Jay Lewis Movies

A well-meaning, liberal yuppie charity junkie gets his comeuppance when he sacrifices it all trying to prove his sincerity to a homeless man in this earnest, nearly surreal and apparently socially conscious drama. The yuppie is Jeremiah Pollock and works as a computer programmer working for a bank in Los Angeles. He designed a revolutionary ATM machine and as a result makes over a million a year, drives a BMW, and has many cushy perks. He thinks of himself as a giving sort and spends much of his fortune on lavish charity benefits. It is during one such gala that Jeremiah encounters Gregor, a transient who with his band of street vagrants are trying to crash the gates. A struggle between the homeless and the guards ensues and Jeremiah intervenes. It is then that Gregor questions the real motives behind Jeremiah's generosity, calling him a hypocrite and one who only gives to ease his guilt at having so much more than others. Jeremiah is wounded by the remarks and decides to really prove his sincerity by first going on a hunger strike and then manipulating his bank ATM system to help Gregor and his group easily get the money they need to set up an urban farm for the homeless and help other needy folks. Unfortunately, his employers do not appreciate Jerimaiah's generosity with their money and soon the young programmer finds himself destitute and in mortal danger. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

It's probably no surprise that Invasion Quartet has four leading actors; what might be surprising, especially to the unwary war-film fan, is that film is a comedy. British funster Spike Milligan joins the sobersided Bill Travers, John LeMesurier and Gregoire Aslan; the foursome are undercover agents, travelling by train behind Nazi lines. It's all part of a plan to disarm a huge German gun that is aimed at the port of Dover. Just so the audience knows it's supposed to be laughing, the creators of Invasion Quartet pile joke upon joke by having the Nazis portrayed as bumbling buffoons. What works for Hogan's Heroes does not necessarily add to the effectiveness of Invasion Quartet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this newsroom drama, a workaholic editor refuses to take a vacation with his wife. Instead he remains in his office and deals with a series of fascinating stories. They include: four children tossed out of their home, a woman accused of euthanasia, an alcoholic journalist's search for an atomic scientist, and a tragic plane crash. Unfortunately, the editor's wife was supposed to be on that plane. Fortunately, something caused her not to board it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Morning Departure isn't about a commuter train but instead the story of an imperiled submarine. On a routine postwar mission, the sub strikes a forgotten mine and sinks to the bottom. The twelve-man crew comes face to face with the probability of permanent entombment and eventual suffocation; the tension is sharpened when it is learned that eight of the men will be able to escape, but four will have to stay behind. The film concentrates on the wildly varying reactions of the officers and crew, from stiff-lipped stoicism to raving lunacy. Based on a play by Kenneth Wooland, Morning Departure was released in America as Operation Disaster. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide