Tom Luddy Movies

This remake of the 1956 horror classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers moves the action from small-town USA to 1970s San Francisco and replaces at least part of the original's psychological horror with special effects. Spores rain forth, unseen, from outer space, and soon strange flowers begin popping up all over the city. After bringing one of these hybrid specimens home with her one night, biologist Elizabeth Driscoll (Brooke Adams) notices that her live-in boyfriend, Geoffrey (Art Hindle), doesn't seem like himself; he's cold and distant and somehow just not quite there. When she turns to her friend Matthew Bennell (Donald Sutherland), a colleague at the Department of Public Health, he convinces her to see his friend Dr. Kibner (Leonard Nimoy), a pop psychologist who argues that the problem is all in Elizabeth's head. Soon, though, Matthew and Elizabeth begin to notice that people all over the city are changing subtly and inexplicably. When their friend Jack Bellicec (Jeff Goldblum) and his wife Nancy (Veronica Cartwright) find a lifeless, half-formed doppelganger covered with plant fibers in the mud baths they own and operate, the group of friends finally begins to understand that a sinister transformation is sweeping their city. Kevin McCarthy and Don Siegel, respectively the star and director of the original film, have small roles in the new version, as does an unbilled Robert Duvall. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Charles Bukowski, the talented crown prince of self-abuse, wrote the short stories upon which the surprisingly entertaining Barfly was based. The film concentrates on alcoholic writer Mickey Rourke (the Bukowski alter ego) who carries on a hate-hate relationship with bartender Frank Stallone. Rourke makes the acquaintance of another of society's castaways, Faye Dunaway, who in addition to being a souse is said to be crazy. They move in together, even though Dunaway all but promises to be unfaithful for the price of a drink. Rourke has a chance to clean up his act when offered a large commission for his writings by publisher Alice Krige. They too end up in bed, each trying to change the other. The clarion call of the cheap wine bottle overrides Rourke's half-hearted efforts to enter the mainstream. Watch for author Charles Bukowski, as well as Fritz "Pop!" Feld and Vance Colvig (who's made a career out of playing street people) in Barfly bit parts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Two highly talented and innovative directors -- filmdom's Jean-Luc Godard and the theatre world's Peter Sellars -- join forces in this unusual (to say the least) slant on Shakespeare's King Lear. This offbeat adaptation gives the viewer a postmodern taste of Shakespeare through the eyes of a deliberately obscure auteur. The film is set some time after Chernobyl has wiped everything out, and the world is trying to set itself right again. William Shakespeare Jr. the Fifth (Peter Sellars) is faced with the task of restoring his famed ancestor's lost works. He visits a resort in Switzerland and becomes fascinated with a visiting gangster, Don Learo (Burgess Meredith) and his lovely daughter, Cordelia (Molly Ringwald), who converse in actual Shakespearean lines. That's as close to the bard as this King Lear gets. It also includes appearances by Woody Allen, Norman Mailer, and director Godard himself as "The Professor," a deranged individual who seems fascinated with Xeroxing his own hand. ~ John Voorhees, All Movie Guide

This film deftly combines black comedy with sharp political satire. Set in a fictional Eastern European town called Waldheim, a place "where nothing is what it seems," the action is centered around a visiting king, in whom many people are very interested for a variety of reasons. Assassination and lust figure prominently on their minds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Wind is set in the world of competitive yacht racing, where a young sailor (Matthew Modine) is intent on winning the America's Cup, as well as regaining the affections of his ex-girlfriend (Jennifer Grey). As the film opens, Modine chooses to race the America's Cup instead of staying with Grey. She leaves him and his team loses the race, leaving him devastated. Modine tracks Grey down, finding her with a new boyfriend, who happens to be an engineer. He persuades her and her new boyfriend to help him build a new yacht, which he plans on using in his pursuit to regain the America's Cup. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Featuring Jennifer Lopez in her first major big-screen role, Gregory Nava's My Family traces three generations of the Sanchez's, a Mexican-American family living in East Los Angeles. Beginning in the 1930s, the film outlines the struggles faced by Jose (Jacob Vargas) and Maria (Lopez) as a recently immigrated married couple raising a family. As Jose and Maria age, the focus shifts to their son, Jimmy (Jimmy Smits), as he starts his own family in the 1960s. While Lopez' role was uncredited, she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance. My Family has also been released under the titles My Family, Mi Familia, Cafe Con Leche, and East L.A. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

For decades, Cuban musician Israel Cachao López held court as the preeminent bassist of his native country, his finesse prompting many in-the-know to dub him "The Picasso of the bass." Employing a unique approach - the film presents itself as half-documentary portrait, half concert film - director Dikayl Rimmasch's Cachao: Uno Más intercuts performance footage of López, shot at the Bimbo 365 Club in San Francisco (wherein the great man delivers a live set with the assist and backup of numerous musical legends including Lázaro Galarraga, Justo Almario and Orestes Vilató, with interviews featuring Latin music experts, the musician's colleagues, and his friends. Each subject delves into anecdotal recollections of López and discusses his immeasurable impact on Latin culture and popular music per se. López then takes center stage as an interview subject, reflecting candidly on his boyhood and the Golden Age of Cuban music. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide