John Garwood Movies

In Australia for a seminar, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) receives word that she has inherited 130,000 acreas of land currently used for sheep grazing. The locals aren't happy when Jessica arrives to claim her property, believing her to be in cahoots with a powerful mining company. Evidently someone is so displeased by Jessica's presence that they're willing to commit murder--twice. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

John Douglas, Chard Hayward and Christopher Weeks are the leading characters (but not necessarily the heroes) of Violent Zone. When a party of travellers is lost in the wilderness, the officials are at a loss to effect a rescue. Not so a group of mercenaries who'll do anything for a buck. It turns out that the "rescue" is a sham, and there's dirty work afoot. Violent Zone is unrated, but contains . . . well, violence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this 3-D animated cross between Star Wars and the Knights of the Round Table, young Orin (voice by Joe Colligan) lives in an oppressed, underground world in which humans have become the slaves of robots. One day the hero finds the handle of a sword and in a vision is told that if he can locate the blade, he will be able to overthrow the robots. Off he goes on his quest, up to the surface world where he meets and teams up with Dagg (voice by Carmen Argenziano) to face the evil empire in a series of daring battles. Along the way, Orin and Dagg have their own love interests, and a bit of swarthy language occasionally peppers their conversation as well. Parents should be advised of these two excursions into a more adult world, otherwise, most moppets would enjoy the fast-paced tale of heroism and adventure. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Adapted from Paul Brodeur's novel, Richard Rush's story of a Machiavellian movie director and his accidental employee takes a darkly comic look at movie reality vs. "real" reality. Running from the law, Vietnam vet Cameron (Steve Railsback) stumbles on a movie shoot just in time to interfere with a staged accident, causing (perhaps) the stunt man's death. Rather than turn Cameron in, director Eli Cross (Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole) makes him an offer he can't refuse: replace the dead stunt man in return for safe harbor. Despite objections about Cameron's inexperience, Eli keeps him on, figuring that a vet will add an extra charge of realism to the World War I opus that he's filming. As leading lady Nina (Barbara Hershey) returns Cameron's affections, and Eli becomes ever more inscrutably mercurial, Cameron begins to wonder how far Eli will go to get the screen effects he wants, and if he would think twice about killing the stunt man. Placing a Vietnam vet in the midst of movie-making chaos, Rush adds a pointedly contemporary spin to Cameron's confusion; the war experience that makes Cameron a good stunt man wreaks havoc on his life. Rush in turn disorients the audience by seamlessly interweaving scenes from Eli's movie with scenes of its being made. Made two years before Rush found a studio to release it, The Stunt Man opened to raves for its wily narrative and O'Toole's messianic director. Its sly commentary on the blurred boundaries between movies and life became all the more striking at the dawn of the Reagan '80s. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Inspector Erskine (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.) poses as a caterer for a Syndicate wedding. In this capacity, Erskine hopes to gather information about a bloody internal power play instigated by Mob functionary Ed Haynes (Alex Cord). But the wedding may never come off--certainly not if Haynes is able to pull off his plan to murder the father of the bride, Boss Faber (Frank DeKova), just before the exchange of vows! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set in the Philippines during WW II, two U.S. Army officers are caught and shot by a Japanese officer. One survives and soon joins with a guerilla troop to battle the enemy. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Richard Michaels, who directed over 30 made-for-TV movies as well as episodes of The Brady Bunch and Love, American Style, gives an overly small-screen feel to this self-described "high-flying comedy caper" which remains hopelessly earthbound. Biker-movie refugees Adam Roarke and Larry Bishop (Joey's son) star as -- not surprisingly -- a pair of actors sick of making biker movies and yearning to add some excitement to their lives. Stealing some motorcycles, they hit the road in character (stopping along the way to attend a screening of The Savage Seven, in which both actors actually appeared) for a series of uninteresting adventures. They get in fights, are ridiculed by real bikers, and eventually masquerade as policemen to smuggle marijuana over the Mexican border. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Will Geer guest stars as George Washington, who has been accidentally zapped into the 20th century by bumbling Esmerelda. Impressed at the progress made by the country which he fathered, Washington decides to exercise his right of free speech in a local park. As a result, he is arrested for creating a public disturbance and threatening a policeman, forcing Samantha to do some quick witchery. Thad Geer, son of Will Geer, appears as a hippie. The first episode of a two-part story, "George Washington Zapped Here" was written by Michael Morris and originally aired on February 19, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

George Hamilton produced and stars in this appealing bio-pic about real-life stunt daredevil Evel Knievel. Knievel's famous motorcycle stunts and early life are remembered in flashback by the performer in the moments before a big jump. The cast includes familiar drive-in movie faces like Vic Tayback, Sue Lyon, Cheryl Rainbeaux Smith, and Dub Taylor, and much of it was filmed on location in Knievel's hometown of Butte, Montana. Though Hamilton is quite good in the lead, most fans prefer the real thing -- Knievel portraying himself in the later Viva Knievel! (1978). ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

This violent motorcycle gang drama finds the outlaws riding onto an Indian reservation to take over. A rival gang has other ideas. There are few likeable characters in this feature, the possible exception being Johnnie (Robert Walker), and he is a convicted thief. Rock-guitar legend Duane Eddy plays off the seven, while Penny Marshall makes an early big screen appearance. Marshall would gain fame for her television work in the 1970s, and by the 1990s she would become one of Hollywoods leading directors. The Savage Seven is a modern-day cowboys and Indians tale, only instead of horses, the outlaws ride motorcycles. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi