P.J. Soles Movies
American actress P.J. Soles (her initials stand for Pamela Jayne) has specialized in playing sexy, sometimes villainous young women. She debuted as one of the nasty girls who makes life a living hell for an awkward young woman with psychokinetic powers in Carrie (1976). In 1978, she played Jamie Lee Curtis' best friend in Halloween and had her first starring role the following year as a rabid Ramones fan in Rock 'n' Roll High School. Though she is most frequently cast in supporting parts, she occasionally wins leads in films such as Stripes (1981) and the low-budget thriller Innocent Prey. In addition to her American filmwork, Soles has worked in several international films. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
As maestro TV producer Stephen J. Cannell's latest foray into feature work, The Tooth Fairy represents the latest direct-to-video entry in an unofficial series of slasher films that resurrect friendly characters in a horrific vein -- from the 1997 Jack Frost to the 2005 Gingerdead Man. This particular outing begins with the legend of a woman known as "The Tooth Fairy," who lures unsuspecting children to her home with promises of gifts in exchange for their lost teeth, and then butchers them. The film implies, at its outset, that the homicidal slayer is long gone -- and that her home is being converted to a cozy bed and breakfast. Everyone believes the story -- until a young girl and her mother check into the inn. The child happens to be on the verge of losing a tooth, and all hell breaks loose. Chuck Bowman (A Kiss So Deadly) directs, from a teleplay co-authored by Cannell and Corey Strode. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Take a fascinating look back at each film in the long-running Halloween franchise started by John Carpenter back in 1978 to see just where the malevolent Michael Myers stands in the blood-soaked annals of horror history as actress P.J. Soles narrates the definitive documentary of the Halloween series. With rare, behind-the-scenes footage; over 80 interviews with such notable contributors as Jamie Lee Curtis, Moustapha Akkad, Debra Hill, Greg Nicotero, John Carl Buechler, Tommy Lee Wallace, Nick Castle, and Carpenter himself; comments and recollections by such well-known fans as Clive Barker, Edgar Wright, and Rob Zombie; and a comprehensive look at each and every film produced under the Halloween banner, this is the documentary to watch for Halloween fans who think they've seen it all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The Harder They Come director Perry Henzel returns to the Caribbean paradise which inspired that reggae-infused classic to tell this breezy tale of a worldly, New York producer who travels to Jamaica to lens a commercial, only to find her latest production thrown into question when her star player storms off of the set. Susan (Susan O'Meara)'s latest project is a shampoo commercial that she envisions shooting against the backdrop of Jamaica's breathtaking beaches and waterfalls. When the shoot doesn't go as planned and Susan's fair-haired lead (P.J. Soles) abandons the production, the producer and a local crewman (Carl Bradshaw) voyage deep into rural Jamaica in search of the vanished actress. Shot in the 1970s and subsequently stalled when the negative went missing, Henzel's follow-up to the 1972 Jimmy Cliff classic was eventually completed in the early years of the new millennium when the director surprisingly stumbled across the long-lost footage in a New York film lab. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan O'Meara, Carl Bradshaw, (more)
Directed by the prolific Rob Zombie, The Devil's Rejects is a sequel of sorts to 2003's House of 1000 Corpses, and picks up several weeks after House left off. This time, the clash revolves around the tribe of violent lunatics and decidedly valueless family members of the original film, who have come to be known as the "Devil's Rejects." After learning of the extended family's horrific attacks, a SWAT team is sent to take them into custody; all but their crazed Mama escape. In addition to creating a full-fledged media circus, this sends the sociopath housemates on the run, and they initiate a deadly road trip. Meanwhile, Mama has to deal with a violent, vengeful sheriff (William Forsythe). The Devil's Rejects features Bill Moseley, Sid Haig, Sheri Moon, Michael Berryman, and Ken Foree, among other cult horror regulars. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, (more)
At Ronald Reagan High School, the power elite clique consists of Courtney Shane (Rose McGowan), Julie Freeman (Rebecca Gayheart), Marcie Fox (Julie Benz), and Liz Purr (Charlotte Roldan). The four girls control the school through a combination of beauty, sex, and intimidation. Of the four, only Liz is actually liked by the less fortunate members of the student body, and Liz is also the only one who can keep Courtney, the vicious group leader, in check. Unfortunately for Liz, she's also the only thing keeping Courtney from becoming prom queen. To achieve her goal, Courtney convinces Marcie and Julie to kidnap Liz on her 17th birthday and force her to eat until she's too fat to win. The three sneak into Liz's house, tie her up, stick a jawbreaker in her mouth, and gag her to keep her quiet before they throw her into the trunk of a car. Once they decide to free her, though, they find Liz has choked to death. Courtney decides not to go to the police; her brilliant idea is to take the body back home and create a death scene where Liz is strangled during kinky sex. Predictably, the girls screw it up, and they end up with a witness, social outcast Fern Mayo (Judy Greer). To buy her silence, Courtney draws her into the clique, transforming much more than just her outward appearance. The identity of Fern disappears, to be replaced by the very popular Vylette. In parallel to the rise of Vylette, we witness Julie's descent. Overcome with guilt over Liz's death, Julie drops out of the clique, and without the veil of protection from the others, she is now a target of abuse throughout the school. Courtney's ordeal has just begun as Vylette now challenges her for prom queen and Julie, with the help of another outcast, Zach (Chad Christ), now wants to reveal the truth behind Liz's death. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, (more)
After being killed by friendly fire during the Gulf War, soldier Sam Harper (David Shark Fralick) inexplicably returns from the dead to wreak revenge upon corrupt military men, draft dodgers, tax cheats, and flag burners. His memory is cherished only by his nephew, who doesn't realize that in life Sam was an angry, violent alcoholic who abused his family members and earned his heroic medals simply by being psychotic on the battlefield. Sam crawls out of his coffin after being brought back to his hometown, steals an Uncle Sam costume and proceeds to wreak havoc on insincere patriots during a Fourth of July celebration. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Bottoms, Robert Forster, (more)
With perhaps a slight nod towards Harry and the Hendersons, this family-oriented drama centers on a vacationing clan who run across a baby bigfoot and its mother. Realizing the near-mythical creatures are in great danger from the ruthless owner of a logging company who has sent hunters out to shoot them, the family does all it can to protect their furry new friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Furst, Matt McCoy, (more)
A young martial arts expert takes on an evil villain for the possession of a magical ring said to grant its wearer unlimited power. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Jan Roberts, Jacob Parker, (more)
- 1991
- R
With the help of a few of his veteran friends, an ex-Green Beret soldier arrives in Los Angeles from Central America to find his kidnapped daughter. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gil Gerard, Dan Haggerty, (more)
- 1989
There's not much doubt this film's a direct descendant of Schwarzenegger's Terminator classic, though it's certainly a distant descendant. Here a fugitive from a far-away planet escapes execution in a hijacked spaceship and crashes on the planet Earth where he's befriended by some young campers and the local constable. However this Terminator take also has a chasing enforcer (the Alienator) who shows up before long, sent to capture the escapee. The earthlings come to the defense of their new friend and fight it out with the indestructible Alienator. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, John Phillip Law, (more)
- 1988
- R
In this routine actioner, Sergeant Mark Stryker (Richard Young) is framed for murder by the scheming politician Nguyen HuuTri (Joonee Gamboa) in war-torn Saigon. Stryker uncovers evidence that the series of murders he is blamed for were committed by heroin dealers in cahoots with Tri. The wrongly accused sergeant enlists the help of pretty Associated Press reporter Jean Lassiter (P.J. Soles) to help with the probe. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Young, P.J. Soles, (more)
- 1988
This gory medical thriller managed to pre-date an early-'90s spate of direct-to-video exploitation films dealing with sleazy black-market organ banks. The plot centers on the activities of the "Body Organ Replacement Network," a secret criminal organization (led by ubiquitous movie villain William Smith) which obtains donor organs -- by any means possible -- for anyone willing to meet their prices and keep their mouths shut. Their methods usually involve patrolling the city in an ambulance looking for unwilling "donors" (usually female), who are promptly chopped up on the operating table. The sinister wheels are put in motion again when a wealthy family approaches the B.O.R.N. network about obtaining a replacement heart for their ailing daughter. Though not quite as gory as it sounds, this is still a pretty sleazy exercise which plays like a tabloid-flavored version of Robin Cook's novel Coma, without the clever insight of Michael Crichton's 1978 film. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ross Hagen, P.J. Soles, (more)
Patsy Cline was one of the first great female stars of country music, and her best-known hits (such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Walking After Midnight") not only broadened the audience for country but brought a new sophistication to the Nashville sound. Cline was at the peak of her popularity when she died in a plane crash in 1963, and Sweet Dreams is a biopic which examines her life and career, with a particular focus on her troubled relationship with her second husband, Charlie Dick. Cline (played by Jessica Lange) is unhappily married and playing small-time gigs in West Virginia when she meets Dick (Ed Harris), whose charm and aggressive self-confidence catch her attention. In time, Cline leaves her husband to marry Dick, and she gives up music to focus on raising their children. But after Dick goes into the Army, Cline begins singing again, and after joining forces with manager Randy Hughes (David Clennon), Cline becomes a rising star on the country music scene. However, Cline's success fuels her self-confidence, much to Dick's annoyance, and he becomes increasingly abusive (both physically and emotionally) as she attempts to assert her independence. Rather than attempt to re-create Patsy Cline's vocals, Jessica Lange instead opted to lip-synch with Cline's original recordings. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Lange, Ed Harris, (more)
- 1984
In this run-of-the-mill suspense thriller, a woman fights for her survival on two different occasions. Kathy's (P.J. Soles) husband Joe (Kit Taylor) at first seems normal -- until Kathy catches him slashing a prostitute in the shower. She calls the police and Joe is institutionalized though not restrained enough -- he escapes and comes after Kathy. Terrified even after the sheriff dashes in and captures Joe, Kathy takes off for Australia to stay with her friend Gwen (Susan Stenmark) where new problems lie in wait. Gwen's landlord is deranged and spies on his tenants through hidden video cameras, a bad omen for Kathy's future safety. Although it is slow-paced and unimaginative, there is still enough suspense and action in this film to keep most viewers bracing themselves for whatever comes next. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- P.J. Soles, Kit Taylor, (more)
- 1984
In the conclusion of Cheers' two-part season three opener, Sam (Ted Danson), at long last, has accepted that it is all over between him and Diane (Shelley Long), and has stopped drinking with the help of psychiatrist Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer). Now the trick is to get Sam to accept the fact that Diane is in love with Frasier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Stylistically uneven and filled with symbolism as well as problems such as good music that cannot compensate for the performances of the unprofessional actors, this mix of narration and social commentary by Ron Mann is about a television journalist investigating the unethical practices of a powerful corporation. The company is threatening to shut itself down as a means of obtaining some control over the actions of its stockholders and its workers. Set off against these corporate practices is an inept city council, leaving most of the work of exposing the company's tactics to the reporter. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- P.J. Soles, Michael Glassbourg, (more)
Set during Prohibition in a tiny Southern town filled with colorful characters, this all-star comedy follows the exploits of a hard-working sheriff who tries his darnedest to keep things peaceful and above board. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Directed by seasoned comedy man Melville Shavelson, The Other Woman is a "menage a trois" TV movie with a twist. The stars are middle-aged Anne Meara and Hal Linden, and youngish Madolyn Smith. The twist? Linden, a book publisher, is married to half-his-age Smith, a fashion designer. It is Anne Meara, a fiftyish divorcee and aspiring romance novelist, who turns out to be the "other woman!" Ms. Meara cowrote the teleplay for this engaging contrivance, in which everyone is so essentially likeable that we genuinely care how things turn out. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Linden, Anne Meara, (more)
- 1982
This is a romantic tale about a lovely artist who tastes the painful bliss of first love. ~ All Movie Guide
Bill Murray decides to be all that he can be -- and it ain't pretty -- in this hit comedy. John Winger (Murray) is a quick-witted but unambitious loser who comes home after getting fired to discover that his car has been repossessed and his girlfriend is leaving him. With no idea of what to do next, John and his best friend Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis) impulsively join the Army, more as a practical joke than a career goal. John and Russell find themselves in basic training under the hard-nosed and impatient Sgt. Hulka (Warren Oates), who is stuck with an outfit of goofballs, including overweight Ox (John Candy), naive Cruiser (John Deihl), perpetually stoned Elmo (Judge Reinhold), and the appropriately-nicknamed Psycho (Conrad Dunn). The platoon succeeds in impressing the generals spite of themselves, and John and Russell even find time to romance two pretty female MPs, Stella (P.J. Soles) and Louise (Sean Young). However, when John and Russell commandeer a high-tech military vehicle for a European weekend getaway with the girls, they happen into Soviet territory and stumble into an international incident. Remarkably, Stripes was made with the full cooperation of the U.S. Army, despite its less-than-rosy view of the all-volunteer armed forces. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, (more)
Devastated when her brand-new husband Albert Brooks) drops dead on their wedding night, Jewish American princess Judy Benjamin (Goldie Hawn) is receptive to the pitch delivered by a duplicitous recruiter for the Women's Army Corps. Quickly adivsed by topkick Captain Lewis (Eileen Brennan) that she should not look forward to the private room, fancy clothes and sauna bath that she'd been promised, Judy is forced to go through basic training like any other "grunt". This turns out to be a real growth experience for the pampered Private Benjamin, who for the first time in her life has to work for her privileges. A brief misadventure with a lascivious paratroop officer (Robert Webber) nearly sours Judy on army life, but she turns out to be a darned good soldier-and a woman with a highly developed sense of self-esteem, which enables her to weather a further disappointing romantic fling with French phsycian Henri Tremont (Armand Assante). Private Benjamin turned out to be one of Goldie Hawn's most profitable vehicles. The 1981-82 TV sitcom spinoff starred Lorna Patterson in Goldie's role, with Eileen Brennan repeating her film characterization of the long-suffering Captain Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Goldie Hawn, Eileen Brennan, (more)
