Danny Mora Movies
Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) has been given the gift of sight, but it comes with a horrifying price in the English-language remake of Danny and Oxide Pang's The Eye. The double corneal transplant was to open up a new world for Sydney, a concert violinist whose blindness has plagued her since childhood. With the help of Dr. Paul Faulkner (Alessandro Nivola) and sister Helen (Parker Posey), Sydney's operation and recovery seemed to be on the road to success -- until horrific images start to tear their way into her newfound vision. What's worse is that these episodes appear to foreshadow future deadly events, leading Sydney on a mission to track down the person whose eyes she has inherited and discover what kind of mystery from beyond the grave lies before her. The film is directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, the duo behind the acclaimed 2006 French terror flick Them, and is produced by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner under their Cruise/Wagner production banner. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Alba, Alessandro Nivola, (more)
An unstable Gulf War veteran with a savior complex receives a shocking wake-up call upon returning stateside and accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the directorial debut of Training Day screenwriter David Ayer. Jim (Christian Bale) is a Gulf War veteran who believes his sworn duty to protect his fellow Americans extends to the streets of Los Angeles, and he longs to fulfill his destiny by joining the LAPD. Rejected by the force and left to ponder his future with his impoverished Mexican paramour -- whom he had intended on bringing to the city after joining the police -- the dejected and unemployed veteran is offered a second shot at helping his country when he is subsequently approached by the Department of Homeland Security. As Jim and his unemployed best friend, Mike (Freddy Rodriguez), carve a swath of chaos through the streets of Los Angeles, the weight of their American dream soon comes crashing down in a devastating blow that threatens to dash their high hopes for a bright future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, Freddy Rodriguez, (more)
Based on a novel by acclaimed crime writer James Ellroy, this film stars Michael Rooker as Fritz Brown, a former L.A.P.D. detective who was kicked off the force due to his drinking. Now struggling to remain sober, Brown works as a private eye when he can, but he makes most of his money repossessing cars. One day, Brown is offered some detective work by Freddie "Fat Dog" Baker (William Sasso), a golf caddy who has some severe reservations about his younger sister, Jane (Selma Blair) and her relationship with Solly (Harold Gould), a wealthy businessman with mob connections who is old enough to be Jane's grandfather. Brown isn't interested at first, but when "Fat Dog" starts flashing an impressive bankroll, he decides to take the case. Brown's investigation of Solly causes him to cross paths with Cathcart (Brion James), the head of L.A.P.D. internal affairs who was responsible for Brown losing his job. Soon Brown runs afoul of a group of hired thugs and several key figures wind up dead as Brown tries to find out the truth about Solly and Jane. Ellroy wrote Brown's Requiem, his first novel, while he was still supporting himself as a golf caddy and breaking himself of a decade-long addiction to drugs and alcohol. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker, Tobin Bell, (more)
- 1994
Paul and Jamie Buchman (Paul Reiser, Helen Hunt) head to the Belmont Park race tracks, there to honor the last wishes of Jamie's beloved Uncle Van. The Belmont ticket-takers don't share the Buchmans' good intentions, thus Uncle Van will have to pay admission posthumously for the honor of having his ashes strewn along the track. The climax hinges upon a "relapse" experienced by Paul's reformed-gambler cousin Ira (John Pankow) -- not to mention the track performance of the presciently named racehorse "About-to-be-Glue." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- PG13
The feature film directing debut of actress Betty Thomas, this romantic farce attempts to mimic the screwball comedies of the 1930s. Andrew McCarthy stars as Cliff Godfrey, a doll house designer and perpetual loser in love who is dumped by his fiancee on the eve of their pre-nuptial vacation to Mexico. Informed by pretty travel agent Claire Enfield (Helen Hunt) that his tickets are non-refundable, the depressed Cliff goes to a bar, where he picks up a drunk party girl, Amanda Hughes (Kelly Preston), who agrees to accompany him on the trip south of the border. Once she sobers up, however, Amanda proceeds to make Cliff's vacation a nightmare, alternately flirting with and teasing him, then rejecting him for more studly prospects. But Cliff runs into Claire, who's staying at the same hotel while photographing a travel brochure, and the two begin spending time together, as Cliff helps her on the project by modeling for her pictures. Though Cliff and Claire are discovering that they are each other's soul mate, the flighty Amanda threatens to destroy their nascent romance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew McCarthy, Kelly Preston, (more)
- 1989
- R
This passable monster chiller is actually aimed at a slightly younger audience, featuring a young hero whose family relocates to an old ranch house in the Southwestern desert in which resides an ancient Comanche monster known as a "Quagway" -- which has a sweet tooth for bite-sized human morsels. Of course, the poor kid spends three-fourths of the film trying to convince his addle-brained father that there's something evil lurking about... but dad's too wrapped up in his own problems to notice. The monster is not particularly scary in full view -- and we see it in full view quite a bit -- but the film's lack of overt shocks may be due to the slightly younger age of its target audience. Direction is credited to Kevin S. Tenney, who took over after writer John Woodward withdrew. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In the middle of Murdock's regular therapy session, his psychiatrist Dr. Richter (Richard Anderson) is kidnapped. Immediately, Murdock (Dwight Schultz) alerts his A-Team colleagues, who launch a search for Richter in the treacherous jungles of "Curaguay." The rest of the episode is an extended lampoon of Apocalypse Now, replete with a megalomanic rogue army officer named Mack Stoddard (Geoffrey Lewis). And let us not forget the Team's attractive travelling companion (Jeannetta Arnette), a woman named Betty (or is it Sarah?) who claims to be Richter's daughter--as well as several other people. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- PG
This comedy fuses Three Stooges clips with a storyline about a "Stooge Maniac" who is so obsessed with the comedians his sanity comes into question. Josh Mostel plays Stooge devotee Howard F. Howard, and Melanie Chartoff is Beverly, the woman of his dreams. Howard's condition is analyzed by Dr. Fixyer Minder (Sid Caesar) and for awhile the Stooge fanatic spends some time in a mental institution. Will this damage his love affair with Beverly? And will he know it if it does? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Mostel, Melanie Chartoff, (more)
In the third and final film in the Oh, God! franchise, Bobby Shelton (Ted Wass) is a struggling musician who can't get a break, which bothers him all the more now that his wife, Wendy (Roxanne Hart), is about to have a baby. Desperate and depressed, Bobby announces that he'd sell his soul to get ahead. Suddenly, Harry O. Tophat (George Burns), Satan's earthly representative, appears and offers Bobby a deal -- seven years of unprecentented fame and fortune in exchange for his soul. Bobby cynically accepts and discovers that the devil is true to his word, but he finds that the trappings of fame and wealth are empty pleasures, and he loses Wendy along the way. When Bobby declares that he's made a horrible mistake, God (Burns), who has been watching over Bobby, offers to help get his soul back as the devil offers Bobby's place in eternity as the prize in a poker game. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Burns, Ted Wass, (more)
Jack Butler (Michael Keaton) is a Detroit automobile engineer unjustly fired by his boss. Jack's wife Caroline (Teri Garr) is compelled to get a job to make ends meet, and is soon hired on as an advertising executive in a firm run by the shifty Ron Richardson (Martin Mull. This leaves Jack at home doing the housework and taking care of the kids, which he discovers is a lot more complicated than he ever imagined. Moving from breadwinner to househusband doesn't do much for his self-esteem, and he bides his time playing poker for 10-cents-off coupons with a gaggle of neighborhood housewifes and pondering infidelity with dedicated homewrecker Joan (Ann Jillian). Among Keaton's fish-out-of-water bits: trying to maneuver a shopping cart with the inevitable wobbly wheels; and imagining a soap opera-cum-film noir episode in which he gives in to Joan's advances, only to be found out by Caroline. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, (more)
- 1979
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Quincy (Jack Klugman) is still work hand in glove with idealistic pre-med student Marty Herrera in his efforts to bring a shady, drug-pushing doctor named Mason Colella to justice. Hampering Quincy's efforts is the fact that young Herrera's method of "curing" college-age addicts is not only extreme, but illegal. Making matters worse, Colella is murdered--and Marty is arrested for the crime. Both parts of this episode originally aired in a single, two-hour timeslot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In the first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast in a single two-hour timeslot), Quincy investigates when the son of TV kiddie host Brock Campbell (Michael Constantine), dies of a quaalude overdose. The grieving Campbell had no idea that his son was a junkie--nor could he have ever imagined that the boy's drugs had all been legeally prescribed by a shady doctor named Mason Colella (Charles Aidman). In his efforts to shut Colella and his drug-pushing cronies down, Quincy joins forces with Marty Herrera (A Martinez) a eager if somewhat reckless pre-med student who is determined to purge dangerous drugs from his college campus. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
The title character in this episode is Sister Barbara (Edith Diaz), a feisty and fearless nun who works in a barrio street clinic. Undercover cop Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) admires the way in which Sister Barbara is able to reform the various drug addicts in her care. Less admiring is an unknown assailant who murders one of the nun's patients -- then prepares to kill her off as well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
