Michael Keys Hall Movies
Barry Levinson directed this $100+ million adaptation of Michael Crichton's science fiction novel about the investigation of a half-mile-long spacecraft sitting on the South Pacific ocean floor. Government functionary Barnes (Peter Coyote) assembles a crack scientific team -- psychologist Dr. Norman Goodman (Dustin Hoffman), who wrote a presidential report on alien contact; biochemist Beth Halperin (Sharon Stone), once involved romantically with Goodman; mathematician Harry Adams (Samuel L. Jackson); and astrophysicist Ted Fielding (Liev Schreiber). After descending a thousand feet, they set up housekeeping at their underwater Habitat base, suit up, and enter the craft, finding evidence that it's a U.S. ship from the future. However, the craft's cargo of a shimmering, golden sphere is definitely alien. After Harry contrives to enter the sphere, Norman notes his odd behavior. When the Habitat computer system receives an email message from the sphere ("I am happy"), it's not long before the messages from this entity take a threatening turn ("I will kill you all"), triggering fears to surface along with violent attacks to the Habitat. The film is divided into chapters, such as "The Ride Down," "The First Exchange," and "The Monster." Shot on soundstages at the abandoned Mare Island Naval Shipyard (Vallejo, California), the effects combine animation, miniatures, prosthetics, animatronics, and digital images. Ed Asner reads the Sphere audiobook. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Sharon Stone, (more)
Francis Ford Coppola is both scripter and director of this drama adapted from the John Grisham novel about broke, inexperienced Memphis law-school graduate Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon), ready to take any job he can find. Signing on with slimy Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke), he learns ambulance-chasing tactics from Bruiser's leg man Deck Schifflet (Danny DeVito) and meets battered teen Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), abused by her husband (Andrew Shue). Baylor has his own clients -- friendly Miss Birdie (Teresa Wright), who has a large estate to dispose of, and desperate Dot Black (Mary Kay Place), whose son Donnie Ray (Johnny Whitworth) has terminal leukemia. Medical intervention could have spared his life, but the Great Benefit Insurance Company denied coverage, preventing Donnie Ray from getting a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Rudy finds a place to live in the apartment behind Miss Birdie's house. Deck and Rudy split from Bruiser to start their small firm. When they take on the Blacks' case, they go up against the insurance company's high-priced law firm and are continually thwarted by slick lawyer Leo F. Drummond (Jon Voight). Rudy's voiceover narration was scripted by Michael Herr. Filmed on location in Memphis. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Claire Danes, (more)
- 1993
- PG
This lively children's comedy centers upon a 13-year-old electronic whiz with a knack for building clever remote control gadgets. Young Randy gets into big trouble after one of his inventions destroys his buddy's science project. Afterward, his parents attempt to get him to find other interests. Its a good thing they fail because when burglars come to call, it is Randy and his fabulous "toys" that save the day. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Lauren Holly plays the hasn't-got-a-clue heroine of the made-for-cable melodrama Dangerous Heart. When her policeman husband is killed, the grieving wife seeks comfort and companionship. She falls for the line dispensed by slick Timothy Daly, never dreaming that her new beau is the man responsible for her husband's death. Daly is only after the money stolen from him by Holly's late husband, and he isn't particular as to how to get it. The suspenseful denouement of Dangerous Heart helps one to forget the conspicuous lack of logic in the establishing scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Holly, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1991
From time to time, U.S. fighter pilots have been known to develop a messianic complex. Trainee Eddie Gordon (William O'Leary) goes a bit farther than that: he begins fantasizing that he's the Angel of Death. Armed with nuclear weaponry, Gordon flies toward Las Vegas, intending to bomb "sin city" back to the stone age. It is up to squadron leader Matt Ryan (Peter Strauss) to stop him. The made-for-TV Flight of Black Angel debuted February 23, 1991, over the Showtime Cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this horror outing, a secret government experiment produces a man capable of using his mental powers to start fires. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Joseph Stefano, the screenwriter of the original Psycho, wrote and co-produced this somewhat similar suspense-thriller. Gail O'Grady (Eight Is Enough) returns to her childhood home and is plagued by nightmares and disturbed by her cold-hearted mother (Carol Lynley). There is a screwdriver-stabbing and a few predictable revelations about the family's dark past and why O'Grady's father is missing, but the film is generally forgettable. Joanna Miles co-stars. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carol Lynley, Gail O'Grady, (more)
- 1988
A young prostitute who has kidnapped her two-year-old daughter from the child's adoptive family turns up murdered. With the evidence at hand, Hunter (Fred Dryer) suspects that the killer was a powerful politician (Stephen Young) who had fathered the baby while the victim was one of his campaign workers. As it turns out, the only person who can break the case is the only eyewitness--namely, the infant daughter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Heavily disguised for a new assignment, Hannibal (George Peppard) is mistaken for a skid-row wino named Jim Beam (Elisha Cook Jr.)--and vice versa. It soon becomes obvious that someone is trying to murder Beam. . .but why? To solve this mystery, and to rescue Hannibal in the process, the A-Team sets up a skid-row mission called the Road to Hope, with Murdock (Dwight Schultz) tearing a passion to tatters as street preacher Harry Dean Hanover (when he isn't trying to pass himself off as the Invisible Man, that is!). Look for future X-Files regular Mitch Pileggi in a small role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Art Carney effectively portrays a weary, wisecracking Santa Claus (not the department store variety, but the real McCoy) in the made-for-TV The Night They Saved Christmas. Right now, Santa has very little to be jolly about: his North Pole toy factory is threatened with demolition by greedy oil prospectors. Eco-conscious Jaclyn Smith and three kids come to the rescue. The film is highlighted by several songs written by Paul Williams, who co-stars as chief elf Ed. Filmed in part at the Arctic Circle, The Night They Save Christmas was a Holiday perennial for several years after its December 1984 debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
