Jan-Michael Vincent Movies
Ventura City College grad Jan-Michael Vincent had just finished serving in the National Guard when he was tapped for potential film stardom by a talent agent. At first billed simply as Michael Vincent, the novice actor's "official" screen debut was the 1968 western Journey to Shiloh, though in fact he'd already had a shakedown cruise, as it were, in the Mexican film Los Bandidos (1967). He went on to co-star in the "Danger Island" segment of Hanna-Barbera's Saturday morning TV show The Banana Splits Adventure Hour, and in the prime time serial The Survivors (1969) before graduating to stardom as the hippie-dippie Marine recruit in the popular TV movie Tribes (1970). Subsequent film assignments like The Mechanic (1972) and Bite the Bullet (1975) seemed to bode well for his future as a "reluctant hero" action star, while his work in such productions as Buster and Billie (1974) proved that he had an acting range far beyond that of your usual beefcake hunk. Jan-Michael Vincent enjoyed a successful run as taciturn maverick pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series Airwolf (1984-86) before becoming a fixture in such direct-to-video yarns like Hidden Obsession and Indecent Behavior (both 1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1994
This confused sequel to Abducted (1986) features some gorgeous Vancouver wilderness scenery, lovingly photographed by Danny Nowak, in the service of an unappealing Deliverance variant. Vern (Lawrence King), the crazed wild man long presumed dead, abducts three female campers, taking one of them, Maria (Raquel Bianca), to his cave in the woods where he plans to impregnate her until he learns that she is not a virgin. Revolted, Vern makes Maria wear a horned buckskin mask, and she plays along, waiting to attack when the time is right. Dan Haggerty returns from the first film as Vern's father, who tracks down his son after fighting with a crazed hunter (Jan-Michael Vincent), only to be murdered. The cast is adequate, but Boon Collins' tepid adventure is hopelessly flawed. The long, superfluous scenes of Vincent and Haggerty gutting (real) rams and other wildlife while debating the merits of hunting will offend many viewers, and the script is muddled and unrealistic, with some of the most preposterous dialogue since the original. At its core, Abducted II: The Reunion is a rape-revenge movie with no rape, a moralistic diatribe with no morals, and a horror film with no horror. In other words, a complete waste of time. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Haggerty, Jan-Michael Vincent, (more)
- 1984
Airwolf stars Jan-Michael Vincent as Stringfellow Hawke, a reclusive helicopter pilot. Airwolf itself is a super-powered copter that has been stolen by its creator (David Hemmings) and sold to the Libyans. Hawke agrees to retrieve Airwolf on one condition: That the US government effect the release of his brother, who has been missing in Vietnam for fourteen years. Inasmuch as the government fails in their end of the bargain, Hawke keeps Airwolf himself, thereby establishing the premise for the subsequent long-running (1984-1988) TV series. This two-hour Airwolf opener originally aired on January 22, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The first season of the CBS action-adventure series Airwolf kicks off with its two-hour pilot, in which maverick flyboy String Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent) agrees to retrieve a high-tech, extremely versatile new helicopter from the Libyans on behalf of the Firm, a top secret government agency. Upon getting his hands on Airwolf, String refuses to turn it over to the Firm until they locate his brother, St. John Hawke, listed as missing in action during the Vietnam war. Despite this condition, String and his partner Dom Santini (Ernest Borgnine) offer to fly dangerous missions on behalf of the Firm, taking their orders from Michael Archangel (Alex Cord), a mysterious figure dressed in white. In most of season one's 12 episodes (Stock footage from which would serve as fodder for the action scenes in all three subsequent seasons!), String and Dom are aided and abetted by another representative of the Firm, the beautiful Marella (Deborah Pratt). Although Airwolf did not crack the Top Thirty ratings during its first season, its following was strong and enthusiastic enough to warrant a renewal by CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
Season two of Airwolf finds the title "character" -- a high-tech helicopter equipped with remarkable sensing devices and a full complement of weaponry -- being used on behalf of the forces of good by maverick pilot String Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent) and String's partner/best buddy Dom Santini (Ernest Borgnine). Though technically Airwolf belongs to the Firm, a top secret government agency, String refuses to turn over the vehicle until the Firm locates his brother, who has been missing since the Vietnam debacle. Dispatching String and Dom on their various missions is the Firm's mysterious, almost ethereal representative, Michael Archangel (Alex Cord). This season, the two heroes are assisted by Caitlin O'Shaughnessy (Jean Bruce Scott), a spunky female copter jockey, and also by their old "friend" from the Firm, the beautiful Marella (Deborah Pratt) -- who, though no longer a regular, continues to pop up on occasion. The three protagonists' adventures bring them in contact with corrupt sheriffs, megalomaniacs armed with stolen nuclear devices, Mexican crime lords, homicidal hijackers, Russian "moles," and modern day slave traders. And every so often, tantalizingly brief clues are provided as to the whereabouts of String's brother St. John Hawke. Airwolf remained off the radar so far as the Top Thirty Nielsen-rated programs were concerned throughout its second season, though it seldom failed to win its Saturday night time slot for CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
The third season of Airwolf continues to spotlight its title "character," a state-of-the-art helicopter with a full arsenal of high-tech weaponry and the capability to fly anywhere at the fastest possible speed without the necessity of refuel. Still in charge of Airwolf are maverick pilot String Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent), his mechanic buddy Dom Santini (Ernest Borgnine), and spunky female pilot Caitlin O'Shaughnessy (Jean Bruce Scott). And, as before, the Airwolf team accepts various dangerous assignments -- ranging from rescue missions to thwarting government takeovers -- from Michael Archangel (Alex Cord), the mysterious, white-suited emissary from the Firm, the top secret organization for whom Airwolf was created. Naturally, the Firm would like Airwolf all to themselves, but the fiercely independent String continues to hold off turning the vehicle over to them until his brother, a MIA from the Vietnam War era, is located and rescued. Keeping a close eye on the Airwolf team's activities is another rep from the Firm, the bold and beautiful Marella (Deborah Pratt) -- formerly a series regular, now a recurring character. Canceled by CBS at the end of season three, Airwolf would return to the airwaves courtesy of cable's USA Network beginning in January of 1987 -- but not without several sweeping cast changes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Ernest Borgnine, (more)
- 1989
There's not much doubt this film's a direct descendant of Schwarzenegger's Terminator classic, though it's certainly a distant descendant. Here a fugitive from a far-away planet escapes execution in a hijacked spaceship and crashes on the planet Earth where he's befriended by some young campers and the local constable. However this Terminator take also has a chasing enforcer (the Alienator) who shows up before long, sent to capture the escapee. The earthlings come to the defense of their new friend and fight it out with the indestructible Alienator. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, John Phillip Law, (more)
Aliens from Spaceship Earth is a "four-waller" documentary from the Chariot of the Gods? school of speculative filmmaking. Are there, or have their ever been, extraterrestrials in our midst? This program speculates that there are, and that such aliens have taken distinctly human form - that of Indian yogis and gurus, including Guru Maharaj Ji, Sri Sathya, Yoga Bhahan and Father Yod. The "aliens" in question, in other words, are spiritual guides on a long, introspective trek into the self, prompted and encouraged by the counterculture and drug-fueled experimentation of the late '60s. Folk-rock singer Donovan provides the soundtrack.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
In this WWII-era drama, Jan-Michael Vincent plays Marion Hedgepeth, a young Marine who fails out of a boot camp in 1943 and gets sent home wearing a baby blue suit to symbolize shame and dishonor. In Los Angeles, he runs into a veteran who -- eager to be discharged -- k.o.'s him and switches their uniforms. When Marion regains consciousness, he's clad in a hero's uniform. He begins hitching his way toward his home in St. Louis, dreading the prospect of confessing to his folks, but stops for a time in a small town where he's mistaken for a hero and immediately falls in love with a waitress, Rose (Glynnis O'Connor). Meanwhile, as the truth threatens to emerge and bring disgrace raining down onto his head, several residents of a Japanese internment camp escape. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Glynnis O'Connor, (more)
- 1992
An army commander on a dangerous mission with a special forces naval unit in the Mekong River Delta is sidetracked when he risks his life to save a beautiful American reporter. ~ All Movie Guide
Jan-Michael Vincent plays a self-destructive beach bum to whom surfing is a Zen experience. We first meet Vincent in the devil-may-care 1960s, in the company of his carefree buddies William Katt and Gary Busey. The boys reunite ten years later, after one has served time in Vietnam. The beach is still there, the waves still break upon the shore, and towards the end of the film, the characters become people that we truly care about. Barbara Hale, the real-life mother of costar William Katt, makes a piquant supporting appearance. Cut from 129 minutes to 104 for its pay-cable release, Big Wednesday is also known as Summer of Innocence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, William Katt, (more)
An excellent cast, featuring Gene Hackman, Ben Johnson, and James Coburn, highlights this entertaining Western that came and went at the box office, barely noticed by audiences. That doesn't stop the exciting story from capturing the viewer's attention as a disparate group of riders assembles to participate in a marathon 700-mile horse race across the American West at the turn of the century. The standard mutual feelings of distrust give way to respect and grudging admiration as each rider is put to the test. Stunning cinematography and locations, plus a gripping pace set by director Richard Brooks, set this Western apart at a time when the genre was in decline. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Hackman, Candice Bergen, (more)
Two vengeful assassins are loose on the streets of New Orleans and are looking to systematically murder some of the elite Special Crimes Agents responsible for sending them to prison. Now only the two leaders of the highly trained corps will be able to stop the slaughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Brigitte Nielsen, (more)
- 1968
Forced to kill the father of young Eddie McKay (Jan-Michael Vincent), Hoss Cartwright tries to make amends by hiring Eddie as a Ponderosa hand. Eddie accepts the job-but only because he has entered into an unholy alliance with rancher Sam Butler (Jim Davis), who also has a grudge against the Cartwrights. "The Arrival of Eddie" was written by Ward Hawkins and John M. Chester, and directed by former I Love Lucy stalwart Marc Daniels. The episode first aired on May 19, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
- 1969
Before she played Joe Cartwright's ill-fated love interest in the 1972 Bonanza episode "Forever," Bonnie Bedelia guest-starred in the series' April 6, 1969 episode "The Unwanted." Bedelia is cast as Lorrie, the daughter of Ben Cartwright's old friend, lawman Luke Mansfield (Charles McGraw). Rebelling against her disciplinarian father, Lorrie openly consorts with young ex-convict Rick Miller (Jan-Michael Vincent), who may or may not be the cousin of a man who once shot Luke. "The Unwanted" was written by Thomas Thompson and Suzanna Clauser. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, (more)
Richard "Cheech" Marin, of Cheech & Chong fame, directed and starred in Born in East L.A.. Inspired by Marin's music-video parody of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA", the film casts Cheech as an East Los Angeles repairman. While paying a visit to a sweatshop toy factory, Cheech is caught in the middle when the feds raid the place and cart off all the illegal alien workers. Since he's forgotten to bring his own i.d., Cheech is also shipped off to Mexico-where, having next to no knowledge of the Spanish tongue, he's virtually helpless. Desperate, he takes a job with crooked Tijuana saloon owner Daniel Stern-the first of many "make-do" jobs that he assumes to earn enough money to return home. Along the way, he falls in love with El Salvadorian girl Kamala Lopez, whose English is as fractured as Cheech's Spanish. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez, (more)
Actor Vincent Gallo (The Funeral, Palookaville) made his feature directorial debut with this drama about convict Billy Brown (Gallo), released after half a decade spent behind bars. Drifting into downtown Buffalo, Billy kidnaps teen Layla (Christina Ricci) and has her pose as his loving wife when he visits his parents (Ben Gazzara and Anjelica Huston). Layla praises him and goes along with his fanciful tale that they met at CIA headquarters, where they both worked. Mom and dad not only fall for this, they are entranced by Layla, who soon begins to embellish her act. When she claims to be pregnant by Billy, he hustles her out to a bowling alley and on to a restaurant, where they run into trampy Wendy (Rosanna Arquette), who might be Billy's former girlfriend. Eventually, Billy seems ready to track down and kill the person he feels was responsible for his five years in the slammer. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, (more)
- 1974
- R
In this coming-of-age movie from 1974 that mines the same territory as Summer of '42 and Class of '44, Joan Goodfellow plays Billie, an obliging blonde more than willing to dispense sexual favors for a group of horny high schoolers in rural Georgia of 1948. The only member of the high school group that doesn't seek out Billie is Buster (Jan-Michael Vincent), who is faithful to his fiancee, Margie (Pamela Sue Martin). But when Margie insists on preserving her virginity until their wedding day, Buster joins the crowd and seeks out Billie himself. Buster is so taken with her that he begins to openly date her. Because of their relationship, Billie has changed but the townspeople and the high school students react with disdain when they see Buster and Billie holding hands. The disdain turns to hate, then to violence. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Joan Goodfellow, (more)
- 2001
Photographer and documentary filmmaker Bruce Weber looks at the lives of his subjects, the nature of the creative spirit, his inner drives and desires, and what fuels his own muse in this, his third feature film. Named for the popular Cantonese-American dish that brings together a diverse range of ingredients, Chop Suey jumps back and forth between a number of different themes and perspectives, using both videotape and a variety of film stocks to add a similar variety to the movie's look. Weber explores his issues with self-image and sexuality as he explains the homoerotic subtext of his photography to one of his models, a former wrestler fresh out high school. Weber also discusses the importance of the work of other photographers as he hones his individual style, as well as actors and artists who had an important impact on him, including Robert Mitchum, Diana Vreeland, and Wilfred Thesiger. Weber also interviews Teri Shepherd, who discusses her relationship with her former lover, the late singer and comic Frances Faye. Chop Suey premiered at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival, where it was nominated for the festival's Teddy Award, a special prize for films with gay and lesbian themes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Johnson, Frances Faye, (more)
- 1977
- PG
A small but hardy band of survivors traverses a post-apocalypse American landscape in this sci-fi thriller. A horrific nuclear assault leaves only three survivors at an underground military facility, so Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent), Denton (George Peppard), and Keegan (Paul Winfield) commandeer a special all-terrain land cruiser and head for Albany, NY, the only American city to be spared in the attack. As they travel through the desolate post-nuke wastelands, the soldiers pick up a beautiful woman (Dominique Sanda) and an incorrigible teenager (Jackie Earle Haley), as they battle huge mutant insects, packs of survivors turned violent and feral, and brutal electrical storms that savage the already barren plains. Damnation Alley was based on a novel by award-winning speculative fiction author Roger Zelazny. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, George Peppard, (more)
- 1993
In this action-thriller, Brad Cartowski (Michael Pare) is a Navy SEAL whose wife, Marcy (Claudette Mink), has been kidnapped by a band of Libyan terrorists. The terrorists have also hijacked an airliner filled with passengers, and in exchange for the return of both Marcy, the jet, and its passengers, they're demanding the release of Carlos (Billy Drago), the leader of their organization who has been captured by American operatives. The United States warily agrees to the deal, but after Carlos is set free in Athens, he and his men decide to keep the plane -- and Marcy. An outraged Brad discovers the U.S. military is hesitant to step in and save Marcy, so he teams up with fellow SEAL Cody (Jan-Michael Vincent) to stage a rescue mission on their own. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Billy Drago, (more)
- 1979
- PG
Although it is far from a perfectly contrived drama, Defiance has its moments of high emotions and rising fear. Tommy (Jan Michael Vincent) takes up temporary housing in a New York neighborhood plagued by a violent gang, the Souls. Tommy is waiting for his next assignment as a seaman and though he tries to avoid the gang and his neighbors, it does not work. Soon he is single-handedly battling the Souls and not only changing their attitudes, but the attitudes of his previously intimidated neighbors as well. They quickly back him up as the one person who can make the neighborhood safe again. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jan-Michael Vincent, Theresa Saldana, (more)
- 1973
In this action adventure, five wilderness greenhorns on a hiking trip stumble across the remains of a skyjacker. They also find a fortune in cash. This causes nothing but grief as the greedy quintet battle their way back to civilization. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
In this politically-charged supernatural action-thriller from the Philippines, a beautiful television correspondent finds herself possessed by a vengeful demon, a former Chinese mystic who was slain by a Filipino warlord 500 years before. Before the mystic died he swore he would slowly destroy all of his descendants. The mystic makes good on his promise and the victims are killed ritually and branded with the mark of the dreaded demonstone to prove the revenge. The reincarnation of the warlord, now a corrupt Filipino politician, tries to find the killer, but has no luck until an American Marine, Tony McKee is found near one of the most recent victims. The politician immediately frames him for the death. But fortunately, former Marine Andrew Buck is there to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, Buck's girl friend is the demonically-charged reporter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
A nuclear-inspections team is assigned to work at a site in Africa, but once they get there, they find a terrorist squad about to blow up the complex. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
