Bloodline 1979  R, 116 min.
Genre: Drama
aka: Sidney Sheldon's Bloodline
Director: Terence Young
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Omar Sharif, Michelle Phillips, Romy Schneider, Irene Papas, Gert Frobe, Beatrice Straight, Maurice Ronet
Sidney Sheldon's novel adaptation stars Audrey Hepburn as the head of a pharmaceutical company who must deal with threats on her life.
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Chiller 1985 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
aka: Wes Craven's Chiller
Director: Wes Craven
Cast: Michael Beck, Beatrice Straight, Laura Johnson, Dick O'Neill, Alan Fudge, Craig Richard Nelson, Paul Sorvino, Jill Schoelen, Anne Seymour, Russ Marin, Jerry Lacy, Ned Wertimer
Young, successful businessman Miles Creighton (Michael Beck) dies, and his body is frozen in hopes that science will allow him to be brought back to life in the future. Ten years later, a computer problem results in a thaw, and, surprisingly, Miles lives, but, alas, without a soul. Those around him realize that he is bent on destruction, and his mother (Beatrice Straight) must bite the bullet and take the lead in his destruction. Made for TV.
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The Dain Curse 1978  TV, 225 min.
Genre: Mystery / Drama
Director: E.W. Swackhamer
Cast: James Coburn, Hector Elizondo, Jason Miller, Jean Simmons, Nancy Addison, Paul Stewart, Beatrice Straight, Tom Bower, David Canary, Beeson Carroll, Brian Davies, Martin Cassidy
Set in 1928, this TV miniseries is based on a Dashiell Hammett story. Private detective Hamilton Nash (James Coburn) investigates the case of stolen diamonds that may be cursed. His investigation leads him to a family, which may be affected by a family curse that causes premature death. Several edited versions are available.
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Deceived 1991 PG-13, 103 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: Damian Harris
Cast: Goldie Hawn, John Heard, Robin Bartlett, Ashley Peldon, Jan Rubes, Tom Irwin, Amy Wright, Kate Reid, Beatrice Straight
Adrienne (Goldie Hawn) has been married to Jack (John Heard) for six years when he is killed in a car accident. She then learns that the real Jack died years before, and she starts to investigate the startling facts.
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Endless Love 1981 R, 115 min.
Genre: Drama / Romance
Director: Franco Zeffirelli
Cast: Brooke Shields, Martin Hewitt, Shirley Knight, Don Murray, Tom Cruise, Robert Moore, Richard Kiley, Beatrice Straight, James Spader, Penelope Milford, Jami Gertz, Jan Miner, Salem Ludwig, Jeff Marcus
Seventeen-year-old David (Martin Hewitt) and 15-year-old Jade (Brooke Shields) fall in love, but Jade's father has had enough of David and bans him from their house. David's solution to his problem: burn down their house, rescue the family, and become a hero. David does carry out the arson but is caught and sent to a reformatory where he remains obsessed with reuniting with Jade. "Endless Love" marks the film debut of Tom Cruise, and the title song was nominated for an Oscar for Best song.
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 King Lear 1953  TV, 73 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Andrew McCullough
Cast: Orson Welles, Beatrice Straight, Natasha Parry, Arnold Moss, Margaret Phillips, Bramwell Fletcher, David J. Stewart, Alan Badel, Michael MacLiammoir, Frederick Worlock, Scott Forbes, Wesley Addy, Fred Sadoff, Lloyd Bochner, Chris Gampel
This is a good made-for-TV, black-and-white film of the Shakespeare tragedy. Orson Welles plays King Lear who makes the wrong decision concerning the division of his land and power among his daughters Goneril and Regan (Beatrice Straight Margaret Phillips) after he takes away his youngest daughter Cordelia's (Natasha Parry) rights to the kingdom. He bases his decision on their expression of how much each one loves him. The play's subplot about the Duke of Gloucester and his son was deleted in the interest of time.
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Network 1976  R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall, Beatrice Straight, Ned Beatty, Wesley Addy, Arthur Burghardt, Darryl Hickman, Lane Smith, Bill Burrows, John Carpenter, Jordan Charney, Kathy Cronkite, Ed Crowley
The United Broadcasting System decides to fire its dean of newscasters, Howard Beale (Peter Finch). His friend, network executive Max Schumacher (William Holden), announces that Beale is being fired, and Beale responds by telling the audience that he will be committing suicide on the next show. The head of the network, Frank Hackett (Robert Duvall), wants to get rid of Beale immediately–until he realizes that the network will have the highest ratings ever when Beale commits suicide on the air–and programming exec Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway) talks him into airing the show. The show goes on, but Hackett does not commit suicide and, instead, announces, "I'm mad as Hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" He is suffering a nervous breakdown, but the ratings of his television news show skyrocket, and Hackett becomes a TV icon. This film provides great satire on the greed inherent in television networks as they fight for top ratings. Oscars were won by Faye Dunaway (Best Actress), Peter Finch (Best Actor), and Beatrice Straight (Best Supporting Actress). Six nominations were also received, including Best Picture, Actor (William Holden), Supporting Actor (Ned Beatty) and Director.
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The Nun's Story 1959 N/R, 149 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Dean Jagger, Peggy Ashcroft, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Lionel Jeffries, Colleen Dewhurst, Niall MacGinnis
Sister Luke (Audrey Hepburn) discovers that she is not prepared to serve the church after the Nazis murder her father. She simply cannot forgive them. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Actress, and Director.
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Patterns 1956 N/R, 83 min.
Genre: Drama
aka: Patterns of Power
Director: Fielder Cook
Cast: Van Heflin, Everett Sloane, Ed Begley, Beatrice Straight, Elizabeth Wilson, Joanna Roos, Valerie Cossart, Eleni Kiamos, Ronnie Welsh, Shirley Standlee, Andrew Duggan, Sally Gracie
This film began as a play by Rod Serling for TV's "Kraft Theater." The plot involves an owner of a conglomerate, William Ramsey (Everett Sloan), who brings in Fred Staples (Van Heflin) to replace a vice-president, William Briggs (Ed Begley), who he wants to off-load.
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Phone Call from a Stranger 1952 N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jean Negulesco
Cast: Bette Davis, Shelley Winters, Gary Merrill, Michael Rennie, Keenan Wynn, Evelyn Varden, Warren Stevens, Beatrice Straight, Craig Stevens, Helen Westcott, Ted Donaldson, Hugh Beaumont, Harry Cheshire, Ken Christy, Cliff Clark
While flying to Los Angeles, David L. Trask (Gary Merrill) makes with fellow passengers–ex-stripper Bianca Carr (Shelley Winters), troubled Dr. Robert Fortness (Michael Rennie), and travelling salesman Eddie Hoke (Keenan Wynn). The plane crashes, and Trask is the sole survivor. Now, Trask visits the families of the victims, and, in the process, brings comfort to them and changes his own life forever.
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 Poltergeist 1982 PG, 114 min.
Genre: Horror / Thriller
Director: Tobe Hooper
Cast: JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, Beatrice Straight, Dominique Dunne, Heather O'Rourke, Richard Lawson, Oliver Robins, Zelda Rubinstein, James Karen, Michael McManus, Virginia Kiser, Martin Casella, Lou Perryman, Clair E. Leucart, Dirk Blocker
Evil spirits (poltergeists) drop in for a visit with the suburban California Freeling family–father Steve (Craig T. Nelson), mother Diane (JoBeth Williams), 16-year-old Dana (Dominique Dunne), eight-year-old Robbie (Oliver Robins), and five-year-old Carol Anne (Heather O'Rourke). Strange things begin to happen, especially when Carol Anne is called to the television set where she announces, "They're here." More horrors lie in wait in this excellent story about unhappy ghosts. This film was co-written and co-produced by Steven Spielberg. There are sequels.
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Power 1986 R, 111 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Richard Gere, Gene Hackman, Julie Christie, Kate Capshaw, Denzel Washington, E.G. Marshall, Fritz Weaver, J.T. Walsh, Michael Learned, Beatrice Straight
Politics and public relations are the life and blood of Pete St. John (Richard Gere). Somewhere along the line, Pete has lost track of his ideals in his climb to fame and fortune as a maker of politicians. Then one day he discovers that a politician he believes in has sold out to the political power trade.
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Two of a Kind 1983   PG, 87 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: John Herzfeld
Cast: John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Charles Durning, Beatrice Straight, Oliver Reed, Jack Kehoe, Kathy Bates, Ernie Hudson, Scatman Crothers, Gene Hackman
Angels convince God that he should give humanity another chance, and they set out to make Zack (John Travolta) and Debbie (Olivia Newton-John) into better people. Half-star only because it's Olivia; otherwise...
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| Oscar: Best Supporting Actress for Network (1976) |
1. Bloodline (1979)
aka: Sidney Sheldon's Bloodline
2. The Borrowers (1973)
3. Chiller (1985)
aka: Wes Craven's Chiller
4. The Dain Curse (1978)
5. Deceived (1991)
6. Endless Love (1981)
7. The Formula (1980)
8. King Lear (1953)
9. Network (1976)
10. The Nun's Story (1959)
11. Patterns (1956)
aka: Patterns of Power
12. Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
13. Poltergeist (1982)
14. Power (1986)
15. Two of a Kind (1983)
16. The Young Lovers (1964)
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