Sasha Jenson
- 2003
A man introduces his wife to his family at their most dysfunctional in this independent comedy drama. Theo (Jack Kerrigan) is trying to figure out what to do with himself after losing his job when he gets a call from his mother (Sandra Seacat) -- it seems his father (Mitchell Edmonds) was cleaning a gun and it accidentally discharged, and his mother would like to get the family together for a reunion while his father recuperates. Against his better judgment, Theo decides to attend, and his wife, Beth (Kim Gillingham), tags along, even though he's warned her that the get-together isn't likely to be much fun. Despite his current bout of depression, it soon becomes obvious that Theo is the best adjusted member of the family -- his sister Jennifer (Alice Ellis) has been forced to move back in with her folks, Darryl (Sasha Jenson) is addicted to self-help and positive thinking texts, his mother covers her anxieties with an aggressively cheerful facade, and his father is a quietly desperate man with nowhere to go and nowhere to turn. A Little Crazy was screened at the 2004 Method Fest. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Kerrigan, Kim Gillingham , ( more )
- 1996
Investigating the murder of a young woman who was burned to death, leaving only a tattoo as identification, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) receives unexpectedly helpful input from veteran cop Vince Gotelli (Carmine Caridi). Meanwhile, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp), endeavoring to steer clear of his marital problems, pulls a double shift, volunteering to protect a numbers runner who's been targeted for extermination. As Medavoy and his charge get to know each other, a friendly game of poker develops -- with not-so-friendly results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 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
Two men meet in a diner on a desert highway--an uptight, reserved motorist (Lance Henriksen) and an overbearing, insistent hitchhiker (Eric Roberts). A dangerous balance results when it becomes clear that one of the two is a serial killer known in the media as "The Hatchet Man," while the other is a fugitive who has robbed a casino. With two capable actors and plenty of tension, it is slowly revealed which one is which. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Lance Henriksen , ( more )
Like George Lucas' American Graffiti, Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused is an affectionate look at the youth culture of a bygone era. While Lucas took aim at the conservative 1950's, Linklater jumps ahead a generation to the bicentennial year of 1976 to celebrate the joys of beer blasts, pot smoking and Frampton Comes Alive. Set on the last day of the academic year, the film follows the random activities of a sprawling group of Texas high schoolers as they celebrate the arrival of summer, their paths variously intersecting at a freshmen hazing, a local pool parlor and finally at a keg party. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason London, Wiley Wiggins , ( more )
- 1992
- R
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She lives. Deep in the bowels of the underworld Alyda the half-human demon waits to return to the earthy plane. This horror sequel chronicles her blood-soaked ascent. It all begins at Miskatonic University where several gruesome murders have occurred. Two college students, Randolph Carter and Eliot Damon Howard witnessed some of Alyda's handiwork in nearby Winthrop mansion where their friends, who went up there for a little illicit fun, were mysteriously slaughtered. The fleeing duo encounter the cops and paramedics. Though they claim some otherworldly monster is responsible, Sheriff Hatch pooh-poohs them, claiming an animal did the damage. Howard goes to the hospital and while there has a vision. He sees the original owner of the mansion who lived in the 1600s. The owner had been a warlock and it was he who awakened Alyda. As Winthrop fades, he warns Howard that he must stop her. Unfortunately, after his release, Howard has trouble finding people to believe him until he and Carter hook up with professor Harley Warren who uses a combination of ancient rituals and modern technology to take care of Alyda once and for all, but not before more blood is spilled and much horror ensues. Both this and its prequel were based on tales byH.P. Lovecraft. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Kinsey Stephenson, John Rhys-Davies , ( more )
The idea of fusing teen sex-comedy and horror genres into a boffo box-office bonanza seems like classic braindead Hollywood-think... but somehow, beyond all reason, the makers of this film manage to pull it off. Much of the credit goes to director Fran Rubel Kuzui (Tokyo Pop) who chooses wisely to let the jokes and action rip by so quickly that viewers won't have time to realize there's practically nothing going on. Also excellent is Kristy Swanson as the bubble-headed cheerleader who learns from a Van Helsing-ish stranger (Donald Sutherland) that she's, like, the reincarnation of this pure female warrior and stuff, destined to rid the world -- or at least the Valley -- of vampires. No sooner is the Buffster being schooled in the ways of vampire butt-kicking (much to the consternation of meek pretty-boy beau Luke Perry) than the lead vampire (Rutger Hauer) and his leering cronies show up -- and leading up the pack is none other than Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens. Fans of this film's popular TV offspring will appreciate the fang-sharp humor but may be surprised to find little evidence of the spooky atmosphere that permeates the series -- though there are some inspired moments, particularly the ridiculous death-by-ruler scene. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland , ( more )
- 1990
A welcome exception to the slasher-stalker-kidnapper films usually seen on the USA cable network, After the Shock is a tribute to the courage and heroism of Bay Area residents following the San Francisco earthquake of October 17, 1989. Director Gary A. Sherman opts for a "cinema verite" approach, utilizing a hand-held camera to recreate the style of the original on-the-spot TV reporting. The cast includes Scott Valentine, Rue McClanahan, Yaphet Kotto, Jack Scalia and Richard Anthony Crenna as various firefighters, paramedics, law officials and private citizens. One of the best performances is offered by Nick Zaninovich, a real-life quake survivor who spent seven hours trapped in his car, which was buried under a collapsed stretch of the Nimitz freeway. After the Shock debuted September 12, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
A young college boy finds himself entangled in a deadly scheme when he meets up with an unbalanced heiress with murder on her mind. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1990
When a sorority is going to be banished from campus, it is up to a young college man to save the sorority and find the girl of his dreams. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
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And still they come? This fourth entry in the Halloween franchise focuses on Jamie Lloyd (Danielle Harris), the niece of ubiquitous masked-killer Michael Myers (George P. Wilbur). Jamie tries to lead a normal life, but she can't escape the vengeance of her "funny uncle," who once more escapes from the looney bin. The only echo of the original Halloween -- and a faint one at that -- is the casting of Donald Pleasence as Dr. Loomis, who manages to get through his "We must stop him!" scenes as if mouthing the words for the first time. Though as predictable as they come, Halloween 4 etc. is at least well acted, directed and photographed. For the record, the German version of the film had to be shorn of practically all its gore before the censors would permit a general release. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell , ( more )
- 1988
- PG13
An impoverished adolescent outcast becomes a deadly, vengeful killer against his tormentors after he finds a super-secret anti-matter gun lying in an Arizona stream bed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rodney Eastman, Kim Walker , ( more )
- 1988
In this socially-conscious drama, a migrant worker finds a new job on a plantation. He isn't there very long before he discovers that the local union leader is in cahoots with the plantation owner in a scheme to mistreat the other workers. Upon hearing this, the newcomer helps the workers to stand up for their rights. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darlanne Fluegel, Michael Moore , ( more )
Made for television, Moving Target bears a few faint echoes of the 1986 theatrical feature Out of Bounds. Jason Bateman plays a teenaged musician returning home from summer camp. He is hardly greeted with open arms; as a matter of fact, his family has moved out in his absence. Compounding this traumatic turn of events, Jason becomes the quarry of a syndicate hit man (Jack Wagner)--and of the US Justice Department. It dawns on the boy that he'd better locate his family before anyone else does. Jason Bateman's leading lady in Moving Target is Chynna Phillips, daughter of musicians John and Michelle Phillips, and later the star of the TV biopic Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- PG13
This pedantic sequel to Empire Pictures' less-than-original Ghoulies was released directly to video and summarily slipped into oblivion. At the outset of this one, the title creatures -- rubbery puppets originally conceived as cut-rate Gremlins lookalikes -- are shanghaied by a priest who intends to exterminate them, but they manage to escape to a low-rent carnival. There they take up residence in "Satan's Den," a foundering, old-fashioned haunted house attraction run by Royal Dano, who fears he may lose ownership of the show due to sagging attendance. The presence of the ghoulies at first gives business a much-needed boost ... until the slimy little buggers start dining on the patrons. Despite some enhancements in the lackluster monster effects (by John Buechler, who's done better work elsewhere) and clever stop-motion animation by David Allen, this film is just as pointless as its predecessor. There is, however, one memorable scene, which makes good on the promise of the first film's ad campaign -- which featured one of the reptilian critters leaping from a toilet bowl, accompanied by the tagline "They'll get you in the end!" ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Damon Martin, Royal Dano , ( more )
In this arch sci-fi sex comedy-cum-action extravaganza, a hard-nosed female mercenary helps a hapless yuppie find a new body for his robot girlfriend in the post-industrial wasteland of the American Southwest. In the year 2017, what little remains of civilization feeds off the scrap heap of 20th century waste, while even casual sex has become a matter of regulations and contracts. Like many other members of the L.A. white-collar elite, Sam Treatwell (David Andrews) takes refuge in a quasi-marriage with his beloved sex robot, Cherry (Pamela Gidley). After a soft-focus, bubbly sexcapade short circuits Cherry's body, Sam considers replacing her, but the shoddy production values of modern robots make it obvious that the vintage appliance is irreplaceable. To put it simply, the guy's in love. The wistful romantic therefore heads out to The Zone, a forbidding no man's land, where he hopes to find a new "chassis" in which to insert Cherry's unique personality chip. To do so, he needs the help of a "tracker," and E. Johnson (Melanie Griffith) is just the woman for the job. The gun-toting, red-headed road warrior leads Sam through a dystopian desert landscape full of psychopaths and opportunists toward their final destination: an abandoned warehouse full of antique androids. Along the way, Sam learns what it's like to interact with a woman who has brains and a heart instead of a microchip. Filmed in 1986, Cherry 2000 didn't receive its limited theatrical release until 1988, the same year star Griffith received an Oscar nomination for her role in Working Girl. Griffith and director Steven de Jarnatt previously worked together on the pilot for the 1980s revival of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Ben Johnson, veteran of many a Hollywood Western, appears as E. Johnson's mentor, Six Finger Jake. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, David Andrews , ( more )
Jan-Michael Vincent plays a self-destructive beach bum to whom surfing is a Zen experience. We first meet Vincent in the devil-may-care 1960s, in the company of his carefree buddies William Katt and Gary Busey. The boys reunite ten years later, after one has served time in Vietnam. The beach is still there, the waves still break upon the shore, and towards the end of the film, the characters become people that we truly care about. Barbara Hale, the real-life mother of costar William Katt, makes a piquant supporting appearance. Cut from 129 minutes to 104 for its pay-cable release, Big Wednesday is also known as Summer of Innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt , ( more )
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