Ernesto Gonzalez Movies
In Last Rites a serious thriller on a sensational topic, a priest falls in love with a woman he is protecting. Father Michael (Tom Berenger), a priest with family ties to the mob, helps a woman on the run. Angela (Daphne Zuniga) is the mistress of a murdered Mafia Don, now being hunted by hitmen hired by the Don's infuriated wife. As Father Michael realizes he is falling in love, both his faith and his vows are severely tested. Directed with restraint and respect for the subject matter by Donald Bellisario, the film still caused controversy and was criticized because of love scenes between the priest and the woman. Despite this criticism and despite the fact that the film is somewhat slow and predictable, Last Rites has fine performances by its cast and is an entertaining thriller. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Daphne Zuniga, (more)
- 1987
- R
A punch-drunk pugilist is set up as meat for a young boxer in this routine mat melodrama. The highlight of the film is the performance of Steve Buscemi as the oily, mob-connected fight promoter Nicky. Eddie (Brad Davis) is the addle-brained boxer Nicky hangs out to dry for quick money. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Davis, Frances Fisher, (more)
- 1976
Kojak (Telly Savalas) is both angered and frustrated when a known child molester is set free because he is protected by diplomatic immunity. The challenge now is to stop the smirking pedophile before he attacks again. Unfortunately, Kojak (Telly Savalas) is stymied by Federal agents who are duty-bound to shield the criminal from prosecution to avoid a potentially explosive international incident. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A guaranteed tear-jerker, Bang the Drum Slowly centers on professional baseball player Bruce Pearson (Robert DeNiro) and his team mate Henry Wiggen (Michael Moriarty), who supported Bruce to the bitter end after learning that the young catcher was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease and would soon die. When hayseed Pearson first joined the team, he and Wiggen, the team's red-hot pitcher were oil and water. The other team members were none to thrilled to have Pearson on their team. Wiggen changes his attitude when he learns of Pearson's illness, and when the other team members find out, they too become more helpful until the inevitably teary ending. Look for popular character actor Danny Aiello in his feature film debut. The story is based on a novel by screenwriter Mark Harris and was first filmed for television. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Michael Moriarty, (more)
- 1972
- R
- Add The Possession of Joel Delaney to Queue Add The Possession of Joel Delaney to top of Queue
In this supernatural thriller, Norah Benson (Shirley MacLaine) is a wealthy woman living in Manhattan who keeps a close and protective eye on her brother Joel (Perry King), who has a flat in a rough section of the East Village. Joel is a frequent guest at Norah's home and loves her two children, but when he begins acting strangely and playing too rough with the kids, she wonders if something is wrong. When Norah doesn't hear from Joel for several days, she stops by his apartment to see if he's all right, just as he's being led away by police after attacking the custodian in his building. At first Norah and Joel's doctors think that drugs may be to blame, but when Joel's girlfriend Carrie (Lisa Kohane) is found murdered and beheaded, Norah learns that Joel has become involved with Santeria, a religion that mixes voodoo with Catholicism, and his interest in Santeria has brought him in contact with Tonio Perez (Jose Fernandez), a suspected serial killer. The Possession of Joel Delaney features an original score by Joe Raposo, best known for his very different work as a songwriter on the children's TV series Sesame Street. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Shirley MacLaine, Perry King, (more)
Filmed independently by Michael Roemer in 1969, The Plot Against Harry didn't earn a mainstream release until 1989. What was contemporary in 1969 became a period piece by the time it saw the light of day, but this anachronistic quality lent a great deal of charm to the proceedings. Harry Plotnick (Martin Priest) is a once-notorious criminal whose life becomes a series of comic disasters once he's released from prison. His family members either refuse to acknowledge his existence or think the very worst of him, and his health rapidly deteriorates. Meanwhile, Harry's brother Max (Henry Nemo), beset with tax problems, sets fire to his business. Naturally, poor Harry is held responsible. Just when he has an opportunity to start life anew, Harry suffers a heart attack on a TV marathon. Certain that he's about to die, Harry confesses to all his past transgressions-and ends up behind bars once more. In lesser hands, The Plot Against Harry might have been clumsy or, even worse, maudlin. But with Michael Roemer at the helm, the laughs never stop-even though we sometimes feel guilty at deriving pleasure from poor old Harry's misery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Priest, Ben Lang, (more)
- 1969
- R
Last Summer is a frank coming-of-age tale that refuses to prettify its young characters or their activities. A group of aimless teens get together for sex, drugs and rock-and-roll on Fire Island. Timid, overweight Rhonda (Catherine Burns) is goaded into aberrant behavior by her peers, especially the promiscuous Sandy (Barbara Hershey). Enjoying Rhonda's discomfiture, Sandy encourages the boys in the group to gang-rape the poor girl. It was this scene, the first of its kind in a general-release American picture, that earned Last Summer its initial X rating. The film was later judiciously trimmed to qualify for an R rating without blunting its dramatic impact. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Richard Thomas, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.