Robert Axelrod Movies
John Buechler's horror film Ice Crawlers begins with a team of scientists getting information in the Arctic. Their actions awaken some nasty creatures that have been lying dormant for centuries. Now, they are hunting the scientists down one at a time. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Götz Otto, Alexandra Kamp, (more)
Based on a series of Dutch children's books by Hans der Beer, the animated feature The Little Polar Bear is a German production made up of three separate stories about polar bear cub Lars. In the first, Lars meets and befriends a seal named Robby. In the second, he is stranded on an island and makes friends with a hippo, an eagle, and a killer whale. In the third, he and his friends plot to crash a ship that has been stealing all the fish out of the sea. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- PG
- Add Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie to QueueAdd Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie to top of Queue
The popular children's television show comes to the screen in this sci-fi adventure about a group of teenage superheroes battling an evil leader bent on world domination. The film's six heroes lead double existences as normal young teens who, when needed, don color-coded costumes to become the Power Rangers. Under the guidance of the valiant Zordon (Nicholas Bell), the Rangers fight crime with kung-fu skills and specialized attack vehicles. This time, the Rangers are battling Ivan Ooze (Paul Freeman), a millennia-old villain who hopes to take over the world with an army of phlegm creatures. The Rangers' only hope for victory is to acquire a special power source, leading to a dangerous journey into outer space. Despite the larger budget, the film remains true to the style of the show, which often recalls Japanese monster movies in its depictions of battling giant monsters through obvious special effects. The fast-paced fantasy action attracted a good portion of its intended youthful audience, while not becoming quite as much of a sensation as the TV series; some adults attacked the film for its reliance on violence (though of a bloodless, cartoon variety) and its status as a blatant promotional tool for the best-selling Power Ranger toys. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Ashley, Johnny Yong Bosch, (more)
- 1993
This sleazy little drama offers a grim slice from the lives of those who work in a seedy LA dime-a-dance ballroom. First there is ex-cop Miguelino who now makes a living finding ballrooms to buy while the drug-addicted dancer Sparkle gets drug money by informing for the mob. There is also the sharp-witted and freewheeling Mercedes and finally Billie, who puts up with the lasciviousness of her clients only during working hours. Billie is a dreamer and has fallen in love with two very different men. One is pizza delivery boy Bobby. The other is the wealthy Diamond Jim, a professional gambler who is unfortunately in deep trouble with local Vietnamese gangsters. When they suddenly show up to the gaudy dance hall to collect their debt from him, Billie gets caught in the middle and tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brittany McCrena, Sonny Landham, (more)
In this thrilling sci-fi adventure, the terrifying Zeram, an enormous renegade space alien, is tricked into coming to Earth by an intergalactic bounty hunter who plans on using a variety of techno tools to capture him. Among her arsenal is a warp machine, an electric shield, and Bob the computer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Wings Hauser stars in this direct-to-video thriller as John Saxon, an L.A. cop who learns that the head of a counterfeiting plot is the same man who rescued him from certain death in Vietnam. Also titled Blood Money. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wings Hauser, Karen Black, (more)
- 1989
Hunter (Fred Dryer) goes after an insane killer who, disguised as a police officer, preys upon teenage prostitutes. It isn't exactly "business as usual" for Hunter; the detective has a personal stake in the case. One of the hookers whom the killer plans to knock off is 18-year-old Debbie Small (Bryan Horrocks), who had befriended Hunter in the earlier episode "City Under Siege". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Once again, Charles Bronson plays a renegade cop out for vigilante justice in the darkest heart of the urban jungle. This time, he is targeting an especially ruthless pimp who has been leading innocent young girls into prostitution. When the pimp kidnaps the beautiful daughter of a Japanese businessman, rapes her and forces her to begin streetwalking, the cop decides to let nothing, not even the law, stop him from bringing the slimeball to graphically violent justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Perry Lopez, (more)
A small community must band together in order to oust the criminals running their town in Big Turn Around. Legion (Rick Le Fever) thinks he has a small South Western town under his thumb; he smuggles drugs, guns, and even people through it and over the border with Mexico. What he doesn't know is that a humble priest (Ernest Borgnine) and a down-on-his-luck doctor (Bryan Cranston) are hatching a plan to take their community back once and for all. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- PG
In this direct-to-video sword-and-sorcery fantasy, two brothers cross time and space to rescue a princess from the clutches of an evil despot. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
After the phenomenal box-office and critical success of David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of The Fly, a series of big-budget remakes of '50s horror favorites rode in on its coattails in the late 1980s -- though none managed to rise above mere camp clones of their elders, albeit garnished with modern makeup effects in an attempt to draw modern teen horror-junkies. One remake that managed to live up to its cheesy inspiration was Chuck Russell's version of The Blob, in which the title goo crashes to earth and promptly begins digesting the residents of a small California town while growing to gargantuan proportions. The clean-cut teen hero originally portrayed by Steve McQueen (his first starring role) is replaced here with a rebellious outsider (Kevin Dillon) whose preppie rival (Donovan Leitch) for the affections of the cute heroine (Shawnee Smith) is quickly eliminated by the all-consuming space-gelatin. No sooner has the plasma menace set up house in the town sewers when a shadowy government Blob Squad shows up under the direction of the grandfatherly Dr. Meddows (Joe Seneca), to clean up the mess... or not. This high-spirited remake replaces the '50s "Daddy-O" conventions of the original with '80s cynicism -- not even likeable characters are spared from the slaughter -- and anti-government sentiment. It also pushes the gore envelope in ways unavailable to its low-budget parent -- e.g. the scene in which one victim is sucked through a sink drain was only hinted at in the 1958 film, but here viewers are treated to the entire bone-crunching ordeal. Though the quality of blob effects seems inversely proportional to the creature's size (some of the climactic "wall-of-blob" footage is painfully cheap-looking), the end result is more blob for the monster-movie fan's dollar. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, (more)
Charles Bronson, weary and comatose, is trotted out again as the cocked crusader Paul Kersey in Death Wish 4: The Crackdown. Director Michael Winner has jumped ship for this installment, replaced by J. Lee Thompson (who has seen better days). Kersey is back in L.A. and dating attractive reporter Karen Sheldon (Kay Lenz). Of course, the clock is ticking, and the gong goes off when Karen's daughter overdoses on crack. Before you can say "kaboom" the drug dealer, along with a large cast of bit players, are blown to bits by the single-minded vigilante. An enterprising publisher whose own daughter has died from a drug overdose hires Kersey to wipe out the city's two rival drug dealers and their legions of flunkies. Kersey has no trouble agreeing, and using the technique limned in Yojimbo, he methodically eliminates gang members, first from one side and then the other, until one gang's paranoia about the other gang causes the two competitors to engage in a major confrontation that impacts both groups. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Kay Lenz, (more)
- 1987
Also known as Alien P.I., this sci-fier does not concern a detective from another country. You were right the first time: the protagonist comes from the planet Styx to planet Earth, originally intending just to take a vacation. Eventually it becomes Our Hero's mission to locate a missing ancient Egyptian disc, possessing awesome powers. Also on the the P.I.'s docket is the destruction of an interplanetary criminal organization. Is it our imagination, or does this sound like a busted TV pilot? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In Assassination, a routine political thriller directed by Peter Hunt, Jay Hillion (Charles Bronson) is a secret service agent assigned to protect First Lady Lara Royce Craig (Jill Ireland). Lara hates Hillion and tries to get away from him but finds she needs him when her life is threatened by a series of assassination attempts which may have originated from the White House. This routine actioner has little to offer that is new or different, but it tells its tale at a good pace and has some nice location photography. Charles Bronson gives his usual steely performance, while Jill Ireland is more sympathetic as the First Lady who likes her independence but must learn to trust a man she detests. This film, while routine and somewhat predictable will be enjoyed by Bronson fans. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, (more)
An officer of the law becomes a wanted man while trailing a killer in this crime drama. Jack Murphy (Charles Bronson) is a police detective who helped to put Joan Freeman (Carrie Snodgress), a psychotic murderer, behind bars ten years ago. However, Joan is now back on the street and determined to get revenge on Jack. She kills Jack's ex-wife and her new husband, and she cleverly frames the detective for the crime. Jack is arrested and taken into custody handcuffed to Arabella McGee (Kathleen Wilhoite), a rough-and-ready young hoodlum picked up for theft. Jack is able to escape, and has to track down Joan in order to clear his name with Arabella as his unwitting accomplice. Murphy's Law also features Lawrence Tierney and Richard Romanus. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Kathleen Wilhoite, (more)
- 1986
- R
Although the title would indicate that female college students are the targets, this is an equal-opportunity slasher film, as both sexes are victims of gruesome murders. From her hospital bed, Beth (Angela O'Neill) is the lone survivor of the butchery in a sorority house that was home to her family 13 years earlier. Her brother has killed the entire family, with Beth the only one who escaped death. The repressed memories, along with her most recent weekend nightmare, are retold through a series of flashbacks and horrible hallucinations. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angela O'Neill, Wendy Martel, (more)
- 1986
These bad guys are a couple of inept cops who, when kicked off the force, decide to make their living as professional wrestlers. They become "The Boston Bad Guys" and as such, are pitted against a wrestling team managed by their manager's arch rival. To add intrigue to this wrestling fan's release (who else would watch it?) -- are appearances by several big-name professional wrestlers. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Baldwin, Mike Jolly, (more)
This 1982 made-for-TV version of the Lewis Carroll classic Alice in Wonderland features an all-star cast. Such celebrities as Donald O'Connor, Maureen Stapleton and Eve Arden struggle to perform while buried under mounds of makeup and tons of eccentric costuming as Carroll's alternate-world loonies. Alice in Wonderland was first telecast Oct 3, 1983, on PBS' Great Performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
