Jim Maniaci Movies
The sophomore film from former music video and commercial director Michael Bay, this fast-paced action yarn featured rapid-fire editing, a cutting-edge rock soundtrack and liberal use of shots awash in a haze of burnished hues, all trademarks of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Nicolas Cage stars as Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI chemical weapons expert handed a unique assignment. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris), an insane Marine Corps general, has taken 81 tourists hostage on the abandoned island prison of Alcatraz. He and his men are threatening to bomb San Francisco with deadly gas unless $100 million is paid in war reparations to the families of servicemen killed in covert operations. Goodspeed is teamed with former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man ever to escape "The Rock," as well as a Navy SEAL team. When their military escorts are ambushed, it's up to odd couple Goodspeed and Mason to break into Alcatraz and stop Hummel. The Rock was the last film produced by Simpson, who died of a drug overdose before the film's release. Solo, his partner Bruckheimer continued making the sort of glossy, frenetic films for which the duo was famed. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, (more)
- 1995
- R
In this action thriller, Nick Adams, an agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, goes undercover to enter a prison run by the tyrannical but efficient warden, Pike. He does this after his partner is killed doing undercover work in the same prison. The prison presents a harsh environment and fighting between inmates is rampant. Luckily, Adams was trained to fight in the Marines and he can take on any of them. But then his nemesis Jimmy Wong, a prominent mob leader, enters the facility. There the crooked wheeler-dealer has set up a gun-running arrangement with prison officials who let him have the run of the place. Wong uses this to exact his revenge on Adams. Action ensues, culminating in a prison break where the two fight it out while hanging from a fleeing helicopter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Napier, Yuji Okumoto, (more)
- 1994
A kickboxing cyborg security agent accidentally kills a corporate officer who was trying to rape a blonde employee in this sci-fi copy of Die Hard. The head of the corporation orders his security teams to kill both the cyborg and the employee to prevent word of the attempted rape from getting out. The cyborg and the victim must make their way out of the building with two teams of killer cyborgs after them. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivier Gruner, John Glover, (more)
- 1994
- R
In the tradition of Mel Brooks, this Italian comedy offers an episodic parody of classic thrillers and horror movies. Film includes cameos from several stars including Mel Brooks, John Astin, Larry Storch, Phyllis Diller, John Carpenter, and John Landis. The story begins as director Ezio Greggio is being stabbed ala Psycho in his shower. Before he dies he recaps the events leading to his death. The scene was L.A. and FBI rookie Jo Dee Fostar has been assigned to interview psycho inmate Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza. Meanwhile Fostar's girlfriend swipes $400,000 bucks from her boss and ends up hiding in the Cemetery Hotel, run by Antonio Motel. Inspector Balsam investigates cases of dead hotel victims. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dom DeLuise, Ezio Greggio, (more)
- 1993
- R
Bud Cort's directorial debut is a dark comedy about a romantic obsession that leads to tragedy, featuring a wide array of cameo performances including James Brolin, Carol Kane, Rhea Perlman, Martin Mull, Andrea Martin, Woody Harrelson, Timothy Leary, and Gena Rowlands. Cort is Ted Whitley, a local poet celebrity in Venice Beach, California, who spends his time drifting along the boardwalk and delivering his beat poetry inspirations at a local dive. As he sits on a pier composing his latest art work, a vision of incredible beauty --Linda Turner (Kim Adams)-- strolls by in a bikini and Ted is immediately smitten. Linda turns out to be the manager of the agency that Ted has used to try to find a new apartment. He flatters her with his attentions and his poetic rambles. For her part, she likes Ted but doesn't consider him romantic material. Ted misinterprets Linda's friendliness for amorousness and when Linda tries to back off from Ted, Ted cannot be stopped. His out-of-control obsession for Linda turns Linda's once-friendly demeanor into one of terror. But Ted continues stalking her until tragedy strikes. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bud Cort, James Brolin, (more)
- 1992
In this third version of the Nerds theme, the next generation of Nerd boys have by now taken control of Adams College and one of the college trustees is sick of seeing the geeky nerds running everything so he schemes a plan devoted to the return of jock power. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Ted McGinley, (more)
Just after the evil Emperor Spengo (Jon Lovitz) imprisons King Raff (Eric Idle), he spots a California housewife (Teri Garr) through his telescope. He decides to beam her up along with her husband (Jeffrey Jones), but isn't prepared to deal with the results when both become interplanetary freedom fighters. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Teri Garr, Jeffrey Jones, (more)
- 1991
- R
After he finds himself the target of mysterious assassins, an amnesiac (Michael Biehn) convinces a psychiatrist (Patsy Kensit) to help him remember his past. It would seem he was involved in a CIA operation that the agency does not want him to reveal. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Patsy Kensit, (more)
- 1990
- R
Miles O'Keeffe stars as a victim of harassment from a drug lord. After he is framed for smuggling and his sister is killed, he decides to seek revenge. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miles O'Keeffe, Don Stroud, (more)
- 1989
- R
- Add Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death to QueueAdd Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death to top of Queue
Buxom Playboy foldout Shannon Tweed plays a sexy college professor assigned to investigate a sudden, disastrous avocado shortage; her predecessor, a Dr. Kurtz (Adrienne Barbeau) has never returned from the dreaded California Avocado Jungle. Accompanied by air-headed assistant Karen Mistal and macho guide Bill Maher (of Politically Incorrect fame), Tweed ventures into the deepest jungle, where the Piranha Women rule. Proof that this civilization is a matriarchy is the presence of a tribe of wimpy, domesticated men called the Donnahews, who chant names like Alan Alda and Fritz Mondale as their mantra. Fortunately, Tweed is armed with her N.O.W. membership card, so she is allowed safe passage. She finally catches up with Kurtz, who reveals that the avocado shortage is phony, designed by the government as an excuse to capture the Piranha women and transform them into Malibu housewives. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannon Tweed, Adrienne Barbeau, (more)
- 1989
In one of the series' most hair-raising episodes, Steve (David Garrison) is terrified at the prospect of going bald. Though Al (Ed O'Neill) is a bit more philosophical on the subject--after all, the world is full of famous chrome-domes, including Khrushchev, Fred Mertz and Gallagher--he becomes as paranoid as Steve after a bad experience with something called "Insta-Hair." The climax finds both Steve and Al attending a meeting of a club for bald men, which morphs into something like "Hair Anonymous." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
