John A. MacKay Movies
Three of life's losers stage a reunion early in the proceedings of Alligator Eyes. Renewing their long-standing friendship are alcoholic Roger Kabler, his self-defeating pal Allen McCullough, and McCullough's blind former girlfriend Annabelle Larsen. The trio goes on a cross-country trip, reminiscing on their wasted lives as they journey from town to town. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the film becomes a revenge tale, with Larsen searching for her parents' murderers. Then we segue into a series of "sexual manipulation" scenes, apparently orchestrated by unscrupulous psychiatrist John MacKay. Needless to say, the critics were crazy about Alligator Eyes; audiences, confused by the film's abrupt mood swings, were less enthusiastic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annabelle Larsen, Roger Kabler, (more)
- 1960
Well past his prime, Errol Flynn agreed to star in the basement-budgeted Cuban Rebel Girls for two reasons: he was fascinated by Fidel Castro, and he needed a quick tax write-off. Flynn plays "himself," an American news correspondent on assignment in Havana. He joins a group of Castroites who undertake several guerilla raids; among the rebels is 17-year-old Beverly Aadland, actor Flynn's at-the-time girlfriend. Cuban Rebel Girls was hastily assembled in Cuba and New York by fly-by-night producer Barry Mahon. Sadly, it proved to be Errol Flynn's last film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this comedy, an overweight patient escapes from a mental institution and travels to New York City for some fun and adventure. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tibor Feldman, Peter Linari, (more)
- 1981
Featuring some of the most successful coaches in NFL history, this program from MCA and Universal presents some of the most fundamental rules, strategies, and techniques necessary for those who want to fully understand what's going on on the gridiron. Released in 1981, How to Watch Pro Football boasts the expertise of such legends as Tom Landry, Marv Levy, John McKay, Chuck Noll, Sam Rutigliano, Don Shula, and Dick Vermeil. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1985
The foibles of bad TV are meant to be the fuel that fires this routine comedy, but it is rather a low-octane mix. Two high schoolers, Paul (Adam Nathan) and Donna (Julie Hanlon) steal a camera and run away to work in Paul's father's TV station -- where their kleptomania continues. Their supervisor is out of any mental bounds, and after several offshoots in many directions the couple decides to form a terrorist group to clear the airwaves of pollution. By then, the various offshoots have grown into a tangled underbrush that takes a heroic and long, discursive effort to trim into an ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Nathan, Julie Hanlon, (more)
In-between rappin' numbers by groups like Run-DMC and The Fat Boys, an almost unnoticeable plot unfolds as manager Russell (Blair Underwood) desperately looks for funding to press more records for Run-DMC's first hit. This gets him into deep water when he borrows from the wrong man and then is left behind after his performers hit the charts and are off on a better life. But all is not lost, after more rap and rock by everyone, the clan returns with salvation at hand. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blair Underwood, Joseph Simmons, (more)
- 1998
One of the most infamous hate crimes of the 1990s was the source for this episode. Even jaded New York detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) are shocked by the brutal murder of a black man who was dragged behind a car to his death. Prosecuting the crime proves to be a difficult task, thanks to the reluctance of the only known eyewitness and the evasive behavior of certain NYPD cops. The outcome of the case is as startling as the crime was senselessly vicious. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
A black student is murdered, and the main suspect claims that she had been previously drugged and raped by the dead man. The parents of the victim insist that the girl is lying and demand that the DA's office prosecute the case to the fullest extent of the law. The outcome hinges upon two mutually dependent "airtight" alibis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Logan (Chris Noth) dedicate themselves to identifying a young woman who was apparently killed while making a snuff film. They are both shocked and relieved to discover that the so-called victim, teenager Corey Russell (Monica Keena), is still very much alive. But things take another grim turn when it is revealed that Corey is somehow involved in a high school "sex-for-points" club. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
An old "urban legend" is woven into this complicated tale of illegal medical procedures. The DA's office brings charges against a prominent surgeon (Paul Roebling) and the millionaire father (Fritz Weaver) of a kidney-transplant patient. It appears that the much-needed kidney was "harvested" against the will of the donor. "Sonata for a Solo Organ" represents a reunion of sorts for series regular Michael Moriarty and guest star Fritz Weaver, who previously appeared in the landmark miniseries Holocaust. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Two emotionally scarred young people find both love and tragedy as they run away together in this drama. Marcy (Robin Tunney) and Seth (Henry Thomas) meet while shoplifting at the same department store; Seth is the son of an angry, abusive father and steals out of rebellion, while Marcy suffers from Tourette's Syndrome, which causes her to compulsively curse, flail about, and indulge in anti-social behavior. The two misfits find a common ground in each other, and they decide to hit the road. Marcy has always wanted a black "You Do The Hairdo" Barbie doll head, and they drive off to Toronto to find one. However, when a pharmacy along the way refuses to refill Marcy's prescription for her Tourette's medication, she and Seth decide to rob the drugstore, and Seth is shot by the pharmacist. An aging tow truck driver named Walter (Michael Parks) shows mercy on them, but his hospitality proves short-lived thanks to Marcy's increasingly violent outbursts. Robin Tunney's performance in Niagara Niagara earned her the prize as Best Actress at the 1997 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Tunney, Henry Thomas, (more)
- 1996
- NR
In this noirish crime thriller, deeply troubled screenwriter/director Elliot Callahan, who made a brilliant debut with the innovative thriller "Criminal Intent," finds himself tormented with writers block that prevents him from starting on his eagerly awaited sophomore film. His studio is about to sue him for missing several key deadlines and someone else has accused Callahan of stealing the script for "Intent" from a popular Hong Kong action film. In order to find the respite he needs to write again, Callahan slips off to Nantucket island. There he encounters a beautiful Realtor who looks to him for much needed excitement. He also hooks up with his former writing crony Tim and his sculptor girlfriend Julia. Finally Callahan encounters the mysterious Henry, an aspiring screenwriter who is trying to sell his own chilling and realistic script about a serial killer. Callahan reads it and finds it so true-to-life that he begins believing that Henry himself is a killer. Wanting to exploit that angle, Callahan endeavors to steal the script for himself. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Gilroy, Margaret Welsh, (more)
Combining elements of A Christmas Carol and Rain Man (1988), this modern-day parable of greed and redemption was crafted with generous helpings of sentimentality by director Mike Nicholas. Harrison Ford stars as Henry Turner, a slick, ruthless corporate attorney willing to spin any falsehood to win a case. A bully to his teenage daughter Rachel (Mikki Allen), Henry also cheats on his wife Sarah (Annette Bening) and treats everyone from the maid to his assistant with cruel selfishness. Stepping out to a local mini-market for a pack of cigarettes late one night, Henry accidentally interrupts a burglary and is shot in the head by a stick-up artist. After a long coma, Henry survives only to find that he has no memory and must re-learn everything from reading to tying his shoes. Reborn as a friendly, childlike innocent, Henry charms his therapist (Bill Nunn) and reconnects with his wife and daughter, only to uncover some secrets about how truly appalling he once was. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Annette Bening, (more)
- 1958
This is a '50s anti-commie rouser where the Russians are out to blow up the Big Apple, and the American spies attempt to steal the plans for the Russians' space satellite Sputnik. ~ All Movie Guide
A pair of brothers dodge the law while trying to locate their long-lost father in this third feature from independent New York filmmaker Hal Hartley. Robert John Burke stars as Bill McCabe, a failed computer thief who's just been doublecrossed by his girlfriend and partner. Vowing revenge on the next beautiful blonde he encounters, Bill meets up with his younger brother Dennis (William Sage), a philosophy student concerned about their father William (John A. MacKay). It seems the McCabe paterfamilias was a former major league shortstop who became an anarchist bomber in the 1960s, nearly blowing up the Pentagon. On the run for twenty-three years, William was recently caught by the FBI but escaped again. Based on information from their mother, the McCabes travel to Long Island, where William may be hiding. Along the way, the brothers meet the epileptic Elina (Elina Lowensohn) and her friend Kate (Karen Sillas), a beautiful blonde with whom Bill is instantly smitten. While Dennis figures out that Elina is somehow connected to William, Bill contends with Kate's ex-con husband Jack (Joe Stevens) and Jack's best friend Martin (Martin Donovan), both of whom are also in love with her. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert John Burke, Bill Sage, (more)
This directorial effort from Phil Joanou stars Sean Penn as an Irish-American undercover cop working the Hell's Kitchen beat. Penn is ostensibly on a sentimental journey to his old neighborhood. Actually he's been assigned to infiltrate a criminal gang led by Ed Harris, the brother of Sean's best friend Gary Oldman. Penn suffers the requisite honor vs. duty anguish when he renews his childhood romance with Harris' sister Robin Wright. State of Grace would have had more clout had it been more clear as to time and place: it's supposedly set in the 1990s, but the attitudes and behavior are pure 1970s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Made for PBS' American Playhouse, Surviving Desire is a very short romantic comedy starring Martin Donovan and Mary Ward. He's an uninspired college literature professor. She's a kooky student, and the only member of Donovan's class who doesn't doze off during his lectures. The comedy relies upon the inevitable pairing of two vague, aimless, but very recognizable campus types. The videocassette version of Surving Desire is filled out with two other short subjects directed by Hal Hartley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Donovan, Mary Ward, (more)
- 1961
Barry Mahon was the fly-by-night producer responsible for Errol Flynn's last, miserable feature film, Cuban Rebel Girls. With that in mind, we're already preconditioned to despise Mahon's 1961 opus The Dead One. Actually, this one isn't too bad, as far as zombie movies go. Monica Davis (cleverly cast as "Monica") plays the heir to a fortune who perceives a threat to her future well-being in the form of her cousin John McKay and his new wife Linda Ormond (playing "John" and "Linda"--is there no end to Mahon's creativity?) To forestall such an eventuality, Monica uses voodoo to bring her dead brother back to life, then dispatches the newly-created zombie to scare off her cousin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Scandalizing historians with its blithe disregard for the historical record, this American Civil War docudrama poses the theory that President Lincoln's Secretary of War, Edward Stanton, was behind a plot to kill him at Ford's Theater. His motive was his opposition to Lincoln's adamant refusal to allow the North to punish the South for its actions. The "official" assassination goes awry when another would-be assassin, the second-rate actor John Wilkes Booth, learns of the plot and decides to beat the government to the punch, for reasons of his own. In the movie, it is Stanton's assassin who is mistakenly captured and killed, rather than Booth. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
Audiences loved him as a Berber sheik in the historical saga The Wind and the Lion, so who better to play a Saudi Arabian minister of state who wants to make peace with Israel during the Arab oil embargo of 1976 than Sean Connery? Connery plays Khalil Abdull-Muhsen, a peace-mongering diplomat who wants to sign a mutual assistance pact with Israel and sell Saudi oil to needy nations at cost. The object of his pipe-dream plan is to free those needy nations from the East-West conflict. Unfortunately, the world is not ready for such starry-eyed idealism, and before you can say "Tiger in your tank," Khalil finds himself the victim of choice for a network of Arab terrorist groups. The terrorists clearly have the pick of the litter at the casting office, for Khalil finds himself pursued by the frisky and beautiful Bryn Mawr graduate and cool-as-a-cucumber terrorist Nicole Scott (Cornelia Sharpe). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Cornelia Sharpe, (more)
- 1988
- R
Ruth Warren (Jessica Dublin) is a former movie star who hopes to restore her youthful beauty in this low-budget horror feature. She funds the research of Dr. Gregory Ashton (John MacKay), who develops a serum that reverses the aging process, and she willingly volunteers to become a human laboratory rat and takes the serum. The rejuvenated woman dubs herself Elizabeth (Vivian Lanko). What she doesn't know is that Ashton robs the brains of dead bodies to get the chemical needed for the formula, and the side effects turn monstrous for Elizabeth who resorts to murder in her lust for human brains. The special effects are excellent. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vivian Lanko, John A. MacKay, (more)
In Eran Palatnik's The Rook, Martin Donovan plays John Abbott, a religious detective investigating the murder of a young woman named Wain Shepard. He travels to the village of Sutheridge in a horse-drawn carriage and meets Police Chief Bob Brice (John A. MacKay), who shows him the body. There is sand under her nails, she's bald, and her stomach bears an odd design, a spiral with crosses. In her room, there is a picture of Abbott himself, with another note, "Beware, beware, the circle in the square." The rest of the film is rife with codes, ambiguous messages, and cryptograms, each more puzzling than the last. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Donovan, John A. MacKay, (more)
- 1990
- R
The unlikely relationship between a pregnant high school student and a brooding electronics repairman lies at the center of this droll comedy from writer-director Hal Hartley. Intelligent but unconventional, Maria (Adrienne Shelly) has more to worry about than her pregnancy, as her expectant state drives away her boyfriend and triggers a fatal heart attack in her father. Meanwhile, Matthew (Martin Donovan) has his own problems: an abusive father, a heightened sense of morality that prevents him from taking semi-lucrative television repair jobs, and a suicidal streak that causes him to carry around a potentially deadly grenade. The meeting of these troubled minds at first promises to be beneficial for both, but sours as they are forced to interact with each other's dysfunctional families. As in all of Hartley's pictures, the narrative is filtered through an amusingly detached sensibility that some may consider an acquired taste. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrienne Shelly, Martin Donovan, (more)
In this comedy, bumbling Harlem barbers Dr. Dre and Ed Lover are shipped off to the police academy by their frustrated boss, Nick (Jim Moody). However, when a crooked land developer threatens to forcibly take over their ex-boss' land, it is up to Dr. Dre and Ed to use their new-found police powers to stop him. A number of well-known rap artists make appearances in this film, including Queen Latifah, Humpty Hump, Kriss Kross, B-Real, and Ice-T. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
A man finds himself having to decide between one of two women -- not once, but twice -- in this independent drama. In 1993, Coles (Mark Ruffalo) is a film student at Sarah Lawrence where he meets two fellow undergrads, Thea (Kathleen Robertson) and Sam (Maya Stange). Coles and Sam come together and Thea fades out of the picture. In time, Sam tires of Coles' aimlessly hedonistic attitude, and they break up. Ten years later, Coles, after a failed career in feature films, is doing animation for an advertising agency and living with his girlfriend, Claire (Petra Wright); Thea helps run a successful restaurant with her husband, Miles (David Thornton); and Sam, smarting from a bad breakup, returns to New York after several years in London. Coles runs into Sam and discovers he still has strong feelings for her, but has to decide if they're strong enough to break off his relationship with Claire. XX/XY was the first feature film from writer/director Austin Chick. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Ruffalo, Kathleen Robertson, (more)
