Robert Jason Movies
- 2000
This adaptation of J.G. Ballard's acclaimed avant-garde novel follows Travis Talbert (Victor Slezak), a university professor who is fascinated with humankind's history of violent self-destruction. Joining with his colleague Dr. Nathan (Michael Kirby) and his lover (Anna Juvander), Talbert begins staging elaborate reenactments of humanity's most grotesque and infamous acts against itself, while Talbert ponders using his talents to begin World War III as the ultimate nihilist statement. The Atrocity Exhibition was the debut feature for writer and director Jonathan Weiss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Slezak, Michael Kirby, (more)
Frances is an upholder of the public order in the daytime: she is a skip-tracer and credit-collection specialist. She is married to a mentally unstable man, and doesn't find enough in his companionship to meet her needs. Each night she determines to abandon every trace of prudishness in herself in her quest for an endless succession of one-night stands. However, she needs to fortify herself with large quantities of alcohol in order to accomplish this goal. In one scene, she pretends to be a prostitute in order to be able to stay overnight someplace. Her new life is marred by some tragedies, but she bravely persists. Despite the fact that this is a movie about the quest for sexual encounters, very few of these encounters are shown, and those are very discreetly handled. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bonnie Dickenson
- 1993
- PG13
Based on a true event, this is the account of the Buttafuoco couple, whose names were splattered all over the media in the early '90s after the alleged teen-aged playmate of Mr. B., Amy Fischer (who claimed it was Mr. B's will), shot Mrs. B in the head (though the latter miraculously lived). This particular perspective claims that Amy acted of her own free will and Mr. B never had an affair with her (only vaguely flirted) nor did he in any way encourage her to make an attack on his wife. CBS paid the Buttafuocos $300,000 for their story. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Jack Scalia, (more)
Writer-director Spike Lee's epic portrayal of the life and times of the slain civil rights leader Malcolm X begins with the cross-cut imagery of the police beating of black motorist Rodney King juxtaposed with an American flag burning into the shape of the letter X. When the film's narrative begins moments later, it jumps back to World War II-era Boston, where Malcolm Little (Denzel Washington) is making his living as a hustler. The son of a Baptist preacher who was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, Little was raised by foster parents after his mother was deemed clinically insane; as an adult, he turned to a life of crime, which leads to his imprisonment on burglary charges. In jail, Little receives epiphany in the form of an introduction to Islam; he is especially taken with the lessons of Elijah Mohammed, who comes to him in a vision. Adopting the name 'Malcolm X' as a rejection of the 'Little' surname (given his family by white slave owners), he meets the real Elijah Mohammed (Al Freeman, Jr.) upon exiting prison, and begins work as a spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Marriage to a Muslim nurse named Betty Shabazz (Angela Bassett) follows, after which X spearheads a well-attended march on a Harlem hospital housing a Muslim recovering from an episode of police brutality. The march's success helps elevate X to the position of Islam's national spokesperson. There is dissension in the ranks, however, and soon X is targeted for assassination by other Nation leaders; even Elijah Mohammed fears Malcolm's growing influence. After getting wind of the murder plot, X leaves the Nation of Islam, embarking on a pilgrimage to Mecca that proves revelatory; renouncing his separatist beliefs, his oratories begin embracing all races and cultures. During a 1965 speech, Malcolm X is shot and killed, reportedly by Nation of Islam members. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, (more)
- 1980
Scott Baio plays the son of ex-hockey star Don Murray, who has reacted to the loss of his career with a steadily increasing reliance upon liquor. Baio begins to excel athletically in school, but when the inevitable disappointments set in, he begins to imitate his father's booze intake. Lance Kerwin plays Baio's best friend, who picks up on the early warning signs and tries to keep Baio from descending into alcoholism. Made for television, Boy Who Drank Too Much was intended as a "breakthrough" role for teen idol Scott Baio, who is in fact better than usual here. Based on a novel by Shep Greene, the film was cluttered up with too many superfluous subplots, including the pregnancy of one of Baio's teachers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
A documentary that covers the life and career of Jayne Mansfield. This program was left unfinished at the time of her death from a fatal car crash. ~ All Movie Guide
