Alexander Godunov Movies
Formerly the premier dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Alexander Godunov defected from Russia in 1979. Though he intended to continue pursuing ballet, Godunov eventually gave it up in favor of film acting. His best-remembered movie assignment was as a sullen Amish farmer in Witness (1985), a role he revised satirically in the 1994 comedy North. Alexander Godunov died in 1995 at the age of 45. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1996
- R
Before he was booted out of the military by Pentagon officials, maverick investigator Rowdy Welles (Robert Davi) was a legend in the service. When a Russian mafioso's black market endeavors make him too powerful, the CIA tricks the reluctant Rowdy into becoming an undercover agent. His assignment is to topple Lothar Krasna's (Alexander Godunov in his final screen performance) empire of crime before they can successfully complete their plan to build illegal atomic bombs. Rowdy's partner is double-agent Mike (Lara Harris), Krasna's lover. This action-packed drama follows Rowdy into the mysterious high-tech and always dangerous world of the Russian crime organization. As a result of his endeavors, Mike's true identity is uncovered and she is taken hostage and held in the mob's nuclear facility, making the situation even more desperate for the unwilling agent. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Alexander Godunov, (more)
- 1994
- PG
A boy divorces his parents in this comic fantasy for the family. North (Elijah Wood) is the sort of kid most parents dream of -- he's bright, well-behaved, a good student, and a great baseball player. But North's Mom and Dad (Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jason Alexander) are so busy with their lives and careers that they barely have time for him. A man dressed as the Easter Bunny (Bruce Willis) who serves as North's conscience and advisor suggests to him that if he's not happy with his parents, maybe he could do better elsewhere. North hires a lawyer, Arthur Belt (Jon Lovitz), who presents his case to Judge Buckle (Alan Arkin); the judge declares North a free agent, and he gives North two months to find new parents, otherwise he'll be sent to the orphans' home. North finds himself travelling the globe auditioning prospective parents, while a boy named Winchell (Matthew McCurley) thinks that North's legal victory could be the first step in kids taking over the world. North's would-be parents include Kathy Bates, Dan Aykroyd, Reba McIntire, and Kelly McGillis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Bruce Willis, (more)
- 1991
- R
In the sequel to Waxwork, young Mark Loftmore (Zach Galligan) and his girlfriend Sarah (Monika Schnarre) manage to escape the deadly wax museum before it is destroyed. However, one deadly wax hand escapes destruction and follows Sarah home, murdering her stepfather before she manages to destroy it. When Sarah is accused of the murder, she and Mark must travel back in time to stop the still-present evil. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Galligan, Sophie Ward, (more)
- 1991
- R
When an archaeologist uncovers an ancient Norse power stone, he returns with it to his New York City home. Too bad for the relic-digger, because it's not long before an evil spirit is projected from the stone into the archaeologist, turning him into a hairy beast. And too bad for the people of NYC, because this hairy beast goes on a vicious marauding spree that befuddles the local police. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Riegert, Joan Severance, (more)
It's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, (more)
Adapting the themes of the 1948 film Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House, this comedy stars Tom Hanks as Walter Fielding, who with his love Anna (Shelley Long) decides to buy a suburban New York home for next-to-nothing. Both Anna and Walter are willing to fix what ails the house and since they are both successful professionals, that should not be too difficult. Unfortunately, what ails the house might be terminal as the rest of the film chronicles the battle between the couple and the disintegrating structure. Construction workers come in to make matters either worse or better -- or both. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Tom Hanks, (more)
In Peter Weir's thriller Witness, Samuel (Lukas Haas), a young Amish boy, witnesses a murder in the restroom of a Philadelphia bus station. Harrison Ford stars as John Book, the police detective investigating the murder. When Book discovers that the crime was part of a conspiracy involving several officials in his department, he flees Philadelphia to the Amish community where Samuel lives with his widowed mother, Rachel (Kelly McGillis). Slowly assimilating himself into the Amish community, Book eventually finds himself falling in love with Rachel in the midst of his investigation. Eventually, the corrupt police track Book down, and he is forced to confront them, while also trying to protect Rachel and Samuel. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, (more)
- 1979
The Bolshoi Ballet mounts this 1979 production of Rodion Shchedrin's Anna Karenina, which Shchedrin adapted, in turn, from the 1877 novel by Leo Tolstoy. It co-stars Maya Plisetskaya and Alexander Godunov, with choreography by Plisetskaya. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maya Plisetskaya, Alexander Godunov, (more)
- 1974
Directed by Russian cinematographer Margarita Pilikhina, this is a filmed performance of Anna Karenina by the legendary Bolshoi Ballet. Adapted from Leo Tolstoy's classic novel, the ballet tells the story of Anna Karenina (Maya Plisetskaya), a young woman in 19th century Russia who falls in love with the dashing Count Vronsky (Alexander Godunov), unbeknownst to her husband. Eventually, the secret bond between Anna and the count is revealed under tragic circumstances. Natalya Sorokina and Vladimir Tikhonov are among the other dancers who perform. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maya Plisetskaya, Alexander Godunov, (more)
