Frank Sinatra, Jr. Movies

Axel Schill's non-fiction work The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo joins Light Keeps Me Company, Tell Them Who You Are, and other recent documentaries in paying homage to one of the world's great cinematographers. Active from the early 1960s until just before his death in early 2001, Alonzo beat the odds as a young man by migrating to the U.S. as a Mexican farmer's son and then working his way up to ultimately qualify as one of the most revered cinematographers in the American film industry. Among other accomplishments, he lit a string of contemporary classics including Harold and Maude (1971), The Bad News Bears (1976), Scarface (1983), and Steel Magnolias (1989). Schill cuts together interviews with such Alonzo collaborators as Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, and Michael Crichton, and illustrates many of their observations with clips from the esteemed director of photography's finest work. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Four years after Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Ralph Bakshi tapped into the live action mixed with cell animated world in this adult-themed production telling the story of an edgy comic book artist who crosses the line into his own cartoon universe. The story begins with a prologue in postwar Las Vegas, where Vegas cop Frank Harris (Brad Pitt) is catapulted into the cartoon Cool World after crashing his motorcycle. The Cool World is a jive-animated parallel dimension created by animator Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne). Among Jack's many creations is the knock-out broad Holli Would (Kim Basinger). Holli wants to become human -- or a "noid" in Cool World parlance. So, she compels Jack to fall into his own cartoon void where her attempts to seduce him could have grave consequences for both the animated and the "real" world. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

This lifeless action feature finds mafia hitman Carmine Longo (Mike Lane) seeking vengeance against the Zebra Force led by Cougar (Timmy Brown). Frank Barnes (Jim Mitchum) joins the group when his Zebra Force buddy is killed. Lindsey Crosby (son of Bing) plays a police sergeant, and Frank Sinatra, Jr. appears briefly as the mob lawyer Kozlo. Only those interested in the offspring of aging or dead performers could find anything of interest in this film. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

A collection of different episodes from the children's series that features magicians, puppet animals and nature surveys. ~ Rovi

In addition to tackling the usual traffic and drug violations--not to mention a thief posing as a cab driver-- Officers Jim Reed (Kent McCord) and Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) find themselves in the middle of a bizarre hostage situation. A frustated actor has taken a stewardess captive in hopes of forcing a producer to give him an audition. Ironically, the actor is played by Frank Sinatra Jr.), who had himself been the victim of an audacious pair of kidnappers back in 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Nancy Sinatra's hourlong 1968 network television special Movin' With Nancy was not the standard variety-hour special customary for stars of the time. There were no lip-synced or live songs on sound stages in front of audiences, and no spoken sketches. In essence, it's a collection of 15 music videos (though MTV was still many years away), in which Sinatra lip-synced to recordings in various colorful outdoor locations, broken up by a few indoor studio-shot scenarios. For those who value Sinatra's image, one could hardly imagine a better showcase (in color) for her gaudy, florid, and numerous period late-'60s clothing outfits, go-go boots, hairstyles, and eye make-ups. In truth, the sets and stagings can be corny. But there are some pretty cool songs here, like "Some Velvet Morning," in which Lee Hazlewood and Sinatra duet on beachside horses, and "Jackson," the sole other Hazlewood-Sinatra piece, in which they sass each other while walking down an empty southern California street. Other high points, visual and musical, include "Sugar Town" by a waterfall, "Who Will Buy?" in a deserted amusement park, and "Friday's Child" in an unclassifiably desolate field of what looks like disused factory equipment and structures. It also includes Rat Pack guest appearances by Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra (filmed recording in the studio), and Sammy Davis (who does one of network TV's first interracial kisses with Nancy in their "What'd I Say" routine); Frank Sinatra Jr. has a brief cameo. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

This hysterically awful rubber-suit monster romp stars Jon Hall (who also directed) as an embittered marine researcher who is so incredibly annoyed by the rock and roll antics of the fun-loving teens who hang out near his Waikiki beach house that he decides to create a slimy fish-monster to silence them once and for all. The beast manages to wipe out a fair portion of beach bums and bummettes, but somehow the pesky kids just keep multiplying and coming back more annoying than before -- surfing, gyrating (to tunes by Frank Sinatra, Jr.) and throwing the odd clambake. Not a very distinguished comeback for former Ramar of the Jungle Hall, this nevertheless has a certain ugly charm, according it "so-bad-it's-good" status. Released to television as Monster from the Surf. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi