Zalman King Movies
A former deep-sea diver, Zalman King made his first public impression as an actor. In the "relevant" 1970 TV series The Young Lawyers, King won as many detractors as fans for his abrasive portrayal of idealistic law student Aaron Silverman. King's first starring feature film, The Ski Bum (1971), was a mistake from the word "go," and before long he was playing standard psycho villains. In 1976, he was cast as Jesus in The Passover Plot, another project that looked better on paper than it did on screen. From 1980 onward, King devoted his time to behind-the-camera activities, beginning with the inexpensive "sleeper" Roadie, which he produced and co-wrote. King made his biggest cinematic impact in the realm of soft-core erotica, first as co-producer and co-scripter of 9 1/2 Weeks (1982), then as writer/director of such heavy-breathers as Two Moon Junction (1988) and Wild Orchid (1990). He often writes in collaboration with his wife, Patricia Knop. For cable television, Zalman King has produced, directed and occasionally written the R-rated anthology Red Shoe Diaries. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2008
Produced and directed by French Left Bank giant Agnès Varda as a summation of her long and enduring career, Agnès' Beaches constitutes a free-floating essay film. It is comprised of various elements that collectively pay homage to Varda's past -- including clips from the director's features, dramatically reconstructed moments from Varda's life, and elaborate, almost baroque monuments created onscreen to symbolize specific ideas and concepts -- such as an opening scene with a number of individuals setting up mirrors of various shapes and sizes on a great beach, and an enclosure lined, from wall to wall and floor to ceiling, with film strips from Varda's only cinematic flop, the 1969 feature Les Creatures. Varda uses beaches throughout the narrative as a recurring structural motif to convey her progress from one stage of life to another, while the freedom of form on display here recalls a similar approach on display in earlier Varda works such as the 1991 Jacquot de Nantes. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Agnès Varda
- 2006
Filmmaker Zalman King finds his research for an upcoming film leading him in an altogether unexpected direction when he's introduced to Texas Music Hall of Fame inductee Dale Watson and discovers that the troubled artist's true life story is more fascinating than any work of fiction. A singer/songwriter who prefers old-style honky tonk to the glitz and glamour of new country, Watson hits the road with King, gradually revealing his tragic battle with depression following the death of his beloved girlfriend. The woman of his dreams taken from him without warning, Watson went mad with grief. Attempts to contact his lost love through an Ouija Board only accelerated Watson's slow slide into insanity, and it soon began to appear that the performer was neither able, nor willing, to put forth the effort needed to get healthy again. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Brooke Burke is not just a top model and television personality, she's also the designer and marketing braintrust behind a new line of swimwear, and this documentary follows Burke and a crew of equally gorgeous models to Miami and Belize, as they work on creating catalog photos for Burke's sexy beachwear. Barely Brooke also finds Burke and her pals taking time out to explore the sights, relax, and offer us a glimpse of this busy woman's hectic lifestyle as she balances several careers with parenthood and marriage. Director Zalman King also contributes several dazzling fantasy sequences. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This short-lived TV drama series is set in Hawaii where the surfing Connolly clan, headed by widow Ciel Connolly (Bo Derek), has to contend with evil millionaire developer Gardner Poole (Lee Horsley), who's hated by his rebel daughter Kate (Jacinda Barrett). Land-grabber Poole has his eye on Ciel and also on her struggling cattle ranch. Meanwhile, Ciel's surfer sons Cole (William Gregory Lee) and Kelly (Brian Gross) chase after waves and women. Cinematographer John Aronson is responsible for the impressive Hawaiian location shots. The series premiered October 17, 1998 on NBC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Derek, Lee Horsley, (more)
Zalman King directed this tale of an international quest for the perfect wave by three professional surfers -- Shane (Patrick Shane Dorian), Mickey (co-scripter Matt George), and Keoni (Matty Liu). Starting in the South Seas, they head to Madagascar, Bali, and Hawaii, experiencing a series of adventures and misadventures, from 40-foot waves, to the girl from Ipanema -- all captured by the camera of cinematographer John Aronson with "special water photography" by Sonny Miller. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Shane Dorian, Matt George, (more)
- 1997
- R
The experiment of a doctoral student that utilizes a video camera causes a release of sexual inhibitions in herself and her study subjects. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Heidi Schanz, (more)
- 1996
- R
An outwardly successful woman teeters on the brink of emotional collapse in this psychological drama. Evelyn Stevens (Tilda Swinton) is a skilled and well-regarded attorney who is being considered for a prestigious judicial appointment. However, she's plagued by self-doubt and neurotic obsessions (the "perversions" referenced in the title), including an obsession with expensive clothes and cosmetics, lingering fears about her relationship with her lover John (Clancy Brown), an exaggerated sense of competition with the new lawyer in her office, and an intense sexual curiosity about Renee (Karen Sillas), the psychiatrist who has just moved into her building. Evelyn is forced to put her own problems on hold for the moment when she learns that her sister Madelyn (Amy Madigan), a Ph.D candidate struggling to complete her doctoral thesis, has been arrested again for shoplifting. In time, the two sisters realize that they have to come to terms with the psychic damage inflicted upon them in their childhood. Female Perversions was based on the best-selling novel by Louise J. Kaplan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tilda Swinton, Amy Madigan, (more)
Somewhat based on the life of author Anais Nin, this beautifully photographed erotic outing from director Zalman King (Wild Orchids, 9 1/2 Weeks) tells the story of an aspiring American writer who comes to Paris to hone her craft and ends up exploring the full extent of her sexuality. Initially, Elena's dream was to become a writer of serious literature, but that of course does not happen overnight. In the meantime there are expenses to be met, so when a wealthy and extremely handsome French novelist (whom she has been secretly watching every morning as he rows up and down the Seine) offers her a small fortune to write erotic stories, what can she do but accept the offer? She quickly discovers however, that it's difficult to write of life's sensual pleasures when one has not experienced them and so, sets off to educate herself. Her schooling leads her to a variety of steamy situations and locales with an equally broad assortment of tutors. Though filled with all the bells and whistles expected of such a film, which was originally rated NC-17 but later released on video with a tamer R-rated version, King's film has been widely panned by critics as ostentatious, trite, and worst of all, not nearly as sexy as it tried to be. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Audie England, (more)
- 1994
This Brazilian film, which presents the dilemma of impoverished Brazilian street kids, is a strange mixture of social commentary and soft-core eroticism. It is particularly interesting in that it has no named director and is actually compiled from several other sources. They include a Brazilian film "Boca de ouro", a local documentary, and clips from "Wild Orchid." The basic plot is based upon the filmed report of JJ, a U.S. TV reporter, who describes her experiences in Brazil. She tells how she and her ex-lover Reb, a photographer, were searching for the truth about the death-squads roving around slaughtering street urchins. She ends up interviewing gold toothed Boca, a vicious crime lord from the slums, who battles the businessmen behind the killings. They have the children killed because they drive away potential customers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rae Dawn Chong, Martin Kemp, (more)
- 1993
In this quasi-semi-documentary, a Russian angel leads viewers in a quest to discover what, if anything, remains of the great, utopian "American Dream" now that the so-called "Worker's Paradise" dream of Russia has passed completely into oblivion. Along the way, real celebrities and working members the film community in Hollywood are interviewed, and a number of "types" are impersonated by actors. Some of the celebrities interviewed include Jacqueline Bisset, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and screenwriter Jonathan Lawton (the Pretty Woman script writer). ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alena Antonova, Phillipe Bergerone, (more)
This erotic drama stars Joan Severance as Irene, a repressed housewife who develops a lustful and somewhat obsessive attraction to Billy (Billy Zane), a handsome landscaper working with a crew of laborers on her yard. With both her husband and son gone on a fishing trip for a few days, Irene becomes a stowaway in her own camper, which Billy steals for a weekend getaway with his girlfriend Grace (May Karasun), unaware that Irene is inside. After Irene joins the surprised couple, she's invited to join them as they relax in rural environs and enjoy a Chinese festival being held nearby. Thanks to the willing and able assistance of Billy and Grace, Irene also unlocks her sexual side and discovers some deeply repressed desires. Lake Consequence (1992) was created by the soft-core drama duo of director Rafael Eisenman and writer/producer Zalman King. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
- Add Wild Orchid 2: Two Shades of Blue to QueueAdd Wild Orchid 2: Two Shades of Blue to top of Queue
All poor Blue really wants is to be a regular, suburban Southern California teen from the 1950s, with a boy friend and lots of normal friends. Unfortunately, Fate has other plans. This erotic drama (related to it's predecessor in name and director only) chronicles her experiences. Blue's father is a heroin-addicted jazz musician and her estranged mother is a hooker. The trouble begins when her father, Ham, runs out of heroin and gets too upset to play. Blue procures him a fix, but when he learns that she sold herself to the club owner to get it, he drops dead of shock. Blue continues working at the club, but she is no great shakes in the sex department and the club owner sells her to an upscale brothel that caters to high-ranking government officials. On one of her days off, she meets a handsome young man outside a church. Josh is everything she dreams of, clean-cut and kind. Unfortunately, she cannot tell him of her true profession and they must separate. Blue is despondent and makes a lousy call girl. To try and liven her up a bit, a senator hires her for a private gang bang. He films the festivities, but fortunately, just before she is raped by the depraved politicians, her chauffeur, Sully, who has become her friend, rushes in to save her and they leave town. Eventually they end up in Josh's town. She and Josh fall in love. Unfortunately, the irate madame has come looking for her. To break them up, she show's the young football captain the politician's video-tape of his girlfriend in action. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nina Siemaszko, Wendy Hughes, (more)
A beautiful woman discovers a new side of her personality in this erotic drama. Kansas-born Emily Reed (Carré Otis) is an intelligent but naive young woman who has made a name for herself as a lawyer and is hired to work with businesswoman Claudia Lirones (Jacqueline Bisset), who is putting the finishing touches on a major real estate deal. Claudia brings Emily with her as she jets off to Rio De Janeiro to wrap up the sale of a resort hotel to the Chinese. When Claudia is unexpectedly called away, Emily is left in the care of James Wheeler (Mickey Rourke), an expatriate American multi-millionaire with a truly remarkable tan who is in on Claudia's deal. The Carnivale is in full swing in Rio, and James seeks to broaden Emily's horizons by introducing her to the sensual pleasures lurking all around her; James and Emily soon become involved, which complicates matters when Claudia returns. One of Wild Orchid's love scenes between Mickey Rourke and Carré Otis had to be trimmed so that the film could gain an R rating for American release (the uncut version was later released on home video); a widely circulated rumor had it that Rourke and Otis, who were living together at the time, had actually had sex while the scene was filmed, though Otis later denied it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, Jacqueline Bisset, (more)
Zalman King wrote and directed this soft-core Harlequinesque Romance that plays like Tennessee Williams meets Fredericks of Hollywood. April Delongpre (Sherilyn Fenn) is the daughter of a powerful senator and heiress to an old and respectable Southern family. April is engaged to marry the granite-handsome Chad Douglas Fairchild (Martin Hewitt) within a few days. But Chad has gone to Tuscaloosa to sign papers for their condo and the rest of the family has headed off to the lake, leaving April in the house alone with nothing to do except take long and languid showers--until she sets her eyes on the pecs of carnival roustabout Perry (Richard Tyson). Soon the two are making tasteful love in every nook and cranny of April's mansion. Unfortunately for the two sexual athletes, April's grandmother (Louise Fletcher) has assigned the local sheriff (Burl Ives) to keep an eye on her. And an eye on her he keeps, so that during the wedding ceremony, he has quite a story to tell. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Richard Tyson, (more)
- 1988
- PG
If it is possible for a film to be "in heat", then Zalman King's Wildfire is that film. Teenagers Steven Bauer and Linda Fiorentino have their wedding plans shelved indefinitely when Bauer is imprisoned for bank robbery. Upon his release, Bauer learns that Linda is a wife and mother, with no intention of reverting to her previous lifestyle. All this changes when Bauer breaks parole and goes on a crime spree. Turned on by danger, Linda becomes Bonnie to Bauer's Clyde. Maurice Jarre's orgasmic musical score enhances the steamy eroticism of this typical Zalman King wet dream. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Linda Fiorentino, (more)
- 1987
- R
Sky diver Clare (Ellen Barkin) wakes up disheveled and almost naked in Spain. She has left her husband Del (Martin Sheen) in Death Valley in order to find her former lover Augustine (Gabriel Byrne). She may have committed a murder, or it may all be fantasy. This film, directed by Mary Lambert is odd, confusing and sometimes downright laughable, full of preposterous plot twists and ridiculous symbolism. The plot makes little sense, and Lambert, while showing great visual style, has little concern for character or plot. It is never clear whether the mysterious visions that Claire experiences are memories or simply plot devices, and Clare's continued pursuit by a taxi driver with rusty teeth who keeps trying to rape her is ludicrous. Good performances by Barkin and Byrne, and a nice musical score by Miles Davis do nothing to save this pretentious, silly film. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Barkin, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
The title refers to the duration of the relationship between self-absorbed Wall Street shark Mickey Rourke and divorced art gallery owner Kim Basinger. Kim is looking for true love, while Mickey is searching for...gosh knows what. His notions of lovemaking include blindfolds, ice cubes, chocolate syrup, and rolling around on spent peanut shells. When the alotted 9 1/2 weeks are up, Kim has finally come to realize that Rourke has been using her. We could have told her that twenty minutes into the film. One of the definitive works in the Mickey Rourke ouevre, 9 1/2 Weeks is deliciously awful, and as such will probably endure as a Camp Classic for the next hundred years. The film is available in both R-rated and unrated versions; either way, it's a hoot. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, (more)
- 1982
- R
Based on a true story, Endangered Species stars Robert Urich and JoBeth Williams. Urich plays vacationing ex-cop Ruben Castle, while Williams portrays Harriet Purdue, a small-town sheriff. Intrigued by Purdue's investigation of a rash of cattle mutilations, Castle begins following the evidence trail himself. What has been attributed to a religious cult or extraterrestrials by the locals turns out to be a covert operation conducted by a corrupt cartel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Urich, JoBeth Williams, (more)
- 1981
- R
Also known as Planet of Horrors, this film follows a group of astronauts as they travel into space to retrieve the survivors of a spaceship crash. When they arrive on the planet, the crew runs into some hostile aliens who attempt to gorily wipe them out. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edward Albert, Erin Moran, (more)
Featuring Lila Kedrova and Melvyn Douglas as elderly couple Eva and David who, after forty years of a less-than-satisfying marriage, find the lost love they once had for each other as they travel to San Francisco to visit their grandchildren. Actress Lee Grant's first directorial feature, this drama is based on a novella by Tillie Olsen. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melvyn Douglas, Lila Kedrova, (more)
Roadie is a showbiz saga about the working slobs who make live pop-music performances happen. Texas good ol' boy Travis W. Redfish (pop singer Meat Loaf) drives a Shiner beer truck on his appointed rounds, but he becomes smitten with rock groupie Lola Bouillabase (Kaki Hunter), a "roadie" whose sole ambition in life is to bed her idol, Alice Cooper (playing himself). Travis' grizzled pappy, Corpus C. Redfish (Art Carney), feels disgusted by his son's lifestyle. After hearing that Cooper and his band are on tour, Lola sets out to catch up to them and offer her services, with Travis in pursuit. Along the way, they meet a number of pop-music stars -- Blondie, Asleep at the Wheel, Hank Williams Jr., Roy Orbison, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott -- who are all working on their own tours. Travis signs on, himself, as a groupie for a rock band, and is quickly dubbed "greatest roadie of all time," but he soon realizes that he must return to Texas for the wedding of his sister and his best friend. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meat Loaf, Kaki Hunter, (more)
- 1979
Based on a true story, the made-for-TV Like Normal People IS the story of a romance between two mentally challenged adults. In his first dramatic acting appearance, Shaun Cassidy plays Roger Meyers, a mildly retarded man who, while living in a home for the handicapped, falls in love with another resident, Virginia Rae Hensler (Linda Purl). Despite the fierce opposition of their parents--not to mention one of the administrators, who regards such a union as "a social obscenity"--Roger and Virginia are determined not only to marry, but to raise a family. Virtually their only ally is teacher Bill Stein (Zalman King), who formulates a stringent training program to show the couple the obstacles that they will face, and must overcome, in their future lives. Like Normal People made its ABC debut on April 13, 1979, a scant three weeks after the broadcast of the similarly themed No Other Love. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shaun Cassidy, Linda Purl, (more)
- 1978
- R
Several former college students find their former drug experiences catching up with them in an unexpected and terrifying manner in this clever horror outing. Jerry Zipkin (Zalman King) is a bright but troubled man in his late twenties who graduated from Stanford University in 1968 but hasn't had much luck getting his life in order since then. One night Jerry attends a party with a few old college buddies, and is shocked when one of them, Frannie (Richard Crystal), suddenly loses all his hair in a single lump and goes on a bloody rampage. When circumstantial evidence makes Jerry a key suspect in the murders of three women at the party, he sets out to find out what happened, and with the help of another school friend, surgeon David Blume (Robert Walden), he discovers a link between Frannie's bizarre behavior and several similar incidents which recently occurred. In each case, the killers attended Stanford in the late '60s, and all had used Blue Sunshine, a potent but tainted variety of LSD sold by Ed Flemming (Mark Goddard), a bootleg acid chemist who is now a respected mainstream political candidate. Jerry struggles to stay one step ahead of the law as he tries to piece the story together, knowing that another victim of the drug could go insane at any moment. Blue Sunshine was directed by Jeff Lieberman, who has two other cult favorites to his credit, Squirm and Just Before Dawn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- R
Four high school girls learn some unpleasant lessons at the hands of a psychotic thug in this exploitation drama. Jay (Robert Gribbin) is a nice guy who likes motorcycles that, while on a road trip, comes to the aid of fellow rider Pete (Robert Porter) and his brother Al (Zalman King). Pete has a flat tire and after Jay helps him fix it, he rides off with the brothers to enjoy the desert scenery. The bikers spot another kind of scenery when they pull up beside a school bus with a handful of pretty teenage girls inside. Pam (Susan Russell), Julie (Cathy Worthington), Tina (Jill Voight) and Bobbie (Dina Ousley) have been sent on a private field trip to explore Native American ruins with their teacher Miss Tenney (Brenda Fogarty), and when bus driver Marvin (Jack Driscoll) stops for gas, Jay takes the opportunity to stop and flirt with the girls. Al, however, has a violent streak and has more dangerous games in mind after killing a gas jockey who insulted him. When Jay, Al and Pete discover the bus is stranded in the desert due to a broken fuel pump, they offer to give them a tow into town. But Al instead guides them to an abandoned shack where he proceeds to torture the girls and make his kinky sexual desires known to Miss Tenney. Trip With The Teacher features an impressively sleazy performance from Zalman King as Al, years before he became known as a writer and director of erotic dramas such as Nine 1/2 Weeks, Wild Orchid and Red Shoe Diaries. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
