Kenny Ortega Movies
California-born dancer and choreographer Kenny Ortega had stage and television experience before working on his first feature film, The Rose (1979) and the Olivia Newton-John/Gene Kelly disco-era musical Xanadu (1980). During the '80s, he was associated with some of the biggest hits of the decade, especially among "youth" movies of the period -- One from the Heart (1982), St. Elmo's Fire (1985), Pretty in Pink, Ferris Bueller's Day Off (both 1986), and the monster hit Dirty Dancing (1987). After co-producing Salsa (1988), he turned to directing with Newsies, the Disney organization's ill-fated 1992 attempt to revive the movie-musical genre, and Hocus Pocus (1993). Though Ortega would continue to serve as a choreographer in film and television thought the 1990s (including To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar), his career was geared increasingly towards directing for television during the millennial turnover, with frequent work in such popular series' as Chicago Hope, Grounded for Life, Ally McBeal, and The Gilmore Girls comprising the majority of his credits. After scoring a direct hit in 1996 as both choreographer and director of High School Musical (the higest rated movie in Disney Channel history at the time), Ortega would step back behind the camera to tell the tale of a group of young female singers determined to make the big-time in the musical comedy @Disney Channel sequel The Cheetah Girls 2. ~ Bruce Eder, All Movie Guide
In this film, the mysterious Kira (Olivia Newton-John) appears to assist and inspire a young artist, Sonny Malone (Michael Beck). When she helps him meet up with the rich Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), the two join up together to create an artistic and business success, an unique club called "Xanadu." ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly, (more)
After completing Apocalypse Now, Francis Ford Coppola initially planned for his next picture to be an intimate romantic musical shot on a low budget in Las Vegas. Three years later, One from the Heart had mushroomed into a big-budget spectacular, shot on strikingly stylized sets at his newly opened Zoetrope Studio and costing a then-massive $27 million. The story concerns Hank (Frederick Forrest) and Franny (Terri Garr), a working-class couple living on the outskirts of Las Vegas; after five years together, their relationship has fallen into a rut, and they both set off in search of new partners. Hank meets up with Leila (Nastassia Kinski), a beautiful high-wire artist, and Franny has a fling with Ray (Raul Julia), a dashing actor-waiter. But Hank and Franny still love each other, and their search for romance brings them back into each other's arms. Singer/songwriter Tom Waits received an Oscar nomination for his widely acclaimed song score, performed with country crooner Crystal Gayle. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frederic Forrest, Teri Garr, (more)
Teenaged Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) is a legend in his own time thanks to his uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last grand duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day bacchanal through the streets of Chicago. Dogging Ferris' trail at every turn is high-school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch Bueller in the act of class-cutting. Writer/director John Hughes once again tries to wed satire, slapstick, and social commentary, as Ferris Bueller's Day Off starts like a house afire and goes on to make "serious" points about status-seeking and casual parental cruelties. It brightens up considerably in the last few moments, when Ferris' tattletale sister (Jennifer Grey) decides to align herself with her merry prankster sibling. A huge moneymaker, Ferris Bueller's Day Off eventually spawned a TV sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, (more)
John Hughes crafts an exemplary '80s Brat Pack romance out of the standard Cinderella story in Pretty in Pink. Andie Walsh (Molly Ringwald) is a teenager who lives in the dingy part of town with her terminally underemployed dad (Harry Dean Stanton). She works at a record store with eccentric Ionia (Annie Potts) and is considered a misfit at her uppity high school, but somehow she rises above them all. Her oddball best friend, Duckie (Jon Cryer), is hopelessly in love with her, so he causes trouble for her romantic pursuits. When local rich kid Blaine (Andrew McCarthy) develops a fascination with her, they go out on a date together. Visiting the home bases of each social clique, they are basically ridiculed for their audacity to date one another. When Blaine eventually asks the delighted Andie to the prom, he is threatened by his rich friend Steff (James Spader). The romance versus high school social politics finally culminates at the big night of the prom. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, (more)
French director Roger Vadim pillages his own grave in this nominal re-make of his 1956 creamy sensation And God Created Woman -- the film that made Brigitte Bardot an international star. Unfortunately, he is unable to do the same thing for the cool and cryptic Rebecca DeMornay in this version. DeMornay plays an escaped convict who lands in the limousine of New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Frank Langella and seduces him. For some inexplicable reason, she turns into a hot singing act. DeMornay also seduces innocent stud carpenter Vincent Spano along the way and suckers the poor guy into marrying her so that she can get an early parole. But the joke is on him when she announces that their marriage does not include sexual relations. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca De Mornay, Vincent Spano, (more)
A teenage girl learns about love, adult responsibility, and how to do The Dirty Boogie in this romantic drama. In 1963, "Baby" Houseman (Jennifer Grey) is a 17-year-old spending the summer with her family at a resort hotel in the Catskills; she plans on being in the Peace Corps next summer, so this is expected to be her last summer as a carefree adolescent. Baby doesn't get along with her older sister, Lisa (Jane Brucker), and she's bored to tears by most of the older guests at the resort. However, one night Baby hears what sounds like a party going on in the employee's dormitory, and she pokes her head in to discover most of the hotel staff enjoying the sort of close dancing that would get you kicked out of the senior prom in no time flat. Baby is particularly struck by handsome Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze), a dancer in the resort's floor show, and falls head over heels in love, wanting to be near him. When Johnny's dance partner, Penny (Cynthia Rhodes), finds herself pregnant after a fling with one of the waiters, Baby volunteers to learn her steps and take her place; however, Baby's father, Dr. Jake Houseman (Jerry Orbach), will have none of it, convinced that Johnny is a low life and that his daughter is too young to understand her own feelings. Dirty Dancing was a surprise box-office hit, and the soundtrack album was an even bigger success, spawning several hit singles and inspiring a top-drawing concert tour featuring several of its artists. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, (more)
Disco-gone-Latin, that's what's happening in Salsa, where a grease monkey who's sick and tired of knuckle-busting lives for his nights on the dance floor where he gyrates to the salsa beat. Not much plot but plenty of dancing is the fare here, as the lead guy (Robby Rosa) is out to show he's the Travolta of the Latino swing scene. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robi Rosa, Rodney Harvey, (more)
In the John Hughes-scripted The Great Outdoors, John Candy stars as Chet Ripley, an oafish paterfamilias who takes his family on a vacation at a lakeside resort. Their enjoyment is seriously compromised when brother-in-law Roman Craig (Dan Aykroyd) shows up with his wife and kiddies. The rest of the film is an ongoing war between Ripley's carefree aggregation and Craig's obnoxiously prissy brood, and making things worse, a driving rainstorm forces both families to remain under one roof well-past their threshold of patience. Annette Bening makes her film debut as Aykroyd's ill-tempered wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, (more)
Shag is a beach flick set in 1963. The years have passed, but the old Where the Boys Are formula holds firm: Four attractive young lasses head for the surf and sand of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, looking for guys. Phoebe Cates is about to be married, so her three pals seek out a final affair d'amour on her behalf before she is lost to the world forever. The cast is fascinating for its family ties: Bridget Fonda is the daughter of Peter Fonda, Page Hannah the sister of Darryl Hannah, and Tyrone Power III is the son of you-know-who. Filmed in 1988, Shag was released that year in Europe, then offered to American audiences one year later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phoebe Cates, Scott Coffey, (more)
A failed effort to revive the big-budget movie musical, Newsies attempted to create toe-tapping, song-and-dance excitement out of the true story of an 1899 strike by newspaper boys against publishing magnate Joseph Pulitzer. The "newsies" band together to protest a pay cut by Pulitzer (Robert Duvall), organizing a union to protect their rights and ensure fair wages. They are helped along the way by Medda (Ann-Margret), a local dance-hall performer who befriends the boys and provides an opportunity for an additional song or two. Director Kenny Ortega had previously choreographed Dirty Dancing, and composer Alan Menken had provided the acclaimed scores for Beauty and the Beast and Little Shop of Horrors, but their work here failed to capture the spark of their popular successes. Unable to connect with older or younger viewers, Newsies gained a reputation as a major bomb that cut short an attempt to bring back the live-action musical, though in the intervening years it has gained a small but appreciative cult. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Bale, David Moscow, (more)
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy romp around like coked-up versions of The Three Stooges in the frantic Disney romp Hocus Pocus. The film begins in 1693 where three witches -- Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) -- are preparing a potion that will grant them immortality and eternal youth. But before they finish mixing their cocktail, the people of Salem capture them and execute them for practicing witchcraft. Before their deaths, they vow to return to Salem 300 years hence on Halloween to exact their revenge. Three hundred years later, a skeptical, newly transplanted Californian, Max (Omri Katz), explores the ruins of the legendary witches' house and dares the witches to manifest themselves. Disregarding the warnings of his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and girlfriend Allison (Vinessa Shaw), Max lights the Candle of Black Flame. With that, the witches reappear to wreak havoc on the town. The kids take off with the witches' spellbook and a musty tome of hexes and recipes. The sorceresses, who will die by the morning light if they don't recite the incantation for immortality, have to get the books by whatever means they can. So, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary hop on their broomsticks for a chase through Halloween night. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, (more)
- 1999
- Add Barbra Streisand: Timeless - Live in Concert to QueueAdd Barbra Streisand: Timeless - Live in Concert to top of Queue
On December 31, 1999, Barbara Streisand gave a concert that she announced would be her last. This video, Barbara Streisand: Timeless - Live in Concert, is a record of that event. Streisand performs 40 songs, including the standards "Something's Coming," "The Way We Were," "Evergreen," "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," and "People." The concert also features duets with Frank Sinatra, Bryan Adams, Barry Gibb, and Celine Dion, as well as dancing by Savion Glover. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) is determined to win Stars Hollow's annual 24-hour dance marathon, if only to stifle the obnoxiousness of perennial champion Kirk (Sean Gunn). With no one else available, Lorelai chooses Rory (Alexis Bledel) as her partner, a gesture which leads to trouble when Rory spots Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) and Shane (Jessica Kiper) together at the dance -- and this, in turn, leads to a shocking public outburst by Dean (Jared Padalecki). And elsewhere on the romantic front, Paris (Liza Weil) can't concentrate on an upcoming Chilton social event when her heartthrob Jamie (Brandon Barash) unexpectedly arrives in town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Rory (Alexis Bledel) are placed in an awkward position when they agree to attend three different Thanksgiving dinners -- and things get even more awkward when they also agree to show up at Emily and Richard's house. The only way out of this social dilemma is to actually consume four dinners within a 24-hour period, beginning with the deep-fried repast at the Kim household. Then it is off to the home of Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) and Jackson (Jackson Douglas), thence to Luke's diner. Finally the ladies arrive at the Elder Gilmores' house -- where Lorelai has a hissy fit upon discovering that Rory has applied to Yale. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
- Add Gloria Estefan: Live and Unwrapped to QueueAdd Gloria Estefan: Live and Unwrapped to top of Queue
Gloria Estefan celebrated the release of her bold and innovative 2003 album Unwrapped with a special concert at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and a camera crew was on hand to capture the magic of this one-of-a-kind performance. Gloria Estefan: Live and Unwrapped features the award-winning Latin songstress performing with a 23-piece band and a team of gifted dancers as she interprets both new material and her biggest hits. Songs include "Wrapped," "Te Amare," "Your Picture," "Conga," "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You," "Get On Your Feet," and many more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
When Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) fails to call her, Rory (Alexis Bledel) goes "stag" to a high school hockey game, where she links up with Lane (Keiko Agena) and her sham boyfriend Young Chui (Samson Yi) -- and also gets her first look at her ex-beau Dean's new girlfriend, Lindsay (Arielle Kebbel). Elsewhere in town, the Doose family descends upon the Inn for a family reunion. And Emily (Kelly Bishop) digs up an old scandal with which she hopes to neutralize her irksome mother-in-law Trix (Marion Ross). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Though no one in Stars Hollow is terribly surprised at the possibility of romance between Lorelei (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson), Taylor (Michael Winters) warns them that there is disaster ahead -- and he's got the astrological charts to "prove" it. Elsewhere, Richard (Edward Herrmann) and Emily (Kelly Bishop) squander an opportunity to patch up their marriage. And back at Yale, Rory (Alexis Bledel) has her first encounter with fellow student Logan Huntzberger (Matt Czuchny in his series debut), the son of a wealthy and powerful publisher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Rory (Alexis Bledel) draws closer to Logan (Matt Czuchry) when she goes undercover to write a story about Yale's super-secret "Life and Death Brigade". Elsewhere, Emily (Kelly Bishop) is now aware of the relationship between Lorelai (Lauren Graham) and Luke (Scott Patterson), but Lorelai is still reluctant to invite Luke to one of her mother's famous (or infamous!) Friday Night Dinners. And fellow band members Lane (Keiko Agena) and Zach (Todd Lowe) go on their first date--without ever leaving Lane's home. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Luke (Scott Patterson) isn't happy when his zany sister Liz (Kathleen Wilhoite) returns to Stars Hollow for her high school reunion -- and, making matters worse, Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) shows up demanding the return of his car (which has been stolen!). Elsewhere in town, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) can't bring herself to tell her parents about her relationship with Jason (Christopher Eigeman). Meanwhile at Yale, Rory (Alexis Bledel) is an unwilling contributor to the strenuous efforts by Paris (Liza Weil) and Jamie (Brandon Barash) to avoid one another. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Now reconciled to her mom's relationship with Luke (Scott Patterson), Rory (Alexis Bledel) is upset when she sees Lorelai (Lauren Graham) dining with Christopher (David Sutcliffe) at the Dragonfly. For Lorelai's part, she is appalled at the though of her own mother Emily (Kelly Bishop) re-entering the dating scene. Elswhere, Jackson (Jackson Melville) struggles manfully to control his temper while enduring the pregnant Sookie's (Melissa McCarthy) moods swings. And back at Yale, Rory's date turns into a study session, and Rory's roomie Paris (Liza Weil) noisily observes Ramadan as part of her research for an article. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The only good news that Rory (Alexis Bledel) receives this week comes from the unlikeliest of sources: her biological father Christopher (David Sutcliffe). Meanwhile, Luke (Scott Patterson) continues adjusting to the fact that he's the father of 12-year-old April -- and also continues to avoid telling Lorelai (Lauren Graham). Elsewhere, Luke's wacky sister Liz (Kathleen Wilhoite) goes "Martha Stewart" for Thanksgiving; and Lane's band is on the verge of breaking up as Brian (John Cabrera) seethes with jealousy over the song that Zach (Todd Lowe) has written for Lane (Keiko Agena). Carole King returns in the role of bookstore manager Sophie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
