Peter Lupus Movies

A gaggle of young adults discovers a cache of gold in an abandoned mine. Little do they realize that the vengeful ghost of the long-dead miner (Vernon Wells) protects the hoard with a gaffing hook, pick axe, and shovel, despite the efforts of the sheriff (John Phillip Law) and zany Aunt Nelly (Karen Black). ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

In this behind-the-scenes thriller, a movie actress finds herself accused of hacking up her producer. She tries to flee with two lovers preparing to marry. The three get into all sorts of trouble that ends with the death of the fiancee. Once again, the actress finds herself accused of the crime, but did she do it? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Peter Maris action begins at New Mexico State Penitentiary, where a spew of toxic gas from the crash of a tanker truck leads to the evacuation of the prison by the warden (George Kennedy). In the ensuing confusion, anti-social cons Kuttner (Lee De Broux) and Patch (James Tolkan) kidnap prison psychologist Maria Slayton (Kim Delaney) and hit the road with a bus full of prisoners. The group first heads for Mexico but decides instead to take over the town of Sonora and hold its citizens as hostages. The National Guard sends in a state police lieutenant (Yaphet Kotto) and his tough-as-nails Lieutenant Colonel Johnson (Jan-Michael Vincent) to handle the situation. But the National Guard's ineffectual methods leave the situation more volatile than it was before. It is left to two citizens of Sonora -- sheriff Ike Slayton (Brad Davis) and his army pal Bill (Ken Foree) -- to take matters into their own hands and save the town from the kill-crazy prisoners. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In Assassination, a routine political thriller directed by Peter Hunt, Jay Hillion (Charles Bronson) is a secret service agent assigned to protect First Lady Lara Royce Craig (Jill Ireland). Lara hates Hillion and tries to get away from him but finds she needs him when her life is threatened by a series of assassination attempts which may have originated from the White House. This routine actioner has little to offer that is new or different, but it tells its tale at a good pace and has some nice location photography. Charles Bronson gives his usual steely performance, while Jill Ireland is more sympathetic as the First Lady who likes her independence but must learn to trust a man she detests. This film, while routine and somewhat predictable will be enjoyed by Bronson fans. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

The producer of this undistinguished film Bill Shirk backed its creation in Indianapolis with funds from mortgaging his radio station, all so he could show off some of the escape stunts (like being buried with spiders, rats, and a live boa constrictor) in his role as himself in the film. In the film and in real life he was able to raise funds for his station with his Houdini-like tricks. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The seminal early-'80s cop spoof is reprised here, with three classic episodes: "Revenge and Remorse," "The Butler Did It" and "Testimony of Evil." ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Art thief Van Cleve (Ed Nelson) steals $5 million worth of priceless pre-Columbian artifacts. To determine the hiding place of the precious booty, the IMF hatch a scheme whereby Van Cleve becomes convinced that he has precognitive powers. Essential to the mission's success is an outsized simulated earthquake. Originally telecast on March 2, 1973, "The Western" was written by Arnold Peyser and Lois Peyser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three tons of narcotics are stolen by dealer Sam Hibbing (Claude Akins). To recover the drugs, and to ruin both Hibbing and his higher-ups, the IMF concoct an undermining scheme that once again requires agent Casey to pose as a criminal's daughter. Filmed on location in San Francisco, this episode was highlighted by a superbly photographed motorcycle chase, and also by the first appearance of series regular Greg Morris' mustache. Jenny Sullivan, daughter of actor Barry Sullivan, appears as the "real" Margaret Hibbing. Written by Lou Shaw, "Speed" first aired on February 16, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Elizabeth Ashley, whose guest-star turn as a pathetic alcoholic on the sixth-season Mission:Impossible episode "Encounter" won her the praise of critics and viewers alike, again tackles a difficult and demanding role in the seventh-season entry "The Question." This time, Ashley is cast as IMF agent Andrea, who poses as an operative of the "Federal Intelligence Service" to find out if alleged defector Nicholas Varsi (Gary Lockwood) is telling the truth to his Federal captors. George O'Hanlon, best known to TV fans as the voice of cartoon favorite George Jetson, appears as Captain Douglas. First broadcast on January 19, 1973, "The Question" was written by Stephen Kandel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Guest star Kim Hunter is cast as brilliant but superstitious master criminal Hannah O'Connel, who engineers a million-dollar bullion heist with her sons Thomas (Robert Hogan) and Robert (Solomon Sturges. The O'Connels escape to the safety of a remote Caribbean island which has no extradition treaty with the United States. To lure Hannah back to America for prosecution, the IMF rigs up a phony murder and an apparent haunting. Buck Houghton, for many years the producer of Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone, wrote the story for this episode, and collaborated on the script with another TV notable, Stephen Kandel. "Incarcerate" first aired on January 5, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Halfway through its seventh and final season on CBS, Mission: Impossible moved from its 10:00 p.m. Saturday-night slot to an earlier berth on Friday evening. Nor was this the only change implemented during the series' terminal year on the air. Having sent the Impossible Missions Force all over the world to thwart a variety of evil dictators, international drug lords, and other such exotic vermin, the series' producers spent most of season seven in the United States, where the IMF team focused on the minions of organized crime -- a reflection, perhaps, of the popularity of the theatrical feature The Godfather. Also, the series' familiar, ritualistic opening sequence, in which IMF leader Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) would receive his instructions via a self-destructing tape recorder, then methodically thumb through a stack of photos to pick the team members best suited for the job at hand, was by now a relic of the past. Most of the seventh-season episodes begin with a "teaser," usually violent in nature, which sets up the premise before the IMF team has even entered the scene. Of the cast members, only Greg Morris as electronics whiz Barney Collier and Peter Lupus as all-purpose muscleman Willie Armitage have been with the series from its very first season in 1966. Peter Graves is now in his sixth season as Jim Phelps, while Lynda Day George is only two years into her portrayal of the IMF's female member, Lisa Casey. As it turned out, George would be unavailable for a number of episodes this seasons, obliging the producers to bring in Barbara Anderson, late of Ironside, as Lisa's off-and-on replacement Mimi Davis. Although the series' final episodes are not quite of the same caliber as its earlier installments, a handful of seventh-season episodes are still well worth having. Highlights include "Break!," in which Phelps relies upon Barney's electronic knowhow to pose as a pool hustler and infiltrate a vicious gambling ring headed by guest star Robert Conrad; "Leona," with singer Robert Goulet cast against type as a cuckolded mob boss; "Encore," offering the equally unorthodox casting of William Shatner as a cocaine dealer; and the series finale, "Imitation," with Barbara McNair as a sleek jewel thief who falls in love with Barney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After two and a half seasons in its familiar Saturday-evening network berth, Mission:Impossible moved to Fridays on December 22, 1972, with the episode titled "The Puppet." Roddy McDowall guest stars as Leo Ostro, the acting Syndicate boss during the convalescence of his injured brother Paul. To prove his own mettle, the egotistical Leo plans a $100,000,000 crime--but refuses to divulge any further details. It is up to the IMF to learn the nature and location of the crime and to put both Ostros out of business. Directed by veteran Hollywood hand Lewis Allen, "The Puppet" was written by Leigh Vance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Murray Hamilton guest-stars as deranged nuclear scientist Dr. Jerome Cooper, who threatens to destroy an unspecified American city with a hydrogen bomb unless the President capitulates to his demands. Normally, the IMF would have no trouble defusing such a bomb; the problem here is to find out where the bomb has been planted--and the agents have only 15 hours to do so. Barbara Anderson again subs for series regular Lynda Day George as the resident female IMF agent. Scripted by Harold Livingston from a story by Livingston and Sheyrl Hendrix, "Ulitmatum" was originally broadcast on November 18, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide