Michael Benyaer Movies
A character actor with a distinctly menacing and ominous look (and a frequently bald pate), Michael Benyaer parlayed his countenance into an effective movie career, typecast as brutal guards, thugs, terrorists, and all sorts of other seedy and threatening types. Benyaer began his screen career in the late '80s with bit parts in productions such as the telemovie Higher Ground (1988) and the slasher vehicle Friday the 13th Part VIII (1989), and then -- in the mid- to late '90s -- enjoyed a slight change of pace when he voiced a number of characters (most prominently Hadji) on the animated cartoon The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996). Benyaer then returned to involvement in live-action films, and ascended to supporting billing as Mohammed in director Uwe Boll's action comedy Postal (2007). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 1996
Three members of the Quest team go to the Pine Barrens region of New Jersey in search of the legendary Jersey Devil. The heroes find themselves in the middle of a feud between descendants of the Redcoats and Minutemen of the Revolutionary War, with the orginal Declaration of Independence as the bone of contention. While the script veers toward Scooby-Doo territory with a human villain posing as a supernatural monster, there's a neat and satisfying twist at the end of "The Spectre of Pine Barrens," which originally aired on September 17, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Belle Bonnet was a notorious but basically well-intentioned female outlaw, who, in the 19th century, stole a wagonload of gold in order to finance a Native American school. Lost in the caverns of the Southwestern desert, Belle's ghost still stands guard over her purloined gold. Psychically beckoning Jonny Quest to the treasure, Belle materializes before a huge subterranean lake -- and that's only the beginning of the "fun". "The Ballad of Belle Bonnet" originally aired on September 19, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
Dr. Quest utilizes Questworld computer technology to reassemble a shattered statue of the God Apollo. His efforts are interfered with by Quest's perennial foe Jeremiah Surd, who, hacking into the computer system, lures Jonny into a surreal chamber of horrors in which the statue's supernatural powers are summoned to their full, frightening height. The 25th filmed episode of The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, "Heroes" was the 18th episode to be telecast, on September 18, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
The Quest team arrives on Easter Island, where they come across the remnants of an ancient alien aircraft. All evidence indicates that the alien occupant was the "missing link" who accelerated the evolutionary process. Enter the team's ubiquitious adversary Jeremiah Surd, who intends to conduct an experiment to reverse evolution throughout all mankind. "The Secret of the MOAI" first aired on September 24, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
The Quest team heads to Northern Canada to investigate a series of attacks, allegedly perpetrated by a werewolf. They discover that the elusive lycanthrope is an attactive outback physician named Marie Metier, whom Dr. Quest hopes to cure of her family curse. A new spin on an old story, "In the Darkness of the Moon" was initially telecast on September 23, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
In his never-ending efforts to destroy all Mankind, Ezekial Rage hatches a scheme to destroy the polar ice caps. To this end, Rage steals a tiny but super-powerful nuclear device. To thwart the villain, the Quest team must harness the hitherto untapped powers of the Aurora Borealis. An appropriatley colorful denoument caps (no pun intended) the flashback-laden "Future Rage," which initially aired in the United States on October 29, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
While flying to Northern Siberia to join the rest of the Quest Team, Jessie is forced to make an emergency landing. Exploring the area, she comes across a ancient colony of Russians, living in a subterranean ice fissure -- and, of course, completely unaware that many centuries have passed since their imprisonment. The best scene finds Jessie "improvising" a hot-air balloon. "Ice Will Burn" originally aired on September 26, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
A major oil company intends to drill in the Florida Everglades, but its efforts are stymied by a band of unseen saboteurs who leave behind an ancient Viking sword. The Quest team investigates the possibility that a hidden community of ancient Norse warriors is responsible, but the bad guys are a bit more "contemporary" than originally suspected. A highlight is Race Bannon's battle with a surly alligator. "Alligators and Okeechobee Vikings" was first broadcast on November 1, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
- R
In this Quentin Tarantino-style blood-drenched pseudo-film noir, Denis Leary plays a hood named Johnny who, after getting out of prison, dedicates himself to exacting revenge on mobsters who brutally injured his father. Ned Lynch (Larry Bishop, who wrote the screenplay) attacked Johnny's father, causing him to become permanently brain-dead. Johnny travels in a limousine and targets those who he believes may be responsible in a series of killings that take place on Father's Day. His main target is Frank (Joe Mantegna), but he is not certain that Frank is responsible for what happened to his father. Johnny, who has taught himself psychology in prison, takes Frank to a sex therapist, Dr. Diane Leah (Annabella Sciorra), as part of his cat-and-mouse game, in hopes of eventually learning the identity of his father's attacker. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denis Leary, Joe Mantegna, (more)
- 1989
- R
- Add Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan to QueueAdd Friday the 13th, Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan to top of Queue
The worst in a string of increasingly pointless sequels to Sean S. Cunningham's crude slasher hit, this installment provided clear evidence that the "slasher" subgenre, already creatively dead, was no longer financially viable. This time around, unstoppable supernatural thug Jason Voorhees -- imprisoned at the bottom of a lake by his telekinetic foe Tina in the previous film -- is reanimated yet again after being goosed by an underwater electrical cable, freeing him to stow away aboard a shipload of standard-issue obnoxious teenagers en route to Manhattan. The title ultimately proves a bit of a cheat, since the majority of Jason's homicidal hijinks take place aboard the ship until the film's final reel, during which he pursues a handful of survivors through the streets of the Big Apple. Thanks to heavy MPAA cuts, the mayhem is more subdued here than in any other films of the series -- splatter fans primed by the previous chapters' copious bloodletting will be left high and dry. Despite a very amusing "teaser" trailer that suggested that the film might be a semi-parody, writer/director Rob Hedden and company play things tediously straight. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jensen Daggett, Scott Reeves, (more)
In this thriller set against the majestic backdrop of the Alaskan wilderness, the late John Denver stars as a retired FBI agent seeking to clear the name of a close friend. Disillusioned with his job as a G-man, Jim Clayton retires from the FBI and goes into the airfreight business with his best friend. When Clayton's pal is murdered and branded a bootlegger, the former agent embarks on his most treacherous mission to date - clearing the name of an innocent man. Martin Kove, John Rhys-Davies, and Richard Masur co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Denver, Martin Kove, (more)
