Todd Bryant Movies
Mike Mignola's acclaimed comic book series about a creature from Hades who joins the battle against evil arrives on the screen in vivid form in this adaptation directed by distinctive horror filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. During World War II, the Third Reich has joined forces with the evil Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), who has used his occult powers to summon up a young demon from the depth of Hell to be used as the ultimate Axis weapon. However, the demonic creature is captured by American forces, and put in the care of Professor Broom (John Hurt), the founder of a top-secret organization called the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Under Broom's tutelage, the creature develops empathy and a desire to do good while his physical powers and paranormal talents are honed to a fine point. Sixty years later, the demon, now known as Hellboy (Ron Perlman), is part of an elite secret defense team alongside Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a beautiful young woman who can create fire with her mind, and Abe Sapian (Doug Jones), an aquatic humanoid with the power of telepathy. Despite his many years of fighting for right, Hellboy finds himself facing his greatest challenge when the powerful Rasputin returns, determined to bring the demon back to the forces of darkness so that evil may finally rule the world. Hellboy's supporting cast also includes Jeffrey Tambor, Rupert Evans, and Brian Steele. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Perlman, John Hurt, (more)
After a bad day at work, a man suddenly gets a new job -- as the world's new Heavenly Father -- in this comedy. Bruce Nolan (Jim Carrey) is a television reporter working in Buffalo, NY, who has been growing increasingly dissatisfied with his existence, and after an especially bad day, he flies into a rage and curses God for making his life miserable. To Bruce's great surprise, the Supreme Being Himself (Morgan Freeman) appears, and tries to convince Bruce of the enormity of his task. Bruce, however, isn't buying it, so God gives him a chance to find out what he's up against; God bestows all of his powers on Bruce for a week, to see how he'd handle things. At first, Bruce has a great time bending the world around him to his will, much to the puzzlement of his girlfriend, Grace (Jennifer Aniston), but after six days God stops by to remind Bruce he hasn't done much to make the Earth a better place. Disappointed, God presents Bruce with an ultimatum -- he has one day to improve the world in a concrete way, or God will toss the planet back into the void. Bruce Almighty was directed by Tom Shadyac, who previously teamed with Jim Carrey for Liar, Liar and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
Writer, director, and star Steve Oedekerk lampoons the martial arts genre with this action spoof that digitally mixes new scenes with poorly dubbed footage from the vintage 1976 film Savage Killers. Oedekerk stars as "the Chosen One," a kung-fu prodigy even from the womb, who grows up to seek vengeance on the evil, legendary "Master Pain" (aka Betty), who murdered his parents. Along the way, he is aided in his quest by the kindly, wizened Master Tang as well as Whoa (Jennifer Tung), a karate queen with a cleavage problem. The Chosen One is also called upon to employ his unique fighting styles, including the "gopher," and faces not only Master Pain, but a gay henchman and the lethal lactation of a deadly, karate-chopping cow. Originally entitled "The Dubbed Action Movie," this broad parody saw its release delayed several times, finally reaching theaters two years after it was shot. Kung Pow! Enter the Fist co-stars Tad Horino and Philip Tan. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Oedekerk, Lung Fei, (more)
Robert A. Heinlein's 1951 novel The Puppet Masters comes to the screen 43 years later. Sharp-eyed viewers will recognize similarities to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, but Heinlein's book came first. Parasitic space aliens invade the Midwest, taking over the bodies of humans and manipulating these unfortunates to do their bidding. US security agent Donald Sutherland and his team of troubleshooters attempt to squash the extraterrestrial scheme before everyone in the world is turned into Howdy Doody. Adding an extra layer to this familiar scenario is the fact that Sutherland doesn't get along with everyone on his side-in particular, he has a lot of trouble relating with his son Eric Thal. Stuart Ormes' perfunctory direction is not up to the standard set by the actors and special effects. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Sutherland, Eric Thal, (more)
A wealthy young boy is kidnapped by thieves who rob his home, but the crooks are in for a surprise when the kid becomes a pest . ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Alex Zuckerman, (more)
- 1991
- PG
- Add Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to QueueAdd Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country to top of Queue
The plot involves a peace conference between the Federation of Planets and the troublesome Klingons. The Klingons are hoping to perform a little damage control after triggering a mining disaster on one of their moons; their spokesman is the seemingly contrite General Chang (Christopher Plummer). All negotiations abruptly cease when a Klingon vessel is attacked, and Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) are accused of the crime. As they stand trial for murder, Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Vulcanian trainee Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrall) try to locate the real culprits. It turns out that Kirk and McCoy are victims of a conspiracy to foment further hostilities between the Good Guys and the Klingons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1989
- PG
- Add Star Trek V: The Final Frontier to QueueAdd Star Trek V: The Final Frontier to top of Queue
Kirk (William Shatner), McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are enjoying a vacation in Yosemite National Park when duty calls. Vulcan cult leader Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) and his followers have invaded a "planet of peace," where delegates from hostile races co-exist in a sort of intergalactic United Nations. Ordered to quell the crisis, the Enterprise crew discovers that it's a ruse perpetrated by Sybok, who takes over the ship, piloting it toward the "Great Barrier," an energy field at the galaxy's rim. Sybok, who is revealed to be Spock's half-brother, possesses the ability to help people face their "inner pain." He also believes that God lies beyond the Great Barrier. Once arriving there, however, Sybok and the Enterprise crew discover only an imprisoned alien entity. Shatner wrote the story and made his directorial debut with the film, failing to ape the success that his colleague Nimoy enjoyed with his pair of "Trek" directing forays. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1989
Jessica heads to the baseball stadium to visit her nephew, up-and-coming ballplayer Johnny Eaton (Todd Bryant). Soon afterward, the team's new TV pre-game hostess is murdered, and a startled burglar is arrested for the crime. So what has this to do with Jessica? Well, it seems that the hapless burglar is nephew Johnny's best friend... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Tracey Thurman was a real-life Connecticut housewife who, throughout her marriage, suffered horrendous abuse at the hands of her husband. The beatings culminate in a single bloody night when Buck Thurman stabs his estranged wife 13 times. She survives--barely--and Buck is arrested. Having failed to get proper protection from the local police force, Tracey successfully sued the officers in 1989. The long-range result was the Thurman Law, which called for mandatory arrests in wife-beating cases in Connecticut and several other states. Nancy McKeon, who plays Tracey Thurman in A Cry for Help, starred in the film in the hope that it would prevent Buck Thurman's early release from prison. A Cry For Help: The Tracy Thurman Story first aired on October 2, 1989; Thurman was scheduled for release in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy McKeon, Bruce Weitz, (more)
Beach Balls harkens back to the teen surf films of the 1960s, with the only addition being an abundance of nudity and profanity. Even the parents are portrayed the same stereotypical way as in the 1960s films. The routine plot has teenager Charlie Harrison (Phillip Paley) looking for hot fun in the sun amidst a bevy of bikini-clad babes. Charles Gilleran plays an Erich Von Zipper character named Babcock who leads a gang of troublemakers. The film had a limited release in May of 1988 before winding up in video stores. Rock music is provided by Douglas R. Starr. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phillip Paley, Heidi Helmer, (more)
Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello not only starred in the delightfully "retro" Back to the Beach, but also served as executive producers. Appropriately set 25 years after such drive-in faves as Beach Blanket Bingo, the film finds Frankie and Annette as husband and wife, living far from the surf 'n' sand in Ohio. Heading to California to visit their daughter Lori Loughlin, Frankie and Annette are appalled to learn that she has been keeping time with punker Tommy Hinkley. In time-honored fashion, our hero and heroine set about to make the beach safe for funlovers everywhere by driving out Hinkley's unsavory pals. Along the way, Frankie nearly bollixes up his marriage by dallying with Connie Stevens-one of several pop-culture icons appearing in Back to the Beach, including Don Adams, Bob Denver, Jerry Mathers, Tony Dow, Dick Dale & the Del-Tones , Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Pee-wee Herman! Back to the Beach is fun for a while, but its six-person writing team can't figure out a logical way to wind it all up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, (more)
Virtually unnoticed during its brief theatrical run, this wildly entertaining horror-comedy achieved healthy cult status following its home-video and cable TV releases. The directorial debut of Fred Dekker (writer of the successful horror parody House), this low-budget effort throws alien monsters, axe-wielding killers, flesh-eating zombies, nudity, and (gasp!) drunken fraternity shenanigans into a blender, spiced with witty one-liners and references to dozens of horror classics (and anti-classics). The result is a satisfying treat that will tickle the tastebuds of horror fans. The film's nominal protagonists are a pair of randy fraternity pledges (Jason Lively, Steve Marshall) who open a literal can of worms when they steal a corpse from the campus medical facility and release a horde of space-leeches, which proceed to infest the bodies of everyone in sight. The host bodies subsequently become homicidal zombies with a penchant for popping in on unsuspecting (and undressing) sorority girls. The town's only hope (such as it is) seems to be a hard-boiled ex-cop (Tom Atkins), who has uncovered the secret link between the zombie invasion and a 30-year-old axe-murder case... and who's also several sandwiches shy of a picnic. Dekker keeps things moving at a brisk pace thanks to some outrageous set-pieces (some of which happen so quickly they'll have viewers reaching for the pause button) and clever dialogue, particularly for Atkins ("Girls, the good news is your dates are here; the bad news is, they're dead"), who dives into his crusty character with relish. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, (more)
- 1985
- R
- Add Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning to QueueAdd Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning to top of Queue
The murderous spirit of Jason Vorhees lives on in this horror sequel, although the plot hinges on the mystery of whether the killer's body actually survives. Opening with a nightmare prologue in which Corey Feldman reprises his role as Tommy Jarvis, the boy who killed Jason in the previous installment, the film jumps forward several years to when a teenaged Tommy (John Shepherd), haunted by visions of Jason returning to life, moves into a group home for mentally disturbed kids. Almost as soon as he arrives, Tommy witnesses the death of Joey (Dominick Brascia), an overweight, annoying boy who is hacked to death by psychopathic patient Vic (Mark Venturini). Although Vic ends up safely behind bars, other bodies begin to turn up -- more than 20 by the end of the film. Tommy's own violent streak, displayed when he lashes out at a fellow resident, makes him a suspect; he even doubts his own sanity. But as the bloodshed continues, Tommy finds himself allied with Reggie (Shavar Ross), the grandson of one of the home's employees, in a desperate bid to survive the carnage and find out who the killer behind the hockey mask really is. The producers of the Friday the 13th series actually planned to end it with Friday the 13th -- The Final Chapter, but the box-office success of that film paved the way for the series to continue. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Shepard, Melanie Kinnaman, (more)
- 1984
- R
- Add Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter to QueueAdd Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter to top of Queue
Hockey-masked killer Jason Vorhees returns to terrorize a lakeside family and their rowdy teen neighbors in this fourth installment of the long-running slasher series. After the events of Friday the 13th, Part 3, Jason's seemingly lifeless body is brought to the morgue, where horny attendant Axel (Bruce Mahler) is trying to score with foxy Nurse Morgan (Lisa Freeman). The pair quickly meet a grisly end. Meanwhile, at Crystal Lake, estranged wife Mrs. Jarvis (Joan Freeman) and her kids -- young Tommy (Corey Feldman) and teenaged Trish (Kimberly Beck) -- find their quiet invaded by a group of hard-partying kids moving into the rental house next door. The youngsters include curious virgin Sara (Barbara Howard), hot-to-trot Samantha (Judie Aronson), and nebbish Jimmy (Crispin Glover). Tommy, a monster makeup enthusiast, enjoys watching the scantily clad young ladies through his window, while Trish toys with the idea of joining in their revelries. Also lurking around the area is Rob (Erich Anderson), who claims to be hunting bear but actually has mysterious ties to the events of Friday the 13th, Part 2. As the house full of teens begins to pair off -- aided by the addition of local twins Tina (Camilla More) and Terri (Carey More) to the mix -- an unseen killer begins to pick them off one by one. The bloodshed climaxes with a tense showdown in which Tommy disguises himself as a bald, lumpy boyhood version of Jason in hopes of distracting the relentless psychopath who hunts him. Feldman would return for a cameo in Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning, only to be replaced by another actor in a grown-up version of the role. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crispin Glover, Kimberly Beck, (more)
- 1984
- R
Yet another teen romance and hijinks movie for the pre-pubescent, this film is set in the mid-1950s and involves two rival California high schools whose bands are in serious competition. Other than that plot device, there is a telephone hotline to teen love run by J.D. (Michael Winslow) and the usual collection of teenage gags and pranks. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Greg Bradford, Mary Beth Evans, (more)
