Rudy Ramos Movies
- 2002
Having suffered mightily from the obsessive jealousy of her husband, Don Harrison (Stan Cahill), Rita Ortiz (Jacqueline Obradors) finds out that Don has been cheating on her. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) takes time off to nail the crooked business manager (John Vickery) of dear old Mrs. Hornby (Elmarie Wendel). Several witnesses to a homicide seem to be willing to harm themselves rather than testify against a much-feared gang leader. And Valerie (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) upsets both Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) when she announces her pregnancy and takes a leave of absence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 1994
This time the murder victim is a nasty and abusive loan shark (Robert Beltran). The main suspect is the shark's stepson, a young graffiti artist (William Gallo). A picture taken with infrared film would seem to prove the young man's guilt beyond all doubt. Ah, but the police have reckoned without Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury--who just so happens to be the suspect's writing teacher, and as such is inclined to believe him innocent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Jeff Fahey stars as a former cop who has turned to burglary. Caught in the crossfire of a drug sting, Fahey is blinded. While recuperating in Mexico, he makes the acquaintance of beautiful but secretive Mia Sara. His subsequent romantic fling plunges him into yet another perilous situation. Made for cable TV (it debuted January 20, 1993, on the USA network), Blindsided relies completely upon its stars-including third-billed Ben Gazzara-to sustain its level of suspense. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Based on a true story, this is the case of Carolyn Warmus, a teacher from Westchester County who was convicted of the murder of her lover's wife. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Those who think that you can't make a suspense movie out of a true-life story wherein everybody knows the outcome are referred to the made-for-TV Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure. Jessica, of course, was the 18-month-old Texas girl who fell down an abandoned well in October of 1987. As the world looks on in anguish, the local fire chief (Pat Hingle) and police chief (Beau Bridges) supervise the efforts to rescue Jessica from her 22-foot-deep prison. The film effectively squeezes the 58 hours of the original incident into two, allotting plenty of time for a surface-level subplot involving the efforts of a Victim's Assistance Program volunteer (Patty Duke) to reassure Jessica's parents. In keeping with Hollywood child-labor requirements, little Jessica McClure is played by twin girls, Laura and Jennifer Loesch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on the best-selling Vincent Bugliosi book of the same name, Helter Skelter is a made-for-TV account of the investigation and prosecution of Charles Manson (Steve Railsback), who was convicted of leading a group of followers (known as "The Family") to murder seven people in California, including actress Sharon Tate. The film takes a Law & Order-like approach, starting with the discovery of the murders, which leads to the police gathering snippets of evidence that they eventually connect to the bigger picture. The second half of the movie concentrates on how District Attorney Bugliosi (George DiCenzo) attains a conviction despite the enormous amount of press coverage the case received. Nancy Wolfe, Christina Hart, and Cathey Paine portray the three loyal Manson Family members who were the co-defendants at his trial. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback, (more)
- 1976
Jim (James Garner) is pressed into service as best man when the redoubtable Angel (Stuart Margolin) gets married to Regin Boyajian (Elayne Heilveil). It is not love but fear that has motivated Angel to walk down the aisle: he figures that by wedding Regina, he will avoid being killed by her thuggish relatives, who have been victimized by Angel's latest scam. Somehow, all this matrimonial intrigue is linked to a 14-year-old unsolved murder, and to a high-profile car salesman (James Wainwright) who will go to any lengths to keep his past life as a street-gang member from becoming public knowledge. Future Simon&Simon star Gerald McRaney shows up in a small role--and listen for the voice of frequent Rockford Files director Jackie Cooper). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Joseph Wambaugh, the ex-cop turned novelist whose Police Story began its TV run in 1973, was responsible for the like-vintage TV miniseries The Blue Knight. William Holden stars as Bumper Morgan, a 50 year old cop on the verge of mandatory retirement. Morgan's last four days with the LAPD are packed with incident, notably the trackdown of the brutal murderer of a prostitute. Lee Remick plays Morgan's faithful lady friend, who is anxious for her man to retire but who will tolerate no criticism from anyone of the job the police are doing. Emmies went to William Holden, director Robert Butler and editors Marjorie and Gene Fowler Jr., while Lee Remick received an Emmy nomination. The film itself is derivative at times (one chunk of dialogue is lifted bodily from the Jane Fonda vehicle Klute), but otherwise is as realistic a portrayal of police work as TV censors would allow in 1973. Originally telecast in four one-hour installments, Blue Knight was cut to 103 minutes for syndication; a second Blue Knight TV movie, filmed in 1975 and starring George Kennedy as Bumper Morgan, served as the pilot for a short-lived TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Alex (Theresa Russell is a government agent who trades sex for state secrets. Will (Scott Glenn) is a taciturn demolition expert troubled by a violent past. When the two find themselves being pursued by the same nefarious spy ring, bullets start flying and bedsprings start creaking. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
In this whodunit, several cops are picked off one-by-one as two young investigators try to make sense of the murders. They soon find that the victims themselves were involved in some violent and less-than-honorable activity. Evidence may lead to fellow cop (C. Thomas Howell) who seems to fit the vigilante profile. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
Colors stars Robert Duvall and Sean Penn as partners on the LAPD's gang crime division. Duvall had hoped to spend more time with his family, but he's pulled back into active service because of a step-up in gang activity. He makes no secret of his contempt for his novice partner Penn, but eventually comes to rely on the younger man as a valuable street contact. The central crisis is the battle for supremacy between the "Crips" and the "Bloods", with every effort to call a truce stymied by the gang members themselves and by undue police intervention. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Penn, Robert Duvall, (more)
Detroit cop Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) has seemingly smoothed out his differences with his Beverly Hills superior Bogomil (Ronny Cox), but there's trouble ahead for both men, not to mention two other holdovers from the first Cop film, officers Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton). The "untouchable" heavy this time out is masterminding a series of violent robberies, committed by leather-freak hoods Dean Stockwell and Brigitte Nielsen. Unaccumstomed to this nastiness, Bogomil entreats street-smart Foley to help find the miscreants. But mean-spirited chief of police Lutz (Allen Garfield) will brook no interference from outsiders-especially the profanely insouciant Mr. Foley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, (more)
- 1986
- R
In this slice-n-dicer acclaimed pop psychologist Dr. David Kelley hosts a radio call-in show in LA. The current topic of discussion is a baffling series of murders that has been occurring throughout the town. All of the victims are beautiful real estate agents. One day he gets a strange call from "Harry," who claims that each of the victims deserved everything they got, because he believes that the real estate agents encourage the further displacement of the poor and homeless. He also describes their murders in detail. When the calls become more frequent, Dr. Kelley becomes even more concerned. He should be because his own lady love is a real estate agent. The film features considerable gore, nudity and simulated sex. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Bottoms, Adrienne Barbeau, (more)
Number three in the Dirty Harry series, The Enforcer equips macho cop Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood) with a female assistant, Kate Moore (Tyne Daly). Their quarry is a terrorist organization which has kidnapped the mayor of San Francisco (John Crawford). Harry goes undercover, attempting to root out the terrorists by beating up anybody who looks at him cross-eyed. When Harry and Kate discover that the mayor is being held at Alcatraz Island, it is only a matter of time before the climactic bloodbath. The Enforcer cleared enough at the box office to warrant yet another Dirty Harry opus, Sudden Impact. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, (more)
In this underscripted and not wholly convincing drama, Kevin Bacon plays Jack Casey, an up-and-coming broker who crashes on the stock market one day and cashes in whatever he has left to become a bicycle messenger in San Francisco. Although not exactly a logical alternative, bicycling the hilly streets of S.F. turns out to be dangerous after Casey runs into Gypsy (Rudy Ramos), the street pusher who has the messengers run drugs for him. A series of characters and events drop in and out of the conflict between Gypsy and Casey, including love interest Terri (Jami Gertz) and Casey's friend Hector (Paul Rodriguez). Music dominates throughout the film which includes scenes of breakdancing on bikes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Jami Gertz, (more)
- 1979
- PG
Although it is far from a perfectly contrived drama, Defiance has its moments of high emotions and rising fear. Tommy (Jan Michael Vincent) takes up temporary housing in a New York neighborhood plagued by a violent gang, the Souls. Tommy is waiting for his next assignment as a seaman and though he tries to avoid the gang and his neighbors, it does not work. Soon he is single-handedly battling the Souls and not only changing their attitudes, but the attitudes of his previously intimidated neighbors as well. They quickly back him up as the one person who can make the neighborhood safe again. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Theresa Saldana, (more)
Walter Hill's stripped down neo-noir features a protagonist who makes the laconic boxer of the director's similar Hard Times (1974) seem logorrheic by comparison. The film's tone is set in the opening scene as the Driver (Ryan O'Neal) gloms a V-8 sedan and proceeds to whip through claustrophobic parking garages, narrow alleyways, and sundry other high-risk macadam, as he demonstrates why he's known as the best getaway driver in the business to some potential clients, before giving his vehicle a proper burial. Such plot as there is in this highly abstract film concerns the Driver's cat and mouse game with the Detective (Bruce Dern), an employee of the constabulary of an unnamed city, intent on his arrest. A mysterious and beautiful woman, the Player (Isabelle Adjani), soon appears on the Driver's radar, a perfect match for his taciturnity. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan O'Neal, Bruce Dern, (more)
