Joe Petruzzi Movies
- 1998
In the tradition of Babe and Paulie, this Australian family fantasy-adventure features mouthy macaw Mac (portrayed by Tango and three bird stand-ins). Mac, who once witnessed treasure buried on a South Sea Island, is owned by elderly eccentric bird collector Ben Girdis (Jason Robards). His son Rick Girdis (Joe Petruzzi) plans to pay off Ben's debts by putting him in a nursing home and selling Ben's house. Ben's 15-year-old grandson Sam (Jamie Croft), who wants to save Ben's home, discovers that Mac can speak (with a Spanish accent). After Mac proposes a search for the buried treasure, Sam, the bird, and anthropologist Lance Hagen (John Waters) set off on an expedition. Unfortunately, a luxury hotel has been erected directly over the treasure, causing feathers to fly as the determined Sam and Mac continue to seek the treasure while eluding hotel staffers. The film was directed by Mario Andreacchio, who previously made the talking-dog movie Napoleon. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Croft, Jason Robards, Jr., (more)
- 1997
PC is a super smart Jack Russell Terrier (Forrest) who knows how to use a computer thanks to his brilliant owner Alex (Norman Kaye), who has just learned the secret whereabouts of $1million and stored it on a computer disk which he gives to PC for safekeeping. The evil Anja (Sandy Gore) learns about the treasure and takes care of Alex, but not before the hacker instructs PC to find his pal Susie. PC is nearly to Susie's house when he is almost run over by a car. Stephen (Joe Petruzzi), the driver, and Amy (Rachael Blake), his wife and his kids Zac (Nathan Cavaleri) and Binby (Freyja Meere) see that the dog is okay and take him home. Luckily, the family lives next door to Susan and her adolescent daughter Samantha (Emilie Francois). Zac and Sam become friends while PC figures out how to talk via Zac's computer, which can interpret the dog's barks and whines. His vocal ability comes in handy when Anja shows up to get the missing disk. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Connolly, Nathan Cavaleri, (more)
- 1993
Made for television, the two-part, four-hour Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage is the true story of "mob wife" Rosalie Profaci Bonanno, here played by Nancy McKeon. Inasmuch as the teleplay is based on Ms. Bonanno's memoirs, it is perhaps understandable that she casts herself as an innocent bystander in the ongoing saga of Mafia activity in the United States, totally ignorant (at least at first) as to how her father Joe Profaci (Tomas Milian) and his chief mob rival Joseph Bonanno (Ben Gazzara) support themselves and their families. It is further suggested that Rosalie is completely in the dark concerning the mob connections of her husband Bill (Eric Roberts), Joe Bonanno's son; after all, how could anything be amiss when the Pope Himself calls to congratulate the bride and groom? Ultimately Rosalie sees the light when her husband enters a war against opposing mob families, and is subsequently thrown in prison. The rest of the story chronicles how Rosalie struggles to escape the onus of "Mafia princess", seeking out honest, mainstream work to take care of herself and her children. Love, Honor and Obey: The Last Mafia Marriage originally aired Mary 23 and 25, 1993 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
New York art dealer Arne Glimcher took his first crack at film directing with this florid, high-energy romance about two brothers who flee Cuba in the early 1950s to make it as musicians in the United States. Cynthia Cidre wrote the literate screenplay adapted from Oscar Hijuelos's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love. Cesar (Armand Assante) and Nestor Castillo (Antonio Banderas) are popular musicians on Havana's club circuit, but when they make enemies of the wrong people, they are forced to leave for New York City, the moody Nestor leaving behind his true love. In New York, the brothers work as meat-cutters during the day as Cesar tries to organize a band and make inroads into the lively New York music scene. Soon, as The Mambo Kings, they get club bookings and Cesar falls in love with a sharp-tongued cigarette girl, Lanna Lake (Cathy Moriarty), and Nestor with the beautiful Delores Fuentes (Maruschka Detmers), who wants to be a teacher. Cesar concentrates on singing and managing the band, while Nestor plays the trumpet and writes emotional songs of love. All seems to be going well until Cesar antagonizes the moneymen on the Latin nightclub circuit and they finds themselves playing bar mitzvahs. But after they're discovered by Desi Arnaz (Desi Arnaz Jr.), the group is prominently featured on I Love Lucy. Their popularity soars and they cut a successful album called "Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love." Cesar is glorying in his success, but Nestor is disappointed and longs to return to Cuba. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Antonio Banderas, (more)
- 1992
Jazz great Miles Davis makes his acting debut and farewell playing an inspirational jazz trumpeter in this lively drama that centers on a young Australian country boy who dreams of becoming just like him. Unfortunately, some dreams are never realized, and the boy grows up to become a dingo trapper with a wife and nearly grown children. As his latest birthday inexorably approaches, he begins suffering a mid-life crisis. The fellow had been playing jazz trumpet with his band, the "Dingo Dusters" for many years. They came up with a unique form of jazz that was popular in their area, but he still cannot escape his disappointment about never playing music in Paris. For many years, he has been writing to Cross, who has never replied, and saving up his pennies for a trip to the City of Light, where Cross lives. But times are hard and money is tight. His devoted wife, seeing her husband is seriously depressed, writes a letter to Cross' agent. The agent's wife, who, knowing that Billy would never listen or respond, has secretly saved all of the Australian's letters and tapes. When she reads the letter, she decides to forward it through. Billy is touched and then asks to hear the demos. In the end, it becomes a touching dream-come-true for the hard-working Australian who somehow manages to discover that he already has the best of both worlds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miles Davis, Colin Friels, (more)
- 1990
This film is based upon the true story of Mordechai Vanunu, an Israeli lab technician who left his job and country in protest of the nuclear arms project to which he'd been assigned. Going public, he hoped to deter the hellish mission and sway world opinion against those within his country responsible for the nuclear buildup. ~ All Movie Guide
