Charlotte Stewart Movies

It's back to Perfection, NV, for munitions-crazed Graboid hunter Burt Gummer (Michael Gross), who has made a career out of chasing and slaying the burrowing "sub-terrestrial" creatures that pop out of the ground and eat whomever happens to be standing there. This time Gummer is assisted by wisecracking cowboy Jack Sawyer (Shawn Christian), who runs a shabby theme park based on the critters, and Jodi Chang (Susan Chuang), whose convenience store is unfortunately at Graboid Ground Zero. Gummer and company have their hands full this time, when the oversized worms have mutated to a new state -- not only do they burrow, but they have wings and can fly like carnivorous dragons. Does Gummer have enough shells in his artillery cannons to knock them all from the sky? ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi

Tremors is actually two movies in one. On its own terms, it's an enjoyable modern sci-fi horror-thriller, with good pacing and a sense of humor; but it's also a loving tribute to such 1950s low-budget desert-based sci-fi-horror films like Them!, It Came From Outer Space, Tarantula, and The Monolith Monsters. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are the stars, a pair of small-town handymen living in a small desert community, who stumble upon several difficult-to-explain phenomena, including a couple of people who've died under extremely strange (and, in one instance, very grisly) circumstances. Eventually, they and a handful of their neighbors find the cause: gigantic prehistoric worm-like creatures that streak under the desert the way fish swim through oceans, reaching up and grabbing anything they need for food. Cut off from the outside world, they have to figure out how to get across the desert alive while these creatures -- that are smart as well as fast -- close in on them, stalking them like monster sharks. The film benefits from the presence of special effects that are good enough to pull this all off, keeping the shock value high, and also from a subtly humorous script and performances to match by the entire cast, and director Ron Underwood's breezy pacing of the whole picture. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

Rock legend Neil Young directed this bizarre bit of sci-fi-accented satire under his nom de cinema Bernard Shakey, as well as starring as Lionel Switch, an amiable but half-bright auto mechanic who has a furious crush on Charlotte Goodnight (Charlotte Stewart), a waitress at the diner next door to his garage. Lionel dreams of becoming a professional musician, and idolizes Frankie Fontaine (also played by Young), a particularly sleazy lounge singer. One day, to Lionel's astonishment, Fontaine rolls up to his garage in a limousine, and Lionel has the spine-tingling honor of working on his car. Meanwhile, suspicious-looking bad guy Otto Quartz (Dean Stockwell) is scheming to buy the diner, which has something to do with a plot against the rattletrap nuclear power plant just down the road (the plant's maintenance staff is played by members of the pioneering new wave band Devo). Along the way, we're also treated to Lionel hanging out with his equally slow-witted pal Fred (Russ Tamblyn), enjoy the residents of the desert community performing an enthusiastic rendition of the old Kingston Trio chestnut "Worried Man," and witness Lionel and Devo jamming on a long and wildly discordant version of "Hey Hey My My (Into the Black)." Financed by Young out of his pocket, and featuring Stockwell, Tamblyn, Dennis Hopper, and Sally Kirkland several years before they enjoyed critical rediscovery, Human Highway received a mostly puzzled reaction from audiences during its handful of theatrical engagements. It went largely unseen until it was released on home video more than ten years after it was completed (with the box featuring a quote from one of Young's associates: "This is so bad, it's going to be huge!"). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

As if in some way Billy Wilder sensed that Buddy Buddy would ultimately turn out to be his final feature film, Wilder lets loose scatter-shot stingers at a wide range of pop-culture targets -- from sex clinics, to 60 Minutes, to movie references, to disco, to Betamax video recorders. Based on Francis Veber and Edouard Molinaro's L'emmerdeur (known in the United States as A Pain in the A. . .), Buddy Buddy concerns the unlikely pairing of a gruff hitman and a suicidal klutz. Walter Matthau plays a professional killer going by the name of Trabucco, who is on his way to rub out gangster Rudy "Disco" Gambola (Fil Formicola), set to testify against the mob. As Trabucco heads off to a hotel across the street from the courthouse where he plans to set his hit, he runs into the depressed Victor Clooney (Jack Lemmon), who laments the fact that his wife has left him for the head of a weird Californian sex clinic. Trabucco keeps walking and sets up his rifle in a hotel room. He is disturbed by Victor trying to hang himself in the adjoining hotel room and tries to prevent him from killing himself by restraining him, but Victor breaks loose and climbs onto the ledge of the hotel window. To get Victor to come back in, he agrees to drive him to the clinic to see his wife. The two go to the clinic where Victor's wife Celia (Paula Prentiss) informs Victor that she is in love in the head of the clinic, quack Dr. Zuckerbrot (Klaus Kinski). When Victor finds out that Celia is filing for divorce, he heads back to the hotel to kill himself, with Celia and Dr. Zuckerbrot in pursuit. Arriving at the hotel, they plan to inject Victor with a sedative but stick Trabucco with the needle instead. Trabucco reveals to Victor his assignment to kill Rudy, and Victor tries to help him with the killing. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Actually, there are two sets of rivals in this episode. While farmers Charles Ingalls (Michael Landon) and Jonathan Garvey (Merlin Olsen) must square off against some tough professional competitors in a freight-hauling contest, Charles' daughter Laura (Melissa Gilbert) finds herself battling with attractive Samantha (Seeley Ann Thumann) over the affections of young Jimmy Hill. Beginning with this episode, the character of schoolteacher Miss Beadle, played by Charlotte Stewart, is rechristened Mrs. Simms, befitting her recent marriage to hog farmer Adam Simms. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Charles (Michael Landon) and Caroline (Karen Grassle) are thrilled to learn that she is expecting another child. But will Charles be disappointed if the baby turns out to be another girl? To find out what is in store, Caroline goes against her better judgment and consults a gypsy fortune teller, Mme. Maria (Lily Valenty). Things take a somber turn when Caroline goes into early labor, forcing Charles to handle the birth without the aid of a doctor. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Young Joseph Stokes (Caesar Ramirez), the son of a Sioux Indian father and a white mother, arrives in Walnut Grove to live with his maternal grandfather, Jeremy (George Murdock). Unfortunately, Jeremy is still bitter over the fact that his daughter married an Indian, and treats his grandson with contempt. Things get worse for Joseph when he is subjected to the bigoted taunts of his schoolmates -- but the boy's integrity and inner strength prevails and wins the day. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The classroom rivalry between Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) and Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim) reaches its peak when both girls run for school president. Also in the electoral race is nerdy, unpopular student Elmer Dobkins (Eric Olson), who was nominated as a cruel practical joke. Things take a peculiar turn when the "slow-witted" Elmer gradually emerges as the best possible candidate. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Just before the Christmas vacation, Walnut Grove is threatened by a driving snowstorm. Schoolteacher Miss Beadle (Charlotte Stewart) decides to let her students go home earlier than usual so that they can avoid the impending blizzard; only the Oleson children remain behind to help their teacher clean the schoolroom. Alas, the storm is more violent than anyone could have expected -- and when the homebound children are lost and the Oleson youngsters come down with frostbite, the outraged citizens hold poor Miss Beadle responsible. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A newcomer to Walnut Grove, hog farmer Adam Simms (Joshua Bryant) falls head over heels in love with local schoolmarm Miss Beadle (Charlotte Stewart). At the same time, Adam's hulking son, Luke (Bob Marsic), is smitten by (of all people!) spoiled brat Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim). Sneaking off to church to get married in the dark of night, Luke and Nellie are stopped in their tracks by Nellie's outraged parents -- but things fare rather better for Adam and Miss Beadle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Nellie Oleson (Alison Arngrim) vie for the attentions of Jason (Eric Shea), a would-be scientist. Using the Olesons' new-fangled phonograph machine, Nellie and her brother, Willie (Jonathan Gilbert), conspire to record a conversation guaranteed to humiliate Laura in front of Jason and their entire schoolroom. As usual, however, Nellie's scheming backfires in spectacular fashion. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) are outraged when their little sister, Carrie (played by twin actresses Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush), lets loose a collection of bugs that the girls have been gathering for a classroom project. But their anger gives way to terror when, while chasing a pretty butterfly, Carrie falls into an abandoned mine shaft. Worse still: The only person truly capable of rescuing the girl is Mr. Laudy (John Ireland), a former miner who has degenerated into a drunken derelict. Though some sources indicate that this episode was telecast on January 10, 1977, the official TV listings of the period indicate that it was actually shown earlier, on October 17, 1976. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Thanks to the interference of Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor), Walnut Grove's schoolteacher Miss Beadle (Charlotte Stewart) is replaced by Mr. Applewood (Richard Basehart), a harsh disciplinarian. Wrongfully convinced that Laura (Melissa Gilbert) is a troublemaker, Applewood (or "Crabapple," as he is known to the kids) mercilessly persecutes and punishes the girl, finally expelling her for the mischief perpetrated by another child. Laura's father, Charles (Michael Landon), takes a hand in matters to prove that the Walnut Grove schoolhouse was better off with Miss Beadle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi