In the 1988 Italian production THE LEGENDARY LIFE OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY, Black portrayed Martha Gellhorn, an American novelist, war correspondent, and third wife of Hemingway. Although the original film ran 220 minutes, the DVD released in American runs only 100 minutes.
Black co-starred with folk singer Hoyt Axton in this 1988 Southern-fried family tale. Ruth Buzzi and Tina Louise were also in the cast. The film went directly to network television and video in the U.S.
1990's THE CHILDREN was based upon an Edith Wharton novel. It told the story of a middle-aged engineer (Ben Kingsley) whose life is turned upside down when he takes in a group of children. A shortened version of the film went straight to video in the U.S.
Shot in 10 days, 1990's EVIL SPIRITS was another direct-to-video horror film for Black, who starred in a role specifically written for her. Laugh-In's Arte Johnson made a rare feature film appearance, and the film included such cult horror film veterans as Martine Beswick, Robert Quarry, and Yvette Vickers (in her last film).
Black was billed fifth in this 1990 Roger Corman-produced thriller. Black might well be considered the embodiment of the film's title, since she appeared in 10 films in 1990.
After a bit part in 'Zapped Again!", a made-for-cable sequel to the 1982 Scott Baio film ZAPPED, Black co-starred in the 1990 horror film NIGHT ANGEL. The film ran over-budget during shooting, and after its failed regional theatrical run, Paragon Arts International - the company behind the film - was forced to cut other planned films and slash proposed budgets of films already in production.
Black co-starred with Jan-Michael Vincent, and another B-movie queen, Brinke Stevens, in this 1990 film based upon Edgard Allan Poe's "Premature Burial." Stevens considers HAUNTING FEAR to be her finest dramatic performance, and has named it as the favorite of her films in several interviews.
Black had the lead role in this 1990 horror thriller. It didn't have much of a theatrical release, but it was popular enough on video to spawn three sequels.
Starring and co-written by Scott Shaw (from two of his own novels), this direct-to-video film is given a lowly 2 out of 10 rating by IMDB voters. And yet, it has two sequels. Great B-movie cast though.
Playing an FBI agent, Black re-teamed with Wings Hauser (HOSTAGE) in this 1990 action film about counterfeiters. The 1991 film was released direct to video as THE KILLERS EDGE, and was later retitled BLOOD MONEY. The film has a high body count, as this trailer makes clear:
Black was third billed behind Crispin Glover and Howard Hesseman (who replaced Peter Boyle after 2 weeks of shooting) in this wacky 1992 comedy. RUBIN & ED earned an embarrassing $16,000 at the boxoffice. This trailer demonstrates why.
