Clint Howard Movies
The son of actors, juvenile performer Clint Howard began showing up on screen in the mid-1960s, usually in the TV series and feature films co-starring his older brother Ron Howard. Clint's best-known TV guest appearances include the part of Balok in the 1966 Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver," and his vivid portrayal of a youthful prognosticator in the opening installment of Night Gallery's 1971-72 season. He was starred in the 1967 Ivan Tors theatrical feature Gentle Giant and in that property's TV-series spin-off Gentle Ben. Upon attaining adulthood, Howard was mostly consigned to character parts; he has also been featured in the films directed by his brother Ron Howard, from Eat My Dust (1978) to Apollo 13 (1995). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A little dog faces down some big trouble in this comedy-adventure for the family. Ping is a homeless Chihuahua, who, after being taken to the pound by a dog catcher (Lou Ferrigno), is adopted by Ethel (Shirley Jones), the owner of a chain of bakeries whose granddaughter Haley (Brooke Winn) lost her parents in an accident several months ago. Both Ethel and Haley take a shine to the little dog, and when a pair of inept crooks, Louie (Judge Reinhold) and Stu (Clint Howard), break into Ethel's home hoping to steal her fortune, they discover Ping is a guard dog whose brains and bravery make up for his small size. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Clint Howard, (more)
The popular memoir by Pulitzer prize-winning author Willie Morris became this family comedy-drama about a boy and his dog. Young Willie Morris (Frankie Muniz) is a shy eight-year-old in 1942 Yazoo, MS, who is more comfortable reading than playing sports. A target for local bullies, Willie's only real pal is his older next-door neighbor Dink Jenkins (Luke Wilson), once the town's living sports legend and a big brother figure to Willie, an only child. When Dink is shipped overseas for service in World War II, Willie's mother Ellen (Diane Lane) finally forces his gruff father Jack (Kevin Bacon) to allow into the family a pet dog, a Jack Russell terrier named Skip. The smart and playful Skip gets his owner into a series of adventures on the baseball field and with a band of moonshiners, quickly turning Willie into a popular, accepted kid who even wins the affections of the school's prettiest girl, Rivers Applewhite (Caitlin Wachs). In the meantime, Dink returns from war branded a coward for an incident that occurred in combat but finds an unexpected ally in the normally taciturn Jack, a fellow veteran. Harry Connick Jr. narrated as the adult Willie; the role of Skip was played in later scenes by Moose, the pooch star of television's Frasier. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Muniz, Diane Lane, (more)
The turning point in the life of Ed Pekurny (Matthew McConaughey) comes thanks to the misfortunes of the NorthWest Broadcasting Company. After two years on the air, their flagship cable channel, True TV, has slid into obscurity due to competition from the The Gardening Channel. Program director Cynthia Topping (Ellen DeGeneres) brainstorms a last ditch effort to save the channel: broadcast one ordinary person's life 24 hours a day, unedited (while he sleeps, the day's highlights will be shown). When the network agrees to the idea, Topping must find the subject of her program. After endless auditions, she lucks upon Ed, a goofy but good-looking video store clerk. Ed has little time to get used to his new shadow, a three man video crew, before the show becomes a hit. Suddenly Ed's a cultural icon with fan clubs, stalkers, and imitators, but the media saturation has it's effects on his friends and family, who are now part of the program. Ed alienates his proud brother, Ray (Woody Harrelson), by falling in love with his girlfriend, Shari (Jenna Elfman). His estranged father Hank (Dennis Hopper) reappears after abandoning the family and creates tension between Ed and Ray's mother, Jeanette (Sally Kirkland) and her wheelchair-bound second husband, Al (Martin Landau). When Ed realizes the phenomenon has turned on him, he convinces Topping to stop the ordeal, but not her boss, Whitaker (Rob Reiner). To regain his life, Ed must find a way to cancel EDtv. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, (more)
- 1999
- PG13
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Austin Powers -- fashion photographer, denizen of Swingin' London, international espionage agent, and bane of dental hygienists everywhere -- returns in his second screen adventure. Powers (once again played by Mike Myers), a 1960s superspy stranded in the 1990s, discovers that his nemesis, criminal genius Dr. Evil (also Mike Myers), has somehow stolen his "mojo" (the secret to his otherwise inexplicable sex appeal) and traveled back in time to the 1960s as part of his latest fiendish scheme. Powers must also travel back in time to retrieve it, but if Austin doesn't quite fit into 1998, he's been there just long enough not to fit in in 1968 anymore, either. Powers also discovers that Dr. Evil has new allies this time: Mini-Me (Verne Troyer), a clone of Dr. Evil one-eighth his size but just as nasty; Fat Bastard (Myers yet again), whose name describes him just fine; and vixenish assassin Robin Swallows (Gia Carides). Powers' lack of mojo also proves troublesome when he's paired with his new partner, saucy CIA operative Felicity Shagwell (Heather Graham). Other characters returning from the first film include Elizabeth Hurley as Vanessa Kensington, Robert Wagner as Number Two, Michael York as Basil Exposition, Seth Green as Scott Evil, and Mindy Sterling as Frau Farbissina. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me also includes cameo appearances from Tim Robbins, Jerry Springer, Woody Harrelson, and Burt Bacharach with his current songwriting partner, Elvis Costello. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Heather Graham, (more)
The King Arthur legend gets a modern setting with this remake. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
President John F. Kennedy issued the challenge to America in a speech to Congress in 1961: Land a man on the moon within the decade. This HBO mini-series, produced by Tom Hanks, chronicles the story of NASA's efforts to carry out the vision. In 1968, three astronauts orbited the moon. To achieve the goal of actually putting a man on the moon, NASA scientists had to design an ancillary craft to take an astronaut from the spacecraft to the moon's surface. Episode five looks at the building and success of the lunar module called Spider. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
As with his previous films, comedian Adam Sandler and writing partner Tim Herlihy have conceived a simple premise, character, and title, and peppered their creation with visual sight gags. The story concerns Bobby Boucher, a Louisiana-born-and-bred kid living in the swamps with his overbearing, alligator-eating mom (Kathy Bates). Bobby is a water boy for the local college football team, and a damn good one, even good at turning a deaf ear at the ridicule he gets from the players and coach (Jerry Reed). But when Bobby is fired from his job, he is forced to continue his water management skills at the rival college, a losing team with a washed-up coach (Happy Days' "The Fonz," Henry Winkler). It's here that the coach teaches Bobby to channel his anger, and he makes a surprising discovery. The water boy can tackle like no one he's ever seen. Forced to keep his football talents from his mom, Bobby soon joins the college as a student and learns that there's more to life than alligator stew. He even falls for a perky ex-con (Fairuza Balk) who teaches Bobby about the birds and the bees. As Bobby leads his team toward victory, they get an invitation to play in the annual Bourbon bowl against his old college rivals. Bobby must choose between the love of his ailing mother and the glory of the final game -- or maybe there's a way he can get both. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates, (more)
In this sequel to 1996's The Dentist, Corbin Bernsen returns as Dr. Feinstone, the obsessive-compulsive dentist whose wife's infidelities left him a deranged monster. Picking up on the IRS audit subplot of the original film, The Dentist II tracks Feinstone after his escape from a mental institution to Paradise, a sleepy little town where he's been socking away his assets and leading a double life under an assumed name. Pretending to have retired from his big-city dental practice, "Dr. Caine" rents a house from the lovely Jamie Devers (Jillian McWirther), but soon finds himself drawn back into the exam room after the local dentist's working habits don't pass muster. Killing the old guy for incorrectly gluing one of his own capped teeth, Feinstone/Caine sets up shop himself, starts dating Jamie, and soon grows homicidally jealous over her friendship with another man. As the killing continues, Feinstone remains unaware that a detective is on his trail. Soon, a toothless, tongueless woman from the dentist's past shows up in Paradise, interrupting his killing spree. In addition to the original The Dentist, Brian Yuzna previously directed such horror films as Return of the Living Dead 3 and Bride of the Re-Animator. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corbin Bernsen, Jillian McWhirter, (more)
Two honest men discover how high the stakes can be when they turn against the law in this thriller. Nick Hollit (Jack Scalia) and Ray Ramirez (Eddie Velez) are a pair of police detectives who have played by the rules all their lives, but have little to show for it. Determined to make some big money once in their lives, Nick and Ray strike a deal with a man who brokers deals in illegal weapons. However, the setup turns sour when a meeting becomes a gun battle, and the arms dealer is killed. Nick and Ray manage to escape, but they soon discover the man who lost his life was actually an FBI agent who had set up the deal as part of an undercover operation. Nick and Ray think they may have gotten away clean until they're put in charge of the investigation into the killing; covering up the trail of evidence that would implicate them turns out to be more difficult than they imagined, and soon leads them into a very dangerous situation. Also released as Under Oath and Blood Money, Urban Justice also stars James Russo and Richard Lynch. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Scalia, James Russo, (more)
- 1997
- PG13
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Less a parody of the early James Bond film than a parody of the films that parodied the early James Bond films, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery stars Mike Myers as Austin Powers, by day a hipster fashion photographer in mid-'60s swingin' London and by night a crime-fighting secret agent. Austin's wardrobe is pure Carnaby Street at its most outrageous, his vocabulary is crowded by the cool lingo of the day ("Groovy, baby! Yeah!!"), and he's irresistible to women, despite the fact that he can be charitably described as "stocky" and has teeth that strike fear into any practicing dentist. When his nemesis, the arch-enemy Dr. Evil (also played by Myers), has himself cryogenically frozen and sent into space, Powers also has himself put on ice so he can be thawed out when Dr. Evil returns. Come 1997, Dr. Evil returns to Earth and is back to his old tricks, so Austin is thawed out and returned to active service -- though he soon discovers his style doesn't play so well 30 years on. The supporting cast includes Elizabeth Hurley as Austin's sidekick, Vanessa Kensington; Michael York as his boss, Basil Exposition; Robert Wagner as Dr. Evil's assistant, Number Two; and Seth Green as Dr. Evil's troubled son, Scott Evil. Ming Tea, the swingin' pop band that periodically backs up Austin, includes real life pop-rockers Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery was a mild box-office hit but an even bigger success on home video, which led to the 1999 sequel, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Elizabeth Hurley, (more)
- 1997
- R
Tired of protecting people he disrespects and despises, a bodyguard becomes a free agent. Soon he finds himself entangled in a potentially deadly situation involving his ex-lover's missing friend and a scientist who has devised some potentially world-devastating biochemical agents. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt McColm, Annabel Schofield, (more)
- 1996
- PG13
It would seem that the producers of the made-for-cable chiller Rattled had not only used Joseph Gilmore's novel Rattlers as their inspiration, but had also supped full of such horror movies as Poltergeist and Arachnophobia. The scene is Eden Valley, a luxurious housing development carved from a mountainous wilderness by architect Paul Donohue (William Katt). But things are hardly Eden-like in the valley (or, on second thought, perhaps they are!) when the development is suddenly invaded by a swarm of deadly rattlesnakes. Guilt-ridden by the realization that this serpentine invasion has been brought about by the explosives used to excavate the valley, Donohue takes it upon himself to stop the snakes -- and to overcome his mortal terror of the slimy predators. Rattled debuted February 14, 1996, on the USA network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Katt, Shanna Reed, (more)
- 1996
- PG
Penurious but muscle-bound Blake Thorne (famed wrestler turned actor Hulk Hogan) has made a vast fortune marketing health food and health supplements. He once was a nice fellow, but as his wealth increases, he becomes increasingly self-centered and decadent. One day, he gets in a great paint-gun fight that goes too far. Blake escapes the cops by running into a shopping mall, quickly donning a Santa Suit and pretending to be St. Nick. A head injury causes Blake to suffer amnesia, and an opportunistic "elf" decides to convince Blake that he is indeed Santa. This leads "Santa" to help save an orphanage, filled with adorable moppets, from the machinations of a greedy, insane doctor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hulk Hogan, Ed Begley, Jr., (more)
Set in the year 2017, Barb Wire takes place after democracy has fallen and a fascist military junta has taken over the U.S. government, plotting to wipe out the country with Red Ribbon, a laboratory-manufactured disease derived from the AIDS virus. The entire test city of Topeka has been annihilated, and only the small bastion of Steel Harbor remains the last free zone in the country, conveniently the home of the title heroine Pamela Lee. Barb, a leather-clad, silicon-stretched motorcycle mama, happens to carry antibodies for Red Ribbon in her DNA, thus making her an enemy of the state. She sets out to defend freedom and take down the evil government by posing as a stripper and seducing foolish male adversaries with her well-displayed assets. The plot thickens as she happens upon her freedom-fighter ex-lover and his wife (much in the vein of Casablanca). ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pamela Anderson, Temuera Morrison, (more)
- 1995
In part one of this episode, a freak accident transported Sisko, Bashir, and Dax back to San Francisco in the year 2024. Their visit occurs a few days before the Bell Riots, the outcome of which will profoundly effect the future, specifically, their future. When legendary homeless advocate Gabriel Bell, in whose honor the riot will occur, dies ahead of schedule, Sisko is forced to assume Bell's identity, and, possibly, to be martyred for Bell's cause. Scripted by Ira Steven Behr and Rene Echevarria from a story by Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe, part two of "Past Tense" first aired January 9, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When you hear the happy jingle of the ice cream truck driving down your neighborhood street, lock your doors and pray to the Dairy Queen that the Ice Cream Man doesn't stop to bring you a cone -- because a soft-serve headache is nothing compared to the pain that this dairy demon will make you feel! As a child, Gregory Trudor (Clint Howard) suffered severe mental trauma when he witnessed the brutal murder of his best friend "The Ice Cream King." As an adult, all Gregory wanted was to take the place of the man he looked up to most, but the terror that haunts him drives a murderous bloodlust that can only be satiated by committing horrific acts of cold-blooded murder. The kids always used to come running when the familiar jingle of the Ice Cream Man's truck filled the neighborhood streets -- now they'll be running for their lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Peggy (Katey Sagal) wins $10,000 in a bingo tournament on the same night that Al's group NO MA'AM calls an emergency meeting to choose a new official beer. The result: Al (Ed O'Neill) drinks so much that he forgets to pick up Peg, who must spend all her winnings for carfare home (what a tip THAT must have been!). The supporting cast in this episode features the mother and brother of filmmaker Ron Howard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
This exciting crime drama recounts the life and times of one of the Prohibition's most famous and feared gangsters as he engages in a territorial battle with his nemesis Al Capone. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Lisa Zane, (more)
- 1995
- R
Set in a post-WWIII world, this action fantasy centers on the deadly struggle between a great warrior and the villainous overlord who stole the warrior's lover and brutally murdered his father. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Gary Daniels, (more)
"Houston, we have a problem." Those words were immortalized during the tense days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis, and the suspense, fear, and excitement of those days are captured in Ron Howard's epic recreation of the 1970 crisis. When the commander of the original mission Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), bows out due to possible exposure to measles, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. As the courageous astronauts face the dilemma of either suffocating or freezing to death, Mattingly and Mission Control leader Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) struggle to find a way to bring the crew back home, all the while knowing that the spacemen face probable death once the battered ship reenters the Earth's atmosphere. Even though the outcome, in which all three astronauts miraculously survived, is historical fact, the film derives suspense from the situation itself and from the actions of the heroic astronauts and the men on the ground. Howard's taut direction, a solid ensemble of players, and eye-opening special effects all add to the overall impact of the film, which has been hailed as one of Hollywood's best historical dramas. In 2002, the movie was released in IMAX theaters as Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience, with a pared-down running time of 116 minutes in order to meet the technical requirements of the large-screen format. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, (more)
Actor Billy Crystal co-wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy. Forty-something couple Andy (Joe Mantegna) and Liz (Cynthia Stevenson) are about to be married, and as they gather with their friends for dinner not long before the wedding, they are told the story of their mutual friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger) as a cautionary tale of where a relationship can go wrong. Mickey is a top referee with the NBA who has traveled to Paris to bury his father, who wanted to be laid to rest with his Army buddies from World War II. The body is somehow lost in transit, and Mickey has an argument with Ellen, who works for an American airline in France. However, she likes his sense of humor, he is taken with her, and after a few days together in Paris, they decide to marry. However, once they return to Mickey's home in the United States, things get complicated; she's not so sure that she cares for his bachelor apartment ("a shrine to watching ESPN"), or juggling her career against his, while both have problems with their respective families. Several major basketball stars and sports figures appear in Forget Paris as themselves, including Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Marv Albert. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Debra Winger, (more)
- 1995
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Lost in the Northwest woods, a young boy ends up caught in a bear trap and threatened by a ferocious grizzly. Fortunately, he is saved by a friendly Sasquatch. Later the boy unwittingly plays a role in the Bigfoot's capture. Now it is the lad's turn to save his shaggy friend from those who would exploit him. This action-packed outdoor adventure was designed especially for young children. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt McCoy, Crystal Chappell, (more)
- 1995
- R
In 1934, J. Edgar Hoover and the boys made headlines for mowing down John Dillinger in a hail of bullets outside Chicago's Biograph theater. But in fact, according to this Jon Purdy gangster thriller, the Feds iced Dillinger's brother. Fast-forward five years, when mobster kingpin Al Capone (F. Murray Abraham) gives the real Dillinger (Martin Sheen) an offer he can't refuse: rob millions from a secluded vault or watch his wife and child get whacked. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
Cyberpunk schlockmeister Phillip Roth directs this sci-fi action flick about cool explosions and bad cyborgs. When the army's latest brand of killer robots start killing the wrong people, a band of nubile coed soldiers get sent in to kick a little android keister. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
