James P. Hayden Movies
Though some viewers might be put off by its length, graphic violence, and absence of likable characters, Sergio Leone's final film is also a cinematic masterpiece. Spanning four decades, the film tells the story of David "Noodles" Aaronson (Robert De Niro) and his Jewish pals, chronicling their childhoods on New York's Lower East Side in the 1920s, through their gangster careers in the 1930s, and culminating in Noodles' 1968 return to New York from self-imposed exile, at which time he learns the truth about the fate of his friends and again confronts the nightmare of his past. The acting, the re-creation of the time period, the cinematography, and the music are all superb. However, even more important is Leone's ability to make the film work on so many different levels: it's both a criticism of gangster-film mythology and a continuation of the director's exploration of the issues of time and history. Strange as it may seem, the violence and gore in the first half of the film turn into a sad elegy about wasted lives and lost love. The film's strengths emerge only in its full 229-minute version -- the 139-minute and other edited versions don't make nearly the same impact. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, James Woods, (more)
Four campers venture into the wilderness for a relaxing hike, unaware that a deranged mountain man is slaughtering whoever crosses his path. While they tell ghost stories around the campfire and romp in the rolling streams, a number of unfortunate nature lovers are dispatched by the maniac; an ornithologist, a fisherman, a pair of newlyweds, a photographer and even a handicapped man struggling through the woods in his wheelchair. When the killer finally encounters the quartet of youths, he murders Craig (James P. Hayden), the only one with experience in the outdoors. The rest are forced to scatter, hopelessly lost in the forest. Peter (Nick McClelland) and Ingrid (Mary Gail Artz) manage to make it to the safety of a nearby town, and the authorities form a posse to seek out the mysterious murderer. But Peter is overcome with guilt by leaving Joanie (Angie Brown) behind, and he returns to the deadly forest to rescue her and get revenge for the ordeal they've all suffered through. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick McClelland, James P. Hayden, (more)
- 1980
- R
An agoraphobic author decides she needs a more suitable environment in which to pen her best-selling Gothic novels and so moves to a decaying Victorian mansion. She isn't there long before she discovers that it is being haunted by a pack of ghostly prostitutes, all of whom died there when it was a house of ill repute. The spirits take over the woman and use her as their instrument of revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Groves, Christopher Loomis, (more)
