Floyd Levine Movies
This drama about a man who takes the law into his own hands was wildly controversial upon first release, sparking much debate about the perceived pro-vigilante stance of the story, and established Charles Bronson as a major box office draw in the United States. Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is a liberal architect living in New York City. One day, a group of drug-crazed thugs break into his apartment while he's gone, killing his wife Joanna (Hope Lange) and brutally raping his married daughter, leaving her comatose. When the police are unable to find the culprits, Kersey arms himself and begins patrolling the streets, killing muggers and thieves as he encounters them. While his obsessive search for street justice sickens him at first, in time Kersey begins to enjoy it and becomes a hunted man himself, as Police Detective Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) tries to find the man who is doing the police's job for them, and a bit too well. Jeff Goldblum made his screen debut as one of the lunatics who attacks Joanna. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, (more)
Based on a true 1972 story, Sidney Lumet's 1975 drama chronicles a unique bank robbery on a hot summer afternoon in New York City. Shortly before closing time, scheming loser Sonny (Al Pacino) and his slow-witted buddy, Sal (John Cazale), burst into a Brooklyn bank for what should be a run-of-the-mill robbery, but everything goes wrong, beginning with the fact that there is almost no money in the bank. The situation swiftly escalates, as Sonny and Sal take hostages; enough cops to police the tristate area surround the bank; a large Sonny-sympathetic crowd gathers to watch; the media arrive to complete the circus; and police captain Moretti (Charles Durning) tries to negotiate with Sonny while keeping the volatile spectacle under control. When Sonny's lover, Leon (Chris Sarandon), tries to talk Sonny out of the bank, we learn the robbery's motive: to finance Leon's sex-change operation. Sonny demands a plane to escape, but the end is near once menacingly cool FBI agent Sheldon (James Broderick) arrives to take over the negotiations. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, John Cazale, (more)
- 1976
Police officer Len Gittings (Walter McGinn) is suspected of accidentally shooting a fellow cop in a drug raid. In his efforts to uncover the truth, Kojak (Telly Savalas) is unaware (at least at first) that Gittings had been trying to protect his drug-addict girlfriend Claire (Lynn Redgrave) during the raid. . .and that Claire herself may have pulled the trigger. In addition to guest star Lynn Redgrave, this episode boasts early TV appearances by Morgan Fairchild (Falcon Crest), Dan Hedaya (Party of Five) and Irene Cara (Fame). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
- R
Older brother Chubby (Paul Sorvino) is a combative, booze-swilling, rough-edged construction worker, following in the footsteps of his brother Tommy (Tony Lo Bianco). Macho in the extreme, these fellows have no time for the sensitive moral quandaries which are at the heart of the two younger brothers' lives. Stony (Richard Gere), has worked with his father in the construction business, but longs to work with children. Albert (Michael Hershewe), the youngest, is a sensitive lad, the butt of his father and oldest brother's rough manner, and is constantly being harassed by his stressed-out mother (Lelia Goldoni). After a few attempts to communicate with his insensitive older brother and his parents, Stony must decide for himself if the rejection he will experience from his family on leaving the construction business is worth it; and if it is, what can be done to protect his younger brother from the rest of the family? ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1977
Investigating the murder of a private eye, Kojak (Telly Savalas) discovers that the dead man had somehow gained access to secret police files. He determines that best way to find out who killed the gumshoe is to spread the word that the victim is still alive. And since someone must pose as the late detective, who better for the assignment than Kojak himself? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1977
Making a rare visit to Canada, Claude Chabrol cowrote and directed the low-pressure psychological melodrama Blood Relatives (Les Liens de sang). Donald Sutherland and Donald Pleasence head the cast in this story of the aftermath of a brutal murder. The victim, a 17-year-old girl, was apparently raped before she died, leading Carella (Sutherland) to believe that she was killed by a sex maniac. Pedophile Doniac (Pleasence) tops the suspect list, but don't be too sure. The truth is much "closer to home" than anyone realizes at first. Lisa Langlois, who made something of a career of Canadian scare flicks, makes her screen debut in Blood Relatives; also appearing, is Chabrol's wife Stephane Audran. Blood Relatives was based on a novel by Ed McBain (aka Evan Hunter), of 87th Precinct fame; the film was released in the US in 1981, three years after its completion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Stéphane Audran, (more)
- 1978
Paul Clemens plays the real-life Peter Reilly, who in September of 1973 was charged with the mutilation and murder of his mother. The confused 18-year-old signs a confession after being told that he's flunked a lie detector test. Later renouncing the confession, Reilly demands a reopening of his case. The citizens of Peter's home town of Canaan, CT, who'd been willing to see the boy thrown in jail for life when the case first hit the papers, now rally around the youth, insisting that his constitutional rights have been violated. New evidence uncovered by a sympathetic detective enables Peter to press his case. Stefanie Powers plays Joan Barthel, the Canaan resident and free-lance journalist who chronicled Peter's bid for freedom. The made-for-TV A Death in Canaan was first telecast March 1, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Clemens, Stefanie Powers, (more)
- 1979
At the request of his friend Harry Collier (Allan Miller), Quincy investigates the death of a young Marine, who was killed in a training accident while under the command of hard-drinking drill sergeant Alistair Adams (Harry Collier). Quincy's efforts, and those of the official military investigators, are compromised by rumors of a cover-up which may have been engineered by some very powerful people. This episode was originally slated to air on March 9, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1980
The sequel to the popular 1979 TV movie And Baby Makes Six, Baby Comes Home reteams Colleen Dewhurst and Warren Oates as middle-agers who find themselves the parents of a newborn child. The first film dealt with the impact of the 47-year-old mother's unexpected pregnancy on her three grown children, as well as on her own well-ordered lifestyle. The sequel concentrates on the alienating effect that Dewhurst's affection towards her baby has on the rest of her family. Both And Baby Makes Six and Baby Comes Home were intended as pilot films for a weekly series, though one wonders if the ever-busy Colleen Dewhurst would have found the time to star in such a project. The point is a moot one: The series never sold. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A young man searches for his brother and sister many years after the three were sent to separate foster homes in this made-for-TV drama. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1981
A 1981 made-for-TV movie, Margin for Murder focuses on detective Mike Hammer. His investigation into a friend's murder eventually leads to a gang of smugglers. ~ John Bush, Rovi
- 1982
Sitcom stalwart Valerie Harper trades jokes for the judiciary in Farrell: For the People. Valerie stars as New York attorney Elizabeth Farrell ("All she wants to be is a DA", declared the TV Guide ad copy, "but her toughest case is being a woman!"), whose case load runs the gamut from rapists to killers. This TV movie borrows a page from current events by fictionalizing the notorious Norman Mailer/Jack Henry Abbott contretemps. Farrell takes on an ex-convict who has become a best-selling author thanks to the intervention of the Manhattan intellectual elite--and whose latest creative achievement is murder. Farrell: for the People was the pilot for a projected TV series, but the central character was too bland and confining for Valerie Harper's talents. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Tom Jones director Tony Richardson might seem a curious choice to direct the contemporary western The Border, but he does his best to emulate Sam Peckinpah. Jack Nicholson stars as an El Paso border guard, saddled with avaricious wife Valerie Perrine. Hoping to stifle her nagging about money matters, Nicholson begins accepting payoffs to allow Mexican aliens to cross the border without interference. This leads to a relationship with a young Mexican mother Elpidia Carillo. Harvey Keitel and Warren Oates lend strong support to this atmospheric tale. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, (more)
Straight-laced Henry Winkler takes a night-shift job as a morgue attendant. Winkler falls under the spell of wheeler-dealer coworker Michael Keaton, whose catchphrase "Is this a great country or what?" is the clarion call for his many get-rich-quick schemes. His latest plan is to turn the morgue into a nocturnal brothel, for the benefit of anything-goes hooker Shelley Long-and incidentally, to line their own pockets. Director Ron Howard and his frequent scripters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel turn the potentially lurid story material of Night Shift into an endearing comedy, with winning performances from its three often miscast stars. Keep an eye out during one of the party sequences for Kevin Costner as a carousing college boy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Michael Keaton, (more)
With the Jerry Zucker-Jim Abrahams-David Zucker team absent, this sequel to the cash-cow 1980 spoof Airplane once again finds garrulous man-with-a-past Ted Striker (Robert Hays) compelled to take over the controls of crippled aircraft, all the while trying to patch up his relationship with stewardess Elaine (Julie Hagerty). This time, the first passenger space shuttle is launched into orbit -- and takes off for the moon - but the on-board computer malfunctions and sends the craft hurtling toward the sun, threatening the lives of everyone on board. Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves return from the first Airplane, while William Shatner, Chad Everett, Sonny Bono, Raymond Burr and Chuck Conners join the cast, as they too lampoon their established images. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, (more)
Curse of the Pink Panther was released just after Trail of the Pink Panther with a script that has someone looking for the inept Inspector Clousseau and the fabulous stolen Pink Panther diamond at the same time. In Curse, Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass) is a New York retread of the bumbling Inspector, chosen to look for him by Clousseau's former boss because Sleigh most certainly will never find him. Although peppered with a few inventive stunts, Curse still falls short of the Sellers classics. In a bizarre side note, David Niven was himself terminally ill at the time of his appearance in Trail of the Pink Panther and unable to speak adequately. His voice was dubbed in by impressionist Rich Little. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ted Wass, David Niven, (more)
- 1984
The Duke boys save the life of movie star Brock Curtis (Barry Van Dyke), who narrowly escapes a fatal accident while making a film in Hazzard County. As a reward, the boys are offered parts in a Hollywood movie, obliging Boss (Sorrell Booke) and Roscoe (James Best) to accompany the family to Tinseltown in order to make sure they don't break parole. It turns out that the "accident" which nearly claimed Brock's life was no accident--and now the would-be murderers have added Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat) to their hit list! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Jerry Orbach makes his first series appearance as gruff but golden-hearted Boston private detective Harry McGraw. While researching a 25-year-old murder for her latest book, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) engages the services of McGraw's partner Archie Miles (Maltese Falcon fans take note!) When Miles is murdered, McGraw joins forces with Jessica to find out if his partner's probe of the "old" case was the cause of his death--or could it have been one of the other two cases which Miles was also digging into? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
- R
In a weak mix of too many ingredients -- a dash of West Side Story, a pinch of Breakin', and sprinkles of references to other teen gang films -- this saga of one gang at odds with another is more like warmed-up leftovers than an original creation. Troy, Mookie, and Joey (Leon Isaac Kennedy, John Mengati, and Nicholas Campbell) belong to a gang at war with the nasty punks of the Mechanix. Troy and Mookie are into rapping and rock music and after some failed attempts to break into recording, they take dance lessons and win a coveted talent contest that puts them ahead for a change. Meanwhile, the Mechanix are not interested in what these guys won and are preparing for their long-awaited showdown with the would-be entertainers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leon Isaac Kennedy, John Mengatti, (more)
- 1987
- R
A quaint, stagebound little horror film from Charles Band's Empire Pictures, Cellar Dweller stars Jeffrey Combs (fresh off his glorious turn as Herbert West in the Empire-produced Re-Animator) as a '50s horror-comic artist who falls prey to one of his own creations -- a ferocious demon he based on a drawing from an arcane book of spells and curses. The story picks up again in the 1980's, where the late artist's palatial home has been converted into a combination boarding house and art academy led by Yvonne De Carlo. One of the students pursues her obsession with reviving the "Cellar Dweller" comic series herself, delving into Combs' old studio for inspiration, and eventually discovers the same occult manuscript secreted in the basement. History repeats itself (naturally) and the creature emerges to stalk and maul anew. This admittedly cool concept and the rather effective monster are dampened a bit by a flippant, tongue-in-cheek attitude (a more ominous, Lovecraftian tone would have been more effective), but makeup-man-turned-director John Buechler shows a definite flair for imbuing his beast with a suitably sinister personality. Observant fans of Charles Band's body of work (yes, they do exist) should spot the numerous visual references to other Band films. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Mullowney, Brian Robbins, (more)
- 1988
In this the third in the "Angel" series, former hooker Angel is reunited with her mom just long enough to make friends (her mom left when Angel was a baby) and learn that she has a half-sister somewhere. Mom is soon the victim of some sort of hit squad and Angel decides to find her half-sister and avenge her mom's death. Her half-sister, it turns out, is a prostitute, and former-hooker Angel, virtuously "born-again," is dead-set against prostitution so she's out to save her sibling. Unlike its predecessors, there's lots of nudity in this film. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Mitzi Kapture, Mark Blankfield, (more)
- 1988
Soap opera queen Susan Lucci stars as an orphan adopted by a mobster family who grows up to be a star attorney, but still dreams of getting revenge on the killers who murdered her parents. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- 1988
- R
Vietnam veteran Colonel Braddock had believed his Asian wife to be dead since the war, but he hears from a missionary that she is not only alive, but has a son. Soon, he returns to Vietnam to rescue them and others from a prison camp. This is the third Missing in Action film starring the well-known martial artist, Chuck Norris, as lethal hero Braddock. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, Aki Aleong, (more)
- 1989
The death of Jessica's role model, Agatha Christie-like mystery novelist Lady Abigail Austin (June Havoc), sets Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to thinking of an incident back in 1947 in which Lady Abigail was involved in a real-life murder case. In an extended flashback, the action takes place on board the luxury liner "Queen Mary", where an ex-Gestapo officer has been stabbed to death--and Lady Abigail is the primary suspect. The presence of a father-son team of detectives (played by John Karlen and Gary Kroeger) suggests that this episode may have actually been intended for an earlier Richard Levinson-William Link TV mystery series, Ellery Queen. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
This is almost a follow-up to its relative The Exorcist, since it stars Linda Blair, also the leading lady in the '70s head-spinner tale. In Repossessed, a grown-up Blair plays a housewife who becomes possessed by the Devil while watching TV. Leslie Nielsen plays Father Mayii, who gets called to exorcise the intrusive being. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Linda Blair, Leslie Nielsen, (more)
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