Michael Potter Movies
Jay Hernandez, Jennifer Carpenter, and Johnathon Schaech star in this remake of Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's successful, Spanish-language horror film [REC], which follows a television reporter and her cameraman as they fall under a mysterious quarantine issued on an inner-city apartment building. Television reporter Angela Vidal (Carpenter) and her trusty cameraman (Steve Harris) were documenting a night in the life of a Los Angeles fire station crew when the firefighters were summoned to a nearby apartment building to answer a routine 911 call. Upon arriving at the scene, Angela and company discover that police have already arrived to investigate the blood-curdling screams ringing out from one of the apartments. One of the women living in the building has been infected with something terrible, but what? When a few of the other residents are viciously attacked, they try to escape and discover that the CDC has quarantined the building. The officials in charge won't relay any information to those trapped inside the building, and it's impossible to seek information from the outside since telephone, Internet, television, and cell-phone access have all been cut off. By the time the quarantine is lifted, the intrepid cameraman's chilling footage provides the only evidence of the horrors that unfolded on that terrible night. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, (more)
- 1997
If it worked for Speed, it'll work for Runaway Car--or at least, that seems to have been the philosophy behind the making of this highly derivative made-for-TV actioner. Having suffered through an unusually rotten day on the job, timid nurse Jenny Todd (Nina Siesmaszko) heads to the garage where her 1978 Rambler Hornet is being repaired. Here she meets neurotic computer programmer Ed Lautner (Judge Reinhold), who asks her to give him a ride home. En route, Jenny picks up her baby nephew, as well as an unexpected hitchhiker: wiseguy skateboarder Dex Strang (Brian Hooks), whom Jenny may or may not have caused to suffer a nasty fall. Once the "dramatis personae" is established, the situation goes from bad to horrendous: The brakes jam, the door latches lock, the accelerator sticks at 100mph, and our wide-eyed heroine finds herself at the wheel of an out-of-control death machine, dangerously zooming through the busy city streets, barely avoiding crashes and collisions at every corner. The film's abundance of thrills, spills and impossible coincidences come to a climax of sorts when a police helicopter attempts to rescue Jenny's screaming nephew. Based (believe it or don't) on a true story, Runaway Car rolled off the Fox network TV-movie assembly line on January 21, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judge Reinhold, Nina Siemaszko, (more)
- 1997
President Clark is dead, and the civil war on Earth is over. Delenn triumphantly stage-manages the convergence of the Earth, the Minbari and the Narn into a new alliance. Captain Sheridan's role in the Alliance must, however, wait until the Earthgov decides his ultimate fate. Elsewhere, Ivanova grieves over the apparent death of Marcus --- and what has become of Lise? First seen in America during the week of October 20, 1997, "Rising Star" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1994
The O.J. Simpson case is the clear inspiration for this episode,which was evidently filmed so quickly that the producers didn't barely had time to write a "TV Guide" synopsis. The focus is on beloved ex-astronaut Danger Duke Robinson, who is implicated in the murder of his brother. When Danger Duke goes on the lam, Murphy (Candice Bergen) is assigned to cover the story--much to her dismay, in that Robinson was one of her personal heroes. (Note: though Danger Duke does not appear on-screen, viewers will instantly recognize his voice). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Made for cable television, a TV-show homemaker (Dyan Cannon) invites a local hero (Kris Kristofferson) over for a live-broadcast Christmas dinner, but her lack of cooking skills could cause a problem. The film was directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- PG
The mysterious 1971 hijacking of an airliner by a bold thief who parachuted into legend over the Pacific Northwest became fodder for this action comedy that's mostly speculative. Treat Williams stars as Jim Meade, an ambitious former Army man who devises a clever scheme to hold up an airliner for $200,000. Masquerading as "D.B. Cooper," he succeeds, and after landing safely in the deep woods, he seeks out his wife Hannah (Kathryn Harrold), whom he had left months earlier. They reconcile and head for the Mexican border. However, Jim soon has two people hot on his trail. Bob Gruen (Robert Duvall) was Jim's sergeant in the armed forces. Now an insurance investigator, Bob becomes convinced that only his talented former underling could have pulled off the job and sets out to capture him. At the same time, Jim's seedy former Army pal Remson (Paul Gleason) comes to the same conclusion and pursues the Meades, hoping to get a cut of the loot. Based on the book by J.D. Reed, the film failed to ignite interest at the box office, despite a publicity stunt by Universal Pictures offering a million dollars for information leading to the arrest of the real Cooper. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Treat Williams, (more)
Heroic earthling Flash Gordon saves the world from the nefarious Ming the Merciless in this lavish, intentionally campy adaptation of the famous sci-fi comic strip. The story is as basic as space operas get: Ming (Max von Sydow) has developed a plan to destroy the Earth, and Flash (Sam J. Jones) and his attractive companion, Dale Arden (Melody Anderson), are called upon to stop him. Along the way, Flash must battle Ming's goons and the temptations of a luscious space princess. Previously the basis for a more straight-faced 1930s adventure serial, Flash's story is mined here for exaggerated, cartoon humor by screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., a central figure in the similarly campy '60s Batman television series. The simplistic plot mainly serves as an excuse for spectacular sets and cartoonish action sequences, all set to an appropriately over-the-top rock score by Queen. Certainly not a film to turn to for serious excitement, fine performances, or character development, Flash Gordon has nevertheless developed an appreciative cult of fans who admire the film's humorous approach and the detailed, colorful production design. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, (more)
- 1975
A riotously funny bad-taste epic from director John Waters, Baltimore's "Prince of Puke," this sick classic tells the depraved life story of obese criminal Dawn Davenport (Divine), from her bad-girl youth as a go-go dancer on Baltimore's infamous Block to her death in the electric chair. Mink Stole is terrific as Dawn's bratty daughter Taffy, conceived following a romp on a junkyard mattress with a fat derelict in soiled underpants (also played by Divine). Mary Vivian Pearce and David Lochary co-star as crazed owners of a beauty-parlor who are convinced that "crime equals beauty," and they take Dawn under their wings, forcing her to mainline liquid eyeliner to enhance her appeal. Edith Massey steals the film as Dawn's obsessive neighbor, Ida, who wants her nephew to be gay (because heterosexuals lead "sick and boring lives") and throws acid in Dawn's face when she marries him. A hilariously appalling film, Female Trouble is just as disgusting and far funnier than Waters' previous Pink Flamingos, if not as notorious. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Divine, David Lochary, (more)
