Roy Scheider Movies
One of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors, Roy Scheider first hit his career peak in the 1970s, and will forever be associated with the "American film renaissance" of that decade thanks to his prominent billing in four vital motion pictures from the period: The French Connection (1971), Klute (1971), Jaws (1975), and All That Jazz (1979). As this list demonstrates, Scheider exhibited versatility in choice of material. He also, however, established a trademark persona that carried him from project to project: that of a slightly sardonic, wizened everyman who nonetheless evinced an unmistakable degree of sensitivity and emotional fragility beneath a tough exterior. Born November 10, 1932, in Rutgers, New Jersey, Scheider attended Rutgers University, as well as Franklin and Marshall College, where he studied history; meanwhile, an early boxing injury (in the New Jersey Diamond Gloves Competition) left Scheider with a broken nose that would soon become one of his trademarks. He subsequently joined the United States Air Force and served three years, ascending to the rank of first lieutenant, then returned to Franklin and Marshall for drama work, beginning with a much-acclaimed performance in Shakespeare's Richard III.Scheider inaugurated his professional career as a thespian by cutting his chops on the New York stage, as Mercutio in the New York Shakespeare Festival's 1961 production of Romeo and Juliet, and appeared in a couple of shoestring-budget cheapies (such as the 1963 Curse of the Living Corpse). Additional movie roles followed, but the actor really only made his breakthrough in 1971, with two of the said parts -- in Klute (as the pimp of hooker Bree Daniels) and in William Friedkin's groundbreaking cop thriller The French Connection (as Buddy Russo, the somewhat low-key and subdued partner of Gene Hackman's manic Popeye Doyle). An additional cop role, in The Seven-Ups (1973), followed, but by this point, Scheider had reportedly grown concerned that he would be pegged and typecast as a policeman and decided to branch out with an offbeat turn in the romantic comedy Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York (1975). When that picture unequivocally flopped, Steven Spielberg helped rescue Scheider (and in many ways put the actor on the proverbial map) by casting him as the lead, Police Chief Martin Brody, in the blockbuster shocker Jaws (1975). After this, roles proliferated; Scheider evoked a death-wish-laden Bob Fosse in the gonzo musical drama All That Jazz (1979, a part he inherited from Jaws co-star Richard Dreyfuss), and also chalked up a series of leads in Hitchcockian thrillers including Jonathan Demme's The Last Embrace (1979) and Robert Benton's Still of the Night (1982).
Scheider remained equally active through the 1980s and '90s, though his choice of projects waxed slightly more uneven, ranging from the inspired (1986's 52 Pick-Up, 1990's The Russia House) to the abysmal (1986's The Men's Club). The actor retained a firm hold on his craft, however, and delivered some of the finest work of his career late in the game, with prominent roles in David Cronenberg's 1991 Naked Lunch (as a wiseacre physician) and Bart Freundlich's family-themed psychodrama The Myth of Fingerprints (1997, as a seriously deranged father with a seedy and twisted past). The 1990s also found Scheider embarking on a television career for the first time, with a regular role as Captain Nathan Hale Bridger in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi adventure series seaQuest DSV (1993-1996). Scheider would return to television a decade later, with a recurring portrayal of Fyodor Chevchenko on the prime-time drama Third Watch; in the mean time, the actor continued to tackle roles in additional features and even direct-to-video movies, including Time Lapse (2001), Red Serpent (2002), Wes Craven Presents Dracula II: Ascension (2003), and The Poet (2007). By the mid-2000s, Scheider contracted multiple myeloma and began to suffer from related health problems; he died in February 2008 of complications from a staph infection. The actor was 75. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Documentary film maven David L. Wolper returns to the scene with a ten-part series profiling 50 international icons of the 20th century. In part ten, he presents five "pop music icons." Louis Armstrong, or "Satchmo," was an American jazz trumpeter and singer who overcame poverty and racism to introduce "scat" singing and who helped to popularize jazz in the United States. Frank Sinatra thrilled a generation of fans with his good looks and enticing voice. Nicknamed "Old Blue Eyes," he starred in several movies and sang with the big bands of the 1930s before launching his successful solo career. He was granted three posthumous Grammy awards for his musical achievements and influence. Elvis Presley was one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th century with his charismatic style and soothing voice, crooning such tunes as "Love Me Tender" and "Heartbreak Hotel." Combining elements of gospel, country & western, and R&B music, Elvis helped to transform rock music in America. The Beatles, however, changed the face of rock & roll music forever when they brought their innovative style from Britain to the United States in the early '60s. While only together for a short time, the group remains popular worldwide, with many young musicians citing them as a major influence on their musical development. Michael Jackson was the youngest of the famous sibling group the Jackson Five before embarking on his even more successful solo career as singer, dancer, and songwriter. A somewhat reclusive yet fascinating character, he was a true pop icon of the late 20th century. ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Documentary film maven David L. Wolper returns to the scene with a ten-part series profiling 50 international icons of the 20th century. In part nine, he presents five "sports legends." Muhammad Ali, one of "the Greatest" professional boxers of all time, floated like a feather and stung like a bee on his way to three world heavyweight championships. "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias helped pave the way for women's sports while excelling in basketball, baseball, track, and golf, as well as winning several Olympic medals and amateur titles. Pele was the Brazilian soccer star who helped popularize the sport in America with his skill, finesse, and charm while on the way to three World Cup championships with his native country. Babe Ruth was known as the "Sultan of Swat" and as one of the finest hitters in the history of baseball. He pitched and hit for the New York Yankees and the Boston Braves for 22 years and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1936. Michael Jordan will go down in history as perhaps one of the best athletes of all time. He led the Chicago Bulls to an unprecedented six NBA titles in seven years while setting dozens of records and thrilling fans worldwide along the way. ~ Sarah Block, All Movie Guide
- 2001
When some of the greatest military minds of World War II were imprisoned in a German camp, escape was inevitable. Colditz Castle was the staging arena for the most daring attempts at freedom. This video documents the often outrageous and always courageous flights in Nova: Nazi Prison Escape. Using handmade tools, uniforms, and even an airplane, prisoners from all over the world put their military know-how to the test. One tried to impersonate a German guard and was caught, while another climbed over broken glass to breach the outer walls and escaped. Overall, 300 men took flight during the prison's five-year existence. The video shows how Colditz was perhaps the finest example of cooperation among men in the midst of a world crisis. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide
This silly but absorbing horror film from executive producer Roger Corman's New Concorde studio concerns four college students who accept an offer of ten thousand dollars to fix up an old house. What they don't know is that the house was owned by a cult of devil worshippers in the 17th century and that there is a gateway to Hell in the basement. Before long, severed hands are caressing the naked Susan (Suzanne Bridgham) in the shower, her boyfriend Rick (Christian Harmony) is possessed and has sex with their friend Tammy (Lauren Woodland), and goofy Owen (Don Maloney) is menaced by what appears to be a clawed ghost. It's actually Evelyn Van Buren (Teresa De Priest), a demon in human form who slept with the house's original owner, corrupting his soul and leading him to take part in vile Satanic orgies before the whole place was burned to the ground and the current home built on top of the remains. The kids bring in Professor Lamont (Roy Scheider), who reluctantly agrees to investigate and ends up getting his face gorily ripped off his skull by the vengeful Evelyn, whose direct descendant Lydia, a clairvoyant, must help the terrified students battle her ancestor before they all get sucked down to Hell. Writer/director Michael B. Druxman throws in elements of everything from The Haunting to Night of the Demons, but his primary influence seems to be the Italian cult classic L'Aldila. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Roy Scheider) stars as the president of the United States in this tense drama. The briefcase containing the remote launching system that allows the chief executive to fire nuclear weapons from anywhere in the world is stolen by terrorists, and it's up to the Secret Service to get it back. Chain of Command also stars Maria Conchita Alonso, Michael Biehn, and Patrick Muldoon. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Roy Scheider, (more)
- 2000
Dillan Johansen (Ted McGinley) is a disorganized transit authority supervisor suffering from a serious personal tragedy. His boss, the stern-yet-kindly Stan Marshall (Roy Scheider), is understanding and has a lot of faith in the younger man. That faith -- and Dillan's bravery -- are put to the test the day a major earthquake hits Los Angeles and traps Dillan in an underground tunnel with a handful of subway riders. Dillan works underground to save the panicked citizens from raging fire, rushing water, and a secret cache of toxic chemicals hidden by a corrupt assistant mayor who is now topside trying to get Stan to lure the now-witnesses to the toxins so their deaths might keep his secret a secret. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
In this tense thriller, Peter Connelly (Gordon Currie) is an American security expert attached to the State Department who is assigned to the United States embassy in Paris. Peter reports to Lou Fairchild (Peter Weller) and learns he's to work alongside fellow security man Earl Miller (Roy Scheider). As Peter becomes accustomed to his routine at the embassy, he begins to notice things that seem a bit strange, and he finds himself making the acquaintance of a beautiful but mysterious Russian woman named Kateryna (Yekaterina Rednikova). In time, Peter discovers that his colleagues at the embassy have a lucrative and potentially dangerous sideline -- they sell forged American visas to people who are eager to enter the United States but cannot do so legally. Despite its French setting, Falling Through was actually filmed in Luxembourg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Currie, Peter Weller, (more)
- 2000
Nova journeys back to a decisive moment in the War Between the States -- a four-hour, point-blank battle between two warships, the Union's USS Monitor and the Confederates' CSS Virginia. That 1862 battle, fought off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, ended in a draw, but the Monitor's innovative new design -- a revolving gun turret, submerged hull, and ironclad armor -- helped change the course of history and of naval technology. Less than a year after its debut, the Monitor sank in the waters off Cape Hatteras, into what has been dubbed "the graveyard of the Atlantic." Nova's cameras follow a group of Navy divers down to the wreckage to recover valuable relics from the past, and the program discusses the notorious architect who designed the Monitor and then built it in just three months. In a rare dramatic turn, the film also stages a reenactment of the infamous Civil War battle. ~ Sarah Welsh, All Movie Guide
- 1999
A boy learns to deal with personal loss by making friends with a wild animal in this drama for the family. Jesse (Shane Meier) is a 16-year-old who is trying to put his life back together after the death of his father, who died while trying to rescue him in the wilderness. Jesse goes to live with his Uncle Roy (Michael Biehn), who lives in the rugged mountains of Washington State. While exploring, Jesse finds and rescues a wolf who has been seriously wounded; Jesse bonds with the animal, and while Roy understands the dangers of trying to tend to a wild animal, he allows Jesse to keep him, though Roy suggests that donating the wolf to a zoo might be a good idea. However, Jesse, who is fond of snowboarding, teaches the wolf to be his partner in skijoring, a sport in which a dog is used to haul a man on skis. John Rockwell (Roy Scheider), the owner of a ranch, has different plans for the animal; he sees the wolf as a threat to his stock and is determined to see that the animal is put down. Silverwolf was shot on location in Vancouver. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shane Meier, Michael Biehn, (more)
When RKO Pictures began work on production number 281, no one could have imagined that they were making perhaps the greatest American film of all time. But the moment Orson Welles (played by Liev Schreiber) announced that he intended to make a film based on the life of tyranical multi-millionaire publisher William Randolph Hearst (James Cromwell), they knew that they had trouble on their hands. Welles, the enfant terrible of American theater and a household name thanks to his infamous radio adaptation of H.G. Wells's "The War Of The Worlds," was signed to direct films for RKO, and he was given an unusually free hand to make whatever sort of film he wanted. But what Welles didn't count on was the power of Hearst to keep his film from being seen. RKO 281 is based on the true story of the making of Citizen Kane and the war of words between Welles and Hearst. It also stars Melanie Griffith as Hearst's mistress Marion Davies, John Malkovich as screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz, Brenda Blethyn as Hearst's movie columnist Louella Parsons, and Roy Scheider as George Schaefer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liev Schreiber, James Cromwell, (more)
In this adventure, a journalist embarks upon an exciting quest for a priceless diamond that disappeared during WW II. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Silver, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 1998
In this dark comedy, three sisters try to make the most of their lives in a supremely dysfunctional family. Maryann (Catherine Corpeny), Elizabeth (Deborah Hedwall), and Gail (Wendy Hoopes) were raised by their eccentric mother Nora (Olympia Dukakis), mostly without the help of their father Tom (Roy Scheider), a policeman who left the house 15 years earlier and never came back. Now Maryann is a nervous wreck who cries most of the time, Elizabeth is a lawyer who works as a public defender and doesn't enjoy it very much, and Gail prefers to stay home with her dumb lug of a boyfriend, Junior (James Villemarie). However, they're all busy dealing with Nora, who has decided to build a cavern in the basement (with the help of a jackhammer that threatens to destroy the house), and Tom, who has made an unexpected return after developing a survivalist bent. The sisters eventually have to enlist the help of their Uncle Jack (Edward Herrmann), a priest with rather lax moral fiber, to get things back to "normal." This was the debut feature for writer/director Max Mayer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olympia Dukakis, Roy Scheider, (more)
- 1998
In this drama, a Vegas casino worker's love affair with a beautiful hooker turns dangerous when he allows her to draw him into a gambling scam. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Sonia Braga, (more)
In this actioner, a genius crook concocts an elaborate scheme for kidnapping the President, but before he can enact it, he must bust a certain racecar driver out of prison. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Roy Scheider, (more)
When a vicious arms smuggler (Roy Scheider) abducts his daughter, an ex-Navy Seal (Gary Busey) rounds up a cadre of skilled mercenaries to find and rescue her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Roy Scheider, (more)
This well-wrought Canadian direct-to-video actioner (in large part a knock-off of the Die Hard series) stars Dolph Lundgren as a maverick American Air Force pilot who during a flight disobeys orders and drops a large shipment of food for a starving group of Middle Eastern refugees. Too embarrassed by the publicity to discipline him formally, the Air Force gives him a new assignment: he is to carry the President's black bag, a special briefcase loaded with a computer that the Executive in Chief can use to launch a nuclear war. Following a press conference, the former pilot and the president (Roy Scheider) return to their hotel. Later, the floor on which they stay is overrun by terrorists who want to use the black bag to launch an attack on Washington D.C. During the scuffle, the pilot manages to escape, but not before the bag is grabbed by the terrorists. Later the hostage takers demand that the President commit suicide on television. If he refuses, then they will blow up the capitol city. Assisted by the only other man to survive the terrorist's initial attack, the pilot must somehow stop them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
Francis Ford Coppola is both scripter and director of this drama adapted from the John Grisham novel about broke, inexperienced Memphis law-school graduate Rudy Baylor (Matt Damon), ready to take any job he can find. Signing on with slimy Bruiser Stone (Mickey Rourke), he learns ambulance-chasing tactics from Bruiser's leg man Deck Schifflet (Danny DeVito) and meets battered teen Kelly Riker (Claire Danes), abused by her husband (Andrew Shue). Baylor has his own clients -- friendly Miss Birdie (Teresa Wright), who has a large estate to dispose of, and desperate Dot Black (Mary Kay Place), whose son Donnie Ray (Johnny Whitworth) has terminal leukemia. Medical intervention could have spared his life, but the Great Benefit Insurance Company denied coverage, preventing Donnie Ray from getting a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Rudy finds a place to live in the apartment behind Miss Birdie's house. Deck and Rudy split from Bruiser to start their small firm. When they take on the Blacks' case, they go up against the insurance company's high-priced law firm and are continually thwarted by slick lawyer Leo F. Drummond (Jon Voight). Rudy's voiceover narration was scripted by Michael Herr. Filmed on location in Memphis. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Claire Danes, (more)
A family is torn between their need to air out their dirty laundry and their habit of sweeping things under the rug in this emotional drama. Hal (Roy Scheider) and Lena (Blythe Danner) are a successful but emotionally frosty New England couple whose four adult children are coming home for Thanksgiving. Strapping Jake (Michael Vartan) brings along his new girlfriend Margaret (Hope Davis), but while her affection for him is obvious, he's not sure how he feels about her. Mia (Julianne Moore), an alternately reserved and sexually ravenous art gallery worker, also brings her current lover, the nervous and unstable Elliot (Brian Kerwin). Leigh (Laurel Holloman) seems happier and better adjusted than her siblings, but she still hasn't resolved her long-standing rivalry with Mia. And Warren (Noah Wyle), who hasn't seen his parents for three years, has a bitter grudge against his father and hasn't been able to get his former girlfriend Daphne (Arija Bareikis) out of his mind. Co-star Noah Wyle also served as associate producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arija Bareikis, Noah Wyle, (more)
- 1997
- Add The Directors: John Frankenheimer to QueueAdd The Directors: John Frankenheimer to top of Queue
This video charts director John Frankenheim's rise from working as an assistant director in television to directing such classics as The Manchurian Candidate and Seven Days in May. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
This silly, over-the-top action film has a great hammy performance by Gary Busey as the insane leader of a militia group intent on revenge against the government for doing psychotropic experiments on them after Vietnam. Busey also had his privates mutilated by a Viet-Cong prostitute, so he's a vicious razor-blade rapist, too. Lorenzo Lamas and Kristen Cloke are FBI "mindhunters" trying to stop him, but they lose their badges because of evil boss Roy Scheider, who still blames Lamas for his career troubles after a botched Ruby Ridge-type standoff. There are way too many plot threads dangling everywhere -- including the hesitant romance between Lamas and Cloke -- and the screenplay seems to reference every news item concerning the FBI in the last ten years to no good end. Still, those in search of mindless shootouts and hissable villains will find enough to enjoy over beer and pork rinds. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorenzo Lamas, Gary Busey, (more)
- 1996
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Written, produced, and directed by Linda Garmon, this episode of the Emmy award-winning PBS series The American Experience chronicles the development of the CIA supersonic spy plane dubbed the U-2, and the international crisis triggered when American pilot Francis Gary Powers got shot down while flying the jet over the Soviet Union. As Roy Scheider narrates, the 1960 incident ended U-2 flights over the Soviet Union, but it was a U-2 that later discovered the missiles the Russians tried to sneak into Cuba. The documentary features interviews with various people involved in these historic events, including U-2 pilots Bob Ericson and Hervey Stockman. Highlights also include archival film footage from Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, the BBC, the CIA, the National Air and Space Museum, and Fox Movietone News, as well as archival photographs from the CIA, NASA Ames Research Center, and UPI/Bettmann Archive, Inc. Hosted by David McCullough. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide
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)
Travel to the spectacular undersea world of seaQuest DSV as all 23 groundbreaking episodes from the epic first season surface on DVD. The amazing adventure begins in the mid-21st century, as humankind expands its undersea colonization efforts and a tenuous world peace is enforced by the United Earth Oceans (UEO). In order to protect the fledgling underwater colonies from unknown dangers and hostile invaders lurking in the depths of Earth's last frontier, the UEO recruits Captain Nathan Bridger (Roy Scheider) to command the high-tech battle submarine seaQuest and its diverse and eclectic crew. Along for the ride are a roster of stellar guest stars, including Charlton Heston, William Shatner, Seth Green, Kellie Martin and Kent McCord. Now on DVD for the first time ever, with exclusive never-before-seen footage, the Emmy Award-winning seaQuest DSV is sure to make waves with thrill-seekers everywhere!
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Jonathan Brandis, (more)
