Elizabeth Berkley Movies
A student of dance since she was four, rising Hollywood star Elizabeth Berkely has been in show business since the age of nine. She got her start in television appearing in over a dozen series, the best-known of which is Saved By the Bell, in which she played proto-feminist high school student Jesse Spano from 1989 to 1991. Berkely made her feature film debut billed as Macrame Girl in the Patrick Swayze/Keanu Reeves vehicle Point Break (1991). In 1995, Berkely gained national notoriety and proved that she had come a long way since Jesse Spano when she played the trashy, determined, and frequently naked lead in the Joe Esterhaz-penned, Paul Verhoeven-directed Showgirls (1995), a glitzy exploitation film that, while one of the year's biggest stinkers, gained popularity on the midnight movie circuit, especially among drag queens. While such negative publicity as was received by Showgirls can be instant death to a budding career, Berkely has continued to appear in films such as The First Wives Club (1996) as a supporting actress. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Julian McMahon, Krista Allen, Elizabeth Berkley, and Alan Tudyk star in writer/director Charlie Loventhal's tale of lonely Los Angeles singles looking to meet that special someone at their friendly neighborhood grocery store. But romance doesn't blossom easy in the produce section, leaving these lovelorn urbanites to wonder why potential mates can't come with the same kind of "nutritional information" charts as their favorite foods. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Documentarist Christopher Monger's Special Thanks to Roy London profiles famed acting coach London (1943-93), a man with resounding professional success (including a litany of former pupils who graduated to A-list Hollywood triumph) but a rocky and notoriously complicated personal life. In this program, Monger examines London through the eyes of many of the said pupils, including Jeff Goldblum, Hank Azaria, Garry Shandling, Geena Davis and Patrick Swayze. The title, of course, refers to the "special thanks" mention to fall in the end credits of many a feature film. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Nelson McCormick's paranoid thriller Control Factor stars Adam Baldwin as Lance Bishop. One day, Lance is attacked by a total stranger as he walks down the street, begins hearing voices, and believes those voices are encouraging him to kill his wife (Elizabeth Berkley). Lance discovers that he is the subject of a government plot to control the people of the world. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The murders of a nightclub guest and a man working out in his own apartment had one thing in common: both victims were employees of professional dominatrix Lady Heather (Melinda Clarke). Grissom (William L. Petersen) reluctantly undertakes the murder investigation, knowing all too well that Lady Heather is the one person who can really get under his skin and force him to confront his own hidden demons. Elsewhere, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) loses her professional detachment when her ex-husband Eddie disappears and her daughter Lindsay is nearly drowned after a car accident. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Disgraced FBI agent Beau Stoddard (Randall Batinkoff), now a disgruntled postal inspector, is called into action when a series of mail bombs in Los Angeles terrify the city and jeopardize an international hockey championship. As Beau gets close to finding the bomber, the case is complicated by Jane (Elizabeth Berkley), a former FBI colleague, and a politician (Stan Shaw) with a career at stake. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Randall Batinkoff, (more)
- 2003
Based on fact, this made-for-cable movie stars Elizabeth Berkley as Christine Dawson, an attractive and popular high school chemistry teacher. In her efforts to help all of her students succeed, Christine takes special interest in Josh Gaines (Corey Servier), a troubled student from a dysfunctional family. Unfortunately, Josh misinterprets Christine's concern and fantasizes that she is sexually attracted to him. Eventually, the delusional Josh attacks Christine, whereupon charges are filed -- but when the case comes to court, it is Josh who accuses Christine of coming on to him. With her career and reputation in tatters, Christine fights valiantly to let the truth be known to a hostile public. Student Seduction first aired May 5, 2003, on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Corey Sevier, (more)
A high-profile magazine editor is framed for murder after refusing the advances of a powerful billionaire's brother in this thriller starring Beverly Hills 90210's Jason Priestley and Showgirls' Elizabeth Berkley. When V Magazine editor Tyler Nobel arrives at work on what seems to be an average morning, the discovery of a detailed sex diary on her desk reveals a young woman involved with a wealthy society man whose underworld connections raise dark implications. Realizing that the man mentioned in the diary is reclusive billionaire J.C. Peck, Nobel's hunger for a high-profile, international cover story finds her making the acquaintance of a J.C.'s younger brother Mark at a party. Though Mark draws Tyler to his remote country estate with the pretense of offering a private meeting with his brother, his advances toward Tyler once they reach the estate turn aggressive and she is forced to knock her assailant unconscious in order to escape. Arrested the following morning for Mark's murder, Tyler must launch her own investigation if she is to reveal the true killer and discover the fate of the sex-diary's mysterious author. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Priestley, (more)
After smuggling a stolen multimillion-dollar shipment of Viagra into the United States from Mexico, Crazy Jose (Paul Rodriguez) is pursued by an angry New York Mafioso in this outrageous comedy from director Alex Wright. Though the big-city wise guys are determined to recover their profitable pills, their patience is soon put to the ultimate test in a series of rural mishaps. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In this made-for-TV movie, shown on the E! network, Richard Breggs (Harland Williams) is a super-swell guy. An aspiring actor, he drives a taxi so that he can afford to buy his girlfriend Maggie (Elizabeth Berkley) a set of window shades for their apartment. All is dandy until Richard's friend Nick informs him that his niceness is the source of his career problems, and that he'll only be able to get ahead as an actor if he becomes a class-A jerk. Richard decides to give Nick's advice a try, and four years later he wakes up with amnesia to discover that he's the star of a monstrously popular TV show called, appropriately enough, "Dick." Living in a mansion, he is informed by his butler Edward (Robert Wagner) that yes, he has become a bonafide schmuck. This news horrifies Richard, who sets about trying to find Maggie and mend his wicked ways. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harland Williams, Robert Wagner, (more)
- 2000
A barrel containing the dismembered body of a woman is found in a house formerly owned by mobster Pete Mangrini (Al Sapienza). In their efforts to prove that the body is that of Mangrini's long-missing wife, thereby pinning a murder rap on the mob boss, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Jones (Henry Simmons) are aided and abetted by plucky reporter Nicole Graf (Elizabeth Berkley). Meanwhile, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Sorenson (Rick Schroder), pursuing another lead in the Mangini case, come up with a satisfying example of the postman ringing twice. And off the job, Sipowicz tries to help police medical examiner Dr. Kroft (M. Emmet Walsh) cope with his wife's terminal cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Reporter Nicole Graf (Elizabeth Berkley), who helped the squad in the Mangrini murder case, makes no secret of her lust for Det. Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons), but he chastely prefers the traditional courtship approach. Back on the job, retired English detective Jimmy Cheatham (John Standing) offers his assistance when the squad investigates a rape-murder. Cheatham is of the opinion that the killer is the same person who committed a string of crimes in London, and he insists upon being on hand when the squad converges on the suspect's hiding place -- a mortuary. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
The gang from the popular pre-teen comedy gets together again to celebrate the wedding of long-time couple Kelly and Zack. They decide to tie the knot in Las Vegas, so with the girls in one vehicle and the guys in another they take off. Trouble comes when the boys take a desert short-cut and end up in a backwater jail for speeding. In order to get out, Zack must spend his wedding money. When they get to Vegas, they are flat broke and faced with a dilemma: how can Zack tell Kelly that he can't afford their wedding? In typical Saved by the Bell fashion, conniving Zack simply lies to her until he figures out a way to drum up some more cash. As usual his plan is a disaster and the gang ends up fleeing angry mobsters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, (more)
- 1994
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Robots who've been designed to pose as humans find themselves the targets of a murderous maniac in this four-part anime OVA. In the 22nd century, the planet Mars has been colonized by the Earth, with most of the manual labor being performed by androids. Among the android population are unusual creations called "thirds," which are almost impossible to distinguish from human females. A madman, Ross D'Anclaude, has developed a passionate hatred for the "thirds" and has set out to destroy as many as he can, so Martian law enforcement authorities put two of their best detectives on the case, Ross Sylibus and Naomi Armitage. But both bring their own personal baggage to the case -- Ross distrusts robots after his former partner was killed by an android, while Naomi is herself a "third." For the English-dubbed version of Armitage III available in the United States, the voice of Ross Sylibus was dubbed by Kiefer Sutherland, while Elizabeth Berkley performs the voice of Naomi Armitage. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1992
That madcap gang from the popular TV teen show, Saved by the Bell, head for Hawaii to save the tiny resort of Kelly's grandfather from an avaricious developer. Mayhem, and romance ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Tiffani-Amber Thiessen, (more)
Filmmaker Sebastian Gutierrez writes and directs this ensemble comedy following ten Los Angeles women over the course of 24 hours. When porn starlet Electra Luxx (Carla Gugino) discovers that she's pregnant, her wild world of pleasure and excess is suddenly turned upside down. Subsequently stuck in an elevator with neurotic Doris (Connie Britton), Electra realizes she's standing at a pivotal crossroads in life. Meanwhile, adult film up-and-comer Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki) struggles with her reluctance to go girl-on-girl in front of the cameras by putting on a private show with her sexy friend Bambi (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a therapist (Sarah Clarke) turns to the bottle after discovering her husband has been unfaithful, a flight attendant (Marley Shelton) applies for membership in the Mile High Club with a famous passenger, and a precocious teen (Isabella Gutierrez) realizes that the adults in her life aren't nearly as well adjusted as they'd like her to believe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Emmanuelle Chriqui, (more)
Daveigh Chase reprises her role as Samantha Darko in this sequel set seven years after the events of director Richard Kelly's acclaimed cult hit. The day Donnie Darko died, his family died too. Almost a decade later, eighteen year old Sam still feels the loss every day. She longs to become a professional dancer, and decides to take a road trip to California with her best friend Corey (Briana Evigan). When their car breaks down just outside the dusty small town of Conejo Springs, carefree Corey bides her time waiting for a new water pump to arrive by striking up a friendship with local bad boy Randy Holt (Ed Westwick). The following morning, a meteor crashes to the ground nearby, destroying a local farmer's windmill and leaving a gaping crater in the ground. In the aftermath of that unsettling incident, Sam's disturbing prophetic dreams seem to start spilling over into the real world. Could the people around her prove the key to unlocking this unearthly mystery? Unfortunately for Sam, religious fanatics Trudy Potter (Elizabeth Berkley) and Pastor John Mellit (Matthew Davis) seem more interested in spouting religious clichés that pondering the end of the world, and Randy and the locals are too busy partying to notice that events are coming to a head. When the locals begin to gossip, Sam and Corey's friendship starts to suffer, and the pair have a bitter falling out. Unaware of the fact that they have become inexorably bound by fate to a missing child, an unstable Gulf War veteran, and a mysterious rift in the time-space continuum, the former friends discover that the world will soon perish unless a substantial sacrifice is made. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, (more)
A writer who was dumped at the alter attempts to impress his flaky ex-fiancee by helping her father movie in this dialogue-driven comedy from Canadian writer/director/actor Benjamin Ratner. Gene Maxwell (Ratner) was preparing to exchange his wedding vows when his fiancée Liz (Elizabeth Berkley) vanished without a trace. Three years later, Gene has published a best-selling novel entitled "Fear Knot." Gene lives at home with his dysfunctional parents and autistic sister, and when Liz appears on his doorstep the broken-hearted writer can't help but hope that the flame will be rekindled. But all Liz wants is for Gene to help her elderly father Malcolm (John Neville) move while she jets off to Prague to act in a low-budget sci-fi flick. But while any hope of continuing his romance with Liz proves less likely with each long-distance telephone call he receives, Gene does manage to form a warm bond with Malcolm over the course of the move. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Benjamin Ratner, (more)
Writer/director Dylan Kidd got a chance to make his script for Roger Dodger into a feature film when he boldly approached Campbell Scott in a café in Greenwich Village and made his pitch. Eventually, Scott would agree to executive produce and star in the film, and was responsible for bringing Jennifer Beals and Isabella Rossellini onboard. Scott stars as the eponymous Roger, a successful New York ad man and self-proclaimed master of reading and manipulating women. The film begins with Roger out for drinks with his co-workers and demonstrating his verbal gifts. "Words are my stock in trade," he explains as he expounds. But he soon learns that his boss, Joyce (Rossellini), wants to end their clandestine sexual relationship. Roger gets another shock when his teenaged nephew, Nick (Jesse Eisenberg of TV's Get Real), shows up unannounced the next day at his job. Nick explains that he's in town for an interview at Columbia and soon admits that he wants Roger to take him out and give him a crash course on women. Soon the pair is out carousing, but when they run into the lovely Andrea (Elizabeth Berkley) and her friend, Sophie (Jennifer Beals), Roger discovers that despite Nick's sexual desperation, the teen is temperamentally unsuited to Roger's transparent womanizing mode of operation. In short, Nick is a sweet, open, and sensitive boy, while Roger proves himself to be a misogynist pig. Their differences grow even starker when Roger decides to crash a party Joyce is throwing that night, and brings Nick along. Roger Dodger was named the Best Narrative Feature in competition at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Campbell Scott, Jesse Eisenberg, (more)
- 1999
- R
Set in an apartment block in Santiago, Chile, Last Call follows three separate stories about three different sets of characters. Nico (Eric Michael Cole) is watching his brother's apartment while he's out of town on a photography assignment when his brother's significant other comes by, drunk and not interested in taking no for an answer. Elsewhere, a model named Helena (Elizabeth Berkley) finds herself held hostage by a stranger with a thick accent (Bastian Bodenhofer). And a shady salesman (Peter Coyote) is holed up in the basement, trying to arrange some sort of transaction with a pair of visitors from America (Elizabeth Rossa and Garrett Dillahunt). Last Call received its American premiere at the 1999 Hollywood Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Coyote, Elizabeth Berkley, (more)
Oliver Stone takes on professional football, a sport whose grace and delicacy are a good match for his filmmaking style. Tony D'Amato (Al Pacino), the head coach of the Miami Sharks, won back-to-back championships four years ago. But new team owner Christina Pagniacci (Cameron Diaz) has little enthusiasm for the finer points of the game and is concerned only with the bottom line. The longtime strongman of Tony's team has been "Cap" Rooney (Dennis Quaid), a 39-year-old quarterback, but Christina balks at renewing his contract. When Cap is injured during a game, third-string rookie quarterback Willie Beaman (Jamie Foxx) goes on in his place and becomes a major star. But Beaman is mostly interested in fame and money, and he has little regard for Tony and his teammates. Any Given Sunday also stars James Woods as the team's doctor, LL Cool J as a star running back, Jim Brown as a former football great turned Sharks' defensive coordinator, Ann-Margret as Christina's alcoholic mother, Bill Bellamy as a wide receiver, Elizabeth Berkley as Tony's favorite prostitute, and Charlton Heston as the football commissioner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, (more)
