Carl Rigg Movies
The Living Daylights represents the first appearance by Timothy Dalton as "Bond...James Bond." Based very, very loosely on an obscure Ian Fleming short story, the film finds Bond assigned to aid in the defection of KGB agent Jeroen Krabbe. 007 must prevent an unknown sniper from killing Krabbe before he can reach the West. The mysterious assailant turns out to be the luscious Maryam d'Abo, who like practically everyone in the film except Bond is Not All That She Seems. The plot wends its way through a scheme to trade several million dollars' worth of diamonds for weapons, which will be shipped off to mercenaries worldwide. The climax takes place high above the clouds in a cargo plane loaded with opium. Dalton would play Bond one more time in License to Kill (1989) before handing the franchise over to Pierce Brosnan. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Dalton, Maryam D'Abo, (more)
Director Tobe Hooper adapts Colin Wilson's edgy novel The Space Vampires in this in this horror/sci-fi epic with a cult following. The story concerns a joint British-American space probe of Hailey's Comet. Inside the comet, the astronauts, headed by Carlsen (Steve Railsback), find a spaceship that contains the dead bodies of several aliens, along with the naked bodies of three human-like creatures in suspended animation. They bring the aliens aboard the ship for examination, but the specimens are sloppily guarded and soon the trio spread contagion among the population of the ship. Returning to earth, the beautiful space vampire (Mathilda May) escapes into London and begins to feed of the bodies of the unwary Britons, turning the city into a zombie-populated wasteland. It is now left for Carlsen to stop the vampire invaders. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Railsback, Peter Firth, (more)
Director John Frankenheimer and writers Edward Anhalt and George Axelrod try to inject some life into this adaptation of Robert Ludlum's best-selling espionage novel. Michael Caine stars as Noel Holcroft, who was adopted in Germany by an American family in the waning days of World War II. Now middle-aged, Noel learns that his biological father, who had been one of Hitler's key economic advisors, left him more than $4 billion at his death. Noel is supposed to dispense the money to specific individuals who had suffered under the oppression of Hitler. But Noel comes to realize the money is, in fact, being used by fascists starting a new Nazi regime. When the neo-Nazis find out Noel is wise to their plans, they chase him through Europe, trying to assassinate him and make way for a Fourth Reich. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Anthony Andrews, (more)
- 1979
In the third episode of the four-part story "The Power of Kroll," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) are forced to deal not only with the superstitious natives of the swamp moon of Delta Magna, but also with a gun smuggler named Rohm Dutt, who has been attempting to foment violence that will benefit the owners of a despotic Methane refinery. Adding to the Doctor's headaches is the fact that he has yet been able to locate the all-important fifth segment of the Key to Time. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Power of Kroll, Episode 3" originally aired on January 6, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In the conclusion of the four-part story "The Power of Kroll," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) are forced to overcome enormous obstacles in their efforts to retrieve the fifth segment of the Key to Time on the swamp moon of Delta Magna. But the cream of the jest occurs at the climax, when the Doctor discovers that the Great God Kroll, whom the local Swampies worship blindly, is actually a huge squid -- and Kroll is, in fact, the elusive Fifth Segment. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Power of Kroll, Episode 4" originally aired on January 13, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
In the second episode of the four-part story "The Power of Kroll," the Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) trace the fifth segment of the Key to Time on the swamp moon of Delta Magna. Almost immediately, the two time travellers incur the wrath of the local Swampies, who worship a God called Kroll. In time-honored Doctor Who tradition, Kroll requires a human sacrifice -- and Romana is chosen for that honor. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Power of Kroll, Episode 2" originally aired on December 30, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The Doctor (Tom Baker) and Romana (Mary Tamm) land on the third moon of Delta Magna, in search of the fifth segment of the Key to Time. The moon is little more than an overgrown swamp, populated by a hostile tribe who worship a god called Kroll -- and that's only the beginning of the Doctor's headaches in this four-part adventure. A follow-up to the previous Doctor Who continuity "The Androids of Tara," "The Power of Kroll, Episode 1" was written by Robert Holmes and was originally telecast on December 23, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
In this drama, a young woman must cope with the stresses of single-parenthood and of dealing with a terminally ill mother. Adding to her stress are a young priest and a rock star, both of whom want her. In the end she dumps the both and lives her life independently. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
This musical biography of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (Torval Maurstad) is based on the play of the same name. Living in poverty after graduating from a music conservatory, Grieg scandalizes his family by marrying his cousin Nina (Florence Henderson). Grieg has an affair with a former schoolmate, Therese Berg (Christina Schollin), a wealthy woman who makes a deal with her influential father to end the romance if he'll arrange a concert for Grieg in Stockholm. Grieg eventually travels to Rome, where his significance as an artist begins to find appreciation. His association with Therese is not really finished and Grieg's humble piano, a gift from the self-sacrificing Nina, is overshadowed by Therese's gift of a grand piano. Back to back with the subsequent and equally unsuccessful The Great Waltz (1972), the last two films of writer, producer, and director Andrew Stone ended his nearly 50 year career. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toralv Maurstad, Florence Henderson, (more)
- 1970
- PG
The inimitable Vincent Price puts an interesting spin on this otherwise pedestrian witch-hunt exercise -- a rehashing of Witchfinder General (aka The Conqueror Worm) and several of Roger Corman's numerous Poe variations from the previous decade. Here Price plays Edward Whitman, a corrupt, sadistic magistrate in 16th-century Ireland who puts a quick and deadly stop to the activities of a local Druidic coven... but not before the sect's leader Oona (Elisabeth Bergner) puts a curse on him and the Whitman family line, calling up a vengeful spirit known as a "sidhee" which takes flesh in the form of an otherwise mild-mannered stable boy (Patrick Mower). As swift and violent retribution works its way through the Whitman family, so does this film snowball toward its bizarre and muddled conclusion -- made all the more confounding by rather choppy editing. Just like Conqueror Worm and half a dozen others, this was fallaciously marketed by distributor American International Pictures as yet another adaptation of the works of Edgar Allan Poe -- as if AIP hadn't kicked Poe's corpse around enough in the '60s. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Elisabeth Bergner, (more)
- 1970
This insipid science fiction musical concerns a group of students paying their way through school by forming a pop band. The group is led by Olivia Newton-John, and organist Vic Cooper has invented an instrument called the "tonaliser." The sonic vibrations from the invention causes an extra-terrestrial (Roy Dotrice) to beam up the group to entertain the Alphoid population. The film title refers to the group name. Newton-John would go on to a successful singing and acting career, most notably in the 1978 musical Grease. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Newton-John, Benny Thomas, (more)
A special group of navy divers is created when a disabled Nazi warship is discovered in a fjord in Norway. Commander Bolton (James Caan) is the Canadian expert designated to train the new unit. Their mission is to plant a bomb on the warship as it undergoes repairs. The hard-driving Bolton encounters resentment from the British soldiers he trains, but he ultimately earns their respect as a leader. Their intense training operation is interrupted by an attack of Nazi paratroopers just before the unit leaves for Norway. Spectacular underwater photography is seen in this World War II adventure story based on an actual mission. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Rupert Davies, (more)
- 1969
When Sir Edward Markham (Alastair Williamson) is horribly disfigured by African natives, he is kept chained and out of sight by his brother Julian (Vincent Price). When Sir Edward escapes, he goes on a killing spree in a desperate attempt to get even with the society that has made him a monstrous outcast. Julian enlists the help of African witch doctor N'Galo (Harry Baird) for medicine to make Sir Edward appear dead so he can be evicted from the house. Dr. Neuhardt (Christopher Lee) attempts to help the hideous human. There are plenty of female corpses around to drip rivers of fresh, hot blood in this feature, the 13th Edgar Allan Poe story in which Price has appeared. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, (more)
