John Taylor Movies
- 1988
During the four weeks of their "Notorious" world tour in 1986, the pop-rock group Duran Duran and its members are followed in this black-and-white documentary. While their onstage skills are clearly in evidence, the unusual thing about this documentary is that these handsome (some have even said "pretty") but level-headed British lads are shown to be as sober and down-to-earth as it is possible to be when offstage. In fact, one reviewer compared them to accountants, or to respectable entrepreneurial businessmen of the Thatcher era. About the only notable eccentricity they display is their determined insistence that certain food items be absent from their backstage dressing rooms. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, (more)
- 1987
This low-budget action film from genre specialist David A. Prior stars Lynda Aldon as Rachael McKenna, the sexy blonde leader of a group of female prisoners hired by the CIA to bring down renegade agent John Mickland (William Zipp). The film presents itself as a distaff variation on The Dirty Dozen, as tough Sgt. Roberts (cult favorite Edy Williams) trains the convicts for jungle warfare in Colombia, but it cannot come close to its model in either excitement or spectacle. Peopled with a cast of former television actors including Edd Byrnes and Gail Fisher, Mankillers is the sort of film insomniacs might choose as an alternative to medication, but it offers little chance of success. Filmmaker Lizzie Borden appears as a drug smuggler. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- Starring:
- Edward Byrnes, Gail Fisher, (more)
When an exclusive military school is threatened with demolition by a rapacious real-estate company, the students, headed by Brian Moreland (Timothy Hutton), take drastic action. Utilizing every bit of military know-how at their disposal, the boys take over the school, arm themselves to the teeth, and prepare to do battle against the "invading" developers. General Bache George C. Scott, the head of the academy, tries to quell the rebellion, but soon he too is swept up by the students' to-the-death determination when the Army is called in to rout the boys. Based on Devery Freeman's novel Father Sky, Taps features early appearances by Sean Penn (in his movie debut) and Tom Cruise as two of the cadets. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George C. Scott, Timothy Hutton, (more)
- 1979
- R
In this melodramatic prison flick a convicted killer makes a bad impression on his fellow inmates after he causes trouble with the leader of the prisoners. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Heard, Thomas G. Waites, (more)
- 1976
- R
James Nam and Johnny Taylor star in Jaws of the Dragon. This R-rated martial arts extravaganza concerns two rival factions in the Far East. In "Hatfields and McCoys" fashion, one group gradually decimates the other, and vice versa. Though most of the cast is stone cold by the final reel, there's still a fight or two left in the survivors. Jaws of the Dragon manages to hold one's attention for a full 96 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
- R
Claudia Jennings stars as Karen Walker, a woman who sets her sights for roller derby success. Released a few months after Raquel Welch's Kansas City Bomber, Unholy Rollers gives the Welch film a run for its money, despite its exploitation budget, by adding nudity and lesbianism. After being sexually harassed by her loutish boss at the factory, Karen walks out of her job and tries out for the roller derby. She quickly wins a spot on the team and rises to the top, intent on ignoring the violence and grandstanding and concentrating on winning games. Although her teammates dislike her, Karen becomes a hit with the roller derby fans. But soon, her desire for victory becomes an obsession and she ends up losing not only her cool but also most of her clothes. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Claudia Jennings, Louis Quinn, (more)
Angels Hard as They Come is a melange of sex, violence, leather, and souped-up Harleys with a note of topicality added in by having some of the bikers dress and behave like hippies. One of the things distinguishing Angels Hard as They Come other pictures of its ilk is the fact that it was produced and written by Jonathan Demme. Also worth noting is the presence in the cast of stars-to-be Scott Glenn and Gary Busey, together with broken-nosed cult fave Charles Dierkop. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1961
Last Rhino is an modest offering from the immodestly named World Safari/Children's Film Foundation. The titular rhino is chased from its natural habitat by African hunters. The wounded animal stumbles into a Kenyan game preserve. The children of the local game warden rally round the bethumped rhino, saving its life. All of this transpires in an abrupt 58 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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