Dennis Holmes Movies

An international collection of well-known directors contributed to this compilation film, each fashioning a short film inspired by an aria from a famous opera. The approaches vary broadly, from the playful abstraction of Jean-Luc Godard's segment, which illustrates Armide with exercising body-builders, to the more literal approach of Franc Roddam, who transports Tristan und Isolde's story to modern-day Las Vegas. A particular stand-out is Julian Temple's take on Rigoletto, which recasts Verdi as the accompaniment to a contemporary Southern California sex farce. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Jeremy Irons portrays Nowak, one of four Polish laborers, living in England. In exchange for a place to stay, Irons and his buddies -- none of whom have British work permits -- agree to renovate their landlord's flat within a limited time-frame. Despite their hectic schedule, the boys agree never to work on Sunday: this is the day that they communicate with their loved ones in Poland. On one such Sunday, however, the Soviets declare martial law in Poland, cutting off all telephone and telegraph service to the outside world. Nowak, the only one of the four who speaks English, learns of the turmoil in Poland before his friends do; he decides to keep the news secret, rather than jeopardize their living arrangements. When the flow of money from home ceases, Nowak takes to stealing to finance the renovation project. He pushes his friends mercilessly to make sure the project is completed on time, secretly burning their letters so that they remain in the dark about the Soviet incursion upon their native soil. When they do find out, they physically vent their anger upon Nowak, perceiving him to be as much an enemy and oppressor as the Soviets. This is clearly the allegorical point that director Jerzy Skolimowski is hoping to make in Moonlighting; wisely, he avoids conveying his message in fluent tract, relating his story with generous doses of humor and irony. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A British movie originally entitled Licensed to Kill, this is a satire on the James Bond brand of spy which has a bumbling agent attempting to foil the Russian acquisition of a Swedish anti-gravity formula. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Attempts to Kill is a sprightly 57-minute entry in Merton Park Productions' "Edgar Wallace Mysteries" series. Derek Farr stars as Scotland Yard inspector Minter, on the trail of a ruthless gang of confidence tricksters. The scam artists' latest target is a London businessman, whom they plan to kill if he doesn't fork over his dough. Halfway through, the film becomes a bit talk-heavy, but the action-packed finale makes up for this. Attempts to Kill is based on Edgar Wallace's The Lone House Mystery. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this drama, based on a story by Edgar Wallace, a movie mogul and a beautiful Asian actress set up a major swindle. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This is a well-wrought action-thriller with enough menacing violence to keep a shock value high, but not enough to overcome the characters or the script. Fred Morrow (Jeffrey Hunter), a real-estate agent who stops by a bar to make a phone call, is a chance witness to a knifing by an L.A. street gang. Upset and conscientious, he picks up the phone and calls the police. Once the men in blue arrive, Fred is the only one willing to testify against the gang members -- as usual, no one else has seen anything. From that moment onward, Fred and his family are harassed as the drugged-out gang turns to any means to shut him up or to permanently silence him. Dennis Hopper is a standout as the gang's ruling villain -- the type of character he would become noted for playing -- and the rest of the gang, including singer Johnny Nash as the only Afro-American (and ultimately decent) member, are convincingly portrayed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this variation on the Sasquatch legend, little Davey Morris (Dennis Holmes) suddenly shows up after missing from his home for several days. Davey's dad (Fred Beir) refuses to believe the boy's claim that he has been in the company of a huge, friendly beast. How then, can Mr. Morris explain those gigantic footprints near the house. . .or that strange animal odor in the smokehouse, where several sides of beef have had huge chunks torn from them? A classic "Val Lewton" ending caps this fact-based episode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The hardships faced by a widow and her eight-year-old son on a rugged Canadian ranch provide the basis of this gripping outdoor adventure. She lost her husband to a forest fire. To help her run the ranch, she hires a handy man. A handsome, but taciturn fellow who has known much tragedy, he works hard for her. The woman's son though resents him, and when he learns that his mother is planning to marry him to quell ugly rumors in town, the youth is most unhappy. After the wedding, the step-father treats the boy harshly, not out of cruelty, but because he wants to prepare the boy to survive the tough life ahead. This creates friction and frustration. Sometimes the handyman beats both the wife and the child. On the day the wife learns she is pregnant, the boy and his step-father get into a violent fight. Afterward the husband goes to the local saloon and ends up jailed for brawling. A month later he is released. When he gets home he finds his wife has moved his things to the barn. A natural disaster changes the family's lives and relationships and after much turmoil, honesty and pain gives them a chance to heal and start afresh. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this murder mystery, an aspiring novelist and amateur detective begins looking into the case of a famous unsolved murder and eventually ends up in a mansion filled with serpents. He then enlists the aid of his wife, solves the murder, and gets kudos for his newest book. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi