Michael Winslow Movies
"Human sound-effects machine" Michael Winslow first achieved prominence on the standup comedy circuit in the early '80s. The African-American Winslow went on to a few TV guest spots, including an impressive "straight" role as an emotionally disturbed student on The White Shadow. His greatest fame lay not in dramatics, however, but in his awesome ability to create remarkably convincing sound effects -- police sirens, helicopters, machine gun fire, to name a few -- using nothing more than his voice. This singular skill was one of the few saving graces of the many Police Academy movie raunchfests of the 1980s, wherein Michael Winslow was cast as Sgt. Lavel Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Don't expose him to bright light. Don't ever get him wet. And don't ever, ever feed him after midnight." This sage advice is ignored midway through Gremlins, with devastating results. This comic Joe Dante effort is set in a Norman Rockwell-esque small town at Christmastime. Seeking a unique gift for his son an erstwhile inventor (Hoyt Axton) purchases a cute, fuzzy little "Mogwai" from a Chinatown shopkeeper's (Keye Luke) grandson (John Louie), who dispenses the above-mentioned warning before closing the deal. Meanwhile, young bank clerk Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) must suffer such antagonists as rich-bitch Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) and priggish Gerald (Judge Reinhold) while pursuing his romance with Kate (Phoebe Cates). These and a variety of other plot strands are tied together when the lovable mogwai (named Gizmo) is exposed to bright light and gotten wet. In short order, the town is invaded by nasty, predatory Gremlins, who lay waste to everything in sight as Billy and Kate try to contain the destruction. Like most of Joe Dante's works, Gremlins is chock-full of significant cameo appearances: in this instance, such pop-culture icons as Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Chuck Jones, Scott Brady, Harry Carey Jr., Steven Spielberg (the film's executive producer) and even Robby the Robot all show up briefly on screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Hoyt Axton, (more)
- 1982
- PG
Students at a college with obviously low graduation requirements spend their time and energy playing a game that involves mock assassinations with rubber-tipped darts fired from plastic guns. If you are shot, you are assassinated and out of the game and whoever remains alone at the end wins. When Gersh (Bruce Abbott), the odds-on favorite is about to do one of his opponents in, the hapless victim drops his dart gun, it misfires, and bonks a dart at Gersh - who is pushed over the edge, pulls out a real gun and kills his unfortunate opponent. Gersh drags the body to his room and stuffs it in his closet. Having killed once, the blood-thirsty student goes on a rampage, killing as many of these players as he can and stuffing them all in his closet. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Linda Hamilton, (more)
- 1981
- R
- Add Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams to QueueAdd Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams to top of Queue
Here, the dope-smoking duo are working on an ice-cream truck, and their specially treated confections are more than just a hit for the kids. Nice Dreams is the third in the series. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, (more)
- 1980
- PG
Ever wonder what happens to your car when you give it to a parking lot attendant? Find out in this zany slapstick comedy set in an exclusive Beverly Hills Hotel. There the attendants gleefully smash and bash the expensive cars of patrons while trying to get them parked. The story really perks up when an enamored and fabulously wealthy sheik joins the attendants in hopes of attracting a certain beautiful woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In an unfunny, scattered sequel to their successful Up in Smoke, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong reprise their roles as carefree men who do inhale. But this time around Cheech is out of a job and trying to dodge his bilious neighbor while chasing the lovely Donna (Evelyn Guerrero) with anything but honorable intentions. Meanwhile, Cheech's cousin Red (also Cheech Marin) and Chong go tooling around Hollywood in a luxury sports car looking for adventure. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong, (more)
- 1980
Singing her way through life as life sings back at her, little orphaned Heidi (voice by Margery Gray) is bounced around from her aunt's house, to her grouchy grandfather's place, to a wealthy family in the big city, and never do the vocals subside nor does her spirit droop to anything lower than high "C," probably a fitting classification for this animated film from the Hanna-Barbera studio. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorne Greene, Sammy Davis, Jr., (more)
