John Ireland
- 1991
- R
In the sequel to Waxwork, young Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan) and his girlfriend Sarah (Monika Schnarre) manage to escape the deadly wax museum before it is destroyed. However, one deadly wax hand escapes destruction and follows Sarah home, murdering her stepfather before she manages to destroy it. When Sarah is accused of the murder, she and Mark must travel back in time to stop the still-present evil. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Alexander Godunov, (more)
- 1991
- R
When police officer Sean Craig (Martin Kove) is shot while on the job, he is pronounced dead, but remarkably comes back to life. When he is haunted by the strange dream he experienced while he was clinically dead, he sets out to find the mysterious woman who appears in the visions. With the help of a curious doctor (Martha Henry), Craig makes another attempt to attain a near-death state and piece together the rest of the puzzling vision. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Kove, Martha Henry, (more)
- 1991
While travelling through Amish country in hopes of purchasing a quilt, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is stuck there after a traffic mishap. Not surprisingly, murder soon rears its ugly head, the victim on this occasion being a taciturn Amish farmer. The suspects include the farmer's wife, the farmer's mistress, and a citified newcomer to the community. Jay Robinson, who skyrocketed to fame in the early 1950s with his portrayal of the mad Emperor Caligula in The Robe, is here seen in the less flashy role of Bishop Burkhart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Anthony Hickox (Waxwork) crafted this entertaining bit of horror-western fusion about the vampiric residents of a remote, dusty desert town who have chosen to derive their sustenance from a plasma-manufacturing plant in an attempt to put aside their monstrous nature and peacefully co-exist with humans. When the plant begins malfunctioning, the town's leaders summon the designer, David Harrison (Jim Metzler), to look into the problem. Soon after Harrison and his wife Sarah (Morgan Brittany) arrive, however, they find themselves in the thick of an escalating rivalry between two vampire factions -- one led by peaceful Count Mardulak (David Carradine), who ordered the blood plant as part of his plan to integrate the dying vampire race into human society; and the old-school bloodsuckers, under the sinister Jefferson (John Ireland), who consider Mardulak and his followers traitors to their predatory heritage. While the Harrisons' fates hang in the balance, the scales are jostled further by the arrival of a man named Van Helsing (Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell, in a surprisingly low-key performance), descendant of the legendary vampire hunter, whose disorganized efforts at wiping out town's undead populace are impeded by his growing attraction to a pretty young vampire (Deborah Foreman). With tongue firmly in cheek, this semi-parody plays off audiences' familiarity with the conventions of the vampire genre, but it seldom sacrifices creepiness and suspense when needed. It marked a creative step forward for Hickox (who would later stumble with Hellraiser III), who clearly tailors his projects to seasoned horror buffs. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Carradine, Jim Metzler, (more)
- 1990
In this episode of the series, Cromwell proves that the owner of a California winery did not murder his brother who also owned the company and with whom he was always feuding. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The death of a child exposes a mystery as a lonely doctor investigates the death in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ireland, Adrian Paul, (more)
- 1988
Raymond Burr, as ever, stars in this TV-movie continuation of the Perry Mason saga. Once more pulled out of semi-retirement, Perry takes on the case of a wealthy man (David Hasselhoff) accused of murdering his heiress wife. Of course, this has nothing to do with the Klaus von Bulow affair. As was customary in these latter-day Mason episodes, the bulk of the detective work is in the hands of Paul Drake Jr., played by William Katt--the real-life son of Mason's "Della Street," Barbara Hale. Lady in the Lake was one of two Perry Mason two-hour specials produced by Fred Silverman and Dean Hargrove in 1988; the other was subtitled The Case of the Avenging Ace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Even though Charles Bronson doesn't carry a gun in this feature, there are still plenty of the fights, car chases, and explosions -- all hallmarks of Bronson's action films. Bronson plays Denver Tribune crime reporter Garrett Smith, who investigates the murder mystery of a Mormon family. Smith tries to mediate between rival factions who have broken off from the Salt Lake theology and are carrying on a bloody feud. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Trish VanDevere, (more)
Bonanza: The Movie originally went out as Bonanza: The Next Generation. That title accurately reflected the film's content: death and previous commitments prevented the cast of the original Bonanza TV series of 1959-1973, thus the talent roster of The Next Generation was brand-new. John Ireland took over from Lorne Greene (who signed for this movie, but died before production commenced) as the brother of Greene's character Ben Cartwright. Home from the sea, Aaron Cartwright (Ireland) stupidly turns the drilling rights to the Ponderosa over to those perennial 1980s movie villains, the "evil land developers". It's up to the sons of Adam, Little Joe and Hoss Cartwright to save the ranch (One wonders how the Cartwright boys could have had sons, given the mortality rate of their sweethearts on the old series). Michael Landon Jr., son of the original series' Little Joe, is here cast as Benj. This 1988 Bonanza TV movie sequel was supposed to have been spun off into a weekly syndicated series, but for various reasons this project never came to fruition, despite station clearance and sponsorship in virtually every major market. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The final directorial effort from the late filmmaker Andre De Toth, Terror Night is a schlocky horror flick featuring such B-list performers as Alan Hale Jr. of Gilligan's Island and Dan Haggerty of Grizzly Adams. Set in a creepy mansion, the film follows a cast of characters as each one enters the house and meets a different gruesome fate. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- PG
In this Road Warrior clone, an aging trucker spends his retirement mining an old cobalt mine with the assistance of his devoted grandson. A good friend lures the trucker out of retirement by offering him a quarter of a million dollars to drive some plutonium from Nevada to a high-security operation in Arizona. He begins his trek in a high-tech rig unaware that terrorist are waiting to ambush him and his deadly cargo. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forrest Tucker, John Ireland, (more)
- 1986
In this film, the friends and families of a small boy begin to disappear after he is witness to a strange event. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Greed was originally released as Treasure of the Amazon, the literal translation of its Spanish-language title. Ostensibly based on a true story, the film stars Stuart Whitman as Gringo, an aging but still virile soldier of fortune. Right now, Gringo is foraging deep into headhunter country in South America, in search of a cache of diamonds. Meanwhile, ex-Nazi Klaus (Donald Pleasance) is likewise searching for the gems, and unlike the essentially honorable Gringo, Klaus is willing to leave a few corpses in his path in pursuit of his goal. The international supporting cast includes Emilio Fernandez, Bradford Dillman, John Ireland, and Pedro Armendariz Jr. all of whom seem to have been recently graduated from the Take-The-Money-And-Run School of Dramatic Art. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- PG
This is a tepid film aimed at youngsters and focusing on the warped Martin Steckert (Richard Harris), an escaped convict, and little Martin (Justin Henry), the boy he takes hostage. Steckert uses a ruse to escape from prison when his parole is denied, and once safely on the outside, he kidnaps Martin and heads for an isolated spot along a lake that he himself visited as a little boy. Aside from the developing relationship between the two Martins, not expressed in any great depth, there is the inexplicably fired-up pursuit of Martin by Lt. Lardner (James Coburn) and the psychobabble of Dr. Mennen (Lindsay Wagner), in pursuit of Martin's motivating demons. Martin's encounter with ex-lover Karen (Karen Black) does not reveal very much, and in the end, viewers may be left wondering about everyone's motivation. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Harris, Lindsay Wagner, (more)
- 1985
The bacteria experiments of an American scientist are stolen by criminals who are intent on exploiting the discoveries for their own good. The Italian film has been dubbed into English. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1984
An action adventure about a group of fortune hunters who search for gold and jewels in the jungles of South America. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stuart Whitman, Emilio Fernández, (more)
- 1984
The titular rebel is Cuban political insurgent Che Guevara, whose life previously given less than stellar treatment in 1969's Che. This time, the "diary" serves as an expository gimmick, tracing Che's life, his involvement with the Castro rebellion, and death in Bolivia with an even mixture of fact and fiction. The cast is largely unkown, save for leading Spanish actor Francisco Rabal and Hollywood expatriate John Ireland. Curiously, neither actor felt the need to include this film in their official resumes, suggesting perhaps a "take the money and run" attitude. Diary of a Rebel is ultimately defeated by low budget, but its intentions are honorable. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this Gold Rush adventure, two men race their sleds and dogs across the frozen North in hopes of being the first to reach a parcel of land filled with gold. The tale is based on a Jack London story. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A series of brutal rapes and murders have begun occurring in a small town. Teenager, Tim (Duncan McIntosh), has had horrible dreams and fears he is the murderer, especially since many of his friends have been victims. The town doctor, Sam Cordell (John Cassavetes), and the sheriff, Hank (John Ireland), discover the community has a dark past involving Satanism. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Cassavetes, Kerrie Keane, (more)
- 1982
Thrill to the action of a dogsled race featuring the prize of 1 million dollars in gold in this "Jack London's Tales of the Klondike" series. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1981
Magnum (Tom Selleck) is hired by wealthy Christine DeBolt (Kathryn Leigh Scott) to act out the "movie detective" fantasies of her surfeited sister Louise (Judith Chapman). At first, Magnum enjoys making like Bogart in a fabricated film-noir world, but the fun is nullified by the ever-looming shadow of Louise's extremely influential--and insanely jealous--husband Wyndom Jackson (John Ireland). And it becomes abundantly clear that the "game" is over when one of the players is beaten up and poisoned for real! Episode director Ray Austin appears in the role of Philippe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
The authorities are placed on high alert when Lane Garrison (Blake Marison), advance man for a notorious assassin, is accidentally killed in an explosion a few days before a major political convention in Los Angeles. Among those monitoring the situation is medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman), who is dating reporter Kate Miles (Devon Ericson). It seems obvious to Kate that one of governmental officials scheduled to appear at the convention is slated for extermination--and the more Quincy listens to her theories, the more he begins to wonder just how much Kate really knows about what will happen next. Originally scheduled to air on March 4, 1981, this episode was filmed at LA's Ambassador Hotel, where Robert F. Kennedy was killed in 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
The title of this made-for-TV biopic is faintly risible: is there anything about Marilyn Monroe that we don't know by now? Pleasingly enough, the story is told in a straightforward, nonexploitive manner (the affair with JFK warrants no more than a throwaway line). Emmy-nominated Catherine Hicks plays Marilyn, nee Norma Jean Baker. We follow her progress from orphanages and foster homes to her first 20th Century-Fox contract at age 20. Considered "washed up" before her career has gotten off the ground, Marilyn is rescued both professionally and emotionally by her agent/lover Johnny Hyde (Richard Basehart). She rises to full stardom and is the center of attention of two "ideal" marriages, first to baseball player Joe DiMaggio, then to Arthur Miller (neither of whom are depicted on screen). But Marilyn remains a lonely, tragic figure, a victim as much of her own demons as of Hollywood's exploitation mill. Based loosely on Norman Mailer's highly suspect biography of the actress, Marilyn: The Untold Story premiered on September 28, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
