Red Sonja (1985)

Red Sonja

Kids… What can you do with them? Particularly when they are royalty. Not much as Falkon (Paul L.Smith) knows. He has the unenviable task of being shepherd to the crankiest monarch this side of Cimmeria, Tarn (Ernie Reyes, Jr.), who orders him about as if his kingdom and his people still existed rather than slaughtered by the army of Queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman). But the royal does have class. After rescuing his little butt from the swivel hand, he has the courtesy to offer Sonja (Brigitte Nielsen) a reward in gold, a job as cook and to dismiss her from his presence. Sonja just smiles.


Director:  Richard Fleischer
Writer:  Robert E. Howard; Clive Exton; George MacDonald Fraser
Cast:
Brigitte Nielsen -  Red Sonja
Arnold Schwarzenegger -  Kalidor
Sandahl Bergman -  Queen Gedren
Paul L. Smith -  Falkon
Ernie Reyes, Jr. -  Tarn
Ronald Lacey -  Ikol
Pat Roach -  Brytag
Janet Agren -  Varna
Terry Richards -  Djart
Donna Osterbuhr -  Kendra, the High Priestess
Kiyoshi Yamazaki -  Kyobo
Tad Horino -  Swordmaster
Francesca Romana Coluzzi -  Red Sonja’s Mother
Lara Naszinski -  Gedren’s Handmaid
Stefano Mioni -  Barlok, Red Sonja’s Brother
Tutte Lemkow -  Wizard









The Jewel of the Nile (1985)

The Jewel of the Nile

Truth is a slippery topic. Often it depends upon your point of view. There is an old maxim that says something like “history is written by the victors.” Joan Wilder (Kathleen Turner) learns all about it after being lured to write a puff piece about a middle eastern ruler by the name of Omar (Spiros Focas). She discovers that he is a brutal theocrat and that, until she agrees to finish the article to introduce him to the world as a benevolent, enlightened ruler working to unite the Arab world, she’ll languish in prison. Enter her somewhat world weary swain Jack Colton (Michael Douglas).


Director:  Lewis Teague
Writer:  Mark Rosenthal; Lawrence Konner; Diane Thomas
Cast:
Michael Douglas -  Jack Colton
Kathleen Turner -  Joan Wilder
Danny DeVito -  Ralph
Spiros Focás -  Omar
Avner Eisenberg -  Jewel
Paul David Magid -  Tarak
Howard Jay Patterson -  Barak
Randall Edwin Nelson -  Karak
Samuel Ross Williams -  Arak
Timothy Daniel Furst -  Sarak
Hamid Fillali -  Rachid
Holland Taylor -  Gloria
Guy Cuevas -  Le Vasseur
Peter DePalma -  Missionary
Mark Daly Richards -  Pirate
Sadeke Colobanane -  Nubian Chief









The Color Purple (1985)

The Color Purple

Do you have control over your life? Can you do what you want, when you want, go where you want and feel safe when doing it? Then consider yourself lucky. For this hasn’t always been the case. Whether a serf or a slave, it hasn’t been that long since most folks had little or no control over their lives. But some of them do find the gumption to try. Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) is forced to marry a local widower whom she calls “Mister” (Danny Glover) whose real name is Albert Johnson. With his wandering eye, he’s leaning towards Celie’s younger, more attractive sister Nettie (Akosua Busia). He treats Celie like a slave, prodding her to clean his disorderly household and to care for his annoying children. He beats and rapes her often, intimidating Celie into submission. But Celie builds a friendship with Albert’s mistress Shug (Margaret Avery) which pushes her to make a stand against him and decide to leave in search of a new and better life.


Director:  Steven Spielberg
Writer:  Alice Walker; Menno Meyjes
Cast:
Danny Glover -  Albert
Whoopi Goldberg -  Celie
Margaret Avery -  Shug Avery
Oprah Winfrey -  Sofia
Willard Pugh -  Harpo
Akosua Busia -  Nettie
Desreta Jackson -  Young Celie
Adolph Caesar -  Old Mister
Rae Dawn Chong -  Squeak
Dana Ivey -  Miss Millie
Leonard Jackson -  Pa
Bennet Guillory -  Grady
John Patton, Jr. -  Preacher
Carl Anderson -  Rev. Samuel
Susan Beaubian -  Corrine
James Tillis -  Buster