"Convoy" is a comedy film about a trucker leading a convoy of fellow big-riggers protesting his recent run-in with law enforcement. Director Sam Peckinpah ("Major Dundee" 1965) and screenwriter B. W. L. Norton managed to put out a film that is mildly entertaining but obviously a lackluster [..]

Gary Busey delivers the biggest performance of his career as a legendary rock-and-roll star in "The Buddy Holly Story." Busey personified Holly not only in appearance but in Holly's singing voice as well. He recorded the soundtrack live, with the musical score managed, arranged, and composed by [..]

"The Favourite" is a black comedy set in 1705 in England telling the story of two young women vying to be the "court favourite" of Queen Anne. Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster" 2015) gave the movie some laughs mixed with deep sarcasm, typical of a black comedy, [..]

Our seven old friends experience a "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" in a made-for-television movie that aired on NBC in October, 1978. Returning cast members include Bob Denver as Gilligan, Alan Hale Jr. as the Skipper, Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III, Natalie Schafer as Lovey Howell, Russell [..]

"The Boys from Brazil" is a thriller film that tells the strange story of a plot to make 95 clones of Adolph Hitler and planting them all over the world, with the goal to finish the diabolical leader's work. Director Franklin J. Schaffner ("Planet of the Apes" [..]

"Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" is a parody of low-budget science fiction movies, depicting large tomatoes going on a rampage, splattering innocent human victims, causing their death. Producer-director John DeBello, of course, made this film on a very low budget with terrible production values. It [..]

"California Suite" is Neil Simon's west coast version of his earlier comedy "Plaza Suite" (1971). Director Herbert Ross ("The Goodbye Girl" 1977) and screenwriter Simon have four storylines proceeding concurrently, with all characters bestowed with Simon's usual rapid-fire gag lines. The cast [..]

"Death on the Nile" is a good example of old-fashioned textbook filmmaking by director John Guillermin ("The Towering Inferno" 1974) as he brought Agatha Christie's famous 1937 novel to the big screen. It has a good screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, picturesque location filming in Egypt by acclaimed [..]

"The Cheap Detective" is a mystery-comedy film where Peter Falk plays a bumbling detective trying to prove himself innocent of his partner's murder while helping clients recover a lost treasure. Falk's speaking style imitating Humphrey Bogart gives the film a feel of Columbo doing a cheap version [..]

The Best Picture of 1979 is....."The Deer Hunter." The story follows three friends from their home town in Pennsylvania to the Vietnam War and back again. They follow very different paths after returning home from war. Director Michael Cimino ("Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" 1974) put together [..]