John Paul Jones Movies
- 2007
- Add Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects to QueueAdd Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects to top of Queue
British singer and songwriter Robyn Hitchcock has been a cult favorite since beginning his career with the group the Soft Boys in the mid-1970's. Hitchcock's songs are immediately recognizable for their lovely but fractured melodic sense and his eccentric worldview, with images of fish, insects and death prominent in his bitterly witty lyrics. While Hitchcock has never enjoyed major commercial success, he's long been a favorite with other musician, and Peter Buck of R.E.M. has been an outspoken fan and collaborator for years. In 2006, Hitchcock and his ad hoc band the Venus Three -- featuring Buck and two members of R.E.M.'s touring ensemble, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin -- convened at Hitchcock's home in West London to record his sixteenth solo album, Ole! Tarantula!. Filmmaker John Edginton was on hand with a camera crew to capture the proceedings, and Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects offers an intimate look at the creative process of this one-of-a-kind artist. Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects features cameo appearances from Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, British pop legend Nick Lowe and American alt-country favorite Gillian Welch, all of whom lend their talents to Hitchcock's recording sessions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Buck, (more)
This double-DVD set includes more than five hours of never-before-available concert and performance footage from Led Zeppelin, spanning the years 1969-1979. While enthusiasts have been trading poor quality versions of this material for years, this marks the first archival video release to contain any footage of the band playing live. The main feature on the first disc includes highlights of the band's legendary set at the Royal Albert Hall January 9, 1970. If there was ever any doubt as to the power and intricate legerdemain of Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocal/harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass/keyboards/mandolin), and John Bonham (drums), this performance will silence all detractors. The dozen songs from this show are derived primarily from the band's first two LPs, with a few well-chosen covers thrown in for good measure. One particularly interesting inclusion is Plant's spontaneous incorporation of a few lines from Neil Young's "Down by the River" and "On the Way Home" during an epic "How Many More Times." Supplementary shorts on disc one feature a promotional video for "Communication Breakdown" (with the band miming to a pre-recorded audio track), a half-hour mini-show for Danish Television, a clip of "Dazed and Confused" from the British TV program Supershow, as well as a pair of tunes ("Communication Breakdown" and "Dazed and Confused") for the French TV show Tous En Scene. The second DVD fast forwards to the '70s and continues with a trio of main attractions and a slew of extras. First up is a composite video for "Immigrant Song," which contains some amateur footage married to a previously unissued live version of the song. This is followed by outtakes from the motion picture The Song Remains the Same (1976), which finds the quartet at Madison Square Garden in 1973. The oft-bootlegged 1975 Earl's Court is up next, highlighted by acoustic renderings of "Going to California" and "That's the Way." The last extended set finds Zep during its triumphant return to England in 1979. It would ultimately be a bittersweet affair, as it turned out to be the band's final performance in its homeland prior to the death of Bonham the following year. Extras on disc two include a few interview clips and promotional videos for "Over the Hills and Far Away" and "Traveling Riverside Blues" -- both circa the Led Zeppelin (1990) four-CD box set. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Writer/director Deidre Fishel's debut film is a powerful drama about an artist who enters into a turbulent love affair with a troubled and unpredictable young man. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Sillas, David Ilku, (more)
- 1994
A 12-year-old Harlem youth is killed in a hit-and-run. The driver, an elderly Jewish man named Joshua Berger (Michael Constantine), is not indicted. This is all it takes for outspoken (and blatantly bigoted) black activist Reverend Ott (Tony Todd) to foment racial tensions that explode in violence. The scenes involving Assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) and black defense lawyer Shambala Green (Lorraine Toussaint) are among the most powerful ever seen on Law & Order; small wonder that "Sanctuary" was cited by TV Guide as one of television's best individual series episodes. As a bonus, actor J. K. Simmons, who later became a series semiregular in the role of police psychologist Dr. Emil Skoda, is here seen in an entirely different characterization. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
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Having nothing at all to do with the famed circus performer, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is instead a dark, nightmarish fable, equal parts Grimm Brothers fairy tale and post-apocalyptic science fiction. The title character is the freakish result of a mishap in an artificial insemination laboratory, a young boy only six inches tall. Despite his deformity, Tom is accepted and loved by his normal, if poor, parents. However, the family's uneasy joy is disrupted when Tom is kidnapped and trapped in a secret scientific compound, along with numerous other tiny medical oddities. However, with the help of one of his fellow captives, Tom engineers an escape in an attempt to return to his heartbroken family. Once free from the lab, Tom and his new cohort face threats from the malicious scientists, the dangers of the harsh city, and a secret society of escaped little people. Written and directed by Dave Borthwick, The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb relies upon a stop-motion animation technique (combined with live action) reminiscent of the Brothers Quay and Jan Svankmajer, but with a less experimental, fable-like tone and narrative comparable to Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro's The City of Lost Children. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello not only starred in the delightfully "retro" Back to the Beach, but also served as executive producers. Appropriately set 25 years after such drive-in faves as Beach Blanket Bingo, the film finds Frankie and Annette as husband and wife, living far from the surf 'n' sand in Ohio. Heading to California to visit their daughter Lori Loughlin, Frankie and Annette are appalled to learn that she has been keeping time with punker Tommy Hinkley. In time-honored fashion, our hero and heroine set about to make the beach safe for funlovers everywhere by driving out Hinkley's unsavory pals. Along the way, Frankie nearly bollixes up his marriage by dallying with Connie Stevens-one of several pop-culture icons appearing in Back to the Beach, including Don Adams, Bob Denver, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Dick Dale & the Del-Tones , Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Pee-wee Herman! Back to the Beach is fun for a while, but its six-person writing team can't figure out a logical way to wind it all up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
- 1984
- R
Scream for Help could be a failed horror spoof, or just a bad horror film -- either way, this story about a teenage daughter trying to convince the world that her cheating stepfather is out to kill her wealthy mother has its flaws. When the young teenager finally gets some proof that she is right, she and her mother are taken captive by the crazed stepfather, and a series of grisly murders results. With pompously dramatic music and acting that is over the edge, the story plays as tongue-in-cheek, until the blood and gore start to gush, turning anyone's stomach. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachel Kelly, Marie Masters, (more)
- 1980
This prison drama is taken from the play by Eduardo Corbe. The title refers to the term used by Fidel Castro to describe his political opponents (English translation -- "worms"). A sadistic inquisitor is relentless in his grilling of three men and two women who are captured in the Cuban jungle. Captain Morena (Mario Pena) is the pro-Castro military officer who is caught between party loyalty and what he believes is unfair treatment of the prisoners. He is torn between wanting to impress visiting Soviet officials and determining the fate of the captives. The first version of this film came out in 1977, but the prints were stolen and subsequently damaged. Restored prints were used in the new version, much of which had to be redone due to the extensive damage obviously orchestrated by minions loyal to Castro. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Orestes Matacena, Mario Pena, (more)
- 1974
The blue movie hits the big screen in this 70 mm softcore adults-only comedy, hosted by executive producer Richard S. Ellman, who welcomes viewers to "the world's mightiest adult film." After a sepia-toned tour through the history of pornography onscreen (featuring such titles as Sailor Beware and The Vacuum Cleaner Salesman), the picture bursts into bold color and full Panoramic view as an attractive young couple makes love on a majestic mountain range. From there the pudgy, moustached Ellman presents the viewer with an assortment of humorous sexual situations, all designed to exploit the erotic possibilities of Panoramic vision, including: sex on a rollercoaster, a typical Hollywood orgy complete with string quartet, the hot fantasies of a centerfold girl, a symphony orchestra performing "The Intercourso in F Minor" and many ribald sight gags. Featured performers include such adult film superstars as Rene Bond, John Holmes, Uschi Digart, and Sandy Dempsey. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
In 1973, the seminal rock band Led Zeppelin, one of the founders of the music genre known as "heavy metal," went on tour and performed in Madison Square Garden. This documentary has concert footage, including the 23-minute-long version of the song "Dazed and Confused." The film also shows the musicians at home, pursuing some of their hobbies including drag-racing. The concert coverage also has scenes revealing what took place backstage, and a discussion of the theft of the band's cash during their visit to New York. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
In the late '60s, some of the biggest names in music converged upon an abandoned linoleum factory just west of London to embark on a magical, two-day journey of music and celebration. From Eric Clapton to Buddy Guy and the Modern Jazz Quartet, the electrified musicians jammed through such undeniably powerful tunes as "Visitor From Venus," "Stormy Monday," and, yes, even "Mary Had a Little Lamb." This is one of the last great rock & roll events of the '60s, and if you weren't lucky enough to be there at the time, this film offers the next best thing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
