Charlie Stavola Movies
After several weeks filming The Scout in the late 1970s, star Peter Falk and director Howard Zieff abandoned the project. Two decades later, writer Andrew Bergman gave his original script to Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who polished it as a vehicle for Brooks and director Michael Ritchie. Brooks stars as Al Percolo, a talent scout for the New York Yankees whose latest recruit (Michael Rapaport) has just vomited on the field and fled. Sent to Mexico as punishment by his boss (Lane Smith), Percolo finds phenomenal young pitcher Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser). Before he can get back to the Big Apple, however, Percolo gets pink-slipped by the Yankees, so he offers Nebraska as a free agent. After a stellar tryout, Nebraska is signed for millions. Soon after, he starts to exhibit odd behaviors that may be linked to psychological problems. A psychiatrist (Dianne Wiest) hired by the ball club wants Nebraska in daily therapy, so Percolo ends up babysitting a mentally unstable pitcher. Brooks' normally winning mix of laughs with psychological insights didn't add up to box office or critical success, despite cameos from real-life sports figures such as George Steinbrenner and Steve Garvey. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Brooks, Brendan Fraser, (more)
After getting his start as a visual effects artist on the original Star Wars trilogy, Spielberg protege Joe Johnston found success as a director with his debut film, the blockbuster family adventure Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. For his sophomore outing, Johnston helmed this action-adventurer, set in 1930s Hollywood and in the spirit of old pulp comics and adventure serials, and co-adapted from the David Stevens graphic novel by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo. Bill Campbell stars as Cliff Secord, an eager young pilot who finds himself in possession of a secret jet-pack that gives him the ability to fly. Cliff soon learns that screen-star Neville Sinclair (Timothy Dalton) will stop at nothing to get his hands on the rocket pack so he can give it to the Nazis. As The Rocketeer and with a little help from his mechanic friend played by Alan Arkin, it's up to Cliff to elude Sinclair, defeat the Nazis, and save his girlfriend Jenny (Jennifer Connelly). ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
- 1986
The spotlight in this episode is not on detectives David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd),but instead on their mousy, poetry-spouting secretary Agnes Dipesto (Allyce Beasley). Yearning for some excitement in her life, Ms. Dipesto gets more than she bargained for when a mysterious man slips her a piece of paper, then dashes off for parts unknown. The delighted Agnes thinks that the paper contains the man's phone number--but it doesn't, not by a long shot. Before the story plays itself out, Agnes has been injected with truth serum and sent on a wild cab ride, and a man is murdered (or appears to be murdered) in a bowling alley. As indicated by its title, this episode owes more than a little to the cinematic oeuvre of Alfred Hitchcock. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
This made-for-TV drama was inspired by the real-life Toughlove program, set up to help parents of kids with severe alcohol, drug and behavior problems. Lee Remick and Bruce Dern star as a middle-aged couple who have completely lost control of their teen-aged son Jason Patric. When all else fails, the couple joins Toughlove, adhering to the organization's policy of being cruel (but not abusive) in order to be kind. Their story alternates with the travails of Toughlove member Piper Laurie and her suicidal daughter DeDee Pfeiffer (sister of Michelle). Toughlove was originally telecast October 13, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Based on the true story that took place in Harlem during 1971, this made-for-TV crime drama centers on assistant district attorney Robert Tanenbaum's desperate search for a trio of cop killers. Tanenbaum (James Woods) is assisted by an equally determined detective (Yaphet Lau Kotto). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Yaphet Kotto, (more)
- 1984
After a long separation, a young girl finds her mother (Loni Anderson) and is surprised to find that she's working as a high-class call girl. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Loni Anderson, Paul Sorvino, (more)
- 1983
- R
Director Allan Arkush knew whereof he spoke in Get Crazy. A longtime employee of Fillmore East, a popular rock-concert locale of the 1960s and 1970s, Arkush brought a great deal of insider's savvy to this comedy about the concert circuit and its denizens. Malcolm McDowell stars as a Mick Jagger-type rocker who is one of several acts lined up for a big New Years' Eve show. If villains Ed Begley Jr., Bobby Sherman and Fabian have their way, however, the show will never get off the ground. The supporting cast is dotted with such cult-flick icons as Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph and Mary Woronov. The musical portion of the program is handled by the likes of Malcolm McDowell, Lou Reed (as a Bob Dylan type) and Bill Henderson (as a Muddy Waters takeoff). In case it hasn't been made clear already, the main "joke" of Get Crazy is the presence in the cast of actors as musicians and musicians as actors; it is to the film's credit that this one joke never wears out its welcome. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Daniel Stern, (more)
Fed up with watching vicious criminals walk on technicalities and loopholes, judge Michael Douglas accepts his older colleague Hal Holbrook's invitation to join "The Star Chamber." This sub-rosa organization consists of nine like-minded judges who endeavor to take the law into their own hands. Essentially, these are robed vigilantes, but Douglas joins them, determining that the end justifies the means. Before long, however, Douglas finds himself balking at sanctioning the murder of freed criminals -- and as a result becomes the target of the Star Chamber himself. Worth noting in the supporting cast of The Star Chamber are Diana Douglas, Michael Douglas' real-life mother, and Frances Bergen, widow of Edgar Bergen and mother of Candice Bergen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, (more)
- 1983
Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill drops into Cheers for a quick beer. When Carla (Rhea Perlman) recognizes him, O'Neill jovially insists that he's someone else. This gives Norm (George Wendt), the only person who believes O'Neill's denial, a perfect opening to complain about the "bums" in Congress. As for the main plot line, Sam (Ted Danson) secretly enters Diane (Shelley Long) in the Miss Boston Barmaid contest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Jill Clayburgh plays, as one character calls her, "a pill-popping dingbat" in this film adaptation of television producer Barbara Gordon's autobiographical account of her addiction to prescription drugs. Clayburgh plays Gordon in the film as a successful television documentary filmmaker whose mounting pressures force her to pop a Valium or two for nerves. She then ingests a few more pills after an argument with boyfriend Derek Bauer (Nicol Williamson). And thus begins her slow and steady compulsion to keep taking more and more Valium. Finally realizing her addiction, Gordon makes a disastrous attempt to go cold turkey but fails miserably, finally having to undergo a painful rehabilitation in an institution. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Clayburgh, Nicol Williamson, (more)
- 1982
Andrea Marcovicci returns as Emily, the hard-drinking, self-flagellating woman who cruelly jilted Louie (Danny DeVito) in the fourth-season episode "Louie's Fling." Receiving a phone call, Louie discovers that the caller is Emily, who is in the throes of alcoholic desperation. A vengeful Louie schemes to take advantage of Emily's vulnerability in order to get even with her -- but things don't exactly work out that way! ~ All Movie Guide
