Mark Mitchell Movies
3rd Rock From the Sun's French Stewart steps into the shoes previously filled by Matthew Broderick in this straight-to-DVD sequel to Disney's Inspector Gadget. Arch-nemesis Dr. Claw is back to his evil ways, causing havoc for Inspector Gadget and the citizens of Riverton. Adding an additional twist is G2 (Elaine Hendrix), a new robot cop who provides a little crime-fighting competition to Gadget. Directed by Alex Zamm, Inspector Gadget 2 also stars Caitlin Wachs. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- French Stewart, Elaine Hendrix, (more)
- 1996
The third incarnation of TV's gloriously ghoulish "Munster" family appears in this made-for-TV movie, originally telecast December 17, 1996 by the Fox network. That lovable pint-sized werewolf Eddie Munster (Bug Hall) feels depressed as the Yuletide holiday approaches, yearning for a "Transylvania Christmas" while being stuck in Southern California. Eddie's Frankensteinish dad Herman Munster (Sam McMurray) tries to cheer the boy up by arranging for a Christmas celebration in the tradition of the Old Country. To top things off, vampirish Grandpa Munster (Sandy Baron) extends the Holiday cheer by giving Santa Claus (Mark Mitchell) a magic potion--which, unfortunately, is swiped by a pair of larcenous elves (Ed Gale, Arturo Gil). In other developments, Lily Munster (Ann Magnuson) enters a house-decorating contest (love those designer cobwebs!), and several other copyrighted Universal Pictures monsters make fleeting cameo appearances. A critical assessment of The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas is virtually impossible: Either one loves the Munsters, or one doesn't--and that's the name of that dirge! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
A trio living in a seedy waterfront dive struggle to survive poverty and alienation in this low-budget drama. Gail (Sally McKenzie) works in a shoe factory and lives with Sid (Paul Chubb), a petty thief with a penchant for stolen electrical goods. Their neighbor Wallace (Kim Gyngell) is a cab driver who revels in making apple cider. He later tapes the conversations of his passengers, entertaining himself at home with the playbacks. Wallace is moved by the story of a passenger who tells her sad story of her childhood and being sold into prostitution by her father. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Gyngell, Paul Chubb, (more)
- 1987
- R
This gory slasher film is set within a darkened museum of natural history where a group of teens have come to hold an illicit party. Hosting the revelry is the daughter of curator Dr. Al Wallace. There they find an old brass lamp and laughingly give it a rub. Much to their surprise out pops a murderous, psychotic genie, hungry for blood after being cooped up for 3,000 years. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Deborah Winters, James Huston, (more)
- 1987
- R
Ground Zero details a governmental cover-up as seen through the eyes of commercial photographer Colin Friels. Tipped off to the possibility that the death of his father was tied in with radioactive contamination, Friels runs into several official brick walls as he presses his investigation. At the root of everything is a hush-hush nuclear radiation test, conducted in Australia in the mid-1950s. With the help of a slightly-addled survivor (Donald Pleasence) of those tests, Friels uncovers the truth. Ground Zero was inspired by the real-life nuclear testings at Maralinga. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Friels, Jack Thompson, (more)
While vacationing in the Pacific Northwest, the Henderson clan's dad, George (John Lithgow); mom, Nancy (Melinda Dillon); daughter, Sarah (Margaret Langrick); and son, Ernie (Joshua Rudoy), accidently run over a strange animal with their car, and when they get out to see what it is, they find the seemingly dead body of a hairy Bigfoot-type monster (Kevin Peter Hall). Believing that the creature is a grizzly bear, the Hendersons take it home, planning to stuff the beast and put it on display in their living room. Predictably, the hirsute monster revives and is adopted by the family as a pet. Originally conceived as a TV series by comedian Brad Garrett, Harry and the Hendersons ultimately did make it to the small screen as a weekly syndicated sitcom in 1990, with Kevin Peter Hall repeating the title role during the series' first 24 episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon, (more)
- 1985
- R
Writer-director Richard Brooks' final film features a weak script and poor acting but high energy direction in a tale of compulsive gambling in Las Vegas. Ryan O'Neal stars as Taggart, a sports reporter obsessed with gambling. As Taggart gets deeper and deeper into debt, he compounds his problems with assorted loansharks and gambling operators. Taggart has already lost his wife because of his compulsive gambling, but he takes up with big-timer Charley (Giancarlo Giannini), hoping to make a killing and settle the score. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ryan O'Neal, Catherine Hicks, (more)
