Sandra Bernhard Movies
It might be stretching things to suggest that American comedienne Sandra Bernhard's off-kilter spin on life was caused by her family's moving from the cozy confines of Michigan to the rough-and-tumble expanses of Arizona. One gets the feeling that Bernhard would have been on the outside looking in wherever she went. Utilizing her outsized lips and jutting chin for comic effect, Bernhard became a standup comedian at age 19, and two years later got her first big break as a regular on the short-lived Richard Pryor Show (where the press release misspelled her name as Bernhart). Her act, which like all good comedy acts was better seen than described, consisted of cutting-edge commentary about sexual stereotyping and survival; one felt compelled to laugh lest Bernhard bolt from the stage and physically assault the audience. This dangerous quality carried over into her star-making film role in King of Comedy, as a psychotic fan of talk show host Jerry Lewis. While Bernhard's funkiness worked in this film's favor, it was detrimental to her villainous turn in the 1990 fiasco Hudson Hawk, though she was no worse than any other element of this notorious bomb. A tireless creator of comedy, Bernhard has scored with her 1985 best-selling record album I'm Your Woman, her 1988 solo off-Broadway show Without You I'm Nothing (made into a film in 1990), and her autobiography Confessions of a Pretty Lady. While she spent much of her early career skirting around the subject of her own sexual preferences, in recent years Bernhard has "outed" herself, which has added an extra layer of public fascination to her onetime close friendship with Madonna, as well as her recurring appearances on the TV sitcom Roseanne. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A frustrated New York actor whose sick of being typecast due to his Italian-American heritage sets out to seek help from the one actor who could provide his big break in a satirical showbiz comedy starring William DeMeo, Carmen Electra, Sandra Bernhard, and Tyson Beckford. Johnny Argano is Brooklyn born and bred. Though he's confident that he has the skills to make a name for himself on the big screen, he resents the fact that casting directors only seem to select him for stereotypical roles. In Johnny's eyes, the only way to break the vicious cycle of typecasting is to get the attention of his screen idol Robert De Niro, and in order to make that happen Johnny will have to pen a screenplay that truly stands apart from the pack. With his career on the line and nothing left to lose, the frustrated actor gathers together a dedicated team of die-hard filmmakers to raise the money they need to get their film made, and convince the star of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull to accept a starring role in the movie that will make them all famous. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Larry Weinstein's Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen is about the final years of the great songwriter. As a heavily medicated, elderly Arlen (Paul Soles) goes about his days with his nurse, he remembers his life's accomplishments and imagines performances of some of his most well known songs. Among the singers who appear performing in the film are Rufus Wainwright, Jimmy Scott, and Sandra Bernhard. This film was screened at the Victoria Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Soles, Kim Bubbs, (more)
- 2000
- Add Sandra Bernhard: I'm Still Here...Damn It! to QueueAdd Sandra Bernhard: I'm Still Here...Damn It! to top of Queue
Actress/comedian Sandra Bernhard is known to millions as a frequent guest star on TV series such as Roseanne and Ally McBeal, but I'm Still Here Dammit! provides a document of her most enduring work: her one-woman shows. Although the piece originally ran on Broadway and was the basis of a comedy CD, the version here was recorded live at the San Francisco club Slim's for an HBO broadcast and bolstered by an additional 30 minutes of footage on video. Clad in a diaphanous peach frock that reveals both her underwear and her very visibly pregnant belly, Bernhard practices her wit on topics such as cell phones and the Internet, faux spirituality, the Lilith Fair, America's obsession with anti-bacterial products, her Latino house-painter and her lone, unpleasant experience taking hashish at an Amsterdam bar. Although the show features fewer songs than her previous outings, Bernhard is backed by longtime collaborator Mitch Kaplan on such tunes as "On the Runway," a mock-tribute to slain fashion designer Gianni Versace, which Berhnard imagines as a collaboration between Sting, Elton John, and Naomi Campbell, with proceeds to benefit "fashion victims everywhere." Other celebrity monologues chart Fleetwood Mac singer Christine McVie's fantastical transformation into a greasy-spoon waitress and Bernhard's possibly imaginary friendship with grunge diva-turned-actress Courtney Love. I'm Still Here Dammit was directed by Pee-Wee Herman Show vet Marty Callner. Award-winning Hollywood cinematographer Haskell Wexler also participated. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bernhard, Denise Fraser, (more)
- 1998
Aris Iliopulos directed this campy comedy utilizing schlock filmmaker Ed Wood's last unproduced screenplay. Stock footage and old hygiene films are intercut with this near-silent story following a cross-dresser (Billy Zane), who escapes from the Casa de la Loco Sanitarium, manages to acquire some money, and then loses it at a funeral attended by eccentric mourners. He then seeks them out, killing them one by one. Some script instructions appear as titles. Bud Cort makes an uncredited appearance, and Wood aficionados can spot Kathy Wood (the filmmaker's daughter) in a walk-on, while Maila Nurmi re-creates her famed Vampira characterization. Larry Groupe's punk score alternates with standards by Nat "King" Cole and others. Shown at the Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Sandra Bernhard, (more)
- 1997
In the two-part series conclusion episode, Darlene and David (Johnny Galecki) bring home their daughter, Harris Conner Healey, from the hospital. Bev (Estelle Parsons), Leon (Martin Mull), Scott (Fred Willard), and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) come over to celebrate and order pizza. Leon and Scott announce that they've adopted a baby, and Becky reveals she's pregnant. Finally, Roseanne concludes the episode with a monologue explaining how much of the series comes from her real life, and that the ninth season was a fictionalized fantasy for the character of Roseanne. Supposedly, Dan Conner died when he had a heart attack at Darlene and David's wedding at the end of season eight. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Roseanne is depressed about Dan's affair. After she stays in bed for days eating junk food, her friends and family members try different ways to get her to snap out of it. Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) tries to lure her out of bed with crystals and New Age methods. Eventually, Roseanne comes out on her own with a decision about the diner. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
First, a little background: in 1955, the Director's Guild of America created the pseudonym Alan Smithee, which film directors are allowed to use if they feel their work has been tampered with to such a degree that they no longer want the credit. (For example, if you look at the credits of the expanded and heavily narrated TV version of Dune, you'll notice the director is not listed as David Lynch, but as Alan Smithee.) An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn is a comedy about a film editor (played by Eric Idle) who finally gets his big break -- he's given the opportunity to direct a big-budget action film starring Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, and Jackie Chan. But filming does not go well (the budget eventually balloons to 200 million dollars) and the producer, James Edmunds (Ryan O'Neal), tampers with the final cut of the film. As a result, the hapless neophyte director doesn't want his name to appear on the credits. But his real name is Alan Smithee, so what's he supposed to do? In a stunning example of art imitating life, director Arthur Hiller was supposedly unhappy with the interference of screenwriter and producer Joe Eszterhas on this project and chose to remove his name from the credits -- so An Alan Smithee Film carries the directorial credit of none other than Alan Smithee. Rappers Coolio and Chuck D appear as the filmmaking Brothers Brothers; Chuck D also contributed to the film's score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan O'Neal, Coolio, (more)
- 1997
Billy's revelation unsettles Ally. Meanwhile, Elaine hires an attorney (Sandra Bernhard) in a sex-discrimination suit; and Ally and Georgia turn tough in a divorce case. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Calista Flockhart, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
- 1997
Ally tries to shake off her prudish image; and the firm is sued again---this time by the object of Elaine's lawsuit. ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Calista Flockhart, Courtney Thorne-Smith, (more)
- 1995
A fairly faithful remake of Disney's earlier feature of the same name, this version first aired on television. Gaby Hoffman stars as Annabelle, a girl who thinks her mother has an easy life. Her mother Ellen (Shelley Long) thinks Annabelle's life is the better of the two, and after an argument one Friday morning, the two magically switch personalities. After much mayhem and confusion, the two learn that the grass is not really greener on the other side of the fence. Actress-turned-director Melanie Mayron directed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Gaby Hoffmann, (more)
- 1995
When Larry (Garry Shandling) takes two weeks off from the show to recover from plastic surgery, Sandra Bernhard fills in as guest host for The Larry Sanders Show. Despite Bernhard and her manager Ellen's (Lois Foraker) suggestions to Artie (Rip Torn) as to how the show might be improved, the reluctant producer politely declines. Angered at having their ideas rejected by Artie, the fill-in host and her wrangler leak a story to the press concerning Bernhard replacing Larry, prompting the angered host to cut his leave short and return to the show in hopes of clearing the air. Despite his initial enthusiasm at being back on the soundstage, Larry's parade is dampened when the network brass express interest in replacing the high-salaried host and retaining their high ratings on the cheap. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
The job of a television producer can be highly stressfull and greatly under-appreciated, as Artie (Rip Torn) finds out when little things around the office begin to add up. After Artie's close friend Ryan O'Neal is bumped from an appearance on the show, Hank's (Jeffrey Tambor) incessant complaining and Larry's (Garry Shandling) indifference begin to grate on the already high-strung Artie. After he befriends Russian janitor Nikolae (Elya Baskin) while burning the midnight oil, the newfound friends leave obscene messages on Larry's machine to blow off some steam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
An American woman turns an Australian home upside down in this Australian picture. Dallas Adair came to Australia from L.A. as a golf course consultant. En route she meets Charlie Sommers, the son of one of her sponsors, Stephen Sommers. After their plane almost crashes, the two become friends. Dallas is invited to stay at the Sommers' home. There she meets the rest of the family Rosalind, frustrated wife of Stephen and Rastus, an intelligent teenager with a passionate belief in UFO's. Dallas immediately begins seducing every member in the family except Rastus, who despises Dallas. The sex scenes are more implied than explicit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bernhard, Victoria Longley, (more)
- 1994
One of the more memorable episodes, the episode "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is the one where Roseanne goes out to a gay bar and gets kissed by Mariel Hemingway. Meanwhile, Becky meets up with old boyfriend Dean (David Allan Donah). Also features guest appearances by standup comedian Laura Kightlinger and PBS host Joanne Liebler. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Comedienne Sandra Bernhard is profiled in this British documentary. Much of the film is taken from a nightclub routine she performed in New York in 1992. The performer's lines are then used to lead into her personal history. Bernhard and her mother are both interviewed, but they don't reveal a lot of secrets. Included are family pictures and pictures from her Playboy layout. Her work is discussed by people such as Camille Paglia and Martin Scorsese. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bernhard, Martin Scorsese, (more)
- 1993
Joan Collins guest stars as Ronnie, Roseanne's wealthy long-lost cousin. Though she hasn't seen Roseanne for over 20 years, Ronnie tries to renew their friendship and encourages Darlene to get out of Lanford, which only sparks the old feud between them. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Roseanne and Dan get stuck in another financial mess when their business partner Roger (Tim Curry) takes off and they are left with a fixed-up house that they can't sell. Fortunately, Jackie steps up to buy the house. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Dan accidentally knocks out one of Roseanne's teeth. Unfortunately, it's on the day she has to meet with the health inspector, who ends up being her old boss from Rodbell's diner, Leon (Martin Mull). Meanwhile, Darlene and David (Johnny Galecki) eagerly await their response letters from the art school in Chicago, only to find out that Darlene gets accepted and David doesn't. Bob Odenkirk guest stars. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1993
It's prom night for Darlene and David (Johnny Galecki). She surprises him by renting a motel room. Meanwhile, Dan tells Roseanne about his new business idea with Roger (Tim Curry). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1993
This being a Halloween episode, everyone must pull pranks on each other. Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) thinks Dan doesn't like her, which sets up a prank brought on by Roseanne and Dan. Meanwhile, Darlene and David (Johnny Galecki) team up to pull one over on Roseanne. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Leon (Martin Mull) thinks Jackie and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) should open the restaurant for breakfast. Roseanne thinks he is trying to kick her out of the business. Meanwhile, D.J. steals the car, causing Roseanne to lash out in anger and fear that she is turning out like her parents. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Dan and Arnie's (Tom Arnold) bowling team is in last place. Meanwhile, Jackie and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) develop a friendship that excludes Roseanne. First appearance of Mark's (Glenn Quinn) brother, played by Johnny Galecki. Originally named Kevin Healy, his character name was permanently changed to David for the rest of the series. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this finale episode of the fourth season of Roseanne, the Conners once again are faced with a grim financial situation. Roseanne loses her job when Rodbell's diner goes out of business and Dan is out of work when he is forced to close his bike shop, Lanford Custom Cycle. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
