Ed Asner
- 2009
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A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated adventure scripted by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and co-directed by Peterson and Monsters, Inc. director Peter Docter. Carl Fredricksen is a seventy-eight year old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South Africa. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocked his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Christopher Plummer, (more)
- 2008
The optometrist and artist who was shunned by the media and society-at-large after being declared "The Top Red in Buffalo" back in 1957 stands as the subject of director Ezra Bookstein's inspirational documentary about the value of standing up for your rights in the face of social injustice. It was the height of the Red Scare, and the life of Milton Rogovin was about to be changed forever - but not necessarily in the way one might expect given such a hostile social environment. Singled out by none other than The Buffalo News for his supposed involvement with the communist party, Rogovin's life as a dedicated optometrist came to a sudden halt when his friends and patients vanished into the woodwork. The truth is that Rogovin had been working with local unions to promote worker's rights, and doing his best to register black voters. Rogovin wasn't a man who sought out conflict, yet he refused to be intimidated or silenced by the paranoid powers that be. In the aftermath of his excommunication, the die-hard activist decided to use the medium of photography in order to let his voice be heard. At first, Rogovin took pictures of Buffalo's disenfranchised and marginalized population - the unfortunate folks he referred to as "the forgotten ones." While Rogovin never considered himself to be a true artist, he was soon traveling the world and collaborating with such luminaries as Pable Neruda and WEB DuBois on a lifelong mission to promote social justice. Today, Rogovin's photographs stand as some of the most powerful protest images ever captured, and sit well-protected in the vaults of the Library of Congress and Center for Creative Photography. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2008
There Will Be Blood's Paul Dano stars as Brian, an unhappy mattress salesman whose infatuation with Happy (Zooey Deschanel), one of his attractive customers, temporarily pushes aside his obsession with adopting a Chinese baby in this unconventional romantic comedy from director Matt Aselton. John Goodman, Ed Asner, and Jane Alexander co-star in the Killer Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Dano, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
A high profile Hollywood film producer becomes transfixed with a beautiful soap opera character who inexplicably emerges from his television set and beckons him to take one final shot at living life on his own terms. Black Racklin has all the respect, money, and success that one could hope for in life, yet despite all of this he remains emotionally suffocated by the pressures of his job. Each night when he closes his eyes, Black is haunted by dreams of a passing train, and a mysterious traveler who urges him to hop aboard - and each night Black fails to take that decisive leap. The only time that Black is able to find peace is when he's sitting at home and mindlessly channel-surfing, until one night when he comes across a bizarre soap opera. Bewitched by a beautiful character named Katherine, Black is dumbfounded when she magically appears in his living room and the two fall instantly in love. Now faced with the decision to finally leap on that passing train or snap himself back to reality, Black must finally make the decision that will define the rest of his life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Professional magician and escape artist Mr. Miracle calls upon the Flash to help him stage the greatest escape of all. Miracle hopes to travel to the far-off planet Apokalyps, there to rescue a very special captive. Highlighting this episode are the voice-over contributions of Arte Johnson, here invoking memories of his Laugh-In days in the role of Germanic toady Vermin Vunderbar, and Ed Asner, atypically cast as a hyper-villain named Granny Goodness! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ioan Gruffudd, Farrah Forke, (more)
Young, self-absorbed attorney Matt Fleming (Jason London) is sent out of the city and into the woods by his mother, who is worried over the welfare of Matt's crusty, eccentric nature-loving grandfather Jack (Ed Asner). Not surprisingly, Matt is in for quite a culture shock. Not only does Jack do without any modern conveniences, but he also enjoys wandering in the great outdoors completely naked. Even worse -- at least as far as Matt is concerned -- Jack has spent the entire family fortune on a patch of land that he intends to donate to a local Native American child. In trying to curb Jack's enthusiasm and control the old man's behavior, Matt instead ends up learning about how to fend for himself in the wilderness, a skill that comes in very handy during a serious mid-film crisis. Matt also applies what he has learned from Jack in his efforts to make a lasting commitment to his own girlfriend Linda (Meredith Salenger). Produced for cable's Hallmark Channel, Out of the Woods debuted April 2, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Jason London, (more)
The little-known protest of the Vietnam War staged from within the ranks of the military is explored in director David Zeiger's revealing documentary. Despite the well-documented media coverage of Vietnam War protests that took place on college campuses across the nation, few people but the most ardent history buffs remain aware of the massive protests that flourished in U.S. barracks and military bases at home and abroad. Staged by countless military men disillusioned with the ongoing war, these protests reached from the hallowed halls of West Point to the bullet-riddled rice fields of Vietnam. Though hundreds of soldiers were imprisoned for voicing their controversial views and thousands more sent into exile for their subversive activities, the tireless efforts of the government and media to suppress this remarkable tale would eventually falter as the dissenting voices became too numerous to silence. Thirty years after the last bombs were dropped on Vietnam, the remarkable tale of the soldiers unafraid to stand up for their beliefs comes to the screen in a film that will forever alter the manner in which contemporary audiences view one of the most controversial wars in modern history. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Fonda, Donald Duncan, (more)
Experts have estimated that at the current rate of production, the United States and Europe will exhaust their supplies of oil by the year 2010. Meanwhile, the nation of Iraq holds the world's second largest reserve of oil, representing nearly three-quarters of the Earth's current petroleum supplies. As the United States and Great Britain mount an ongoing war in Iraq that has eliminated their former government and established a new one in its place under American watch, is it a coincidence that Iraq holds a massive supply of a strategic resource America badly needs? Especially given the fact that a number of the key reasons the United States had presented for going to war (most notably Iraq's alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction) have turned out to be based on false information? The Oil Factor: Behind the War on Terror is a documentary that examines America's continuing thirst for oil, how it has impacted the War in Iraq, and who stands to get rich (and who stands to lose more than mere money) as the battle wages on. The Oil Factor includes interviews with former defense department advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski, author and linguist Noam Chomsky, former Pentagon analyst Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski, and many others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
- AddPlan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failureto QueueAddPlan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failureto top of Queue
Directed by Gerard Ungerman, Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure documents what many believe to be dangerous hypocrisy on the part of the American government. The film gives particular attention to the reasons behind the drug trade (Colombia is the world's biggest cocaine exporter), which include illegal trade funded by radicals, the corrupt government, and the simple fact that most farmers harvest coca because they can't survive on the profits of legitimate food crops. Ungerman also explores the link to America's notorious School of the Americas in Georgia and how targeted aerial fumigation has destroyed perfectly legal natural resources in the mission to eradicate drug crops. The film concludes that the U.S. military-industrial complex is cashing in on the violence they themselves perpetrate, while doing little to actually stem cocaine production. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner
- 2003
After trying and failing to help an elderly doctor (Edward Asner) who runs a free clinic, Carter (Noah Wyle) is forced to make some difficult decisions regarding his own future. Elsewhere, Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) comes to the aid of his brain-damaged brother, Leon (Marcello Thedford), who has run afoul of the law; Kovac (Goran Visnjic) issues a threat to Weaver (Laura Innes); and Corday (Alex Kingston) wonders if she should accept a date from a doctor (Bruno Campos) with a "bad" reputation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
For his sophomore stab at directing, actor/writer/director Jon Favreau (Swingers, Made), took on this holiday comedy starring Saturday Night Live-alum Will Ferrell. Ferrell stars as Buddy, a regular-sized man who was raised as an elf by Santa Claus (Edward Asner). When the news is finally broken to Buddy that he's not a real elf, he decides to head back to his place of birth, New York City, in search of his biological family. Elf also stars James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, and Bob Newhart. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Ferrell, Ed Asner, (more)
- 2003
Kovacs' (Goran Visnjic) car accident and disastrous misdiagnosis has left a patient with profound brain damage. While Weaver (Laura Innes) suffers from the side effects of her "secret" pregnancy, Abby (Maura Tierney) covers for her at the ER. The heightened security measures at County General ensnare Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), who is packing a gun -- thereby placing Carter (Noah Wyle) in an unenviable position. Gallant (Sharif Atkins) squares off against the mercenary young bride (Sofia Milos) of an elderly patient (Patrick Cranshaw). And Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) keeps a suicide watch on a self-admitted child molester. Edward Asner makes the first of several appearances as Dr. James McNulty, the crusty head of a storefront clinic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Missing Brendan stars Edward Asner as George Calden, a man whose son Brendan has been missing since Brendan served in the Vietnam War. Along with his other son, Bob (Robin Thomas), and Bob's son, Patrick (Adam Brody), George goes to Vietnam in order to see if he can discover what happened to his missing boy. They are joined by an archeologist played by Illeana Douglas. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Robin Thomas, (more)
- 2003
Weaver (Laura Innes) begins spinning a self-entangling web of deception when she agrees to secretly treat a communicable disease picked up by "closeted" Alderman John Bright (Bruce Weitz). Kovac (Goran Visjnic) resorts to a subterfuge of Biblical proportions to convince a seriously injured patient to accept treatment. And Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) exceeds his authority in order to help the brain-damaged children of a dying woman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jason Alexander stars as fabled toy manufacturer, A.C. Gilbert in this Capraesque TV movie. An overachiever since his school days, Gilbert surprises his stern father (Ed Asner) by forsaking a career in medicine to pursue an entirely different business. Creating the now legendary Erector Set, A.C. sets up his own toy company in 1913, an enterprise which is raking in millions within two years. But with America's entry into WWI, the U.S. government prevails upon Gilbert to convert his factory into a munitions plant. Though at heart a pacifist, Gilbert agrees to do so, secure in the belief that he will be able to return to toys once the hostilities have ceased. Alas, the Government has other plans. At their behest, Gilbert reluctantly mounts a "Buy Bonds, Not Toys" campaign designed to divert the money normally spent on Christmas gifts to the war effort. Is this the end of Christmastime as millions of children know it, or will Gilbert be able to salvage both the holiday and the spirit of giving? The Man Who Saved Christmas debuted December 15, 2002, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
- AddThe King and Queen of Moonlight Bayto QueueAddThe King and Queen of Moonlight Bayto top of Queue
Filmed on location in Lake Havasu, AZ, this made-for-cable domestic drama stars Tim Matheson as Al Dodge, a burned-out intellectual working as a handyman and living in a rundown trailer in the middle of the Arizona desert. Some 15 years earlier, Al had abandoned his family and is now living the life of a truculent recluse. All this may change -- or may not -- when Al is visited by Alison (Kristen Bell), his long-estranged teenaged daughter. Doing their best to mend the fences between father and daughter are Al's current girlfriend Sandy (Sean Young) and the requisite "crusty but lovable" widower Auggie Sinclair (Ed Asner). Adapted by Michael De Guzman from his own novel, The King and Queen of Moonlight Bay debuted on the Hallmark Channel on Father's Day, June 15, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Matheson, Sean Young, (more)
The children's educational video Here's Looking at You Kid provides an up-close and personal look at all manner of animal life. Your host is the talking Airedale terrier Joe the Dog (voiced by Edward Asner), who visits the farm to meet Glenda the cow, Big Tom the horse, and Mo the Goat. He then travels to the zoo to meet Danso the gorilla, Virigina the giraffe, and Nanuk the polar bear. In addition to many other introductions to real-life animals, Joe gives out some fun facts about each species before going to play in the park with his other dog pals. This video is OK for children ages two and up. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Hurricane Norman hits Quahog, destroying much of the neighborhood. The Drunken Clam, which has been the hangout of Peter (voice of Seth MacFarlane) and his friends for years, is spared, but they're aghast to learn that it's been sold and turned into a British pub. Peter returns home to complain to Lois (voice of Alex Borstein) about the "lousy, limey, tea-sucking British bastards," only to find that the pub's new owner (and his new neighbor), Nigel, has dropped by for a visit. He even has a little daughter, Eliza (voice of Tara Strong), who quickly becomes an irritant to Stewie (MacFarlane) with her strong Cockney accent. "Maybe you and your friends can find somewhere else to act like idiots," Lois suggests to Peter. After an abortive visit to The Cherry Pit, which turns out to be a lesbian bar, the boys decide, as Peter puts it, "to fight the British and drive them back to whatever country they came from." Inspired by the revolutionary colonists of old, they go to Quahog Harbor and dump the pub's ale supply into the ocean. Later that night, the pub is burned down, and a drunken Peter can't account for his actions. Soon, he and his friends are thrown in jail, where Joe (voice of Patrick Warburton) runs into a vicious criminal he helped put away. Lois and the other wives soon realize that Nigel himself was responsible for the fire, and set out to bring him to justice. Meanwhile, Stewie is teaching Eliza proper English. In the original broadcast, FOX cut out a scene at the pub, in which Peter is told that in Britain, "fag" means "cigarette" and responds by referring to one of the pub's patrons as a "cigarette." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
