Bubba Smith Movies

J.J. (Jimmie Walker) is the only witness to a car accident involving his brother-in-law, Keith (Ben Powers), and girl named Savannah (Beverly Hope Atkinson). Keith naturally expects J.J. to tell the whole truth as to what he saw. But J.J. is also under intense pressure from Savannah's boyfriend, thuggish loan shark Sweet Daddy Williams (Teddy Wilson), to come up with a different story -- or else. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Escape from a prison on a satellite orbiting the Earth is the goal of prisoners led by Bostwick and Smith. ~ All Movie Guide

The overused title Fighting Back made its first appearance of the 1980s in this TV biopic. Robert Urich stars as real-life football player Rocky Bleier, who joins the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968. Rocky's career is curtailed by military service in Vietnam. On August 20, 1969, Bleier is seriously wounded by a hand grenade. The doctors are certain that he'll never walk properly again, much less play football. But several grueling years of physical therapy yield positive results--all the way to the Super Bowl. The 1980 Pittsburgh Steelers costar with Robert Urich in this inspirational tale, which utilizes stock footage of the real Rocky Bleier in action. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It has been several months since Tony Banta (Tony Danza) gave up his boxing career, and though he still feels unfulfilled, he is resigned to his decision. All this changes when Tony is apprised of a gallant comeback attempt by former football pro Lucius Franklin (played by genuine NFL veteran Bubba Smith). Inspired, Tony sets about to renew his boxer's license...and one trembles, wondering if Tony is setting himself up for yet another (painful) fall. ~ All Movie Guide

Public safety takes a turn for the worse in this hit comedy, which spawned a long-running franchise. As a crime wave sweeps through a major city, the mayor decides that part of the problem may stem from overly restrictive qualifications for police officers, so she opens the door of the city's Police Academy to anyone who wants to join. Soon, the new class is overrun with misfits and losers, including Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), who is given the choice of joining the force or going to jail; Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), a pretty cadet whom Mahoney has his eye on; Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), a mountain of a man who likes to tend flowers; and Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), who has an uncanny ability to imitate the sound of practically anything. Constantly befuddled Commandant Lassard (George Gaynes) and his lackey, Lt. Harris (G.W. Bailey), are none too thrilled with their new charges, but as they try to wash their hands of the cadets, Mahoney and his classmates become all the more determined to make good. The surprising success of Police Academy spawned six sequels and two TV series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Half-Nelson was a very brief TV cop series which made its bow on March 24, 1985, with a two-hour "special". Joe Pesci, sporting lots and lots of hair, stars as ex-Manhattan cop Rocky Nelson, nicknamed "Half" Nelson because he stands well under six feet. Nelson is now a Beverly Hills security guard who dreams of launching an acting career. Guest star Morgan Brittany shows up just long enough to die along with an old buddy of Nelson's. The official police verdict is suicide, but Nelson suspects foul play. Also showing up in cameo roles are Dean Martin, John Matuszak, Larry Holmes and Jerry Reuss. The Half-Nelson pilot was telecast on a Sunday; the subsequent series settled into a Friday night slot (but not for long). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A John Carpenter story served as the launching pad for Black Moon Rising. Veteran thief Quint (Tommy Lee Jones) is hired by the FBI to steal some politically volatile computer tapes. The owners of the tapes are displeased, and begin chasing Quint all over the countryside. Just when he's about to surrender his booty, Quint's car -- wherein the tapes are stored -- is stolen by Nina (Linda Hamilton). She delivers the car to her corporate-villain boyfriend Ryland (Robert Vaughn), who runs a hot auto ring. Nina then has second thoughts and decides to throw in with Quint...and round and round we go. The "Black Moon" of the title is the name Quint's high-tech, low-slung vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When uptight FBI agent Joe Jennings (Beau Bridges) is forced to team up with reluctant local officer Benny Avalon (Bubba Smith), the two must learn to overcome their differences and work together to break up a drug smuggling operation. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

The made for TV Stuck With Each Other stars Richard Crenna and Tyne Daly as two luckless New Yorkers, a salesman and a secretary respectively. One morning they come to the office to find that their boss has dropped dead--leaving behind an open safe containing $964,000 he's not supposed to have. Crenna and Daly divide the illicit funds between them, and are immediately pursued by two thick-eared thugs (Michael J. Pollard, Bubba Smith). Thus for the rest of the film, Crenna and Daly are reluctantly paired as a united front against the bad buys. Directed by Tyne Daly's then-husband Georg Stanford Brown, Stuck With Each Other premiered on October 17, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Where the original Gremlins was a horror film spiked with comedy, Gremlins 2: The New Batch is essentially a black comedy, with a couple of horrifying touches. As the film starts, the fantastical trinket shop in Chinatown, which sold the Mogwai in the first film, is demolished by a crazed multi-media businessman called Daniel Clamp (John Glover). The heroes from the first movie, Billy (Zach Galligan) and Kate (Phoebe Cates), happen to work for Clamp in his huge high-rise. They find the Mogwai within Clamp's building, but not before he has accidentally spawned legions of mischievous, lizard-like Gremlins. Soon, the Gremlins are wreaking havoc throughout the building. In the original film, their misdeeds were violent, but here they're also goofy and satirical. Director Joe Dante has filled the film with quick verbal and visual jokes, which, for many, makes Gremlins 2: The New Batch a satire and inversion of the typical horror film. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Mafia hijinks provide the basis of this violent crime drama. The trouble begins the night before an uneasy truce between the warring Malucci family and the Diamonds is to begin. A volatile gang member starts it all when he launches a dirty surprise attack upon the Maluccis, thereby breaching the code of honor. Among the dead is the fiancee of Dino Diamond's chief arm-breaker, aspiring fighter Fist Sullivan. After Sullivan is framed for the killing by a corrupt cop working for double-crossing Dino, he vows revenge. But he is in jail. One of the Maluccis busts him out. Now working for the enemy, Sullivan, and his turncoat surrogate daughter Alex, who witnessed the fiancee's murder, sets out to avenge the death of his beloved. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the tradition of Mel Brooks, this Italian comedy offers an episodic parody of classic thrillers and horror movies. Film includes cameos from several stars including Mel Brooks, John Astin, Larry Storch, Phyllis Diller, John Carpenter, and John Landis. The story begins as director Ezio Greggio is being stabbed ala Psycho in his shower. Before he dies he recaps the events leading to his death. The scene was L.A. and FBI rookie Jo Dee Fostar has been assigned to interview psycho inmate Dr. Animal Cannibal Pizza. Meanwhile Fostar's girlfriend swipes $400,000 bucks from her boss and ends up hiding in the Cemetery Hotel, run by Antonio Motel. Inspector Balsam investigates cases of dead hotel victims. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide