Tony Burton Movies
Sylvester Stallone returns to the director's chair for Rocky Balboa, the fifth sequel to the film that made him a superstar 30 years before. The movie begins with Rocky (Stallone) still mourning the death of his loyal and beloved wife, Adrian, who died three years previously after losing a battle against cancer. Rocky owns an Italian restaurant and spends his days living in his working-class Philadelphia neighborhood, visiting with his customers, and telling stories about his past. His grown son has a job as a business professional, but the relationship between the two is strained. Rocky's growing dissatisfaction leads him to attempt to purge the feelings of frustration and loss by applying for a boxing license. When the current heavyweight champion, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver), needs to rehabilitate his image as a pretty boy who has never shown any real heart in the ring, his manager offers Rocky an exhibition match. This comeback allows Rocky to get his own life back on track, while also offering him the opportunity to help those around him redeem themselves and once again be a symbol of hope for the common man. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Burt Young, (more)
A group of underachieving college students hoping to boost their GPAs by taking a wildlife field trip are stalked by a chainsaw-wielding serial killer in this low-budget stalk-and-slash laugher featuring Burt Young, William Forsythe, Kane Hodder, and Lochlyn Monro. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Investigating the murder of a young woman who was burned to death, leaving only a tattoo as identification, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) receives unexpectedly helpful input from veteran cop Vince Gotelli (Carmine Caridi). Meanwhile, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp), endeavoring to steer clear of his marital problems, pulls a double shift, volunteering to protect a numbers runner who's been targeted for extermination. As Medavoy and his charge get to know each other, a friendly game of poker develops -- with not-so-friendly results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
Complexly plotted and suspenseful, this crime drama pays much heed to the psychological undertones of the relationships between a gang of thugs who take on their own boss. It begins on Hooker's wedding night. After the ceremony his friends celebrate while doing their assigned tasks. In one scene Michael, the handsome ring leader, has a meeting in a restroom with a strange cop. Later, four gang members are seen using violence to force a gambler to pay his debts. Afterward these four decide they need more compensation for their grim work. It is Michael, who fancies himself far more clever than he is, who comes up with the idea that they team up and take on their crime boss Leo. Unfortunately, his plans go awry and more bloodshed ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Amos, David Proval, (more)
In this sci-fi thriller, the cyborg duplicates of a government agent and his wife, a news journalist, revolt and frame their living owners for murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Stacie Foster, (more)
This erotic drama with an undercurrent of sexual politics stars Shannon Whirry as Emanuelle Griffith, a sexy supermodel who's also an outspoken feminist activist. Emanuelle is kidnapped one night by Richard Tate (Michael Christian), a deranged voyeur who floods her limousine with ether then imprisons the model in a high-tech love nest, where he intends to psychologically torture her into becoming the submissive and attentive "perfect woman." When her several attempts to escape don't work, Emanuelle decides to play Richard's sick game and uses her obvious assets to seduce and then turn the tables on her captor. In the meantime, a private eye (Bo Svenson) and an LAPD detective (Tony Burton) are searching for the famous Emanuelle, but by the time they track her down, she may no longer need any male assistance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
Mayoral candidate Dr. Rachel Olsen (Brigitte Nielsen) has a dangerous plan for swift justice in the form of a band of ex-convicts, called the Peacemakers, who roam the streets to do her bidding. When a boxer friend (Tony Burton) is killed by Olsen's thugs, an outlaw cop (Jeff Wincott) goes undercover to get evidence, and works his way up to the inner circle of the doctor's army. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Steven Spielberg filters J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan through a distinctly 1990s sensibility in Hook. Peter Pan has become Peter Banning (Robin Williams), a 40-year-old mergers and acquisitions lawyer with a permanent scowl on his face and a cellular phone in his belt. Banning has lost any memory of being Peter Pan, and he is also in danger of losing his wife Moira (Caroline Goodall) and two children, Jack (Charlie Korsmo) and Maggie (Amber Scott). Peter and his family travel to London to visit Granny Wendy (Maggie Smith) who recalls Peter's lost youth and asks him, "Peter, dear, don't you know who you are?" With Peter's children asleep in the same bedroom where the original Peter Pan story began, there is a blinding flash. Peter comes into the room to discover a note from Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman), informing Peter that he has kidnapped his children. Granny Wendy now tells him who he really is and encourages him to re-discover his happy thoughts, transform himself into the Peter Pan of the past, and go rescue his children. With the encouragement of Tinkerbell (Julia Roberts), Peter recalls the birth of his son and once again takes wing. Then it's off to Never Land to rescue his kids. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman, (more)
Robin Harris, Christopher Reid's foul-mouthed and irascible father from the original House Party film, died in the interim, but he has a university named after him in this follow-the-dots sequel. Kid (Christopher Reid) has finally made it to college in House Party 2, but not without problems. Sent to Harris University on a scholarship check given to him by his local church congregation, he finds himself broke before he can even buy the books for his college courses. He can thank his old pal Play (Christopher Martin) for his financial straits, since Play borrowed the money to pay a phony music producer named Shelia (Iman), who has headed off to parts unknown. Kid tries to pay for tuition by working in the college cafeteria but is thrown out because he is not considered a student. Problems compound when his girlfriend Sidney (Tisha Campbell) spends more time studying than with him. He also receives lectures on political correctness from her strident roommate Zora (Queen Latifah). Still, Kid's main concern is finding the money for college. Finally Kid agrees to go along with Play's scheme -- to hold a surreptitious late-night pajama party in the faculty hall to raise funds to pay for Kid's education. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher "Kid" Reid, Christopher "Play" Martin, (more)
When Milwaukee college student Monroe Clark (C. Thomas Howell) takes a summer job evicting his wealthy uncle's Los Angeles tenants, he ends up befriending one of the deadbeats, ex-volleyball pro Zack Barnes (Peter Horton), and the two join up together to compete in an important volleyball match. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Peter Horton, (more)
Touted upon its release as the finale of the Rocky saga, this fifth entry in the long-running series of sports dramas reunites star Sylvester Stallone with John G. Avildsen, director of the Oscar-winning original. Stallone is Rocky Balboa, suffering from career-ending brain damage as a result of his punishing bout with Ivan Drago at the finale of the previous film. Upon their return to Philadelphia, Rocky and his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire), discover they are broke, their fortune squandered by an incompetent accountant. Forced to move back to their working-class neighborhood, Rocky finds that his only asset is the run-down gym willed to him by Mickey (Burgess Meredith, who appears in new flashback sequences). Resisting big money offered to him by Don King-like boxing promoter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), Rocky becomes a trainer and finds a talented comer in Tommy Gunn (real-life boxer Tommy Morrison, nephew of John Wayne). Rocky's son (played by Stallone's real-life son Sage Stallone) feels neglected by his father, who lavishes attention on his protégé, but Tommy ultimately turns his back on his mentor to sign a more lucrative deal with Duke, leading to a street-fight showdown. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, (more)
- 1990
In flashback, Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) and Walter (Sinbad) recall their disastrous journey to North Carolina, where they'd hoped to recruit a star basketball player for the Hillman team. The trouble begins when Dwayne is stopped for speeding, and doesn't let up even after the guys inadvertently insult the wife of N.C. coach Cap Connors (Tony Burton). And back at Hillman, Col. Taylor (Glynn Turman) is all bombast and no skill as he tries to repair a broken heater. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Cop Killers was one of five Police Story specials, telecast in the fall of 1988. These "new" 2-hour specials were actually rewrites of scripts from the original Police Story series of 1973-80; there was an industry strike going on in '88, and networks needed material in a hurry. Ken Olin stars in Cop Killers as a police officer who feels unworthy of his medal of valor. He acted "correctly" during a shootout, but his partner was killed in the crossfire. Olin's guilt gradually begins to take a toll on his marriage to Patricia Wettig (the real-life Mrs. Ken Olin). Police Story: Cop Killers was first telecast October 29, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
On Fire stars John Forsythe as the chief arson inspector of a major metropolis. After 22 years' service as a firefighter, Forsythe is summarily ordered to retire. He tries to fight this in court, but learns that, although mandatory retirement is illegal on a federal basis, it can be enforced on a local level in cases of life-threatening jobs. While this TV movie starts well with Forsythe's anger and confusion over being cast adrift at age 60, the script descends into by-the-numbers melodrama after a harrowing experience leaves Forsythe more scared and distracted than ever. Carroll Baker, the "Baby Doll" of the 1950s, is cast against type in On Fire as John Forsythe's patient and supportive wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In Armed and Dangerous, John Candy plays a cop who has been kicked off the force on a trumped up charge. Eugene Levy costars as a disbarred lawyer. The two outcasts take low-paying jobs as security officers at a company controlled by mob boss Robert Loggia. In their own stumblebum fashion, Candy and Levy uncover a smuggling operation masterminded by Loggia. Meg Ryan also shows up in an early leading role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Candy, Eugene Levy, (more)
This exciting disaster film chronicles the raw courage of five ex-cons and their leader when the South American off-shore oil rig they work upon suddenly explodes and only they can stop the ensuing fire. Unfortunately, they must not only deal with the elements, they must also cope with company bureaucracy and greed and their own considerable personal differences. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
The third sequel to Sylvester Stallone's boxing blockbuster combines the ringside sports melodrama of the previous installments with the Cold War patriotism of the star/director's other motion picture series of the 1980s, the Rambo saga. Stallone is back as Rocky Balboa, the heavyweight champion of the world and now good friend of his one-time nemesis, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers). Creed is brutally slaughtered in the boxing ring during a lop-sided exhibition match against the superhuman Russian boxer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren), an event that Rocky takes personally. Vowing revenge against Drago in the name of Creed and the United States, Rocky is invited to the Soviet Union for a matchup and hires Creed's former manager (Tony Burton) to get him in shape. While Drago trains using the latest technology, Rocky's ascetic preparations are a low-key affair of carrying logs up hills through knee-deep Russian snow. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, (more)
- 1985
Having been conned into keeping the Blue Moon Detective Agency alive, Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd) reluctantly agrees to team up with arrogant private eye David Addison (Bruce Willis) to solve their first "official" case. A man (Pat Corley) has come to the agency in hopes of locating his long-lost son Michael (Gary Graham). Following the trail of clues, the detectives discover that Michael is a professional contract killer--but they haven't the heart to tell Michael's father. What they don't realize is that dear old dad is likewise a professional hit man, and that father and son have been assigned to knock each other off! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
The career of boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini is the subject of the made-for-TV biopic. Doug McKeon plays Mancini, while Robert Blake co-stars as his father, Lenny Mancini. An excellent pugilist in his own right, Lenny's career is cut short by his wartime service. Son Ray carries on the tradition into the 1980s, battling his way towards the WBA crown. Heart of a Champion's executive producer was Rocky star Sylvester Stallone, who (it says here) staged the boxing sequences. This heartwarming "do it for the old man" effort was first telecast May 1, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Doug McKeon, (more)
- 1984
On the outskirts of Las Vegas, a gang of mercenaries called the Scorpions have been utilizing sophisticated commando tactics and high-tech weaponry to commit a series of minor crimes. Clearly, the Scorpions are merely rehearsing for Something Big--namely, the murder of their ex-comrade Al Driscoll (Robert Dryer),who has been taking into custody as a federal witness. Once they have determined that the Scorpions are being helped by a pretty "mole" in a Vegas casino, the A-Team goes into action to thwart the villains, through the simple expedient of practically begging to be attacked and/or kidnapped! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Roger Hanover (Dom DeLuise) once enjoyed TV stardom as "Happy the Clown." Now, however, Roger is a has-been, reduced to private parties and store openings. Even so, he remains a hero in the eyes of his adoring son Roger Jr. (played, appropriately enough, by David DeLuise). To prove his true worth to his boy, Roger personally investigates the murder of his partner Bernie Nelson (Jack Gilford), thereby placing himself and his family in dire peril. Virtually a DeLuise family reunion, Happy also featured Dom's wife, comedienne Carol Arthur, and his other two sons, Michael and Peter. Made for television, the film debuted October 26, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Sylvester Stallone returns to the character which made him famous in this wildly successful sequel. Rocky III starts with the Italian Stallion so famous that his likeness is everywhere, including pinball machines. Fame and complacency soon cause Balboa to lose his title to young thug Clubber Lang (Mr. T), who inadvertently causes the death of Rocky's beloved trainer, Mickey (Burgess Meredith), before their first championship bout. After sinking into a depression, Balboa must regain the love and support of his family, as well as the elusive "eye of the tiger," the hungry need to beat the opponent which former foe Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) teaches him during this film's de rigueur training sequence. In the end, Balboa faces off against Lang for a second time. "Eye of the Tiger," the theme song Stallone commissioned from the band Survivor, became a huge hit single. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Carl Weathers, (more)
- 1981
Quincy (Jack Klugman) performs an autopsy on a truck driver who turns out to have died of hydrogen choloride poisoning. Enlisting the aid of the trucker's widow (Salome Jens), Quincy investigates the likelihood that the victim was involved in the illegal dumping of toxic waste. But he'd better hurry: Unless he finds the source of the poison, an upcoming heavy rain will create a huge toxic cloud which will contaminate thousands upon thousands of helpless citizens. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Bette Davis is White Mama in this custom-made TV movie. Ms. Davis plays a poverty-stricken widow who is too proud to go on welfare. Aware that she can receive a steady income if she takes in a foster child, Davis becomes surrogate mother to tough black teenager Ernest Harden Jr. The relationship is shaky at best in the beginning, but soon foster mother and foster "child" learn to love, respect and trust one another. Originally telecast March 3, 1980, White Mama garnered an Emmy nomination for Bette Davis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
