David Lipman Movies

The self-aggrandizing world of Madison Avenue advertising is the subject of this clichéd, sexist satire that features a cynical ad executive (Loretta Swit) and her minions who choose three regular Joes to represent the Norbecker Beer company in a new ad campaign. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

This TV-movie biography of legendary black ballplayer Leroy "Satchel" Paige unfortunately whitewashes and hokes up his fascinating story. Louis Gossett Jr. stars as Paige, who spends virtually his entire professional career in the Negro leagues because of the "gentlemen's agreement" barring African-Americans from the Majors. Paige's prowess as a pitcher is so famous that he becomes the highest-paid player in the Negro leagues -- but as for joining the mainstream teams, the answer is always the same: "If only you were white." When Jackie Robinson is signed by the Dodgers in 1946, the doors open for other black ballplayers; thus it is that in 1948, Satchel Paige becomes the first black pitcher in the American leagues...at the tender age of 42. Don't Look Back down-pedals Satchel Paige's tempestuous private life (his two marriages are combined into one, for example), and tends to shortchange the viewer in the crucial ball-playing scenes. Its saving grace is the towering performance by star Louis Gossett Jr., who struggles manfully to overcome the script's shortcomings. When the film was first telecast on May 31, 1981, the real Satchel Paige appeared in the prologue; one year later, Paige was dead at the (reported) age of 76. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adventurous viewers not repelled by the title of this horror exploitation-comedy from Frank Henenlotter (director of the splatter cult classic Basket Case) will find a fair share of laughs on display, thanks to Henenlotter's typically energetic devil-may-care brand of gruesome humor. James Lorinz tears up acres of scenery as Jeffrey Franken, a neurotic electrician and aspiring mad scientist, who goes completely 'round the bend after his slightly pudgy girlfriend (former Penthouse pet, Patty Mullen) is shredded by his latest invention, a remote-control lawn mower. Preserving her head in his mom's freezer, he sets out to acquire shapely female parts to rebuild the rest of her, focusing his search on the city's red-light district. After watching a news feature on crack addiction among local prostitutes, Franken hits on the solution and invents a formula for "supercrack," which triggers the spontaneous detonation of anyone who smokes it. After blowing apart a hotel roomful of unfortunate ladies, he spirits their scattered limbs home to his garage laboratory, where his patchwork creation is eventually brought to life in a hilarious lift from The Bride of Frankenstein. Apparently, her brain spent too much time bobbing in the same preservative bath used for the hooker-parts, since she is instantly compelled to peddle her assets on every street corner in town, resulting in the high-voltage deaths of several johns (who are not entirely dissatisfied with their choice of demise). Her exploits reach the attention of sadistic pimp Zorro (Joseph Gonzalez), who, obsessed with finding the person responsible for blowing up his women, tracks her back to Franken's lab for the inevitable (and quite disgusting) confrontation. Basically a collection of crude but hilarious sight gags (Franken's predilection for plunging a power drill into his own skull; the pimp knocked senseless by flying severed limbs) and goofy throwaway dialogue, this may offer guilty pleasures for fans of Henenlotter's comic theater of the absurd. Frankenhooker is available on video in R and unrated versions, some featuring a suitably tacky slipcase, which, when pressed, screeches the words "Wanna date?" ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In this teen comedy, the employees at a posh hotel go to war with the resort's snooty guests. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

When a white teenager is murdered in Harlem, the police at first assume the victim was killed in a botched robbery. Later on, a couple of black kids are heard bragging about the killing and seen brandishing the victim's jacket, thereby fomenting a dangerous racial situation. But as the evidence mounts up, the DA's office shifts its attention to a pair of police officers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The prosecution of a Mafia murder faces a stumbling block in the form of a Mr. Dobbs (Philip Bosco), the lawyer of an elderly mob don. Dobbs argues that his client is mentally and physically unfit to stand trial -- and all evidence suggests that the attorney is telling the truth. Adding to the intrigue is the dead witness, and the all-too-eager confession of a two-bit hoodlum. The D.A.'s office arrives at the truth through the "magic" of videotape -- and a steady finger on the slow-motion button. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Rosatti, a New York contractor with mob connections, is found murdered in his own brownstone apartment. At first the killing seems to have been the end result of a botched robbery, but Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Green (Jesse L. Martin) have reason to believe that Rosatti died in a professional hit ordered by the victim's trophy wife Sherri (Gretchen Egolf) and her paramour Tony Darrow (Bobby Cannavale). Just when the noose seems to be tightening around the alleged perpetrators, ADA Southerlyn (Elisabeth Rohm) unearths a startling new piece of evidence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A newspaper columnist is murdered, thereby reopening a 20-year-old homicide case. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) track down the central character in the original case, who was a juvenile at the time. This leads to a tricky dilemma for the D.A.'s office -- a dilemma eagerly pounced upon by the defense attorney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

What at first seems to be a random shooting is eventually revealed to be a deliberate murder attempt. Furthermore, the victim's wife had been previously wed to a man who died in an inadequately investigated accident. When the original case is re-opened, the detectives and the lawyers find themselves with overabundant evidence of a deadly and long-standing vendetta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A pedestrian is struck and killed by a truck. An accident? Not so, insist the detectives and the D.A.'s office, especially when evidence reveals a link connecting the victim, a prominent baby food manufacturer, and the Russian mafia. Assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) promises that no harm will befall an important witness -- a promise which he is tragically unable to keep. This final fourth season episode of Law & Order also represented the series swan song of co-star Michael Moriarty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A woman living in a rent-controlled apartment on New York's fashionable Upper West Side is murdered. Inasmuch as the victim had been holding up the sale of the apartment building, the landlord appears to be the most likely suspect. But further investigation reveals far more personal and deep-rooted reasons for the killing. Onetime Avengers leading lady Linda Thorson is a standout in a key supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Adam Arkin guest stars as George Costas, the Greek-immigrant owner of a New York jewelry business. After killing two intruders in his store, both of whom had long police records, Costas pleads self-defense: "They shoot at me, I shoot back, I killed them." But as all the facts come to light, the D.A.'s office arrives at the conclusion that Costas had appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner long before anyone pulled the trigger. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A medical examination reveals that 9-year-old traffic accident victim Holly Purcell (Jennifer Purcell) has been molested. Feeling pressured to provide the SVU team with quick answers, Holly blurts out that her attacker was her soccer coach Mark Dobbins (Daniel Hugh Kelly)--and before long, several other young girls come forth to accuse Dobbins of similarly assaulting them. But as it turns out, the authorties may have the wrong man in custody. . .and the actual molester may still be at large, fully prepared to kill Holly to prevent her from revealing the truth. Meanwhile, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) is forced to deal with an intensely personal problem. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide