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Movie: | "Outrageous!" |
| Character: | Drunk | |
| Costars: | Craig Russell, Hollis McLaren | |
| GMR Rating: | 3 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 4 out of 5. "A very offbeat and original comedy-drama concerning a gay nightclub performer's relationship with a pregnant mental patient. A different kind of love story, told with taste and compassion. Female impersonator Craig Russell steals the show. Take a chance on this one." | |
| My Comments: | This film will definitely not be for all tastes. Craig Russell makes watching the film worthwhile. In a interesting side note, Craig Russell shared a home with a good friend of mine once! | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "The Last Campaign" |
| Character: | Dr. Paul Johnson | |
| Costars: | Diana Bigelow, Colleen Collins | |
| GMR/VMG Rating and Review: | Not Listed | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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|
Movie: | "High-Ballin'" |
| Character: | Butch | |
| Costars: | Peter Fonda, Jerry Reed, Helen Shaver | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 out of 5. "Peter Fonda and Jerry Reed
are good old boys squaring off
against the bad boss of a rural trucking company. The film has enough action and humour to make it a passable entertainment. Helen Shaver is its most provocative element." |
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| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Stone Cold Dead" |
| Character: | Unknown | |
| Costars: | Richard Crenna, Belinda Montgomery, Paul Williams | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 out of 5. "This fair film, based on the novel Sin Sniper by Hugh Garner, centers on the investigation by Sgt. Boyd (Richard Crenna) into a bizarre series of prostitute killings." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
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Movie: | "Suzanne" |
| Character: | Jimmy | |
| Costars: | Sondra Locke, Richard Dreyfuss | |
| GMR/VMG Rating and Review: | Not Listed | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Scanners" |
| Character: | Darryl Revok | |
| Costars: | Stephen Lack, Lawrence Dane, Patrick McGoohan | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 1/2 out of 5. "From its first shocking
scene - in which a character's
head explodes, spewing blood, flesh, and bone all over - the film poses a challenge to its viewers: How much can you take? Shock specialist David Cronenberg wrote and directed this potent film, about a bloody war among people with formidable extra-sensory powers." |
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| My Comments: | I loved the idea behind this movie and the special effects are good for its time. Ironside plays the most powerful Scanner, and my only complaint is that he wasn't in the film long enough - he makes such a great villain. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
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Movie: | "Deadly Companion" |
| Alternative Title: | "Double Negative" | |
| Character: | Edgar | |
| Costars: | Michael Sarrazin, Anthony Perkins, Howard Duff | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "Slow-moving, confusing film has Michael Sarrazin trying to find his wife's killer." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "American Nightmare" |
| Character: | Detective Skylar | |
| Costars: | Lawrence S. Day, Alexandra Paul | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Not Listed | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Visiting Hours" |
| Alternative Titles: | "The Fright"; "Get Well Soon" | |
| Character: | Colt | |
| Costars: | Lee Grant, William Shatner, Linda Purl | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "Here's a Canadian production
that actually forces viewers to
wallow in the degradation, humiliation, and mutilation of women. Rated R for blood, gore, violence, and general unrelenting ugliness." |
|
| My Comments: | As low-budget thrillers go, this one's a keeper! Ironside plays a psycho fixated on killing Lee Grant -- and Linda Purl when she gets in the way. Since Grant was just shrill, and Purl was just irritatingly perky, I was rooting for Ironside all the way. I won't even mention the leather vest. :) | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Best Revenge" |
| Character: | Unknown | |
| Costars: | John Heard, John Rhys-Davies | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "Granger (John Heard) has come to Spain to team up with Bo (Levon Helm), who has promised him the contacts for a $4 million hashish deal. This fast-moving action-adventure has some good acting, but fails to rise above its pedestrian plot." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
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Movie: | "Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone" |
| Character: | Overdog | |
| Costars: | Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "A futuristic hero takes on an army of militant humans on a plague infested planet." | |
| My Comments: | This movie is so bad I could not get past the first 25 minutes or so. I finally rewatched it the other day just so I could see more of Ironside. There really wasn't much reason to. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Cross Country" |
| Character: | Detective Sergeant Ed Roersch | |
| Costars: | Richard Beymer, Brent Carver | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 out of 5. "Michael Ironside plays Detective Ed Roersch, who pursues Richard Beymer following the murder of an expensive call girl. Although this movie involves prostitution, blackmail, murder, and deceit, it still manages to bore." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Surfacing" |
| Character: | Wayne | |
| Costars: | Joseph Bottoms, Kathleen Beller | |
| GMR Rating: | Woof! | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "Deliverance stirred with psychological mumbo jumbo and kinky sex." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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|
Movie: | "Coming Out Alive" |
| Character: | Unknown | |
| Costars: | Helen Shaver, Scott Hylands | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 1/2 out of 4 | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 out of 5. "Enjoyable suspense chiller involving one mother's search for her child after he's abducted by her estranged husband. Scott Hylands is wonderful in his role as a soldier-for-hire who helps her out." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "The Surrogate" |
| Character: | George Kyber | |
| Costars: | Shannon Tweed, Art Hindle | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "This bizarre film concerns a couple with marriage problems who seek counselling. A surrogate sex partner enters the picture. Fortunately, the stars are attractive." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "The Falcon and The Snowman" |
| Character: | Unknown | |
| Costars: | Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton | |
| GMR Rating: | 3 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 5 out of 5. "In this powerful motion picture, Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn give stunning performances as two childhood friends who decide to sell United States secrets to the Russians. Based on a true incident, this release - to its credit - makes no judgements. The viewer is left to decide what's right and wrong, and whether Boyce met with justice. It is not an easy decision to make." | |
| My Comments: | Sean Penn is phenomenal in this thought-provoking film. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling" |
| Character: | Detective Lawrence | |
| Costars: | Richard Pryor, Debbie Allen | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 4 1/2 out of 5. "In this brilliant show-biz
biography, Richard Pryor plays
Jo Jo Dancer, a well-known entertainer at the peak of his popularity and the depths of self-understanding and love. A drug-related incident puts Jo Jo in the hospital and forces him to re-examine his life." |
|
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Top Gun" |
| Character: | "Jester" | |
| Costars: | Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 1/2 out of 5. "Tom Cruise stars as a student at the navy's Fighter Weapons School, where fliers are turned into crack fighter pilots. While competing for the title of Top Gun there, he falls in love with an instructor." | |
| My Comments: | Can someone please explain the attraction of this film? I found it incredibly boring. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Nowhere to Hide" |
| Character: | Ben | |
| Costars: | Amy Madigan, John Colicos | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 4 out of 5. "Amy Madigan stars in this exciting adventure of relentless pursuit. Her husband, a marine officer, has uncovered a defective part that is causing accidents in his helicopter squadron. Before he can go public, he is killed. The assassins believe Madigan has the damaging evidence, and the chase is on." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | Ironside plays a Mountain Man, according to "Spooky", who also says: His is a small but central role towards the end of the film. More 'telefilm' than 'feature'. Madigan and Ironside are both fun to watch. |
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Movie: | "Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II" |
| Alternative Titles: | "The Haunting of Hamilton High"; "Prom Night II" | |
| Character: | Bill Nordham | |
| Costars: | Lisa Schrage, Wendy Lyon | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "Another tedious exploitation flick about a girl who returns from the grave to get revenge on her killers." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Extreme Prejudice" |
| Character: | Major Paul Hackett | |
| Costars: | Nick Nolte, Powers Boothe, Clancy Brown | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 4 out of 5. "Nick Nolte is in peak form
in the modern-day Western as a
two-fisted Texas Ranger whose boyhood friend, Powers Boothe, has become a drug kingpin across the border in Mexico. The federal government sends six high-tech agents to nail Boothe with 'extreme prejudice'" |
|
| My Comments: | Does speaking in a monotone denote 'peak form'? Nolte and Boothe are beyond boring, but the sub-plot involving Ironside and his commando team was great, especially on first-viewing when the intricacies of their machinations came together. This role also gave Ironside the chance to play several different 'types' as he assumes various short-term undercover guises. Well worth checking out. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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Movie: | "Watchers" |
| Character: | Lem Johnson | |
| Costars: | Corey Haim, Barbara Williams | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 1/2 out of 5. "Based on the novel by Dean R. Koontz, this is a refreshing sci-fi horror film. About a boy (Corey Haim) who finds a super-intelligent dog and becomes the target of a scientifically created monster, it plays fair with the viewer throughout. Director Jon Hess even leaves quite a bit to the imagination, building the kind of suspense so seldom seen in this age of gore-infested hack-em-ups." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Hostile Takeover" |
| Alternate Title: | "Office Party" | |
| Character: | Larry Gaylord | |
| Costars: | David Warner, Kate Vernon | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 1/2 out of 5. "Apt direction by George Mihalka elevates what would be another psycho-on-the-loose cheapie. David Warner plays a loner employee who holds three colleagues hostage." | |
| My Comments: | Extremely strange little film. No explanation is ever given for mild-mannered employee Eugene to suddenly pull out a weapon and hold his boss and fellow employees hostage, though he does keep muttering something about needing to 'complete the circle' and we also get an obligatory abusive childhood flashback. Ironside plays Eugene's egocentric boss who imagines himself saving the day but in reality does nothing. The film loses something when Kate Vernon's 'Sally' aligns herself with Eugene and vents her anger on Ironside, who she believes stole the 'boss' position away from her. Interesting but strange. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
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Movie: | "Mind Field" |
| Character: | Kellen O'Reilly | |
| Costars: | Sean McCann, Christopher Plummer | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "When cop Michael Ironside starts hallucinating, he traces the cause of his delusions to a secret CIA experiment involving LSD." | |
| My Comments: | Brilliant! I loved this film. A starring role for Mr. Ironside and he is wonderful as a cop who is determined to track down the source of his troubling flashbacks. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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|
Movie: | "Payback" |
| Character: | Sheriff | |
| Costars: | Don Swayze, Teresa Blake | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 3 1/2 out of 5. "Prison detail escapee falls in love with a small-town Sheriff's daughter." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
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|
Movie: | "Destiny to Order" |
| Character: | Kenrick | |
| Costars: | Stephen Quimette, Alberta Watson | |
| GMR Rating: | Not Listed | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "A writers creations come to life to haunt him in this strange love story. A bit disjointed, this is nonetheless a fun film." | |
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Common Bonds" |
| Alternate Title: | "Chain Dance" | |
| Character: | J.T. Blake | |
| Costars: | Rae Dawn Chong, Brad Dourif | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 out of 5. "The prison system helps rehabilitate a born loser by chaining him to a handicapped man's wheelchair. Airheaded message drama." | |
| My Comments: | I thought this was brilliant. Brad Dourif is absolutely amazing in his role of Johnny. The subplot about the stereotypical evil head guard and a twisted prisoner goes a little far, but Ironside is fantastic and I would highly recommend this film. Ironside also acted as Executive Producer as was co-writer of the screenplay. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Total Recall" |
| Character: | Richter | |
| Costars: | Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin | |
| GMR Rating: | 3 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 4 1/2 out of 5. "Arnold Schwarzenegger flexes plenty of action-movie muscle in this terrific sci-fi adventure. The film has impressive bloodlines: it's adapted from a short story by Philip K. Dick (who also inspired Blade Runner), with a screenplay from the Alien creators, and direction by the creator of Robocop. A thrill-a-minute futuristic tale." | |
| My Comments: | Arnold is a happily married construction worker. Or is he? He begins to suspect that he may have led another life, and takes a trip to Mars to find out. Excellent script keeps you guessing - which of Arnold's lives is the real one? A must-see performance by Ironside as well... and he purportedly based this character on Mr. Tyler. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "McBain" |
| Character: | Frank Bruce | |
| Costars: | Christopher Walken, Maria Conchita Alonso | |
| GMR Rating: | 3 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | Turkey. "It's hard to keep track of
what's going on in this lamebrained
action-adventure flick involving a mercenary team out to dethrone a Central American dictator." |
|
| My Comments: | Haven't seen it. | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Neon City" |
| Character: | Harry Stark | |
| Costars: | Vanity, Lyle Alzado | |
| GMR Rating: | 2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "In order to get to the fabled Neon City, a group of travellers must cross a barren wasteland where they are in constant danger of solar flares and attacks by mutant bandits. Some great stunt work helps this futuristic adventure." | |
| My Comments: | Fantastic! A starring role for Mr. Ironside and he gives a brilliant performance. He plays a former ranger-turned-bounty-hunter, haunted by the death of his son at the hands of a sort-of government 'mutant police'. The film takes pieces of classic (and not-so-classic) films and novels -- I was reminded of "Stagecoach", Isaac Asimov's "Damnation Alley", "The Chrysalids" and a little of Mad Max -- and mixes them together to create this story of a post-apocalyptic wagon train. Not to be missed! | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
|
|
Movie: | "Highlander II: The Quickening" |
| Character: | General Katana | |
| Costars: | Christopher Lambert, Virginia Madsen, Sean Connery | |
| GMR Rating: | 1 1/2 out of 4. | |
| VMG Rating and Review: | 2 1/2 out of 5. "Christopher Lambert and Sean Connery reprise their roles as the Highlander and his mentor who have been banished to Earth. Great special effects can't keep one from thinking that something is missing from the film - like a cohesive plot." | |
| My Comments: | Everything special from the first film is missing from this one. The love story is never quite believable and the "Immortals from outer space" storyline, which totally contradicts Highlander, is just silly. There are some good moments such as Lambert's fight with two of Ironside's weaselly slaves, but overall not a very entertaining film. However, Lambert and Ironside give fun, over-the-top performances that tend to make up for the film's many faults! | |
| Your Comments: | None so far. |
Feel free to send
me your comments, corrections, or reviews!
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