Bruce Kimmel Movies
A teenager puts his life in jeopardy when he tries to convince authorities that his high school's most unpopular teacher is a murderous Satanist who likes to torture and murder hookers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, Richard Roundtree, (more)
- 1984
Made for cable television, The Ratings Game was directed by Danny DeVito, who co-starred in the film with his wife Rhea Perlman. DeVito plays the owner of a New Jersey trucking firm who yearns for a televison career. He offers several TV-series ideas to a receptive network programming head. On the verge of being fired, the network exec decides to have his revenge on his ex-bosses by selecting the very worst of DeVito's concepts. The "born to fail" series becomes a hit, and soon DeVito is the hottest programmer in the industry! More truthful than many of us are willing to admit, The Ratings Game premiered with astonishingly little fanfare over The Movie Channel cable service on December 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, (more)
- 1981
- PG
This painfully dull Alien parody pits an inept spaceship crew against a mutating, one-eyed walking manure pile that grows out of an organic lump they obtained on a remote planet. When the token mad scientist (Patrick Macnee, whose hammy performance provides one of the film's few real laughs) determines that the creature's lethal attacks on the crew are only a self-protective fear reaction, he casts aside what few ethics he might have had to keep the crew from frying it. Since the entire crew (led by Leslie Nielsen) are blithering idiots, they fail to realize the creature's true intentions until Macnee hooks it up to a voice synthesizer, through which it performs the lovely soft-shoe number "I Want to Eat Your Face" (providing the film's other real laugh). Those expecting Airplane!-style antics from Nielsen will be sadly disappointed by his deadpan performance. Written and directed by Bruce Kimmel, who previously worked with co-star Cindy Williams in The First Nudie Musical. Enough said. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cindy Williams, Bruce Kimmel, (more)
- 1980
With dreams of stardom dancing in their heads, Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams) audition for a movie being filmed in Milwaukee. The girls are thrilled when they land the leading roles--unaware that they have been cast as hookers in an Army hygiene film! And just when it seems that the situation could not get any worse, Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander) manage to attend the film's "premiere". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
Beggarman, Thief is the 4-hour sequel to the ratings-busting miniseries Rich Man, Poor Man; both productions were based on the works of novelist Irwin Shaw. For the purposes of the sequel, a new member of the Jordache clan is introduced: filmmaker Gretchen Jordache Burke, played by Jean Simmons. It is Gretchen's task to keep the family together after the murder of her brother Tom (played by Nick Nolte in Rich Man, Poor Man) and the recent disappearance of her other brother Rudy (Peter Strauss, re-creating his RMPM role). Originally presented in two parts, Beggarman, Thief was first telecast November 26 and 27, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Simmons, Glenn Ford, (more)
- 1979
- R
Bert Convy is the lead fellow here who appears as a tennis pro who uses his fondness for matched points to his advantage as he plays stud-man to his wealthy female clients in order to gather funds enough for his own tennis club. This lame effort includes a cameo by tennis great Bjorn Borg and a lengthier appearance by the irrepressible Bobby Riggs. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1979
Lenny (Michael McKean) and Squiggy (David L. Lander) have launched the latest in a long line of questionable business ventures--namely, a computer dating service. The boys' first customers are (who else?) Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams), who agree to pay a small fee in order to be fixed up with a couple of dates. Turns out that the dates (Tommy Madden, Jimmy Briscoe) are on the "small" side as well; in fact, they're both midgets! This is the episode that ends with a riotous roller-skating sequence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Alice sees an episode of 60 Minutes about a famous mobster who dropped out of sight three decades ago. Shortly thereafter, an oldster named Gino (Michael V. Gazzo) makes another of his regular drop-ins at the diner. Taking a closer look at the elderly Gino than she ever has before, Alice is convinced that the old man and the missing mobster are one and the same. This episode was originally slated to air on October 30, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The aptly named Icky Hector (Greg Antonacci) is tired of being turned down for dates by girls in general and Laverne (Penny Marshall) and Shirley (Cindy Williams). Out of revenge, Hector scrawls L&S's phone number on the wall of a pool-hall men's room. As a result, our heroines are beseiged by panting male callers--and they begin to plot a revenge of their own, one that requires them to dress in male drag! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The owner of a financially foundering skin-flick production company decides that the only way to save it is to put on a Busby Berkeley-esque pornographic musical -- sort of a Broadway meets Times Square affair. Ribald humor, bawdy songs and plenty of skin abounds in this sophomoric satire that while unabashedly trashy, has developed a bit of a cult following. Songs include: "The First Nudie Musical," "The Lights and the Smiles," "Lesbian Butch Dyke," "Five Dancing Dildos," "Perversion," "Honey, What Ya Doin' Tonight," "I Don't Have to Hide Anymore," "Where Is a Man." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Nathan, Cindy Williams, (more)
- 1973
Eccentric mystery writer Michelangelo Rezo (Richard Stahl) agrees to donate $25,000 to charity on one condition: That the Partridge Family can successfully hide from Rezo for a period of 24 hours. This challenge proves most difficult for the Partridges thanks to the diligence of Rezo's agent Lazaar Hannibal (Martin Speer)--not to mention a cute but imperceptible little "bug." Song: "Storybook Love". This is the final episode of The Partridge Family's third season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Hired to perform during a Los Angeles-to-Acapulco luxury cruise on the "T.S.S. Fairsea", the Partridge Family makes the acquaintance of a prosperous-looking young man who identifies himself as Howard Wainwright III (Bruce Kimmel). Laurie (Susan Dey) falls for Howard, while Danny (Danny Bonaduce) and Keith (David Cassidy) become convinced that the suave and sophisticated teenager is actually a clever jewel thief. As it turns out, Howard isn't being totally honest with anyone--but that doesn't make him a criminal by a long shot! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Thanks to a celebrity auction at her school, Laurie's diary ends up in the hands of student newspaper editor Marvin (Bruce Kimmel in his latest Partridge Family characterization), who has apparently always disliked Laurie (Susan Dey) and may very well publish her innermost thoughts for all to see. As a result, Laurie, Keith (David Cassidy) and Danny (Danny Bonaduce) stage a daring nighttime "Mission Impossible" (minus the familiar music, worse luck) to retrieve the diary. Only after the cops are summoned does Marvin reveal the evening's requisite Surprise Plot Development. Song: "It's One of Those Nights". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Concerned by Danny's disruptive classroom behavior, Shirley (Shirley Jones) consults psychologist Dr. Beecher (Charlotte Rae), who suggests that Danny (Danny Bonaduce) is frustrated because he feels like a powerless child. At Beecher's suggestion, Shirley temporarily allows Danny to indulge his every whim--only to incur the anger of the other kids who resent their brother getting such preferential treatment. Ultimately, Danny must realize on his own that it's not much fun to be a grownup and to give "powerless" childhood a second chance. Frequent Partridge Family guest star Bruce Kimmel shows up as yet another of Laurie Partridge's boyfriends, this one named Richard. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The 4077th goes into full mardi gras mode when General Clayton (Herb Voland) unofficially announces that a cease-fire has been declared. The only person who refuses to join in the festivities is Trapper (Wayne Rogers), who suspects that the good news is based upon a highly unreliable source. Meanwhile, Klinger (Jamie Farr) goes on a giveaway spree, while Hawkeye (Alan Alda) tries to weasel out of several promises made to several nurses in the heat of passion. "Cease-Fire" originally aired on March 18, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Determined to prove that he is the "man" of the Partridge family, Keith (David Cassidy) morphs into an overbearing tyrant. The rest of the Partridge kids want their surrogate father to be a fun guy, not a disciplinarian, social arbiter and culture freak. Thus, the youngsters devise a plan to teach Keith a lesson by literally smothering her with parental responsibilities. Bruce Kimmel makes the first of several appearances as Laurie's boyfriend (who has a different name and personality in each episode!) Song: "Summer Days". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
