Joe Roman Movies
- 1980
- G
Charles Schultz' Peanuts gang once more transfer their base of operations from the comic pages to the big screen. Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and the rest are exchange students this time out, taking in the sights of England and France. Charlie Brown's dog Snoopy finds himself competing at the Wimbledon tennis championship, shortly before everyone moves on to the Continent. In France, the gang is ensconced in a lavish chateau thanks to an unseen benefactor. Producers Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez do their usual excellent job in bypassing corniness and sentiment, allowing Charlie Brown et. al. to maintain the integrity established years earlier by the prolific Charlie Schultz. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Anderson, Scott Beach, (more)
- 1979
- PG
Charles Bronson is out for revenge (and doesn't that sound familiar) in this action drama. Jackie Pruit (Jill Ireland) is the girlfriend of notorious gangster Joe Bomposa (Rod Steiger). When it looks as if Jackie's life is being threatened by Bomposa's goons, the FBI moves in to protect her, in hopes that she'll have incriminating evidence that the Bureau can use against Bomposa in court. Veteran agent Charlie Congers (Bronson) is assigned to watch over Jackie, and while it soon becomes obvious that she knows almost nothing about Bomposa that would be of any use to the FBI, he also falls in love with her. However, Bomposa decides that it would be a lot more convenient to have Jackie out of the way, and he orders her to be executed. Bomposa's henchmen manage to slip through FBI security and murder her, but now they have to answer to the angry and vengeful Congers. Love and Bullets also features Strother Martin, Bradford Dillman, Henry Silva, and Paul Koslo. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Rod Steiger, (more)
- 1977
This feature-length animated cartoon was based on the "Peanuts" characters created by comic-strip artist Charles M. Schultz. The gang is shipped off to summer camp, where Charlie Brown gets a "Go away and leave me alone" bunkmate, and where CB's beagle Snoopy ends up winning most of the athletic trophies. The Snoop also has a running feud with a mean-spirited pussycat. Meanwhile, budding feminist Lucy organizes an anti-boy campaign amongst the girl campers. The bulk of the action transpires when the gang builds a raft to enter a dangerous shoot-the-rapids race, only to be outclassed by the professionally built vessel picked up by their competitors. Happily, pluck and luck wins out over arrogance and mean-spiritedness. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greg Felton, Stuart Brotman, (more)
- 1977
J. Lee Thompson directs Charles Bronson in this strange western variation on Herman Melville's Moby Dick. Bronson plays a man named James Otis, who is disturbed by dreams of a giant white buffalo. He returns to the west under his new name --Wild Bill Hickok. Amongst his travels, he meets Chief Crazy Horse (Will Sampson), who is roaming the plains in an obsessive search for the giant white buffalo that killed his young daughter. Chief Crazy Horse wants to slay the beast in revenge for his daughter's death, and Wild Bill Hickok teams up with him to hunt down the giant white buffalo. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Jack Warden, (more)
Based on the best-selling Vincent Bugliosi book of the same name, Helter Skelter is a made-for-TV account of the investigation and prosecution of Charles Manson (Steve Railsback), who was convicted of leading a group of followers (known as "The Family") to murder seven people in California, including actress Sharon Tate. The film takes a Law & Order-like approach, starting with the discovery of the murders, which leads to the police gathering snippets of evidence that they eventually connect to the bigger picture. The second half of the movie concentrates on how District Attorney Bugliosi (George DiCenzo) attains a conviction despite the enormous amount of press coverage the case received. Nancy Wolfe, Christina Hart, and Cathey Paine portray the three loyal Manson Family members who were the co-defendants at his trial. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- George DiCenzo, Steve Railsback, (more)
Ex-crime reporter turned novelist Raymond St. Ives (Charles Bronson) is drawn back into the world of his former profession by wealthy Abner Procane (John Houseman). St. Ives is hired to locate a stolen set of ledgers that, if made public, could trigger an all-out mob war. Amazingly, St. Ives fails to recognize who his real friends and enemies are in the course of his investigation, and it takes all his mental and physical resources to keep from being exterminated. One of the characters who isn't all that she seems is sexy Janet Whistler (Jacqueline Bisset). While the "main" cast is serviceable, the lineup of future stars in minor roles (Daniel J. Travanti, Jeff Goldblum, Robert Englund, Michael Lerner) is fascinating. Based on The Procane Chronicle, a novel by Oliver Bleeck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, John Houseman, (more)
