Jim Metzler Movies

This underrated teen-revenge horror film starring Stephen Geoffreys (Fright Night) was the directorial debut of Robert Englund, best known as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street series. Geoffreys plays Hoax, a picked-on nerd who lives with his religious-nut mother Lucy (the marvelous Sandy Dennis). One day Hoax calls a 976-line for a "Horrorscope," and the demonic voice at the other end starts giving him wicked advice. Before long, he has killed his brother's girlfriend with tarantulas, slashed the face of a teen tough with his newly-sprouted talons, and gutted several of his tormentors. Only a well-meaning journalist and a sexy schoolmarm can stop the now-demonic Hoax before he sends the whole neighborhood straight to Hell. Granted, the screenplay is rather confused and slow-moving, but Geoffreys and Dennis are great, the effects work by Kevin Yagher is skillful, and this is one of the few teen-horror films with characters that are actually interesting. Look for Robert Picardo (The Howling) in a fun cameo as the diabolical Mark Darke. After a brief stint as a teen star, Geoffreys went on to appear in gay porn films as "Sam Ritter." ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Danny Shaffer (Jim Metzler) used to be a poet. He's settled down now, and is a regular businessman living in L.A. His girlfriend has recently split with him to move to Berlin. Apparently, she wanted him to come with her, because she has sent two German emissaries, Barbara and Ingrid, to bring videotaped messages from her and see to it that he watches them. There are plenty of suggestions that sexual intimacies might be forthcoming from the unexpected visitors, but nothing transpires along those lines. Despite the unpromising storyline, reviewers found this festival film well enough made to hold their attention. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Director Michael Stevens debuts with this two-fisted ultra-violent crime drama about redemption and revenge. Adapted from British author Tim Willocks' 1991 novel, the movie weaves together four stories resulting from a botched bank robbery. Callilou (Judith Hoag), the wounded girlfriend of the robbery's mastermind Luther (Jim Metzler), seeks refuge with kind-hearted doctor Eugene Grimes (Michael Massee), who lives among the impoverished in New Orleans' worst neighborhood. Hot on Callilou's trail is rakish but corrupt Vice Squad Captain Clarence Jefferson (Michael McGrady), who is looking to horn in on the robbers. He eventually catches up with Eugene, and, after a great deal of physical and emotional abuse, Eugene reveals both his odd connection with the criminal ringleader and his hideout. Soon after Jefferson and his gang converge on Luther's lair, a bloody gunfight ensues. Bad City Blues was screened at the L.A./AFI Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

With no more rural Midwestern adults left to slaughter, two brothers from Gatling, Nebraska are sent to foster homes in the Windy City. The little brother, who murdered his own father, is a disciple of the dreaded "He Who Walks Behind the Rows" and has brought a few corn seeds with him so his evil mentor will have a place to stay. The seeds grow and soon the demon is harvesting a fresh crop of recruits to do his murderous bidding. Though based on a novel and film by Stephen King, the author had nothing to do with this sequel. Those turned off by gore and bloodshed may not want to watch. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Cheryl Ladd stars as the wife of an airline pilot (Doug Sheehan), who is killed along with 127 other people in a mysterious crash. The authorities, egged on by a gonzo newsman, rush to judgment and chalk up the tragedy to pilot error. Ladd can't go along with this, and insists that the investigation be reopened. Were this made-for-TV film an episode of Charlie's Angels, Ladd would be force to endure a last-act showdown with the real culprit. But Crash: The Mystery of Flight 1501 is based on fact, and is reasonably faithful to the truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Given the credibility of the story and the sincerity of the players, it is surprising to learn that the made-for-TV Do You Remember Love? is not based on a true story. Joanne Woodward stars as a brilliant college professor and poet, struck down in her prime by Alzheimer's disease. Her husband Richard Kiley tries to cope, but is ultimately disheartened by Woodward's degenerating condition. Even sadder is the fact that Woodward, in her cogent moments, is fully aware that she is losing her ability to function. Written by Vickie Patek, this potentially depressing drama has a logically conceived uplifting finale. Do You Remember Love? was first telecast May 21, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The erotic thriller French Silk stars Susan Lucci as the owner of a very successful lingerie company. An influential television preacher who has spoken out against her and her company dies. The lead detective (Lee Horsley) into the death believes she is the number one suspect, but he also begins a sexual affair with her. Soon she begins to get him to act in ways that may be detrimental to his own investigation. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

After his mother's death, Fred P. Cheney (Bob Goldthwaith) must share the family financial business with his scheming stepfather Walter Sawyer (Dabney Coleman) in this misfired comedy. Fred also inherits Don, a talking horse who provides him with hot tips on the stock market. Don's voice is provided by John Candy, and Virginia Madsen plays Fred's romantic interest Allison Rowe. Mr. Ed and Francis the Talking Mule must be rolling over in their graves over this uneven comedy attempt. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this combination sequel and prequel to the surprise box-office success The Omega Code, one man becomes the leader of an evil empire that could destroy the world, and his brother must rise against him in the defense of good. Stone Alexander (played as a child by Gavin Fink) is a moody, dark-tempered child whose parents died shortly after he was born. The mother who adopted Stone died several years later while giving birth to another son, David, and Stone is unable to forgive his brother for unwittingly taking his mother from him. Stone goes so far as to attempt to murder David, and their father, prominent businessman Daniel Alexander (David Hedison), responds by shipping Stone off to military school. There, Stone falls under the tutelage of The Guardian (Udo Kier), an instructor at the school who is actually an emissary of Satan. While the enmity between Stone (played as a teenager by Noah Huntley) and David (played by Chad Michael Murray) cools a bit with time, Stone once again finds himself in a bitter rivalry with his brother when they both fall in love with the same woman, Gabriella (played as a teenager by Elisa Scialpi). Stone eventually wins Gabriella's hand and they marry, as Stone (played as an adult by Michael York) rises to power as the ruthless leader of the military arm of the European Union; David (played as an adult by Michael Biehn), meanwhile, becomes a powerful figure in American politics, and is elected to the office of Vice President. What neither David nor Gabriella (played as an adult by Diane Venora) fully understand is that, under the influence of The Guardian, Stone has taken on the role of the Antichrist, and he attempts to curry his brother's favor (and arrange events that will make David president) in a bid for world domination. When it becomes clear to David that the goal of his brother's campaign is to put the world in the power of Satan, David realizes America and its allies must join forces against Stone's troops in a battle in Megiddo, Israel -- predicted in the Book of Revelations as the place of the final battle of good versus evil. Megiddo: Omega Code 2 also features Franco Nero, R. Lee Ermey, and Gil Colon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This is one of several seventh-season Murder She Wrote episodes introduced by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) but starring Dennis Stanton (Keith Michell), a jewel thief turned insurance investigator. On this occasion, Stanton is probing into the curious case of a neurotic ventriloquist named Woody Perkins (Grant Shaud) and Woody's prize dummy Billy Boy. Not longer after Woody reports that Billy Boy has been "kidnapped", the dummy turns up in a locked room--along with the corpse of Katie Kelly (Georgia Brown), a nasty comedy-club owner with whom Woody had previously had a violent argument. Stanton tries to unravel the attendant mystery with the help and hindrance of Rhoda Markowitz (Hallie Todd) and Lt. Perry Catalano (Ken Swofford). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carl Franklin made his directorial bow with the story of three LA drug dealers who, after committing a rather messy murder, hide out in a rural Arkansas town. Assuming that the local "rubes" will offer them little interference, the criminals have not reckoned with sheriff "Hurricane" Dixon (Bill Paxton). Despite the arrogance of the LAPD agents sent to Arkansas to collar the crooks, it is down-home Dixon who puts the final bloody showdown into motion (the fact that the thieves have been falling out throughout the film doesn't hurt things either). Carl Franklin knows where he's going in every frenetic frame of One False Move, and his movie was one of the most acclaimed independent releases of 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this horror-western with a dash of offbeat humor, three kids arrive in the town of Longhand looking for their missing parents, only to discover the town is overrun with people who behave more like zombies than humans. They eventually discover that the city is a haven for body snatchers and, if they're not careful, they could be the next targets. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This melodrama is the second of a two part story based on a novel by Judith Krantz. In this episode, Daisy, the daughter of a Russian prince and an American movie star, must leave college and begin looking for a job in New York so that she can pay her sister's enormous medical bills. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide