Paula Abdul Movies
Not exactly what you'd call a soul or disco diva, former Laker Girl Paula Abdul has nevertheless enjoyed some impressive commercial triumphs. As a teen, she was the major choreographer and a member of the Los Angeles Lakers' cheerleaders. She moved from that role to choreographing videos for Janet Jackson's Control album and The Tracey Ullman Show. Abdul switched to recording in 1988, with the LP Forever Your Girl. It sold more than seven million copies, topped the pop charts for ten weeks, and yielded number one singles in the title track, "Straight Up," "Cold Hearted," and "Opposites Attract." Though ripped by some critics for lacking vocal range, distinction, or edge, Abdul followed that album in 1991 with Spellbound, which also topped the charts for two weeks, and sold over three million copies. Her third album, Head Over Heels, was released in 1995.Although not active on the recording side since that album, Abdul has remained in the entertainment limelight. She scored some small acting parts in a few films in the mid-'90s (most notably Touched by Evil in 1996) and was married to actor Emilio Estevez from 1992 to 1994. But perhaps Abdul's biggest claim to fame yet has been her role as judge on the enormously popular American Idol reality series, starring alongside the acerbic Brit Simon Cowell and music-industry vet Randy Jackson on the show that draws millions of viewers each week. In mid-2007, Abdul could be seen in a reality series on Bravo called Hey Paula which followed her as she went about her daily activities. ~ Ron Wynn, All Movie Guide
Paula Abdul opens up her life to the cameras with this reality-based show that delves into the day-to-day operations of the washed up pop star turned American Idol judge. From business dealings to the daily grind of living the celebrity dream, Bravo brings viewers face-to-face with what can happen when the American dream truly does come true. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 1978
A lightweight comedy depicting the alternating romance and tragedy inherent in the eighth grade world. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
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)
Borrowing a chapter from the John Hughes school of teen comedy, this likeable caper was a box office success. Patrick Dempsey stars as Ronald Miller, a high school nerd about to enter his senior year, who longs for acceptance as one of the "cool kids." His next-door neighbor Cindy Mancini (Amanda Peterson) is a cheerleader and one of the most popular girls in school, but she doesn't even know that Ronald exists. When she ruins an expensive outfit of her mother's, Ronald offers the $1,000 needed to replace it, if she will pretend to date him for one month. Although skeptical about Ronald's plan, Cindy agrees, and her "new boyfriend" turns out to be right about what he thinks dating Cindy will do for him -- he becomes accepted by the school's snobs because of his association with one of their own. At least, for a while. Originally titled "Boy Rents Girl," Can't Buy Me Love (1987) was the first production launched by former studio executive Thom Mount after leaving his high-profile post. His company went on to produce weightier material such as Bull Durham (1988), The Indian Runner (1991), and Natural Born Killers (1994). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Amanda Peterson, (more)
Directed by former Starsky and Hutch TV star Paul Michael Glaser, this post-apocalyptic science fiction yarn satirized American entertainment, mocking pro wrestling, game shows, and law-and-order reality programming. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Ben Richards, a cop in the totalitarian America of 2019, framed for massacring rioting civilians during a famine. After escaping from jail, Richards tries to prove his innocence, but his efforts are thwarted at every turn by a regime in need of a scapegoat. Richards is captured along with an innocent civilian, Amber Mendez (Maria Conchita Alonso), and they are forced to participate in a violent game show called "The Running Man," hosted by the unctuous Damon Killian (Richard Dawson). The object of the game for Richards and Mendez: obtain freedom by staying alive against a gauntlet of skillful assassins like "Subzero" (Prof. Toru Tanaka) and "Captain Freedom" (Jesse Ventura), each armed with unique weapons like razor-sharp hockey sticks and chainsaws. With the help of some fellow "contestants," Richards is able to tap into government computers and prove his innocence. The Running Man was very loosely based on a short story by Stephen King, who wrote it under the name Richard Bachman. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso, (more)
More than anything else, 13-year old New Jerseyite Josh (David Moscow) wants to be "big". That's the wish he makes at an odd-looking amusement pier fortunetelling machine. The next morning, Josh wakes up-only to discover that he's grown to manhood overnight! (At this point, the part is taken over by Tom Hanks). Still a 13-year-old mentally and emotionally, Josh decides to hide out in New York City until he can figure out what to do next. He lucks into a job with a major toy company run by kid-at-heart McMillan (Robert Loggia). By cannily bringing a child's eye view to McMillan's business, Josh rises to the top-and in process, he falls in love with fellow employee Susan (Elizabeth Perkins). But he's still a kid, and he'd like to go back to his own world and own body. Written by Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg, Big proved a crucial success for budding director Penny Marshall, who'd work harmoniously with Hanks again on the radically different A League of Their Own. The cinematography was by Barry Sonenfeld, who went on to become a director himself with The Addams Family. That Big was heavily reliant upon the input of Tom Hanks and Penny Marshall was proven by the failed attempt to turn the property into a Broadway musical. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, (more)
Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 days to roam the U.S., sending the prince's faithful retainer Semmi (Arsenio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a "Joe job" at a fast-food restaurant. Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and there are innumerable celebrity cameos peppered throughout the proceedings -- including the Duke Brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) from Trading Places. Coming to America made further headlines when humorist Art Buchwald sued the film's producers for plagiarizing one of his works. Buchwald carried the case to trial, where he won a sizeable judgement against the film's producers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, (more)
Ex-football player Carl Weathers stars in this violent action film as Detroit policeman Jericho Jackson. The dedicated but brutal cop is plunged into nefarious doings concerning a crooked industrialist (Craig T. Nelson) and his drug-addicted girlfriend (pop-singer Vanity), breaking many people's bones before solving the case. Sharon Stone stands out in a cast of genre veterans including Nicholas Worth, Sonny Landham, and Robert Davi. Heavy on the sex and violence, this film harkens back to the glory days of 1970s blaxploitation, but is a bit too mean-spirited to be as much fun. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, (more)
- 1989
- PG
John G. Avildsen rehashes his shopworn formula for another go-round in The Karate Kid Part III. Going against the wishes of his mentor Mr. Miyagi (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita), Daniel (Ralph Macchio) will defend his karate title in an All-Valley Championship match arranged by his nemesis Kreese (Martin Kove), whose karate studio folded after his star student lost the championship to Daniel. Kreese's friend, Vietnam veteran and toxic waste dumper Terry (Thomas Ian Griffith), agrees to help his old pal regain the championship trophy. Daniel's rival Mike Barnes (Sean Kanan) is known as "the bad boy of karate" and Daniel feels he requires more training to vanquish him. But Mr. Miyagi refuses to help Daniel train for the tournament: "Karate to defend life and honor means something. To defend a plastic trophy means nothing." As a result, Daniel naively falls into the clutches of Terry, who takes him on as a karate student. But after Daniel finds himself trapped at the bottom of a cliff and Daniel's girlfriend Jessica (Robyn Lively) has her life threatened, Mr. Miyagi realizes the bad guys have gone too far and agrees to coach Daniel for the tournament. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, (more)
War Dancing tells the tale of Slammer, a small-time hood whose life changes when he is allowed to take part in a music video shoot. He begins to feel that a career in music might get him on the right track, but the video's choreographer dismisses Slammer's attempts at dancing. This gives Slammer the righteous anger he needs to improve his skills and show everybody he can besuccessful. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
Dance to Win is set in the outer fringes of Hollywood. A gang of delinquents, jealously observing the "haves", see no way out of their lot other than petty thievery. The gang is redeemed when they are organized into a dance troupe specializing in interpreting vintage rock 'n' roll themes. Charles Gomez, Daniel Quinn and Sally Stewart are among the leading players; the film's choreography was handled by no less than Paula Abdul. Filmed in 1989, Dance to Win remained on the shelf until picked up for cable exposure in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carlos Gomez, Daniel Quinn, (more)
- 1992
Aimed at young adults in order to increase their awareness of AIDS and HIV, this video combines informational and educational messages with entertainment. Each segment teaches teenagers something different about the HIV virus or AIDS, such as how anyone can contract AIDS, how and why AIDS is contracted, why everyone at risk should get tested, and that abstinence is the best defense against contracting the virus. Hosted by Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson, there is also medical advise from AIDS expert Dr. Karen Hall and plenty of celebrities who speak out on the truths of this often misunderstood disease. Magic Johnson talks about his personal experiences with the HIV virus in an in-depth interview. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
- 1995
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Singer, performer, and choreographer Paula Abdul has assembled a 45-minute high-energy dance workout tape. The video has two dance routines for viewers to follow along as Abdul walks through each one step-by-step, including the warmup. She introduces a 16-pattern routine that begins slowly, then picks up the rhythm while adding onto each step until the viewer/exerciser at home has the pattern down and is in-sync with her. Abdul is assisted by two dancers from her tour and a room filled with other people who are following along with the routine. The video is a simple watch-and-do exercise with high-energy dance and jazz music, all designed to pump your blood and burn fat. ~ Forrest Spencer, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul
Singer Paula Abdul makes her acting debut in this tense ABC TV movie. Recovering from a vicious attack by a serial rapist, businesswoman Ellen Collier (Paula Abdul) finds comfort and security in her relationship with her loving and supporting new boyfriend, car salesman Jerry Braskin (Adrian Pasdar). But as Ellen slowly comes out of her self-imposed shell, events conspire to persuade her that Jerry is harboring an unsavory secret. By the time Ellen has been confronted with rock-solid evidence that Jerry is the very man who sexually assaulted her, it may be too late to save herself. Based on a true story, Touched by Evil was originally telecast on January 12, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul, Adrian Pasdar, (more)
The Waiting Game represents one of Canadian production house Alliance Atlantis' 1998 entries in the Harlequin series of telemovies. This romantic thriller stars the Grammy award-winning pop diva Paula Abdul as Amy and Chandra West as Sarah -- two best friends with common interests who move together to a small New England town to set up and run an art show. Sarah is engaged to be married to her dream guy, and Amy professes no interest in dating anyone, but the pair start to reconsider when they encounter a couple of alluring strangers at different times -- two men with a shadowy connection to one another, each of whom warns the women against the other. The men, as it turns out, are knee-deep in espionage, and involved with the CIA and the international drug trade -- and will carry Amy and Sarah into an exotic, enticing adventure. The Waiting Game co-stars Art Hindle and Jonathan Crombie. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chandra West, Paula Abdul, (more)
Paula Abdul is known for her funky dance moves that took her all the way from her debut as a Laker Girl to a pop singing sensation with some of the most innovative dance videos on MTV at the time. Paula Abdul: Cardio Dance is an exercise tape designed for fun and burning calories while learning some of Abdul's favorite funky dance steps. This is a fast-paced cardio workout that is taught by Paula slowly and clearly. She is quite adept at demonstrating dance steps in a manner that is easy for beginners to learn.
~ Laura Mahnken, All Movie Guide
~ Laura Mahnken, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paula Abdul
- 2000
This made-for-cable documentary traces the intimate relationship between professional athletics and sexuality over the past century. From the use of sex appeal in the marketing of sports to the private lives of athletes both straight (legendary womanizer Wilt Chamberlain) and gay (Billie Jean King, whose career was derailed by a lesbian palimony suit), the film looks at sexuality as both a commercial aspect of sports in general and a personal issue for the athletes themselves. Former Laker Girl and pop star Paula Abdul discusses the ascension of cheerleading to a national passion after the advent of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, while tennis legend Martina Navratilova gives a feminist perspective on the success of young sexpot Anna Kournikova. Archival footage and new interviews with everyone from boxer Sugar Ray Leonard to Sports magazine editor Dick Schaap are interspersed with commentary and actor Liev Schreiber's narration. Playing the Field: Sports and Sex in America premiered December 20, 2000, on HBO as part of the network's "Sports of the 20th Century" series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Following the precedent established by the popular network game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, the Fox talent contest American Idol: The Search for a Superstar was afforded multiple weekly showings, telecast on both Tuesday and Wednesdays throughout it first season--and sweeping the ratings on both nights! Ryan Seacrest of course serves as host, sharing these duties during Season One with Brian Dunkelman. But as everyone knows, the real stars of the proceedings can be found on the three-person panel of judges: singer Paul Abdul, music producer Randy Jackson, and "Mr. Nasty" himself, the wickedly sardonic and brutally honest record executive Simon Cowell. The format is set up with admirable rapidity: dozens upon dozens of aspiring young pop singers, age 16 to 24, are audtioned throughout the nation in the opening episodes, with the best 30 aspirants remaining as "regulars" for the next three weeks; ultimately 10 semifinalists remain standing to strut their stuff for the balance of the season, as the viewers vote for their favorites via toll-free calls. The "judging" portion of takes place on the Tuesday telecast, with Wednesday given over to highlights and interviews and chats with the finalists--one of whom is eliminated at the end of each episode. And it isn't only their talent (or lack of same) that brings about the eliminations, as proven in the July 2002 episode wherein one of the semi-finalists is disqualified because he lied about his age (instead of 23, he was an old geezer of 29!) This, in fact, obliged the judges to bring forth a "wildcard" contestant from those who hadn't been selected by the viewers to bring to number up to ten again. From this point on, the contestants are judged according to their skills at interpreting different musical styles, ranging from Motown to middle-of-the-road. All of this is but prelude to the now-legendary Season One finale, originally telecast on September 4, 2002, in which the decision boils down to the two surviving semifinalists: Justin Guarini and Kelly Clarkson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Brian Dunkleman, (more)
- 2002
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The Fox talent search American Idol became the highest-rated new series of the year during the summer of 2002. Based on Britain's Pop Idol TV series, the program promised a recording contract for the one winner out of 10,000 contestants under the age of 24. Although the audience called in and voted for the final winner, the judges eliminated performers in each episode. While the talent of the young singers was often questionable, some of the show's entertainment value concerned judge and co-creator Simon Cowell assaulting the contestants with insults, while also engaging in fights with the other judges, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Brian Dunkleman, (more)
- 2003
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Paula Abdul guest stars in this Sesame Street special, which revolves around Zoe's first dance lesson. After a taste of traditional ballet, Zoe learns about African and Asian forms of dance, and realizes that it's OK to make up unique dances of her very own. Beloved Sesame Street regular Elmo also makes an appearance for the program's grand finale -- a kid-friendly hip-hop dance party. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Having made an overnight star of aspiring pop singer [$Kelly Clarkson at the end of American Idol's first season, the producers return to perform the same magic on another unlucky unknown as the twice-weekly Fox talent show launches Season Two. And it's going to take quite a bit of doing to select the best of the best: Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of American Idol's maidedn season, no fewer than 50,000 hopefuls have shown up for the audition held all over the country. Ryan Seacrest is back as host, this time flying solo with the departure of cohost Brian Dunkelman. And of course, the contestants are still at the mercy of the three-person panel of judges: Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and the redoubtable Simon Cowell. New to the proceedings is Kristin Holt, a first-season contestant and former member of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, now on hand as a "special correspondent" to offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of this season's aspirants. Other changes include the mode of selection for the final "wildcard" contestants, with each of the three judges choosing his or her favorite, with a fourth hopeful chosen via public call-ins. This means that during the season's final stretch there will be 12 rather than 10 finalists, with one contestant eliminated per week for the next twelve weeks, and with a different "celebrity" judge participating on each show. Also, for the first time Fox will offer a special "best of the worst" episode with highlights (or lowlights) from the most execrable and ear-shattering auditions. Along the way, there'll be a bit of controversy when semifinalist Corey Clark is removed from the running, not because of his singing but due to his off-screen misbehavior (it turns out that he'd once assaulted his own sister). Unfortunately, it will not be the last we'll hear from the contentious Mr. Clark. And in a slightly more amusing development (most of which was edited from the show), curmudgeonly Simon Cowell is senn preparing to lower the boom on a brace of "brothers" auditioning in Austin, Texas, when it is suddenly revealed that these two supposed no-talents are actually British comedians Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, the original hosts of American Idol's British prototype Pop Idol, who are playing a practical joke on Mr. Cowell. The season ends in virtually a dead heat, with contestants Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken tying for the million-dollar grand prize--a tie ultimately broken by a margin of a mere 130,000 of the 24 million votes cast by the viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Seacrest, Kristin Holt, (more)
