Arthur Marks Movies
- 1980
Country superstar Loretta Lynn appears as herself in this episode. Hazzard County is thrown into an uproar when Loretta is kidnapped by a trio of shabby amateur crooks (Henry Gibson, Dennis Burkley Rebecca Reynolds) who demand a ransom of $1136.15! Truth to tell, the kidnappers aren't all that villainous or menacing: they simply want to recoup the money that was cheated out of them by a fraudulent record company. To clear themselves of blame for the abduction, Luke (Tom Wopat) and Bo (John Schneider) set out to rescue Ms. Lynn and see that justice is served all around. Loretta Lynn sings "Y'all Come". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An inner-city Chicago community comes together to save their neighborhood from destruction in this '70s era blaxploitation-comedy. The construction of a proposed expressway would tear up their urban home, so a massive block party is planned to protest the action. Meanwhile, fast-talking scam artist Daddy Foxx (Yaphet Kotto) has taken a group of unemployed young men under his wing and is teaching them the tricks of his trade. Foxx's best pupil is 14-year-old Baby D (Kirk Calloway), much to the chagrin of his older brother, Win (Randy Brooks), a drummer who can't land a decent gig. After Win's drum kit and apartment get trashed, he finds no recourse but to join up with Foxx himself, so the gang proceeds to pull various cons on other local crooks. This annoys fellow street hustler Goldie (Rudy Ray Moore), but ultimately everyone has to put their differences aside and cooperate to make sure that their neighborhood isn't demolished by the city's bulldozers. It takes a lot of funky music, cream pies in the face, and petty theft, but together they stand their ground. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yaphet Kotto, Rudy Ray Moore, (more)
This stylish and very entertaining blend of the horror and "Blaxploitation" genres takes some creative risks on a seriously limited budget but manages to deliver the gory goods. The story begins in New Orleans in the mid-1940s, with black crime kingpin J.D. Walker (David McKnight) shot dead on Bourbon Street. Flash forward to the present, when clean-cut college student Ike (Cooley High's Glynn E. Turman) falls under the malevolent influence of the ghostly gangster. As he begins to exhibit J.D.'s boisterous, violent traits, Ike seeks out a local minister (Louis Gossett, Jr., in a standout performance) -- who had once played a role in the gangster's execution -- to exact his revenge. This cult favorite has seen a revival of sorts on home video and primarily remains in the public eye due to the novelty value of its soundtrack: all songs are performed by the artist soon to be known as The Artist Formerly Known As Prince -- who also supplies the vocal for " Will Never Let You Go". ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glynn E. Turman, Joan Pringle, (more)
Voter apathy in the United States is at an all-time high, and the general consensus of the American attitude is that there simply isn't anyone worth voting for. A multi-ethnic, politically diverse committee comes together to name a new candidate that America can really get behind. When someone jokingly suggests famous porn star Linda Lovelace, the committee members realize that it isn't such a crazy idea after all ("At least she knows how to use her head!"). Lovelace agrees to run for president, the Upright Party is formed, and a cross-country campaign tour is launched. Her journey is full of ribald adventures in small towns, big cities, and rural spots along the highway, and she's loved by the people everywhere she goes. Unfortunately, that makes the Dirty Guys in Washington upset, so they send for The Assassinator (Chuck McCann) to make sure that Lovelace doesn't live to claim her rightful spot as leader of the free world. This wacky softcore sex farce features an assortment of celebrities in cameo roles, including Micky Dolenz, Scatman Crothers, Joe E. Ross, and Vaughn Meader. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Lovelace
A man moves to the small and racially divided town where his bar-owning brother was murdered after he refused to pay crooked white cops for "protection." When he is threatened himself, he calls in some hefty men to help him, but they instead decide to take over the town. In order to oust the baddies, the hero becomes a one-man army with a mission. This blaxploitationer features the action hero, Fred Williamson. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Williamson, Pam Grier, (more)
- 1975
- R
In this drama, a greedy millionaire takes a Las Vegas showgirl for his new bride and no one in his family is terribly pleased. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A woman looking for adventure finds romance, excitement and danger in her viewfinder in this action-packed comedy-drama. Friday Foster (Pam Grier) is a beautiful and ambitious young photographer who is working as an assistant at Glance Magazine, edited by the hard-boiled Monk Riley (Julius Harris). When Riley can't get in touch with his first-call photographer, he calls Foster with a very important New Year's Eve assignment -- reclusive billionaire Blake Tarr (Thalmus Rasulala), often called "the black Howard Hughes," is expected to be coming to Los Angeles, and Riley wants pictures of Tarr's arrival. But Foster gets more than she bargained for when Tarr is ambushed by a gang of assassins disguised as security guards. The next day, Foster is helping to shoot a fashion show introducing new creations from flamboyant designer Madame Rena (Eartha Kitt) when Clorils Boston (Rosalind Miles), a model who has known Friday since childhood, is stabled to death. Colt Hawkins (Yaphet Kotto), a private detective who is on the scene, offers to help Friday track down Clorils' killer after she notices that the same mysterious man (Carl Weathers) was present at both crimes. Foster and Hawkins discover the two killings are connected by a plot hatched by an underground group called "Black Widow" to kill off powerful and influential African-Americans. But who is behind the conspiracy, and can they be stopped in time? Also starring Godfrey Cambridge, Paul Benjamin, Scatman Crothers and Ted Lange, Friday Foster was based on the comic strip by Jim Lawrence and Jorge Longeron; running from 1970 to 1974, it was the first syndicated strip with an African-American woman as the leading character. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pam Grier, Yaphet Kotto, (more)
A psychopathic killer administers a series of death sentences to various pornographic models. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
Several good actors are laid low by the tawdriness of Bonnie's Kids. The title characters, played by Tiffany Bolling and Robin Mattson, are sisters of a single mind. They intend to be criminals, and they succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Before the film's 107 minutes has run its course, Bonnie's Kids have blazed a trail of murder, robbery and soft-score sex. Scott Brady and Alex Rocco, both of whom looking befuddled if not downright embarrassed, costar. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- R
Five bosomy buddies take off for a little fun and sun and end up involved with handsome new men. Their fun abruptly ends when a homicidal maniac begins stabbing people to death. To make matters worse, the killer seems to be one of them. Fortunately, looks can be deceiving. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Titled Detroit Heat for video release, this blaxploitation flick concerns two Motor City detectives (Hari Rhodes, Alex Rocco) on the trail of a gang of thieves who attacked a political rally. Noted blaxploitation fan Quentin Tarantino sponsored a theatrical re-release in 1998, with a video reissue following. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- PG
In this Cold War comedy, a handsome American rake falls for a communist female athlete in Greece. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
This uneven exploitation flesh feature finds three couples carrying on erotic adventures on board a pleasure-cruising yacht. They are shocked to discover one of them is a heroin dealer, which is the only thing that resembles a plot. There are the usual displays of writhing and groaning and the requisite lesbian scene, partner-swapping and auto-erotic exercises. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Welles
- 1968
A murder has been committed in a remote California town where a nuclear power station is scheduled to be built. Assigned to investigate the killing, agents Kelly and Scotty arrive in the tiny community, where they run up against hostility, gang violence, and obstreperous, tight-lipped locals who harbor a deep but unexplained hostility towards the government. Among the suspects are town boss Pierson (Andrew Duggan), housewife Kathy (Diahn Williams), and hooligans Clay (Ken Swofford) and Tiny (a pre-"Jaws" Richard Kiel). Written by Jerry Ludwig, "A Few Miles West of Nowhere" orginally aired on January 29, 1968. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Perry Mason's one-and-only color episode is a loose adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. The "Fagin" character is slimy art collector Benjamin Huggins (Victor Buono), who with the assistance of henchman Bill Sikes (Scott Graham) masterminds a teenage car-stripping gang. Murder rears its ugly head when 18-year-old gang member Lennie Beale (Kevin O'Neal) is charged with killing Sikes, apparently as retaliation for Sikes' shooting of Lennie's girlfriend Robin Spring (Lisa Seagram). Even though he had previously been robbed by Lennie, Perry (Raymond Burr), in true "Mr. Brownlow" fashion, agrees to defend the boy in court. One of the seventy-six Perry Mason episodes removed from the series' original 1966 syndication package, "The Case of the Twice-Told Twist" was finally rebroadcast on cable TV in the early 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
Raymond Burr essays a dual role in this offbeat episode, appearing as both Perry Mason and Mason's evil lookalike, a scurrilous merchant seaman named Grimes. It seems that someone has hired Grimes to pose as Mason in order to discredit the lawyer's testimony in a hearing over a million-dollar patent dispute. Subsequently, the winner of the dispute, Otis Swanson (Oliver McGowan), is murdered, and innocent Barbara Kramer (Indus Arthur) is arrested for the crime. To save Barbara from the gas chamber, Perry must literally chase himself by tracking down the elusive--and dangerously short-tempered--Mr. Grimes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Acquitted for the murder of her husband Jameson (John Hart), Louise Selff (Marion Moses) hires Perry Mason (Perry Mason) to find the real killer--or at the very least, to locate Jameson's still-missing body. Things get really dicey for Louise when she starts having visions of her supposedly deceased spouse, culminating with a visitation by Jameson's "ghost", who advises Louise to invest heavily in a new laser process. Of course, it turns out that Jameson isn't dead at all--but he soon will be, and since "double jeopardy" doesn't apply here, Louise is again put on trial for murder! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Wealthy California widow Millie Barton (Cathy Downs) is matched up by a computer-dating service with Oklahoman Lucas Tolliver (Noah Beery Jr.). Though he pretends to be a poverty-stricken rube, Lucas is actually a filthy-rich oil man. This sets Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to wondering why Lucas wants to draw up a will leaving Millie's fortune to him in the event of her death. Also problematic is the fact that Lucas' first wife died from an "accidental" poisoning--and guess what eventually happens to poor Millie! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) must once again put his social life on hold when he is summoned to his alma mater, Cal State. Though he'd been slated to merely pick up an award, Perry ends up defending student Van Fowler (James Noah) on a murder charge. The victim is Professor Stuart Logan (G.B. Atwarter), who after accusing his entire class of cheating on an exam was himself labelled a cheater by the hapless Fowler, who had helped to write Logan's best-selling book but received neither credit nor compensation for his efforts. A pretty strong motive indeed--but Perry is a bit too swift for both the prosecution and the real murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Aspiring folksinger Amy Jo Jennings (Bonnie Jones) is not only incredibly naïve, but also incredibly rich, thanks to the profits of her family's "home remedy" firm. Shifty promoter Harry Bronson (Robert H. Harris) hopes to capitalize on both Amy Jo's naivete and wealth by offering her a starring role in a touring musical production--provided she invests $50,000 in the show. When she finally realizes she's being duped, Amy Jo heads to a wild party to confront Bronson, only to find that he's been murdered and she's the principal suspect. Among those "grilled" by Amy Jo's attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) is a weird character named Jazzbo, played by the estimable Gary Crosby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
While on a fishing vacation, Perry (Raymond Burr) rescues novelist Diana Carter (Bonnie Jones) from a watery grave. He must then save Diana from a charge of being an accomplice in a $50,000 jewel theft. And THEN, it's up to Perry to clear the girl on a charge of murdering Addison Powell. A forged note, hidden somewhere in a sunken yacht, is the vital piece of evidence on this occasion. "The Case of the Impetuous Imp" is based on Erle Stanley Gardner's novel The Case of the Negilgent Nymph, previously filmed under that title for Perry Mason's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Every prediction made by a fortune teller to Patricia Kean (Julie Adams) has come true, including her marriage to her wealthy boss Max Armstead (Jesse White). This is why Patricia begins worrying when the seer predicts "You'll wear white. . .then widow's black." Sure enough, Max ends up being fatally poisoned--and as he breathes his last, he accuses Patricia of being his murderer. This place Patricia's lawyer Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) in an uncomfortable position, inasmuch as both he and Lt. Drumm (Richard Anderson) were present when Max spoke his final words! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
Accused by Vera Wynne (Jeanne Bal) of embezzling $200,000 from the So-Cal Investment Company, executive Clyde Darrell (Linden Chiles) hires Paul Drake (William Hopper) to expose the real crook, who is also suspected of leaking secret trading informaton to the firm's rival. Paul is able to identify the "leaker" but not the embezzler--and it begins to look REALLY bad for Darrell when Vera is murdered. Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) agrees to handle the man's defense, even though Darrell is convinced that he really is the murderer! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1965
In this Cold War time-capsule, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) and Della Street (Barbara Hale) venture behind the Iron Curtain to save the life of Emma Ritter (Jeanette Nolan), the wife of expatriate East German physicist Hans Ritter (Wolfe Barzell). Emma and Hans have been lured back to East Berlin with the promise that their granddaughter Elke (Eileen Baral) would be released from an orphanage and allowed to emigrate to the U.S., but things go awry and Emma is charged with the murder of Franz Hoffer (Ronald Long). It doesn't take Perry long to realize that the cards have been stacked against Emma from the get-go, and that he will have to do some clever and fancy maneuvering to outwit the Communist legal system. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
