Ted Markland Movies
Supporting actor Ted Markland frequently played heavies, thugs, bikers, and other misanthropic characters. He began his film career with a small role in The Hallelujah Trail (1965). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
John Barrett, star of American Kickboxer 1 (1991), is nowhere to be found in American Kickboxer 2 (1993). In fact, much of the emphasis this time is not on the title character, but on the heroine. When her daughter is kidnapped, Kathy Shower calls upon the two most important men in her life. Those worthies are her kickboxing ex-lover (Dale "Apollo" Cook) and her equally athletic ex-husband. Evidently she could never make a commitment-but her two "ex"s certainly can! This film's official title is American Kickboxer 2: To the Death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Biker-flick entrepreneur Joe Solomon used the profits from his first three independent efforts to form his own company, Fanfare Productions. The second film in the Solomon trio was Angels From Hell -- not to be confused with his other efforts, Hell's Angels on Wheels and Run, Angel, Run. Tom Stern plays a Vietnam vet whose wartime experiences have soured him on the Establishment. As a form of protest, the disgruntled vet organizes the biggest, meanest, ugliest biker gang in human history. Five-hundred strong, the Angels From Hell descend upon a small town to exact vengeance on the redneck sheriff who brutally killed one of the bikers in the first reel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Stern, Arlene Martel, (more)
At times, Another 48 Hrs. seems less like a sequel to than a parody of the first 48 Hrs., especially when Nick Nolte, repeating his role from the earlier film, begins commenting on the cliched absurdity of the goings on. This time, Nolte risks life, limb and career as he obsessively tries to bring an elusive master criminal known as "The Iceman" to justice. Eddie Murphy, who stole the show in the first 48 Hrs. as the wheeler-dealer convict who becomes Nolte's reluctant partner, is brought into the plotline of the second film when a contract is taken out on his life. The adversarial relationship between Nolte and Murphy, supposedly dissipated by the end of the first film, is revivified in the sequel via a couple of plot devices. Still, Murphy rallies to the occasion, in the process saving Nolte from being thrown off the force. Though not as successful as the first film, Another 48 Hrs. proved that there were still enough Eddie Murphy fans around in 1990 to insure a strong box-office showing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte, (more)
Originally prepared for European release under the title Catchfire, Backtrack wasn't given a wide distribution until 1991, and then only to capitalize on the Oscar win of Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster. In Backtrack, Foster plays a youngish innocent who witnesses a mob hit. Professional assassin Dennis Hopper is contracted to silence Foster for keeps. Instead, he falls in love with her. Directed by star Hopper, Backtrack has some of the feel of his earlier, better Easy Rider: the cast is populated by such old Hopper chums as Dean Stockwell, Charlie Sheen, Joe Pesci, Bob Dylan, Vincent Price and Julie Adams; and, like Easy Rider, it looks as though the story was improvised during filming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Jodie Foster, (more)
Brian Dennehy plays a Wambaugh-type cop who has flourished as a novelist. At the moment, however, Dennehy is suffering from a profound case of writer's block. Coming to the rescue, as it were, is professional hit man James Woods. Recently dumped by his boss, above-suspicion business executive Paul Shenar, Woods is anxious to tell his life story to Dennehy, in hopes of striking it rich with a tell-all bestseller. Shenar, however, takes a dim view of Woods' indiscretions, and for a while it looks as though it's curtains for both Dennehy and his teenaged daughter Allison Balson. Screenwriter Larry Cohen has claimed that Best Seller was based on Strangers on a Train. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Brian Dennehy, (more)
Blackbeard's Ghost was one of the first Disney productions released after Walt's death. Peter Ustinov stars as the eponymous wraith, who returns to Earth to come to aid of his descendant, elderly Elsa Lanchester. The villains want to kick Lanchester and her friends out of their group home so that they can build a crooked casino. Good guy Dean Jones evokes the spirit of Blackbeard to thwart the bad guys. The supporting cast ranges from Richard Deacon to Gil Lamb, while Peter Ellenshaw performs the visual effects with mattes, miniatures, and process screens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Ustinov, Dean Jones, (more)
- 1966
A horse thief with a price on his head is shot by both Joe Cartwright and his friend, stone-broke farmer Morgan Tanner (Dean Harens). When the authorities arrive, Joe takes full credit for the killing-and claims the reward, which Morgan and his family need desperately. Why is Joe acting in this seemingly cold and selfish manner? Also in the cast are Luana Patten and Regina Gleason as Morgan's wife Lorna and daughter Martha. Written by Frederic Louis Fox, "Credit for a Kill" first aired on October 23 1966. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
Colors stars Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as partners on the LAPD's gang crime division. Duvall had hoped to spend more time with his family, but he's pulled back into active service because of a step-up in gang activity. He makes no secret of his contempt for his novice partner Penn, but eventually comes to rely on the younger man as a valuable street contact. The central crisis is the battle for supremacy between the "Crips" and the "Bloods", with every effort to call a truce stymied by the gang members themselves and by undue police intervention. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 1994
James Remar is too good an actor to be squandering his time in Confessions of a Hitman. Remar plays Bruno Serrano, the title character, whose father has just been murdered in Las Vegas. The grieving professional assassin heads to the Glitter Capital to exact vengeance on the man responsible for his dad's death. Serrano places several phone calls en route, confessing to previous sins and begging forgiveness. The star's performance is the sole redeeming factor of this otherwise ponderous road flick. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Mother Nature's fury clashes with Hollywood has-been determination as a group of down and out filmmakers attempt to resurrect a dying sci-fi franchise by keeping their production afloat long enough to shoot their big climax with the "Big One" as the backdrop. In just seventy-two hours, Los Angeles will finally get the earthquake that folks have been anticipating for decades. The Generic News Network is capitalizing on public panic in typically tacky fashion, and the cast of the hopelessly irrelevant Cyxork sci-fi film franchise is ready to risk their lives for some free special effects. But while square-jawed star Rex Anderson (Ray Wise) just wants to keep his film career afloat and earn enough money so that he and his wife can move out of the public appearance bus they call a home, director Angela LaSalle (Sonya Smith) is seeking to transform schlock cinema into celluloid art. When Rex goes over Angela's head in an attempt to get her fired, the plan backfires and they both end up out of work. The production effectively shut down, Rex and Angela decide that their only hope is to put aside their differences, pretend they are still in production, and work under the radar to finish the film. But who would be foolish enough to try and shoot a film during what promises to be the biggest earthquake in recorded history? As the crew races to get the film finished before the studio finds out, the entire state of California braces for the big rumble and hopes for the best. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Wise, Sonya Smith, (more)
The budget may be loftier, but Eye of the Tiger is essentially an up-to-date AIP motorcycle flick. Ex-convict Buck Mathews (Gary Busey) lives as quietly as possible in his old home town. The corrupt local sheriff (Seymour Cassel) would give anything to drive Buck out of town: thus, the sheriff looks the other way when a motorcycle gang headed by Blade (William Smith, who else?) invades the community and targets Buck for extermination. With no one else on his side, Buck turns to honest cop J.B. Deveraux (Yaphet Kotto), but he's a few days away from retirement and doesn't want to get involved. It turns out that the only "good guy" Buck can depend upon is a "bad guy": A well-connected Latino drug lord who owes Buck a favor. When the chips are down and Buck's daughter is kidnapped, Deveraux joins in the climactic offensive against the bikers--which, of course, boils down to a mano-y-mano struggle between Buck and Blade. You've seen it all before, but in this case familiarity does not breed contempt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Yaphet Kotto, (more)
- 1989
- R
In this action film, an American soldier (Peter Fonda) captures a female guerrilla fighter in the jungles of Vietnam and forces her to act as his guide through the unfamiliar terrain. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Tia Carrere, (more)
- 1976
- R
Peter Fonda here gives a studied performance of a man alone against the odds. When he discovers that members of his family are going to be killed because they are standing in the way of a corporate master plan which involves their land, and the local sheriff seems unconcerned about the threat, he must take care of the matter himself. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Lynn Lowry, (more)
Sally Kirkland stars in this suspense thriller from the writer/director behind American Kickboxer 2. Kirkland plays no-nonsense private eye Danielle Roberts, an ex-cop whose latest case turns out to be more than she bargained for when the client kicks the bucket. Before she knows it, Roberts becomes enmeshed in a lurid criminal underworld all centering around a valuable jewel. Also known as Shadow Kill, Guns and Lipstick co-stars cult actor Robert Forster. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1959
Paladin (Richard Boone) ventures into the temporary tent-town of Borasca Bend, intending to return a pouch of gold. Instead, he is captured by the half-deranged prospectors who populate the town and charged with murdering one of their number. Subjected to a bizarre kangaroo court, Paladin must rely upon his wits to avoid ending up swinging from a rope. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1960
Paladin (Richard Boone) is hired by a mortally woman named Mrs. Kilmer (Lillian Bronson), who wants to learn the whereabouts of her long-long son before she dies. The trail of clues leads Paladin to Harper City, a town held in the grip of the wealthy--and psychotic--Fred Harper (Charles Aidman). Clearly, Harper knows something about Mrs. Kilmer's prodigal son, but he isn't telling...and Paladin is fully aware that the previous detective hired to locate the boy turned up dead. This is the final episode of Have Gun, Will Travel's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The 152nd and final episode of Hunter focuses on the titular detective's superior officer, Captain Charles Devane (Charles Hallahan). For reasons that he cannot possibly understand, Devane has been asked to be best man at the wedding of a small-time crook named Jake Hutton (played by frequent Hunter director Tony Mordente).At the same time, several of Hutton's former cellmates are pressuring him to participate in a crime, intending to frame him for murder. Blissfully unaware of all these intrigues is Jake's intended, dance instructor Wanda Crebbs (Jean Kasem). As for Hunter (Fred Dryer)...well, he manages to find himself in the thick of things long before the couple exchanges their final vows. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
To keep Hunter (Fred Dryer) alive long enough to testify against mob boss Max Crane (Wolf Muster), Captain Devane (Charles Hallahan) orders the detective to go on a fishing trip at a remote sporting lodge. Almost immediately upon arrival, Hunter meets and falls in love with a girl named Nicki (Lydia Cornell). Meanwhile back in LA, McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) gets word that a paid assassin has been dispatched to "off" Hunter--and just guess whom that assassin turns out to be! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- PG
Harry Hamlin stars as the self-styled "King of Mulholland Drive," the leader of a group of men who get drunk and then race their cars at high-speed along a perilous Los Angeles roadway. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Hamlin, Joseph Bottoms, (more)
The traditions of the western and the gangster film meet head-on in this dark crime drama. Jericho is a small town in Texas that in the 1920s looks much like it did in the 1860s, except that two violent gangs of rival bootleggers have driven away nearly all of the citizens not involved in the booze racket. Strozzi (Ned Eisenberg) leads a gang of Italian rum-runners with the help of his right-hand-man Giorgio (Michael Imperioli), while Doyle (David Patrick Kelly) is the head of an Irish mob, with Hickey (Christopher Walken) serving as his enforcer; the town's sheriff, Ed Galt (Bruce Dern) is powerless to stop the crime in Jericho, and he mainly tries to stay out of the way and keep an uneasy peace between Strozzi and Doyle. John Smith (Bruce Willis) is a ruthless and amoral gunman on the run from the law who passes through Jericho on his way to Mexico. Sizing up the situation, Smith quickly hatches a scheme by which he'll sell his services first to one of the gangs, and then the other, eventually turning the two sides against each other while he stays in the middle and takes the profits generated by both sides. Writer and director Walter Hill based his screenplay on Akira Kurosawa's classic samurai picture Yojimbo, which also inspired Sergio Leone's ground-breaking spaghetti western A Fistful of Dollars. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, (more)
- 1990
- R
Miles O'Keeffe and Lou Ferrigno star as Vietnam war buddies who team up to rid their community of drugs. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
A Navy SEAL gets himself tossed into a seething Filipino prison after his attempts to stop a gang rape fail and he is accused of killing the girl. This low-budget martial arts actioner chronicles his struggle to survive and escape the hellish jail. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
The direct-to-video Merlin brings the King Arthur legend up to date. The fun begins when a young Californian traces the ol' family tree directly back to Merlin the Magician. The twist: Merlin's descendant is a woman, played by Nadia Cameron. The good news is that the woman is endowed with special powers. The bad news is that the bad guys find out ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Phelps, Richard Lynch, (more)
- 1991
Jessica's return to Cabot Cove coincides with the arrival of Wayne Metzger (Bruce Abbott), the "black sheep" brother of town sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak). Recently released from prison, Wayne wants to mend fences with his brother, but the uncharacteristically bitter Mort refuses to have anything to do with him. When Wayne's fisherman boss is apparently murdered, it falls to Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to help Mort maintain his objectivity--and his compassion--while endeavoring to clear Wayne's name. Louis Herthum makes his first appearance as Mort's deputy, who curiously has a variety of character names. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
