Michael Paré Movies
Best remembered for playing Eddie in Eddie & the Cruisers (1983) and its sequel, Eddie & the Cruisers 2: Eddie Lives! (1989), Michael Pare makes his living appearing in B-movies and straight-to-video actioners. The Brooklyn-born Pare started out as a New York Culinary Institute-trained sous chef and then a model. He started acting at a friend's suggestion and studied under Uta Hagen and Marvin Nelson. His first break came from playing tough student Tony Villicana on the adventure/comedy series The Greatest American Hero (1981). This led to the leading role in the made-for-television film Crazy Times (1981). Following his work in Eddie & the Cruisers, Pare starred in The Philadelphia Experiment (1984). His shot for major movie stardom came from director Walter Hill, whose own career was taking off following the success of his Eddie Murphy vehicle 48 Hrs. (1982). Hill cast Pare in the lead of Streets of Fire (1984). The director had originally meant for it to be the first of an action trilogy starring Pare, but the film failed at the box office. Subsequently Pare became the star of numerous low- and medium-budget features and the occasional made-for-cable television movie. In 1987, he starred in the short-lived television series Houston Knights. He reappeared in a big-budget feature, Village of the Damned, in 1995, but despite it's fairly big-name cast, it was unsuccessful, and Pare returned to B-movies such as Raging Angels (1995) and Bad Moon (1996). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
When a woman serving time for the murder of her husband is granted early release on the condition that she remains under house arrest for the remainder of her sentence, her past strikes back with a supernatural vengeance in this thriller from director Eric Red (Undertow and Bad Moon). Marnie Watson (Famke Jansen) was suffering under the brutal hand of her husband Mike (Michael Pare) - a violent New York City cop - when she struck back in self-defense. In the aftermath of that tragedy, Mike was dead and Marnie convicted of manslaughter. Now released from prison and outfitted with an electronic ankle bracelet the will alert authorities to her location at all times, Marnie is given strict orders to remain in her house until her sentence is served in full. As Marnie begins to serve her time, her late husband's partner observes from a patrol car parked across the street - eager for the moment she violates her probation and he can lock her up for good. But there's something else in the house with Marnie, and now the woman who thought her nightmare was finally over is about to discover that it's only just begun. Marnie's husband is just as evil in death as he was in life, and he's determined to strike back at the woman who killed him with savage ferocity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Famke Janssen, Michael Paré, (more)
In the distant future, after the Texas Confederacy has gone to war and wiped out Syria with a deadly virus because of oil prices, disgraced Captain Sean Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell) is recruited to take command of a hulking ship headed for a port in Nigeria. The ship is operated by means of forced labor from slave prisoners, and its mysterious cargo happens to be containers of the deadly virus used in the war. The ruthless Proxate Corporation, represented on the ship by icy businessman Tarkis (Michael Pare), wants the ship sunk despite the idea that the cargo would contaminate all the water on the planet. Capt. Murdoch finds an opportunity to redeem himself in saving the ship and its crew of violent convicts, but the wily cyborg (Daniela Nolano) sent to sabotage the ship has abilities that may prove to be too much for Murdoch and his crew to combat. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Michael Paré, (more)
A small town baseball announcer embarks on the journey of a lifetime after facing the prospect of being placed in a retirement home against his will in this bittersweet drama featuring Academy Award-winning actor Rod Steiger in his final film role. Despite the fact that his health is fading, and having recently suffered a mild stroke, Charlie McCabe is reluctant to give up his announcing position for the local baseball team and settle quietly into a local nursing home. Recalling an unfulfilled promise that he had made to his late wife that he would make amends with his estranged son, Charlie and his loving granddaughter Biddy set out to make good on his word and lay old ghosts to rest. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
While on assignment in the jungles of Nepal, photojournalist Ted Harrison (Michael Pare) and his girlfriend are savagely attacked by a hideous beast which tears the woman to shreds and leaves Ted badly mauled. He later returns to the States to live near his sister Janet (Mariel Hemingway), nephew Brett (Mason Gamble) and their German shepherd Thor, hoping the presence of family will dispel the horrific memories... until the inevitable effects of a werewolf curse begin to surface. As his humanity begins slipping away, only the family dog begins to suspect something is wrong -- but poor Thor ends up being the chief suspect in a string of recent mutilation murders. Writer/director Eric Red's script (based on the novel Thor by Wayne Smith) plays with the standard werewolf conventions -- territory already barren after being strip-mined by a plethora of Howling sequels -- but tends to retreat into cliché too often to kick it more than a notch or two above the average direct-to-video fodder. Cinematographer Jan Kiesser's widescreen compositions lend a threatening edge to the woodland locations but are sadly lost to cable and home-video formatting. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mariel Hemingway, Michael Paré, (more)
Things start off bad and quickly take a turn for the worse when Matt (Patrick Muldoon) takes a trip to visit his girlfriend Dawn's (Keegan Connor Tracy) reclusive backwoods parents in this dramatic thriller from director Uwe Boll. Haunted after having caused the death of a young girl in a drunk driving accident years before, Matt's inner demons tear at his insides as he attempts to put the past behind him and start a new life with Dawn. Stopping off at a hotel for a quick round of lovemaking before they venture into the woods, Matt must subsequently fend off an axe-wielding psychopath before discovering that Dawn has disappeared. Though Matt soon finds the route to the house in the woods, he is unexpectedly attacked by Dawn and imprisoned by the family. Put on trial by the family for killing their youngest daughter in the drunk driving incident, Matt's nightmare soon becomes a waking reality as he desperately struggles to escape the clutches of Dawn's family and maintain his slipping sanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Muldoon, Keegan Connor Tracy, (more)
- 1992
This implausible action film stars Michael Pare as a soldier who must rescue the CIA-director's daughter (Janis Lee) from a Turkish prison camp. In the process, Pare is temporarily blinded but uses his psychic abilities to defeat a group of Arab terrorists attempting to steal plutonium to blow up the world. Director Bob Misiorowski handles the action scenes fairly well, but the silly premise seems to have been patched together from several different scripts, none of them very good. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
The war against the forces of darkness becomes a family affair in this cinematic prequel to the popular video game Bloodrayne. In 16th century Europe, Lord Kagan (Ben Kingsley) is an evil ruler who holds more power than any man alive, but he still dreams of having more, and when he's told of three magic talismans who, when united, will give him intense supernatural strength and the gift of immortality, he will stop at nothing to attain them. However, three warriors who have learned how to battle the forces of darkness -- Vladimir (Michael Madsen), Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez), and Sebastian (Matt Davis) -- have formed the Brimstone Society, with the goal of stripping Kagan of his power and restoring justice to their land. They can't accomplish this on their own, though, so they enlist the aid of Rayne (Kristanna Loken), a half-human, half-vampire who can approach Kagan's sinister gifts while having a desire to do good. However, Rayne is torn about signing on with the Brimstone Society, and for a good reason -- Kagan is her father. Scripted by actress, screenwriter, and video-game enthusiast Guinevere Turner, BloodRayne also stars Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Billy Zane, Michael Paré, and Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez, (more)
Game-to-screen specialist Uwe Boll follows up his plasma-blasting 2005 hit with this sequel that finds vengeful dhampir Rayne (Natassia Malthe) traveling to the Wild West for a violent showdown against vampiric American outlaw Billy the Kid. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natassia Malthe, Zack Ward, (more)
This made-for-cable science fiction drama is set in a grim future where abuse of the environment has rendered much of the Earth unlivable and most of the survivors wile away their days playing high-tech virtual reality adventure games. Carver (Michael Pare), who works for DreamCore, the world's leading VR technology firm, makes a startling discovery after his close friend Dinah (Tara Maria Manuel) dies testing a new game. It seems that Dinah was working with a revolutionary system called the Trancender, which allows players unprecedented entry into the VR world but also allows the creatures from the VR games to enter the real world. Carver must first travel into the virtual world in hopes of finding out the truth about Dinah's murder, then track down the VR killers who have left it behind. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Tara Maria Manuel, (more)
- 1981
In this socially conscious drama, set in 1955, three tough New York youths must learn to deal with a troubled world. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock comes this neo-noir, murder-mystery thriller concerning a jaded LAPD detective attempting to solve a series of perplexing missing-person cases. Harry Boyd (Michael Paré) is in a tight jam; not only is he recovering from a serious injury, but should he fail in apprehending the culprit responsible for terrorizing the city, he may well lose his job. Meanwhile, as Harry walks a careful line with his loudmouth, lowbrow partner Bob (Charles Arthur Berg), he receives a disturbing piece of news: His ex-wife's teenage niece Grace (Jen Graham) has gone missing, apparently the victim of the kidnapper who haunts the city shadows. Later, Harry's ex-wife Nicole (Theresa Russell draws suspicion by returning from Las Vegas with shady new boyfriend Rick (Steven Bauer) and displaying some seriously bizarre conduct as the pair begins their own investigation. As Grace's drunken, short fused father Charlie (James Russo) become a prime suspect in the case, Harry attempts to gather evidence while resisting the advances of Bob's overly persistent, ex-stripper wife Zoey (Julie St. Clair), who longs to seduce her husband's partner, and refuses to take no for an answer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Teresa Russell, (more)
- 1993
In this action-thriller, Brad Cartowski (Michael Pare) is a Navy SEAL whose wife, Marcy (Claudette Mink), has been kidnapped by a band of Libyan terrorists. The terrorists have also hijacked an airliner filled with passengers, and in exchange for the return of both Marcy, the jet, and its passengers, they're demanding the release of Carlos (Billy Drago), the leader of their organization who has been captured by American operatives. The United States warily agrees to the deal, but after Carlos is set free in Athens, he and his men decide to keep the plane -- and Marcy. An outraged Brad discovers the U.S. military is hesitant to step in and save Marcy, so he teams up with fellow SEAL Cody (Jan-Michael Vincent) to stage a rescue mission on their own. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Billy Drago, (more)
- 1999
- R
A man learns the downside of trusting your friends in this thriller. Mitch (Lorenzo Lamas) is a pressman who receives a call from Dennis, a close friend from childhood. Dennis asks Mitch to give him back the $10,000 he lent him years ago. Mitch has no memory of borrowing that kind of money, but he figures that his friend wouldn't try to cheat him. However, it turns out that Dennis now works as a bookie, and he's invented the story of Mitch's debt in order to shame Mitch into helping him with a counterfeiting scheme that he's become involved with through a Mafia underling. Back to Even stars Michael Pare and Angela Jones. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorenzo Lamas, Michael Paré, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this futuristic film, the controlling corporations of the world gain and lose power by competing with one another in one-on-one death matches. However when fighter Falchion (Paul Coufos) refuses to compete, he must run from the wrath of the big businessmen and his spurned opponent. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This elaborate made-for-television sci-fi thriller is set in a future where the Earth has become uninhabitable, and the few surviving humans are forced to live in elevated cities. Due to limited space, virtual reality has replaced actual experiences as the primary form of entertainment, most of which is provided by the gigantic DreamCore corporation. Taking place within the minds of the user, virtual reality excursions and adventures are generally safe, but mistakes do occasionally happen and that is when Dream Breaker Carver gets involved. He gets his toughest case yet when DreamCore senior researcher Dinah disappears and then turns up a lifeless shell after playing one of the VR games she created. Carver's subsequent investigation reveals that Dinah had invented a special VR chip and implanted it in her body so she would no longer require cumbersome equipment to enter her fantasy world. But when she used the chip, something went horribly wrong, and a rift between the real and virtual world occurred, leaving Dinah's body dead, but her soul trapped in the VR world. Just as she was able to permanently enter that fantastical realm, so were the monsters she battled there, free to enter the real world with all their murderous abilities intact. The most deadly of these is The Angel, and once free she sets out to destroy the last remaining vestige of humanity. It is up to Carver and his colleagues to figure out a way to safely enter the alternative world, stop the Angel and the balance Dinah inadvertently destroyed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré
In the early 1960's, Eddie Wilson (Michael Pare) and his band The Cruisers enjoyed a brief fling with success, but their career came to a halt when Eddie's badly damaged car was discovered in an accident on a bridge. However, Eddie's body was never found, and years later, a reissue of the group's only album sparks rumors that the mysterious Eddie might still be alive. Frank Ridgeway (Tom Berenger), Eddie's former piano player and lyricist, finds himself trailed by Maggie Foley (Ellen Barkin), a reporter trying to find out the truth about Eddie, as well as another former bandmate who wants Frank to join his revamped version of the Cruisers -- and is trying to track down the tapes for the Cruisers' unreleased second album. While not a box-office success on its original release, Eddie and the Cruisers developed a following after its showings on cable television and release on videotape; this led to the belated success of the film's soundtrack album, featuring a number of bombastic neo-Springsteen numbers by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. Beaver Brown saxophonist Michael "Tunes" Antunes plays Wendell, the Cruisers' sax player and Eddie's best friend (despite the fact that we never hear him speak). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Michael Paré, (more)
- 1989
- PG13
This sequel to the rock & roll mystery Eddie and the Cruisers explains many of the questions concerning the mysterious death of 1960s rocker Eddie Wilson, who with his Cruisers was celebrating the success of their first album when he got in a terrible car wreck, from which his body was never recovered. Also missing were the masters from the group's upcoming second album. This story begins 25-years later as Eddie Wilson is found living in Montreal under an assumed name. At this time, the masters from the second album are finally released and suddenly the whole continent is caught up in a resurgence of "Eddiemania." This inspires Wilson, who continues to use an alias, to form a new band and hit the road. Once again, his music is provided by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Marina Orsini, (more)
- 1991
Michael Pare and Mary Mara star in this thriller about two police detectives who fall into a passionate relationship as they investigate a murder among the wealthy and privileged. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Mary Mara, (more)
- 1998
- R
In this near-future-set sci-fi thriller, a team of specialists are launched into space to journey to an asteroid field to bring back one of the mineral-rich meteors in hopes of restoring some of Earth's depleted natural resources. One of the team members is an insane megalomaniac who will try to kill the others and use the asteroid to annihilate all humanity. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Heidi von Palleske, (more)
A hardened seaman and a dogged reporter become trapped on an island with a mysterious scientist, a ruthless band of mercenaries, and a vicious pack of unidentifiable creatures in BloodRayne director Uwe Boll's seventh video game-to-screen adaptation. A team of mercenaries has been attacked on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and as mysterious reports begin to emerge from the chaos, a veteran Seattle newspaper editor sends top reporters Tom Moore and Valerie Constantine to the scene in hopes of getting the scoop on the story. Shortly after arriving on the island under the guidance of ship captain Jack Carver (Til Schweiger), the trio is attacked by mercenary commander Maria Sanchez. Though Tom is killed, Valerie and Jack manage to stage a daring escape and quickly begin to bicker over their plan as Maria's murderous soldiers fast begin gaining ground. Despite Captain Jack's plan to locate his friend Emilio and get off of the island as quickly as possible, reporter Valerie remains determined to investigate the strange situation and get as many details as possible for her upcoming story. Later, when Jack, Valerie, and Emilio are captured and taken to the secret lab of genius scientist Dr. Krieger, Valerie is extended an invitation to join the doctor in announcing his latest findings to the world. Though it finally seems as if Valerie has gotten just the scoop needed to make her story, the situation quickly turns chaotic when one of Dr. Kreiger's creatures escapes from the lab and sets out on a murderous rampage. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Til Schweiger, Emmanuelle Vaugier, (more)
- 2006
Michael Paré, Danny Trejo, Ja Rule, and Tom Sizemore star in this nightmarish tale of a maximum security prison overtaken by a malevolent supernatural force. Upon entering into a notorious penitentiary to explore a gruesome series of deaths, Detective Michael Turner (Paré) discovers that his latest case may not be as cut and dry as he initially suspected. It seems that these cold concrete halls are home to not only some of the world's most dangerous criminals, but also a force beyond human comprehension. Now, as this vengeful entity lashes out and the body count begins to rise, the hardened inmates struggle desperately to stay alive and the tireless detective works around the clock to reverse this deadly curse. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ja Rule, Michael Paré, (more)
A long-dead monster gets a new lease on life as a Romanian village is under siege in this made-for-cable horror story. After a number of Americans have been disappearing under mysterious circumstances in Bucharest, a pair of U.S. intelligence agents are sent to Romania to investigate. It soon becomes clear they aren't dealing with ordinary criminals -- over 400 years before, a strange and bloodthirsty beast ravaging the town was captured and sealed in a crypt, and a recent earthquake has opened the tomb and brought the creature back to life. As the agents and the townspeople look for a way to vanquish the monster, they also become aware of a coven of vampires who are doing their evil business in town. Gargoyle: Wings of Darkness features Michael Paré, Kate Orsini, and Sandra Hess. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
