James Polakof Movies
- 1982
This is a soap opera about a rich, suave, but self-aggrandizing villain and the women who either love or hate him. The melodrama sudses up with Ernie Stoddard's (Tony Curtis) determination to bring legal gambling to an island off the California coast and a local councilman's equally strong determination to stop him. The catch is Stoddard's ex-wife Erin (Carol Lynley) is now married to the councilman, but her heart still skips a beat when Stoddard walks into the room. The councilman is her third husband; her first, Stoddard's partner, was apparently killed by parties unknown. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Curtis, Carol Lynley, (more)
- 1973
In this film, also released under the title Crazy Jack and the Boy, a young autistic boy, Eric (Ian Geer Flanders), loses himself in the woods while on a visit to the California wilderness. As his parents organize a search party for him, he is discovered by a hermit known as Crazy Jack, who manages to reach the troubled boy. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
Filmed in 1982 but unreleased until after the success of 1983's Valley Girl, this is a low-budget mix of valley-speak, trendiness, and message. In the end, it may have proved too difficult to combine dialogue such as "grody to the max," sex scenes, a bubbly teenager or two, the noble objective of saving an orphanage, and a rambling plot and still come out ahead. Saving the orphanage involves an unrealistic scheme to steal money from cocaine dealers, while other problems involve how to convince your boyfriend to have sex with you -- another stretch of reality. Flaws in this film do not include the acting on the part of the teens (Jill Carroll, Sharon Lea, and others) which is not to be faulted. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Carroll, Michelle Laurita, (more)
- 1982
- R
This sex-filled exploitation favorite has bounced from one double-billing to the next, undergoing numerous re-titlings (including Bride of Satan and Fury of the Succubus) in the process. It stars Lana Wood as a frustrated housewife who begins having nightly trysts with a tall, dark stranger... who, of course, turns out to be Satan himself. Thus begins her descent into dementia, as she begins to distance herself even further from her husband and kids (if that were possible) while painting portraits of her enigmatic new lover. For reasons never detailed in the film, there is a fully-functional guillotine in the cellar, and it's only a matter of time before heads begin to roll. Assorted devil-worshippers pop up out of nowhere for a confusing climax. Not a bad little time-waster, this film relies more on nudity than scares, with a dollop of gore for good measure. Britt Ekland fans be warned: despite her prominent billing in the credits, her role barely amounts to a walk-on. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Britt Ekland, Lana Wood, (more)
- 1974
- R
In this violent drama, two hippies head for the wilds of California to find a good buddy and end up assaulted and raped by two terrifying woodsmen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- PG
An auto-theft ring decides to help out migrant workers from Mexico with the proceeds from their racket. The film is also known as Love and the Midnight Auto Supply. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Parks, Linda Cristal, (more)
- 1974
- PG
A middle-aged housewife, bored and frustrated with her life, endeavors to find herself and renew her happiness in this drama. To relieve the ennui, she has tried several techniques, including mate swapping, but nothing works. She then takes to making daily visits to a hotel room where she finds peace, and also hopes to make her husband jealous. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
