Stan Ward Movies
- 1993
Two men, a fisherman and banker, have both died of carbon monoxide poisoning while sailing in the waters around Cabot Cove. At first this seems to be merely a coincidence--but then the fisherman's daughter gains access to her father's logbooks and charts. Suddenly, a link develops between the two men, forged by an illegal sale of surplus defense-corporation components--and Jessica (Angela Lansbury) begins to take interest in the situation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Touted upon its release as the finale of the Rocky saga, this fifth entry in the long-running series of sports dramas reunites star Sylvester Stallone with John G. Avildsen, director of the Oscar-winning original. Stallone is Rocky Balboa, suffering from career-ending brain damage as a result of his punishing bout with Ivan Drago at the finale of the previous film. Upon their return to Philadelphia, Rocky and his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), discover they are broke, their fortune squandered by an incompetent accountant. Forced to move back to their working-class neighborhood, Rocky finds that his only asset is the run-down gym willed to him by Mickey (Burgess Meredith, who appears in new flashback sequences). Resisting big money offered to him by Don King-like boxing promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), Rocky becomes a trainer and finds a talented comer in Tommy Gunn (real-life boxer Tommy Morrison, nephew of John Wayne). Rocky's son (played by Stallone's real-life son Sage Stallone) feels neglected by his father, who lavishes attention on his protégé, but Tommy ultimately turns his back on his mentor to sign a more lucrative deal with Duke, leading to a street-fight showdown. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, (more)
- 1985
- R
In a weak mix of too many ingredients -- a dash of West Side Story, a pinch of Breakin', and sprinkles of references to other teen gang films -- this saga of one gang at odds with another is more like warmed-up leftovers than an original creation. Troy, Mookie, and Joey (Leon Isaac Kennedy, John Mengati, and Nicholas Campbell) belong to a gang at war with the nasty punks of the Mechanix. Troy and Mookie are into rapping and rock music and after some failed attempts to break into recording, they take dance lessons and win a coveted talent contest that puts them ahead for a change. Meanwhile, the Mechanix are not interested in what these guys won and are preparing for their long-awaited showdown with the would-be entertainers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leon Isaac Kennedy, John Mengatti, (more)
