William Steis Movies

Photographer Robert Patrick skyrockets to fame with his bizarre layouts, depicting faked scenes of death and sexual violation. One of Patrick's clients is Michelle Johnson, the look-alike of a famous rock star. Developing an obsession with Johnson, Patrick is the prime suspect when she's murdered. From here on in, we're in Vertigo country, with a little Blow-Up thrown in for good measure. While the mystery is easily solvable, the tension level in the film's final scenes is enough to compensate for its "borrowings" from earlier films. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Raiders of the Sun is a Filipino variation of Mad Max. In a post-apocalyptic world, warrior Richard Norton does what he can to survive. Since society was laid low by a biological mishap, provisions are at a premium, and the villains will do anything to grab up all they can for profit. Norton is a bit more altrustic: he wants to restore world order, even if he has to rearrange a few faces to do so. The all-purpose leading lady in Raiders of the Sun is Brigitta Steinberg, dressed in as close to nothing as possible. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adam Horovitz, of Beastie Boys fame, plays a troublesome teen who is shipped off by his wealthy parents to an institute for "problem" youths. This is the sort of place where any sign of rebellion is dealt with in draconian fashion. The strapped-down Horovitz tells his life story to psychiatrist Donald Sutherland. In flashback, we see a fairly docile young Horovitz, whose chance involvement in a rumble instigated by gang leader Don Bloomfield leads to an arrest. Appearing in court, Horovitz is railroaded into the institute by his father, more as a means of getting even with his divorced wife than out of any concern for his son. Sutherland tries to help, but Horovitz betrays the doctor's trust once too often. Only by extricating himself from the influence of Bloomfield does Horovitz have any chance for redemption--and only by undergoing a domestic reversal of his own is Sutherland truly able to aid the boy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The makers of this '50s monster-movie throwback must have greatly enjoyed the Wisconsin-lensed Bog -- since this film lifts that regional clunker's premise in its entirety and merely transplants it into a pleasant Polynesian locale. Yet another prehistoric terror from the deep (i.e. diver in cheap latex suit) rises from its eons-long nap after being rudely awakened by boozy, dynamite-fishing locals, slinking among the swaying palms to snack on unsuspecting tourists. That is, until the local Sheriff (of course) teams up with the owner of a popular resort to stand around and talk a lot... and eventually put an end to the beast's bloodthirsty rampage. There's even a convenient reptile expert on hand to kick around pseudo-scientific nonsense and pad out the film's runtime with even more inane dialogue. For more Italian variations on the same tired theme, masochistic viewers may want to seek out Up from the Depths (from the same director, no less!) and Devilfish. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Following a nuclear holocaust, Alaska is turned into a desert ruled by a cruel tyrant. This sci-fi actioner chronicles the attempts of rebels to usurp him and free up water and other resources for others. Essentially, this is another knock-off of the "Mad Max" films. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi