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- 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)
Actor Steven Antin wrote the screenplay, and U.S.C. film professor Jefery Levy directed this self-absorbed trifle about a self-absorbed screenwriter and his nutty family and friends. Antin plays Monkey Zetterland, an innocuous young man who is trying to work on his screenplay -- something having to do with the defunct Los Angeles streetcar system -- while a collection of relatives, friends, and neighbors continually interrupt him. His family is a collection of personified neurosis: there is Honor (Katherine Helmond) a soap-opera actress with hemorrhoids who is afraid of being fired; Grace (Patricia Arquette), his lesbian sister who is crestfallen to find that her lover Cindy (Sofia Coppola) is pregnant; brother Brent (Tate Donovan), an anal hairdresser with his elbow constantly bent over a cell phone; and Mike (Bo Hopkins), his Dad, who shows up for Thanksgiving dinner with his pet parrot. But his neighbors are no better: Imogene (Sandra Bernhard) screams to him, "I love you, Monkey Zetterland!"; Daphne (Debi Mazar) complains that Monkey doesn't spend enough time with her; Sofie (Martha Plimpton) and Sasha (Rupert Everett) are a pair of terrorists devoted to blowing up insurance companies that deny insurance policies to HIV-positive patients; and Bella (Ricki Lake), a crazed fan of Monkey's mom. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Antin, Patricia Arquette, (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
- 1992
In this conclusion of a two-part episode, Roseanne tries to make Dan feel better about losing the bike shop. The newly wed Becky and Mark (Glenn Quinn) stop by to say goodbye to Roseanne and Dan before they leave for Minneapolis. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Nancy (Sandra Bernhard) tells Roseanne and Jackie that she is gay. (Morgan Fairchild) guest stars as Nancy's lover Marla. Meanwhile, Bev (Estelle Parsons) moves into a retirement home, making Roseanne feel old. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Roseanne stays home while everyone else goes out to a Halloween party. She gets visited by the ghosts of Halloween Past (Lee Arenberg), Halloween Present (Mario Roccuzzo), and Halloween Future (Garry Bullock). Laurie Metcalf's daughter Zoe Perry plays Jackie as a little girl. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Roseanne and Jackie can't seem to get a loan to start the restaurant, so they reluctantly ask their mother, Bev (Estelle Parsons), who wants to be a partner. Meanwhile, Darlene finds out that D.J. has been spying on their new next-door neighbor, Molly (Danielle Harris). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Roseanne hosts a surprise party for Darlene's 16th birthday. Darlene is disgusted and dyes her hair jet black, then Roseanne lets her leave while the adults enjoy the party. Meanwhile, the Tildens move in next door to the Conners and Roseanne contemplates joining in on a business opportunity with Jackie. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
On Christmas Eve, a snowstorm separates the Conner family at different places. Roseanne and Jackie are stranded at the Lunch Box with Bev (Estelle Parsons) and Nana Mary (Shelley Winters). Meanwhile, Darlene learns about David's (Johnny Galecki) terrible home life. Sally Kirkland guest stars as David's mom, Barbara Healy. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
D.J. joins the Junior Hockey League team. Meanwhile, Roseanne butts in to fix things between Jackie and Fisher (Matt Roth). In the original broadcast version of this episode, the closing segment featured the Conners watching the premiere of The Jackie Thomas Show (starring Tom Arnold). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Roseanne finally opens her restaurant, the Lanford Lunch Box. After getting threatened by one of her first customers, Roseanne is prompted to take a self defense class with Jackie and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard). Meanwhile, Arnie (Tom Arnold) returns to Lanford to try and get back together with Nancy. Its up to Roseanne to tell him that Nancy is gay. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Michael Lehmann directed this post-modernist hash of To Catch a Thief and The Naked Gun starring Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk, a cat burglar who wants to go straight, but the circumstances won't allow it. The story begins in a pre-credit sequence that takes place in the renaissance. Leonardo Da Vinci (Stefano Molinari) is rushing through his Mona Lisa painting to work on his latest invention -- a machine to turn lead into bronze. But Da Vinci makes a mistake and, instead of bronze, the machine turns the lead into gold. Realizing the danger of his invention if the contraption gets into the wrong hands, he hides three parts of the apparatus inside three of his other works. Four hundred years later, Hudson Hawk, the world's greatest cat burglar, is being released from jail after pulling a ten-year stretch. He wants to retire from the profession of cat burglary and drink some cappuccino, but two screwball billionaires -- Darwin and Minerva Mayflower (Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard) -- won't let him. Their nefarious plot is to steal the three Da Vinci works, restore Da Vinci's gold-making machine, and destroy the world's monetary system. They blackmail Hawks into working with them to steal the Da Vincis by threatening the life of Hawks's pal Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello). Along with the power-mad billionaires, Hawks has to deal with the CIA, in the person of George Kaplan (James Coburn), breathing down his neck. He also has Vatican art restorer Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell) falling for his smirk. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Danny Aiello, (more)
- 1991
Dan and Roseanne go to a nightclub and a wedding chapel in Las Vegas with the newly married Arnie (Tom Arnold) and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard). Wayne Newton guest stars as himself. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Dan and Roseanne go to Las Vegas to stand up for the wedding of Arnie (Tom Arnold) and Nancy (Sandra Bernhard in her first appearance on Roseanne). Part one of a two-part episode. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Truth or Dare is an outrageous, insightful, carefully controlled and (to non-fans) overlong documentary of singer Madonna's 1990 Blonde Ambition tour. Though much of the film is a paean to self-love and self-aggrandizement, we are permitted to see Madonna at her worst as well as her best. Just when the audience is on the verge of giving up the flamboyant vocalist as a bad job, she displays a sudden attack of sensitivity, such as her protective attitude towards a timid homosexual in her troupe. Among the many celebrities who poke their heads into the proceedings are Warren Beatty, Sandra Bernhard, and Kevin Costner, who makes the fatal error of coming backstage to tell Madonna that he thinks she's "neat." If you've had your fill of the Material Girl, take a look at the parody documentary starring MTV's Julie Brown, Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madonna, Warren Beatty, (more)
In this stylized adaptation of her 1988 off-Broadway show, singer/actress/comedian Sandra Bernhard explores celebrity, stereotypes, and her own childhood in a series of monologues and musical numbers. Although much of the material comes straight from the original stage show, Bernhard and co-writer John Boskovich updated many of her pop-cultural musings and added several new production numbers. They also turned a one-woman show into something of a mockumentary, staging interviews with Bernhard's fictional manager (Lu Leonard) and adding several additional characters. Most of the action is staged in a theater full of well-heeled African American patrons who slowly leave in disgust at Bernhard's performance, which includes her deadpan fantasies about an imagined gentile childhood, a dalliance with Warren Beatty, and a trip to Studio 54. Originally given a limited release by New Line Cinema in 1990, Without You I'm Nothing was quickly pulled from theaters when the company that produced it went bankrupt. Eventually, however, it made its was to home video and DVD. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sandra Bernhard, Steve Antin, (more)
