Avi Lerner Movies
- 1989
This English-language, Israeli produced example of the ever-popular "candid camera" type of show was shot in South Africa for the Israeli market. The producers choice of shooting it in English and the absence of genuinely original set-ups may have been a mistake: at any event, the film did not do well in its home market. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Boaz Davidson, Zvi Shissel, (more)
- 1989
- R
Without a doubt the weirdest adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe tale in recent memory, this lurid production features a raging, leering Oliver Reed as Roderick Usher, who treats his nephew (Rufus Swart) and the man's bride-to-be (Romy Windsor) to some genuine family hospitality by raping her and burying him alive. It seems Roderick intends to sire a child with the poor girl in order to continue the Usher bloodline -- apparently oblivious to the fact that her marriage to his nephew would have accomplished the same thing. As if Reed's lecherous advances weren't enough, we are presented with a one-armed Donald Pleasence, who likes to threaten our heroine with a power drill attached to his stump! This film is not only an abomination to the memory of the great author, but a sick joke by comparison with Roger Corman's excellent 1960 adaptation. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- PG
Ten Little Indians, the classic mystery by Agatha Christie, is again adapted, with enjoyable results. The setting of the now familiar mystery is moved to Africa, where the ten guests of a mysterious host are killed one by one as they travel on safari. None of the guests, played with great fun by a cast including Donald Pleasence, Brenda Vaccaro, Frank Stallone and Herbert Lom, know why they have been invited, but as they begin to be murdered, one by one, they fear for their safety and begin to suspect each other. The ending of this wonderful mystery should never be divulged, and the story remains surprisingly fresh despite its many adaptations. This film, while only average, remains highly enjoyable because of the charm and surprise of Christie's wonderful plot and great surprise ending. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donald Pleasence, Frank Stallone, (more)
- 1989
- R
In this swashbuckler a despotic colonial governor has made it legal to punish people with the terrifying and excruciatingly painful split-tongue whip, called the Dragonard. Fortunately, a handsome hero appears and stops him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Eartha Kitt, (more)
- 1988
- R
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Shot in South Africa, this direct-to-video installment of the werewolf series continues that franchise's tradition of generating sequels light-years distant from the quality of Joe Dante's witty and frightening original. The fourth chapter even attempts to rewrite the original film's premise, which admittedly took grand liberties with the novel by Gary Brandner. The revamped tale involves successful author Marie (Romy Windsor), who visits the scenic woodland town of Drago to find respite from constant nightmare visions involving werewolves and a mysterious nun. Needless to say, her stay in the village does nothing to dispel the visions, which increase in frequency and seem to suggest strange portents of evil events to come... and a warning to get out of town before the next full moon. Director John Hough has yet to surpass his horror masterpiece The Legend of Hell House, and this deadly dull exercise is hardly a step in the right direction. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Romy Windsor, Michael T. Weiss, (more)
- 1988
- R
Edward Delacorte (Robert Vaughn) is the director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency who incurs the wrath of the Paradorian dictator General Belmondo (Oliver Reed) when the general's drug-dealing son is arrested. The irate dictator orders a plane carrying students from Loyola Marymount to be hijacked and flown to his South American country. Ten young women including Edward's daughter Lucy (Lisa Rinna) are held prisoner. Belmondo threatens to torture and kill them all unless his son is released within 72 hours. Piranhas feast on human flesh and the femmes create quite a stir themselves when they prove to be adept at handling semi-automatic weapons to fight the forces of the despotic dictator. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Robert Vaughn, (more)
- 1988
- R
A team of mercenaries, led by Colonel Virelli (Peter Fonda), is hired by an African nation to get rid of a tribe of people who are trying to block a proposed dam. After the men learn that the tribe is merely fighting to save its life, they face mutiny and confusion as to which side they're on. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Fonda, Reb Brown, (more)
- 1988
- PG
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This is another retelling of the Jules Verne tale about an adventure to the earth's core. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicola Cowper, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, (more)
- 1987
For all we know, there may be even more unknown and unseen Dom DeLuise films lurking around out there. Until we did the research, we didn't know My African Adventure existed. Based loosely on a comic novel by Tamar Burstein, the film concerns the son of an American ambassador who meets a steady stream of merry mercenaries while heading into the African interior. One of the plot-motivating factors is a talking monkey; other devices aren't quite as subtle. In addition to Mr. DeLuise (who isn't the lead, though he gets top billing), My African Adventure also features Jimmy "Dy-No-Mite" Walker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dom DeLuise, Jimmie "J.J." Walker, (more)
Who else but a California Valley Girl could stumble down a hole in the ground and end up in the lost city of Atlantis: "Ooooh, and the buildings are sooo spiffy..." The Atlanteans are quite sure she's on their side, so they decide she's gotta' go and send out the death squads. The "Alien" in this film is played by model Kathy Ireland. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathy Ireland, Thom Matthews, (more)
- 1987
- R
Lieutenant Jeff Knight (Michael Dudikoff) is an idealistic young officer who arrives in Vietnam to lead a group of fighters from the 103rd Airborne division in jungle combat. Sergeant Michael McNamara (Robert F. Lyons) is a combat veteran who helps Jeff after most of the platoon is wiped out. George S. Clinton provides the music for this low-budget war film that features plenty of gratuitous violence. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Dudikoff, Robert F. Lyons, (more)
- 1987
American Ninja 2: The Confrontation spotlights Michael Dudikoff and Steve James as a pair of combustible U.S. Army Rangers. Dudikoff and James are ordered to find out why so many Marine guards have been disappearing from their posts at the US Embassy in a mythical Carribean country. Turns out that villain Gary Conway has been kidnapping the Marines and forcing an abducted engineer to reprogram the captive Leathernecks so that they'll join Conway's army of zombielike assassins. Naturally, the scientist has a beautiful daughter (Michelle Botes) whom Conway uses as leverage. Battling not only Conway's minions but the corrupt local authorities, martial arts experts Dudikoff and James effectively lay waste to the villain's previously impenetrable stronghold. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Dudikoff, Steve James, (more)
- 1987
- R
A group of slaves rise up against their oppressive owners in this costume drama starring Eartha Kitt and Oliver Reed. Richard Abdee (Patrick Warburton) is exiled from Britain for treason and falls in love with Honore (Annabelle Schofield), the sister of the sadistic plantation owner Pierre (Drummond Marias). When Richard is flogged, the slaves revolt. Eartha Kitt plays the brothel owner Naomi, with Oliver Reed as the captain sent to quell the uprising. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oliver Reed, Eartha Kitt, (more)
- 1987
- PG
In this sword and sorcery film, a wimpy college professor Tarl Cabot (Urbano Barberini) is mysteriously thrown into the world of Gor, where he must battle the evil Sarm (Oliver Reed) to save the innocent people of Gor. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Urbano Barberini, Rebecca Ferratti, (more)
- 1986
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After receiving a mysterious gold piece, Quatermain travels to Africa to find his brother, who is searching for a lost white tribe. In his search, Quatermain discovers a lost civilization. This film is a follow-up to King Solomon's Mines. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Chamberlain, Sharon Stone, (more)
- 1983
In this emotional film related to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, an American woman and an Israeli journalist both have husbands who do not return from the fighting, and each woman is convinced that the same prisoner who appears in a film taken in an Egyptian POW camp was her husband. At first the women are antagonistic but as they continue to wait and wait with no word, they begin to empathize with each other's trauma and a deep friendship develops. Whenever the POW in question is released, one of the women may be facing a tragedy spared the other. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Quinlan, Yona Elian, (more)
