker, author of such best-selling tomes as I Know More Than You Do and I Still Know More Than You. Despite his success in his chosen field -- not to mention the abundance of testimonials from real-life celebrities (endearingly if not always convincingly cast as themselves) -- Bob Patterson was not always successful in carrying over his winning philosophies into his personal life. The series' basic joke was reminiscent of the "physician heal thyself" premise of NBC's Frasier -- which was telecast opposite Bob Patterson on Tuesday nights. Appearing in support of the versatile Jason Alexander (who also wrote several of the scripts) were Robert Klein as Bob's business partner, Landau; Jennifer Aspen as his ex-wife, Janet Patterson; and James Guidice as Bob's lethargic son, Jeffrey. Co-produced by 20th Century Fox and Touchstone Television, Bob Patterson premiered October 2, 2001, its originally September 25 debut date scuttled by ongoing TV coverage of the World Trade Center bombing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Alexander, Robert Klein, (more)
- 1998
Hoping to prove that he's the same old Cory (Ben Savage) even though he's engaged to Topanga (Danielle Fishel), our hero accompanies his male buddies to a restaurant which boasts scantily-clad waitresses. In the course of the evening, Cory loses his engagement ring, and subsequently tries to prevent Topanga from finding out. Elsewhere, Rachel (Maitland Ward) is assigned to write a paper about male bonding--and guess which two guys she uses for "research". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This British-Dutch-Luxembourgian co-production is "based on characters created by John Landis" for his An American Werewolf in London (1981). In the opening, a man is seen under attack, almost managing an escape from the Parisian sewers before an unseen creature pulls him back. Meanwhile, tourist Andy (Tom Everett Scott) is seeing the sights of Paris with his pals Brad (Vince Vieluf) and Chris (Phil Buckman). When Serafine (Julie Delpy) leaps off the Eiffel Tower just before Andy is about to do a bungee-jump, he executes a mid-air rescue. She vanishes into the night, leaving Andy intrigued -- and also unaware that she is the offspring of the couple (Jenny Agutter, David Naughton) seen 16 years earlier in An American Werewolf in London. Andy tracks her down, asks for a date, attends a party, and winds up in her bed. When he awakens, he has toothmarks on his leg and is informed that he's making a transformation into a werewolf, confirmed by his sudden taste for rare steaks. Serafine explains that her stepfather (seen in the film's opening scene) had been working on a drug to control her werewolf transformations. Beneath a full moon, the lycanthropic love story continues. Filmed in Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Paris, and New York, with special effects mainly from California's Santa Barbara Studios. Werewolves were created by combining prosthetic devices and animatronics with computer-generated creatures. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Everett Scott, Julie Delpy, (more)
Boxing is more than just a sport -- it's also a business and a con game in this satirical comedy. Rev. Fred Sultan (Samuel L. Jackson) is a shrewd boxing promoter and manager whose meal ticket is heavyweight champion James "The Grim Reaper" Roper (Damon Wayans), a fighter whose skill and confidence significantly outstrips his intelligence. While the top-ranked contender for Roper's title is Marvin Shabazz (Michael Jace), Sultan isn't too keen on the idea of Shabazz fighting Roper -- it seems that both fighters are black, and Sultan's figures show that mixed race matches stir up a lot more media attention and pay-per-view customers. Eager to find a white challenger for Roper, Sultan digs up Terry Conklin (Peter Berg), who won a Golden Gloves fight against Roper many years ago but is now out of the game and fronting a rock band called Massive Head Wound. Thanks to a few bribes and a couple of fixed fights, Sultan is able to arrange for Conklin to be next in line to battle "The Grim Reaper." However, Conklin is taking his renewed career as a boxer quite seriously, while Roper, convinced that Conklin doesn't stand a chance, has let himself go and gained a lot of weight. Suddenly Sultan realizes that Roper might just lose the piece-of-cake fight he's so carefully arranged, while journalist Mitchell Kane (Jeff Goldblum) smells a rat in Conklin's sudden rise to ranking status. Jon Lovitz, Cheech Marin, and Corbin Bernsen highlight the supporting cast, while members of the well-regarded alternative rock band Local H appear as Massive Head Wound. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, (more)
- 1994
Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) would like to buy a new chair for his father, Martin (John Mahoney), but the old man is sentimentally attached to his faithful old recliner. Casting caution to the winds, Frasier decides that the best way to convince Martin that he really needs a new chair is to throw the old one away. Instead, a desperate Martin scours Seattle in search of his beloved recliner -- and stumbles right into a "murder mystery," high-school style. Watch for a very young Brittany Murphy in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
It isn't the money but the principal -- aw, the heck with it, it's the money -- when Joe (Tim Daly) blows his stack over being charged a 50-cent rewind fee at the local video store. Joe's rage results in the firing of Debbie (Ellen Albertini Dow), the sweet little old lady who rented him the video. Not only is Debbie dismissed on Christmas Eve, but she suffers a stroke soon afterward! The now contrite Joe tries to make amends in Debbie's hospital room, but will he be able to fight his way through the wall of hostility erected by the old lady's family? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Declaring that it is "Bundy Sunday Funday", Al (Ed O'Neill) packs his wife and kids into the car--and ends up losing all his ready money by buying a single gallon of gas. Thanks to the fast-food cravings of his family, Al is reduced to working off his debt by pumping gas (wearing a uniform marked "Habib") with son Bud as his assistant. The result: Bud ends up commiserating with the Swedish Bikini Team (Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst, Peggy Trentini, Jane Frances and Anna Keller), while Al is stuck with a bunch of surly Chicago bowlers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
