Tomas Milian Movies

Born in Cuba, but raised in the United States, actor Tomas Milian (born Tomas Rodriguez) started out on the New York stage following training at the Actor's Studio. He appeared on the short-lived television series Decoy in 1957. Milian traveled to Italy and performed Jean Cocteau's pantomime The Poet and the Muse at the 1959 Spoleto Festival. Filmmaker Mauro Bolognini spotted him and cast Milian in La Notte Brava (1959). The actor subsequently appeared in two more of the director's films and went on to star or play character roles in Italian crime thrillers, spaghetti Westerns, and straight dramas, where he was typically cast as a psychopathic murderer or villain. During his 30 years in Italy, Milian received two major awards for his contribution, the Antonio de Curtis Award for Comedy and the Coppa Del Consiglio Dei Ministri from the Italian government. Milian returned to the U.S. in 1989 and has since appeared in American-made films, including Oliver Stone's JFK (1991), The Cowboy Way (1994), and Fools Rush In (1997). Milian has also worked on television and continues appearing on-stage. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
1982  
R  
An ambitious priest discovers that honoring the Ten Commandments isn't as easy as he imagined in this drama. Father John Flaherty (Christopher Reeve) is a Catholic priest who was ordained during World War II, and soon found himself forced to fight enemy forces while serving as a chaplain in the Army. As his life and career in the church moves on, Flaherty finds himself frequently torn between his duty and devotion to the church and his ambitions, appetites, and the notion that the ends can justify the means. Flaherty eventually rises through the church hirarchy to win an appointment at the Vatican, where he helps to manage the church's finances. When the Vatican's books reveals a major cash flow crisis, Flaherty suggests a rather unusual plan to Cardinal Santoni (Fernando Rey) -- buy hard-to-find American goods at a discount, and then sell them at a profit to mafia kingpins, who will then sell them on the black market at premium prices. As Flaherty and Santoni debate the ethics of this scheme, Flaherty meets and finds himself becoming attracted to Clara (Genevieve Bujold), a postulant nun. Posing as an American businessman, Flaherty romances and seduces Clara, until she discovers his secret. Monsignor also stars Jason Miller, Robert Prosky, and Joe Patoliano. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Christopher ReeveGeneviève Bujold, (more)
1982  
 
A divorced middle-aged Italian film director (Tomas Millian) is seeking meaning and love in both his life and his film. He becomes involved with an aristocratic woman, but trouble ensues when he begins to receive anonymous threats demanding that he abandon the relationship. When the woman mysteriously disappears, the director begins seeing an actress who works in experimental plays. She too leaves after telling him that she is carrying another man's child. In his quest for meaning, all the director manages to find is meaningless sex and lots of metaphors for isolation and abandonment: fog, open doors, empty landscapes. ~ John Voorhees, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianDaniela Silverio, (more)
1980  
R  
The deeper, broader issues behind the rise and fall of one of the world's greatest ballet dancers and choreographers, Vaslav Nijinksy (1888-1950), is not at the fulcrum of this two-hour British biographical drama. Director Herbert Ross and screenwriter Hugh Wheeler base the film on Nijinsky's diaries and his wife's book Nijinsky but what they portray are the years between 1912-1913 and Nijinsky's affair with Sergei Diaghliev, his mentor and the impresario and founder of Ballets Russes. With the life of the great man (played by dancer George de la Pena) explained via the dominant, impossible personality of Diaghliev and the love of his wife (Leslie Browne), there is no room for larger questions. The business and politics and especially the homosexuality that are involved with the art of ballet are also given primary focus. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Alan BatesGeorge de la Pena, (more)
1980  
 
In this Italian police drama, a hippie cop goes to Milan to look into a murder. He is called because he grew up in the same neighborhood as the prime suspect. The suspect's alibi was that he was hiding beneath a bed when the murder occurred. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianOlimpia di Nardo, (more)
1979  
R  
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Based on a novel by the iconoclastic Richard Condon (of Manchurian Candidate and Prizzi's Honor fame), Winter Kills was one of the vanguard efforts in the "JFK conspiracy" school of literature. Jeff Bridges stars as Nick Kegan, the scion of a powerful Kennedyesque family, who has done his best to make himself obscure after the assassination of his older brother, the former president of the U.S. While working as an oil rigger, Nick is introduced to a terminally ill gentleman who claims to have been "the second assassin." His curiosity aroused, Nick begins digging into what was supposed to be a closed case -- and, predictably, what he finds out isn't pretty. This, however, is the only predictable element of this mesmerizingly mazelike yarn. A failure when first released, Winter Kills fared somewhat better when director William Richert arranged to rerelease the film through his own company and restore several scenes that had been cut by its previous backers. Elizabeth Taylor appears uncredited as one "Lola Comante." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jeff BridgesJohn Huston, (more)
1979  
R  
Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial drama explores the troubled life of a young man and his troubling relationship with his parents. Joe (Matthew Barry) is the son of famous opera singer Caterina Silveri (Jill Clayburgh); while Joe believes that Caterina's husband Douglas Winter (Fred Gwynne) is his biological father, the truth is that he was sired by Caterina's former lover, who is now living in Italy and working as a schoolteacher. Joe is moody and rebellious and needs a strong father figure to guide him and keep him in line. But Douglas is ineffectual and emotionally weak, and when Joe witnesses Douglas committing suicide, it sends the young man over the edge. In hopes of boosting her singing career, which has fallen into a rut, Caterina decides to move to Italy, with Joe in tow; Joe falls in with a dangerous crowd and becomes addicted to heroin, while Caterina, hoping to lure her son back to a safer and more healthy lifestyle, tries to become closer to him, which leads to a flirtation with incest. Jill Clayburgh's performance earned her a 1980 Golden Globe nomination. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Jill ClayburghMatthew Barry, (more)
1978  
 
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A detective (Tomas Milian) goes undercover to bring justice to a crimelord (Jack Palance) accused of stealing $5 million. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

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1977  
 
This slapstick Italian sex comedy actually looks far more expensive than it really is, as it used the sets left over from the 1980 spectacular Caligula. It can't quite make up its mind, though, if it's a comedy (the emperor Claudius is a doddering, stuttering, impotent old fool), a sex film (with much nudity and several orgy scenes), or a slasher/gore picture (in a scene where soldiers invade an orgy and starting dismembering and decapitating everyone in sight -- which, incredibly, is treated as a slapstick scene!), and winds up being not much of anything. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Vittorio CaprioliGian Carlo Prete, (more)
1976  
R  
Police Commissioner Tanzi (Marizio Merli) is sick and tired of criminals getting coddled by the Italian justice system and proceeds to do something about it. His co-workers and superior try to rein him in, but there's no stopping him; criminals are made to pay for their crimes by this one-man vigilante force. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Maurizio MerliTomas Milian, (more)
1976  
NR  
French New Wave director Claude Chabrol steps away from his usual style of mysteries and psychological dramas for the sex comedy Folies Bourgeoises, based on the novel Le Malheur Fou by Lucie Faure. Bruce Dern is the American writer William Brandels and Stephane Audran is his French socialite wife, Claire Brandels. The story follows the confusion of the infidelities of the wealthy upper class. Also starring Ann-Margret and Maria Schell. This film was also released in an English-language dubbed version titled The Twist. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Bruce DernStéphane Audran, (more)
1975  
 
After having been sent to a mental asylum following being raped by a policeman, Julie (Marlene Jobert) is released to a job as a governess for a rich man's nephew. When Julie and the boy are kidnapped, it becomes clear that the kidnappers plan to frame her for the death of the boy. Before they can carry out their plans, she escapes, and it eventually becomes clear who the real culprit is. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Marlène JobertTomas Milian, (more)
1975  
 
The Emperor of Japan has sent the U.S. President a very special Asian horse. Three incredible rogues hear of this horse and decide to kidnap it for a $500,000 ransom. One of them, the "white" is Giuliano Gemma, a grandiose kleptomaniac. Tomás Milian is the "yellow," a Japanese samurai, and the last ("black") is Eli Wallach, a goofy and gullible sheriff who has been victimized by "white" before, and will be again. The alliance between the three is a shaky thing, but "black" will have stumbled into clover. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Giuliano GemmaTomas Milian, (more)
1975  
 
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A vain gambler (Fabio Testi), a pregnant prostitute (Lynne Frederick), a bumbling alcoholic (Michael J. Pollard) and a man who claims to see ghosts (Harry Baird) become unlikely traveling companions in this unusual spaghetti Western from notorious Italian horror director Lucio Fulci. The only survivors of a frontier-town massacre staged to rid the once-lawful town of its overpowering criminal element, the quartet ride the Western trail in a last-ditch bid to reach the next populated area and get back on their feet. Soon drawing the attention of a trigger-happy bandit named Chaco (Tomas Milian), the four cautiously accept him into the fold when Chaco displays a remarkable talent for hunting. When their newfound friend tortures the foursome and leaves them for dead after feeding them hallucinogens, the remaining survivors' desperate bid for survival leads them to take shelter in a ramshackle mining town inhabited only by men of questionable honor. As the birth of her child draws closer, prostitute Bunny (Frederick) looks to suave gambler Stubby (Testi) for the love and support to bring her child into the world. Though the men of the town reluctantly band together to aid Bunny in the birth of her baby, Stubby finds himself torn between the prospect of fatherhood and his unquenchable thirst for revenge against the supremely evil Chaco. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Fabio TestiLynne Frederick, (more)
1975  
R  
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Cult filmmaker Umberto Lenzi directed this bloody, gangster-oriented thriller starring Tomas Milian in a rare sympathetic role as Rambo, a principled biker who runs afoul of a blind crimelord (Joseph Cotten). The plot is standard Italian crime fare, but Milian's performance alone makes this gritty effort worth seeing for genre devotees. Shirley Corrigan, Ida Galli (as Evelyn Stewart), and Femi Benussi co-star, and Vincenzo Mannino wrote the hard-edged script. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianJoseph Cotten, (more)
1974  
 
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This melodramatic crime film concerns a petty thief named Julio (Tomas Milian) who kidnaps pretty Mary Lou (Laura Belli), the daughter of his girlfriend's rich employer, and holds her for ransom. Much of the film features Julio's hysterical populist rants targeting the wealthy elite, whom he both envies and detests. When the bound Mary Lou mocks him, Julio's anger leads to a bloody gunfight in which nearly everyone dies. Eventually, Police Inspector Walter Grandi (Henry Silva) turns vigilante and guns down the "human trash" on a pile of garbage. Reminiscent of everything from the Dirty Harry series to the Patty Hearst kidnapping, Lenzi's preposterous film is most memorable for its overly ripe dialogue and an outlandish party scene in which Milian forces a balding, craven businessman to service him at gunpoint. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianHenry Silva, (more)
1974  
 
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This entry in the Italian crime film cycle of the '70s presents an interesting take on the format. Emergency Squad seems unusually postmodern for its time because it places an equal amount of dramatic focus on its hero and its villain. The hero part is fulfilled by Ravelli (Tomas Milian), a cop consumed with the desire to get revenge on the crook who shot his wife to death during a robbery. The crook in question is Marseilles (Gastone Moschin), who is trying to assemble funds for his own retirement. As the revenge scenario moves toward the inevitable confrontation, Emergency Squad retains interest because it paints both leads in a complex fashion -- Ravelli's obsessive quest makes him as scary as he is sympathetic and the seemingly icy Marseilles reveals some surprisingly vulnerable sides to his character. Emergency Squad was the first of several Italian crime films for director Stelvio Massi, and star Tomas Milian would also become a mainstay of this genre. In 2005, Emergency Squad received a domestic DVD release from Mondo Macabro. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianGastone Moschin, (more)
1973  
 
When the godson of San Francisco's crime lord asks permission to leave "the business," Don Antonio (Martin Balsam) agrees, but reluctantly. Such behavior by either one is a violation of the code, and a bloody mob war breaks out. It is only through the strong support of his family connections in Sicily that Don Antonio is able to survive the melee and come out on top. Aghast at the situation he has caused, the godson (Tomas Milian) becomes his leader's "consigliere," or Counselor at Crime. This Italian movie was filmed in English in San Francisco, California and Palermo, Sicily. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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1972  
R  
Jed (Tomas Milian) is an unlikely hero in this Italian western. As thoroughly unlikeable a robber as ever walked the West, he nonetheless robs from the rich and gives to the poor. Not only is he a murderous, ill-tempered sort, he is bad-mannered, too. When Sonny (Susan George) decides he should be her man and teach her how to be a proper outlaw, sparks fly. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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1972  
 
This Italian western comedy has no shooting deaths, but a lot of fistfights. Provvidenza is a bounty hunter. He makes his living solely by catching his dim but powerful friend, the Hurricane Kid (Gregg Palmer) and turning him in for the reward money. A fully armed horseless carriage is one of the inventive elements of this film. One of the film's sillier highlights is an amazingly loud and long belch by the Kid. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Tomas MilianGregg Palmer, (more)
1972  
 
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When several young boys are brutally murdered in a small southern Italian village, the superstitious locals react with ignorance and violence. All misfits are immediately suspected, such as big-city tart Barbara Bouchet, the local village idiot, and voodoo practitioner Florinda Bolkan, who is brutally murdered by the villagers in a startling and powerful scene. Cop Tomas Milian (Almost Human, Amistad) comes to investigate, and is rather curious about a young priest who censors the town's reading material to keep it free of corruption. The peculiar clergyman seems to envy the dead boys, who will never grow up to be corrupted. Milian soon becomes convinced that the priest wants to send the kids' souls to Heaven and feels guilt about desiring the boys sexually. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

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1971  
R  
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It was "tax shelter" time when Hollywood's Robert Blake and Ernest Borgnine headed to Italy to star in Counter Punch. Slimmer and lighter on his feet than he'd be in his Baretta days, Blake plays a young boxer, accused of murdering his crooked manager. Escaping from detective Borgnine, Blake sets about to uncover the real killer on his own. Expect a lot of heavy duty fisticuffs, with Blake doing most of his own stunt work. Adding spice to the proceedings are distaff co-stars Gabrielle Ferzetti and Catherine Spaak, the latter cast as the murder victim's daughter. Originally titled Un Uomo dalla Pelle Dura, Counter Punch was also released as Ripped-Off. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robert BlakeErnest Borgnine, (more)
1971  
 
With a barrage of cinematic distancing devices at hand (flashbacks and flash-forwards, super-imposed titles, missing frames, projectionist cue-marks placed in the wrong locations in a film reel), Dennis Hopper concocts a hallucinatory acid-trip concerning an American movie company making a western in Peru. In a remote mountain village in Peru, a Hollywood film company wraps up shooting a western and returns to California. Staying behind is a young stunt man, Kansas (Dennis Hopper). In the village, he takes up with the resident whore, Maria (Stella Garcia). At this point, the film flash-forwards to Kansas being crucified by the villagers. Back in the old time frame, the Peruvians decide that they want to make their own movie. Not having the necessary film equipment, but plenty of local raw material, the villagers construct the needed cameras, microphones, and sound recorders out of bamboo, and although the equipment is faked, the villagers substitute real, bloody violence for the make-believe violence of Hollywood. During this eruption of violence in the Peruvian village, the local priest (Tomas Milian) blames Kansas for the carnage. The priest decides that movies are the root of all worldly evil and convinces the villagers to seize Kansas. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Dennis HopperStella Garcia, (more)

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