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
A dark comedy punctuated by moments of drama, The Virgin Suicides explores the emotional underpinnings of a family starting to come apart at the seams in 1970's Midwestern America. The Lisbons seem like an ordinary enough family; Father (James Woods) teaches math at a high school in Michigan, Mother (Kathleen Turner) has a strong religious faith, and they have five teenage daughters, ranging from 13-year-old Cecilia (Hannah Hall) to 17-year-old Therese (Leslie Hayman). However, the Lisbon family's sense of normalcy is shattered when Cecilia falls into a deep depression and attempts suicide. The family is shaken and Mother and Father seek the advice of psychiatrist Dr. Hornicker (Danny DeVito), who suggests the girls should be allowed to socialize more with boys. However, boys soon become a serious problem for Cecilia's sister Lux (Kirsten Dunst). Lux has attracted the eye of a high-school Romeo named Trip (Josh Hartnett), who assures Father of his good intentions. But Cecilia finally makes good on her decision to kill herself, throwing the Lisbons into a panic; and after attending a school dance, Trip seduces and then abandons Lux. The Lisbons pull their daughters out of school, as an emotionally frayed Mother keeps close watch over them. Meanwhile, Lux continues to attract the attentions of the local boys, and she responds with a series of clandestine sexual episodes with random partners as often as she can sneak out of the house. The debut feature from Sofia Coppola (whose father, Francis Ford Coppola, co-produced this film), The Virgin Suicides also features supporting performances from Scott Glenn and Giovanni Ribisi. The film was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series as the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, James Woods, (more)
A potential disaster rocks a space station and the lives of those on board in this suspense-filled science fiction drama. Konrad (Michael Pare) is a scientist who, while piloting a small spacecraft, accidentally crashes into Tesla, a laboratory in space created and maintained by the Russian government. While accusations of sabotage and sinister intentions greet Konrad upon his arrival, in time he is accepted by the multinational crew. But as personal tension begins to grow among the crew, it's learned that something is wrong with Tesla --something which could pull the space station out of orbit and send it crashing to Earth. Faced with the distinct possibility of a fiery death, the mood aboard Tesla turns from ugly to violent as Konrad and the others try to find a way to save the station -- and themselves. In the Dead of Space also features Lisa Bingley, Tony Curtis Blondell, and George Chuvalo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Lisa Bingley, (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)
- 1998
- NR
A couple of decades after ruining his brilliant football career, Rico "Bullet" Burke must decide whether to continue working as a mobster's tool or turn over a new leaf and make a better life for himself and his dependent brother Joey. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Ray Serra, (more)
Actor/director Forest Whitaker (Waiting to Exhale) helmed this romantic drama about a one-time high-school beauty queen who returns to her hometown of Smithville, TX. The Steven Rogers screenplay begins in Chicago, where blonde Connie (Rosanna Arquette, uncredited) appears on a trashy daytime talk show and tells a nationwide TV audience about her affair with the husband of her best friend, Birdie Pruitt (Sandra Bullock). Walking into the ambush, Birdie is paraded forth for a public humiliation as Connie's claim is confirmed by husband Bill (Michael Paré). Birdie and her young daughter, Bernice (Mae Whitman), then move back to Texas to live with Birdie's eccentric mother, Ramona (Gena Rowlands), a taxidermist who has filled the house with stuffed animals. Since most of Smithville saw the TV show, embarrassment keeps Birdie sitting around the house in her pajamas; however, her moment of glory as the homecoming "Queen of Corn" has not been forgotten by handyman Justin Matisse (Harry Connick Jr.), the first guy who kissed her back in high school, so a romance soon begins. "Just give hope a chance to float up and it will," says Birdie. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr., (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)
- 1997
- R
Though it happened over a quarter century in the past, a grieving police officer remains obsessed with bringing to justice the creeps who slew his family. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Linda Hoffman, (more)
This silly Canadian action film concerns a cop named Robby (Michael Paré) hired by a mysterious woman, Sela (Caroline Neron), to find her missing sister. Not only does Sela have two different-colored eyes, but she may have actually once been the brother of the missing Billy (Lucie Laurier), who is now working in seedy gang-owned strip clubs. Robby has his own problems, too -- involving his no-good brother, who had his thumb cut off by a Chinese gangster and walks around with it in a box while complicating Robby's life. Throw in a slumming Pam Grier as Robby's lusty lesbian partner; Maury Chaykin in a hilarious bit part as a drooling voyeur; and Paré turning in what must be his worst performance ever as the clueless cop -- and the resultant mess is a rare treat for fans of bad cinema. Viewers seeking a gritty action-thriller are advised to look elsewhere. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Caroline Neron, (more)
Set in a high-price Malibu community, this made-for-TV drama wallows in a multitude of extramarital affairs, corporate intrigue and elegant back-stabbing, with murder the logical extension to all the hanky-panky. Characters crucial to the plotline are a cop posing as an auto mechanic, and a sexy nanny who intends to break up her best friend's marriage. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, a sure sign that the film was actually the pilot for an unsold series. Written and produced by Dynasty veterans Richard Shapiro and Esther Shapiro, The Colony was originally consigned to a "dog day" timeslot on July 4, 1996, by its parent network ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Brian Bloom, (more)
A dark and brooding atmosphere pervades this dramatic, convoluted account of a battle between a backwater lawman and the would-be crime lord he recognizes as a former army buddy who turned traitor during the Middle-East conflict. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Macha Grenon, (more)
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)
- 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
A man who turns stool pigeon to win his freedom falls into a trap when he falls for the wrong woman in this thriller. T.C. Cooper (Michael Paré) is a thief who is doing a long stretch in prison. Oscar Pierce (Billy Dee Williams) is an FBI agent makes Cooper an offer -- if Cooper is willing to help him get the goods on jewel thief Jimmy Ray Danker (Patrick Bergin), he'll let Cooper free on parole. Cooper warily agrees to the offer, but Pierce warns him to tread lightly around Julia Summers (Ashley Laurence), Danker's girlfriend. Cooper earns Danker's trust and they become partners for a major heist, but despite Pierce's warning, Cooper finds himself becoming obsessed with the beautiful Summers, and she finds herself equally attracted to him. Soon, Danker is certain that Cooper has betrayed him with Summers, and Summers begins to suspect that Cooper will betray both her and her boyfriend by turning them in to the Feds. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Billy Dee Williams, (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)
- 1995
- R
Two aspiring young rockers in love with each other, try to make it into Colin Gramercy's upcoming show. Gramercy is not only a major star, he is also the celebrity spokesperson for the World Unity Coalition, a front for a wicked, subversive organization. The girl, Lila, is chosen for a back-up singer. This low-budget hodgepodge of film genres, chronicles her exploits. Soon after she is chosen her boy friend Chris' grandmother suddenly begins having terrifying prescient dreams about the organization. Demons begin to attack her and she dies of a coronary, but not before she begs psychic, powerful Sister Kate to watch over Chris and Lila, who are both in terrible danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This film is a remake of the classic 1960 science-fiction thriller, Village of the Damned, which was based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. Veteran horror director John Carpenter is at the helm this time, with Christopher Reeve replacing George Sanders in the starring role. Aliens put the entire village of Midwich to sleep for 24 hours and impregnate many women. Reeve plays Alan Chaffee, the town doctor, whose wife Barbara (Karen Kahn) is one of the women carrying an alien baby. Visiting scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Kristie Alley) is monitoring the situation for the government. She supervises a mass birthing in a barn. The children turn out to be white-haired, glassy-eyed, and telepathic. Their plan is to use their supernatural powers to kill the villagers and help the aliens take over, and only Chaffee and Verner can stop them. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1994
- NR
Filled with plenty of fisticuffs and karate, this actioner follows a tough New Orleans police officer on his personal quest to solve a series cop killings. The cop hires a mercenary biker to help with his private investigation. Their research reveals that the culprit is the town's biggest drug lord and his reason for the killings is revenge for the death of his henchmen. Things get more complex when the good guys realize that the drug lord has made a mistake. The cops aren't killing his thugs, but someone else certainly is. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Michael Paré, (more)
- 1994
It's been almost three decades since the ozone layer disintegrated, and the Earth is a pretty rotten place to be. A lucky few humans are living in a space station and working on a secret formula that will restore the atmosphere. Unfortunately for them, terrorists want to use the formula for their own nefarious purposes, and it's up to lunar cop Joe Brody (Michael Pare) to kick butt and save the planet. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Gary Busey stars in this Canadian ultra-macho Rambo-knockoff in which a crazed blood-thirsty sociopath escapes from an asylum and sets out to kill his former commander. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Michael Paré, (more)
- 1993
- R
In this actioner, a Cuban drug lord blows up a Miami customs official and leaves his hapless partner to shoulder the blame. Now the surviving officer is determined to sneak into the drug lord's gang and bring them to justice. He is temporarily side-tracked when he sees the crime boss's seductive moll. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Michael Ironside, (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)
- 1992
- R
In this exciting and violent crime drama, a drug dealer turned photojournalist returns to his old stomping grounds in L.A. and ends up entangled in a new drug scheme by his former pal. After stealing a fortune in drugs from a ruthless crime lord, the photographer must flee for his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 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
- 1992
- R
Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Pare star in this ridiculous rip-off of Top Gun and Rambo III. Hall plays Tom Slade, a Hollywood pretty-boy star who prepares for a film role by hanging around Air Force fighter pilot Paul Watkins (Michael Pare). Of course, Paul resents the Hollywood intrusion, but as the film unravels, he begins to respect Tom Slade. Paul begins by putting Tom through the wringer, and Tom manages to make it through the tough training regimen, but Paul gets his dander up when Tom makes a play for his girlfriend Major Goode (Deborah Maria Moore). Finally, Tom gets to ride in an F-16, and Paul puts on an aerial display that would rival the Blue Angels. Unfortunately, during the stunts the boys are shot down and end up in the Middle East where they are tortured by Bedouins. Tom and Paul have to combine their stunt tricks in order to escape the enemies clutches. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Paré, (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
