A Gnome Named Gnorm

Last updated
A Gnome Named Gnorm
A Gnome Named Gnorm.jpg
Australian DVD cover
Directed by Stan Winston
Screenplay by John Watson
Pen Densham
Story byPen Densham
Produced byRobert W. Cort
Scott Kroopf
Pen Densham
Richard Lewis
Starring Anthony Michael Hall
Jerry Orbach
Cinematography Bojan Bazelli
Edited byMarcus Manton
Music by Richard Gibbs
Production
companies
Trilogy Entertainment Group
Interscope Communications
Lightning Pictures
Distributed by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Release date
  • 1990 (1990)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

A Gnome Named Gnorm (also known in some markets as Upworld) is a 1990 fantasy buddy comedy film directed by Stan Winston and written by Pen Densham and John Watson. The film stars Anthony Michael Hall, Jerry Orbach and Claudia Christian, and is about a Los Angeles police detective who teams up with a gnome to solve a murder.

Contents

Plot

Gnorm is just an average gnome who lives underground, but he wants to impress another gnome romantically by doing something heroic. He takes the "lumen", a stone that must be brought to the surface (called "Upworld" by the gnomes) to be exposed to the sun to recharge it. When he gets to the surface, he witnesses a murder and the killer ends up with the lumen. Detective Casey (Hall), who was working a sting operation with the murdered man, is blamed for botching the sting, and the man's death. Wanting to catch the killer to clear his name, he accidentally discovers Gnorm, and they team up. [1]

Cast

Production

The movie was filmed under the title Upworld in 46 days, and was completed in early 1989, except for the ending. [3] Winston termed the original poignant scenes the “big finale,” but said that after screening the film with a live audience he decided to change to a more humorous ending. [3] Due to the bankruptcy of Vestron Pictures, the film wound up in limbo without experiencing a major release. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Out for Justice</i> 1991 film directed by John Flynn

Out for Justice is a 1991 American action film directed by John Flynn and co-produced by and starring Steven Seagal as Gino Felino, a veteran police detective who sets out to avenge his partner Bobby's murder by killing Richie, the trigger-happy, drug-addicted mafioso culprit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Orbach</span> American actor and singer (1935–2004)

Jerome Bernard Orbach was an American actor and singer, described at the time of his death as "one of the last bona fide leading men of the Broadway musical and global celebrity on television" and a "versatile stage and film actor".

<i>Predator 2</i> 1990 film by Stephen Hopkins

Predator 2 is a 1990 American science fiction action film written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, directed by Stephen Hopkins, and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Ruben Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Peter Hall. It is the second installment of the Predator franchise, and sequel to 1987's Predator, with Kevin Peter Hall reprising the title role of the Predator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Winston</span> American television and film special make-up effects artist

Stanley Winston was an American television and film special make-up effects artist, best known for his work in the Terminator series, the first three Jurassic Park films, Aliens, The Thing, the first two Predator films, Inspector Gadget, Iron Man, and Edward Scissorhands. He won four Academy Awards for his work.

<i>Exiled: A Law & Order Movie</i> American TV movie

Exiled: A Law & Order Movie is a 1998 (two-hour-format) television film based on the Law & Order police procedural and legal drama television series; it originally aired on NBC. Written by Charles Kipps, the film revolves around Noth's character, Detective Mike Logan. Kipps received a 1999 Edgar Award for his screenplay.

<i>The Pledge</i> (film) 2001 film by Sean Penn

The Pledge is a 2001 American neo-noir psychological mystery drama film directed by Sean Penn and starring Jack Nicholson alongside an ensemble supporting cast of Patricia Clarkson, Aaron Eckhart, Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, Sam Shepard, Mickey Rourke, Tom Noonan, Lois Smith and Benicio del Toro. It was in competition at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival.

<i>Maniac Cop 2</i> 1990 American action horror film directed by William Lustig

Maniac Cop 2 is a 1990 American action slasher film directed by William Lustig and written by Larry Cohen. It is the second installment in the Maniac Cop film series. It stars Robert Davi, Claudia Christian, Michael Lerner, and Bruce Campbell, with Robert Z'Dar returning as Matthew Cordell, an undead police officer-turned-serial killer following his own murder.

<i>Sea of Love</i> (film) 1989 film

Sea of Love is a 1989 American neo-noir thriller film directed by Harold Becker, written by Richard Price and starring Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin and John Goodman. The story concerns a New York City detective trying to catch a serial killer who finds victims through the singles column in a newspaper.

<i>The Ambulance</i> 1990 film by Larry Cohen

The Ambulance is a 1990 American comedy thriller film written and directed by Larry Cohen. It stars Eric Roberts, Megan Gallagher, James Earl Jones, Janine Turner, Red Buttons, and Eric Braeden as the Doctor. Kevin Hagen plays a cop. In his first film role, Stan Lee of Marvel Comics has a small role as himself.

<i>Vicki</i> (film) 1953 film by Harry Horner

Vicki is a 1953 American film noir directed by Harry Horner and starring Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters. It was based on the novel I Wake Up Screaming, written by Steve Fisher.

Robert James Zdarsky, better known by his stage name Robert Z'Dar, was an American character actor and film producer, best known for his role as officer Matt Cordell in the cult horror film Maniac Cop (1988) and its two sequels, as well as appearances in Tango & Cash and Samurai Cop.

<i>The Law & Harry McGraw</i> American mystery crime drama television series

The Law & Harry McGraw is an American mystery crime drama television series created by Peter S. Fischer and a spin-off of Murder, She Wrote that aired on CBS from September 27, 1987, to February 10, 1988.

<i>Righteous Kill</i> 2008 American thriller film

Righteous Kill is a 2008 American crime thriller film directed by Jon Avnet and written by Russell Gewirtz. The film stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as New York City Police Department detectives on the hunt for a serial killer. It is the third film in which both De Niro and Pacino appear in starring roles, and also stars John Leguizamo, Carla Gugino, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and Curtis Jackson.

<i>Earth vs. the Spider</i> (2001 film) 2001 television film by Scott Ziehl

Earth vs. the Spider is a 2001 science fiction horror television film directed by Scott Ziehl. It is the first of a series of films made for Cinemax paying tribute to the films of American International Pictures. The films in this tribute series reused the titles of old American International Pictures films, in this case the 1958 Bert I. Gordon film Earth vs. the Spider, but are not remakes of the earlier films. The film centers on a shy, obsessive comic book fan who gets injected with an experimental serum derived from spiders, which gives him minor superpowers. More horrific changes occur, slowly transforming him into a grotesque human spider hybrid. A detective begins to investigate when bodies start to pile up covered in cobwebs. The film was nominated for the Saturn Award at the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, USA.

<i>Impulse</i> (1990 film) 1990 thriller film directed by Sondra Locke

Impulse is a 1990 American neo-noir film directed by Sondra Locke, and starring Theresa Russell, Jeff Fahey, and George Dzundza. It follows a female police officer who works as an undercover prostitute in Los Angeles, who unwittingly finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. The film also features a power ballad by singer Kim Carnes called "Everybody Needs Someone".

<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> season 4 Season of television series

The fourth season of Homicide: Life on the Street aired in the United States on the NBC television network from October 20, 1995 to May 17, 1996 and contained 22 episodes.

<i>Cop Hater</i> (film) 1958 film

Cop Hater is a 1958 American crime film noir police procedural film based on the 1956 novel Cop Hater written by Ed McBain, the first in a series of books about the 87th Precinct in New York City. The film was produced and directed by William Berke, written by Henry Kane and stars Robert Loggia and Gerald O'Loughlin.

RPM is a 1998 action film starring David Arquette, Emmanuelle Seigner, and Famke Janssen. It was shot in 1997 and first released on video in Germany on June 23, 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hank Voight</span> Fictional character

Henry "Hank" Voight is a fictional character in the television series Chicago P.D.. He appeared in a recurring capacity in Chicago Fire and as a main character in Chicago P.D., as the head of the Chicago Police Department's Intelligence Unit, which operates out of the 21st District. Despite Voight's reputation as a suspected dirty cop and for using underhanded methods, he commands his unit's loyalty and respect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Woodruff Jr.</span> American actor

Tom Woodruff Jr. is an American actor, director, producer and special effects supervisor. He won an Academy Award for Best Special Effects for his work on the 1992 dark fantasy film Death Becomes Her; that same year he was also nominated for the same award for Alien 3.

References

  1. "Upworld (1990) : Plot Summary". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  2. "Upworld (1990) : Full cast". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-05-12.
  3. 1 2 3 Vandehey, Tim (April 1991). "Upworld". Cinefantastique . Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved February 23, 2023.