Erick Avari Movies
From his earliest days, character actor Erick Avari's family knew that he would eventually end up with a career in show business -- though given the fact that his grandparents on both sides of the family owned movie theaters throughout India and Asia (not to mention that his great-grandfather was a Victorian-era theater producer often credited with introducing women into Indian theater), they no doubt thought he would lean more towards the "business" side and less towards the "show." The majority of Avari's childhood was spent in Darjeeling, India. Though young Avari's primary language was English, he also mastered Nepali, Bengali, Hindi, and Gujarati over the course of his childhood. A steady diet of English-language films viewed at one of his father's two theaters no doubt aided the aspiring actor in bettering his English skills, and following a small role in Satyajit Ray's Kanchenjungha and a chance meeting with the Kendall family theater troupe, Avari's career was soon moving in the right direction. Following several years of college in India, Avari was awarded a scholarship to the College of Charleston, SC, where he studied acting before moving to New York to pursue a stage career. Roles in New York's Joseph Papp Public Theater and in the Broadway production of The King and I were quick to follow, and Avari made his feature debut with a role in the 1984 fantasy comedy Nothing Lasts Forever. Through the remainder of the '80s and the '90s, Avari carved a successful niche in film as the go-to guy for roles that called for mysterious men from the Far East, and roles in such wide-release films as Encino Man, For Love or Money, Stargate, and The Mummy kept him in the public eye. By the millennial turnover, audiences were no doubt familiar with Avari's face, with roles in Planet of the Apes, Mr. Deeds, The Master of Disguise, and Daredevil cementing his status as a talented character actor with impeccable comic timing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1962
Chhabi Biswas plays a prominent Indian industrialist who takes his family on holiday to Darjeeling. In close contact with one another for the first time in months, the family members vent their various pet peeves. Efforts to solve the family's problems are often stymied by the schism between the younger and older members of the group. In short, filmmaker Satyajit Ray trots out several of his favorite themes, then bundles them together in an entertaining and accessible fashion. In the tradition of Hollywood's The Set-Up and High Noon, the events in Kanchenjungha are played out in "real time," with everything occurring uninterruptedly within the film's 100 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chhabi Biswas, Anil Chatterjee, (more)
In Kevin Reynolds' The Beast, George Dzundza plays a cruel Russian tank commander who gets lost in the wilderness during the war in Afghanistan. As the enemy closes in, the glazed-eyed Dzundza must rely on his survival training to see him through this crisis. Meanwhile, one of Dzundza's men (Jason Patric), abandoned and left to die by his demonic commander, joins the Afghan cause. Filmed in Israel, The Beast (aka The Beast of War) was adapted from a play by William Mastrosimone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Dzundza, Jason Patric, (more)
- 1989
- R
In this black comedy, henpecked electrician Paul (Robert Joy) must quietly suffer the abuses heaped on him by his loud-mouthed wife, Beatrice (Carrie Fisher). However, when Bea is murdered by a gang of marauding bikers, her ghost returns to visit Paul and browbeat him into avenging her death. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carrie Fisher, Robert Joy, (more)
- 1990
In this first telecast of Law & Order, a case of fatal criminal negligence takes front and center. During a particularly frantic night in an emergency room, a young woman dies, prompting her father to sue the hospital. Investigating detectives Greevey (George Dzundza) and Logan (Chris Noth) uncover evidence that the E.R.'s chief resident, Dr. Edward Auster (Paul Sparer), has a history of alcoholism, and may have been drinking at the time of the tragedy. D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill) orders his subordinates Stone (Michael Moriarty) and Robinette (Richard Brooks) to charge Auster with murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Murphy's decade-long banishment from the White House is finally lifted and she is invited to attend a Presidential press conference. So certain is Murphy (Candice Bergen) that she'll be able to get in a question about the education crisis that her producer Miles (Grant Shaud) is willing to put up money. Alas, on the eve of her triumphant return, Murphy suddenly comes down with a REALLY bad case of laryngitis! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In the second half of this two-parter, Picard and Data learn the truth behind Ambassador Spock's (Leonard Nimoy) unauthorized visit to the hostile planet Romulus. Spock, it seems, hopes to negotiate a reunification of the Romulans and Vulcans. Regarding this alliance as potentially dangerous, Picard objects, despite the logical nature of Spock's argument. Things heat up considerably when Picard and Data discover a Romulan scheme to double-cross Spock. Dedicated to the late Gene Roddenberry, part two of "Unification" was written by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and first aired November 16, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A clueless caveman meets his intellectual match in the form of Pauly Shore in this teen-oriented comedy. Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) is a high school student in Encino, California, where he spends most of his time with his dazed-and-confused buddy Stoney Brown (Shore) and tries to figure out why his girlfriend Robyn (Megan Ward) left him for thick-headed jock Matt (Michael DeLuise). Hoping to boost his low status in the High School pecking order, Dave wants to put in a swimming pool at his family's home for a massive post-prom party. While Dave and Stoney are digging the pit, an earthquake strikes that unearths a frozen caveman (Brendan Fraser). To Dave and Stoney's surprise, the frozen Neanderthal soon comes to life, and after a bath, a shave, and a new set of clothes, the boys are passing off their dim-witted-but-friendly companion "Link" as an exchange student from Estonia. Link soon becomes the most popular guy at school, and Dave is determined to use Link's social success as a way to win back Robyn and foil Matt. Encino Man marked the directorial debut of Les Mayfield, who previously produced the critically acclaimed documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, (more)
- 1992
The Banks family begins to panic when Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell) announces that he has written his "tell-all" memoirs. At the same time, Will (Will Smith) is terrified at the prospect of having his tonsils removed. The latter plotline eventually segues into a surrealistic nightmare sequence before settling into a zany hospital-room sequence straight out of the Marx Brothers. Veteran funnyman Milton Berle steals the show as Will's elderly roommate Max--and listen for a fleeting "inside" joke involving former General Hospital leading man John Beradino). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
With his marriage apparently at an end, Lowell (Thomas Haden Church) responds to a friendly kiss on the cheek from Helen (Crystal Bernard) by asking her out on a date. Her first reaction is to laugh hysterically, but she finally agrees, and much to everyone's surprise has a terrific time. This is more than can be said for Lowell, who found the date to be excruciatingly boring! Trouble is, Lowell hasn't the heart to tell this to Helen when she reciprocates by asking him out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Restauranteur John Hill (Reid Shelton), the pompous bête noire of Sam Malone (Ted Danson), suffers a heart attack. Much to everyone's surprise, Hill's current amour Carla (Rhea Perlman) seems sublimely indifferent to her lover's condition. But Cliff (John Ratzenberger) can't be bothered with this emotional intrigue; he's convinced that his new neighbor is Adolf Hitler. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
A rich woman's new husband vanishes soon after they board a cruiseboat on their honeymoon--at least that is what she claims. This made-for-television movie is based on John Dickson Carr's radio play, Cabin B-13. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Michael J. Fox stars as Doug Ireland in this romantic comedy about a brash concierge at a swanky New York hotel who always makes it a point to go out of his way for the hotel guests. But Doug doesn't want to be a concierge forever. What he would really like to do is build a swanky hotel of his own, and all he needs is $3 million to do it. When haughty and patronizing tycoon Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins) comes to the hotel for a rendezvous with his mistress Andy Hart (Gabrielle Anwar), Doug sees the opportunity to convince Christian to invest the $3 million in his dream of a hotel. So, Doug willingly agrees to baby-sit Andy when Christian has to leave her to see his wife. But the more time he spends with Andy, the more affectionate he feels toward her, until finally he has fallen in love with her. Now Doug must make a choice concerning what he really wants -- his dream of a hotel or the love of Andy. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 1993
Hit List is a thriller about a professional hit man (Jeff Fahey) who is hired by an attorney (James Coburn) with the intent of killing drug lords. However, the attorney then introduces the assassin to a sexy widow, asking him to execute the man who killed her husband. Soon, the hit man can't separate his professional life from his personal life. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1993
In this erotic thriller, two bunco artists ply their trade in Miami Beach. They prey upon wealthy marks; the female grifter uses all her wiles to seduce men out of their cash. It works fine until she tries to con ex-G-man Jack Shanks. He catches on and ends up blackmailing her into helping him get a little revenge in Jamaica. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Lorraine Bracco, (more)
- 1993
- PG13
Based on a true event, this is the account of the Buttafuoco couple, whose names were splattered all over the media in the early '90s after the alleged teen-aged playmate of Mr. B., Amy Fischer (who claimed it was Mr. B's will), shot Mrs. B in the head (though the latter miraculously lived). This particular perspective claims that Amy acted of her own free will and Mr. B never had an affair with her (only vaguely flirted) nor did he in any way encourage her to make an attack on his wife. CBS paid the Buttafuocos $300,000 for their story. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Jack Scalia, (more)
A man discovers that what he doesn't know can hurt him, especially when it comes to his wife, in this suspense drama. Ray Reardon (James Spader) is an architect who has just gone through a messy divorce; while his friends sing the praises of the single life, Ray would prefer to settle into a life of middle-class domesticity with a home, wife, and family. Ray meets a beautiful but mysterious woman named Lena (Madchen Amick) at a party, and for him it's love at first sight; while she remains elusive, Ray pursues her avidly, and before long he proposes, even though he doesn't know her especially well. A few years later, they're seemingly happily married with children. But Lena's behavior starts to become erratic and depressive, and she is no longer willing to account for where she's been or what she's been doing. Ray is convinced that Lena has been having an affair and begins doing some research into her past; he soon discovers her previous life bears little resemblance to what she told him and that she's been lying to him about nearly every part of her history and their relationship. Lena contends that she's just "a regular screwed-up person," but in time, Ray realizes that there's a purpose behind her duplicity: she's trying to convince people that he is insane. Dream Lover was the directorial debut of screenwriter Nicholas Kazan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Spader, Mädchen Amick, (more)
The second film to be made from Woody Allen's successful stage comedy (following a 1969 feature starring Jackie Gleason), Don't Drink the Water is a made-for-television adaptation directed by and starring Allen himself. The fish-out-of-water premise remains the same: Allen plays Walter Hollander, a caterer from New Jersey who takes his family on vacation to a fictional Eastern European country. The trip turns sour when, thanks to a series of misunderstandings involving some inopportune snapshots, they are accused of espionage. The family goes on the run, taking refuge in the American Embassy. There, with the help of a wily young diplomat, they try to figure out a way to return to America without sparking an international incident. Though this version is set 25 years later than the original film, the changes are mostly cosmetic: the visual style is hand-held and more frantic, and the script replaces numerous references to the Cold War with a few glancing nods to present-day politics. Another notable change, the addition of an opening montage parodying newsreels, was reportedly the result of network pressure after Allen's initial cut proved too short for the planned time slot. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
This lucrative, elephantine-budgeted sci-fi opus paved the way for director Roland Emmerich's mega-hit Independence Day (1996). The story commences in Giza, Egypt, circa 1928, where an archaeological expedition unearths an ancient ring with cryptic hieroglyphs. The film then moves to the present day, where Egyptologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) is busily trying to convince a group of skeptics that the pyramids were not built by man, but by an extraterrestrial force. After the lecture, a military man approaches him and offers him a job translating the said ring; its inscriptions actually constitute a map to a massive stargate (or interstellar portal). The army sends over resident crackpot colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) to travel through the stargate and see what's on the other side; Jackson accompanies him, and the two men turn up in a desert planet on the other side of the universe, with three moons in its sky. The world in question is ruled by Ra (Jaye Davidson), a hermaphroditic Egyptian sun god, who oppresses hordes of slave workers. Jackson and O'Neill then join forces to help the said workers revolt against their oppressor. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, James Spader, (more)
- 1994
Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) refuse to take sides when their respective mothers are locked in a heated disagreement. But Jamie's sister Lisa (Anne Ramsay) is willing to take full advantage of the situation, even to the point of playing one side against the other. Meanwhile, the Buchmans' dog, Murray, is going through family problems of his own -- not to mention a profound identity crisis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
In preparation for a joint scientific venture with DS9, a trio of Cardassian scientists arrive at the station. Sisko elects to join this venture, despite warnings that according to an ancient Bajoran prophecy, the Cardassians' arrival will bring about the destruction of the wormhole. As the story progresses, Sisko is given reason aplenty to conclude that the prophecy may well come true. First airing February 13, 1995 (though most markets didn't run the episode until the following week), "Destiny" was written by David S. Cohen and Martin A. Winer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
As Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) try to determine the motive for an Indian matron's murder, Andy has problems with the new temporary PAA. Now back on the force, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) teams with Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) to connect a bizarre robbery with a widespread credit-card scam. And, in her efforts to nail an illegal-weapons dealer, Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) insists on going it virtually alone -- and reacts violently when Bobby offers to provide backup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- PG
In this family-oriented comedy adventure, parents think their boy is crying "wolf!" when he tells them that his pets have told him of a conspiracy to kill the president. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bradley Pierce, Melora Hardin, (more)
- 1996
Londo's political ambition spurs him to attempt the assassination of G'Kar. With characteristic cunning, Londo enlists the unwitting assistance of Vir to set a trap for his old enemy -- but not if Garibaldi has anything to say in the matter. Meanwhile, Capt. Sheridan courts madness when he tries to second-guess the Shadows. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" was seen in the United Kingdom on September 8, 1996, and in America on October 14 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
