David Proval Movies
Supporting actor, occasional lead, onscreen from the '70s ~ All Movie Guide
The director of such off-beat independent films as In the Soup, director Alexandre Rockwell once again teams with that film's star to deliver this Los Angeles-based comedy concerning superstition and intersecting lives. Things aren't looking so good for television clown Banana's (Steve Buscemi) career, and the fact that his estranged wife, Suzi (Jennifer Beals), has just been arrested for assaulting his girlfriend, Lily (Karyn Parsons), just serves to compound Banana's despair. Teaming with sidekick Binky (Peter Dinklage) to enlist the aid of bail-bondsman Mo (David Proval), Banana and Binky discover that Mo is currently negotiating the release of hip-hop mogul Lenny's (Daryl Mitchell) wife, Sandra (Rose Rollins). The hapless group soon teams to help Mo by finding a suitable kidney donor for the bail-bondsman's ailing son, and though they quickly happen across a drunk (Peter Stormare) who fits the bill, the trouble comes in keeping the prospect in the hospital. Doing their best to help Mo's son under increasingly chaotic circumstances, personal tensions flare as each character desperately tries to simultaneously battle their own inner demons. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Buscemi, Peter Dinklage, (more)
- 2005
- PG
A well-known level-one angel looking to reunite with his level-six soulmate strikes a special bargain with God in this heavenly comedy featuring some of the best-loved stars of the golden-era of cinema. George Burns (Frank Gorshin) is miserable in heaven. In addition to not being able to smoke his trademark cigars, level-one angel George is also forbidden from cavorting with his level-six love Gracie Allen (Amy Wieczorek). Upon bearing witness to the misery of his forlorn heavenly guest, God makes a proposal to George; save failing musician Steven "Shoomie" Schoomer (Scott Edmund Lane) from completely destroying his life and earn the status that will let him spend eternity with his beloved Gracie. When George arrives back on Earth, he finds Schoomie a commitment-phobic wedding musician with few prospects and little hope for the future. After encouraging Schoomie to make amends with former best friend Howie Gold (David Proval) and embark on a madcap mission to sell a stash of smuggled Cuban cigars, George's plan goes awry as everyone from stealthy assassin Shelleen (Gorshin playing in a dual role) to Fidel Castro himself show a curious interest in the mysterious cigars. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Carmen, Rodney Dangerfield, (more)
A disgraced former ping pong champion is drawn back into the world of high-stakes table tennis to carry out a top-secret mission in the feature directorial debut of Reno 911! writer/director Ben Garant. Far removed from the rigidly regulated world of professional sports, clandestine ping pong tournaments offer thrilling competition where only the strong survive. There was a time when the mere mention of the name Randy Daytona (Dan Fogler) was enough to make even those most hardened ping pong player cower in fear, but these days Randy has fallen out of favor with ping-pong fans. The former champ soon receives a much-needed shot at redemption, however, when he is recruited by a determined FBI agent named Rodriguez (George Lopez) to win a coveted spot in the upcoming underground table tennis tournament and ferret out the nefarious Feng (Christopher Walken), whose thriving criminal empire has transformed him into a true menace to society. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, (more)
The sophomore outing for Mark Illsley, the writer and director of 1999's Happy Texas, Bookies is a return to the crime comedy genre of the filmmaker's first project. Starring Nick Stahl, Lukas Haas, and Johnny Galecki as college buddies Toby, Casey, and Jude, the film begins with the trio upset over a substantial gambling loss. After paying up, they decide that they are on the wrong side of the transaction and concoct a plan to become bookies themselves. Working in the shadows so as not to let on that they are anything but professionals, the young entrepreneurs devise a system that involves leaving money in unpopular books at the library where Jude works. Before they know it, the guys are rolling in the dough. Casey buys a bunch of computer equipment, Jude gets himself a drug habit, and Toby uses his newfound wealth to impress Hunter, a fellow student played by Rachael Leigh Cook. But just as fast as things started to go well, they take an unexpected turn. The boys are making so much money that they're cutting into the business of the local mafia. As one might expect, the thugs don't take too kindly to competition. Also starring John Diehl and David Proval, Bookies premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Lukas Haas, (more)
A "Cinderella Liberty" is Navy jargon for a pass that runs out at midnight. Sailor John Baggs, Jr. (James Caan) has such a pass, and intends to make the most of it while his ship is docked in Seattle. He "wins" prostitute Maggie (Marsha Mason) in a pool game, but backs off at a "wham-bam-thank you ma'am" when he finds out that Maggie has a son, an 11-year-old mulatto (Kirk Calloway) -- and that there's another baby on the way. John has so much empathy for Maggie's travails that he marries her. When she loses her baby, however, Maggie feels unable to resign herself to living with John, plagued by both guilt and an unwillingness to be tied down -- thus forcing John to fight for her. Darryl Ponicsan adapted his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This three-hour TV movie stars Sophia Loren as New Yorker Marianna Miraldo. Hurt and angered by her son's cocaine addiction, Marianna discovers that a close friend also has ties with the drug scene. After several of her imprisoned friend's associates try to contact him through her, the DEA persuades Marianna to aid them in an undercover operation headed by cop Bobby Jay (Billy Dee Williams). Despite the "don't get involved" admonitions of her husband (Hector Elizondo), Marianna agrees to cooperate with the DEA, if only for the sake of her son. This fact-based film, which first aired September 24, 1986, concludes with the feds closing in on a $3.5 billion cocaine ring. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Billy Dee Williams, (more)
A tightly-knit foursome of lifelong friends and unrepentant gamblers wage more than money in a winner-takes-all tale of epic proportions from director Mars Callahan. David Zigman (Jason Priestly) always manages to come through and beat the house at the last minute, but when he and his three pals risk it all in the name of one priceless thrill, they may have finally gone too far. Now, as each man pulls his hand close to his chest for one final go at the gold, these friends will finally find out what's thicker these four friends will finally find out where their love, loyalty, and honor truly lies. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Priestley, Peter Dobson, (more)
- 1996
- R
Complexly plotted and suspenseful, this crime drama pays much heed to the psychological undertones of the relationships between a gang of thugs who take on their own boss. It begins on Hooker's wedding night. After the ceremony his friends celebrate while doing their assigned tasks. In one scene Michael, the handsome ring leader, has a meeting in a restroom with a strange cop. Later, four gang members are seen using violence to force a gambler to pay his debts. Afterward these four decide they need more compensation for their grim work. It is Michael, who fancies himself far more clever than he is, who comes up with the idea that they team up and take on their crime boss Leo. Unfortunately, his plans go awry and more bloodshed ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Amos, David Proval, (more)
- 1975
Given the title Foster and Laurie and the added fact that the protagonists are two cops, one might deduce that this TV movie was the pilot for a potential series. Not this time: The two leading characters are killed almost before the opening credits fade! In flashback, the film traces the law-enforcement careers of African American Gregory Foster (Dorian Harewood) and Italian American Rocco Laurie (Perry King). Friends as well as partners, Foster and Laurie endeavor to improve community relations in their crime-ridden Lower East Side precinct--which results in their being murdered by three militant extremists, who hope to intimidate the rest of the force (at the time the film was made, this motivation for the crime was still pure speculation). The killings have the opposite effect, as the rest of department rallies against its enemies, inspired by the memory of their fallen comrades. Foster and Laurie was based on the book by Al Silverman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Four of the most celebrated directors in the independent film community pooled their talents for this episodic comedy. Ted (Tim Roth) is the new bellboy at a beautiful but decaying luxury hotel; he is not having a good time of it on New Year's Eve, his first night on the job. In one room, a coven of witches are trying to summon the spirit of the goddess Diana; each of the witches must bring a different bodily fluid for their spell to work, but Eva (Ione Skye), who was supposed to bring semen, managed to lose her supplies, and needs Ted's help for a last-minute replacement. Another room, where Ted was supposed to deliver some ice, turns out to house an angry husband (David Proval), who is holding his bound-and-gagged wife (Jennifer Beals) at gunpoint. A third room is taken by a tough-talking gangster (Antonio Banderas), his doormat wife (Tamlyn Tomita), and their two children; the gangster demands that Ted watch over the kids, who turn out to be mischievous terrors beyond Ted's wildest imagination. And room number four is where an arrogant film actor (Quentin Tarantino) is holding a party. One of his guests makes a bet that he can get a Zippo lighter to light ten times in a row, with his finger at stake if he loses. Allison Anders directed the first segment, which also featured Madonna, Valeria Golino, and Lili Taylor. The second segment was directed by Alexandre Rockwell, husband of his frequent leading lady Jennifer Beals. Robert Rodriguez directed the third story, while the finale was directed by its star, Quentin Tarantino; the final segment also features Bruce Willis, who appeared unbilled. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Roth, Valeria Golino, (more)
- 1976
- PG
- Add Harry and Walter Go to New York to QueueAdd Harry and Walter Go to New York to top of Queue
Harry and Walter Go to New York was born of the theory that, the more stars and money that you throw into a film, the better the film will be. The theory has seldom been proven true, and it certainly wasn't in this case. Harry (James Caan) and Walter (Elliot Gould) are a third-rate vaudeville team, playing tank towns in turn-of-the-century USA. Thrown into the hoosegow on a petty-theft charge, our heroes make the acquaintance of big-time crook Adam Worth (Michael Caine). Once they're sprung, Harry and Walter follow Worth to New York, with the intention of pulling off a huge bank robbery. Lissa Chestnut (Diane Keaton), a bird-brained suffragette, is also mixed up in the proceedings though she never seems certain of who or what her character is from one scene to the next. The film's one tangible asset is its meticulous re-creation of 1890s New York, courtesy of art director Harry Horner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Elliott Gould, (more)
- 1982
- R
Director/animator Ralph Bakshi turns his attention to 1950s Brooklyn in Hey Good Lookin', which looks at greasers hanging out (and making out) on street corners, hot girls, and gang rumbles, all set in a decaying urban landscape. The main action concerns Vinnie (voice of Richard Romanus), the leader of an Italian gang called The Stompers, who values, in equal measure, the perfection of his hairstyle and scoring with girls. His bosom buddy, Crazy (David Proval), more than lives up to his moniker, and his impulsiveness leads to many conflicts, including fights with other gangs -- a real problem because Vinnie is nowhere near as tough as he pretends to be. Things become even more complicated when he finds himself falling hard for Rozzie (Tina Bowman), whose father keeps her on a pretty short leash. Things come to a head in a deadly shoot-out, which may have serious consequences for the three main characters. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Romanus, David Proval, (more)
When an aspiring young starlet from Iowa falls in love with a handsome and promising young actor, she finds her dreams of fame slowly fading in a poignant tale of show-business aspirations from director Henry Jaglom. Upon arriving in Los Angeles to seek her fortune on film and stage, an innocent girl from Iowa (Tanna Frederick) falls for a talented rising star (Justin Kirk). As the pair tenuously attempts to balance their burgeoning romance with the vivid dreams of stardom, the demands of their careers soon begin to take precedence over the simple pleasures in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tanna Frederick, Justin Kirk, (more)
An uneven but entertaining blend of graphic horror and black comedy from John Landis, very much in the mode of the director's successful An American Werewolf in London. French actress Anne Parillaud -- star of Luc Besson's acclaimed thriller La Femme Nikita -- plays Marie, a lithe and lovely vampire with a conscience who will not take "innocent blood" and maintains a low profile by dining exclusively on criminals and lowlifes. She finds a virtual smorgasbord in Pittsburgh's criminal underworld, arriving in the thick of a bloody mob war sparked by ruthless kingpin Sal Macelli (Robert Loggia). After preying on one of Macelli's hoods (Chazz Palminteri), Marie fumbles her attack on the boss himself and he manages to escape, eventually transforming into a vampire himself. Macelli soon comes to appreciate his new superhuman condition and hatches a diabolical scheme to control the syndicates by turning his underlings into vampires -- including his beleaguered lawyer, Emmanuel Bergman (Don Rickles). Marie, faced with a new and powerful undead enemy, is forced to take matters into her own claws. To this end she enlists the reluctant aid (and eventual affection) of undercover cop Joe Gennaro (Anthony LaPaglia), whose cover has just been leaked to the press, making him a target for Macelli and his growing army of blood drinkers. Landis has crafted a dark and brooding film, pumped up with bouts of extreme gore and gangland violence -- but where American Werewolf's occasional comic touches helped to ground the story and give the "straight" horror scenes more punch, most attempts at humor here seem jarring and out of place. The film's highlights come from numerous horror in-jokes, including cameos from Sam Raimi, Clive Barker, Dario Argento and Linnea Quigley; Rickles' explosive death scene ranks among the weirdest in cinema history. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Parillaud, Robert Loggia, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
Director Henry Jaglom explores the complex relationship between fathers and daughters, and the effects that it has on the relationships women develop later in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tanna Frederick, Andrea Marcovicci, (more)
The Bronx bakery owned by the family of Marco Poloni (Costas Mandylor) is on the verge of bankruptcy, and Marco's Uncle Fab (David Proval) is poised to sell the place to a nationwide donut chain. To save the establishment and keep it in the family, Marco enters the "Golden Whisk Dessert Competition," hoping to win the 250,000-dollar grand prize. He further persuades the restaurant's brilliant pastry baker Grace Carpenter (Lauren Holly) to be his partner in the contest, to which she agrees, even though she's fed up to the gills with Marco's explosive temper. Grace isn't the only person who's annoyed at Marco; one of the competing contestants is his former food academy classmate (and now his bitterest enemy) Jacques du Jacques (Andrew Lauer), while among the judges is Marco's onetime teacher and mentor Emile Fragonard (Jean-Pierre Bergeron), who had washed his hands of his contentious student years earlier. And then there's the matter of Grace's jealous boyfriend. A joyous reunion for ex-Picket Fences co-stars Lauren Holly and Costas Mandylor, the made-for-cable Just Desserts premiered February 8, 2004, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Holly, Costas Mandylor, (more)
"You don't make up for your sins in church; you do it in the streets; you do it at home. The rest is bulls--t, and you know it." Returning to the autobiographical milieu of his 1968 debut Who's That Knocking at My Door? for his third feature, Martin Scorsese examined the daily struggles of a wannabe hood to keep his morals straight on the streets of Little Italy. Driven equally by his wish to become a respectable gangster like his uncle (Cesare Danova) and his desire to live his life like St. Francis, Charlie (Harvey Keitel) takes on his energetically unhinged friend Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro) as his own personal penance, intervening to get Johnny Boy to pay off a debt to the local loan shark Michael (Richard Romanus). Despite his promises to his epileptic girlfriend Teresa (Amy Robinson) that they will move out of Little Italy once he strengthens his position in his uncle's world, Charlie's involvement with Johnny Boy further ensnares him in the neighborhood. When Johnny Boy decides to mouth off to Michael rather than pay him, Charlie, Johnny Boy, and Teresa try to flee Michael's murderous anger (and an assassin played by Scorsese), forcing Charlie to realize that the rules of the streets do not mesh with absolution. Whereas fellow "film school generation" director Francis Ford Coppola transformed the Hollywood gangster movie into metaphorical epics about the Mafia and capitalism in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), Scorsese revised the genre in the opposite direction, focusing on the gritty minutiae of daily life and drawing from personal memory. Combining documentary-style realism (even though most of the film was shot in L.A.); kinetic editing and camera movement; and expressionistic lighting, angles, and film speed, Scorsese presents an intimate picture of the trivial incidents and latent violence of Charlie's and Johnny Boy's world, naturalistically unfolding their experiences rather than simply explaining what motivates them. They lead a claustrophobic, petty existence that Scorsese and screenwriter Mardik Martin witnessed growing up in Little Italy, complete with a soundtrack of hit songs like "Be My Baby" and "Jumping Jack Flash" that had poured out of neighborhood radios. Mean Streets opened at the New York Film Festival to excellent notices and played strongly in New York but failed to duplicate that level of business elsewhere. Even so, Mean Streets established Scorsese and De Niro as formidable young talents and marked the beginning of a long-running and fertile collaboration that continued in such films as Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), and Goodfellas (1990). Scorsese's exceptional grasp of the texture of day-to-day life, the rhythm and cadences of street talk, and cinema's visual and aural possibilities makes Mean Streets one of the pivotal films of the 1970s, as well as of Scorsese's career, and an influence on such future filmmakers as Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino, among many others. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, (more)
- 1998
In Brooklyn of the '50s, small-time mobster George (David Proval) and his sidekick Dip (Dan Moran) realize they've forgotten the birthday of mob boss Joey (Tony Sirico), so they engage the services of prostitute Glorice (Candis Cayne). Joey's reaction to Glorice gives George a promotion, and he's installed as Joey's assistant. George makes the discovery that gender-bent Glorice is not exactly a woman after all. The problem gets worse: Joey intends to marry Glorice, who plans to blackmail Joey after the wedding. Shown at the 1998 Cinequest San Jose Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Proval, Dan Moran, (more)
A former nun moves into the suburban home of her deceased aunt only to make a shocking discovery concerning a gruesome crime committed thirty years ago in director Kevin Conner's twisting tale of murder, matricide, and injustice. Together, prodigious savants James and Edward Talley's remarkable brilliance was nearly incalculable, but a sudden act of cold-blooded murder would find them forever confined to separate mental health institutions by strict court order. Ordered to spend the rest of his days at the Greenwillow care center for developmentally disabled adults, James Talley is housed in the same facility as ex-nun Christine Bennett (Megan Ward)'s cousin Gene (Matt Lutz). Upon moving into her aunt's former home in a bid to be closer to Gene, Christine becomes transfixed on the details of the Talley case and soon learns that, despite their current status as a danger to society, neither James nor Edward had ever been officially charged with the crime they were committed for. With the future of the Greenwillow care facility on the line, Christine vows to find out what really happened on that tragic night three decades ago, and ensure that her brother Gene and the other innocent souls housed at Greenwillow will always have a place to call home. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Megan Ward, Morgan Weisser, (more)
In this thriller, John McNamara (Michael Rooker) is an investigative reporter whose desire to root out a juicy story has not endeared him to many of the people he's written about, and he's lost a few jobs in the process. John wants to hold on to his latest job, but when he's assigned to write about a nuclear power plant that has recently opened, he discovers the plant's manager, Jake McCallum (Judge Reinhold), is the center of a web of corruption that has ensnarled the city's government -- including John's father (Robert Culp). Now John is determined to bring the story to the people, but McCallum's forces are just as determined to stop him. Newsbreak also stars Kelly Miller, Kim Darby, Greg Mullavey, and David Proval.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker, Judge Reinhold, (more)
- 1978
- R
In this touching tale, an amiable retarded delivery boy from Brooklyn works to help support his mother. Meanwhile his older brother keeps him safe from local punks; this sometimes creates turmoil for him as he must maintain a strong exterior to mask his love. While delivering his groceries, the young man often fantasizes about being Superman and marrying the young woman who works in a neighboring bakery. When he saves a child from a burning building, his fantasy becomes reality. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Proval, James Andronica, (more)
The Perfect Witness is New York restaurant owner Aidan Quinn. After witnessing a mob murder, Quinn does his civic duty by reporting the incident to the authorities. This plunks Quinn into the middle of a power play between the DA and ambitious US attorney Brian Dennehy, who won't let up on the case until he can prove that the murder is part of a larger conspiracy. When mob thugs injure Quinn's son, he asks to be allowed not to testify, whereupon Dennehy jails the poor fellow for obstructing justice. Perfect Witness was first telecast October 28, 1989, over the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 2008
- R
Cinematic heavyweight Ving Rhames steps into the boxing ring as controversial pugilist Sonny Liston in this sports biopic that begins as Liston realizes his talent for boxing as an inmate at a Missouri State Penitentiary, and follows his career to the moment it was effectively ended due to a devastating blow by powerful opponent Cassius Clay. Born into poverty, Liston was imprisoned as a teen for taking part in a gas station robbery, his skill for boxing uncovered by a Roman Catholic priest and helping the emerging athlete to secure an early release. Recurring bouts with racism, the mob, and the law ensured that Liston was never able to rest easy during his rise to become World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, with the notorious "phantom punch" delivered by Clay offering a painful capper to a turbulent career. Nicholas Turtutto, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras, and David Proval co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ving Rhames, Nicholas Turturro, (more)
New York cop Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) has a nice home, a stunning wife Natalie (Annabella Sciorra), and a sweet, if stupid mistress, Sheri (Juliette Lewis). Jack also earns extra money by betraying mob witnesses to Mafia-boss Don Falcone (Roy Scheider). Assigned to guard the viciously sexy Russian-born hit woman, Mona Demarkov (Lena Olin), Jack is almost instantly seduced and allows Mona to escape. Falcone orders Jack to find and kill Mona, and threatens to murder him if he fails. Mona offers to pay Jack to help her eliminate Falcone and fake her own death. Several plot twists and turns later, Jack is left with his life in shambles. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, (more)
In this complicated crime drama, Roland Dalton (Peter Weller) is an attorney who must defend a drug dealer who claims he killed in self defense. His worthy opponent is his former flame Susan Cantrell (Patricia Charbonneau), now an effective career-minded prosecuting attorney. Richie Marks (Sam Elliott) is the detective who anticipates that legal prosecution will finally close the book on this case. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Weller, Sam Elliott, (more)
