William Russell Movies

Based on a book by the great crime novelist Jim Thompson, this dark thriller is set in a small coastal community in New Jersey, where the only action in town is a run-down nightclub called Pavillion. The club's owner, Pete (Jackson Sims), can barely make the payroll for Rags the bartender (William Russell), Myra the barmaid (Jorjan Fox) (who is also Pete's daughter), and clean-up man Ralph (Steve Monroe), so in a bid to bring in more customers, Pete hires a stripper, Danny Lee (Cathy Haase). Danny Lee's act soon turns Ralph's head, which is not good news for his wife Luanne (Loretta Gross). Twenty years older than her husband, Luanne is unable to get out of bed (though the doctor says that there's no medical explanation for this), and while she grudging allows Ralph to sleep with other women, the notion that he might fall in love with someone else sends her into a fit of rage. Luanne's greatest talent (and her most potent weapon) is her gift for gossip, and when she begins to suspect that Ralph might want to leave her for Danny Lee, she starts spreading ugly rumors that have just enough basis in fact to stick. Before long, Luanne has circulated the word that Myra is a drug addict and that her boyfriend Bobbie (Andrew Lee Barrett) is pushing dope at the club, that Pete had an incestuous relationship with Myra, and that Rags was responsible for the death of his family in a car wreck. As this bitter misinformation sweeps through the town, Luanne turns up dead, but this proves to be the beginning and not the end of a wave of violence and ugliness. The Kill-Off was one of three Jim Thompson adaptations to reach the screen within the space of a year, along with The Grifters and After Dark, My Sweet. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director Bertrand Tavernier provides an unexpected feminist slant to the otherwise standard sci-fi trappings of Death Watch. Harvey Keitel plays a man of the future who has had a camera implanted in his brain. The mechanism, which is endowed with special X-ray properties, is activated by the user's eyes. Keitel is assigned by ruthless TV producer Harry Dean Stanton to secretly probe the subconscious of a dying woman, played by Romy Schneider. Stanton is only interested in the grim spectacle of what goes on inside the brain of someone who knows she's doomed. Keitel, on the other hand, becomes increasingly compassionate--and disgusted by the tawdriness of his assignment--as he stares into Schneider's tortured psyche. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Richard Donner's big-budget blockbuster Superman: The Movie is an immensely entertaining recounting of the origin of the famous comic book character. Opening on Krypton (where Marlon Brando plays Superman's father), the film follows the Man of Steel (Christopher Reeve) as he's sent to Earth where he develops his alter-ego Clark Kent and is raised by a Midwestern family. In no time, the movie has run through his teenage years, and Clark gets a job at the Daily Planet, where he is a news reporter. It's there that he falls in love with Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), who is already in love with Superman. But the love story is quickly sidetracked once the villainous Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) launches a diabolical plan to conquer the world and kill Superman. Superman: The Movie is filled with action, special effects and a surprising amount of humor. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

In the third episode of the six-part story "The Web Planet," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his companions are still mired in a power struggle on the planet Vortis. Aligning himself with the exiled butterfly-like race the Menoptera, the Doctor endeavors to free the planet from the rule of the ant-like Zarbi. This requires him to make a perilous foray into the Web Centre, the better to solve the mystery of the force that holds the planet in thrall. Written by Bill Strutton, "Escape to Danger" first aired on February 27, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the fifth episode of the six-part story "The Web Planet," the Doctor (William Hartnell) is unsuccessful in his efforts to immobilize the Animus, the spider-ish parasite that controls the planet Vortis. Meanwhile, the butterfly-like Menoptra invade the planet, hoping to topple the ant-like Zarbi ruling class (who are themselves the slaves of the Vortis). To say that the Menoptra's efforts are doomed to failure would be putting it mildly. Written by Bill Strutton, "Invasion" first aired on March 13, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of the six-part story "The Web Planet," the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his traveling companions come face to face with the two warring tribes of the planet Vortis: The ant-like Zarbi, who ruled the roost, and the butterfly-like Menoptera, who hope to return from years of exile. The mysterious force that sucked the TARDIS into Vortis' atmosphere enslaves the mind of Barbara (Jacqueline Hill). It is up to the Doctor and Ian (William Hartnell) to rescue the girl -- if they themselves can avoid the force. Written by Bill Strutton, "The Zarbi" first aired on February 20, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the concluding episode of the four-part story "The Space Museum," the Doctor (William Hartnell) is still struggling to avoid the fate in store for himself and his companions, as mummified exhibits in a Xeron space museum. In the course of events, the Doctor's travelling companion Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) aligns herself with the Xeron slaves of the despotic Moroks. This is beginning of the end for the Moroks, as the Xeron stage a revolt to gain control of their planet -- and, possibly, to spare the lives of the TARDIS crew. Written by Glyn Jones, "The Final Phase" first aired on May 15, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of the four-part story "The Crusade," the Doctor (William Hartnell), Ian (William Russell), and Vicki (Maureen O'Brien) are forcibly detained in the camp of King Richard the Lionhearted (Julian Glover). Ian manages to secure Richard's permission to leave so that he can rescue Barbara (Jacqueline Hill), who has been captured by the Saracen followers of Prince Saladin (Bernard Kay). By episode's end, however, Ian has been pressed into service as a marriage broker. Written by David Whitaker, "The Knight of Jaffa" originally aired April 3, 1965. At present, only the soundtrack of this episode is known to survive. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of the six-part story "The Chase," the Doctor and his travelling are thrown into a prison cell by the Mechanoids. Also incarcerated is another space fugitive, pilot Steven Taylor. With the help of their new friend, the Doctor and his friends are able to help determine the outcome of the showdown between the Mechanoids and the Daleks. With this episode, Peter Purves became a series regular as Steven Taylor. Written by Terry Nation, "The Planet of Decision" was originally telecast on June 26, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the fourth episode of the six-part story "The Chase," the Doctor continues his desperate efforts to repair the TARDIS and prevent the Daleks from continuing their campaign of interplanetary destruction. This may prove even more difficult in the light of a new and terrifying weapon created by the villains. In the course of events, the Doctor's companion, Vicki (Maureen O'Brien), is given an unexpected -- and hair-raising -- ride through time and space. Written by Terry Nation, "Journey Into Terror" was originally telecast on June 12, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the second episode of the six-part story "The Chase," the Doctor (William Hartnell), peering into the future, has learned of the mass-destruction plans of the mutant Daleks. He also knows that the villains intend to destroy the TARDIS and its crew. Feeling safer chasing after the Daleks than being chased by the mutants, the Doctor trails the enemy to the planet Aridius -- only to discover that he and his traveling companions have been trapped in the TARDIS and are unable to prevent the ensuing carnage. Written by Terry Nation, "The Death of Time" was originally telecast on May 29, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of the six-part story "The Chase," the Doctor (William Hartnell) decides to experiment with the space-time visualizer which he had obtained in the previous adventure "The Space Museum." In so doing, the Doctor makes a horrifying discovery: The dreaded mutant Daleks have created their own time machine and intend to use the device to destroy the TARDIS and its crew. This episode was written by Terry Nation, the man who originally created the Daleks as part and parcel of the overall Doctor Who saga. "The Chase" was first telecast on May 22, 1965. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

First telecast April 24, 1965, "The Space Museum" is the first episode of the four-part Doctor Who adventure of the same name. Jumping a time-track, the TARDIS materializes in a long-abandoned Morok space museum on the planet Xeros. Here, the Doctor (William Hartnell) and his friends are shocked to see themselves -- and the dreaded Daleks -- on exhibit. It is a portent of the horrible fate that awaits the TARDIS crew unless the doctor is able to change the course of history. "The Space Museum" was written by Glyn Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi