Jason Fuchs Movies
An old man and a young boy teach one another some lessons about magic and friendship in this adventure-comedy for all ages. Max (Matt Weinberg) is a fourth grader who has been having a tough time lately; his parents have died, and he's become the target of bullies at school. One night, not long before Halloween, Max and some friend at school are passing by a big house in the neighborhood that's said to be haunted, and they dare one another to find out who or what is inside. It turns out the spooky mansion is home to The Great Zamboni (Ben Kingsley), a once-famous magician who retired from the stage after he made his wife disappear during his act...and couldn't make her come back again. While Zamboni at first announces he'd rather be left alone, in time he and Max become friends, and with Zamboni's magical skills, Max learns how to stand up for himself, and together they foil a group of criminals. Spooky House also features Mercedes Ruehl; the film won the "Best of the Fest" and Children's Jury Award prizes at the 1999 Chicago International Children's Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Mercedes Ruehl, (more)
Satirist Jim Arahams returned with this comedy spoofing the Godfather trilogy, and other films and TV, including Jurassic Park, Lord of the Dance, and Barney. The opening emulates a Saul Bass sequence with Anthony Cortino (Jay Mohr) in a flight amid flames much like Robert De Niro in the Casino credits. After flashbacks go back in time to Sicily, Coppola/Scorsese references abound. Young Vincenzo (Jason Fuchs) travels to America to later become the clumsy chief of organized crime (with the late Lloyd Bridges as the aging Vincenzo) with his sons -- short-fused Joey (Billy Burke) and educated Anthony. Tony's WASP fiancee is Diane (Christina Applegate), recalling Diane Keaton in the Coppola films. During the wedding, assassins try to do away with Don Vincenzo, who's hospitalized, so Tony sets out to gain revenge for the murder attempt. In Vegas, Tony gets involved with showgirl Pepper (Pamela Gidley). When betrayals begin, can violence be far behind? This was Lloyd Bridges' final movie, and the film is dedicated to him. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Mohr, Billy Burke, (more)
In this adventure drama for the family, based on the popular TV series of the mid-'60s, Sandy Ricks (Elijah Wood) is a moody teenager from Chicago who is not dealing well with the recent divorce of his parents. In the hope that a change of scenery will do him good, Sandy is sent to spend the summer with his Uncle Porter (Paul Hogan), an aging hippie and fisherman who lives on Coral Key, an island off the coast of Florida. The sun and sand do little to improve Sandy's outlook on life, even after he meets Kim (Jessica Wesson), a pretty girl who lives nearby, but he becomes sunnier when he encounters Flipper, a friendly dolphin, while boating with Porter. When Sandy helps save Flipper from a pack of bloodthirsty charter-boat fishermen, led by the mean-spirited Dirk Moran (Jonathan Banks), the dolphin becomes the boy's loyal companion (at least when Sandy is close to the water). But Sandy soon discovers that Dirk is dumping toxic waste into the waters of Coral Key, and with the help of Cathy (Chelsea Field), a friend of Porter's with a background in marine biology, Sandy and Porter try to gather enough evidence so that Sheriff Buck Cowan (Isaac Hayes) will be able to put Dirk behind bars. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Paul Hogan, (more)
