Richard Brestoff Movies
- 2000
A remake of the popular 1960s TV series of the same name (which had previously spawned a smash-hit 1993 theatrical feature), CBS' The Fugitive stakes out the old familiar ground. This time out, former Wings star Timothy Daly is cast as Dr. Richard Kimble, who was falsely accused of murdering his wife. Despite his protestations that he'd seen a "one-armed man" fleeing the murder scene, and apparently lacking the financial wherewithal to hire a lawyer like Alan Dershowitz or Johnny Cochran, Kimble was found guilty and sentenced to the electric chair. En route to prison, Kimble managed to escape during a train wreck, and he spends the rest of the series traveling from town to town, adopting a variety of aliases and professions, and helping those whose lives he touches. All the while, Kimble pursues the elusive One-Armed Man (Stephen Lang), even as he himself is being pursued by dogged, single-minded Police Lieutenant Gerard (played by Mykelti Williamson, best known as Bubba Blue in the 1994 Oscar-winner Forrest Gump). Infinitely more expensive and special-effects-laden than its TV predecessor, this "retro" series makes up in energy and high-tech visuals what it lacks in originality. The Fugitive revival began (literally) running on October 6, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Mykelti Williamson, (more)
- 1991
- R
Football hero Boomer Hayes (Ken Wahl) finds he is in the middle of a looting scheme in this non-stop actioner. Billionaire and owner of LA's pro football team, Bat Masterson (Robert Davi), has arranged a fake toxic chemical spill to provide an opportune situation for his group of ex-cops to plunder an evacuated community in Beverly Hills. Surprised by the state of things when he comes out of the bathroom, Boomer soon grasps the opponent's play and takes it upon his able-bodied self to tackle the situation. Luckily, he not only has the support of his girlfriend, Laura (Harley Jane Kozak), but ex-cop and bad-turned-to-good guy Ed (Matt Frewer) also decides to play on the home-team. With a plethora of explosions and stunts, it shows how the heroes semi-effectively defend their lush neighborhood. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Wahl, Harley Jane Kozak, (more)
Joan Micklin Silver's farce stars Patrick Dempsey as a pizza delivery boy who begins satisfying the romantic needs of a group of bored Beverly Hills housewives. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Kate Jackson, (more)
Most of the cast members present in Tour of Duty's second season, both male and female, have re-upped for season three. In charge of U.S. Army Company B stationed at Tan Son Nhut air base in the Vietnam of 1967-1968 are Lt. Myron Goldman (Stephen Caffrey) and Sgt. Zeke Anderson (Terence Knox). Also back for another hitch are platoon members Percell (Tony Becker), Ruiz (Ramon Franco), and Taylor (Miguel A. Nunez); chopper-pilot Lt. McCay (Dan Gauthier); army psychologist Jennifer Seymour (Betsy Brantley); and sexy female wire-service reporter Alex Devlin (Kim Delaney). New faces include company commander Col. Brewster (Carl Weathers), and the outspokenly antiwar medic "Doc Hock" (John Dye), and battle-weary vet "Pop" Scarlet (Lee Majors). Whereas morale had been reasonably high during the series' first two seasons, things are beginning to break down as Company B enters its third year in 'Nam. Things are particularly dismal for Cpl. Percell, who becomes addicted to morphine. Even when the troopers are demobilized and sent home, they find it difficult, if not impossible, to adjust to the civilian world. In other words, this final season of Tour of Duty is a fairly accurate representation of what was really going on in both Vietnam and America in the late '60s. ~ All Movie Guide
In 1982, Crippen High School was the scene of a gruesome series of dismemberment murders, but the killer was never identified. Five years later, Cosmic Pictures arrives at the long-abandoned campus to make a low-budget horror movie based on the tragedy, and suddenly the terror begins anew. The police department arrives at the school to find the building and grounds covered in gore and human body parts, the remains of the unfortunate film crew. The only survivor of this new massacre is the screenwriter, Arthur (Richard Brestoff), who tries to explain the horrifying events to the authorities. The troubled production's leading lady is angered over the demeaning nature of her role, the producer and director argue over the film's lack of artistic merits, and when cast members start disappearing, everyone else assumes that they're just quitting out of disgust. Who is the culprit? Is it the school's principal, appearing as himself in the film for the sake of realism? The janitor, who hopes to parlay his cameo into a pornography career? Or maybe Steven (Brendan Hughes), who was a student at Crippen during the original murder spree and finds himself reluctantly cast as the hero? This self-referential slasher parody features George Clooney in a small part as the film's first victim, and The Brady Bunch's Maureen McCormick as a policewoman with a lust for blood and hot dogs. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Lethin, Brendan Hughes, (more)
A CIA agent recruits a meek family man for a secret mission involving interstellar communication and copious violence in this tongue-in-cheek buddy flick from the writer/producer of The Golden Child. Insurance salesman Bob Wilson (John Ritter) is the kind of guy who stands by while suburban punks steal his kid's bike. Nick Pirandello (James Belushi) is the exact opposite -- a brash, womanizing alpha male revered within the CIA for his many successful secret missions. When a fellow agent who looks exactly like Bob gets killed just days before he's due to head up a very delicate mission, Nick recruits the reluctant Bob to help out. As Bob gets drawn deeper into a world of Russian hit men, transsexual beauties, and secret-agent hijinks, he slowly gains the self-confidence that's always escaped him. Meanwhile, he's constantly at the mercy of Nick's tongue-in-cheek humor, so he's a little skeptical when Nick reveals that the big meeting is with a group of aliens who want to share their advanced technology with humans. As it turns out, there may be something to Nick's outrageous story -- if only Bob can survive long enough to find out. The lone directorial credit for screenwriter/producer Dennis Feldman, Real Men features Barney Miller vet Barbara Barrie in a supporting role as Nick's placid, accommodating mother. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Belushi, John Ritter, (more)
- 1987
Mac (Charlie Robinson) finds himself on the horns of an ethical dilemma when his old Vietnam buddy Hondo (David Graf) is hauled into court after a nightclub brawl. Facing a long prison term, Hondo begs Mac to hack the court computer and delete his prior criminal record. Meanwhile, an elderly Japanese gentleman (Keye Luke) who is slated to receive an honor from the governor drops dead in court after a seven-hour passion marathon with three hookers--and to make matters worse, his body has been placed in a runaway motorized wheelchair! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Harry's courtroom becomes Ground Zero for several Cold War crises between the US and the former Soviet Union. It all begins when Harry (Harry Anderson) launches a search for the brother of Russian émigré Yakov (Yakov Smirnoff), a circus performer who has decided to defect. Before long, Night Court is swarming with clowns and jugglers, KGB and CIA agents, and even a pair of contentious arms negotiators! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- PG
This comedy fuses Three Stooges clips with a storyline about a "Stooge Maniac" who is so obsessed with the comedians his sanity comes into question. Josh Mostel plays Stooge devotee Howard F. Howard, and Melanie Chartoff is Beverly, the woman of his dreams. Howard's condition is analyzed by Dr. Fixyer Minder (Sid Caesar) and for awhile the Stooge fanatic spends some time in a mental institution. Will this damage his love affair with Beverly? And will he know it if it does? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Mostel, Melanie Chartoff, (more)
Steve Martin and Carl Reiner concoct one of Martin's best comic vehicles with Martin playing the world's top brain surgeon, Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr -- he ought to know, he said so himself. Hfuhruhurr pioneered the radical new cranial screw-top technique, but he grieves over the untimely death of his wife Rebecca, carrying around a small plastic likeness of her to get through the long and lonely evenings. Thinking of her while driving home, Hfuhruhurr takes his eyes off the road and runs down the beautiful but deadly Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner). Hfuhruhurr performs surgery which saves her life, but as she recovers, Hfuhruhurr doesn't realize Dolores is a gold-digging vixen who has driven her latest husband (George Furth) to death by apoplexy. She is now looking for a new victim and Hfuhruhurr fits the bill. They marry, but Dolores denies her husband sexual favors, which frustrates Hfuhruhurr to distraction. He takes Dolores on a belated honeymoon to Austria, where he meets fellow brain surgeon Dr. Necessiter (David Warner), who keeps a wide assortment of brains in his laboratory. Dolores takes the opportunity to have an extramarital affair, and when Hfuhruhurr finds out he dumps her. But in Necessiter's laboratory, Hfuhruhurr becomes attracted to Brain #21, Ann Uumellmahaye (voice of Sissy Spacek), with whom he communicates telepathically. At last, here is one case where a man loves a woman for her mind rather than her body (which doesn't exist)! But Ann's brain is deteriorating rapidly; Hfuhruhurr needs to find a body and transplant the brain quickly in order to save Ann. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Kathleen Turner, (more)
Another "true story" of dubious authenticity, The Entity concerns a libidinous invisible presence. This unseen force repeatedly rapes poor Barbara Hershey, who can't get anyone to believe her stories of sexual assault. Frankly, she doesn't believe them herself until she undergoes therapy conducted by experts in both psychology and the supernatural. The entity, a great, hairy blob, is ultimately tricked into materializing, an act of revelation that proves to be its downfall. The Entity was adapted by Frank de Felitta from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, (more)
Richard Benjamin's directorial debut is an engaging slice of nostalgia, purportedly based on an incident in life of Mel Brooks. Mark Linn-Baker stars as Benjy Stone, junior writer on the popular 1950s TV comedy/variety series The King Kaiser Show. Kaiser (Joseph Bologna)'s guest star this week is Hollywood matinee idol Alan Swann (Peter O'Toole), a swashbuckling Errol Flynn type, right down to his indiscriminate womanizing and fondness for mass quantities of booze. Stone is assigned to keep the actor out of trouble during rehearsals and deliver him sober to the performance. Becoming fast friends, Stone and Swann alternate baby-sitting responsibilities: Swann takes the young writer to the Stork Club and on an early-morning jaunt through Central Park with a "borrowed" police horse, while Stone takes Swann to his home in the Bronx, where the star is fawned over by Benji's mom (Lainie Kazan) and asked embarrassing questions about his love life by Uncle Morty (Lou Jacobi). Despite a few anxious moments, all goes well until Swann, panicking at the discovery that King Kaiser's show will be telecast live and not on film, walks out just before airtime. Shamed by Benjy into honoring his committment, Swann makes a spectacular, timber-smashing entrance, saving the show and rescuing Kaiser from being rubbed out by a gangster (Cameron Mitchell) whom the comedian has offended. Though it fluctuates between wistful realism and the manic exaggeration of a TV comedy sketch, My Favorite Year holds together quite well, delivering a plentitude of solid laughs. Jessica Harper, usually the star of bizarro films like Inserts and Suspiria, is quite appealing as Benjy Stone's girlfriend; that lady dancing with O'Toole at the Stork Club is 1930s film star Gloria Stuart, later an Oscar nominee for Titanic; the King Kaiser Show wardrobe mistress is played by Selma Diamond, a real-life comedy writer for Sid Caesar. My Favorite Year was converted into an unsuccessful Broadway musical in the early 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter O'Toole, Mark Linn-Baker, (more)
- 1980
The landmark 1978 courtroom prosecution which determined that a married man can by law be brought up on charges of raping his wife, was meticulously--and tastefully--detailed in this made-for-TV movie. Linda Hamilton stars as Oregon housewife Greta Rideout, who after years of abuse at the hands her husband John (Mickey Rourke) (it is the sort of marriage described by one observer as "usually [winding] up as suicide or homicide") finally takes him to court, accusing him of forcing her to have sex against her will. Among those involved in the case are feminist activists Helen (Conchata Ferrell) and Jean (Gail Strickland) and opposing attorneys Gary Gortmaker (Eugene Roche) and Charles Burt (Rip Torn). Rape and Marriage: The Rideout Case originally aired October 30, 1980 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Hamilton, Mickey Rourke, (more)
- 1979
- PG
Hot on the heels of his Welcome Back Kotter success, Gabe Kaplan starred in this hastily assembled theatrical feature. Kaplan plays David Greene, the coach of a Nevada collegiate basketball team. Inasmuch as the local talent is pretty pathetic, Greene convinces a group of jive-talking New York street kids into playing for the college. Culture-clash jokes abound, with the black cast members usually coming out on top. In keeping with sports-comedy tradition, one of Greene's team members is a girl, and a very attractive one. Though it hasn't an original bone in its body, Fast Break is breezy entertainment, with a particularly thrilling climax. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabe Kaplan, Harold Sylvester, (more)
- 1977
Life in the Pink is the syndication title of the pilot film for the TV series Operation Petticoat. Based on the 1959 movie of the same name, the series detailed the adventures of a jerry-built submarine in World War II. In the pilot, the sub's crew rescues five Army nurses from a remote Pacific isle. The ladies return the favor by virtually taking over the sub, eventually painting it pink. While this TV movie does not follow the film version scene for scene, it resurrects some of the earlier picture's best gags, including the torpedoing of a jeep. John Astin both directed this film and starred as the sub commander. Way down the cast list as a nurse was Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of Tony Curtis, who costarred with Cary Grant in the original Operation Petticoat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Michael Schultz directed this kinetic, hyperventilating comedy (scripted by Joel Schumacher) concerning the crazed events that go on within a single 10-hour period at a Los Angeles car wash. The cast of colorful car-wash employees includes Lonnie (Ivan Dixon), an ex-con; Duane (Bill Duke), a militant black activist; and Lindy (Antonio Fargas), an obnoxious homosexual. Sully Boyar plays Mr. B, the frazzled car-wash owner who has to deal with his screwball employees along with his over-educated slip of a son, Irwin (Richard Brestoff), who quotes Mao and wants to radicalize the workers. Also along for the wash and wax are Miss Beverly Hills (Lauren Jones), with a wild assortment of wigs; Marsha (Melanie Mayron), the distracted car wash secretary; a mad bomber (Prof. Irwin Corey), who is terrorizing the neighborhood; and Daddy Rich (Richard Pryor), the founder of the Church of Divine Economic Spirituality, who sports a gold limousine. Danny de Vito, Brooke Adams and others were originally in the cast but their scenes were ultimately deleted. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franklyn Ajaye, Sully Boyar, (more)
