O.J. Simpson Movies

Few television programs have broken as many taboos as Screw publisher Al Goldstein's groundbreaking late-night cable program Midnight Blue, and in this collection of audacious clips, Goldstein takes a look beyond the porn and politics and into the lives of the era's hottest celebrities. From the notorious "Barbra Streisand Porno Movie" to a visit to the 1979 Hooker's Ball where football legend O.J. Simpson offers his candid views on the sexual state of the nation, these are the interviews that would influence and inspire the celebrity gossip programs for decades to come. After witnessing Go-Go's beauty Belinda Carlisle fly solo in a late-night pleasure session, viewers can get a peek at the infamous Rob Lowe sex tape -- footage that nearly brought the handsome Brat Packer's Hollywood career to a screeching halt. Other guests include Arnold Schwarzenegger, R. Crumb, Tiny Tim, Gilbert Gottfried, Larry Flynt, Debbie Harry, Buck Henry, and vintage commercials for some of New York City's hottest adult sweet spots offer an intimate look at a time when the debauchery of the disco era was at an all-time high. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The murder trial of O.J. Simpson became an obsession for millions of people. As the case unfolded, it became an example for the issues of race, celebrity, wealth, police corruption, and how they impact the court system and justice in American society. The Defense -- volume three in the four-part videotape series Court TV: The O.J. Simpson Trial -- features heavily edited Court TV coverage of the defense mounted by Simpson's expensive, theatrical, and effective battery of lawyers led by Johnnie Cochran. Commentators provide legal background and analyze the defense team's strategies. The other volumes in the series are Background and Opening Statements, The Prosecution, and Closing Statements and Verdict. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

The murder trial of O.J. Simpson became an obsession for millions of people. As the case unfolded, it became an example for the issues of race, celebrity, wealth, police corruption, and how they impact the court system and justice in American society. The Prosecution -- volume two in the four-part videotape series Court TV: The O.J. Simpson Trial -- features heavily edited Court TV coverage of prosecutor Marcia Clark's case against Simpson. Commentators provide legal background and analyze Clark's strategies regarding DNA testing and the 911 phone call. The other volumes in the series are Background and Opening Statements, The Defense, and Closing Statements and Verdict. ~ Steve Blackburn, All Movie Guide

The further misadventures of bumbling Los Angeles police Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) are chronicled in this third installment in the popular Naked Gun comedy series. This by-the-numbers entry begins with Drebin as a happily retired house-husband called back into action when an evil terrorist organization threatens Los Angeles. As in the other Naked Gun films, this plot is merely an excuse for an unhinged, rapid-fire succession of gags, ranging from satirical lampoons of cop movies to broad slapstick, all played with a perfectly straight face. Nielsen provides his familiar combination of complete witlessness and oblivious dignity as Drebin, and the film attempts to match the earlier Naked Gun films -- and the Police Squad! television series that inspired them -- in the number of jokes. However, the film proved less successful than its predecessors, as some viewers found that the freewheeling comic style of the earlier films had solidified into its own formula, now mildly entertaining but disappointingly predictable. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

In this gory thriller, a troubled dancer has just enough time to convince her little sister to hide a videotape before she is stabbed to death by an unseen killer, leaving the surviving sister in grave danger. Fortunately, a cynical but determined cop comes on the case to help her. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Leslie Nielsen returns as the intrepid (and accident-prone) Lt. Frank Drebin in Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear, "un film de David Zucker." This second feature film from the "Police Squad!" series finds Drebin as a guest at a White House dinner, receiving an award for shooting his 1,000th drug dealer, although he admits to shooting only 998 -- he ran over the last two in his car. ("Luckily, they turned out to be drug dealers"). Also at the White House dinner is energy czar Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (Richard Griffiths), whom President George Bush (John Roarke) has chosen to start a new national energy policy. Since Meinheimer believes in promoting alternative energy resources, the evil leaders of the polluting energy industries (coal, oil, and nuclear power--or the lobby groups SMOKE, SPILL and KABOOM) are horrified at Bush's choice. Joining together with arch-villain Quentin Hapsburg (Robert Goulet), they plan to kidnap the real Meinheimer and substitute a fake Meinheimer in his place who will enact energy policy according to the dictates of the energy lobby. Drebin becomes deeply involved in the conspiracy when he runs into his ex-girl friend Jane (Priscilla Presley), who is not only Meinheimer's public relations director but also Hapsburg's current paramour. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Having lost the Championship and two of their best players, John Manzak (John Matuszak) and Johnny Gunn (Christopher Meloni), the California Bulls bind their wounds, grit the teeth they have left, and hope for the best as the sexy, profane HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten begins its seventh and final season. The series' subtitle this year is "In Your Face!," and that pretty much sums up the attitude of the battered gridiron vets under the aegis of tough team coach Ernie Denardo (Reid Shelton) and buxom team owner Kristy Fulbright (Shannon Tweed). New to the team is receiver "Miracle Miles" Coolidge (Keith Amos), who just might have the right stuff to guide the Bulls to another Championship. Without giving anything away, we can observe here that "Miracle Miles" figures prominently in the season's best-remembered episode, involving a surprise cameo from a most unlikely guest star. Episode titles this season include "Opening Night," "Old Dogs, New Tricks," "She's Ba-ack," "Altared States," "Going in Style," "Don't Powderburst My Bubble," "The Squeeze," "Take My Wives Please, "Bull Day Afternoon," "Sex, Bulls, and Videotape," "Irma Za-Greb," "If I Didn't Play Football," "A Roast is a Roast," "Close Encounters of the Third Down," "Flashbacks," and "Championship Game." The director for all but one of the above-mentioned episodes was Peter Bonerz of The Bob Newhart Show fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Season six of the raunchy HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten is subtitled "Do it Again" -- meaning that the California Bulls are championship-bound again after a three-year dry spell. Sexy team owner Kristy Fulbright (Shannon Tweed) and foul-mouth coach Ernie Denardo (Reid Shelton) have placed their championship homes on their new star player, Vito Del Greco, alias Johnny Gunn -- played by a decidedly pre-Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Christopher Meloni. Episode titles this season include: "The Book According to Zagreb," "The Con," "False Start," "Mind Games," "Love and Marriage," "Clean and Sober," "Blood Money," "Vindication" "Gunn and Bullette," "Heaven Help Me," "Surprise Surprise," "All is Fair in Love and Football," "Earn This One for Ernie," and "Who Stole Johnny Gunn?". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

We know we're in a 1988 film when we're invited to laugh at O.J. Simpson in an opening slapstick sequence. We can also pinpoint the year of production when hard-nosed cop Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), during a scuffle with the world's leading dictators, wipes the wine-colored birthmark off the head of Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. Those wacky ZAZ boys -- David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker -- serve up a feature-length spin-off of their cult favorite TV show Police Squad!. Seeking vengeance when his partner (Simpson) is shot full of holes by drug dealers, dead-pan and dead-brained Lt. Frank Drebin searches for the Mister Big behind it all. Drebin suspects above-reproach shipping magnate Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban), but he can't prove a thing. Bumped from the force by the mayor (Nancy Marchand), Drebin, with the unexpected assistance of Ludwig's ex-girlfriend (Priscilla Presley), manages to nab the bad guy at a baseball game, where Reggie Jackson has been programmed to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. MGM mogul Irving Thalberg once reportedly told the Marx Brothers, "You can't build jokes on top of jokes." The producers of Naked Gun prove otherwise; indeed, one could develop writer's cramp just listing the gags in the film's first 20 minutes. Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad was followed by two lesser but still hilarious sequels, Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello not only starred in the delightfully "retro" Back to the Beach, but also served as executive producers. Appropriately set 25 years after such drive-in faves as Beach Blanket Bingo, the film finds Frankie and Annette as husband and wife, living far from the surf 'n' sand in Ohio. Heading to California to visit their daughter Lori Loughlin, Frankie and Annette are appalled to learn that she has been keeping time with punker Tommy Hinkley. In time-honored fashion, our hero and heroine set about to make the beach safe for funlovers everywhere by driving out Hinkley's unsavory pals. Along the way, Frankie nearly bollixes up his marriage by dallying with Connie Stevens-one of several pop-culture icons appearing in Back to the Beach, including Don Adams, Bob Denver, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Dick Dale & the Del-Tones , Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Pee-wee Herman! Back to the Beach is fun for a while, but its six-person writing team can't figure out a logical way to wind it all up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

What happens to the gridiron heroes that football fans cheer each week when they become injured or too old to play the game? That question is addressed in this documentary. Drawing on the personal experiences of several former professional football players, the program investigates the down side of the brutal hand-to-hand combat of the game. The filmmakers discover that the picture is often not very pretty. Permanent injuries, disabilities, financial difficulties, and the emotional pain of being forgotten often mark the retirement years of players. Interviews with players, coaches, sports writers, and fans, along with archival clips and photographs, tell this story of football's dark side. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Explore a quarter century of football featuring heroes like Jack Kemp, O.J. Simpson and Frank Lewis. ~ All Movie Guide