Stan Haze Movies

1990  
R  
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House Party is an infectious, engaging comedy starring the rap duo Kid 'N Play. Kid (Christopher Reid) decides to throw a party where he plans to blow the roof off the joint with his rhyming skills, so he and his friend Play (Christopher Martin) throw a huge party while Play's parents are away. The day of the party, Kid is grounded by his father (Robin Harris) and he has to sneak out of the house to get to the party, where he is confronted by several rival rappers, as well as a bevy of adoring girls. Though House Party follows a standard plot-line straight out of the '50s rock & roll films, the script is inventive, providing many different twists and turns, while Reginald Hudlin's direction is assured and very, very funny. Kid 'N Play are both terrific, but the true standout is legendary comedian Robin Harris in one of his few screen roles. House Party later spawned two sequels and an animated television series. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Christopher "Kid" ReidChristopher "Play" Martin, (more)
1986  
 
Robert Preston stars as a family man who kills the man who raped and murdered his daughter. After confessing to the police, he is defended by an idealistic attorney played by Beau Bridges. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

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1985  
 
This action movie chronicles the exciting exploits of a crack crime fighting force. They are notorious for their unusual tactics when dealing with criminals. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
Made for cable television, The Ratings Game was directed by Danny DeVito, who co-starred in the film with his wife Rhea Perlman. DeVito plays the owner of a New Jersey trucking firm who yearns for a televison career. He offers several TV-series ideas to a receptive network programming head. On the verge of being fired, the network exec decides to have his revenge on his ex-bosses by selecting the very worst of DeVito's concepts. The "born to fail" series becomes a hit, and soon DeVito is the hottest programmer in the industry! More truthful than many of us are willing to admit, The Ratings Game premiered with astonishingly little fanfare over The Movie Channel cable service on December 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Danny DeVitoRhea Perlman, (more)
1982  
 
Tom Willis (Franklin Cover) is jealous when his wife, Helen (Roxie Roker), agrees to go to lunch with her old boyfriend Darryl. Daydreaming, Tom imagines that he has been transported to the Old West, doing battle against "Pecos Darryl" over Helen's honor. Not surprisingly, several of the other Jeffersons cast members also show up in cowboy apparel. This was the final episode of the series' eighth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Sherman HemsleyIsabel Sanford, (more)
1980  
R  
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This mix of drama, camp, and brutal violence is anchored by the performance of Nicholas Worth. Worth plays Kurt Smith, a sweaty, balding maniac who strangles women with a stocking, raping and mutilating them during and after death. A Vietnam veteran, Smith prowls the streets of Hollywood posing as a photographer, then sells his violent porn to sleazy smut-peddler Sam (Porky's star Chuck Mitchell). At home, Smith lifts weights and tells off his dead father, whose abuse was obviously one cause of his mania. Sometimes he calls the radio show of psychiatrist Lindsey Gale (Flo Gerrish), posing as a Puerto Rican named Ramon and asking for advice about his headaches. Dedicated cop McCabe (James Westmoreland) has no luck solving the case until Smith murders one of Dr. Gale's patients, in an unforgivably sick scene. The patient (Paula Warner) was molested by her father, which Smith overhears. When he breaks into her house that night, Smith ties her up while cooing, "Daddy loves his little girl," and pouring hot wax on her as she cries into her teddy-bear. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
James WestmorelandFlo Gerrish, (more)
1980  
 
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Lewis Teague directed this sly horror-comedy from a script by John Sayles, which plays off the old urban legend about the dangers of flushing one's pet alligator down the toilet. One such unlucky reptile is "Ramon," who survives in the subterranean cesspool by feeding on the steroid-saturated carcasses of dogs dumped there by chemical company researchers and eventually bulks up to the size of a Winnebago. When assorted sewage workers start disappearing into Ramon's massive maw, hard-boiled cop David Madison (Robert Forster), who has a history of unlucky partners, reveals a strong personal interest in the case. Deemed a jinx and a nutcase by his superiors, he's kicked off the force and must go underground (literally) to destroy the beast with the help of young reptile-expert Marion (Robin Riker). The witty screenplay is filled with clever references, eccentric characters and in-jokes aplenty (a style reflective of Joe Dante's Piranha and The Howling, both of which Sayles also scripted), which combines with decent effects and a good amount of suspense (particularly in the sewer scenes) to make this an entertaining romp overall. Highlights include Henry Silva's over-the-top performance as a misplaced big-game hunter who recruits urban "native guides" in his back-alley search for the elusive Ramon. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robert ForsterRobin Riker, (more)
1977  
 
Captains Courageous is Rudyard Kipling's story of a wealthy, spoiled teenager who matures into responsible manhood during an enforced voyage on a fishing schooner. The 1937 MGM version of the Kipling tale lowered the age of the protagonist to accommodate juvenile star Freddie Bartholomew, and re-shaped the plot so that the Portuguese fisherman Manuel, played by Spencer Tracy, would be the leading role. This 1977 TV-movie version wisely restores the full age of Harvey Cheyne (Jonathan Kahn), reiterating Kipling's point that it's never too late to steer a young man on the right path. The 1977 version also relegates Manuel (Ricardo Montalban) to the secondary position he held in the novel, strengthening the growing friendship and mutual respect between young Harvey and wise old captain Danko (Karl Malden). Filmed on location off the Maine coast, The TV version of Captains Courageous originally aired December 4, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1976  
PG  
Written and directed by Frank D. Gilroy, this Western casts Charles Bronson as Graham Dorsey, a two-bit Western outlaw who has a three-hour affair with lonely Amanda Starbuck (Jill Ireland). When Dorsey is reported killed, Starbuck capitalizes on her liaison by building up the "legend" of the supposed deceased outlaw. Soon Dorsey has become an icon, glorified in song, fable, and dime novels. Imagine Starbuck's discomfort when he turns up very much alive, and extremely upset at being turned into Amanda's own private cottage industry. At the end, Dorsey isn't even left with his own identity. This picture is somewhat unconventional for a Western, downplaying violence in favor of characterization and dark humor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Charles BronsonJill Ireland, (more)
1976  
 
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Also known as Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free, this TV pilot film stars Don Meredith in the title role. Banjo Hackett is a western horsetrader, circa 1885, who travels in the company of his orphaned nephew (Ike Eisenmann). While searching for a rare Arabian mare stolen from the nephew's late mother, Hackett occasionally pays a visit to Mollie (Jennifer Warren), a ranch owner whom Banjo would marry if he'd only admit he loved the woman. Millionaire Dan O'Herlihy and untrustworthy bounty hunter Chuck Connors are also after the stolen horse. The film's storyline is as rambling as Banjo Hackett himself, which was both its charm and curse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Don MeredithIke Eisenmann, (more)
1975  
 
The convicts in a maximum-security prison have developed a diabolically clever method to smuggle drugs in and out of the institution, using as their "mules" the prisoners' wives who show up on visiting day. When one of the convicts resists getting involved in the drug traffic, his wife on the "outside" is murdered in a laundromat. Hoping to rout the smugglers and prevent further murders, Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) focus their investigation on convict's wife Rita King (Stefanie Powers)--who defiantly refuses to cooperate. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1974  
 
Lamont (Demond Wilson) is beaten up after dating the girlfriend of barroom bully Jo-Jo Jackson (Stan Haze). Determined to defend himself when he meets up with Jo-Jo again, Lamont begins taking karate lessons. Meanwhile, Grady tells Jo-Jo that Lamont is suffering from a serious illness -- and after seeing Lamont flamboyantly going through his karate-chop movements, Jo-Jo is convinced that Grady is telling the truth. This episode was hastily assembled to replace the unfilmed installment "Charley's Tea" when series star Redd Foxx walked off the show due to a contract dispute. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Demond WilsonWhitman Mayo, (more)
1974  
 
In the second episode of a two-part story, the Evanses' 18th birthday party for son J.J. (Jimmie Walker) is ruined when the teenager is arrested on suspicion of holding up a liquor store. The case won't come up in court for nearly two weeks, and the family hasn't the money to post bail. As the Evans brood toys with the odious idea of borrowing the cash from a loan shark, J.J. is faced with the startling realization that, despite the fact that he has been falsely accused, he will always have a police record. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1973  
 
Joseph Wambaugh, the ex-cop turned novelist whose Police Story began its TV run in 1973, was responsible for the like-vintage TV miniseries The Blue Knight. William Holden stars as Bumper Morgan, a 50 year old cop on the verge of mandatory retirement. Morgan's last four days with the LAPD are packed with incident, notably the trackdown of the brutal murderer of a prostitute. Lee Remick plays Morgan's faithful lady friend, who is anxious for her man to retire but who will tolerate no criticism from anyone of the job the police are doing. Emmies went to William Holden, director Robert Butler and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr., while Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The film itself is derivative at times (one chunk of dialogue is lifted bodily from the Jane Fonda vehicle Klute), but otherwise is as realistic a portrayal of police work as TV censors would allow in 1973. Originally telecast in four one-hour installments, Blue Knight was cut to 103 minutes for syndication; a second Blue Knight TV movie, filmed in 1975 and starring George Kennedy as Bumper Morgan, served as the pilot for a short-lived TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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