John Vernon Movies

Batwoman makes her grand entrance in the feature-length animated adventure Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. While Batman tries to figure out the new crime fighter's secret identity, Batwoman exposes an arms smuggling operation conducted by the Penguin. Soon Batwoman is captured by Bane and Batman has to choose whether or not he can trust his new mysterious ally. Featuring the voices of Kelly Ripa, Kyra Sedgwick, and Hector Elizondo. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

An empty stage coach pulls into a remote station where U.S. Marshal Coburn (Edward Albert) has brought his prisoner, a bank robber named Bronson (Christopher Atkins), for a meal with other would-be coach passengers. But before they can load up, the station master (John Vernon) and his wife are shot dead by unseen assailants. Under the cover of darkness the posse of passengers high-tails it away in the coach, only to be pursued by skeletal horseman, snipers with deadly arrows and a mysterious one-eyed cowboy. Eventually, Coburn and his party discover what everyone wants from them -- but by then, they're trapped in a canyon and have to fight to the finish. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi

The late comedian John Candy directed this made-for-television black comedy. George Wendt stars as Warren Kooey, a poor slob with a vicious wife and a nasty boss. Wooey wants to escape his miserable existence, so he decides to stage his own kidnapping to get away from his tormentors and find some peace far, far away. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

She sure did. Susan Lucci brings her daytime-drama flailing gestures to the prime time TV-movie scene in this melodramatic farrago. She plays a married woman who for the first and only time in her life succumbs to the charms of another man. Accused of murder, Lucci's only alibi is her adulterous liaison. Trouble is, she can provide no proof that the affair--or her lover--ever existed. The publicity people did their best to suggest that The Woman Who Sinned was reminiscent of Fatal Attraction, simply because both films involved a clandestine love affair and a psycho killer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Soldiers find themselves trapped and in mortal danger behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. Their only hope for survival is to board a specially-designed war bus and blast their way to safety. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This low-budget cult classic horror spoof has one of the great movie titles of all time. Mike (Grant Cramer) and his sweetheart, Debbie (Suzanne Snyder), are smooching on lover's lane when they see what appears to be a meteorite crashing over the horizon. They loosen their liplock long enough to investigate and find a curious circus tent. There they discover malevolent clowns who stop their victims with popcorn-shooting guns and acid-drenched pies in order to feast on human blood. The unfortunates are then entombed into inescapable cotton-candy cocoons. Officer Dave Hanson (John Allen Nelson) is called to investigate with help from Officer Mooney (John Vernon). For those viewers who already think clowns are a little creepy to begin with, this one will push them over the edge. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

After discovering they have photographed an actual murder taking place, a couple of Venice Beachies attempt to solve the crime in this mystery-comedy. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

This gentle comedy hearkens back to 1945, just after the war's end where a crazy small-town family awaits the return of one of their own. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Michael A. Gilbert's Office Party was the basis for the Canadian thriller Hostile Takeover (it also bears traces of "Wall to Wall War", an episode of the 1963 TV anthology The Richard Boone Show). David Warner plays a mild-mannered office worker who one morning kicks over protocol and pulls a gun, taking his co-workers hostage. It isn't that Warner is rebelling against a society that has kicked him around all his life, nor has he any beef against the company. It's just that he wants to be totally in control of a situation, a thrill he has never previously experienced. More than likely, the hostage situation could be resolved peaceably, but gonzo mayor John Vernon, jockeying for votes, insists that Warner be neutralized by a SWAT team. As these plans are formulated on the outside, Warner becomes obsessed with his new power, forcing his captives to humiliate themselves in various ways. This, in turns, leads to a breakdown in inhibitions amongst the workers--and an impromptu "group therapy" session! From this point on, dear reader, you're on your own: nothing that follows in Hostile Takeover is what one expects to happen, so henceforth we'll keep mum. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This slick throwback to the giant-mutant-insect movies of the 1950's has built a small reputation solely on its irrelevant title -- the film contains no monkeys, blue or otherwise -- which confused both reviewers and viewers alike. (This dilemma was solved in its second video incarnation, under the more honest title Insect.) The story begins when a gardener becomes infected with a plant-borne insect larva, which he disgorges upon his arrival at the County Memorial Hospital. When the bug-baby ingests a large dose of growth hormone called NAC-5 (hospitals are always leaving that stuff around where bugs can get at it), it immediately bulks up to the size of a bulldozer. The plot quickly shifts into Alien mode, as scientists, police (namely wild-eyed cop Steve Railsback) and hospital personnel creep down the hospital's labyrinthine corridors in search of the insectoid monster, which they hope to destroy with conveniently-provided experimental laser equipment before it can test the capacity of the maternity ward with a few million larvae. Despite the lurid promotional materials (showing pretty nurses SCREAMING IN HORROR!!), the story is played quite straight -- more of an homage to films like Them! than a parody of same -- and benefits from good performances (John Vernon is great as the hospital director), a tight script and a strong emphasis on suspense and action from director William Fruet. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Jessica (Angela Lansbury arrives at the campus of Crenshaw University to receive an honorary degree. Among the faculty members is Professor Joselyn Clover (Polly Bergen), whose daughter Daphne (Mary Kate McGeehan) has penned a notoriously lurid best-selling novel. When the campus "stud" is murdered, both Joselyn and Daphne are suspected--whereupon both confess to the crime in hopes of protecting one another. Figuring that someone else is the guilty party, Jessica offers her services to the local police chief (Jack Kehoe), who unlike our heroine has never handled a homicide case in his life! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Delivering no more and no less than what its title suggests, this teen movie is about three frat brothers chasing down sex and women in Palm Springs for a long weekend escape from blizzard conditions at Iowa State. Wendall (Stephen Geoffreys) is the requisite nerd of the group whose heart throbs for a certain young woman, unfortunately, she is the daughter of Police Chief Ferret (John Vernon), an aptly-named tough cop who is hardly going to welcome anyone who is after his daughter. Wendall's two buddies (Cameron Dye and Leigh McCloskey) are hot on the heels of the beauteous Ashley (Sheree J. Wilson), but so are a few others, and she does not necessarily bestow her favors indiscriminately -- and so they are having a difficult time of it. Between the music, the locations, and the lightweight plot to match the clothing, this is a typical teen comedy, for and about teens, and aimed at a young teen audience. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi