Barry Opper Movies
The controversial satire The LA Riot Spectacular plays for mordent laughs the events that consumed L.A. in 1992, after the police officers on trial for beating motorist Rodney King were found innocent. The city was engulfed by a massive riot, but the film plays these moments for laughs. In addition to recreating some of the images seen on television, the film skewers a variety of figures including the police, the media, and the citizens of the city. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher McDonald, Emilio Estevez, (more)
Writer/director Victor Salva returns to his horror roots with this teen-slasher genre flick, one of several 2001 films produced by Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope studio. Gina Philips and Justin Long are siblings Trish and Darry, road tripping home from college across the U.S. and bickering all the way. Menaced by a truck on the highway, the travelers encounter the same vehicle later, and what they believe is a man dumping a human body into a drainage pipe. Investigating, Darry and Trish become the intended prey of an indestructible, supernatural creature hell-bent on eating them, a murderous local myth that is proving to be all too real. As they attempt to escape their bloodthirsty pursuer, the pair discovers that even the local police station is no refuge; they also receive some advice from a knowledgeable psychic (Patricia Belcher). Jeepers Creepers co-stars Eileen Brennan. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gina Philips, Justin Long, (more)
In this romantic comedy, a man gets an insider's perspective on his drawbacks as a boyfriend. Jesse (Tim Daly) has never had much luck sustaining a romance. When one of his former girlfriends dies, he asks his current flame (Olivia D'Abo) to marry him. After she turns him down, he decides to visit his former girlfriends to find out what he's doing wrong. Jesse's roster of former girlfriends includes Jami Gertz, Melora Hardin, Elizabeth Pena, and Mimi Rogers. Seven Girlfriends marked the feature debut of director Paul Lazarus, who has a background in such TV series as Friends, Melrose Place, and Beverly Hills 90210. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Olivia D'Abo, (more)
- 1999
Tony Restrelli (Brian Bloom) left his San Diego mobster family after college to "go straight" on Wall Street. Not only did he flourish, but he met the woman of his dreams in Gloria (Alicia Coppola), a beautiful and smart businesswoman. But when Tony's beloved younger brother Primo (Rocco Vienhage) is gunned down, Tony and Gloria return to San Diego for the funeral -- and Tony is convinced by longtime family friend Willy "the Hammer" (Alan Arkin) to stick around to straighten out affairs. Tony begins to unspool a plot to get his family out of massive debt using money from competing mobs against the other -- and in the meantime exact revenge for the death of his brother. Gloria's financial wizardry comes in handy, as well. But these two yuppies, who are more comfortable reading stock tickers than shooting pistols, have no idea how dangerous a game they are playing. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Arkin, Brian Bloom, (more)
The third in the tongue-in-cheek horror series liberally cribbed from Gremlins (1984) features an early performance from future heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio and was filmed simultaneously with its follow-up. This time out, it's an urban family who picks up one of the fast-multiplying beasties while on vacation, although they are warned by Charlie (Don Opper), a veteran of the creatures' earlier attacks. Once widower Clifford (John Calvin) and his kids Annie (Annie Brooks) and Johnny (Christian and Joseph Cousins) return home to their apartment building, the critter begins to reproduce, and the tenement becomes overrun with diminutive, hungry killers. The first to go is cruel superintendent Frank (Geoffrey Blake), but others soon follow, including the unscrupulous landlord, whose son Josh (DiCaprio) finds romance with Annie. With the appearance of the resourceful Charlie and the heroics of Clifford, the critters' days are soon numbered. Critters 3 was directed by Kristine Peterson, a veteran of the Roger Corman school of no-budget genre filmmaking. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aimee Brooks, John Calvin, (more)
Sent directly to video, the fourth installment in the Critters series picks up the action with Charlie (Don Keith Opper) about to destroy the last of the critter eggs. A holographic apparition warns him, however, that every species must be preserved by galactic law; the eggs are transported into deep space, and Charlie is accidentally carted along, beginning yet another freaky adventure. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Opper, Paul Whitthorne, (more)
Critters 2: The Main Course is the sequel to the highly enjoyable horror comedy Critters. The people of the Kansas town first menaced by the little, furry creatures find that they are not yet safe as they are again assaulted when the creatures reproduce. Charlie (Don Opper) is joined by Lee (Roxanne Kernohan) as all join forces to save the town. The special effects, particularly the ""critters" are again, superb, but the direction by Mick Garris is less self-assured than in the original feature. While still enjoyable, Critters 2 is not nearly as much fun as the original, but still well worth a view. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Grimes, Liane Alexandra Curtis, (more)
In this off-beat and stylish mystery by director Wayne Wang, C.C. Drood (Tom Hulce) is an underground cartoonist who is separated from his wife Helen (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and daughter Bean (Judith Barsi). When his lover Yolanda (Virginia Madsen) is found murdered, Drood is the main focus of the police investigation. When Drood uncovers a sex scandal involving police chief Gilbert (John Doe) and Detective Smiley (Harry Dean Stanton), he realizes he is being made the fall guy for the crime. Singer Adam Ant plays Drood's buddy Jim. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hulce, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, (more)
This bleak post-apocalyptic science fiction actioner substitutes a plague instead of a bomb as the reason for civilization's demise but the result is the same -- grizzly motorcycle gangs with a ton of gasoline to burn. In City Limits the older generation has been wiped out by the plague, and the younger generation lives in a state of anarchy in a world controlled by biker gangs. The gangs live by rules discovered in pre-apocalyptic comic books. Two rival biker gangs, the Clippers and the DAs, have taken to dividing up a city amongst themselves and live under a fragile truce. Utilizing a comic-strip version of medieval times, a code has been established for violations of the pact between the gangs -- competitive jousting or acts of reciprocal retaliation. When a person dies, like a post-Holocaust Viking funeral, he is cremated along with his motorcycle. But this shaky peace between the bike gangs is threatened when the fascistic Sunya Corporation attempts to take over the city with the cooperation of the DA bike gang. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darrell Larson, John Stockwell, (more)
Several movie genres collide head-on in Android. Klaus Kinski plays a slightly cracked scientist, working in solitude on a remote space station. Kinski is hoping to develop a race of humanlike robots, the prototype of which is Max. 404 (Don Opper). He is interrupted by a coed gang of space-hopping escaped convicts. One of the cons, the lovely Brie Howard, falls in love with Max. 404, and he with her. The android's less attractive traits are exhibited when he jealously attempts to destroy female robot Kendra Kirchner. Though there's no budget to speak of, Android is one of the more likeable second-echelon sci-fiers of the 1980s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Klaus Kinski, Brie Howard, (more)
