Harry Hurwitz Movies
Independent filmmaker/artist Harry Hurwitz is perhaps most famous for his innovative 1971 cult film The Projectionist, the story of a lonesome projectionist whose imaginary adventures as a super hero are superimposed over old film clips. The highly-acclaimed movie featured the film-debut of comic Rodney Dangerfield. In the late '70s, Hurwitz, billing himself as "Harry Tampa" gained a further underground following with three films: Fairy Tales, Auditions (both 1978) and Nocturna (1979). The bulk of Hurwitz's filmography is comprised of highly creative, often funny low-budget fare ranging from mockumentaries to musicals to comedies to thrillers. Before becoming a director, the New York City-born and raised Hurwitz was a professor of film and drawing at the NYU, Cooper Union and the Parsons School of Design. Hurwitz had a lifelong love and fascination with silent comedian Charlie Chaplin and it was therefore fitting that his first film Chaplinesque: My Life and Hard Times (1964) was a fascinating documentary-account of the genesis of Chaplin's Tramp. The film was released under the title The Eternal Tramp. Other notable Hurwitz efforts include Richard (1972), a scathing but funny look at the pre-Watergate life and career of President Richard M. Nixon and That's Adequate (1990) a psuedo-documentary account of a fictional film studio that first showed at the 1988 Sundance Festival. The off-beat thriller Fleshtone (1994) was Hurwitz's last completed film. At the time of his death from heart failure on September 21, 1995, Hurwitz was in production with an all-star film comprised of the director's favorite themes, Remake. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- PG
Neil Jordan's lyrical Irish romance takes place in the small seaside town of Bray (near Dublin) and concerns two teenage friends, Jimmy (Niall Byrne) and Rose (Lorraine Pilkington). They spend their days roaming the cobblestone streets and waterlogged piers. To while away the time, Rose and Jimmy make up stories about strangers on the street. One day, while watching people at the train station, a sophisticated and glamorous older woman, Renee Baker (Beverly D'Angelo), stands out so imposingly from the drab townsfolk that Jimmy and Rose decide to follow her, obsessed with knowing everything about her. They follow her to the beach and at last Renee speaks to them. When she looks at Jimmy, he's immediately smitten by this mysterious woman. Rose, who has feelings for Jimmy herself, decides to make him jealous by trying to attract a young lion tamer from a traveling circus. But Jimmy is completely attached to Renee and his desire leads him to fateful consequences. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beverly D'Angelo, Donal McCann, (more)
- 1989
- R
Fans of movie industry satire will want to see That's Adequate, an all-star production which spoofs the popular series of documentary films honoring MGM's musical comedies, That's Entertainment. Narrated by Tony Randall, this mock-history chronicles the film output of the second-rate "Adequate Film Studios" during its six precarious decades of existence. At times the humor gets very broad, including a fair amount of vulgarity. We see clips from such Adequate Studios monstrosities as "Singing in the Synagogue," and "Sluts of the South." Some of the stars enlivening these parodies are Bruce Willis, Robert Downey, Jr., James Coco, Anne Meara, Professor Irwin Corey, Jerry Stiller and Robert Vaughn. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Randall, James Coco, (more)
In a thinly-plotted story about redeeming a failing hotel by turning it into an optional brothel (depending on the guest), Peter Scolari stars as Elliot, the young man who has to succeed at this hotel business in order to garner the favor of Clifford, his prospective father-in-law (Christopher Lee). Unknown to Elliot and his girlfriend Tracy (Colleen Camp), her father just intends to blast the building to smithereens so he can collect the insurance money. But with Fran Drescher as the head of the contingent of call girls-cum-bellhops, the hotel starts to turn a tidy profit, giving Clifford second thoughts. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Colleen Camp, Peter Scolari, (more)
A Chicago cop is wrongly accused of theft and dismissed from the force. In order to clear his name, he goes after the real culprits -- without the extra baggage of police regulations that might have made his task more difficult if he were still active in the department. This script was originally intended for a Dirty Harry vehicle, but was never realized. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, John Saxon, (more)
- 1982
In this comedy a producer of "B" movies makes a film featuring a has-been cowboy star in the hopes that he can bring back his failing studio. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck McCann, Robert Staats, (more)
- 1982
- PG
In this often comical adventure, a retired stunt man goes to Africa to participate in a transcontinental road rally in hopes of winning a fabulous prize. Also involved is a photo-journalist for Playboy Magazine who has been assigned to accompany him. It is a dangerous 3,000 kilometer car race and some of the stunt man's rivals are desperate to win; with desperation comes danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Stockard Channing, (more)
- 1981
- PG
In this comedy, a hotel becomes a chaotic place during the 1938 filming of The Wizard of Oz, when it is inundated with groups of midgets, secret agents, and Nazi and Japanese spies. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Carrie Fisher, (more)
In this bawdy musical, a prince is pressured to procreate in order to keep his kingdom going. Unfortunately, he is a picky fellow and refuses to do his royal duty with anyone but the exquisite, enigmatic "Princess Beauty," whose picture hangs in the royal hall. He enlists the aid of a learned friend to help him make it to Fairyland to find her. Many erotic adventures ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1979
- R
This inept, obviously low-budget, poorly-acted horror-comedy is primarily a showcase for Nai Bonet a belly-dancer turned actress in her role as Nocturna, the last descendant of Count Dracula. Nocturna has followed her love interest -- rock guitarist (Tony Hamilton) -- from Transylvania to Manhattan in spite of the wrath of her infamous grandfather, who proceeds to follow her. But his thirst for revenge is thwarted by Jugulia (Yvonne de Carlo), a vampiress with a protective bent toward Nocturna, her musician, and their friends. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nai Bonet, Yvonne De Carlo, (more)
- 1978
A narrator claims that this film is a record of real people who were secretly filmed while auditioning for a movie called Fairytales II. In reality, this was apparently a ploy that was used so the filmmakers wouldn't have to come up with an actual plot. The film consists mainly of nude women (and a few men) dancing, stripping, and talking (endlessly). Linnea Quigley does a nude dance in a dungeon as part of an S&M fantasy, and most of the other featured players are porn stars. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1972
- R
This biographical documentary examines the early life and career of Charlie Chaplin. A repeated feature of American Public television, the film is narrated by Gloria Swanson. Some of Chaplin's early short films are shown in excerpt, but they are taken out of context so that the roles can be grouped into categories which show Chaplin's dramatic range. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This prescient satirical drama (it came out before Watergate) takes a harsh look at Richard Nixon. His rise to political power is chronicled from his boyhood to his first go at becoming a Congressional candidate to his involvement with three devilish advisers. Later after suffering a series of political failures, the young politician gets plastic surgery and emerges a new man. Unfortunately, he is still a rotten politician so this time a guardian angel is sent down to insure his success. His three advisers then brainwash him a la Clockwork Orange. The man is soon ready to become a famous, powerful political figure. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This offbeat comedy finds a rotund, daydreaming projectionist (Chuck McCann) who fantasizes that he is the super hero Captain Flash. He imagines his nemesis to be Renaldi (Rodney Dangerfield), whom the projectionist refers to as "the Bat." Renaldi demands the lobby floor to be so clean he can eat off it. The film uses superimposition of older films, the first to employ such techniques. The projectionist imagines Rinaldi to be in league with the forces of evil like Hitler, Mussolini and space aliens. He is under the delusion that he must save a female co-worker (Ina Balin) from the clutches of the evil Bat. The projectionist summons such heroes as Errol Flynn, Gary Cooper and the US Marine Corp to save her from imagined danger. This is the first feature length film for director Harry Hurwitz, who also appears as an usher. This also marks the film debut for Rodney Dangerfield, who had recently changed his name from his given name of Jack Roy and opened a nightclub. The film premiered at the Rochester Film Festival in 1969. It has earned cult status over the years and is in the archives of the Museum Of Modern Art in New York. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck McCann, Ina Balin, (more)
