Barbara Mallory Movies

Russell's avowed purpose with Whore was to avoid the glamorous depiction of prostitution common to such slick Hollywood products as Pretty Woman. As played by Theresa Russell (no relation to Ken), the eponymous character lives a hellish existence. Relating her story directly to the camera, Russell introduces us to her no-good former husband (Jason Saucier), her brutish pimp (Benjamin Mouton), and the kinkiest of her "johns." Her one true friend, a bag man named Rasta (Antonio Fargas), also saves her life -- but not her soul. The film exists in three versions: an 82-minute R cut, an 82-minute NC-17 cut, and the 92-minute European version, which sometimes carries a rating, sometimes merely a disclaimer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this made-for-TV movie, a jealous mother tries to break up the burgeoning romance between her son and a young clerk at her husband's jewelry store. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

This spoof of the Airport series of disaster movies relies on ridiculous sight gags, groan-inducing dialogue, and deadpan acting -- a comedy style that would be imitated for the next 20 years. Airplane! pulls out all the clichés as alcoholic pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who's developed a fear of flying due to wartime trauma, boards a jumbo jet in an attempt to woo back his stewardess girlfriend (Julie Hagerty). Food poisoning decimates the passengers and crew, leaving it up to Striker to land the plane, with the help of a glue-sniffing air traffic controller (Lloyd Bridges) and Striker's vengeful former captain (Robert Stack), who must both talk him down. Along the way, we meet a clutch of stock disaster movie passengers like the guitar-strumming nun, a sick little girl, a frightened old lady, and two African-American travelers whose "jive" has to be subtitled. Leslie Nielsen portrays the plane's doctor, launching a new phase of the actor's career that carried him through the next two decades in several similarly comedic roles. The trio of directors Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, and David Zucker responsible for the film would eventually go on to solo careers, but not before making Top Secret! and Ruthless People. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Eleven years after the network cancellation of Gilligan's Island, the crew and passengers of the ill-fated S. S. Minnow returned to the small screen in Rescue from Gilligan's Island. The cast remains the same, with one significant change. Bob Denver plays inveterate bumbler Gilligan, Alan Hale is the long-suffering Skipper, Jim Backus and Natalie Schafer are the fabulously wealthy Mr. and Mrs. Thurston Howell III, Russell Johnson is the resourceful Professor, and Dawn Wells, as perky as ever, is Mary Ann. Tina Louise wanted no part of any Gilligan's Island reunion, so her role-perennial starlet Ginger Grant-is filled by Judith Baldwyn. The premise: a huge tidal wave transports the seven castaways back to civilization. While they're thrilled to be back in the real world, none of the seven are able to adjust to life outside the island....least of all Gilligan, who on top of all his other problems must contend with a pair of enemy agents (Vincent Schiavelli and Art LeFleur). Conceived as a two-hour pilot film for a weekly revival that never materialized, Rescue from Gilligan's Island was originally telecast in two ratings-grabbing 60 minute installments, shown on October 14 and 21, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charged with hit-and-run driving when a crossing guard insists that he was injured by their vehicle, Roy (Kevin Tighe) and John (Randolph Mantooth) must nervously await an investigation even while going about their emergency rounds. Crises facing the paramedics on this occasion include a child trapped in a burning building, toxic smoke from an insecticide fire, an a blazing recreational vehicle. Originally scheduled to air in December of 1975, this episode was moved up to November 15 as a last-minute replacement for NBC's cancelled rebroadcast of the controversial TV movie Sarah T: Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Though the title smacks of World War II, Is This Trip Really Necessary is actually a 1971-vintage drug flick. The "trip" of the title is induced by LSD, consumed by a couple of nubile film actresses at the behest of realism-obsessed director John Carradine. Hero Peter Duryea attempts to rescue the girls, but both are doomed to horrible deaths in a lovingly detailed torture-chamber set. Eighteen-year-old Carol Kane (here billed as Carole) was evidently offered no acting advice whatsoever by her veteran co-stars Carradine, Duryea, and Marvin Miller. This film was also inflicted on the public as Trip to Terror and Blood of the Iron Maiden. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi