Nia Peeples Movies

Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham helmed this sea-monster opus about a team of engineers on an undersea missile platform who disturb the slumber of a huge, killer crustacean, which soon develops a taste for human-flavored snacks. The rubbery-looking beastie is quite a laugh, but there are some genuine freak-outs as it chomps away at the crew -- that is, while they're not reducing their own numbers through sheer incompetence. In the end, it's B.J. & the Bear's Greg Evigan (alas, minus chimp) who saves the day. One of a dozen-or-so subaqueous Alien clones (half of which were produced by Roger Corman) designed to trade on the building hype of James Cameron's long-awaited The Abyss, this soggy little picture managed to reach theaters first. Not that it's the least impressive of the lot -- actually, it succeeds on its own terms as a thoroughly intense and fast-paced "B"-monster flick, aided by good performances (Evigan is a likable, sensitive hero, and Miguel Ferrer quaffs the scenery as a high-strung jerk). At least it's better than Leviathan, which tells essentially the same story but wastes considerably more money. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In this youthful surfing adventure, a hot young surfer wins a wave-tank contest in his native Arizona and decides to temporarily abandon his studies to hit the fantastic waves of the Hawaiian North shore pipeline. Once there, he is derided by the other surfers because nobody believes that a boy from the desert could possibly know anything about surfing real waves. Fortunately, an aging hippie (and supremo surfer), who designs boards for a living, believes in him and so teaches him the ropes. While learning about the sea and preparing for an international surfing competition, the boy also learns valuable lessons about life and love. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Still riding high as one of the most-watched dramatic series in off-network syndication, Fame eases into a fifth season on the air, with 25 brand new episodes. Three of the series' longtime favorites have moved on to other things. Doris (Valerie Landsburg) has graduated from New York's High School of the Performing Arts; former dance major Leroy Johnson (Gene Anthony Ray) is now a faculty member; and obstreperous vice-principal Morloch (Ken Swofford) has been transferred to another school, but not before being forced to atone for his past selfish misdeeds in the series' Yuletide episode, which--surprise, surprise--is a rehash of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." Morloch's replacement is Principal Dyrenforth (Graham Jarvis), not nearly as anal-retentive as his predecessor but almost as clueless. Also, Loretta Chandler joins the cast as new student Dusty Tyler. Midway through the season there is another cast turnover, as drama student Holly Laird (Cynthia Gibb) leaves school to take a role in a daytime soap opera; at the same time, a round of auditions yields two more additions to the student body, Reggie Higgins (played by Carrie Hamilton, the daughter of Carol Burnett) and Kate Riley (Page Hannah), the sister of Darryl Hannah). Though Fame was pretty much grounded in reality during its first seasons on the air, the show has gotten to be mighty whimsical by this time. Case in point is the episode "His Majesty Donlon", an outrageous "Prisoner of Zenda" takeoff in which dance student Christopher (Danny Hufsey) switches places with his lookalie, Prince Freddie of Vatonia; and later, Chris overcomes "Stage Fright" with some assistance from the ghost of Elvis Presley (Robert Firth). Then there's "Holmes Sweet Holmes", in which the traditional bump on the head transforms would-be comedian Danny (Carlo Imperato) into celebrated detective Sherlock Holmes. More believable chords are struck as Danny faces the possibility of being forced to change his professional name to get an Equity card in "Leroy and the Kid"; ultra-ethical music professor Shorofsky (Albert Hague) may well have to compromise his values for the sake of his students in "Selling Out"; dance student Jesse (Jesse Borrego) is tempted to rejoin his former street gang in "Savage Streets"; and a staging of "Huckleberry Finn" causes racial friction between Danny and Leroy in "A River to Cross." A number of interesting guest stars dot the landscape of Fame's fifth season, among them stars-to-be Don Cheadle, Bebe Neuwirth, Kathleen Wilhoiteand Dermot Mulroney. Among the better-known guest performers are Russ Tamblyn, making the first of several appearances as a burned-out choreographer; veteran western actors Myron Healey and Leo Gordon, cast respectively as a faded cowboy idol and a disgruntled movie villain; and Kevin McCarthy as a quixotic substitute teacher who sends his students forth on a quest for Absolute Truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A music store proprietor helps a group of teenagers develop a rock band in this musical. ~ All Movie Guide