Eriq La Salle Movies
Forceful yet smooth actor Eriq La Salle worked on the stage and on television before breaking into films, directing, and producing his own projects. He is perhaps best known for his role of the confident Dr. Peter Benton on the NBC series ER, which has earned him several Emmy nominations. He grew up in New England and got a prestigious education at Juilliard and N.Y.U. Living in New York, he made a living doing Broadway, off-Broadway, and soap operas. He worked intermittently between film and television for a few years, with one of his first movies being the breakdancing drama Rappin' with Mario Van Peebles. During this time, he made numerous TV guest appearances, briefly joined the cast of the NBC soap Another World, and played the role of Jeri-curled Darryl in Coming to America. A couple TV movies later, he strayed away from comedy and got a small part in the drama Jacob's Ladder. In 1991 he moved to L.A. for a part in the series The Human Factor, giving him an introduction to the prolific world of medical dramas. He also played two detectives in a row for the thrillers Empty Cradle and Color of Night, and appeared in the crime series Under Suspicion. In 1994, he joined the cast of ER and got his first starring role in the drama Drop Squad, produced by Spike Lee. In 1996, he made his directorial debut with the HBO movie Rebound, about the life of basketball player Earl "The Goat" Manigault, which he also appeared in. The same year he directed the short film Psalms From the Underground. He moved on to producing for the made-for-TV thriller Mind Prey, which he also starred in. Along with some small roles in Biker Boyz and One Hour Photo, 2002 saw La Salle make his first feature as director, producer, and star with the psychological thriller Crazy as Hell. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide- 1990
Whitley (Jasmine Guy) is convinced that she is the inspiration for Dwayne's poem "My First Love." Actually, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) wrote the poem as a paean to mathematics--and its true inspiration turns out to be the spirit of William Shakespeare (John H. Francis), in one of his rare TV appearances. Meanwhile, Freddie (Cree Summer) suffers intense guilt pangs when she begins dating both Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and a dreamy pro-environmentalist named Livingston (Alex Gilbert). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
This drama chronicles the relationships between eight Northern California high-school graduates living on the cusp of 1960. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Vietnam War Story is a feature-length "omnibus" film culled from the three-episode TV series of the same name. The film consists of a trio of playlets involving members of the American armed forces during the Nam era. In "The Mine," a soldier (Eriq LaSalle) is unable to accept his best friend's death. In "Home," a paraplegic soldier tries to adjust to his war-related injuries. And in "The Pass," three GIs spend their "R and R" time at a sleazy bar. Originally telecast on the HBO cable service between August 29 and September 20, 1987, Vietnam War Story was followed by a sequel series one year later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 days to roam the U.S., sending the prince's faithful retainer Semmi (Arsenio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a "Joe job" at a fast-food restaurant. Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and there are innumerable celebrity cameos peppered throughout the proceedings -- including the Duke Brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) from Trading Places. Coming to America made further headlines when humorist Art Buchwald sued the film's producers for plagiarizing one of his works. Buchwald carried the case to trial, where he won a sizeable judgement against the film's producers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, (more)
Quirky comedy, intense drama, and warm nostalgia are all combined in this eccentric look at one night in 1964 amongst the residents of the Five Corners neighborhood of the Bronx. The bulk of the film concerns Linda (Jodie Foster), a young woman who finds herself stalked by a disturbed rapist fresh out of prison. Needing protection, she turns to her formerly tough ex-boyfriend, only to discover that a recent political awakening has transformed him into a pacifist. The tension of Linda's situation is leavened by the film's attention to its bizarre subplots, which include a stolen penguin, partying teenagers who encounter trouble with an elevator, and a pair of detectives investigating a series of mysterious bow-and-arrow attacks. The script by John Patrick Shanley, who won the 1987 Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Moonstruck, manages to (for the most part) bring these seemingly unrelated stories together into a fairly logical conclusion. Even though numerous critics felt that Five Corners' mixture of widely disparate tones was not completely successful, the end result is a surprisingly charming and unique tribute to a time and a place. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Tim Robbins, (more)
In this Italian adventure, the deadly drug manufacturing and export operation of a prominent South- American drug czar is discovered by an investigative TV news correspondent and her cameraman who went to the jungle to look into evidence that a notorious, corrupt colonel is still alive. While in the jungles, they encounter hostile natives and other typical dangers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lisa Blount, Leonard Mann, (more)
- 1985
- R
In this melodrama that emphasizes emotion and a convoluted plot, Nancy Eldridge (Jill Clayburgh) has remarried after her divorce and is trying to recuperate from the tragedy of the deaths of her two children during her previous marriage. That means when her children by current husband Clay (Max Gail) are kidnapped, she is particularly distraught. When the identity of the kidnapper becomes clear, more facts about the past and the present are revealed, as events carry emotionally charged scenes to a larger-than-life ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Clayburgh, Max Gail, (more)
In Rappin', Mario Van Peebles is John Hood, a con who when released from jail goes back to his neighborhood to find his girl shacked up with a nasty gang-leader named Duane (Charles Flohe). Duane is on the take with a corrupt contractor who plans to tear down Hood's neighborhood and he and his gang serve as ruffian rowdies who help evict the tenants. John Hood will not put up with this nonsense; he throws a community rap session and gets everybody aligned against the bad guys. His rappin' is so ratin' that he impresses a record company and wins his gal back. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edye Byrde, Rony Clanton, (more)
