Kristy Swanson Movies
American actress Kristy Swanson has been in films since 1986's Deadly Friend, but cemented her reputation on TV with recurring roles in Knot's Landing (1987) and Nightingales (1988). Her forte has been the portrayal of young ladies with prom-queen looks and room-temperature I.Q.s. Among her leading roles in films have been the title characters in Mannequin 2 (1991) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). The failure of the highly touted Buffy has resulted in a number of negligible career moves for Kristy Swanson, most recently the role of a Beverly Hills princess accidentally kidnapped by fugitive Charlie Sheen in the doomed-from-the-start The Chase (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greg Bryk (A History of Violence) stars in the direct-to-video gothic thriller Living Death as the wealthy Victor Harris, a sadistic, incorrigible beast of a man whose sole pleasure comes from physically beating his wife, Elizabeth (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer's Kristy Swanson), and torturing the others who surround him. Because Victor refuses to grant Elizabeth a divorce, she and Victor's attorney, Roman (Joshua Peace) scheme to lethally poison Victor and blame his death on illicit drugs. The plot appears to progress smoothly, and Victor is quickly buried in the ground. But all is not well - for the substance has only driven Victor into a state of paralysis, that preserves his five senses and his awareness of the goings on around him. He quickly regains control and escapes from his earthly prison, then traps Elizabeth and Roman in a secret chamber in his mansion and prepares an ugly onslaught of vengeance. Erin Berry directs. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson
A botched science experiment unleashes a destructive otherworldly force with the power to devour the planet in this science fiction disaster thriller starring Judd Nelson and Kristy Swanson. Science has finally gone too far, and as a giant black hole opens up over St. Louis, the terrified denizens struggle to escape the all-consuming void by any means necessary. As General Ryker (David Selby) prepares to lob a heaping helping of nuclear warheads at the rapidly expanding hole, scientist Eric Bryce (Nelson) and his assistant Shannon (Swanson) soon discover that the hole has also provided passage for an interstellar stalker of the most unsavory variety. Now, with a murderous alien on the loose and the fate of the world looking grimmer by the minute, Eric and Shannon must destroy the savage visitor and reverse the effects of the black hole before the increasingly unstable General Ryker carries out his explosive final solution. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Judd Nelson, Kristy Swanson, (more)
In this crime thriller with a kinky undertow, police detective Max Garret (Stephen Baldwin) is a cop with a habit of doing things his own way -- so much so that he's just coming off of a six-month suspension for disregarding orders. Garret's first case after returning to active duty is looking into the death of a drug addict who jumped off the roof of a building. However, as Garret and his partner, Eddie Fulton (Charles Malik Whitfield), dig deeper into the matter, they discover links to a series of murders. The victim jumped from the roof of a loft owned by Laura Cross (Kristy Swanson), a photographer who specializes in disturbing erotic images; as Garret questions Cross, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her and he soon falls into an affair with her, but Fulton suspects her involvement in the death is hardly casual -- and unlike Garret, he has a close familiarity with her notorious past. Bound by Lies was produced and briefly distributed under the title Betrayed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Kristy Swanson, (more)
A treacherous Louisiana river is the setting where divorced couple Sanders (Lou Diamond Philips) and Kelly (Kristy Swanson) forget their differences long enough to search for a new source of energy. The couple is joined -- and later waylaid -- by a pair of crooks named Ice (Coolio) and Jerry (Jaimz Woolvett), who are convinced that a cache of stolen loot rests somewhere at the bottom of the river. Before long, everyone is in danger of being sliced and diced by a rogue freshwater shark. Another of the several million Jaws derivations glutting the cable TV airwaves, Red Water at the very least boasts excellent animatronic special effects -- not to mention a dead-body count that would shame a Rambo or Terminator. The film debuted August 17, 2003, on TBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Kristy Swanson, (more)
Tom Whitus' thriller Dead Silence begins with when Rachel Pressman (Daveigh Chase) sees a murder. Cop Steve Banks (Vincent Spano) and psychiatrist Dr. Julie Craig (Kristy Swanson) are former lovers, and they are responsible for keeping Rachel safe and helping her testify. The murder, however, appears to be part of a complicated conspiracy involving powerful politicians. Soon, it becomes apparent that the girl's life is more endangered than anyone realized. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Vincent Spano, (more)
A couple learns the dangers of a walk on the wild side in this erotic thriller. Alan and Wendy Barnet (Cameron Daddo and Brandy Ledford) have been married just long enough for the excitement to have gone out of their relationship, and they're looking for a way to put some spice back in their lives. After placing a personal ad looking for another couple interested in swapping mates, the Barnets are led to the Zebra Lounge, where they meet Jack and Louise Bauer (Stephen Baldwin and Kristy Swanson), a pair of seasoned erotic adventurers. While the Barnets find the swinging scene exciting at first, they soon decide it may be doing more harm than good to their marriage. But easing the Bauers out of their lives proves to be neither simple nor safe. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Kristy Swanson, (more)
Soul Assassin is an action movie from The Netherlands made by music video director Laurence Malkin. Skeet Ulrich plays Kevin Burke, a recently promoted young executive at Jorgensen Financial in Rotterdam. After a hit man murders his girlfriend Rosalind (Katherine Lang), he goes off in search of the killers. Eventually, he gets his boss Karl Jorgensen (Derek de Lint) and the entire security division of the company on the investigation. This makes Karl's son Junior (Antonie Kamerling) jealous. Kristy Swanson plays the mysterious mobster Tessa. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
The startling effects of chemically induced short-term memory loss provide the backdrop for this resinous teen comedy. Jesse (Ashton Kutcher) and Chester (Seann William Scott) are two hard-partying dudes who wake up after a very long night on the town to discover they've forgotten the presents they bought for their girlfriends Wanda (Jennifer Garner) and Wilma (Marla Sokoloff), twins who are more than a bit miffed that the stoners they've come to tolerate appear to have forgotten their anniversary. The presents are in Jesse's car, but they're so fuzzy on the details of the previous 24 hours that they have no idea where they left said automobile. Jesse and Chester set out to find their wheels, and along the way they discover that they had an even more eventful evening than they imagined, as strippers, aliens, a suitcase full of money, and a kitchen full of pudding become important pieces in the puzzle of the missing car. Dude, Where's My Car? also stars Hal Sparks, Kristy Swanson, Kevin Christy, and Fabio; it was written by Philip Stark, previously a writer for the TV series That 70's Show, which also features Kutcher in its cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ashton Kutcher, Seann William Scott, (more)
- 2000
After a brief stint in 1992, this series returns to CBS oozing with 21st century irony and youthful neuroses. The series focuses on busybody Susan (Kristy Swanson), who frets that she doesn't have a boyfriend and obsesses over her friends. She also regularly turns to the camera when asking for advice. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, George Eads, (more)
- 1999
- R
A pair of would-be filmmakers realize that they may very well be living next to the city's notorious serial killer nicknamed "The Costumed Killer." They then do what any good samaritan living in Los Angeles would do- approach him to be the subject of their next film. ~ All Movie Guide
Ground Control follows the reluctant return to work of Jack Harris (Kiefer Sutherland), a retired air traffic controller who is still haunted by his role in a probably unavoidable plane crash that has left him guilt-ridden and professionally gun shy. When a Phoenix airport fighting budget cutbacks calls him in for emergency duty, he begins experiencing flashbacks to the night of the disaster, all while trying desperately not to lose concentration even for the single moment it would take to cause a fresh disaster. He is supported by a seasoned supervisor (Bruce McGill) but challenged by a cocky young controller (Robert Sean Leonard) who not so privately questions his mettle. All must put aside their differences and band together when stormy weather and failing equipment puts another flight in harm's way. The tension mounts as a resourceful mechanic (Henry Winkler) tries to paste together the outdated circuitry and give the skeleton crew technical support beyond their professional cunning. Ground Control also stars Kristy Swanson and Kelly McGillis. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Robert Sean Leonard, (more)
Prospective parents everywhere, meet the world's least likely paternal role model: Adam Sandler! In Big Daddy, Sandler plays 30-year-old bachelor Sonny Koufax, a carefree slob who has never much taken to adult responsibilities; he works one day a week as a tollbooth collector, and spends the remainder of his time living off of a $200,000 reward he collected from an auto accident. All told, the life suits him just fine. However, as his old buddies start getting married and drifting away, Sonny realizes that if he doesn't do something soon, he could end up all alone for the rest of his life. When his most recent girlfriend, Vanessa (Kristy Swanson), indicates that she needs some time off because she's sick of being with a man who can't act like a grown-up, he decides that it's time to take drastic action to win her back. Conveniently enough, a little boy named Julian (Cole Sprouse and Dylan Sprouse) turns up on his doorstep, claiming that he's the biological son of Sonny's roommate and friend from law school, Kevin (Jon Stewart). The kid tells Sonny that he's from Buffalo, New York; Kevin has never been to Buffalo, New York, but no matter - Sonny foresees, in Julian, an opportunity to convince Vanessa that he can face adult responsibilities. He thus takes charge of the little boy over a long Columbus Day weekend, pretending to be Kevin. However, the plan doesn't work as expected, and the authorities hone in on a discovery of Sonny's real identity. Meanwhile, Sonny finds himself genuinely drawn to the tyke. Also supporting Sandler in Big Daddy are Joey Lauren Adams, Josh Mostel and Rob Schneider. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Sandler, Joey Lauren Adams, (more)
A hired killer (Kristy Swanson) joins forces with one of her targets after seeing him with his son, but while this saves one man's life, it also means the one-time killer is now a hunted woman, with operatives of a classified government agency hot on her trail. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Michael Madsen, (more)
In this dark comedy, Peter (Josh Charles) is a well-educated Jewish writer from Los Angeles who has fallen in love with Melanie (Alexandra Wentworth), who was born and raised in the Deep South -- where much of her family still lives. Melanie travels to Georgia for a few days to visit her father, Col. Branson (Lloyd Bridges), but Peter soon gets a call from Melanie, begging him to come down and "rescue" her from her family. It isn't until Peter arrives that he fully understands what Melanie is talking about. Most of her relatives can be politely described as "eccentric," while the Colonel is only a few steps away from psychotic, so Josh busily brainstorms a way for he and Melanie to go back to L.A. sooner rather than later. Meeting Daddy also features Beau Bridges, son of star Lloyd Bridges; appropriately enough, Beau plays Lloyd's son. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Charles, Alexandra Wentworth, (more)
- 1997
- R
This independent drama takes an unexpectedly light and emotionally sensitive approach to a potentially controversial subject -- a teenager taking up a career as a prostitute. Sixteen-year-old Jake (Tara Subkoff) is a pretty but troubled girl who has been abandoned by her mother. Needing a place to stay, she shows up on the doorstep of her sister Darlene (Kristy Swanson) and begs her to take her in. Darlene refuses, and Jake is left with nowhere to go. Marci (Sandra Bernhard), Darlene's next door neighbor, takes pity on Jake and gives her a meal and a place to stay for the night. The next morning, Marci heads off for work and Jake tags along to discover that Marci manages a massage parlor. Jake is a bit naive about what goes on at such places, but after meeting Marci's charges -- Bambi (Sahara Lotti), Coco (Loretta Devine), and Teddy (Renee Humphrey) -- she catches on that the women are offering their male clientele more than a simple rubdown. Needing money, Jake asks Marci for a job; Marci says no, since Jake is underage, but after much begging and pleading, Marci agrees under the condition that Jake make herself scarce when Jean (Susan Barnes), the owner, comes around. Jake becomes friendly with Bambi, Coco, and Teddy, who show her the ropes of her new "career" and let her stay at their communal apartment. Soon Jake is making a good living, and Darlene is impressed enough to get a job of her own at the parlor. However, Darlene doesn't get along with the other women any better than she does with Jake, and when Jake's friends get on Darlene's bad side, she turns Jake in for working underage, which leaves everyone out in the cold. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bernhard, Kristy Swanson, (more)
- 1997
"She's every man's dream (if you can get past the whole murder and adultery thing)." So went the ABC ad copy for the heavy-breathing TV movie Bad to the Bone, which is (astonishingly) based on a true story. Playing radically against type, Kristy Swanson stars as beautiful 19-year-old Francesca "Frankie" Wells, whose baby face and sweet demeanor hides an evil, manipulative soul. For starters, Frankie kills her mom to receive her inheritance--and gets away with it. Later on, she grows weary of her relationship with her nightclub-owner boyfriend Waldo (David Chokachi), whereupon she slyly persuades her adoring younger brother Danny (Jeremy London) to bump Waldo off, being oh-so-careful not to use such nasty words as "kill" or "murder." Dutiful Danny does what his sister asks, and when both are arrested, he takes full blame for the killing. Although Frankie does a thorough job seducing a number of authority figures who could under normal circumstances put her away in a minute, eventually justice prevails and both Frankie and Danny receive 100-year prison sentences. But Frankie manages to skip town and hit the road, leaving Danny (who has finally wised up!) holding the bag. The climactic phone conversation which seals Frankie's fate is a classic of its kind. Bad to the Bone originally aired on October 19, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cross What's up Doc with Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and you get this dark screwball comedy of murder and lost luggage. Mafia hitman Tommy Spinelli (Joe Pesci) is flying to San Diego with a bag that holds eight severed heads, which he's bringing to his superiors to prove that some troublesome rival mobsters are permanently out of the picture. Medical student Charlie Pritchett (Andy Comeau) is headed to Mexico with his fiancée Laurie Bennett (Kristy Swanson) to meet her parents. Charlie's suitcase is identical to Tommy's, and it's not until Tommy arrives in San Diego that he discovers that there are no heads in his bag, while Charlie realizes his duffel most certainly does not contain his vacation wardrobe. Tommy finds Charlie's address in the bag and heads to the fraternity house he calls home, where he drafts Charlie's friends Ernie (David Spade) and Steve (Todd Louiso) into finding him some replacement heads post-haste. Meanwhile, Laurie's parents (Dyan Cannon and George Hamilton) are a bit miffed to discover that their future son-in-law is travelling with a bag full of rotting heads, while Laurie is ready to give Charlie his walking papers. Eight Heads in a Duffel Bag was the directorial debut of screenwriter Tom Schulman, who won an Academy Award for his script for the movie Dead Poets Society. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Andy Comeau, (more)
- 1997
On Christmas Eve, screenwriter Tiger (Tom Wood) is on the brink of waving goodbye to Hollywood and heading home, but his scripting partner Max (Arye Gross) convinces him to stay a bit longer. They score an inside track, arranging a meeting with Arnie (Joe Pantoliano), but they have no place to stay. They break into the building Tiger has used for storage, creating confusion and anger among residents, but building manager Cliff (Ron Perlman) lets them stay. The following day, Arnie tells them their script isn't commercial. Suspecting that Cliff is a serial killer, they begin planning a new film concept focusing on Cliff. Shown at Montreal's 1997 World Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Perlman, Arye Gross, (more)
- 1996
- R
A former U.S. Marshall takes extreme measures to save his family from a band of psychopaths after an earthquake destroys the apartment complex in which they live. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jimmy Smits, James LeGros, (more)
The first superhero ever, created by Lee Falk in 1936, gets another shot at movie stardom 60 years after achieving fame in comics and serials. Billy Zane stars as Kit Walker, who discovers that he's the 21st in a line of purple-clad African superheroes known as "The Phantom" or, to superstitious Bengalla Island natives, "the Ghost Who Walks." When he's not fighting the evil Singh Brotherhood with his faithful wolf Devil and white horse Hero, the Phantom lives in the hidden Skull Cave. Kit discovers that Xander Drax (Treat Williams), a slimy industrialist, is plotting to take over the world by uniting the three long lost magical Skulls of Touganda. So he travels to New York, where he finds allies in crusading newspaper publisher Dave (Bill Smitrovich) and his niece, Diana (Kristy Swanson), who's also Kit's ex-girlfriend. Kit and Diana tackle Drax's forces, including the conflicted Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones), in a quest for the Skulls that brings both sides back to Bengalla for a showdown. The Phantom's mixture of elaborate stunts with liberal doses of tongue-in-cheek humor was characteristic of screenwriter Jeffrey Boam, whose previous films included Innerspace (1987) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, (more)
This drama examines the personal, political, and racial dilemmas facing a group of college freshmen as they begin their first semester at Columbus University. Malik (Omar Epps) is an African-American student attending on a track scholarship; academics are not his strong suit, and he goes in thinking that his athletic abilities will earn him a free ride through college. Fudge (Ice Cube), a "professional student" who has been at Columbus for six years so far, becomes friendly with Malik and challenges his views about race and politics in America, while Professor Phipps (Laurence Fishburne), a black man who teaches political science, firmly tells Malik that he will not be graded on a different standard either because of his race or his ability to run quickly. With Deja (Tyra Banks), Malik finds a girlfriend, a tutor, and a training partner all rolled into one. Meanwhile, Kristen (Kristy Swanson), a somewhat naive young woman from California, meets a boy named Billy (Jay R. Ferguson) after both have had too much to drink at a beer blast; Kristen soon becomes a victim of date rape and becomes involved with a campus feminist group to deal with the painful experience. While working with the women's group, Kristen gets to know Taryn (Jennifer Connelly), a strong but understanding woman who is also a lesbian, and she finds herself becoming attracted to her. And Remy (Michael Rappaport) is a confused young man from the Midwest who feels lost in the multi-cultural atmosphere of Columbus. He is approached by Scott (Cole Hauser), a member of a group of racist skinheads, who believe that Remy is a perfect candidate to help carry out his group's violent goals. Keep an eye peeled for Gwyneth Paltrow, who has a bit part as a student; rap stars Busta Rhymes, D-Knowledge and Mista Grimm also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Omar Epps, Kristy Swanson, (more)
- 1994
An attempted black comedy, Getting In endeavors to satirize the cut-throat competition surrounding the medical school admissions process -- a struggle that in this case literally turns deadly. Gabriel Higgs is an aspiring medical student, not out of a great dedication to his craft but due to pressure by his parents, who expect him to follow the long-standing family tradition of attending Johns Hopkins and embarking upon a prominent medical career. However, a poor showing in the admissions test and several other mishaps conspire to place Gabriel on the school's waiting list. Desperate to gain entrance to the school before being disinherited, Gabriel takes to bribing his fellow waiting-list candidates to ensure his admission. But when the students at the top of the waiting list start turning up dead in rather nasty ways, Gabriel finds himself in real trouble. He must discover who is committing these crimes before he is blamed -- or becomes the next victim himself. Easily forgettable, the film is mainly notable for featuring early performances by future television stars Matthew Perry and Calista Flockhart, and for being the directorial debut of Doug Liman, who would receive critical acclaim for his second film, Swingers. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Andrew McCarthy, (more)
This high-speed action comedy stars Charlie Sheen as Jack Hammond, who has been given a life sentence for a bank robbery that he didn't commit. Hammond manages to escape, and while trying to avoid capture at a gas station, he ends up kidnapping Natalie Voss (Kristy Swanson); he threatens her with what she thinks is a gun, although it turns out to be a candy bar. Jack and Natalie take off in her BMW, with Jack unaware that his "victim" is actually Dalton Voss (Ray Wise), one of California's richest and most powerful land barons. Soon half the state's law enforcement officers and every member of the media is on Jack's tail as he races down the highway; in the meantime, Natalie and Jack get to know each other, and while she doesn't much care for him at first (as you might imagine), before long her attitude has softened quite a bit. Alternative rock fans might want to keep an eye peeled for Henry Rollins, playing a policeman, and Anthony Kiedis and Flea from The Red Hot Chili Peppers as a pair of yahoos with a very large truck. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Kristy Swanson, (more)
Eastern State University isn't particularly notable for anything except its football program. Lately, even that hasn't been doing too well, and the athletic staff led by Coach Winters (James Caan) are under considerable pressure by the administration and alumni to bring in a winning season. To do that, he has to recruit some able, promising young players out of high school. It's not too surprising to learn that he will do almost anything to get these kids, and its even less surprising that, as long as they keep producing on the field, he and the college will overlook almost any obnoxious behavior the boys can perpetrate to the limit of their ability. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Caan, Halle Berry, (more)
