Peter Locke Movies

Inspired by Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist, Lionel Bart's 1961 London and Broadway musical hit glossed over some of Dickens' more graphic passages but managed to retain a strong subtext to what was essentially light entertainment. For its first half-hour or so, Carol Reed's Oscar-winning 1968 film version does a masterful job of telling its story almost exclusively through song and dance. Once nine-year-old orphan Oliver Twist (Mark Lester) falls in with such underworld types as pickpocket Fagin (Ron Moody) and murderous thief Bill Sykes (Oliver Reed), it becomes necessary to inject more and more dialogue, and the film loses some of its momentum. But not to worry; despite such brutal moments as Sikes' murder of Nancy (Shani Wallis), the film gets back on the right musical track, thanks in great part to Onna White's exuberant choreography and the faultless performances by Moody and by Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger. The supporting cast includes Harry Secombe as the self-righteous Mr. Bumble and Joseph O'Conor as Mr. Brownlow, the man who (through a series of typically Dickensian coincidences) rescues Oliver from the streets. Oliver! won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and a special award to choreographer Onna White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite her best efforts, a pretty drive-in restaurant waitress just doesn't seem to be able to lose her virginity in this 1974 sex comedy that was also released under the title Kitty Can't Help It. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Horror auteur Wes Craven followed his threadbare but horrifically compelling cult classic Last House on the Left with this wonderfully demented morality fable about a bloody war of attrition between two extremely different families. The story opens on the journey of the Carters, a mildly dysfunctional extended family led by patriarch "Big Bob" Carter (Russ Grieve), as they travel across the California desert in search of an inherited silver mine. When a broken axle leaves them stranded in the middle of a former nuclear testing site, their attempts to find help lead them unwittingly into the territory of a savage family of cave-dwelling cannibals, the apparent progeny of the bearlike Jupiter (James Whitworth) and an abducted prostitute. Jupiter's eldest son Pluto (professional movie weirdo Michael Berryman) leads the first brutal attack on the defenseless Carters who, through necessity, are driven to equally extreme measures in order to survive. Though the film is not overtly bloody, the scenes depicting this confrontation are rendered with an unflinching directness, and the violations visited on the Carters are so brutal as to make the survivors' regression into savagery all the more convincing. No one is spared from the nightmare: Jupiter's boys have even kidnapped the youngest member of the Carter family -- a mere infant -- to serve as fodder for their next barbecue, and the baby becomes the main point of contention between the rival clans. Craven nevertheless refuses to take the easy way out by depicting his "monsters" as soullessly evil; parallels between either family's "values" are clearly drawn as the differences between the two clans begin to blur. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

When Stockard Channing agreed to co-produce the made-for-TV Gun in the House, she fully intended to play the leading role of Emily Cates herself. But schedule conflicts intervened, and Channing was forced to relinquish the role to Sally Struthers, who was quite good. Attacked in her home by two male assailants, Emily Cates grabs a handgun and shoots and kills one of the intruders. Alas, the police find no evidence that Emily was in fact attacked--nor do they discern any need for excessive force. As a result, Emily is arrested like a common criminal and charged with murder--targeted as an "example" to other would-be gun owners by politically ambitious DA Lance Kessler (Jeffrey Tambor). The Stephen Zito-James M. Miller teleplay takes an inordinately melodramatic approach to the film's provocative subject matter, offering cut-and-dried hero and villain types and occasionally illogical plot twists. Still, Gun in the House has remained food for thought ever since its February 11, 1981 debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This atrocious sequel to the 1977 horror classic is padded with so much of that film's footage that it seems more like a rerun than a new story. The entire cast seems to have lengthy flashbacks of the previous movie's events, including -- in what must be a cinematic first -- the German shepherd dog. The remaining screen time is spent on an uninvolving battle between some bland motocross bikers and the cannibal hillfolk. To be fair, director Wes Craven has stated that the film was extensively tampered with prior to release. That may get Craven off the hook, but doesn't make this muddled mess any easier to watch. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Season three of the racy HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten bears the subtitle "The Championship," which may or may not bode well for our heroes on the California Bulls. In addition to returning regulars Delta Burke as the Bulls' sexy owner Diane Barrow, and Reid Shelton, as bombastic team coach Ernie Denardo, special emphasis is placed upon quarterback Tom Yinessa, played by Jason Beghe; indeed, the first of the season's four episodes is titled "Yinessa's Interview" (other episodes include "Easy Come, Easy Go," "A Family Affair," and "The Big One"). In another development, quarterback T.D. Parker (played by none other than O.J. Simpson) decides that his playing days are over -- and in a twinkling, he is appointed the Bulls' assistant coach. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After two "short" seasons of six and four episodes each, the raunchy HBO football sitcom 1st and Ten offers a full complement of 13 half-hour installments as the series enters season four. This year, the series' subtitle is "Going for Broke," indicating not only the game plan of the California Bulls, but also their perilous financial status. As ever, the three main characters are Delta Burke as voluptuous team owner Diane Barrow, Reid Sheltonas profanity-spewing coach Ernie Denardo, and O.J. Simpson (still a celebrity by accomplishment rather than notoriety during this period) as former quarterback T.D. Parker, now the team's general manager. Episode titles this season include "Ernie's Last Quarter," "A Second Chance Once Removed," "A Loaded Gun," "The Comeback Trail," "Illegal Use of Love," "The Bulls Change Hands," "A Mutiny on the Bull Team," "The Brink of Death," "Call for the Hall," "Blood on the Moon," "Land of the Free (Agent)," "Of Scalpers and Superstars," and "Championship Game Jinx." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Previously filmed in 1962 with Geraldine Page and Paul Newman in the leads, Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth was restaged for television in 1989 by Nicolas Roeg. Elizabeth Taylor stars as Alexandre Del Lago, a fading, alcoholic, drug-dependent movie star. Mark Harmon co-stars as Chance Wayne, a shiftless would-be actor who romances Alexandre in hopes of getting a few producer's doors opened for him in Hollywood. Assuming that it'll be a simple task to unload Alexandre when he's through with her, Chance has not reckoned with the star's smothering ego. Chance must also contend with Tom Finley (Rip Torn), the fire-breathing political boss who is the father of Chance's hometown sweetheart (Cheryl Paris). The TV remake of Sweet Bird of Youth was first broadcast October 1, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"The Bulls Mean Business' is the new subtitle for 1st & Ten as the raunchy HBO sitcom enters its fifth season. This refers to the fact that the members of the California Bulls football team now all have a financial stake in the franchise. As for sexy team owner Diane Barrows, she has flown the coop (actress Delta Burke left to devote all her time to her other starring sitcom Designing Women). Replacing Diane in the owner's box is the even sexier Kristy Fulbright, played by Shannon Tweed, the famous softcore movie diva. (Given this series' propensity for feminine nudity, it is somewhat disheartening to report that Ms. Tweed remains fully clothed throughout her tenure on the program!) Titles of the season's 14 episodes include "The Bulls Own Up," "The Inmates Buy the Asylum," "Caught in the Draft," "Down and Out in Bulls Stadium," "The Clock Runs Out," "The Dark Side," "Saturday Bloody Saturday," "Injustice for All," "Team Picture,"Out of the Past," "Final Bow," "Duty Calls," "The High and the Mighty," and "The Irreducible Bottom Line." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Having lost the Championship and two of their best players, John Manzak (John Matuszak) and Johnny Gunn (Christopher Meloni), the California Bulls bind their wounds, grit the teeth they have left, and hope for the best as the sexy, profane HBO football sitcom 1st & Ten begins its seventh and final season. The series' subtitle this year is "In Your Face!," and that pretty much sums up the attitude of the battered gridiron vets under the aegis of tough team coach Ernie Denardo (Reid Shelton) and buxom team owner Kristy Fulbright (Shannon Tweed). New to the team is receiver "Miracle Miles" Coolidge (Keith Amos), who just might have the right stuff to guide the Bulls to another Championship. Without giving anything away, we can observe here that "Miracle Miles" figures prominently in the season's best-remembered episode, involving a surprise cameo from a most unlikely guest star. Episode titles this season include "Opening Night," "Old Dogs, New Tricks," "She's Ba-ack," "Altared States," "Going in Style," "Don't Powderburst My Bubble," "The Squeeze," "Take My Wives Please, "Bull Day Afternoon," "Sex, Bulls, and Videotape," "Irma Za-Greb," "If I Didn't Play Football," "A Roast is a Roast," "Close Encounters of the Third Down," "Flashbacks," and "Championship Game." The director for all but one of the above-mentioned episodes was Peter Bonerz of The Bob Newhart Show fame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carolina Skeletons is based on a prize-winning novel by David Stout. Louis Gossett Jr. plays a former Green Beret colonel who returns to his home town after thirty years. As a child, Gossett was forced to look on in horror as his brother was tried and executed on a trumped-up murder charge. Now that he's back, Gossett seeks out new evidence, intending to bring the real killer to justice. Unfortunatel, there are several people in town who'd prefer that the past remained buried-and aren't averse to burying Gossett should the need arise. Made for television, Carolina Skeletons debuted September 30, 1991. An R-rated version was later prepared for cable TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This family drama features the riotous exploits of a lovable seal who befriends a family of animal lovers living in Rockport Maine. The father in this family is Harry Whitney, the harbor master with a great love of animals. His wife Thalice, teenagers Steve and Paula also adore wild critters. But the one who loves them most of all is Toni, a grade-schooler. Every corner of their seaside home is filled with small animals. At work Harry battles the fishermen who hate the seals because they interfere with their catch. Their leader is Billy Baker who drinks too much. At school Toni is persecuted by her schoolmates, the sons and daughters of fishermen. Andre, the seal, has been separated from his clan and is sick. He is rescued by Harry, who brings him home. With Toni's special help, Andre returns to health and becomes a real handful by getting into innocent trouble at every turn. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide