Don Spencer Movies
Join Alvin, Simon, and Theodore as they graduate from their weekly TV adventures to the big screen in the exciting, feature-length animated tale The Chipmunk Adventure. The three boys use a clever scheme with a tape recorder to trick their babysitter, Rebecca Miller, into letting them out of the house. The Chipmunks con the woman into believing that David Seville has granted them permission to set off on a trek around the world, in pursuit of the diamond smugglers Claudia and Claus. Of course, the boys make a point to solicit help from their female friends, The Chipettes, who excitedly agree to tag along on this globe-charting odyssey. A musical to boot, The Chipmunk Adventure features the boys singing such numbers as "Diamond Dolls," and the rollicking and rousing "Woolly Bully."The Chipettes join in as well, with the memorable tune "The Girls of Rock 'n' Roll." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., Janice Karman, (more)
- 1977
- PG
Robby Benson plays a talented but naive high school basketball star who wins a scholarship to a perfection-driven college. Here he discovers that he's way out of his league, easily outclassed athletically by his opponents and by his own team. In addition, he runs up against the sort of arm-twisting corruption that often occurs in a college where winning is the only thing. Only the support of his new girlfriend Janet (Annette O'Toole) sees him through his first two semesters. He must weather the bullying of his teammates and his mean-spirited coach (played byG. D.Spradlin). There was plenty of shuttling between cast and production staff in One on One. Besides starring in the film, Benson co-wrote the screenplay (with his father Jerry Segal), while director Lamont Johnson portrays Benson's alumni sponsor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robby Benson, Annette O'Toole, (more)
- 1972
- R
In this women's prison exploitation item from director Michel Levesque (Werewolves on Wheels), sexy Phyllis Davis stars as Sugar, framed for drug possession and sent to a Costa Rican sugar plantation. There, Sugar encounters sadistic guards including The Hills Have Eyes' James Whitworth and a mad scientist (Angus Duncan) who injects the inmates with hallucinogens. The usual violence and copious nudity are on display for devotees. Blaxploitation fans will recognize prisoner Ella Edwards from Detroit 9000 and Timothy Brown from The Dynamite Brothers Co-writer Stephanie Rothman later directed Terminal Island, also starring Davis. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Jack Hill directed this alternately brutal and campy look at desperate women behind bars. An American named Collier (Judy Brown) has been convicted of murder in the Philippines and is sentenced to a grim women's prison in the jungle, where a mysterious German woman, Miss Deitrich (Christiane Schmidtmer), is the warden, and her head guard, sadistic Lucian (Katheryn Loder), keeps her charges in line through intimidation and violence. Collier shares a cell with tough-talking bisexual prostitute Grear (Pam Grier), hard-boiled political prisoner Bodine (Pat Woodell), thick-skinned but good-humored Alcott (Roberta Collins), drug-addicted Harrad (Brooke Mills), and tight-lipped Ferina (Gina Stuart). Bodine's boyfriend is the leader of an underground revolutionary faction, and when she learns he and his comrades are in danger, she begins to plot an escape for herself and her cellmates, with travelling peddlers Harry (Sid Haig) and Fred (Jerry Frank) becoming her unwitting collaborators. Meanwhile, Lucian is stepping up her torture of the prisoners at the behest of a mysterious masked stranger, and Collier is determined to find out who is behind the systematic brutality. The Big Doll House was the first "Women In Prison" exploitation epic produced for Roger Corman's New World Pictures; it was a big hit on the dive-in and grind house circuit, and spawned dozens of imitations (which are still being produced today). By the way, that's Pam Grier singing the theme song! ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
The first in producer Roger Corman's quintet of "Nurse" movies, this exploitation outing, despite its meager $120,000 budget, is surprisingly good as it chronicles the romantic and professional travails of a group of nurses. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elaine Giftos, Karen Carlson, (more)
