Laraine Newman Movies
A student of mime artist Marcel Marceau, LA-born Laraine Newman utilized her artistic training in the cause of comedy. In 1972, she joined the Groundlings improvisational troupe (spawning ground for such major comic talents as Phil Hartman and Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens), making her film debut with several fellow improvvers in the 1975 pastiche Tunnelvision. She went on to work as an ensemble player on the 1975 summer-replacement TV variety series Manhattan Transfer. From 1975 through 1980, Laraine was a regular on the ground-breaking weekend comedy series Saturday Night Live. While her contributions were always well-received, Laraine tended to play third banana to the other SNL ladies Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin, reportedly because of her acute shyness. Her best moments on the series occurred when she played alien teenager Laarta in the "Coneheads" sketches; her particular low point was the time she nearly drowned during a "witch-hunt" sketch starring Steve Martin. Free of her SNL duties in 1980, Laraine played a supporting role in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories, and was featured in such "comedy salads" (Ms. Newman's own term for feature films overloaded with TV comedians) as Wholly Moses (1980) and Yellowbeard (1982). The world first saw Ms. Newman's new nose job when she co-starred in the 1985 John Travolta-Jamie Lee Curtis starrer Perfect. The following year, Laraine hosted a syndicated "bad movie" TV anthology, Canned Film Festival. Laraine Newman's screen appearances of the 1990s have included the role of Susan Rock in 1993's The Flintstones and a revival of Laarta in the like-vintage The Coneheads. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi- 1996
The title of this made-for-TV period drama refers to a low-income suburban New Jersey housing project, which in the year 1958 represents the life's dream of vivacious Brooklyn housewife Gloria Goodman (Kirstie Alley. Weighed down with a well-meaning but boorish husband (Clancy Brown) and a pair of unruly children (Adam Lamberg, Tori McPetrie), Gloria can only dream of life beyond the four walls of her drab little apartment. Enter Bert Kramer (Gil Bellows), a freewheeling young "beat" writer who may well be the only person capable of liberating Gloria and paving the way towards that El Dorado known as Radiant City. The film made its ABC debut on March 31, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Clancy Brown, (more)
In this "sequel" to Roger Corman's 1971 Von Richtofen and Brown (produced by Corman himself), a toy World War I plane belonging to a young boy (Tobey Maguire) is possessed by the spirit of the deceased Red Baron. The possessed plane begins killing people with real bullets from a toy machine gun. The boy turns for help to his grandfather (Mickey Rooney) -- who just happens to be the man who actually shot down the Red Baron in World War I. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mickey Rooney, Tobey Maguire, (more)
A courageous canine protects his family from dastardly criminals. Hal Holbrook and Rue McClanahan star. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook, Rue McClanahan, (more)
For over three decades, Saturday Night Live has been the source of young comedic talent and helped to launch the careers of countless performers, making them household names. Still considered iconic for their live performances from Studio 8H in New York, the original cast of SNL (including Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and John Belushi) set the tone for years to follow with their irreverent, edgy humor. They combined anti-establishment political satire with rock-and-roll attitude for a show that spoke to the youth of the 1970's, turning it into an instant sensation. Although only the second year on the air, the 1976-1977 season turned out to be the last for Chevy Chase, but the first for a young comedian named Bill Murray. The complete second season of SNL contains legendary musical performances by artists Joe Cocker, The Band, Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, George Harrison, Frank Zappa, Chuck Berry, The Kinks, Santana and Tom Waits and classic appearances by hosts Lily Tomlin, Norman Lear, Steve Martin, Dick Cavett, Jodie Foster, Candice Bergen, Ralph Nader, Fran Tarkenton, Sissy Spacek, Elliott Gould and Shelly Duvall.
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, (more)
Continuing the enormous success of the previous two years, the third season of SNL (1977-78) showcased a fearless cast that created some of the most memorable sketches to ever appear on the show. With hilarious breakthrough characters like The Nerds (Bill Murray and Gilda Radner), Coneheads (Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin), lounge singer Nick Winters (Bill Murray), Samurai Warrior (John Belushi), a singing King Tut (legendary SNL host Steve Martin) and featuring Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) as well as "The Franken and Davis Show" (Al Franken and Tom Davis), SNL continued to define itself as the pinnacle of irreverent humor and political satire.
The complete third season of SNL contains unforgettable appearances by hosts Steve Martin, Michael Palin, Hugh Hefner, Buck Henry, Robert Klein, Chevy Chase, Madeline Kahn, Richard Dreyfuss, O.J. Simpson and the winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest, Miskel Spillman, and classic musical performances by Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ashford & Simpson, Meat Loaf and The Blues Brothers.
The complete third season of SNL contains unforgettable appearances by hosts Steve Martin, Michael Palin, Hugh Hefner, Buck Henry, Robert Klein, Chevy Chase, Madeline Kahn, Richard Dreyfuss, O.J. Simpson and the winner of the "Anyone Can Host" contest, Miskel Spillman, and classic musical performances by Elvis Costello, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, Leon Redbone, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Ashford & Simpson, Meat Loaf and The Blues Brothers.
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, (more)
Returning for a fourth season (1978-79), the cast and writers of Saturday Night Live maintained their reputation for hilarious characters and innovative sketch-comedy, creating characters such as the Blues Brothers (John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd), Nick the Lounge Singer (Bill Murray), Candy Slice (Gilda Radner), the Loud Family (Jane Curtin, Murray, and Radner), Fred Garvin: Male Prostitute (Aykroyd), and the Nerds (Murray and Radner). Other favorites include the return of iconic host Steve Martin (with Aykroyd as the "wild and crazy" Festrunk Brothers) and Buck Henry's inappropriate Uncle Roy. The 20 episodes of Season 4 feature classic performances from hosts Fred Willard, Carrie Fisher, Kate Jackson, Milton Berle, Michael Palin, Eric Idle, Elliott Gould, Frank Zappa, Gary Busey, and Walter Matthau. Unforgettable musical guests include Peter Tosh, Mick Jagger, the Doobie Brothers, Bette Midler, Talking Heads, Devo, Van Morrison, Grateful Dead, Rickie Lee Jones, James Taylor, and the Rolling Stones.
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, (more)
- 1985
- G
- Add Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird to Queue Add Sesame Street Presents: Follow that Bird to top of Queue
The first film to be adapted from the popular children's television series Sesame Street, Follow That Bird follows the story of Big Bird after a social worker (Sally Kellerman) takes him away from Sesame Street to live with a family of birds in Illinois. Unhappy in his new surroundings, Big Bird attempts to hitchhike back home to Sesame Street. Over the course of his journey he meets a number of odd and charming characters, in the form of cameos by Chevy Chase, Sandra Bernhard, Waylon Jennings, Dave Thomas and John Candy. The music for this engaging family film was written by Van Dyke Parks and Lennie Niehaus. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Carroll Spinney, Jim Henson, (more)
The cranky beast with a heart of gold returns to the big screen in this sequel to the computer-animated smash hit Shrek. After massive green ogre Shrek (voice of Mike Myers) and his new bride, Princess Fiona (voice of Cameron Diaz), return from their honeymoon, they receive an invitation to visit Fiona's parents, King Harold (voice of John Cleese) and Queen Lillian (voice of Julie Andrews), who are the monarchs of The Land Far, Far Away. However, the king and queen are more than a bit alarmed to discover their new son-in-law is a monster the color of algae, and that their daughter's little problem with a magical spell gone wrong has turned into a full-time skin condition. Certain this isn't the sort of "happily ever after" they dreamed of for their daughter, King Harold decides to take Shrek out of the picture and return Fiona to her former beauty with the help of Prince Charming (voice of Rupert Everett), the Fairy Godmother (voice of Jennifer Saunders), and ogre-slaying feline Puss in Boots (voice of Antonio Banderas). Shrek 2 also features the voice of Eddie Murphy returning as Donkey, as well as Larry King as an Ugly Stepsister. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, (more)
The classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale gets a lavish CG makeover as directors Byron Howard and Nathan Greno team up to tell the tale of a fair-haired beauty (voiced by Mandy Moore) with long-flowing locks, a gallant hero with a heart of gold, and the evil witch who plots to keep these lovelorn innocents apart. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, (more)
A kid who hates ants finds himself living among the six-legged critters in this computer-animated comedy-adventure. Lucas Nickle (voice of Zach Tyler Eisen) is a ten-year-old boy whose family has just moved to a new town, and Lucas isn't enjoying it much -- he hasn't made any friends yet, his big sister ignores him, his parents (voices of Larry Miller and Cheri Oteri) are occupied with their upcoming vacation in Mexico, and his loving but slightly crazy grandmother (voice of Lily Tomlin) is convinced space aliens are casing out the neighborhood. To make matters worse, the local bully has found Lucas and is making his life miserable, so the boy looks for someone he can push around -- and he soon finds a large colony of ants in his yard. Lucas takes out his frustrations by stomping, drowning, and burying the bugs, little realizing the ants see him as a threat to their safety and aren't about take his attacks lying down. Zoc (voice of Nicolas Cage) is a "wizard ant" who creates a formula that shrinks Lucas to the size of an insect, and the tiny boy is brought before the leader of the Ant Council (voice of Ricardo Montalban) and the Queen of the Colony (voice of Meryl Streep) to answer for his crimes against the ants. Showing compassion, the queen sentences Lucas not to death, but to live among them and see how difficult their circumstances can be. Nurse Ant Hova (voice of Julia Roberts) is put in charge of looking after Lucas, and with the help of Scout Fugax (voice of Bruce Campbell) and Forager Kreela (voice of Regina King), Lucas gets an eye-opening picture of how the other half lives -- just in time for Lucas to help the ants in an all-out battle against Stan (voice of Paul Giamatti), a pest-control man brought in to get rid of the bugs. Produced by Tom Hanks, The Ant Bully was written and directed by John A. Davis, who handled the same chores on the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, (more)
- 1989
Within a single year, Gilda Radner rose from talented but obscure improv comedienne to "America's Sweetheart" thanks to NBC's Saturday Night Live. The 60-minute video The Best of Gilda Radner is culled from SNL's vintage years, 1975 to 1980. Included are such beloved Radner creations as Roseanne Roseannadanna ("Thought ah wuz gonna die!"), Emily Litella ("Never mind!"), Lisa Looper ("That was so funny I a'most fergot t' LAFFFFF") and, of course, Baba Wawa. We are also treated to Gilda's takeoff of Lucille Ball and her extended "Dancing in the Dark" number with Steve Martin. You may find yourself alternately laughing and crying through The Best of Gilda Radner--crying because this matchless performer left this world much too soon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
Assembled long after John Belushi's death in 1982, The Best of John Belushi is at once hilarious and melancholy. From 1975 to 1979, Belushi was a member in excellent standing of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on NBC's Saturday Night Live. This 60-minute video covers those amazing years, offering such highlights as "Samurai Delicatessen" and "The Honeybees." Best and most poignant of all the scenes is the elegiac "Don't Look Back in Anger". This is the one wherein an aged John Belushi strolls reflectively past the graves of all his SNL costars-then breaks into an exuberant dance. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Belushi
The good (if not fully evolved) citizens of Bedrock make their way to the big screen in this live-action adaptation of the popular animated series of the 1960s. Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) and his best friend Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) work together at the Slate and Company Rock Quarry. When Fred loans Barney some money that allows him and his wife Betty (Rosie O'Donnell) to adopt a child, Barney is looking for a way to show his gratitude. Barney thinks he's found one when the executives at Slate and Company announce that they're giving all their employees intelligence tests to help determine future promotions. When Barney switches his high-scoring test with Fred's, his plan works -- but not quite the way he had hoped: Fred is deemed executive material and given a big promotion, complete with a sexy secretary (Halle Berry) who makes his wife Wilma (Elizabeth Perkins) jealous, while Barney is soon out of a job and can't pay his bills. Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbara, who created the original television series, make cameo appearances here; Elizabeth Taylor gives a fine comic performance as Wilma's nagging mother, and Harvey Korman provides the voice of the Dictabird. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, (more)
A handful of zoo animals leave behind their well-protected environment for the streets of the big city in this computer-animated comedy. Sampson (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) is the king of a make-believe jungle far from the African plains -- he's a lion on display at a zoo in New York City's Central Park, and he lords it over the other animals, including Nigel (voice of Eddie Izzard), a testy koala bear; Larry, a dumb but well-meaning snake; ; Bridget (voice of Janeane Garofalo), a bright but cynical giraffe; and Benny (voice of Jim Belushi), a very New York-ish squirrel who is good friends with Sampson and is trying to romance Bridget without much success. The pride and joy of Sampson's life is his son, Ryan (voice of Greg Cipes), and he's devastated when one day Ryan is crated up and shipped back to Africa. Sampson is desperate to find his boy, and with the help of his pals he escapes the zoo and sets out on a daring mission to rescue Ryan, battling the unfamiliar terrain and Kazar, a wildebeest with a will to power and a passion for choreography (voice of William Shatner) along the way. The Wild was the first directorial credit for animator and special-effects artist Steve "Spaz" Williams. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, (more)
- 1978
This episodic comedy features the original cast of Saturday Night Live as they present individual skits that describe their summer vacations. Among the highlights is a concert segment featuring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the Blues Brothers. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1985
In this drama, a married woman hires herself out as a surrogate wife and gets into big trouble. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1976
- R
This futuristic parody on television is made up of various sketches, and features some early performances of later well-known comics. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Philip Proctor, Howard Hesseman, (more)
- 1998
The History of the World and other business is reinterpreted through the skewered vision of the Warner Bros. Animation team in Season One of the aptly titled cartoon series Warner Bros! Histeria. Led by the decrepit Father Time, the Histeria! crew (including the likes of Mr. Smartypants, Miss Information and Big Fat Baby) get things rolling by introducing Alexander Graham Bell via the Serlingesque "Telephone Zone", then move on to make life miserable for $Thomas Edison and J. Robert Oppenheimer. In later episodes, the life of Abraham Lincoln is morphs into the Brady Bunch theme song; George Washington bids farewell to his troops in the manner of a Bob Hope monologue; Nostradamus and Descartes have a philosophical discussion over whether the chicken or the egg came first; Leonardo Da Vinci becomes a painter through the patronage of the Book Formerly Known as "Prince"; the royal family of Ancient Egypt performs its own version of "Cats"; the conquest of Montezuma is detoured by a perusal of the Inca Shopping Network; the history of the Tudors is reformatted as a bloody slasher flick; there's an informercial for "Super Amazing Constitution"; the Yalta Conference degenerates into a pie fight; and Khrushschev tries yet again to sneak into Disneyland. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Welker, Cree Summer, (more)
- 1999
With 46 episodes to its credit in Season One, the zany animated educational series Warner Bros. Histeria was supposed to have offered 19 more episodes for its second season. However, the series' disappointing ratings prompted the WB network to cut down its episode manifest, and thus only seven more episodes were churned out by the animators. However, these installments are every bit as funny as the first batch, with Father Time, Mr. Smartypants, Aka Pella, Miss Information et. al. guiding viewers on a skewered, slapsticky jaunt through history. In the season opener, the Histeria! gang accompanies Neil Armstrong to the moon (Bang! Zoom!) Then it's off for a slightly more serious visit to Martin Luther King and a drop-in at the trial of Socrates. A stopover in the court of Charlemagne results in a "scrapple at the chapel", followed by random historical glimpse as viewed by the flatulent Big Fat Baby. Napoleon is subjected to jokes about his height during a visit to France, which also includes the solemn "Tennis Court Oath." And finally, a journey through North America takes us all the way from Alaska to...Mayberry? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frank Welker, Cree Summer, (more)
A broadly farcical comedy that attempts to ape the wickedly funny, Bible-spoofing humor of the previous year's Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), this all-star rib-tickler top-lines Dudley Moore as Herschel, a historical also-ran whose life so closely parallels that of Moses that Herschel begins believing that he, not the other guy, is God's chosen prophet, setting out to free his people from slavery even though his services are not required. Herschel's travels are always a step or two behind Moses and bring him into the company of various period personnel, including Egypt's Pharoah (Richard Pryor), the Devil (John Ritter), an angel (Paul Sand), and the beautiful Zerelda (Laraine Newman). He also discovers that his slave, Hyssop (James Coco), is actually his biological father. Herschel eventually becomes the subject of the lost "Book of Herschel," recounted in a scroll discovered by a modern-day couple (also played by Moore and Newman) vacationing in the Holy Land. Wholly Moses (1980) co-stars several other recognizable actors in supporting roles, including John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, and Jack Gilford. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Laraine Newman, (more)
- 1993
- R
In Witchboard 2, naive Paige Benedict (Ami Dolenz) moves into an artist's studio loft, finding a Ouija board he left behind. A former tenant of the apartment, Susan, contacts Paige through the board, telling her that she was murdered. In no time, Paige's fellow tenants are being killed off, and she is haunted by vicious nightmares. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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