Eve Brent Ashe Movies
Sean Penn graduated to full stardom with the 1984 drama Racing with the Moon, even though the film itself hardly set new box office records. Set in the early years of World War II, the film stars Penn as a small-town teen-aged hotshot, six weeks away from being shipped out to fight overseas. In the meantime, Penn begins to date Elizabeth McGovern, whom he assumes is from a wealthy family. Penn's pal Nicolas Cage, who's gotten his girlfriend Suzanne Adkinson pregnant, imposes upon Penn to hit up McGovern for the abortion money. That's when Penn discovers that the girl barely has a penny to her name. Convinced that Penn cared for her only when he thought she was rich, McGovern walks out on him, but later teams up with Penn to help the unfortunate Adkinson. The plot is pure James Dean, a fact not lost on fans who regarded Sean Penn as the second coming of Dean. A very slight piece, Racing With the Moon is buoyed by the engaging performances of the stars, and by director Richard Benjamin's meticulous attention to period detail-especially in those peerless bowling-alley and skating-rink sequences. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Elizabeth McGovern, (more)
- 1983
- R
In this comedy, a stuffy congressman is dismayed when he discovers that his beloved daughter intends to marry limousine driver John Bourgignon (John Candy). While intending to put on a good show for his father-in-law to be, John is captured by some political opponents of the congressman. His capturers attempt to brainwash him into assassinating the congressmen, but things don't go exactly as planned. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Candy, Eugene Levy, (more)
- 1982
- R
When his wife Suzanna Love is seriously injured in a car accident, Keir Dullea agrees to a radical and revolutionary surgical procedure to save the life of the comatose woman. Love undergoes a brain transplant-and, miracle of miracles, survives. Unfortunately, the brain donor was a murdered woman, and now Love is besieged by horrific memories of the killing. The unknown murderer finds out about this, thrusting Love's life into jeopardy for a second time. Actress Suzanna Love was the wife of Brainwaves director Ulli Lommel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keir Dullea, Suzanna Love, (more)
- 1980
- R
An interesting, introspective variant on the '80s slasher formula, this low-key psychological thriller details the troubled life of obsessed movie junkie Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher), whose love of old movies extends far beyond his job at a film distributor's warehouse and endless late-night film screenings in his bedroom. His singular obsession eventually rounds the bend into psychosis after he crosses paths with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Linda Kerridge), who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires. When stood up on what he believed would be their first date, Eric becomes homicidally unbalanced, transforming himself into a gallery of classic movie characters -- including Dracula, The Mummy, Hopalong Cassidy, and Norman Bates -- and sets out to destroy his oppressors, starting with his crotchety wheelchair-bound Aunt Stella (Eve Brent Ashe), then targeting a boorish co-worker (a very young Mickey Rourke), and eventually working his way toward Kerridge. The film begins with a groovy concept, but loses something in the execution -- the horror and comedy elements fail to gel completely, and Christopher's performance is too creepy to generate much empathy. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Christopher, Linda Kerridge, (more)
