Richard Portnow Movies List

A down-on-her luck prostitute embarks on a wild adventure that puts her in contact with the Mafia.

The troubled teenager Owen Whitmore has a sleep disorder and occasionally sleepwalks. Owen is having therapy sessions with Dr. Katherine Ramos. Having just joined the medical school, he has to move to another town, but he is divided between the college and his sweetheart, Maggie. His parents Leona and Walter Whitmore are very worried about him. When Owen has violent dreams, Dr. Ramos decides to consult with Dr. Jonas Julian, a specialist in dream analysis and sleep disorders. Meanwhile, people are protesting in front of the Townsend State Prison where the infamous serial killer Dr. Eugene "Mean Gene" Branch will be executed. Dr. Eugene is the son of another serial-killer and had performed sadistic medical experiments on his victims. Out of the blue, Marcia Freeman who went missing, is found dead in precisely the way that Owen saw in his dreams - the murder set up as if carried out by Dr. Branch.

Frank & Ava joins the wild ride of the tempestuous relationship between icons, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner showing their multi-year love affair and subsequent marriage. In 1949, a downcast Frank, his career on the wane because of a faltering voice, a failing marriage, and a tarnished off-screen reputation falls in love with rising star, Ava, by consensus, the most beautiful woman in Hollywood. While their love was incandescent, they were hapless as a couple; often pursued by reporters such as Hedda Hopper who played them off against each other in the tabloids; casting Frank as an adulterer and Ava as a home wrecker while Frank!s wife, Nancy Barbato, refused to grant him a divorce. Once married in 1951 the tabloids then paraded their sorted affairs whenever their careers separated them. (Often it was Ava who went off to Europe or Africa to make a movie, leaving Frank behind). In the meantime, Frank, career hanging by a thread, is desperately trying to land the acting job that he ...

Raoul Duke and his attorney Dr. Gonzo drive a red convertible across the Mojave desert to Las Vegas with a suitcase full of drugs to cover a motorcycle race. As their consumption of drugs increases at an alarming rate, the stoned duo trash their hotel room and fear legal repercussions. Duke begins to drive back to L.A., but after an odd run-in with a cop, he returns to Sin City and continues his wild drug binge.

A look at the life of real estate king/media mogul/reality TV star, Donald Trump.

A misguided museum guard who loses his job and then tries to get it back at gunpoint is thrown into the fierce world of ratings-driven TV gone mad.

Alan is a gambler desperate to erase the huge sports debt he owes to a cruel but quirky Chicago mobster.

Peter Gunn, a connoisseur of beautiful women and cool jazz, is an ex-cop turned private eye who's caught in the middle of a dangerous gang war.

On the way home from an art gallery featuring her work, a talented artist, Ali, her husband and their young child get into a car accident. The woman's husband and child die on impact, while the woman survives, but loses her eyesight. At her doctor's suggestion, Ali hires a caretaker named Jeff to help her adjust to life as a blind woman, and upon returning home, Jeff's aid proves to be indispensable in helping her acclimate; Ali even meets and quickly befriends her new neighbor, Linda. It is soon apparent, however, that Jeff is becoming increasingly possessive and jealous of Ali, and his obsession rapidly turns violent when Ali decides she needs less of his assistance because she is ready to resume living independently. Unsurprisingly, Jeff does not take the request well, and Ali is soon forced to use her remaining senses to fight for her life.

Two genius brothers grow up and grow apart as one becomes a successful surgeon and the other pursues a drug-fueled high life.

A big-city lawyer is called home to defend a local man accused of murder. Based on the Spoon River Anthology

Four exchange students meet in Berlin 20 years after graduating but picking up where they left off doesn't turn out to be as easy as they had hoped.

Dr. Bernard Nathanson and Dr. Mildred Jefferson square off in a national battle in this untold conspiracy that led to the most famous and controversial court case in history.

Don Roberto Luciano turns informer for the biggest Mafia trial in history, but his family pays a terrible price.

Inspired by Neil Simon's early career experience as a junior writer for Your Show of Shows, the play focuses on Sid Caesar/Jackie Gleason-like Max Prince, the star of a weekly comedy-variety show circa 1953, and his staff, including Simon's alter-ego Lucas Brickman, who maintains a running commentary on the writing, fighting, and wacky antics which take place in the writers' room

A beautiful woman seduces and tricks a hitman in order to save her own skin.

George Banks is an ordinary, middle-class man whose 22 year-old daughter Annie has decided to marry a man from an upper-class family, but George can't think of what life would be like without his daughter. His wife tries to make him happy for Annie, but when the wedding takes place at their home and a foreign wedding planner takes over the ceremony, he becomes slightly insane.

Ambitious young woman wants to get into TV news. She borrows a small camera from a friend and obtains incriminating pictures that two former East German spies are after.

Harry Berg is both a con artist and an actual artist -- he constructs large sculptures out of television sets -- but he is not particularly successful in either role. He owes some money, which gets him involved with Rachel Dobs, a police detective who works with a collection agency. When Harry comes into possession of a strange parcel, both the con man and the detective find themselves wrapped up in a sinister corporate plot to fix the lottery.

A minor car accident drives two rival aluminum-siding salesmen to the ridiculous extremes of man versus man in 1963 Baltimore.

Valerie is a juror in the trial of a mob boss. When her young son's life is threatened, she has no option other than to see that justice isn't done.

Vera Parks, an overly intense and demanding Broadway director, gets fired from yet another job, leaving her no choice but to take a gig directing a small town Christmas pageant in upstate New York. Stunned at how basic the production is, Vera attempts to back out, but is convinced by some of the locals to give their town a chance. To her surprise, the warmth and charm of the small town grows on Vera and she even enjoys the experience of directing the pageant. When Vera discovers her former fiancé Jack recommended her for the job, she is outraged. But over time Vera appreciates the gesture, as she grows close to both Jack and his young daughter. Will love stay in the wings this time around?

Perry investigates the murder of a former madam and uncovers a multimillion dollar banking fraud in the process.

The Hollowheads are a strange, futuristic family that live in a Jetsons type world complete with many cool gadgets. Henry is hoping for a promotion at the slime factory in which he works and decides to bring his boss home for dinner and to meet the family. Henry's perverted boss doesn't know what he's up against when he tries to make advances with Mrs. Hollowhead

A young private investigator in LA tows the line between danger and heartbreak as he tries to help a woman to commit fraud in order to get the money he needs to help his sick mother.

Based on the true story of Jack DiNorscio, a mobster who defended himself in court for what would be the longest mafia trial in U.S. history.

Linda has a seemingly perfect marriage with her rugged and handsome husband Mark and an adorable 8 year old daughter, Chloe. But when Chloe is injured by an elderly babysitter who has slipped into dementia, Linda wants to ensure that her child is never hurt again. Initially, Heather, the new babysitter, seems like the ideal addition to this practically perfect family. But Heather is a schemer who exploits the cracks in Mark and Linda's relationship, and delights in the resulting chaos. As Linda later learns, to her horror, Heather's intentions go far beyond the mischievous.

Ray investigates the murder of a psychiatrist.

A gangster who has commited all kinds of crimes is accused to have killed his wife. As he was not the murderer in this case Perry Mason intents to find the killer...

Four young gamblers come up with a plan to get out of debt with a fixed game.

During her traumatic childhood with an abusive father, Emma relied on an imaginary friend for strength. She is now an artist struggling with mental illness living with her apparently loving husband, Brad. But when Emma's imaginary friend starts reappearing, she knows she's losing her grip. Desperate to save her marriage and show Brad she is in control, Emma takes drastic measures to free herself of her torment and her imaginary friend.

The auto-biographical story of Howard Stern, the radio-rebel who is now also a TV-personality, an author and a movie star.

The career of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo is halted by a witch hunt in the late 1940s when he defies the anti-communist HUAC committee and is blacklisted.

A security guard falls for a famous TV actress he is hired to protect while dealing with mobsters who want his hide for some sour business deal.

In a twist on a Dickens novel, we meet Holly, a tightly-wound businesswoman who's spent her life running from the ghosts of her past. But this holiday, they come back to find her.

Ben Archer is not happy. His mother, Sandy, has just met a man, and it looks like things are pretty serious. Driven by a fear of abandonment, Ben tries anything and everything to ruin the "love bubble" which surrounds his mom. However, after Ben and Jack's experiences in the Indian Guides, the two become much closer.

A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.

A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.

A Reno singer witnesses a mob murder and the cops stash her in a nunnery to protect her from the mob's hitmen. The mother superior does not trust her, and takes steps to limit her influence on the other nuns. Eventually the singer rescues the failing choir and begins helping with community projects, which gets her an interview on TV—and identification by the mob.

The story of a young man who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age.

A disk jockey goes to Vietnam to work for the Armed Forces Radio Service. While he becomes popular among the troops, his superiors disapprove of his humour.

A man has only three and a half days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a nondescript room for 20 years without any explanation.

Recently orphaned, a young boy is taken in by his godmother who is shocked to realize that she can see the boy's imaginary friend: a flamboyant, French magician named Bogus.

Hard-edged cop John Kimble gets more than he bargained for when he goes undercover as a kindergarten teacher to get the goods on a brutal drug lord while at the same time protecting the man's young son. Pitted against a class of boisterous moppets whose antics try his patience and test his mettle, Kimble may have met his match … in more ways than one.

Lloyd, an eternal optimist, seeks to capture the heart of Diane, an unattainable high school beauty and straight-A student. He surprises just about everyone-including himself-when she returns the sentiment. But Diane's over-possessive, divorced Dad disapproves and it's going to take more than just the power of love to conquer all.

Following his great success with "North by Northwest," director Alfred Hitchcock makes a daring choice for his next project: an adaptation of Robert Bloch's novel "Psycho." When the studio refuses to back the picture, Hitchcock decides to pay for it himself in exchange for a percentage of the profits. His wife, Alma Reville, has serious reservations about the film but supports him nonetheless. Still, the production strains the couple's marriage.

The Newton family live in their comfortable home, but there seems to something missing. This "hole" is filled by a small puppy, who walks into their home and their lives. Beethoven, as he is named, grows into a giant of a dog... a St Bernard. Doctor Varnick, the local vet has a secret and horrible sideline, which requires lots of dogs for experiments. Beethoven is on the bad doctor's list.

Julius and Vincent Benedict are the results of an experiment that would allow for the perfect child. Julius was planned and grows to athletic proportions. Vincent is an accident and is somewhat smaller in stature. Vincent is placed in an orphanage while Julius is taken to a south seas island and raised by philosophers. Vincent becomes the ultimate low life and is about to be killed by loan sharks.

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Sommerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.