Wynn Irwin Movies
Directed by Mike Mitchell, Surviving Christmas finds Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) uneager to spend another lonely Christmas in his own home. Longing for holidays past, Drew travels to his childhood home intending to relive the experience of a family Christmas -- unfortunately, his family no longer lives there. This represents only a small snafu to Drew, who offers the Valco patriarch and his wife (Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) a huge amount of money if they consent to pretend they are his parents and that he is a cherished member of the family. This entails participating in Latham family traditions, such as Christmas tree selection and crowded holiday shopping excursions. Though the Valcos reluctantly go along with Drew's requests, Alicia, their eldest daughter, arrives at home and refuses to comply with her "brother's" wishes. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, (more)
- 1991
- PG13
Set in the 1950s, Voyager concerns the travels of an American construction engineer (Sam Shepard) who is wandering throughout Europe, recounting his life story through a series of flashbacks while meeting a variety of new characters. At first, he meets a man whom he knew during his time as a student in Europe in the days before World War II. Shortly afterward, he meets a beautiful young German woman (Julie Delpy), whom he accompanies on a journey to her home in Athens, Greece. Voyager is a slowly-paced and well-performed with a surprising, tragic conclusion. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Shepard, Julie Delpy, (more)
"Another basement, another elevator...how can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?" asks John McClane (Bruce Willis), in what is doubtless the key question of this film. A year after foiling the terrorist takeover of a high-rise office building in the first movie, McClane is waiting to pick up his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), at Dulles International Airport just outside Washington, D.C., on Christmas Eve. Scheduled to arrive the same evening is Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), a South American political figure who is being brought to the United States to stand trial for his role in a drug-smuggling ring. However, a group of terrorists, led by renegade American military officer Col. Stuart (William Sadler), take control of the airport, scuttling radio transmissions and placing their own men in the control tower. Stuart and his men ensure that Esperanza's plane lands safely, and then demand that Stuart and his men be given a fully-fueled 747 and free passage wherever they choose to go. Otherwise, they will guide the many circling jets waiting for landing instructions into definite crash landings, killing the many passengers on board. Not willing to stand aside as terrorists once again threaten his wife's life, the wise-cracking McClane once again leaps into action to foil Stuart's plans and bring the passenger jets safely to the ground. William Atherton, John Amos, Dennis Franz, and John Leguizamo highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
- 1982
A goodly portion of this episode is given over to the rehearsal of a bizarre stage production, featuring Laverne (Penny Marshall) in a horned Brunhilde helmet and Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander) dressed in feathers. The revelry screeches to a halt upon the unexpected arrival of Squiggy's long-lost father Helmut (Wynn Irwin). No sooner have father and son reconnected than the elder Mr. Squiggman proposes a tantalizing business partnership--which unfortunately leaves Lenny out in the cold! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Steve McQueen's last film concerns a modern day bounty hunter who searches for bail jumpers. Based on real life bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson, the film details his exciting life, traveling from one city to another, trying to track down fugitives and continually risking his life in the process. Buzz Kulik directed the confusing mish-mash that, nevertheless, features stunt work that anticipates the Lethal Weapon series. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, (more)
Screenwriter Walter Bernstein made his directorial debut with Little Miss Marker, a re-make of the Damon Runyon story that has been filmed many times before (most notably as Little Miss Marker with Shirley Temple, Sorrowful Jones starring Bob Hope, and the Tony Curtis vehicle 40 Pounds of Trouble). Here the cute little moppet is played by Sara Stimson, with Walter Matthau as the kid's nemesis Sorrowful Jones. The story concerns the relationship between the two when Little Miss Marker is left with Sorrowful as a down payment for one of her father's bets. Jones is involved with Blackie (Tony Curtis), who's trying to open an undercover casino in a mansion owned by Amanda (Julie Andrews). Jones and the kid find themselves in a number of dangerous scrapes as they try to keep one step ahead of the law -- and of Blackie. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Walter Matthau, Julie Andrews, (more)
- 1977
Based on the 1976 autobiography My Luke and I by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso, Love Affair: The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Story provides a slightly different slant on the events previously dramatized on film as Pride of the Yankees (1942). The story is told in flashback from the point of view of the wife of baseball's "Iron Man". Sitting in a deserted Yankee stadium, Eleanor (Blythe Danner) relates her tale to her biographer Joseph Durso (Robert Burr). She recalls how she met the painfully shy ballplayer Lou Gehrig (Edward Herrmann) on a blind date in 1933. She remembers her battle of wills with Lou's domineering and possessive mother (played with a nearly impenetrable foreign accent by Patricia Neal), and her 1934 elopement with her "Luke." Other memories include the New York Yankees' goodwill trip to Japan, where relationships became strained between teammates Gehrig and Babe Ruth (Ramon Bieri). Also recalled is the fact that Lou played 2130 consecutive games (a record was only recently broken by Cal Ripken Jr.). Eleanor's story ends inevitably with Lou's slow death from amyotropic lateral sclerosis. In summing up, Eleanor insists that despite the tragic final years, she wouldn't have traded her short time as Mrs. Lou Gehrig for anything. Edward Herrmann took pride in the fact that his portrayal of Lou Gehrig won the unqualified praise of the real Eleanor (though Herrmann learned to bat southpaw for the role, he is seen actually playing baseball only once) Originally scheduled for broadcast on October 9, 1977, the made-for-TV Love Affair was bumped by a World Series playoff game; it was rescheduled for January 15, 1978--smack dab opposite the Super Bowl. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
This TV movie stars Jon Rubinstein as a Nassau County assistant D.A. named Dan Corey. Yes, he's idealistic, and yes, he butts his head against (drum roll) THE SYSTEM. His current case involves a battered woman who claims to have killed her doctor husband in self defense. Corey, flying in the face of the Politically Correct Brigade, doesn't believe her (he says he has "bad vibes", which should give you an idea when this film was made). Corey: For the People was the pilot for a series that didn't make it. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Ida Lupino guest stars as Gloria Gibson, a former movie queen who hopes to stage a spectacular comeback. Alas, someone seems determined to sabotage Gloria's return by systemically driving her mad -- and stealing all her valuable artwork in the process. Investigating, the Angels discover that there is much more to the case than first meets the eye. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Kate Jackson, (more)
- 1977
Much against his will, Mike accompanies Archie and Gloria on a subway ride. In the course of events, he is forced to slug a wife-abusing passenger (Wynn Irwin), who tried to assault Gloria. As the passenger threatens legal action, peace-loving Mike broods over the fact that he was pushed into violence -- while Archie, who's "seen it all" on previous subway excursions, smiles knowingly throughout the incident. Also in the cast is Nita Talbot as the obstreperous passenger's wife, William Pierson as a wino, Richard Lawson as a black passenger, and Gerry Black as the conductor. Written by Phil Doran and Douglas Aragno, "Mike the Pacifist" first aired on February 12, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll O'Connor, Rob Reiner, (more)
- 1977
Posing as a prison pathologist, Quincy (Jack Klugman) conducts an investigation of the death of a convicted embezzler who was about to provide testimony against his mob bosses. The man's death has been ruled accidental, but Quincy doesn't believe it. The trick now is to figure out how a murder was committed in a maximum-security prison wing, without any tangible evidence (hint: the episode's title is a key to the solution). This episode was originally scheduled to air on April 15, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Willie Dynamite (Roscoe Orman) is a Manhattan pimp whose life and career are documented in this blaxploitation flick. Willie makes it to the top of his precarious profession, only to hit rock bottom again in record time. In her last movie role, Diana Sands plays an ex-hooker who becomes a social worker. She tries to get Willie to clean up his act before it's too late. Willie Dynamite was produced by Richard Zanuck and David Brown, who shortly afterward collaborated on a more upbeat project, The Sting. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Former Vietnam medic Ed Marlow (Robert Pratt) signs on as a paramedic trainee with Squad 51--and quickly alienates the rest of the staff with his smug know-it-all attitude. Marlow's ego-tripping proves particularly troublesome as he accompanies the staffers on a variety of emergency calls, involving a boy who has fallen off a cliff, a woman who has o.d.'ed on prescription drugs, and a diabetic with a bad insulin reaction. Former child star Jackie Coogan appears as a slovenly junkyard owner who learns the hard way to appreciate the local fire-prevention laws. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Bernie Travis stars as the late Lenny Bruce, the controversial and profane stand up comic. Bruce divides his time between the sleazy, smoke filled nightclubs and courthouses when he is charged with violating obscenity laws in several states. The battles moralistic lawyers, shady club owners and drugs. The acid tongued comedian confides in girlfriend Iris McCabe (Coutney Sherman) as his legal and drug problems increase his paranoia. He refuses to concede to those who would limit his right to free speech. A powerful scene is his arrest in a New York club that is a prelude to his death by a heroin overdose. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wynn Irwin
