James Woods Movies
One of Hollywood's most intense supporting and leading actors, James Woods has built a distinguished career on stage, screen, and television. Early in his career, Woods, with his lean body, close-set eyes, and narrow, acne-scarred face, specialized in playing sociopaths, psychopaths, and other crazed villains, but in the 1990s, he added a sizable number of good guys to his resumé.The son of a military man, Woods was born in Vermal, UT, on April 14, 1947. Thanks to his father's job, he had a peripatetic childhood, living in four states and on the island of Guam. As a young man, he earned a scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; after obtaining a degree in political science, he set out to become a professional actor in New York. While in school he had appeared in numerous plays at M.I.T., Harvard, and with the Theater Company of Boston, as well as at the Provincetown Playhouse on Rhode Island. After working off-Broadway, Woods debuted on Broadway in 1970, appearing in Borstal Boy. Off-Broadway, he earned an Obie for his work in Saved.
In 1971, the actor made his first television appearance in All the Way Home, and the year after that debuted in Elia Kazan's thriller The Visitors (1972). He then played a small part in The Way We Were (1973), but did not become a star until he played a vicious, remorseless cop killer in The Onion Field (1979). Subsequent film appearances quickly established Woods as a scene stealer, and though not among Tinseltown's most handsome actors, he developed a base of devoted female fans who found his rugged, ruthless appearance sexy. This appearance would serve him well throughout his career, notably in one of his first major films, David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983). Cast as the film's morally ambiguous hero, Woods gave a brilliantly intense performance that was further enhanced by his rough-hewn physical attributes.
Throughout the 1980s, Woods continued to turn in one solid performance after another, earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his portrayal of an American journalist in South America in Oliver Stone's Salvador (1986). He gave another remarkable performance as a Jewish gangster in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984), and in 1989 tried his hand at playing nice in the adoption drama Immediate Family. That same year, he won an Emmy for his portrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson in My Name Is Bill W. After beginning the subsequent decade with an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated performance in the title role of the made-for-TV Citizen Cohn (1992), Woods appeared in a diverse series of films, playing a boxing promoter in Diggstown (1992), H.R. Haldeman in Nixon (1995), a drug dealer in Another Day in Paradise (1998), and a vampire slayer in John Carpenter's Vampires. In 1996, he won his second Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Medger Evers' suspected assassin in Ghosts of Mississippi. In 1999, the actor continued to demonstrate his versatility in a number of high-profile films. For The General's Daughter, he played a shady colonel, while he appeared as a newspaper editor in Clint Eastwood's True Crime, the head of an emotionally disintegrating Michigan family in The Virgin Suicides, and a football team orthopedist in Oliver Stone's Any Given Sunday. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Ebenezer Scrooge gets the parody treatment from veteran writer/director David Zucker (Airplane!, Scary Movie 4) with this comedy starring Kevin Farley as a derisive documentarian (à la Michael Moore) who's visited by three ghosts intent on instilling the American spirit in the disillusioned filmmaker. Kelsey Grammer, Jon Voight, Leslie Nielsen, James Woods, and Dennis Hopper co-star in the Vivendi Entertainment production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Farley, Kelsey Grammer, (more)
A surfing penguin currently riding the wave of success enters his first professional competition in this computer-animated family-oriented comedy from directors Chris Buck and Ash Brannon. Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf) may be a relative amateur when it comes to hanging ten, but he's sure he has what it takes to surf his way to superstardom. With a little help from his cantankerous King Penguin mentor, ex-surfing legend Big Z (Jeff Bridges), and a little encouragement from star Pen Gu Island lifeguard Lani (Zooey Deschanel), there may be hope for this tuxedo-clad wave twister after all. James Woods, Jane Krakowski, Michael McKean, Jon Heder, Mario Cantone, and Brian Benben all lend their voices to this inspirational tale that proves anything is possible when you put your heart and mind to it. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shia LaBeouf, Jeff Bridges, (more)
- 2006
Vince searches for the perfect date for the highly anticipated Aquaman premiere. Meanwhile, Ari deals with financial difficulties and the limits of his new office space. James Cameron and James Woods appear as themselves. ~ Joe Friedrich, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The title of this episode refers to actor James Woods, whom Peter Griffin befriends under unusual circumstances (what, exactly, would the USUAL circumstances be?). Before long, however, Peter regrets making the acquaintance of Woods, who refuses to leave the Griffin home despite all manner of provocation. Elsewhere, Brian the dog attends a PTA meeting, where he falls in love with a teacher named Shauna (voiced by Gabrielle Union). For reasons best known to producer Seth MacFarlane, this episode also features caricatured cameos by three actors in the Star Trek franchise: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn. And if nothing else, "Peter's Got Woods" proves that James Woods is a sucker for Reese's Pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The president has been assassinated, and it's now up to the Secret Service agent who failed to act in time to save the Commander in Chief's life to solve the crime and get the gunman in a tense tale of political intrigue starring Cuba Gooding, Jr., Burt Reynolds, and James Woods. Alex Thomas (Gooding, Jr.) was the man in charge of protecting the president, but when the time came to fulfill his duties everything just went wrong. His conscience haunted by a bullet and his devotion to his country stronger than ever, Alex teams with seasoned reporter Kate Crawford (Angie Harmon) in navigating a treacherous web of lies, unlocking a dangerous conspiracy, and enter into a deadly world in which skilled assassins and highly-trained ex-special ops lurk in every shadow. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Vincent Albert Cianci Jr. -- better known by the nickname "Buddy" -- is a living legend in New England politics. A former prosecutor in the Rhode Island Attorney General's office, Buddy Cianci was elected mayor of Providence, Rhode Island in 1975, and remained in office until 1984; he was voted back into office in 1991, and served until 2002, making him the longest-serving mayor in the city's history. While Cianci was a charismatic figure and much loved my most of his constituents, the man who was first elected to office on a pledge to clean up corruption had a less than stellar record with the law; he left office for the first time after he was charged with assaulting a man he claimed had seduced his wife in 1984, while in 2002 he was convicted of conspiracy in a bribery scandal that found him charged in federal court on twelve charges, including extortion, racketeering and witness tampering. Despite it all, Cianci remains a popular figure in Rhode Island -- he's also known for a talk radio show he hosted in Providence between stints as mayor, and even markets his own brand of spaghetti sauce. Filmmaker Cherry Arnold persuaded Cianci to talk on camera about his remarkable and sometimes controversial career in politics, and Buddy is a documentary that follows the peaks and valleys of his years in office as he speaks frankly about his accomplishments and the scandals that have dogged him. Former Rhode Island native James Woods provides narration. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
One of the "popular girls" decides to put her mean streak to work in this black comedy. Kimberly Joyce (Evan Rachel Wood) is an outwardly friendly but inwardly cold and manipulative teenager who attends an exclusive private school in Beverly Hills when she's not making fun of her twentysomething stepmother (Jaime King) or listening to her business mogul father (James Woods) rant about the many people he hates. Kimberly's best friend is Brittany (Elisabeth Harnois), who doesn't seem to notice that Kimberly holds a bit of a grudge over the fact Brittany is now dating Troy (Stark Sands), Kimberly's former boyfriend. When Randa (Adi Schnall), an exchange student from the Middle East, arrives at school, Kimberly is asked to show her around, and soon she's giving her the inside scoop on the school's social hierarchy. Kimberly, Brittany, and Randa, like most of the girls at school, don't much care for Mr. Anderson (Ron Livingston), a teacher who doesn't make much of a secret of his lust for the female student body, though he doesn't do much besides look. Kimberly decides to do something about Mr. Anderson by fabricating a story that he has had inappropriate contact with her, Brittany, and Randa, and it doesn't take long for the matter to become a local scandal, though it does end up backfiring on Kimberly in time. Pretty Persuasion also features supporting performances from Selma Blair, Jane Krakowski, and Michael Hitchcock. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evan Rachel Wood, Ron Livingston, (more)
Underworld hipster Chili Palmer is back in the entertainment business in this sequel to the 1995 hit Get Shorty, which like the first film is based on a novel by Elmore Leonard. Gangster-turned-movie producer Chili (once again played by John Travolta) has grown tired of the screen trade, especially after his latest project turned out to be a box-office flop. Chili is looking for new horizons and thinks he may have found his niche when his close friend Tommy Athens (James Woods), a fellow mobster who runs an independent record label, is murdered by Russian gangsters. Chili takes over Athens' record company, Nothing to Lose Records, and begins courting Tommy's girlfriend, Edie (Uma Thurman). Edie is an experienced hand in record production, and together she and Chili spot what would seem to be the ideal act for their label -- Linda Moon (Christina Milian), a beautiful young woman with a powerhouse voice. Linda is stuck, however, in a going-nowhere R&B trio managed by the monumentally sleazy Raji (Vince Vaughn). Chili isn't much concerned about Linda's contract with Raji, but Raji certainly is, and the manager soon takes out a contract on Chili with the same Russian hoods who killed Tommy. Soon Chili is facing all the action he can handle between the Russian gunmen, a music mogul named Nick Carr (Harvey Keitel) who wants Chili to stay out of the business, and Sin LaSalle (Cedric the Entertainer), a successful hip-hop producer who wants Chili to pay him the 300,000 dollars he is owed by Tommy. Be Cool also features appearances by The Rock as a gay Samoan bodyguard, Andre Benjamin (aka Andre 3000 from the hip-hop duo Outkast) as a rapper who isn't very good with a gun, and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler as himself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Uma Thurman, (more)
- 2004
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The Z Channel wasn't America's first premium cable outlet specializing in feature films, and it wasn't the most commercially successful, but few, if any, had as strong an impact on the film industry or a more influential list of customers. Based in California and blanketing sections of the state dominated by the movie business, Z Channel had been operating for several years before former screenwriter Jerry Harvey took over as head of programming in 1980. Under the guidance of Harvey and his staff, the channel became a film buff's dream, screening rare classics, important foreign films, and maverick American titles that had fallen through the cracks of commercial distribution. Harvey and his staff also programmed original and uncut versions of films which had only played American theaters in altered form (including Heaven's Gate, Once Upon a Time in America, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and The Leopard) long before the concept of the "director's cut" had currency beyond the most hardcore of film fans. And The Z Channel aggressively championed pictures they believed were overlooked, and programmed deserving Oscar-nominated movies during the Academy's voting period, years before studios began distributing video "screeners" to potential voters. (More than one industry expert has credited Z Channel's showings of Annie Hall as a key factor in the film winning Best Picture.) But Jerry Harvey was also a deeply troubled man, and when legal and economic problems began dogging the company in the late '80s, he snapped, leading to a horrible and tragic murder and suicide. The Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession is a documentary that looks at the channel's short but remarkable history as well as Harvey's damaged personal life. It includes interviews with Robert Altman, Quentin Tarantino, James Woods, Jim Jarmusch, Alexander Payne and a number of other filmmakers and critics who attest to Z Channel's lasting impact. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The family-friendly animated story The Easter Egg Adventure concerns the city of Egg Town. Egg Town is a place where animals of various kinds live in a tranquil, friendly existence. The tranquility and peace lasts until some nasty strangers known as Take-Its conspire to take the town's Easter Eggs. Now a motley crew of Egg Town's citizens must work together in order to rescue their precious eggs. John Michael Williams' film features vocal performances by James Woods, Joe Pantoliano, Eli Wallach, and Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Breezily narrated by James Woods, this cable-TV documentary series recreated major and pivotal events in world history -- and not always in a respectful and reverent manner. The opening episode, "Valley Forge: The Crucible," setting the tone for all future installments, underlines the newly discovered factoid that the canny George Washington portrayed the Continental Army as being more decimated and deprived than it really was in order to better to throw the British off the track and squeeze additional money out of Congress. (Could it be that this episode was meant to invoke the questions raised by the U.S. government's alleged "overstatement" of the Iraqi threat during the 2003 Gulf War?) Moments in Time premiered on July 2, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods
A slice-of-life view of modern morality filtered through the eyes of a young and down-to-earth porn star, writer/director Ash's character-driven drama offers a unique perspective of the adult film industry. Moon (Juliette Marquis) is one of the most popular adult film stars around, and she finds no fault in using her sexuality as a means of profit. As she continues the process of renewing her contract, Moon's personal life remains a delicate issue due to her father's (James Woods) degeneration due to Parkinson's disease and a blind date (Kip Pardue) who remains hesitant to get close to Moon after learning of her profession. Although she makes a healthy living and sees nothing in particular wrong with her profession, Moon must ultimately reevaluate her life in order to understand what is best for both her and the people she cares most about. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Juliette Marquis, (more)
Two warring civilizations living on a doomed planet face certain destruction unless they can find a way to coexist and begin life anew in this computer-animated sci-fi epic featuring the voice of actor James Woods. As the planet Alcyone crumbles, a vast metropolis rests on the back of a gargantuan robotic city-god known as The Ark. Built by the Cevean population in cooperation with a mythical priestess, The Ark was later stolen by the warmongering Storrione, who subsequently forced the Ceveans into the treacherous wastelands. Though the Storriones have taken control of The Ark, they have no means of controlling it without the guidance of the absent priestess. Realizing that she may be the planet's final hope for salvation, the priestess' daughter Amarinth attempts to fulfill her destiny and pilot The Ark to safety while ensuring that neither race is decimated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
What was once a brave frontier town has become a haven for enlightened oddballs in this unusual drama from director Michael Polish, written in collaboration with his twin brother, Mark Polish. Northfork is a small town in Montana which, in 1955, is soon to disappear in the name of progress; a massive hydroelectric dam is to be put in nearby, which will flood the entire village. A group of six men sent by the power company -- led by Walter O'Brien (James Woods) and his son Willis (Mark Polish) -- arrive in Northfork to evacuate the few remaining residents. If the men are successful, they'll each be given parcels of land on the banks of the new lake which will be where Northfork once stood. Most of the townspeople have already left, but a few remain, among them Father Harlan (Nick Nolte), a man of the cloth who is caring for Irwin (Duel Farnes), a strange, scarred boy apparently on his deathbed, and a handful of enchanted eccentrics who have taken over a local bar, including Flower Hercules (Daryl Hannah), Cup of Tea (Robin Sachs), Happy (Anthony Edwards), and Cod (Ben Foster). As Walter and Willis try to persuade the stubborn stragglers to move on, Walter must search for a new final resting place for his late wife, whose coffin is the last to be relocated after Northfork's cemetery is dug up. Northfork received its world premier at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Nick Nolte, (more)
- 2002
- G
- Add Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun to QueueAdd Rolie Polie Olie: The Great Defender of Fun to top of Queue
Olie Polie is a little robot boy who lives on an all-robot world far away from Earth. As Olie, his family and friends prepare for his sister Zowie's birthday party, they don't know that their plans are going to be rudely interrupted by Gloomius Maximus, the evil villain who hates fun and happiness -- and especially hates birthday parties. Gloomius learns of plans for Zowie's party and immediately launches a "gloomerator" ray at planet Polie. Fortunately, Olie and his friends ward off the ray's fun-deadening effects, and together they laugh Gloomius away -- but not before he escapes with the super-silly ray that Olie had made for Zowie. A damper is also put on the party when Pappy, Olie's grandfather, bursts his happy gear and is then captured by Gloomius, and dampened even further when Gloomius steals planet Polie, intending to relocate it forever into the dark, mirthless Galaxy of Gloom. Fortunately, Olie and company foil all of the villain's plans, and an act of kindness on Zowie's part even succeeds in reforming Gloomius from evil genius to all-around good guy. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cole Caplan, Kristin Bone, (more)
A chimp helps bring together a boy and his father -- as well as putting America in the lead of the space race -- in this drama, which was inspired by the true story of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission in 1961. Dr. Wilhelm von Huber (James Woods) is a German expatriate scientist living in the United States in the early '60s who has been hired by the fledging National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help America launch its newly formed space program. Von Huber is recently widowed, and his son, Wilhelm II (Alex D. Linz) -- known as Billy to most of his friends -- is still dealing with the loss of his mother. The often cold and exacting Dr. von Huber is having trouble reaching out to his son, and Billy is having a hard time making friends at his new school in Florida. One day, while dropping by NASA's labs to visit his father, Billy discovers a secret: NASA has previously been using unmanned missiles in their tests, but before taking the giant step of sending a man into space, they're going to try an experimental mission with a chimpanzee on board to get a better idea of how people might be affected by space travel. Dr. Donni McGuinness (Annabeth Gish), NASA's head veterinarian, makes a deal with Billy: If he promises not to tell anyone about NASA's secret project, she'll give him a part-time job helping to train Mac the Chimp for his big flight. Billy soon becomes quite attached to his new friend Mac, and discovers it's harder than he imagined to send him into space without knowing if he'll come back safely. Race to Space also features William Atherton and William Devane, while Tyler the chimp appears as Mac. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
When some of cartoonland's biggest bad guys show up to make trouble, it's up to Mickey Mouse and his pals to set things right in this direct-to-video animated adventure. Mickey (voice of Wayne Allwine) and his pals, including Donald Duck (voice of Tony Anselmo), Goofy (voice of Bill Farmer), and Minnie Mouse (voice of Russi Taylor), are relaxing at Mickey's house, looking back at some of their past exploits, when a number of villains they've tangled with before -- including Captain Hook (voice of Corey Burton), Cruella De Ville (voice of Susan Blakeslee), Jafar (voice of Jonathan Freeman), Hades (voice of James Woods), and more -- appear en masse, determined to take over the House of Mikey in the name of evildoers everywhere. Mickey's House of Villains contains many clips from classic Disney cartoons of the past, re-edited to fit the film's new storyline. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A national health care crisis in the United States yields this tense drama from screenwriter James Kearns and director Nick Cassavetes, who experienced a real-life dilemma with his daughter's congenital heart disease that mirrors the one in this film. Denzel Washington stars as John Q. Archibald, a factory worker facing financial hardship as a result of reduced hours in his workplace. When his young son, Michael (Daniel E. Smith), is stricken during a baseball game, John and his wife, Denise (Kimberly Elise), discover that their child is in need of an emergency heart transplant. Although the Archibalds have health insurance, they are informed by hospital administrator Rebecca Payne (Anne Heche) that their policy doesn't cover such an expensive procedure. Unable to raise the money himself, John persuades the hospital's compassionate cardiac surgeon, Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods), to waive his lofty fee, but is still left with too much of a financial burden to bear. With no recourse but to take his son home to die, John snaps and holds the staff and patients of the hospital's emergency room hostage at gunpoint. John is soon a media hero, the focus of intense news coverage, even as police chief Gus Monroe (Ray Liotta) and hostage negotiator Frank Grimes (Robert Duvall) try to resolve the situation before it leads to bloodshed. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Robert Duvall, (more)
This sequel to a family hit based on the popular children's book by E.B. White again mixes live action actors with computer-animated cartoon characters. Michael J. Fox returns as the voice of Stuart Little, a three-inch tall talking mouse adopted by a human family in New York City. When his older "brother", George (Jonathan Lipnicki), starts spending more time with his other friends, playing games that Mrs. Little (Geena Davis) feels are too dangerous for the diminutive Stuart, the lonely fellow goes in search of companionship and finds it when he makes the acquaintance of Margalo (voice of Melanie Griffith), a tiny bird wounded by a sinister falcon (voice of James Woods) that is relentlessly pursuing her. While Margalo's busted wing heals up the Littles' house, Stuart grows closer to her and falls in love, but his new pal is hiding a secret that involves the villainous falcon and jewelry theft. In order to save his friend and their friendship, Stuart must call upon the assistance of the dreaded Snowbell (voice of Nathan Lane), the Little family cat with a Catskills comic delivery and no great love of Stuart. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis, (more)
