Douglas Warhit Movies
- 1996
Who would want to decapitate a kindly professor? That's what Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) are determined to find out. Sipowicz is also anxious to learn the secret being withheld from him by his son Andy Jr. (Michael DeLuise), who is supposed to be in the Air Force. And Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) arouses the ire of Adrianne (Justine Miceli) when he tries to help a former porn star (Vanessa del Rio) who has been getting threatening phone calls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Amy Heckerling repeats the successful formula of Look Who's Talking in this sequel, with the addition of John Travolta singing "All Shook Up" to a group of nursery schoolers and Mel Brooks cast as the voice of a toilet. The film begins with James struggling to support his family. He stills wants to become an airline pilot, but in the meantime is driving a cab. His wife Molly (Kirstie Alley) is struggling too, as a busy accountant. The strain is showing on their marriage, but then Molly becomes pregnant again, giving birth to a daughter named Julie (voice of Roseanne Barr). When the new baby arrives back home, their son Mikey (voice of Bruce Willis) has to contend not only with the new intrusion but also with Mr. Potty (voice of Mel Brooks). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1987
Ferengi captain Bok (Frank Corsentino), the present owner of the former Starfleet vessel Stargazer, unexpectedly returns the ship to its previous commander, Captain Picard. Unfortunately, the Ferengi have made a few "improvements" in the Stargazer's hardware, notably an insidious mind-alterating device. Under the spell of this apparatus, Picard is forced to relive the battle in which Bok's son was killed, a tragedy for which the vengeful Bok holds the Enterprise captain entirely responsible. First telecast November 21, 1987, "The Battle" was scripted by Herbert J. Wright from a story by Larry Forrester. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this comedy drama, three exuberant high-school graduates finally find a direction in life when they decide to fix-up a ramshackle Catskill resort and turn it into a little slice of rock & roll heaven for teens. They work hard to make the repairs and pay the over $8,000 in back taxes. When locals hear of their plans, they misunderstand and try to stop the young men as do wicked industrialists and the corrupt president of the town council who want to use the locale to dump toxic wastes. The lively soundtrack features songs by Phil Collins, Julian Lennon, Arcadia, and Pete Townshend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Jordano, Matthew Penn, (more)
- 1986
The spotlight in this episode is not on detectives David (Bruce Willis) and Maddie (Cybill Shepherd),but instead on their mousy, poetry-spouting secretary Agnes Dipesto (Allyce Beasley). Yearning for some excitement in her life, Ms. Dipesto gets more than she bargained for when a mysterious man slips her a piece of paper, then dashes off for parts unknown. The delighted Agnes thinks that the paper contains the man's phone number--but it doesn't, not by a long shot. Before the story plays itself out, Agnes has been injected with truth serum and sent on a wild cab ride, and a man is murdered (or appears to be murdered) in a bowling alley. As indicated by its title, this episode owes more than a little to the cinematic oeuvre of Alfred Hitchcock. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
What's that wisecracking young black guy (Eddie Murphy) in that beat-up Chevy Nova doing in lily-white Beverly Hills? He's Axel Foley, a Detroit detective who's been sent on involuntary vacation because he refuses to drop his intention of avenging his friend's murder. Warned by Beverly Hills police chief Ronny Cox to stay out of trouble, Foley nonetheless dogs the trail of above-the-law Steven Berkoff, the British crime czar who was responsible for the murder of Foley's friend. With the help of sympathetic local cops Judge Reinhold and John Ashton and lady friend Lisa Eilbacher, Foley attempts to corner Berkoff in his mansion, which leads to a wild slapsticky shootout. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, (more)
- 1984
- R
Academy award-winner Tim Robbins makes his feature film debut in this 1984 thriller concerning a group of seven American college students held ransom by a rogue band of Central America guerillas. Ignoring the advice of their captain while taking a cruise around Central America, Beverly Hills rich girl Amy and her clueless friends unwisely venture off of the beaten path and deep into the vast jungle. Subsequently abducted by guerilla fighters and sentenced to death, the girls await their grim fate as Captain Sarge prepares to stage a daring rescue mission. Against all odds, Captain Sarge does manage to rescue Amy, though as the lucky survivor makes her way back to California she can't help thinking about the rest of her friends. When her efforts in convincing her wealthy father to fund a rescue mission fails, Amy rounds up a group of fearless neighborhood kids and implores Captain Sarge to lead them straight into the lion's den. With time quickly running out for the frightened hostages, seven American students and one hardened soldier of fortune rescue their friends and save the day. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Miller, Cleavon Little, (more)
In Body Double, director Brian DePalma pays homage to the Alfred Hitchcock movies Vertigo and Rear Window, adding a few grotesque touches all his own. Craig Wasson plays Jake, a struggling actor who keeps losing jobs because of his claustrophobia. To make matters worse, his girlfriend has walked out on him, so he has no place to sleep. His pal offers him the use of his apartment for the evening. The apartment happens to be equipped with a huge picture window and telescope, enabling him to spy on his beautiful neighbor Gloria (Deborah Shelton) while she undresses. He also bears witness to her brutal murder. And then he meets a porn star (Melanie Griffith), who has just taken a job posing as the late Gloria. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Wasson, Gregg Henry, (more)
Director John Carpenter returns to the suburban landscape he explored so chillingly in Halloween (1978) with this lean, stripped-down adaptation of the Stephen King best-seller about a haunted car with a devilishly bad attitude and the teen underdog who falls head-over-heels for her chrome-accented charms. Shortly after geeky, horn-rim-sporting Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of shop-class bully Buddy Repperton (William Ostrander) on the first day of his senior year, he soon falls prey to a far more duplicitous villain in the form of a rusted-out 1958 Plymouth Fury nicknamed "Christine" by its crusty owner George LeBay (Roberts Blossom) -- who sells wide-eyed Arnie the old hulk despite the protests of best friend Dennis (John Stockwell) and the admonition of his domineering parents. As Arnie sets to the task of restoring Christine, his hobby grows into an obsession -- and the real power that hums beneath her hood begins to emerge, seemingly granting newfound coolness and sex appeal to the once-nerdy outcast, while simultaneously drawing away his very soul. A vengeful spirit, Christine lashes out violently at those who dare to stand between her and Arnie -- starting with Repperton and his gang, who completely trash the car, but are soon hunted down one by one and pulverized beneath the whitewalls of the miraculously-restored Fury. When Arnie's pretty, popular girlfriend Leigh (Alexandra Paul) begins to suspect she may soon be on the receiving end of automotive vengeance, she calls on Dennis for help... but a frightening midnight ride in Christine convinces Dennis that Arnie's only hope lies in destroying the demonic vehicle. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, (more)
Three of the hallmarks of education in America -- nudity, teenage sex, and big, destructive gags -- are on plentiful display in this teen comedy. Christine (Phoebe Cates), a student at an exclusive all-girls private school, is in love with Jim (Matthew Modine), who attends an academy for boys nearby. Christine's archrival Jordan (Betsy Russell) also has her eye on Jim, and she is willing to do whatever she can to steal him away. Jim's über-slob buddy Bubba (Michael Zorek) is going with Betsy (Kathleen Wilhoite), Christine's cynical friend, though he would probably be unfaithful if any other woman were willing to get near him. Bubba and his pals sneak into the girls' school dressed in drag in hopes of reaching the Promised Land (better known as the women's shower room), while Christine and Jim run away together for the weekend, though their escapade isn't as romantic as they had hoped. Among the adults observing the chaos are Ray Walston, Fran Ryan, Martin Mull, and Sylvia Kristel; one of the sexy students on display is future scream queen Brinke Stevens. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phoebe Cates, Betsy Russell, (more)
