David Lee Movies
A kickboxer decides he would like to retire, but tragically, his wife is killed in an explosion which sends him back into the ring. Soon he is involved in an unnaturally violent and crooked tournament. After finding out who is responsible for his wife's death he is intent upon revenge. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
In this erotic thriller, a luckless yacht captain is accused of tossing the millionaire boat owner into the briny and then raping the drowned owner's luscious young girl friend. The millionaire's twin brother is the one calling it murder. Fortunately a feisty old lawyer abandons retirement to defend the hapless captain. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In this convoluted, low-budget thriller, a young woman is raised within the CIA's "Infancy Development Program," to become an assassin extraordinaire. Her latest victim is to be "MARS," an aging hit man who wants to retire. Unfortunately, the secretive CIA's retirement plan doesn't permit employees to live. The woman begins her deadly hunt, unaware that MARS is her long-lost father and unaware that the treacherous new agency boss also wants her dead. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Director Jack Sholder followed his surprise sleeper hit The Hidden (1987) with this action drama that re-teamed Young Guns (1988) co-stars Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips. Sutherland stars as Buster McHenry, a Philadelphia cop working undercover as a thief in the gang of wealthy, sadistic Marino (Rob Knepper). When the gang's heist of some diamonds goes awry, a few innocents are shot, and a valuable Native American spear is stolen landing Buster in bureaucratic hot water. Along comes Hank Storm (Phillips), intent upon retrieving the relic of his Sioux tribesmen and avenge the death of his brother. Hank and Buster team up to take Marino down and expose police corruption in the process. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
Fraternity and sorority members clash with the other students at a historically black university in this politically charged musical, which marked the sophomore feature from director Spike Lee. Dap (Laurence Fishburne) is a politically conscious brother who leads anti-apartheid demonstrations and eschews the social climbing of the Greek system. But Half-Pint (Lee), his craven young cousin, is willing to endure any humiliation to join the manly Gamma fraternity. As Half-Pint tries unsuccessfully to impress the Gammas with his inept womanizing, Dap engages in philosophical debates with Rachel (Kyme), his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the light-skinned, straight-haired sisters of the Gamma Ray sorority battle it out in a beauty parlor with their darker-skinned, Afro-headed fellow co-eds. Eventually, Half-Pint gets the chance to join the frat, but only after a degrading episode with Jane (Tisha Campbell), the soon-to-be ex-girlfriend of his house president, causes Dap to lose all respect for him. Based in part on the director's experiences at Atlanta's Morehouse College, School Daze was also written and produced by Lee. Despite production numbers that included "Straight and Nappy", a dis-fest between the "wannabes" and "jigaboos" on campus, the biggest hit on the film's soundtrack was the go-go anthem "Da Butt", E.U.'s ode to shaking one's backside. Supporting players Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy also co-starred on the TV comedy A Different World, another look at life on a primarily African-American campus. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Giancarlo Esposito, (more)
Best known for his 1978 film The Deer Hunter or perhaps the less-successful Heaven's Gate, director Michael Cimino turned to this fast-paced actioner set in an authentic (back lot) Chinatown. This thriller stars a rogue Polish-American cop (Mickey Rourke) out to not only keep Chinatown safe for the local consumers, but to dismantle its deep-rooted crime and drug cartels as well. No one backs the crusading cop in the latter objective, and as he faces a suave and wily crime boss (John Lone of The Last Emperor) and a libidinous newscaster (Ariane), he may be taking on more than he can handle. At least his wife thinks so, and the guys at City Hall think so -- but mayhem and murder will strew the streets with corpses before the smoke clears and the dust settles, and a vague, unresolved future sets in. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, John Lone, (more)
Filmed over a five-year period, this interesting drama is about challenges to poor, minority immigrants in the U.S. and starts with the arrival of a Chinese Vietnamese woman (Mabel Kwong), living with a host family in New York while she tries to adjust to the changes in her life. She is a poet, and her works are one way in which she tries to reach out to her adopted family -- with varying levels of success. Working conditions for the minorities in the garment district, gaps between an older generation still living in their native culture, and a young generation of Americanized youth, and the difficulties of obtaining an education and then advancing in the society are all addressed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mabel Kwong, David Lee, (more)
A young widow with three children and a sheepdog marries a widowed man with a young daughter and a French poodle in this amusing comedy. Abby (Doris Day) is the owner of a lumberyard who falls for Jake (Brian Keith) when her sister Maxine (Pat Carroll) introduce the two at a party. The couple is initially reluctant and somewhat embarrassed over the blatant matchmaking attempt but meet later at an all-night store. The two marry and deal with constant canine and sassy sibling rivalries. Jake falls out of the family trailer on vacation, leading Abby to recruit a group of hippies to find her lost husband. Jamie Farr is the far out hippie, Barbara Hershey is Jake's daughter Stacey, comedian George Carlin plays Herbie Fleck, owner of a local hamburger stand, and Alice Ghostley is the harried housekeeper in this engaging romp. The Grass Roots provide some of the music in this feature. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doris Day, Brian Keith, (more)
Roy Fleming (Don Knotts) is signed on to the space program at NASA by his father Buck (Arthur O'Connell), a gung-ho former World War I vet who is trying to make something out of his son. Roy becomes a janitor who is afraid of heights and mistaken for an astronaut through a series of comedic mishaps. (Jesse White) plays Roy's boss Donelli, with (Leslie Nielsen) as space hero Major Gifford. Knotts uses his patented brand of nervousness to perfection in this lighthearted situation comedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Knotts, Leslie Nielsen, (more)
Though based on two Edgar Allen Poe stories, Masque of the Red Death relies more upon its mood and atmosphere than its story values for its success. During a devastating 12th-century plague called "The Red Death," the decadent, devil-worshipping Prince Prospero (Vincent Price) holds court over a bizarre masked ball. Already established as a sadistic torturer, Prospero insists that his "guests" indulge in numerous depraved games, most of them ending with someone's death. Only two innocents are permitted to escape intact, but they go through the torments of the Damned to do so. Hazel Court is on hand as a Satanist who brands her breast for Price's bored amusement, while Patrick Magee is horribly burned to death by "Hop Frog" (Skip Martin), Price's demonic flunkey. The literally diabolical performance of Vincent Price is superbly complemented throughout by the crimson-dominated cinematography of Nicholas Roeg. Unlike many of Roger Corman's economical Price/Poe projects, The Masque of the Red Death boasts a generous budget, which the canny filmmaker exploits to the utmost. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Price, Hazel Court, (more)
This melodramatic tale of a sexual assault on a married woman has a few implausible moments but is believably acted by Anne Heywood as Tracey, the victim, Richard Todd as her husband Lawrence, and Jack Hedley as the man from Scotland Yard sent to track down the violent attacker. Tracey is pregnant and happily married to Lawrence, an architect. She has few cares in the world until the day a maniac breaks into the house, rapes her, and ultimately causes her to miscarry. Tracey falls to pieces and is so affected by the encounter she finds men repulsive, including her husband. Her attitude does not soften with time, and sooner rather than later, her husband takes up with his secretary. But in the meantime, the Scotland Yard detective has still not been able to track down the psychotic rapist, and there is no guarantee that Tracey is safe. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Heywood, Richard Todd, (more)
This microcosmic comedy/drama is set in the kitchen of a swank London restaurant. The kitchen's unofficial father-figure is chef Carl Mohner, who gleefully advises his fellow workers to enjoy life and to seek their heart's desires. But no one is around to boost Mohner's morale when his planned marriage to waitress Mary Yeomans is shot down in flames. This culinary variation of the Grand Hotel theme was the handiwork of screenwriter Sidney Cole. Because of its nonstop action and huge cast, the stage adaptation of The Kitchen has become a favorite of local repertory theatres in both England and the US. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Möhner, Eric Pohlmann, (more)
In this comedy, the daughter of a British aristocrat is sent to Parisian finishing school where she falls in love with a charming American student, and discovers that his father is a business associate of her own. Paternal trouble ensues when her young man forgets to deliver an important letter to her father and he is forced to fly to New York to do the business himself. While gone, he sends his daughter to Scotland with his friend. Her boy friend follows and slyly begins suggesting that they elope. When her father learns the lad's identity, he offers his blessing. Unfortunately, the young daughter has fallen deeply in love with his best friend's handsome son and they elope. Both fathers are very pleased. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Redgrave, Michael Craig, (more)
Stars in Your Eyes is a glorified "vaudeville" picture, tied together by the thinnest of plotlines. As the top British vaudeville houses begin closing their doors, a great many entertainers are thrown out of work. At the instigation of music-hall headliners Sally Bishop (Patricia Kirkwood) and Jimmy Knowles (Nat Jackley), a group of veteran performers decide to reopen one of the old theatres, staging a gala opening revue to attract the customers. Financing this project is the wife of alcoholic ex-songwriter David Laws (Bonar Colleano). A gang of crooks tries to sabotage the show, but all ends happily -- especially for Laws, who is reunited with his loving spouse. Among the guest performers in Stars in Your Eyes is Vera Lynn, the sweetheart of WW II, whose famous rendition of "We'll Meet Again" was heard in the unforgettable finale of Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nat Jackley, Patricia Kirkwood, (more)




















