Don Calfa Movies
Supporting actor Don Calfa has been onscreen from the late '60s. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2000
- R
In this action thriller, John Hunter (Matt Schulze) is a killer-for-hire whose parents were murdered by a secret society of criminals known as "The Guild." Hunter is determined to find out who within "The Guild" is responsible and take revenge upon them, but cracking their cover is no easy task, and along the way, Hunter falls in love with a woman who has fallen prey to their evil machinations. Downward Angel also features Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, Jonathan Banks, and Whitney Dylan; the film's story was later adapted into a comic book . ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Schulze, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, (more)
- 1995
In this thriller, an attempted variation of Roman Polanski's Repulsion, a young woman is repeatedly threatened by a violent intruder. The pretty woman had a husband, but lost him after he killed her lover and then himself in front of her. Now she is constantly harassed and approached at work, but consistently demurs. She begins to believe she is being stalked and her suspicions are confirmed when her apartment is entered and she is knocked around and robbed. A policeman is assigned for protection, but after she rejects his advances, he stops doing his job adequately. Now the woman is on her own against an unknown force. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Phyllis Diller guest stars as a seedy fortune teller with the highly significant monicker of "Mme. Oupsenskaya" (and if you don't get the significance, ask any horror-movie fanatic). At the same time that a wolf has escaped from the local zoo, Mme. Ouspenskaya has convinced Cory (Ben Savage) that he is turning into a werewolf! Worse still, Cory is persuaded that he will soon kill the "one he cares for most"--whom he realizes, for the first time in this episode, is none other than Topanga (Danielle Fishel). Of course, all ends happily and no one gets killed...but there's a pivotal moment near the episode's climax that offers a tantalyzing hint of things to come. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
Based on horror author H.P. Lovecraft's writings, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead includes three short stories devoted to the deadly and mysterious "Necronomicon." When Lovecraft (played by Jeffrey Combs) manages to smuggle the legendary book out of a heavily guarded library, he quickly finds himself immersed in its passages, and three short stories take form as he sets off to record the information. In the first, Bruce Payne plays a disgruntled man whose inheritance of an old motel turns out to be more than he bargained for, as there are a nasty group of demons populating its basement. The second story follows a young reporter in search of a doctor who allegedly found the path to immortality, though, like the unwitting motel owner, he wouldn't realize how far in over his head he was until it became too late. The last story features Signy Coleman as a tough-as-nails police officer who descends into a strange set of catacombs in order to find her missing partner -- little does she know that an infamous serial killer is already living inside its subterranean depths. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Combs, Tony Azito, (more)
- 1993
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is shocked when her computer technician is murdered--and even more so when it turns out that the dead man was actually a rookie cop, working undercover. Investigating the situation, Jessica forms a strong bond with the late cop's veteran partner. At the same time, the murderer plans to strike again...and this time the target may be the victim's girlfriend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
John Ritter and Pam Dawber star as Roy and Helen Knable, a suburban American couple having marital problems. Roy has become a couch potato, and a resentful Helen wants him to ditch the remote. When the demonic Spike (Jeffrey Jones) offers Roy a deal on the ultimate satellite TV system, Roy doesn't realize that he's just signed away his soul. Roy and Helen are sucked into their own television, where they endure a gauntlet of Hellish television shows such as "Northern Overexposure" and "I Love Lucifer." When their kids Darryl (David Tom) and Diane (Heather McComb) realize that their parents are on the twisted television, they set out to rescue them. Stay Tuned contains several inspired delights, in particular an original cartoon short by Looney Tunes legend Chuck Jones. The film was the debut of writing team Tom S. Parker and Jim Jennewein, who would stay in the wacky comedy genre with a whopping four major releases in 1994. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Pam Dawber, (more)
- 1992
- R
The title plays on the schizophrenia suffered by JoBeth Williams in this comedy from director Pablo Ferro. George Segal plays her neighbor, a writer with whom she falls in love. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- JoBeth Williams, George Segal, (more)
Bugsy is a character study of mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel wrapped up in a gangster movie. Siegel (Warren Beatty in a flashy performance) arrives in California in the Forties, assigned to oversee the L.A. rackets. He is quickly seduced by both the glamour of Hollywood and actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening), whom he romances despite being unable to leave his wife and children. Siegel soon has a vision to transform a barren stretch of Nevada desert into an oasis of gambling and entertainment -- the seeds from which Las Vegas was sown. Funded by his gangster bosses, including Meyer Lansky (Ben Kingsley), the flamboyant Siegel sees his budget soar past its original $6 million, a problem compounded by the fact that Virginia has embezzled $2 million of it. In trouble with his superiors, Siegel flies back to L.A. to face the music, telling Virginia to keep the money. He would not live to see his dream of Las Vegas come true. The film is fast-paced and well-directed by Barry Levinson, with an intelligent script by James Toback and excellent support from Kingsley and Harvey Keitel as gangster Mickey Cohen. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, (more)
- 1991
- R
New York's Troma Films continue their grand tradition of relentlessly bad taste with this horror epic, which follows the exploits of an all-girl motorcycle gang -- who go by the quaint moniker "The Cycle Sluts" -- and their fearless leader Rox (Catherine Carlin), who offers the freedom of the road to any frustrated small-town girl willing to slap on the leathers. Things take a nasty turn for Rox and her violent femmes when the gang rides into Zariah -- a town in the slimy grip of a deranged mortician named Ralph (Don Calfa), who has been busily turning the locals into cannibalistic zombie slaves. As if that weren't enough... a busload of blind, orphaned teens become stranded within spitting distance of Ralph's undead army, and it's up to Rox's twisted sisters to save the day. Troma is often guilty of slapping outrageously goofy titles on not-so-funny films (e.g. Surf Nazis Must Die, Fat Guy Goes Nutzoid!, etc.), but this is something of an exception, with wonderfully sleazy performances, lots of zany energy and many clever references to zombie and biker-movie genres. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jamie Rose, Don Calfa, (more)
When two bumbling businessmen, Larry Wilson (Andrew McCarthy) and Richard Parker (Jonathan Silverman), alert their boss, Bernie Lomax (Terry Kiser), to an expensive discrepancy in the company books, he invites them to his home on the beach with the intent to have them murdered. However when they discover that their boss has been murdered prior to their arrival, they attempt to convince people that he is still alive to avoid suspicion for his death, leading to all kinds of wacky mishaps. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, (more)
San Francisco detective Jay Austin (Mark Harmon) is assigned to investigate the murder of a female MP at the 212-year-old Presidio army base in this crime drama. Jay must interview Lieutenant Colonel Caldwell (Sean Connery), his former commander from his military days. The two must overcome their past and present differences to track down the killer as they manage to stumble across a smuggling operation relating to the murder. Jay falls for Caldwell's pretty daughter Donna (Meg Ryan), who proves to be as forceful as her father. Highlights of the film are the chase scene through Chinatown and Connery's exceptional performance. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, Mark Harmon, (more)
- 1988
Two enterprising young fools decide to try a new business venture--porn flicks. This light sex comedy contains nudity and profanity. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Levitt, Larry Poindexter, (more)
- 1987
- R
The last thing that seductive Lu the nightclub singer expected when the pirates abducted her was to be taken to an ancient Central American temple and worshiped by its people as a moon goddess. Actually she never expected to be abducted by pirates either. All she really expected was to entertain people living in the jungle. This adventure chronicles her exploits as the beloved moon goddess. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Asher Brauner, Don Calfa, (more)
- 1987
Intending to complete a master's thesis about the sexual relationships between men and women, sociology student Paul Barton sets off to capture examples on videotape. Paul's viewfinder takes him around campus and into rooms of a sleazified Hollywood motel to get first-hand study sessions. During his adventure, he meets and falls for fellow student Jeanne and begins a more personal exploration in the Love Zone. This comedy drama contains sex, nudity, and profanity. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Shellen, Marie Laurin, (more)
- 1987
Private Eye was the pilot for the 1987 TV series of the same name. The setting is the Los Angeles of 1956. Ex-cop Jack Cleary (Michael Woods), embittered over his brother's death, becomes a Spillanelike private detective, principally to solve his sibling's murder. A Rock 'n' roll idol (John Brolin) becomes Cleary's largely unwelcome partner when the trail of evidence leads to a scandal in the record industry. The film is partly inspired by the "Payola" imbroglio of 1959, which (so far as we know) resulted in very few murders. Bill Sadler and Lisa Persky costar, while Jay O. Sanders has a fall-on as Cleary's unfortunate brother; the background music was provided by Joe Jackson. Private Eye was first telecast September 13, 1987, while the series proper commenced five days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Distinguished by a sharp, witty dialogue between its two cop protagonists, Ray and Danny (Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal), this entertaining crime drama is well worth a visit. Ray and Danny are nearly blown away by super bad guy Julio (Jimmy Smits), and their boss is peeved at them as usual. So the two are given a holiday from their beat in Chicago and travel to the sunny shores of Key West. They like it enough to retire from police work and open a business there. But when the duo returns to the Windy City, Julio is about to pull off a big drug deal and retirement may not be such a good idea. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Hines, Billy Crystal, (more)
Middle-aged family man Frank (Jim Karen) trains teenaged Freddy (Thom Matthews) for his new job at a medical supply warehouse. In an effort to impress and frighten his young charge, practical joker Frank reveals that the warehouse basement contains a cannister full of a mysterious chemical capable of bringing the dead back to life. It seems that the cannister fell off the back of an army truck during an accidental outbreak of zombiedom. Frank and Freddy unwittingly inhale the chemical and release it into the warehouse. Turning to the operator of a nearby crematorium for help in destroying the suddenly undead specimens that surround them, they unwittingly awaken the residents of a nearby cemetary just as Freddy's pals arrive to party amidst the headstones and wait for their friend's shift to end. Meanwhile, Col. Glover (Jonathan Terry) waits for the call that his missing chemical weapon has been unleashed. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Clu Gulager, James Karen, (more)
- 1984
With this episode, Ellen Foley joins the cast as no-nonsense public defender Billie Young. Immediately upon arrival, Billie runs afoul of zany night-court judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson), refusing to reveal the whereabouts of a cat "kidnapped" by her client during a most unusual custody battle with a large and powerful corporation. Needless to say, Billie ends up behind bars--and Harry is instantly smitten by her wrathful beauty! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In this made-for-TV movie, two actors who pose as detectives on a television series lose their jobs, only to take up work as real crime fighters. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1983
- R
Sam Cooper (Steve Gutenberg) is an attaché in the U.S. State Department when, on the day before his wedding, a dying scientist hands him a formula that induces invisibility, and Sam finds himself fleeing with the maid of honor to escape both Russian and U.S. agents. Hotly pursued by everyone, Sam has to use the formula on himself, inviting a series of minor disasters. Critics have been unanimous in agreeing that this secret formula worked on the plot, the continuity, the pacing, and the acting -- making just about everything invisible and doing it in 3-D. The very decision to make a movie about an invisible man in 3-D should have warned of trouble ahead. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Jeffrey Tambor, (more)
Fed up with watching vicious criminals walk on technicalities and loopholes, judge Michael Douglas accepts his older colleague Hal Holbrook's invitation to join "The Star Chamber." This sub-rosa organization consists of nine like-minded judges who endeavor to take the law into their own hands. Essentially, these are robed vigilantes, but Douglas joins them, determining that the end justifies the means. Before long, however, Douglas finds himself balking at sanctioning the murder of freed criminals -- and as a result becomes the target of the Star Chamber himself. Worth noting in the supporting cast of The Star Chamber are Diana Douglas, Michael Douglas' real-life mother, and Frances Bergen, widow of Edgar Bergen and mother of Candice Bergen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Hal Holbrook, (more)
- 1982
An all-star (or rather, "all-TV star") cast distinguishes this three-hour filmed re-creation of the great stock market crash on October 29, 1929. Though inspired by a fact-based book on "Black Tuesday," the film is chock full of fabricated soap-opera complications involving dozens of fictional characters, among them a debt-plagued Stock Exchange officer, a group of high-profile embezzlers, a social-climbing couple determined to land a wealthy husband for their hapless daughter, and the inevitable far-sighted individuals who know that the Crash is coming and are determined to may hay while the sun is still in the sky. Overall, the film simplifies a very controversial and complicated moment of history into a cut-and-dried account peopled by blatantly obvious heroes and villains. Originally slated to air on February 1, 1981, The Day the Bubble Burst was inexplicably shelved by NBC for over a year, finally making its debut on February 7, 1982. The fact that it was scheduled opposite the network television premiere of Superman: The Movie was indication enough that NBC had very little confidence in their expensive "factual fiction" piece. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
- R
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Bob Rafelson's remake of 1946's The Postman Always Rings Twice, with a screenplay by the award-winning playwright David Mamet, stars Jack Nicholson as Frank Chambers, a depression-era drifter who ends up at a diner run by Nick Papadakis (John Colicos), who offers Frank a job. Frank takes him up on the offer, but quickly begins a torrid affair with Nick's wife Cora (Jessica Lange). The adulterous lovers soon hatch a plan to kill Nick and share in the insurance payout. The second big-screen adaptation of the James M. Cain novel, the film garnered a certain degree of notoriety for the explicit sex scenes between Lange and Nicholson. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Nicholson, Jessica Lange, (more)
Blake Edwards' 10 stars Dudley Moore as George, a Mancini-type songwriter. Approaching middle age, George feels as if life is passing him by, especially his sex life. Despite the presence of longtime lady friend Sam (Julie Andrews) in his life, he becomes obsessed from afar with Jenny (Bo Derek), who is engaged to be married. Following her to Mexico without her knowledge, George arranges a meeting with Jenny by saving the life of her fiancé, David (Sam Jones). Once he has made her acquaintance, George suddenly finds himself faced with the realities of embarking on such an affair. Beyond renewing the popularity of Maurice Ravel's "Bolero" and turning Bo Derek into a star, upon its release, 10 was one of the most financially successful Blake Edwards films in years. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, (more)
