Frank Langella Movies
An imposing and highly memorable presence on the Broadway stage, actor Frank Langella has won only a fraction of the acclaim he's received in the theater for his film career; still, his brooding good looks and his ability to play both villains and comic foils with a touch of menace has made him a welcome (and increasingly familiar) fare to film buffs. Frank Langella was born in Bayonne, NJ, on New Year's Day, 1940. Langella caught the acting bug when he was 11, after playing an elderly man in a school play on the life of Abraham Lincoln, and he went on to earn a degree in Theater from Syracuse University. After studying acting with Elia Kazan, Langella began working with regional theater companies in the East Coast and the Midwest, and in 1963, made his New York stage debut when he landed the leading role in an off-Broadway revival of The Immoralist. Between 1964 and 1966, Langella would win three Obie awards for his work in off-Broadway theater, and in 1969, he received a Drama Desk award for his work in the drama A Cry of Players. In 1974, he made his Broadway debut in Edward Albee's Seascape, and, the following year, won another Drama Desk award as well as a Tony for his performance.Langella made his film debut in 1970 with a supporting role in Diary of a Mad Housewife, and later that same year, scored a larger part in The Twelve Chairs, written and directed by Mel Brooks. While Langella landed occasional television and film roles through much of the 1970s, he was still busiest as a stage actor. In 1977, Langella was cast in the leading role of a Broadway revival of Dracula, and his con brio performance as the bloodthirsty count earned rave reviews, turning the production into an unexpected hit. Langella was tapped to reprise his performance for a film version of Dracula released in 1979, but he was forced to tone down his unique take on the role for the screen, and what would have seemingly been the perfect screen vehicle for his talents became a critical and box-office disappointment. However, Langella maintained a busy schedule of stage work, and in the 1990s, finally scored a breakthrough screen role in the comedy Dave as the deceitful political puppet master Bob Alexander. A busy schedule of character roles in such films as Junior, Lolita, and The Ninth Gate followed, though Langella still remained a frequent and distinguished presence in the New York theatrical community. He worked steadily at the beginning of the twenty-first century in films as diverse as the romantic drama Sweet November, and David Duchovny's directorial debut House of D. He scored an artistic and critical success in 2005 playing William Paley in George Clooney's historical docudrama about Edward R. Murrow Good Night, and Good Luck. He was then tapped by Bryan Singer to embody Daily Planet editor Perry White in the 2006 summer blockbuster Superman Returns.
In 2007, Langella earned strong reviews and some awards buzz for his starring role in Starting Out in the Evening, but it was actually the next year, 2008 when he captured a Best Actor Academy Award nomination, a well as a SAG nomination, for his portrayal of disgraced former president Richard Nixon in Ron Howard's big-screen adaptation of Frost/Nixon. ~ All Movie Guide
French Canadian director Denys Arcand pushes the boundaries of the mockumentary with Stardom, the tale of a fictional neophyte supermodel (Jessica Pare) told entirely through clips of her appearances on talk shows, television interviews, and documentaries. Originally titled 15 Moments, Stardom begins its portrait at a women's hockey game in the nether regions of Ontario, Canada. When the team's formidable teenage forward Tina (Pare) pulls her helmet off, letting her brunette tresses fly, a bystander snaps a photo, and Tina soon becomes the buzz at the country's hottest fashion houses. Her rise through the industry, however, is plagued by advances from older men with sundry motives: a smitten French photographer (Charles Berling), a smarmy entrepreneur (Dan Aykroyd), the Canadian Ambassador to the U.N. (Frank Langella), and a slick promoter (Thomas Gibson, the latter half of TV's Dharma and Greg). Stardom was the closing film at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, marking the first time in over 50 years that a Canadian production was chosen for such an honor; it would go on to open the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival before its theatrical premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Paré, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 2000
This made-for-cable thriller-chiller was filmed in Ohio, where most of the story takes place. A pair of young brothers, Andrew (Jase Blankfort) and Carl (Trey Rogers), cannot get their fill of the spooky ghost stories told by local undertaker Mr. Bennett (Frank Langella). The boys are particularly fascinated by the legend of a brace of long-deceased Siamese twins -- one good, one evil -- who were literally torn apart at the time of their funeral. Intending to learn more about the twins, the adventurous Andrew conducts a séance, only to get more than he bargains for when he releases a horrifying demon, which promptly wreaks havoc upon the community. It is up to Andrew's mild, unassuming brother Carl to undo the damage -- if it isn't already too late. Cry Baby Lane made its Nickelodeon TV debut on October 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An authority on rare books is drawn into a confrontation with the forces of darkness in this thriller directed by Roman Polanski. Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) is a rare book broker who makes his living tracking down valuable items for rich bibliophiles. Corso is hired by Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a millionaire New Yorker with a vast collection of occult literature and a keen interest in "The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows." Legend has it that the book was co-written by Satan in the 17th century, and only three copies are known to exist; the owner of one recently sold the book to Balkan a few days before killing himself. Balkan wants Corso to find the other two copies (one owned by a Mr. Fargas in Portugal and the other by a French collector named Kessler) and examine them to determine if they are forgeries. Corso is told to be thorough and spare no expense. He begins by visiting Liana Telfer (Lena Olin), the widow of the man who once owned Balkan's copy of the book, who has an unusually strong desire to get the book back, and confers with his friend Bernie (James Russo), who soon turns up dead, in a manner much like an illustration from the book. Corso learns that the book contains clues to a puzzle that will allow people to call up the devil, and certain people will stop at nothing to find the missing parts of the formula. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, (more)
The acclaimed Canadian performance troupe Cirque de Soleil, which combines acrobatics, magic, music, and theater into spectacular stage productions, brings one of their most popular shows to the screen in Alegria. Frac (Rene Bazinet), a mime who is suffering from a severe bout of depression, happens to meet a troupe of circus entertainers and immediately falls in love with one of the stars, Giulietta (Julie Cox). But while his affection for Giulietta and admiration for the performers gives him a new lease on life, Giulietta's father (Frank Langella), the leader of the troupe, opposes the relationship and is determined to keep them apart. Meanwhile, Frac and Giulietta discover a gang of children who are held prisoner by a criminal leader (Heathcote Williams) who forces them to do his bidding, and they devise a plan to win the kids their freedom. While Alegria offers plenty of the theatrical dazzle that has made Cirque de Soleil famous, it has a stronger narrative structure than the original stage production and blends the talents of several noted film actors with the stars of the Cirque company. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rene Bazinet, Frank Langella, (more)
Joe Dante directed this satirical action-comedy about talking tech toys accidentally juiced-up with military microchips. After the defense industry firm Globotech takes over a small toy company, Heartland Play Systems' CEO Gil Mars (Denis Leary) gives the green light to develop a new line of action figures, requesting an upgrade to more realistic figures from Heartland toy designers Larry Benson (Jay Mohr) and fumbling Irwin Wayfair (David Cross). Mars wants toys that act like the ones in TV commercials. The results are fierce fighting figures, the Commando Elite, programmed to seek out and destroy the kindly alien-like Gorgonites. In an effort to make the toys as natural as possible, Benson inserts Globotech's most powerful military computer chips. Meanwhile, in quiet Winslow Corners, Ohio, toy-store owner Stuart Abernathy (Kevin Dunn) and his 15-year-old son Alan (Gregory Smith) are stuck in a failing business, so when Heartland truckdriver Joe (Dick Miller) stops by with the Commando and Gorgonite toys, Alan is convinced they will be hot sellers, commenting, "Maybe this store will finally make a little money." With blistering blows to their blister packs, the Commandos burst out, receive orders from their leader Chip Hazard (voice of Tommy Lee Jones) and ready for an all-out assault on the Gorgonites. When the Gorgonite leader Archer (voice of Frank Langella) begins communicating with Alan, it causes the Commandos to perceive humans as another enemy, simply by their association with the "Gorgonite scum," so an attack on the Abernathy house begins. Unfortunately, the Gorgonites can offer only limited assistance, since they have been programmed to lose. The film combines animatronics, puppetry, and computer animation. The Commando Elite voices include surviving actors from Robert Aldrich's The Dirty Dozen (1967), while the Gorgonite voices reunited several This Is Spinal Tap (1983) cast members. A dedication to Phil Hartman (the voice of Phil Fimple) after the closing credits features a brief Hartman outtake. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Gregory Smith, (more)
This 1998 film about a dysfunctional Los Angeles family is directed by Bruce Wagner, on whose novel this is based. Everyone in this family has a problem. Perry (Frank Langella) is a successful TV producer who has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer just before his 60th birthday. His son Bertie (Andrew McCarthy) is an unsuccessful actor but a wonderful father with an adorable daughter and an ex-wife who is known to show up for visitations visibly stoned. Rachel (Rosanna Arquette), a niece who is now his adopted daughter, finds out that her father murdered her mother years ago before taking his own life. We follow these characters as they go through their share of hardships and love. We are given a lot to chew on, including death, adultery, AIDS, and deceit. Wagner got a lot of very good actors to appear in small roles, including Amanda Donohoe, Buck Henry, Elizabeth Perkins, and Ed Begley Jr.. Prior to this film Wagner was chiefly known as the writer of Wild Palms and Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills. ~ Brett Harrison, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosanna Arquette, Amanda Donohoe, (more)
- 1997
- R
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Adapted from the novel by Vladimir Nabokov (previously filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962), Lolita stars Jeremy Irons as Humbert Humbert, a college literature professor. In early adolescence, Humbert fell hopelessly and tragically in love with a girl his own age, and, as he grew into adulthood, he never lost his obsession with "nymphets," teenagers who walk a fine line between being a girl and a woman. While looking for a place to live after securing a new teaching position, he meets Charlotte Haze (Melanie Griffith), a pretentious and annoying woman who seems desperately lonely and is obviously attracted to Humbert. Humbert pays her little mind until he meets her 13-year-old daughter Lolita (Dominique Swain), the image of the girl that Humbert once loved. Humbert moves into the Haze home as a boarder and eventually marries Charlotte in order to be closer to Lolita. When Charlotte finds out about Humbert's attraction to her daughter, she flees the house in a rage, only to be killed in an auto accident. Without telling Lolita of her mother's fate, Humbert takes her on a cross-country auto trip, where their relationship begins to move beyond the traditional boundaries of stepfather and step-daughter. Lolita proved to be controversial in the United States due to its clear (if not explicit) depiction of sex between a middle-aged man and an underaged girl; no major studio was willing to release it in America, and it finally had its U.S. premiere on the Showtime cable network. This version, directed by Adrian Lyne, was publicized as being more faithful to Nabokov's book than Stanley Kubrick's adaptation (which was scripted by Nabokov himself); however, it manages to be closer to the letter of the novel without capturing its spirit and tone as well as Kubrick did. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Irons, Melanie Griffith, (more)
- 1996
This fourth episode of A&E's series Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt examines the tomb of King Tut the first royal tomb ever discovered intact within Egypt's Valley of the Kings. The events of the tomb's discovery and excavation are discussed, as well the display of the tomb's contents and the curse that some believe claimed the lives of many involved in the initial exploration. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This first episode of A&E's series Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt examines the pyramids, perhaps the region's most salient feature. New theories are offered to explain the construction of these monolithic structures. Also included are discussions of the religion and worldview that allowed such structures to be built. Also included are brief histories of the exploration of each pyramid. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This third episode of A&E's series Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt examines the hieroglyphs, the writing system of ancient Egypt. An in-depth discussion of their initial translation is offered, including the crucial role played by the Rosetta stone. Also discussed is the lasting and continuing impact of the ancient wisdom thus decrypted. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
- 1996
This second episode of A&E's series Mummies and the Wonders of Ancient Egypt examines the Sphinx, the massive and enigmatic half-cat, half-man that squats just above the sands of Egypt. The video examines the history of the object from its origins to the latest attempts at its restoration. Also included is a discussion of its desecration by Napoleon's troops who used its nose for target practice. ~ Rob Ferrier, All Movie Guide
In this comedy, a basketball fan figures she could be a better coach than the guy getting paid millions to do the job -- and then gets the chance to prove it. Edwina "Eddie" Franklin (Whoopi Goldberg) is a limousine dispatcher and sometime driver who is a passionate New York Knicks fan; she loyally follows their every move, attending as many home games as possible from the cheap seats and radioing game updates to her drivers when they play during her working hours. The Knicks are purchased by eccentric Southern millionaire Wild Bill Burgess (Frank Langella) in the middle of a long losing streak; when Wild Bill calls for a limo, Eddie arranges to drive him herself, and gives him a piece of her mind about the sad state of the team. Impressed, Wild Bill makes Eddie an honorary coach for the night, and her spitfire attitude and encouragement of the players impresses her. However, Wild Bill thinks putting on a show to boost attendance is more important than having a winning team, and eventually Knicks coach Bailey (Dennis Farina) quits in disgust. Wild Bill gets the bright idea of hiring Eddie as the team's new head coach; she considers it an honor, and at only $50,000 a year, he considers it a bargain. While Eddie is hardly an experienced leader, she soon learns how to motivate her team, and against all odds she helps pull the Knicks out of their losing streak -- but now has to face Wild Bill, who is losing interest in the team and wants to sell. Several real-life NBA stars make cameo appearances, including Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Rick Fox, and Mark Jackson, while prominent New Yorkers David Letterman and Donald Trump play themselves. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella, (more)
The life of the reluctant Old Testament prophet is told in this made-for-television biblical drama. When the Pharaoh Ramses calls for the death of all Hebrew children, a mother puts her son Moses in a basket and sends him down the Nile to save his life. The baby is found by a princess and raised as the heir to the family throne. Called upon by God, the hesitant Moses (Ben Kingsley) accepts the challenge to lead his enslaved people out of Egypt for what becomes a 40-year journey into the promised land. This extravagant production was nominated for the "Outstanding Mini-Series" Emmy. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
Geena Davis stars in this adventure saga as the most swashbuckling female pirate to ever lay waste to the seven seas. Morgan Adams (Davis) is the daughter of a pirate who has followed in her father's footsteps. When he dies, he passes along his ship, a crew of bandits, and one third of a treasure map (which happens to be tattooed on his skull). Morgan is eager to search out the rest of the map and retrieve the riches, but the fragment she holds is in Latin. Morgan then buys a well-educated slave, William Shaw (Matthew Modine), who can read the ancient language and already has a taste for the criminal life. However, Morgan and William are not long into their search when they discover that someone else is following the same trail for the rest of the treasure map: Dawg Brown (Frank Langella), Morgan's uncle and as black-hearted a scurvy dog as ever boarded a ship. As Morgan and Dawg battle each other over the fragments of the map, a British journalist (Maury Chaykin) covers their feud for the penny press. William Shaw was originally to have been played by Michael Douglas, who dropped out in the early stages of this troubled production. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Geena Davis, Matthew Modine, (more)
Laurence Fishburne and Ellen Barkin star in this complex tale of former C.I.A. agents who now specialize in freelance espionage. As the film opens, Nelson Crowe (Fishburne) is being interviewed for a position with the Grimes Organization, which focuses on industrial espionage. He is hired by Margaret Wells (Barkin), who then takes Crowe to her boss, Grimes (Frank Langella). Grimes and Wells visit a man named Walter Curl (Spalding Gray) to tell him that they can bribe a state judge so that Curl's company doesn't have to pay a $25 million fine for the toxic poisoning of some children. The judge himself (David Ogden Stiers) is deep in gambling debts. Meanwhile, Wells aligns herself with Crowe and tries to convince him that the two of them could do away with Grimes and take over his entire organization. The plot thickens from there, with several surprises. The first-time original screenplay was by famous crime writer Ross Thomas, and the film's elegant cinematography by Jack N. Green captures the coldness of the characters and their surroundings. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Wooldridge, Ellen Barkin, (more)
This HBO docudrama tells the real-life story of Dr. Gerald Bull (Frank Langella), a genius weapons designer whose services were used by the CIA for some highly suspect operations. After these operations were exposed, the CIA denied all knowledge of them and Bull was put in prison; following his release, he began to work with Saddam Hussein to build an extremely dangerous supergun that threatened the security of Israel. Doomsday Gun also stars Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Rupert Graves, and Francesca Annis. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Langella, Alan Arkin, (more)
Ultimate manly man Arnold Schwarzenegger learns what it's like to be an expectant mother in director Ivan Reitman's high-concept comedy. Schwarzenegger plays Dr. Hess, a medical researcher working on a revolutionary drug to help mothers carry endangered infants to term. When government regulations prevent Dr. Hess from testing the drug through normal channels, his partner Dr. Arbogast (Danny DeVito) develops an unorthodox solution: they will steal a female egg and implant it in Hess, who will carry the child himself. Predictably, much of the subsequent humor centers on the incongruous sight of the muscular Schwarzenegger undergoing the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, from morning sickness to labor pains. Emma Thompson returns to her comic roots and provides romantic interest as an incorrigibly clumsy but intelligent scientist who catches on to Hess' deception. Reitman, Schwarzenegger, and DeVito had previously had a hit with Twins (1988), which revolved around a similarly ludicrous medical premise, but they failed to repeat that film's success here, as audiences largely ignored the film and reviewers criticized the humor as disappointingly obvious. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, (more)
Unlike most teen horror movies, Brainscan relies more on atmosphere and plot than gore and bloodsoaked effects. Edward Furlong plays Michael, a 16-year-old horror movie fan, computer whiz, and misfit who responds to an ad for Brainscan, an CD-ROM virtual reality game that promises to "interface with your unconscious." Once involved with the game, Michael dreams that he brutally stabs a stranger and slices off his foot -- only to awaken and find the foot in his refrigerator. Out of Michael's computer comes Trickster (T. Ryder Smith), a sardonic, malevolent creation who advises Michael to keep playing new editions of Brainscan to evade capture by a suspicious cop (Frank Langella). With a death count that is relatively low and mostly offscreen (amputated feet notwithstanding), Brainscan doesn't make up for its lack of onscreen violence with a particularly original script, although it should be commended for not taking the easy way out. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Furlong, Frank Langella, (more)
The ghost of Frank Capra must have smiled when he saw Dave, an amusing and effective update of one of Capra's favorite themes -- the scrupulously honest little guy who becomes a force for good against a corrupt system. Dave Kovic (Kevin Kline) runs an employment agency and seems to genuinely enjoy finding work for people who need it. He also bears a striking resemblance to the president of the United States, Bill Mitchell (also played by Kline) and occasionally gets work as a Bill Mitchell impersonator. One day, Dave gets a call from the Secret Service -- for security purposes, they want to hire him to act as a decoy for an upcoming appearance by the president. All goes well, but later that evening President Mitchell suffers a massive stroke while in bed with his mistress. Wanting to keep the matter a secret, two of the president's top advisors appeal to Dave to stand in as Bill Mitchell until he regains his health. One of the men behind this scheme, Bob Alexander (Frank Langella), hopes to use Mitchell's absence to promote his own right-wing political agenda, but after a few weeks "in office," Dave decides it's time to promote some changes of his own that will help increase employment and keep homeless shelters open. Dave also finds himself growing fond of Ellen Mitchell (Sigourney Weaver), the President's wife, while Ellen sees in Dave the idealism her husband left behind years ago. Dave features numerous cameo appearances by politicians, Washington insiders, and journalists; Oliver Stone also appears to explain a conspiracy theory regarding sudden changes in Bill Mitchell's behavior. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
Madonna plays Rebecca Carlson, a sex bomb who parades naked in front of the open windows of her houseboat at all hours while the lobstermen catch crabs. This entry in the Basic Instinct sweepstakes poses the question: If love hurts, does sex kill? The judge and jury certainly want to find out when Rebecca's latest conquest, a multi-millionaire, dies of a heart attack while making love to her. Eight million dollars was bequeathed to Rebecca in his will, and District Attorney Robert Garrett (Joe Mantegna) is convinced that Rebecca, knowing that her rich lover had a weak heart, killed him with wild sex so that she could get her mitts on the money. Rebecca's lawyer, Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe), thinks differently, suspecting the millionaire's private secretary Joanne Braslow (Anne Archer) of the crime, since she was dumped by the millionaire for Rebecca. Besides which, Frank is attracted to Rebecca himself and throws legal ethics out the window as he starts a sadomasochistic affair with her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madonna, Willem Dafoe, (more)
- 1992
President Abraham Lincoln leads the Union in the fight to end the awful bloodshed of the Civil War. The year is 1863. The president had a continuous struggle with the commanders of his army, and the bloodshed from the fighting at Antietam and Fredericksburg distressed him greatly. 1863 was the year of his Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address. Listen to the story of the events that led to the amazing address at Gettysburg. Actor Jason Robards brings to life the voice of President Lincoln. PBS originally aired this program, the second of a four-volume set narrated by actor James Earl Jones. ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide
- 1992
A shrewd politician, Abraham Lincoln had the intelligence, ambition, and principles to grow into his job as president. This is the first of four videos in the Lincoln series, which originally aired on PBS. Produced and directed by Peter W. Kunhardt, this program is narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones, and features award-winning actor Jason Robards reading from letters, speeches, and diaries. Highlights include period photographs. The other three programs in the series are titled Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863, Lincoln: I Want to Finish This Job, 1864, and Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This video is the fourth installment of the Lincoln series, originally aired on PBS. This volume focuses on the last days and hours of Abraham Lincoln's life. Viewers watch as Lincoln's enemies plot their final revenge on the man they believed had dishonored their heritage. The video also reveals how Lincoln's own dreams foreshadowed his murder and how the series of public funerals, following his death, helped fuel his legendary status that has only grown with time. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide
- 1992
By the third year of the Civil War, personal and national tragedy had worn down President Lincoln. However, he focused on his job tenaciously, having a strong sense of history. This is the third of four programs in the Lincoln series, which originally aired on PBS. Produced and directed by Peter W. Kunhardt, this program is narrated by renowned actor James Earl Jones and features award-winning actor Jason Robards reading from letters, speeches, and diaries. Highlights include period photographs. The other three programs in the series are titled Lincoln: The Making of a President, 1860-1862, Lincoln: The Pivotal Year, 1863, and Lincoln: Now He Belongs to the Ages, 1865. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
