Debra Sandlund Movies

Gladiator is the kind of boxing movie that goes that extra mile -- a self-loathing boxing saga that relishes in bare-knuckled sucker punches, illegal eye-rubs, and gentlemen boxers who obey the Marquis of Queensbury rules by drop-kicking opponents when the are not only down but unconscious. James Marshall plays Tommy Riley, a Windy City high school student conned into participating in the illegal underground boxing arenas of the South Side of Chicago. In high school, Tommy was a prize boxer, and this skill comes in handy when his Father (John Heard) runs up a large gambling debt. When a sleazy boxing manager (Robert Loggia) spots Tommy defending himself during recess, he offers him quick money to box. Tommy, although he hates the sport, readily agrees, thinking his winnings will help his father pay off his debts. He quickly comes under the thumb of unscrupulous boxing promoter Horn (Brian Dennehy), who is involved in fight-fixing and dirty fighting. Manipulating the odds and exploiting his boxers make Horn rich and more venal. In the rancid environment, Tommy befriends another fighter, Lincoln (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a black fighter who sees fighting as his way out of poverty. Inevitably, Horn arranges for the two friends to duke it out in the ring together. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

A made for cable TV docudrama, former Carter administration aides Hamilton Jordan and Gerald Rafshoon were responsible for the production of this miniseries which recounts the 1979 humiliation of America by a handful of Iranian radicals. Told through the eyes of a U.S. Embassy official married to a Tehran woman, this story did not spare neither the aides nor President Carter in the depiction of the shortsightedness and bungled rescue attempt which led to fifty-two Americans being held hostage for over a year and eventually led to President Carter's defeat in the next election despite an otherwise powerful administrative record. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

When a string of suspicious art gallery robberies leave the gallery owners with profitable insurance claims, an angered artist sets out to get revenge on the group behind the crimes. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Aware that DJ (Candace Cameron) has a crush on the new paperboy, practical joker Rusty (Jordan Christopher Michael) writes a phony "secret admirer" love letter and instructs Michelle (played by the Olsen twins) to deliver it. Unfortunately, Michelle bungles the assignment, and the letter ends up in the hands of practically everybody except DJ. As a result, Danny (Bob Saget) is now worried that Jesse's fiancee Becky may be falling for him--and teenaged Kimmy (Andrea Barber) is convinced that Jesse has set his sights on her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When a wealthy homosexual man (Wlad Cembrowicz) turns up missing, his sister (Debra Sandlund) convinces her ex-husband (Sam Behrens) to investigate the legion of suspects. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Norman Mailer wrote and directed this demented film noir, which takes place in a Provincetown of perpetual twilight. Most of the tale, based on his best-selling novel, is told in flashback as Dougy Madden (Lawrence Tierney) pays a visit to his son Tim (Ryan O'Neal). Dougy, a tough ex-bartender, is ravaged by cancer and decides to see Tim one last time in order. But Tim is suffering both from writer's block and from the effects of too many years of drink, drugs, and sex. His sexy wife Patty Lariene (Debra Sandlund) has recently left him and disappeared. Even worse, one morning he awakens from his stupor to find the front seat of his car covered with blood and a severed head inside his drug stash. He tries to rekindle a relationship with his ex-wife Madeleine (Isabella Rossellini), now married to the psychotic Provincetown police chief, Alvin Luther Regency (Wings Hauser), and he re-acquaints himself with old prep school friend Wardley Meeks III (John Bedford Lloyd), who was also married to the missing Patty Lareine. As the murders pile up and Tim's psyche takes a beating, Dougy decides to help Tim put an end to this chaotic mess of murders. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide