Phil Smoot Movies

Brian Krause and Jamie Mann star in this World War II fantasy that finds a group of US soldiers pitted against a prehistoric enemy after being forced to make an emergency landing on a deserted Pacific Island. As the soldiers struggle to get back in the air and transport their volatile cargo to the front, Japanese pilots and ravenous winged creatures descent from the sky on a mission of death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Ami Canaan Mann, the daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Michael Mann, follows in her father's footsteps with this, her first feature as a director. Johnny (J.R. Richards) and Trick (Kieran Mulroney) grew up together in a small North Carolina community, but now that they're edging into their thirties and living in New York, their lives have taken different paths; Johnny is still trying to make his mark as a rock musician, while Trick is a low-level advertising man stuck in a failing marriage with Lily (Annabeth Gish). Johnny and Trick have a bitter argument, and Johnny responds by stealing Trick's car; Trick and Lily give chase, with their pal King (Steven Schub), who runs a neighborhood delicatessen, in tow. Eventually, Trick catches up with Johnny, only to discover that he died in an auto accident which he appears to have caused on purpose. When Trick breaks the bad news to Johnny's parents (Tess Harper and Pat Hingle), they express concern that Johnny's strange life and stranger death would make him unfit for a Christian funeral; as a last gift to his friend, Trick sets out to make that possible, though the project soon proves to be a great deal more complicated than he ever imagined. Along the way, Lily begins to develop a new respect for Trick, while King finds romance with Shelly (Laurel Holloman), who works at a supermarket. Morning features an original score co-written by actor J.R. Richards and noted songwriter and instrumentalist Lisa Germano. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A sleazy nightclub owner purchases a strange, disturbing sculpture, which he soon discovers contains a mysterious, ornate puzzle box. This box is a legendary object that promises the secrets of ultimate pain and pleasure, but is in fact a gateway to hell. Soon the box's new owner has unleashed the evil Pinhead, a member of a race of supernatural beings known as Cenobites. Pinhead proceeds to murder numerous clubgoers in an attempt to gain power and fully free himself into the earthly realm. He faces unexpected opposition, however, from a television reporter investigating the mysterious club murders. When she discovers the truth behind the enigmatic puzzle box, she realizes that only she can stop the carnage. However, she must not only defeat Pinhead, but his fellow Cenobites, including the barbed-wire-wrapped Barbie and the horrific CD-Head. (Yes, CD-Head does indeed kill people by shooting CDs from his head.) Though this third entry in the Hellraiser series pays lip service to the intricate mythology of the first two films, especially through a series of flashbacks to Pinhead's human past, the film soon reverts to a fairly standard slasher formula. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

This overlooked but entertaining direct-to-video oddity plunges into the nightmarish experiences of a portly, depressed psychic medium (Deborah Rose), whose involvement in a grisly child-murder case leads her and her detective partner (Ed Nelson) to an imposing, fortress-like mortuary. Chen (Robert Yun Ju Ahn), the owner of the funeral home and prime suspect in the case, claims the three mummified corpses in question are not children but ancient demons known as "kyoshi." It seems the little monsters have been around for centuries as a result of an age-old curse and can only be placated with offerings of human flesh -- with which the mortician has been supplying them his entire life. When Chen is jailed on murder charges, the under-fed ghouls awaken in search of dinner, trapping the staff inside the mortuary walls and munching down on them. The survivors, including Rose and Nelson, use every means at their disposal to combat the demons -- which have managed to possess the bodies of morgue attendant Mrs. Poopenplatz (Phyllis Diller) and her poodle, mutating them into hideous hell-beasts (not much of a stretch, really). Despite the presence of Diller and some rather outrageous set-pieces, director James Cummins plays the material remarkably straight. Standouts include a good performance by Rose and some truly creepy demon-attacks, marred only slightly by a clunky script and uneven pacing. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In this adventure, a young genius solves puzzling crimes with his computer gadgets. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A dusty sheriff (played by real-life cowboy Lash LaRue) must protect the residents of a house--built over a burial ground--from the haunting Mexican spirits trying to drive them out. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

This low-budget horror anthology was originally made to be shown at Southern drive-ins. It is comprised of three tales, the first of which, "Young Blood," is about a married pair of vampires who adopt a child and are horrified to discover that it is another kind of monster all together. In "The Guardians," a pair of avaricious grave robbers make a terrible mistake when they visit the St. Francis Abbey cemetery to do a little pillaging. The final episode, "Visions of Sugar-Plum" is set at Christmas time and is set at the home of an outwardly loving grandmother whose smile conceals the heart of a cold-blooded killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this funny film about the inventiveness of teens, 14-year-old Alex (Martin Yost) is longing for the winsome Sally (Heather Kennedy) and cons his father into fronting the money to begin a video software business -- when all along, Alex just wants to capture as much of Sally on tape as he can. He is joined in his endeavor by his friend Nicholas (Jeff Edmond), and the two expand their film project beyond the confines of Sally's life alone. Their camera skills come in handy when Nicholas is expelled from school by a mean-spirited principal, and the two boys convince a friendly prostitute to entrap the principal in some compromising positions, hoping to use the video they make for leverage -- or blackmail, in more direct terminology. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Retired for ten years, a stunt man attempts a comeback by trying the trick that prematurely ended his career before. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

A man goes on a vengeful rampage after his family is killed in this violent actioner. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide