Marla Maples Movies
- 2007
ABC's Ex-Wives Club was a weekly reality series about the aftereffects of nasty divorces, hosted by a trio of well-known celebrity "ex-es": Marla Maples, former wife of Donald Trump; Shar Jackson, onetime partner of "Mr. Brittany Spears" Kevin Federline; and Angie Everhart, who had long since shed her husband Ashley Hamilton. With the help and advice of author/life coach Debbie Ford, the three ladies conferred each week with one man and one woman, each of whom had recently undergone a traumatic domestic breakup. To help them make the transition, the hosts showed their fellow "ex-es" how to cope with financial problems, re-invent themselves with physical and wardrobe makeovers, and even harmlessly concoct elaborate "revenge fantasies." Though the pilot episode of Ex-Wives Club was shown on July 1, 2005, the series proper did not get under way until May 28, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Writer/director Katherine Brooks adapts the classic lesbian drama Mädchen in Uniform with this tale of a precocious senator's daughter and Catholic boarding school student who falls desperately in love with her beautiful poetry teacher. Simone Bradley (Diane Gaidry) is a teacher who finds peace within the walls of Saint Theresa's school, and purpose in bringing the wonders of poetry to her young female students. Though newly arrived student Annabelle (Erin Kelly) has notable intelligence and charisma to spare, her fiery disobedience finds the stern headmistress imploring Simone to reign in the young rebel. But Annabelle's insubordination is about to become the least of Simone's concerns, because when the advances of the passionate young woman reveal her teacher's innermost desires, the devoted teacher will be forced to choose between her career and an affair that could quite possibly destroy her livelihood. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erin Kelly, Diane Gaidry, (more)
Mickey Rooney (B.J. Lang Presents, Curse of the Red Baron) and Gary Coleman (Diff'rent Strokes) co-star in the family-oriented, direct-to-video holiday comedy A Christmas Too Many (2005). This farce concerns an aging Hollywood actress who invites her eccentric and nutty family to stay with her over the Christmas holiday - with chaotic and disastrous consequences. Marla Maples co-stars. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Veterinarian Molly Saunders (Gail O'Grady) is mighty depressed as she attends the wedding of her former husband Bruce (Corbin Bernsen). During the ceremony, Molly makes the acquaintance of sportswriter Jake Michaelson (Rob Stewart), a sentimental guy who is in attendance because his ex-wife Joan (a rare acting appearance by onetime Donald Trump vis-à-vis Marla Maples) happens to be Jake's new bride. Though Molly and Jake are a mismatched couple, to say the least, it is remotely possible that a romance will develop (this is, after all, a made-for-cable movie). Two of Hearts originally aired February 14, 1999 on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The inner workings of the New York hip-hop scene, and the fascination of white observers with rap music and hip-hop culture, set the stage for this drama written and directed by James Toback. Rich Bower (Power) is a mover and shaker in the world of rap music (he's involved with a number of other licit and illicit business ventures as well), and his apartment is a favored meeting place for musicians, hangers-on, and hipsters who want to seem cool, including a clique of white kids who want to be on the inside of whey they consider the coolest scene of the day. Sam (Brooke Shields), a filmmaker, is making a documentary about Rich and his circle, with the help of her husband Terry (Robert Downey Jr.), a closeted homosexual who doesn't feel at home in this milieu. Dean (Allan Houston) is a talented college basketball player and Rich's friend since childhood who is offered a deal by a bookmaker, Mark (Ben Stiller) to throw a few games for a price. Dean takes the money against his better judgment, and he soon realizes how much of a mistake he made when Mark turns out to be a cop hoping to dig up dirt on Rich. Rich in turn discovers that Dean might be forced to tell what he knows to stay out of jail, and he decides that Dean has to be killed; however, rather than murder his friend himself, Rich asks one of the white kids who hangs out with him, who seems especially eager to prove himself, to do it for him. The kid, however, is actually the son of the District Attorney. Also contributing to Black and White's supporting cast are controversial boxing legend Mike Tyson, musician Bijou Phillips, Wu Tang Clan rapper Raekwon, model Claudia Schiffer, and Donald Trump's former spouse Marla Maples. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Caan, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
After his 1995 breakthrough, Welcome to the Dollhouse, director Todd Solondz was courted by a number of studios to make a big-budget film with top stars. Instead, he chose to make this aggressively dark comedy-drama of perversions and twisted lives. Andy Kornbluth (Jon Lovitz) explodes with anger after rejection in a restaurant from Joy Jordan (Jane Adams), one of a trio of middle-class New Jersey sisters. Joy's sister Trish (Cynthia Stevenson), a housewife with three kids, is married to psychiatrist Bill (Dylan Baker), who counsels the lonely, overweight Allen (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Allen is obsessed with Joy's other sister, the successful poet Helen (Lara Flynn Boyle), all the while ignoring the attentions of his seemingly sweet yet overweight neighbor Kristina (Camryn Manheim). Bill has fantasies of turning an assault rifle on families in a park, masturbates to teen magazine photos, and develops an unhealthy interest in a classmate of his 11-year-old son, Billy (Rufus Read). After a telephone sales job, Joy moves on to substitute teach at an adult education class, where she falls prey to the advances of an insensitive cabdriver, Vlad (Jared Harris). Allen's series of obscene phone calls to Helen come to an end when she challenges him to come next door and carry out his sexual threats. Meanwhile, the sisters' parents, Lenny and Mona Jordan (Ben Gazzara and Louise Lasser), find their marriage collapsing after 40 years. Lenny has sparked the interest of divorcée Diane Freed (Elizabeth Ashley), but he actually would prefer to be alone. The path to happiness, it seems, is littered with dreams, despair, and abnormalities. Winner of the International Critics' prize at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival, Happiness met with much controversy both in pre-production and upon its release, as chronicled in producer Christine Vachon's book Shooting to Kill. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Adams, Dylan Baker, (more)
In this action thriller, a group of Islamic terrorists, led by Nagi Hassan (David Suchet), highjacks a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers aboard, but Lt. Col. Austin Travis (Steven Seagal), a United States intelligence agent, is convinced that this isn't an ordinary case of air piracy. His suspicions are soon confirmed; Hassan's men have obtained a large cache of stolen Soviet nerve gas, and they are using the 747 to smuggle the deadly gas into the United States, where they intend to use it to wipe out Washington D.C. and possibly the entire East Coast. As the jet approaches the U. S., engineer Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt) designs a plan in which a military plane will be able to transfer U.S. soldiers onto the 747 and regain control of the plane and its deadly cargo. However, when Travis dies in the course of the mission, intelligence agent Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) is forced to take his place alongside explosives expert Cappy (Joe Morton), commando Rat (John Leguizamo), and stewardess-turned-anti-terrorist Jean (Halle Berry). Executive Decision was the first directorial assignment for veteran film editor Stuart Baird; he cut the film as well. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Halle Berry, (more)
- 1994
A mysterious bidder makes a generous offer for the Banks home, causing the family to seriously consider moving out. On the eve of their final decision, the family members recall all the good times they'd had in their old home--which naturally leads to a wealth of clips from previous episodes (none of which, significantly, feature the "first" Vivian Banks, Janet Hubert-Whitten. Zillionaire Donald Trump and his then-sweetie Marla Maples appear as themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Marla Maples leads this exercise video that includes a complete workout, with everything from beginning stretches to intense toning. Maples, a former model, helps viewers to sculpt their bodies using a variety of cardiovascular exercises, some with the use of free weights. This routine divides the exercises into three focus areas: upper body, lower body, and abdominal. Relaxation, visualization techniques, and nutritional information are also on this video, to help offer a well-rounded approach to a healthier lifestyle. Beginners or experienced fitness experts can use this daily routine, since the difficulty level stays constant and the exercises can be adjusted to all levels of expertise. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
In this black comedy, the mysterious death of the owner of an amusement park prompts his widow to sell the property to a group of mobsters, the DiMaurios. When the DiMaurios take over, they lower everyone's salary and fire the park's clown mascot, Bruce Burger (David Lander). With his job taken away, the clown loses it and begins to stage his revenge. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Windom, David L. Lander, (more)
Writer-director Stephen King falls short in his debut at the helm with Maximum Overdrive, an absurd tale about a radiation storm that somehow animates machines across the world, causing them to turn on their makers. The film focuses on a group of survivors held captive at the Dixie Boy Diner by a group of bad-tempered semis. Led by Emilio Estevez, the diner-goers do their impression of Ten Little Indians, waiting their turn until each gets bumped off one by one. There are holes in the plot big enough for the semis to drive through; for example, why don't the trucks run over the diner at the start of the film rather than wait for ninety minutes? Maximum Overdrive's only distinction is that it is, without question, one of the worst films released in the '80s. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilio Estevez, Pat Hingle, (more)
