Denise Richards Movies
Green-eyed former model Denise Richards went in a few short years from complete obscurity to one of the many "Next Big Things" to entice filmgoers in the late 1990s. Born February 17, 1971 in a Chicago suburb, Richards moved with her family to San Diego at the age of twelve. Following a modeling stint in New York (which was of limited success due to Richards' 5' 6" height), Richards moved to Los Angeles to try her hand at acting. She found work in shows such as Doogie Howser, MD and Saved By the Bell before getting her first break in 1993 as Ben Affleck's girlfriend in the short-lived Against the Grain.1993 also marked Richards' film debut in National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1. This led to her first starring role in the bizarre 1994 "family film" Tammy and the T-Rex. Following a small part in Gregg Araki's Nowhere (1997), Richards acquired relative fame, not to mention a dedicated group of male followers, for her role in Paul Verhoeven's $100 million sci-fi action film Starship Troopers. Featuring an army of giant ants doing battle with an army of tawny-skinned, white-toothed young men and women who appeared to have wandered off a Nordic Track commercial, the movie met with enough success to constitute Richards' "big break." She gained further exposure (literally) and fame with her next venture, 1998's Wild Things. Cast as spoiled socialite Kelly Van Ryan, Richards gave a delightfully trashy performance in a film that called for her to lie, cheat, scheme, seduce, kill, and even perform a lesbian love scene with co-star Neve Campbell. The film was successful in its ability to satisfy its audience's desire for tacky and oversexed fun, and it provided Richards with further opportunities, including 1999's Drop Dead Gorgeous. Co-starring with Kirsten Dunst, Richards played a small-town beauty pageant contestant in a film that gleefully plays with America's beauty ideals, something that was undoubtedly familiar territory for the actress.
Though 2001's horror flop Valentine and the straight-to-video Good Advice did little for her career, Richards saw her star rise further in 2002 with a set of high-profile films that did much to expand her range. In director Malcolm D. Lee's cheeky Blaxploitation send-up Undercover Brother, Richards was able to give her evil Wild Things persona an even broader, more satirical spin as White She-Devil, an operative for an evil caucasian conglomerate bent on converting the world to its mayonnaise-eating ways. Richards' intentionally wooden line readings and sly self-parody made her an invaluable part of Brother's comic ensemble, helping the film become a minor hit. The romantic comedy The Third Wheel came later that year.
It was also in 2002 that Richards married actor Charlie Sheen, a somewhat notorious lothario in the Hollywood scene, whom she met of the set of Scary Movie 3. Gossip magazines predicted that the couple would inevitably split as a result of Sheen's wandering eye, but the couple had two daughters together, born in 2004 and 2005. Then in 2005, storm clouds gathered over the couple in the press, but instead of focusing on Sheen, they focused on Richards herself, with stories that she had been carrying on an affair with her family's neighbor, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora, who was married at the time to Richards' friend, actress and bombshell Heather Locklear. Richards, in turn, accused Sheen of gambling, drug abuse, and violence, and the two finalized their divorce in 2006.
Richards subsequently appeared minor films like Blonde and Blonder and Deep in the Valley, but by this time, public perception of her career was greatly overshadowed in by her personal life. Leveraging her fame in this regard, Richards then became the star of her own candid reality show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which premiered on the E! network in 2008. The show turned the cameras on Richards' home, her daughters, her many pets, and her recently widowed father, who had begun living at her house. In 2009, Richards began gearing up for another season of the show, while at the same time preparing for a stint on the ABC competitive reality series Dancing with the Stars. 2010 found the actress starring in the comedy Cougar's, Inc, and in 2012 she appeared in Tyler Perry's Madea's Witness Protection. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
A group of college gigolos cater to the carnal desires of sex-starved cougars, and discover just how much fun college can be while raking in big money. Featuring Denise Richards and James Belushi. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kyle Gallner, Kathryn Morris, (more)
Albino Alligator screenwriter Christian Forte pulls double duty as writer and director of this fantasy comedy concerning two friends who enter a mysterious video booth and find themselves suddenly transported to an alternate dimension in which the entire world has taken on the traits of an adult film. Chris Pratt and Brendan Hines star in a film featuring Denise Richards, Scott Caan, Tracy Morgan, and Chris McDonald. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chris Pratt, Brendan P. Hines, (more)
An award-winning film school graduate is forced to confront her sexual hang-ups when she makes the move to Los Angeles and reluctantly becomes an editor at a profitable pornography studio. Jody Balaban (Leelee Sobieski) is a 25-year-old filmmaker who's about to get a rude awakening. Despite Jody's collegiate success, she's still unemployed a year after graduating, and she's about to be faced with one of the most difficult decisions of her life. Jody isn't a fan of pornography, but it seems that an editing position at Grind Productions is her best shot at earning a steady paycheck. With great reluctance, the idealistic Jody goes to work cutting skin flicks by day, and scheming to realize her own personal vision as a filmmaker by night. Before long, Jody and Grind Productions director Jeff Drake (Matthew Davis) have become fast friends. Much like Jody, Jeff was once a "serious" filmmaker with ambition to spare. Jeff sees a little of himself in Jody, though these days his youthful idealism has long since given way to jaded cynicism. Meanwhile, as Jody begins feeling aroused by the very films she once judged so harshly, she realizes that the only way to truly live free is to finally face her own sexual hang-ups. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, (more)
Author E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed short story Jolene: A Life gets the big screen treatment in Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont's director Dan Ireland's independent drama about life on the road. Jolene (Jessica Chastain) is a red-haired wanderer who isn't content to call one place home for any expended stretch of time. Setting off to explore the outside world at age fifteen, the free-spirited teen embarks on a decade-long cross-country of adventure which finds her crossing the paths of everyone from a firebrand Texan (Dermont Mulroney) who steals her heart and destroys her marriage to his wealthy fundamentalist nephew (Michael Vartan), to an ex-mobster (Chazz Palminteri) attempting to make good in Las Vegas. Denise Richards, Rupert Friend, and Theresa Russell co-star in a film adapted from the story by screenwriter Dennis Yares. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jessica Chastain, Dermot Mulroney, (more)
When two dim-witted blonde bombshells are mistaken for the underworld's most cunning assassins, they are approached with a lucrative contract to take out the head of the Chinese mafia in a globe-trotting, air-headed comedy starring Pamela Anderson and Denise Richards. Two fair-haired beauties have just witnessed a high-profile mob hit, and now the Godfather is convinced that they have what it takes to rub out his most fearsome rival. After accepting a hearty payout and agreeing to carry out the dangerous assignment, the two brainless beauties hit the open road on the adventure of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pamela Anderson, Denise Richards, (more)
David Mamet wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his play about a man who suddenly stumbles into a new and dangerous life. Edmond Burke (William H. Macy) is on his way home from work one evening when he impulsively stops to have his fortune read by a woman who informs him, "You are not where you belong." When he does arrive home, Edmond soon falls into an argument with his wife (Rebecca Pidgeon), and he storms out into the city, where he stops at a bar for a few drinks. There, Edmond finds himself talking with a man (Joe Mantegna) who freely shares his racist views about the role of African-Americans in society, and suddenly Edmond begins letting go of the sense of self-control that has always governed his actions. After a crawl through the city's underbelly of watering holes, strip clubs, gambling dens, and brothels, Edmond comes face to face with the violence of this world, and unexpectedly finds himself responding in kind. Edmond also stars Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Bai Ling, and Dylan Walsh; it was directed by Stuart Gordon, who worked often with David Mamet during their early days at Chicago's Organic Theater Company. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- William H. Macy, Joe Mantegna, (more)
- 2005
This hour-long UPN drama series was originally titled Sex, Lies & Secrets, but the producers opted to emphasize the more positive aspects of life in a tightly knit community in L.A.'s Silver Lake district. Among the gorgeous twentysomethings populating the area was Charlie (Eric Balfour), a conniving, womanizing hairdresser; Jolene (Denise Richards), resident "hot babe" and scheming publicist; Hank (James Stevenson), hunky lead singer for the punk band Modern Apes; Rose (Lauren German), rising celebrity journalist and Hank's lover (provided Jolene didn't steal him away from her); Nina (Tamara Taylor), a love-starved, workaholic ob-gyn; Milo (Lucas Bryant), the mysterious and mercurial boyfriend whom Nina met online; and Coop (Omar Miller), Modern Apes' perennially unlucky-in-love drummer. Sex, Love & Secrets was first telecast September 27, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
One woman's unusual relationship with rock & roll's greatest icon leads her into an unexpected romance in this comedy. Harmony Jones (Kim Basinger) saw Elvis Presley in concert when she was a child, and the event had a profound impact on her, as she communicates with the youthful spirit of the King of Rock 'n' Roll on a regular basis. However, Harmony has notoriously bad luck with Elvis impersonators, who tend to drop dead when she's around. After accidentally running into a carload of Elvis tribute performers, Harmony abandons her career selling cosmetics door to door and hits the road, hoping to outrun the lawmen who are now on her trail. As Harmony roams the highways, she meets Miles Taylor (John Corbett), a lawyer from New York City trying to escape some troubles of his own. Directed by Joel Zwick, who made the surprise hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Elvis Has Left the Building also stars Annie Potts, Sean Astin, and Billy Ray Cyrus. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Basinger, John Corbett, (more)
A woman is torn between her heart and her business in this made-for-cable romantic comedy. Lauren Crandall (Denise Richards) is a woman who makes a living planning weddings for other people, but she's never had much luck with her own love life. Lauren thinks she may have turned the corner when she meets Nick Corina (Dean Cain), a good-looking fireman, but then she makes the unfortunate discovery that Nick is engaged -- and she's been hired to help with the wedding. I Do (But I Don't) was produced for the Lifetime cable network, where it first aired on September 13, 2004. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denise Richards, Karen Cliche, (more)
Based on the best-selling novel by Isabel Pisano, Spanish actress-turned-director Maria "Luna" Lidon's The Life offers an intimate glimpse into the experiences of male and female prostitutes in a variety of culturally diverse settings including Budapest, Madrid, Paris, and Las Vegas. Dispersed among the facts are performances from Daryl Hannah, in the role of an aging thespian who has taken to supplementing her income by dabbling in the world's oldest profession, and her neighbor (Denise Richards), an anthropology student who approaches her for help after her grant money is depleted. The Life also features Joaquim de Almeida in a supporting role. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daryl Hannah, Denise Richards, (more)
All of London is in love -- or longing to be -- in Four Weddings and a Funeral writer Richard Curtis' first directorial effort. Billed as "the ultimate romantic comedy," Love Actually involves more than a dozen main characters, each weaving his or her way into another's heart over the course of one particularly eventful Christmas. The seemingly perfect wedding of Juliet (Keira Knightley) and Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor) brings many of the principals together, including heartsick best man Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who harbors a very unrequited crush on Juliet. There's also recent widower Daniel (Liam Neeson), trying to help his lonely stepson Sam (Thomas Sangster) express his true feelings to a classmate. Across town, devoted working mother Karen (Emma Thompson) tries to rekindle the passion of her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman), who secretly pines for a young colleague of his. In the same office, the lonely Sarah (Laura Linney) not-so-secretly pines for a man just a few desks away (Rodrigo Santoro), who returns her affections but may not be able to dissuade her neuroses. Providing the unofficial soundtrack for all of the couples is an aging rocker (Bill Nighy) who just wants to cash in and get laid -- but even he might find a meaningful relationship in the most unlikely of places. A working print of Love Actually premiered at the 2003 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, (more)
While star Anna Faris returns for the third film in the Scary Movie series, the power behind the camera has shifted from the Wayans brothers to one of the Zucker brothers. The Zucker in question is David Zucker, and he's brought along his partner in movie-parody crime, Leslie Nielsen. This time around, aim is taken at such horror blockbusters as Signs and The Ring, while films of other genres, including Independence Day, 8 Mile, and The Matrix, are also lampooned. The plot finds Cindy (Faris) trying to help the president (Nielsen) thwart an alien attack while also facing crop circles and a mysterious video tape. In the spirit of the two Matrix sequels, Scary Movie 3 was shot back-to-back with Scary Movie 4. Queen Latifah, Charlie Sheen, and Eddie Griffin also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anna Faris, Anthony Anderson, (more)
An unlucky-in-love bachelor lands his dream date, but finds that getting through the evening will be a difficult challenge indeed in this romantic comedy. The Third Wheel stars Luke Wilson as Stanley, a woefully inept young man who -- with the aid of his roommate Mike (Ben Affleck) -- works up the nerve to ask out his alluring co-worker Diana (Denise Richards). Diana agrees, but before the two can even be seated at a restaurant, they literally run into a homeless con man named Phil (Jay Lacopo). Currying pity from the hapless Stanley, Phil proceeds to disrupt the evening in every way imaginable. One of the first films from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's production company, The Third Wheel languished on the shelf for more than three years; a similar, if less-severe, fate befell Wakin' Up in Reno, another Miramax-distributed comedy also directed by Jordan Brady. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Wilson, Denise Richards, (more)
Undercover Brother began life as an animated series on the Internet. The satirical cartoon was created by novelist and screenwriter John Ridley (Three Kings) for the website urbanentertainment.com. Ridley wrote the screenplay with Michael McCullers, co-writer of the Austin Powers sequels, and it was directed by Malcolm D. Lee (Spike Lee's cousin, and the writer/director of The Best Man). The film stars Eddie Griffin (of TV's Malcolm and Eddie) as Undercover Brother, he of the gold Cadillac convertible and huge Afro, who uses gadgets and disguises to steal from the rich and give to the poor. His activities are discovered by the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D., a spy organization devoted to subverting The Man (Robert Trumbull) and his henchman, Mr. Feather (Chris Kattan), who use their power over the media to demean black people and destroy racial unity. The spy organization is run by The Chief (Chi McBride), who is constantly screaming at his subordinates. They include Sistah Girl (Aunjanue Ellis), a beautiful martial artist, Conspiracy Brother (Dave Chappelle), who sees white supremacist plots everywhere, and Smart Brother (Gary Anthony Williams, who provided the voice of Undercover Brother in the cartoon), who supplies the operatives with gadgets and information. When a popular black political figure, General Boutwell (Billy Dee Williams), calls a press conference, presumably to announce his presidential candidacy, and instead announces that he's opening a chain of fried chicken restaurants, the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.H.O.O.D. rightly suspects foul play, and recruits Undercover Brother to look into it. He goes undercover as an uptight buppie to work for The Man, but his cover is soon blown, and the seductive White She Devil (Denise Richards) is sent in to use her feminine wiles to destroy Undercover Brother. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, (more)
When his hopeful fiancee Chloe (Denise Richards) leaves him to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles, down on his luck Owen (David Krumholtz) begins to see love in the eyes of Nadine (Milla Jovovich), the woman who would have been the maid of honor at Own and Chloe's wedding. Nadine has offered Owen comfort in his abandonment, and it seems as if he finally may be recovering from crushing blow dealt to him by Chloe. Just as thing begin to look up, however, Chloe's show is cancelled and the disheartened would-be actress returns home fully intent on rekindling on reuniting with Owen. Will Owen remain with the lovely Nadine, or will his old flame prove too difficult to resist? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Krumholtz, Milla Jovovich, (more)
A man who has made good in an illegal business discovers going straight is a more complicated matter than he imagined in this urban drama. Victor Rosa (John Leguizamo) is a drug dealer who has made a small fortune selling a heroin-based drug cocktail he's concocted called "Empire." Victor doesn't see himself as a dope pusher; instead, he considers himself an entrepreneur and a businessman who is simply making the most of the economic opportunities presented to him in the ghetto. Through his girlfriend Carmen (Delilah Cotto), Victor makes the acquaintance of Jack Wimmer (Peter Sarsgaard), an upscale investment banker who admires Victor's business savvy and street smarts. Victor is interested in getting out of drug dealing and into a legitimate business, and when Jack offers Victor the chance to buy into a new business, Victor eagerly accepts and makes a good profit in the deal. After this, Victor is all the more enthusiastic when Jack gives him the opportunity to invest in a much bigger project; the price, however, is more than Victor can afford, and he has to borrow from another high-stakes drug dealer, La Columbiana (Isabella Rossellini) in order to make the nut. It isn't long before Victor learns La Columbiana is not a good person to be in debt to -- and that Jack may not be all he imagined him to be. Empire marked the directorial debut of dancer and choreographer Franc Reyes; the supporting cast includes Denise Richards, Sonia Braga, Ruben Blades, and rapper Fat Joe. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Leguizamo, Peter Sarsgaard, (more)
- 2001
Denise Richards guest stars as Cassie, the visiting cousin of Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). Cassie is a "looker," no question about, and those doing the most looking -- and longing -- are Ross' friends Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Chandler (Matthew Perry)...not to mention Ross himself. Meanwhile, Monica's upcoming bridal shower necessitates an eleventh-hour brainstorming session by her pals Rachel (Lisa Kudrow) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). And Joey may not have the right "equipment" for a nude scene in an upcoming movie. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Denise Richards, June Gable, (more)
In this comedy, Ryan Turner (Charlie Sheen) is a successful young stockbroker whose life falls apart seemingly overnight when Donald Simpson (Barry Newman), the owner of a powerful media conglomerate, gives him some particularly bad advice about a certain stock; this might have something to do with the fact Ryan has been having an affair with Veronica (Lisa Rinna), Simpson's wife. Ryan loses his job, he finds himself banned from stock trading, and he's about to be evicted from his apartment when his live-in girlfriend Cindy (Denise Richards) decides to leave him to fly off to Rio with a new man. As Ryan tries to come up with a way to pay his rent, he gets a call from Cindy's boss; she writes a newspaper advice column, and it seems her copy is long overdue. Needing Cindy's paycheck to keep a roof over his head, Ryan begins writing her column for her, leading to a wealth of complications and misunderstandings. Good Advice also stars Jon Lovitz, Rosanna Arquette, and Estelle Harris. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Angie Harmon, (more)
The novel of the same name by author Tom Savage becomes this horror film starring Marley Shelton as Kate Davies. Kate's in a troubled relationship with journalist Adam Carr (David Boreanaz), a problem drinker, but she receives support from her best friends, the same four girls she's known since grade school: Paige Prescott (Denise Richards), Dorothy Wheeler (Jessica Capshaw), Lily Voight (Jessica Cauffel), and Shelly Fisher (Katherine Heigl). When Shelly is murdered and the other girls begin receiving gruesome Valentine's Day cards signed "JM," they begin to speculate that the killer could be an awkward schoolmate named Jeremy Melton, whom they once teased mercilessly at a school dance, leading to his beating and humiliation. Dorothy in particular is afraid that a false accusation she made against Jeremy might be causing him to seek bloody retribution, but the macho detective (Fulvio Cecere) assigned to investigate Shelly's murder has some other suspects in mind. As the body count is racked up and Dorothy's lavish Valentine's Day party approaches, Kate begins to suspect that the true identity of Jeremy, who likely underwent plastic surgery to alter his appearance, could hit very close to home. Valentine is the second slasher flick from Urban Legend (1998) director Jamie Blanks. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Boreanaz, Denise Richards, (more)
So how far would you go to win a beauty pageant? That's the burning question of Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which the citizens of Mount Rose, Minnesota gear up for the year's biggest event, the Sarah Rose Miss Teen Princess America Pageant, in which Becky Leeman (Denise Richards) and Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) are the contestants to beat. Becky's mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley), a former beauty queen herself, has instilled in her daughter a drive to succeed at any cost. And Gladys will do anything to help Becky's chances of success. Amber's mother Annette (Ellen Barkin) is devoted to her daughter but drinks, smokes, and swears like a sailor. And while Amber is ambitious and a skilled beautician (a talent that she uses in her part-time job at the local mortuary), her view of the pageant is pragmatic: while boys can get sports scholarships, this pageant may be her only ticket out of town. However, Amber and the other contestants may have underestimated just how badly Becky wants to win -- or just how good she is with a gun. Drop Dead Gorgeous was directed by Michael Patrick Jann, a founding member of the sketch comedy group The State (who had their own series on MTV), and written by Lorna Williams, a veteran of the beauty pageant circuit who claims that nearly everything in the film is based on an actual incident. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, (more)
James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, is sent once more into the breach in the name of Queen, Country, and a dry martini. In the 19th Bond adventure, 007 (Pierce Brosnan) must resolve a potentially deadly power struggle between two unstable nations, with control of the world's oil supply as the ultimate prize. Bond is assigned as bodyguard to Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of a petroleum magnate who was brutally murdered, and is trying to foil the fiendish plot of Renard (Robert Carlyle), a villain who was shot in the head with an unusual result: he cannot feel physical pain, an apparent failing that proves to be a considerable asset. Denise Richards appears as Dr. Christmas Jones, an expert on nuclear weapons, alongside Desmond Llewelyn as Q, Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny, and John Cleese as R. Alternative rock band Garbage performs the theme song. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, (more)
Fast cars, quarreling lovers, two-faced drug dealers, and a house full of marijuana collide head-on in this comic road movie. Cole (Breckin Meyer) and Bruce (Jake Busey) run an auto repair shop for vintage cars; the shop is steadily losing money, thanks to Bruce's refusal to work on cars he believes are beneath his dignity and his habit of supplementing his pay by dipping into the cash register. Cole also has problems at home, where his long-time girlfriend Angie (Tanya Allen), is giving him grief about his immaturity. Angie gets word that her brother Ben (Jaimz Woolvett), who grows marijuana in Vancouver, has been busted and needs someone to clear out his grow house before the cops can get to it. However, Angie is in a race with Ben's double-crossing girlfriend Eve (Elizabeth Berkley), who hopes to sell Ben's marijuana behind his back. Angie needs to make tracks to Vancouver, and Cole offers to help her, but Angie is not happy when Bruce and his crazy girlfriend Wendy (Denise Richards) invite themselves along and turn the trip into a road race. Tail Lights Fade features a stellar alternative rock soundtrack, including songs by The Minutemen, The Lyres, The Demolition Doll Rods, The Misfits, Buffalo Tom, and The Modern Lovers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denise Richards, Breckin Meyer, (more)
This thriller takes place in Blue Bay, Florida, where social-climbing guidance counselor Sam Lombardo (Matt Dillon) is indifferent to teen-socialite Kelly Van Ryan (Denise Richards), who retaliates by accusing him of rape, an accusation that leads to his suspension by the school and a rejection from the country club. He can't afford a big attorney, so he hires shrewd Ken Bowden (Bill Murray), while Kelly's mom, Sandra Van Ryan (Theresa Russell), Sam's former lover, gets a platoon of top lawyers. Trailer-trash Suzie Toller (Neve Campbell) backs up Kelly's claim and additional plot twists and turns develop. The seldom-seen Carrie Snodgrass (Diary of a Mad Housewife) has a supporting role in this film. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, (more)
Director Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal service -- but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot. Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits -- Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified, he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a ruthless enemy with only one goal -- survival of their species no matter what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures -- from breeder bugs to armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500 visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained). At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future -- complete with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course, and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls). Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, (more)
- 1995
- R
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The lives of college students attending a beachfront university in California become mingled -- and mangled -- when the deranged former husband (Jack Scalia) of the beautiful former fashion model/pro volleyball player Stacey (Jacqueline Collen) finds her living on the campus. Meanwhile, Randy (Casper Van Dien), whose grades are suffering from his fixation on several lovely co-eds (Denise Richards among them), has been caught cheating on a test by his professor (Sally Kellerman) who threatens him with expulsion, despite the fact that Randy's father (Elliot Gould) is a major contributor to the school. What's worse, the big beach volleyball tournament hosted by the on-campus bar is threatened when a sponsor pulls out, unless something can be done to draw attention to the event... Perhaps having an assassin in the bleachers will do it. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Jacqueline Collen, (more)
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