Allen Fawcett Movies
Director Michael Polish and his twin brother Mark, who co-wrote and co-starred in the low-key, yet bizarre Twin Falls Idaho, about a woman who falls in love with a conjoined twin, follow up that modest cult hit with Jackpot. Jackpot is named for the town of Jackpot, NV, said in the film to be "just across the border" from Twin Falls. Like the Polish brothers' debut, it's well shot by cinematographer M. David Mullen, and is similarly full of odd, deadpan humor, but Jackpot has much more prosaic subject matter. Sunny Holiday (Jon Gries) abandons his wife Bobbi (Daryl Hannah) and their child to go in delusional pursuit of a singing career. Sunny is seemingly unaware of his lack of talent, as he and his stalwart manager Les (arrett Morris of Saturday Night Live fame) travel from one town to another, entering karaoke contests in dive bars. Life on the road has its short-lived rewards, as desperate women occasionally fall for Sunny, despite Les' efforts to keep him out of trouble. But unbeknownst to Sunny, his wife is unhappy with the lottery tickets he sends her in lieu of child support, and she's set a private detective on his trail. One of the first features shot using a Sony 24P digital camera (along with Session 9 and Star Wars: Episode 2), Jackpot captures a grimy life on the road with detailed close-ups and effective deep-focus imagery. The quirky film jumps back and forth in time to match Sunny's playing and rewinding of a tape of his favorite song, George Jones' plaintive "Grand Tour." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Gries, Garrett Morris, (more)
- 1993
- R
In this erotic thriller a Hollywood porno director does far worse than seduce aspiring starlets upon his casting couch. His favorite trick is to tape them to chairs, focus a live camera on them and a monitor in front so they can watch while he strangles them to death. The strange series of deaths puts Detective Lewis and his partner Barry on the case. Meanwhile, the psycho director's beautiful neighbor, Nola Carlisle gets rid of her boy friend and begins eyeing the rather shy killer. She approaches him about putting together a promo video for her art and he agrees to it. They eventually end up making love and afterward, he confesses all. He does try to clean up his act, but by then it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
A geeky accountant becomes a world class runner thank to a pair of magic sneakers. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
The sublimely derivative Blindside stirs up a modicum of tension. The principal character is a onetime surveillance expert, who after purchasing a motel can't resist the temptation of spying on his guests. No, there's no shower stabbing here, but there isa brutal murder. Before long, our peeping-tom protagonist is up to his chin in drug-traffic intrigue. As the voyeuristic hero, Harvey Keitel is the most recognizable performer in Blindside; with the exception of the always welcome Lolita Davidovich, the rest of the cast is unremarkable. Filmed in 1986, Blindside was released in the US in 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Keitel, Lori Hallier, (more)
- 1987
In this made-for-television movie, the stability of an extended family is threatened by divorce. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1983
This final episode of Quincy, M.E was planned as the pilot for a spinoff series titled The Cutting Edge, starring Barry Newman as Dr. Gabriel McCracken, the head of a humanitarian medical service called Project Hope. McCracken and his fellow doctors are dedicated to using state-of-the-art technology to heal the suffering and provide a new lease on life to people who might otherwise have given up the ghost. In the case at hand, McCracken and company re-attach the amputed arm of dockworker Kenny Kelso (Allen Fawcett), then try to help him cope with the possibility that his "good" arm is going bad. Though nominal leading man Quincy (Jack Klugman) has limited footage in this episode, his wife Emily (Anita Gillette) is prominently featured (reportedly, Gillette was to have been a regular on The Cutting Edge--which, unfortunately, remained unsold). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
