Adam West Movies
Whitman College graduate Adam West began getting his first acting breaks in 1959. That was the year that West, newly signed to a Warner Bros. contract, was cast in the small but pivotal role of Diane Brewster's impotent husband in The Young Philadelphians. After two years' worth of guest-star assignments in Warners' TV product (he was hung by his heels and humiliated by James Garner in a memorable Maverick episode), West accepted the role of Sergeant Steve Nelson on the weekly TVer Robert Taylor's Detectives. In 1962, the series was cancelled, compelling West to free-lance in such films as Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964, as the astronaut who doesn't make it back) and Island of the Blue Dolphins (1964). In 1965, he landed his biggest and best role to date: Millionaire Bruce Wayne, aka the "Caped Crusader", on the smash TV series Batman. Approaching the role with the seriousness and sobriety usually afforded MacBeth or Hamlet, West struck the happy medium between "camp" and conviction. Though in recent years West has apparently basked in the adulation he has received for his two-year stint as Batman, at the time the series was cancelled in 1968, he vowed to distance himself as far from the character as possible, accepting villainous TV and film roles and even fitfully pursuing a singing career. His movie projects ranged from sublime (Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, Hooper) to ridiculous (The Happy Hooker Goes to Washington); no matter what the role, however, West's performance was invariably compared to his Batman work. Finally adopting an "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" stance, West began making appearances at nostalgia conventions, supplied his vocal talents to the 1977 animated series The New Adventures of Batman, and publicly expressed disappointment that he was not offered a cameo role in the 1989 big-screen blockbuster Batman (he did however, provide a voice-over for the 1992 Fox TV series Batman: The New Adventures, not as Batman but as a washed-up superhero called the Gray Ghost). Adam West's most recent TV projects have included the weekly series The Last Precinct (1986) and Danger Theatre (1993); he also served as a spokesperson for the Nickelodeon cable network, a service specializing in nostalgia-inducing reruns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
So how far would you go to win a beauty pageant? That's the burning question of Drop Dead Gorgeous, in which the citizens of Mount Rose, Minnesota gear up for the year's biggest event, the Sarah Rose Miss Teen Princess America Pageant, in which Becky Leeman (Denise Richards) and Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) are the contestants to beat. Becky's mother Gladys (Kirstie Alley), a former beauty queen herself, has instilled in her daughter a drive to succeed at any cost. And Gladys will do anything to help Becky's chances of success. Amber's mother Annette (Ellen Barkin) is devoted to her daughter but drinks, smokes, and swears like a sailor. And while Amber is ambitious and a skilled beautician (a talent that she uses in her part-time job at the local mortuary), her view of the pageant is pragmatic: while boys can get sports scholarships, this pageant may be her only ticket out of town. However, Amber and the other contestants may have underestimated just how badly Becky wants to win -- or just how good she is with a gun. Drop Dead Gorgeous was directed by Michael Patrick Jann, a founding member of the sketch comedy group The State (who had their own series on MTV), and written by Lorna Williams, a veteran of the beauty pageant circuit who claims that nearly everything in the film is based on an actual incident. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, (more)
A bored motel clerk and his buddies go for a little joy ride in a woman's car. They don't realize until it is too late that she is a paid assassin and that her latest victim is in the trunk. Thus begins the clerk's descent into a shadowy world of lies and murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tobey Maguire, Wilson Cruz, (more)
- 1997
Wallace Shawn returns as Stuart Best, former "FYI" anchor, former tobacco lobbyist, former whistleblower, current security guard--and longtime thorn in the side of Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen). After Best is publicly lauded for his heroics during a museum fire, Murphy secures an exclusive interview. All Murphy wants to do is make amends with Best during the broadcast; instead, her pointed questions lead the authorities to wonder whether the "hero" actually started the fire himself! Adam West makes a cameo appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Alex, an undergraduate art student at a California school, attempts to find meaning and purpose in his life in this satirical Canadian comedy-drama. He decides that the only way to accomplish this is to become a filmmaker. Unfortunately he has no inspiration as to a subject matter until he looks closely at his fringe-dwelling buddy Gnome, a Venice Beach comic-book store owner who considers every aspect of life a political cause to fight against. Gnome is truly a bizarre character and the perfect subject for a film. Now that Alex has a subject, he needs the cash to make his film. Helpful Gnome grabs his life-savings and heads off to Vegas to win some cash for his friend, leaving Alex and his pals to race after him before he destroys his life. During the chase, Alex finds himself falling for punk-rocker Maggie. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this action thriller, a Gulf War veteran is America's only hope for salvation when a group of ex-Soviets threatens to take over. Written and directed by Richard W. Haines, Run for Cover stars Tom Dunne as a hero in a race against time to save the country from the clutches of evil. The film also features appearances by political figures Ed Koch and Rev. Al Sharpton. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- R
A wealthy Beverly Hills husband and wife are forced to reevaluate their lives after losing their jobs in writer-director Michael Tolkin's aloof satire. Peter Witner (Peter Weller) and Katherine Witner (Judy Davis) have become so accustomed to their high-class, shallow lifestyle that they feel helpless when circumstances leave them facing imminent bankruptcy. Lost and confused, their marriage on the verge of collapse, they seek help from a number of spiritual gurus, who offer ineffectual New Age philosophies as the solution to their problems. These remedies provide little comfort, however, and the Witners' attempt to make their own way by opening a hip clothing store also disappoints, leaving them ostracized and desperate for a direction in life. Best known for the cutting screenplay of Robert Altman's The Player (1992) and for his own earlier film The Rapture (1991), Tolkin provides sharp dialogue and a well-observed critique of the Los Angeles high life. This film continues the social criticism of those earlier efforts, as Tolkin consistently portrays American life as mindlessly materialistic, spiritually hollow, and bereft of meaningful purpose or moral direction. While some viewers may feel distanced from the unsympathetic characters and detached tone, Tolkin continues to be one of the most trenchant social satirists in contemporary American movies. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Weller, Judy Davis, (more)
- 1993
In this installment of the series American Traditions, railroads are explored. Actor Adam West narrates this look at the combining of two railroads. American Traditions: The Golden Spike explores the joining of the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads in Promontory Point, UT. ~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
With his son's life at stake, a former government official has to oppose the bureaucracy he once supported. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
High-kicking, hard-punching action ensues when an elite band of heroes take on terrorists who are trying to destroy the Earth. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- PG
A wealthy heiress must make up her mind in this romantic comedy. Her father wants her to marry a wealthy Ivy Leaguer, but her real passion is for an aspiring rock & roller. Of course then there's that handsome football star.... ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudia Christian, Adam West, (more)
- 1990
In this espionage drama, an ex-CIA agent is rehired to lead a special assault force against the guerillas who have abducted a scientist's daughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- PG13
A bungling gumshoe tries hard to affect a hard-boiled demeanor, despite the fact that his latest assignment is to protect the bratty young heiress to a fortune in this lively spoof of detective movies. Henry Brilliant, Private Eye, is no stranger to the ways of the wealthy as he too comes from a blue-blooded family, but he tries to ignore that to become the classic Chandleresque detective as he heads for Europe to follow the girl on her tour and keep her from being kidnapped by her stepmother who is really after her husband's secret formula for controlling the weather. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Lemmon, Jean Simmons, (more)
- 1988
- PG
Ryan Richmond (Nicholas Strouse) is a lonely teen from Sunnydale, Arizona who believes he is a space alien in this offbeat comedy. Charles (Adam West) and his wife Edna (Candice Azzara) are the new neighbors who reinforce Ryan's vivid imagination. Hugh O'Brien plays a former U.S. vice-president who is embarrassed by Ryan at his daughter's wedding. Hugh Gillin plays Ryan's father who manages a local Holiday Inn that Ryan believes is a spacecraft. Maureen Stapleton and Roddy McDowell make cameo appearances in this uneven teen comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Strouse, Hugh Gillin, (more)
- 1988
- R
In case you missed the first Jungle Wolf, don't worry: it won't be hard to pick up the continuity in Return Fire: Jungle Wolf 2. The producers make this task easier by rabbeting in stock footage from two previous films starring martial arts whiz Ron Marchini. In this one, the Jungle Wolf (aka Marchini) takes on a few hundred more bad guys. When his pure animal strength fails him, he's always got his bottomless arsenal of weaponry to rely upon. Costar Adam West seems to be having fun; perhaps you will too. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Jerry Orbach makes a return appearance as Boston P.I. Harry McGraw, who in this episode has given up sleuthing to enter the world of professional boxing. No, Harry hasn't donned the gloves himself, but he is a suspect in the murder of a crooked boxing manager. Enter Jessica (Angela Lansbury), who has inherited a percentage of the dead man's prize boxer, and who of course is convinced that her old friend Harry is innocent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this pilot film for the short-lived satirical TV series The Last Precinct, a group of misfit police-academy rejects are given one final opportunity to distinguish themselves in the field of law enforcement when they are assigned to the LA's seediest and most woebegone precinct, the 56th. Under the diligent but ineffectual leadership of Captain Rob Wright (Adam West), these losers-in-blue immediately ingratiated themselves to their higher-ups by stealing a sheriff's drug-sniffing dog, which leads them to the headquarters of a drug ring--and possible redemption if they can make an arrest without killing themselves in the process. Inasmuch as Stephen J. Cannell was the prime instigator of The Last Precinct, NBC had such high hopes for the property that the network scheduled its two-hour premiere on January 26, 1986, right after the Super Bowl telecast. But to no avail: Though picked up as a weekly series, The Last Precinct was mustered out after only six episodes. ~Saw Film/Marsh/Marrill/TV Guide/Internet/Expert ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- R
This amateur horror film finds Tony Washington (Jon-Mikl Thor) returning from the dead with the help of a voodoo priestess (Manuska Rogaud) after he is killed by joy-riding teenagers. He seeks revenge against the terrible teens as well as the local police captain (Adam West). This is the film debut of Tia Carrera. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam West, Jon Mikl Thor, (more)
- 1985
The unthinkable has happened: Superman is dead, the victim of Kryptonite poisoning. Injured in the mishap which felled Superman, a weakened Firestorm is captured by Darkseid, who wants the Galactic Guardian to reveal the details of the Man of Steel's demise. Meanwhile, several members of the Super Powers Team gather at the Fortress at Solitude, where they come across evidence indicating that Superman is still alive--but if this is true, why has he allowed the other Team members to fall into Darkseid's clutches? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
The evil Darkseid's latest project involves the capture and takeover of Space City, a gigantic orbiting earth colony. To this end, he replaces the satellite's kidnapped inventor Mr. Moko with a robot lookalike that even fools Moko's daughter. Meanwhile, Batman, Firestorm and Samurai must steer clear of Darkseid's minions Kalibak and DeSaad and their robot army, long enough to allow Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman to seek out and destroy the control equipment hidden in Darkseid's headquarters! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Gotham City is literally held in the grip of terror by The Scarecrow's arsenal of Fear Transmitters. Scouring Gotham in search of Scarecrow, Batman is himself paralyzed with fright when he finds himself in the middle of Crime Alley, where years earlier the parents of Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne had been murdered in cold blood. Taking advantage of the situation, Scarecrow intends to keep Batman trapped in Crime Alley forever by using Wonder Woman as bait--forcing the Caped Crusader to purge himself of his lifelong fears once and for all! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
There's a new supervillain in town, and his name is The Ace. Gathering together a gang of four hardened delinquents, the Ace decks them out in sinister playing-card costumes, and thus the Royal Flush Gang is born. In their efforts to defeat this scurrilous quintet of no-goods, Robin and Cyborg discover that the Ace is taking his orders directly from their perennial enemy Darkseid--while Robin's sidekick Batman learns to his astonishment that the Ace is not a "new" nemesis at all, but instead a very old one! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Little does Wonder Woman suspect that the man she assumes to be her mortal boyfriend Steve Trevor is actually the evil Darkseid, who has rearranged his molecular structure in order to impersonate Steve. It's all part of a master plan to steal the deadly TC7 satellite and transform everyone on earth into hideous mutants. The Galactic Guardians set out to rescue the real Steve and thwart Darkseid--a task made doubly difficult when Wonder Woman herself is kidnapped! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
