Gene Lebell Movies
Former Evening Shade costars Burt Reynolds and Charles Durning are reunited in this made-for-TV action thriller, the first entry in a three-picture deal between star-director Reynolds and the TNT cable network. Framed for murder after a botch stakeout, maverick cop Logan McQueen (Reynolds) escapes from maximum security and heads to Miami in search of the man who set him up. He is hotly pursued by the minions of a politically ambitious DA (Billy Dee Williams), who sees McQueen's capture as a stepping-stone to the governor's mansion. The film is so spectacularly violent that the cameo appearance by pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper seems a model of decorum in comparison. And Durning? He plays McQueen's ageing partner, as fast with a quip as with a gun. Originally telecast on December 13, 1998, Hard Time was followed by a brace of sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, (more)
- 1998
In this TV drama-comedy, Julie Barber (Allison Smith) hires detective wannabe Bob Jones (Frank Whaley) to track down the legendary private eye Buddy Faro (Dennis Farina), who was once such a name that he was portrayed by an actor (George Hamilton) in a TV series. Now nearly forgotten, Faro has inherited a small fortune, but no one knows where he went. Traveling to the dusty streets of a little town in Mexico, Jones manages to find the booze-soaked Faro lying in the gutter. Rescued by Jones and Julie, Faro returns to Hollywood, where he made his mark 20 years earlier. Things have changed, but the stylish Faro is soon back in business in a big way, confronting criminals in his ultra-cool style, while the Joel McNeely soundtrack provides a jazzy accompaniment. Premiered September 25, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Farina, Frank Whale, (more)
- 1993
In this elaborate musical fantasy, Peg (Katey Sagal) dreams that she is Princess Scarlet, the captive of fierce pirate Captain Courage, who bears a striking resemblance to Peg's husband Al (Ed O'Neill). As things develop, Captain Courage emerges the hero of the piece by rescuing Scarlet from rival pirate Rubio the Cruel (played by the Bundys' ex-neighbor Steve Rhoades [David Garrison]), so named for his murderous renditions of popular show tunes. Also appearing in Peg's dream are her children Bud (David Faustino) as hunchbacked first mate Fluvio and Kelly (Christina Applegate) as a very confused navigator, not to mention Peg's neighbors Jefferson D'Arcy (Ted McGinley) as Prince Paco and Marcy Darcy (Amanda Bearse) as a cabin...uh...boy. This episode marks the final appearance of child actor Shane Sweet as Seven (and none too soon, according to the series' fans!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In the conclusion of a two part story, Al (Ed O'Neill) shows up in Las Vegas to bail out Peg (Katey Sagal) and Marcy (Amanda Bearse), who have dropped $5000 at the gambling tables. Seeing the opportunity to re-earn the money and make a $15,000 profit in the bargain, Al agrees to spend three minutes in the ring with The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling's "Big Bad Momma" (aka Lynn Braxton). Billed in the original ads as "A Wrestling Spectacular", this episode may not quite live up to the hype, but at least it does feature former Playboy centerfold Ava Fabian. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
12-year-old Bud Bundy (David Faustino) undergoes an astonishing personality change when he falls in love with a 21-year-old art student named Tiffany (Dawn Merrick). Before long, Tiffany has moved in with the Bundys, charming one and all--except neighbor Marcy (Amanda Bearse), who has ample reason to hate the girl's guts. This episode marks one of the few times that any classical music is ever heard on Married. . .With Children. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
These bad guys are a couple of inept cops who, when kicked off the force, decide to make their living as professional wrestlers. They become "The Boston Bad Guys" and as such, are pitted against a wrestling team managed by their manager's arch rival. To add intrigue to this wrestling fan's release (who else would watch it?) -- are appearances by several big-name professional wrestlers. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Baldwin, Mike Jolly, (more)
- 1983
Anne de Salvo reprises her role as Vicki, the "date from hell" foisted upon Tony (Tony Danza) in the earlier fifth-season episode "The Shloogel Show." Now Vicki has returned to Tony's life with some startling news: She is pregnant -- and guess who the father is? Making things even dicier, Tony has received this news on the very night that he is to box with a ranked contender -- and the last thing he needs at this moment is the sort of emotional baggage piled on by Vicki. Watch for a few sly references to the Rod Serling drama "Requiem For a Heavyweight," notably the presence in the cast of veteran character actor Keenan Wynn. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
In the first episode of Taxi's two-part season-four finale, Elaine (Marilu Henner) mulls over the opportunity to leave the Sunshine Cab Company for a job in Seattle. This inspires the other cabbies to recall the pivotal moments in their own lives. Louie (Danny DeVito) remembers his ascension from driver to dispatcher; Tony (Tony Danza) recollects the moment that he was offered big bucks to take a dive; and Reverend Jim (Christopher Lloyd) harks back to his days of cogency -- and cleanliness -- as a Harvard undergrad (Jim's druggie roomate is played by none other than Tom Hanks). ~ All Movie Guide
- 1982
It has been several months since Tony Banta (Tony Danza) gave up his boxing career, and though he still feels unfulfilled, he is resigned to his decision. All this changes when Tony is apprised of a gallant comeback attempt by former football pro Lucius Franklin (played by genuine NFL veteran Bubba Smith). Inspired, Tony sets about to renew his boxer's license...and one trembles, wondering if Tony is setting himself up for yet another (painful) fall. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
Having endured one too many hard knocks in the boxing ring, eTony Banta (Tony Danza) has elected to hang up his gloves and become a trainer. Spotting a young fighter named Terry Carver (Ernie Hudson), Tony immediately senses that the kid has potential. He then offers to become Terry's manager...and that's when the trouble starts. The highlight of this episode is Tony's one-on-one with the "Syndicate" (whose members include Taxi scriptwriters Howard Gewirtz and Ian Praiser). ~ All Movie Guide
- 1979
Adapted from the novel by Pete Hamill, Flesh and Blood stars Tom Berenger as Bobby Fallon, a street punk who develops into a topnotch boxer while in prison. Upon his release, Bobby is taken under the wing of manager John Cassavetes. Outwardly tough and unmovable, Bobby is tortured with memories of his miserable childhood, which included an incestuous episode with his mother (Suzanne Pleshette). This two-part TV movie concludes with a heavyweight championship bout, bankrolled by Bobby's long-estranged father (Mitchell Ryan). Photographed with Rocky-like intensity by Vilmos Zsigismond, Flesh and Blood first aired on October 14 and 16, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Marc Anthony Danza, real-life son of Taxi co-star Tony Danza (Tony Banta), is cast in this episode as Brian Sims, an invalid child in need of a kidney operation. When Tony is slated to be the opponent of former boxing champ Benny Foster (Armando Muniz) in the latter's comeback attempt, Tony is thrilled at the prospect of finally making his mark in the pugilistic world. But when it turns out that Benny is idolized by the ailing Brian Sims and that Benny is returning to the ring for the boy's sake, Tony worries that if he wins the big bout, little Brian will ultimately emerge the loser -- big time. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marc Anthony Danza, Armando Muniz, (more)
- 1968
In the first episode of a two-part story arc, Granny has become engrossed in TV wrestling shows, convinced that all the carefully rehearsed mayhem is for real. Granny's favorite grappler is Rebecca of Donnybrook Farm (Gayle Caldwell), whose great rival is the Boston Strong Girl (Jerry Randall). When it looks as if Rebecca is going to lose her latest bout to her opponent, Granny rushes down to the arena to "save" the brawny female wrestler. "The Rasslin' Clampetts" first aired on January 31, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Having climbed into the wrestling ring to "rescue" her favorite grappler, Rebecca of Donnybrook Farm (Gayle Caldwell), Granny scores a hit with the rest of the fans. Canny promoter Gene Booth (Alan Reed Sr.), knowing a good gimmick when he sees one, organizes Granny and the rest of the Clampetts into a wrestling tag team. Don't miss the thrill-packed climax wherein Granny single-handedly tames none other than Mike Mazurki. The conclusion of a two-part story arc, "The Great Tag-Team Match" was originally shown on February 7, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
A pair of crooks conspire to rob the ticket booth at the Los Angeles Coliseum during a Rams game. Before they can perform the heist, the two must find precisely the right henchmen to join them. Each potential gang member must undergo a rigorous test of skill. Thanks to care and precise planning, the caper comes off smoothly and afterward the gang leader (Jim Brown) hides the money in the apartment of his ex-wife (Diahann Carroll). She only agrees to keep the money on the provision that he reform so they can get back together. Unfortunately, the wife's lust-crazed landlord (James Whitmore) busts into her house the next day and tries to rape her. During the struggle he kills her and then takes the loot. Later a crooked cop (Gene Hackman) investigates. Meanwhile, when the gang members learn that the loot is missing, they suspect a double-cross and engage in a huge battle. The cop finds the money and at first keeps it for himself. The head crook eventually figures out that the cop has it and so goes to him to make a little deal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Brown, Diahann Carroll, (more)
- 1964
In his efforts to save enough money so that Eddie (Butch Patrick) can attend college, mortuary employee Herman (Fred Gwynne) moonlights as a pro wrestler called "The Masked Marvel." Alas, it looks as though Herman's grappling career will net him only a world of hurt: the big lug is too soft-hearted to try to defeat his formidable opponents. Several authentic wrestlers appear in this episode, including Count Billy Varga, The Great John L, Jay York, Matt Murphy and Gene LeBell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tim Allen and Chiwetel Ejiofor co-star in writer/director David Mamet's martial arts drama Redbelt. Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a jujitsu master who co-runs a very modest martial arts studio in Los Angeles with his bossy wife, Sondra (Alice Braga). Mike demonstrates an unwavering commitment to his craft and draws a cadre of defiantly loyal pupils including Joe (Max Martini), an LAPD cop. All told, it appears that he has chosen a peaceful and conflict-free path in life. The dedicated martial artist's fate takes an unanticipated turn, however, one evening when a young woman named Laura (Emily Mortimer) bursts into the academy in a state of near hysteria, and reaches for a policeman's gun when he tries to restrain her. One thing leads to another, and before long, Laura is regularly receiving martial arts lessons from Mike. As master begins to teach pupil and his martial arts philosophies emerge, his path also crisscrosses with that of a Hollywood movie star, Chet Frank (Tim Allen), when he saves the fellow from a beating at a local club and gets invited (along with Sondra) to Chet's house for dinner. Chet extends gestures of friendship, and Mike's guard breaks down; he speaks openly and candidly of a special martial arts method he employs that requires one of the participants to "assume a handicap." In time, the association with Chet leads to involvement in the motion-picture industry, and relations with a bevy of characters who aren't exactly what they seem -- including a pay-per-view fight mogul (Ricky Jay) and Chet's slimy and manipulative manager (Joe Mantegna). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chiwetel Ejiofor, Emily Mortimer, (more)
The bumbling cops of Comedy Central's hit television series take a trip to Miami Beach for a national police convention. After the trip there turns out to be much more difficult than anticipated, the bumbling crew must leap into action when the convention center becomes the target of a biological terrorist attack. Lieutenant Jim Dangle (Thomas Lennon) must keep together his motley and inept crew in order to save everyone from the disaster, and keep peace on the streets of the popular Florida city. The film features the same cast from the popular Comedy Central series of the same name. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lennie Loftin, Danny DeVito, (more)
A Midwestern bar tender hungering for life in the fast lane enters a Hollywood King of the Bar contest in this fast-paced showbiz satire starring Jason Mewes and Paris Hilton. Owen Peadman (Mewes) is Minnesota's "Golden Boy" of bartending, but the Midwest has grown a little bland, and now Owen is looking make a name for himself in the thriving L.A. nightclub scene. When Owen gets word of a high profile bartender contest with a hearty cash prize, he sets his sights on Hollywood and prepares to knock the judges dead. Unfortunately for Owen things don't quite work out as planned, and after losing out to a well-known L.A. barman he is forced to seek the help of his flamboyant Uncle Earl. A fast-talking producer of a popular tabloid new program, Uncle Earl offers Owen a job and the pair soon set out to get the scoop on Hayden Field - the hottest young star around. Getting to Hayden isn't going to be easy though, and after hatching a plan to befriend Hayden's glamorous girlfriend Lisa Mancini (Hilton), the one-time drink slinger find out just how wild the west coast nightlife can truly get. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paris Hilton, Jason Mewes, (more)
Robert Redford stars in this action drama as General Irwin, a respected three-star tactician whose career ends in disgrace when he's court-martialed and sent to The Castle, a maximum security military prison. Irwin quickly butts heads with the facility's autocratic warden, Colonel Winter (James Gandolfini), who runs his command with an iron fist, even killing prisoners when he deems it necessary. Irwin rallies his fellow convicts into a rag-tag army and leads them in a revolt against Winter, an action that the warden is ready to repel by violent means. Mark Ruffalo, Robin Wright Penn, and Delroy Lindo co-star in this Dreamworks production, the third feature film from one-time film critic Rod Lurie. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Redford, James Gandolfini, (more)
Hollywood visionary Tim Burton pays homage to another Hollywood visionary, albeit a less successful one, in this unusual fictionalized biography. The film follows Wood (Johnny Depp) in his quest for film greatness as he writes and directs turkey after turkey, cross-dresses, and surrounds himself with a motley crew of Hollywood misfits, outcasts, has-beens, and never-weres. The real story, however, is his friendship with aging, morphine-addicted Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau), whom he tries to help stage a comeback. Landau's unforgettable Oscar-winning performance must be seen to be believed, as must Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup. While it would have been easy to make a film simply ridiculing the bumbling director, Burton instead focuses on his driving passion for filmmaking and his unwavering persistence in the face of ridicule and failure. Possibly the most surprising aspect of the film is the genuine sentiment with which Burton treats the relationship between Wood and Lugosi; his devotion to Lugosi is touching, as is Lugosi's final soliloquy -- an inane bit of dialogue from the hilariously bad Bride of the Monster that grows into a poignant metaphor for the actor's life and ultimate triumph of his spirit. Even the look of the film is right; it manages to preserve the air of one of Wood's own films while retaining a sense of artistry in much of the composition on screen (note the scene at the drug rehab where Lugosi endures a horrifying night of detox). In all, Ed Wood is a unique film -- at times side-splittingly funny; at others, tragic or even frightening -- and a heartfelt tribute to the love of movies, good and bad alike. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, (more)
An escaped convict fights for his rights while hiding out from the law in this action drama. Sam Gillen (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a thief who, despite his criminal past, is an essentially decent man; he ended up behind bars after taking a murder rap for his partner. Sam escapes from prison in a daring jailbreak, and he hides out on a remote farm while on the run from police. A young boy named Mookie (Kieran Culkin) finds the fugitive and takes him in; it seems that the farm belongs to his mother Clydie (Roseanna Arquette), and soon Mookie and his sister Bree (Tiffany Taubman) have become friends with Sam, and Clydie and Sam fall in love. However, Franklin Hale (Joss Ackland), an unscrupulous land developer, wants to buy Clydie's farm and isn't taking no for an answer. When Hale's thug Dunston (Ted Levine) tries to use force to drive Clydie off her property, Sam is ready to fight fire with fire. Nowhere to Run was co-authored by noted screenwriter Joe Eszterhas; Richard Marquand received his story credit posthumously. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
Neglecting Julie (Frances McDormand), his lawyer lady friend, Dr. Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson) works feverishly to perfect his latest invention -- artificial skin that could be used to treat burn victims. Peyton himself falls victim to an explosion when one of Julie's crooked clients sends his henchmen to sniff out an incriminating document that's been left in Westlake's lab. Hideously disfigured and left for dead, the good doctor receives an experimental medical treatment that renders him super-strong, impervious to pain and prone to heightened fits of rage. Rebuilding his lab into an underground hideout, Westlake begins using his synthetic skin to impersonate various characters and engineer his revenge against those who destroyed his life. Reconnecting with Julie, however, becomes the unsightly vigilante's biggest challenge. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, (more)
Loose Cannons may be a wacky buddy-cop comedy, but it starts with a chilling premise. It seems that a film is discovered that depicts the final moments of Adolf Hitler's life. The climax features young German officer Von Metz, who is seen putting Hitler to death. Von Metz (Robert Prosky) is now running for chancellor of West Germany. If this film gets out, his political career is finished, so Von Metz has arranged for the murder of anyone who has seen the film. The killings have taken place in the Washington area and Mac (Gene Hackman) and Ellis (Dan Aykroyd) are sent to investigate the crimes. Mac is a middle-aged veteran of the force, a professional who gets things done. But Ellis is a different ball of wax. Suffering from a multiple personality disorder, he has spent two years in a Benedictine monastery to recover from his problems. But he is far from cured -- as Mac discovers, whenever Ellis is confronted by violence, he blacks out and begins to assume the characters of popular culture icons like Popeye, Captain Kirk, and the Road Runner. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
This sequel to the popular Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle centers on the exploits of David Sloan (Sasha Mitchell) the younger brother of the two fighters (Van Damme and Dennis Alexio) who died in the first installment. As this episode begins, David has given up competition and is running a kickboxing school for underprivileged urban kids. His life changes abruptly when the villainous fight manager who murdered his brother shows up and forces him back into the ring. Fortunately, David's Zen master shows up for spiritual and moral support. The ensuing fight scenes are quite bloody and violent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sasha Mitchell, Peter Boyle, (more)
