Keri Houlihan Movies
- 1987
In the conclusion of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single hour-long episode), ALF is mistaken for a Christmas present and delivered to a hospital. In his efforts to escape, he is trapped in an elevator with a woman (Molly Hagan) about to give birth. And to top it off, he saves a disgruntled Santa's helper (Cleavon Little from committing suicide! Not surprisingly, ALF ends up learning the true meaning of Christmas...and hopefully, so do the viewers. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1987
In the first half of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single hour-long episode), ALF is accidentally tossed into a box containing Christmas gifts. The box is delivered to a hospital, where ALF becomes the special present of a terminally ill little girl named Tiffany (Kerri Houlihan). Though fond of the girl, ALF is anxious to get back to the Tanners--but it isn't going to be easy! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
In this entertaining feature for the 3- to10-year-old set, the wicked witch Hydia (voice of Cloris Leachman) and her two nasty daughters, Reeka and Draggle (voices of Rhea Pearlman and Madeline Kahn) are scheming to flood Ponyland with a strange liquid called Smooze. The ponies find allies in the Grundles, who have already been made homeless by the Smooze. The challenge is to stop the witch and her daughters, send them back into their volcano, and retrieve the lost land of the Grundles from under its cover of Smooze -- not to mention protecting Ponyland from the worst. Not an easy agenda, even after several adventures gear everyone up for the grand finale. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Madeline Kahn, (more)
- 1985
Needing community-service points to qualify for the Dry Cleaner of the Year award, George (Sherman Hemsley) becomes "nest mother" for his granddaughter Jessica's Red Robin troop. In his efforts to be helpful, George teaches the girls a few rather unethical methods for selling candy door-to-door. This episode marked the final series appearance of Ebonie Smith as Jessica Jefferson. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
- 1985
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Harry (Harry Anderson) has quit his job as Night Court judge, frustrated and disgusted by a municipal budget cut that has resulted in panic, hostility and tragedy. As the courtroom staffers try to lure Harry out of a seedy pool hall and back behind the bench, Harry's elderly replacement (Kenneth Tobey) drops dead in mid-sentence! Future Star Trek: The Next Generation regular Brent Spiner appears as the head of the Wheeler family, a collection of raucous rubes who may or may not be from West Viriginia. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1985
In the first episode of a two-part story, the Night Court staff is cut off from their paychecks by a municipal budget crisis. This freeze could not have come at a worse time for Harry, who is trying to save a cleaning lady (Susan Ruttan) and her troubled son (Harold P. Pruett) from being tossed into the street by a nasty landlord (Charles Bouvier). Ultimately, tragedy strikes--and a frustrated Harry quits his job! This episode marks the first appearance of the Wheelers, a rambunctious family of indigents who claim to hail from West Virginia (future Star Trek: The Next Generation regular Brent Spiner is seen as Bob Wheeler). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Director Lynne Littman has created an effective, understated portrayal of the cost of a nuclear war in human terms, in a film as far removed from the fake hyperbole of action and disaster movies as the natural world is from cartoons. Set in the small California town of Hamlin, the Wetherly family and their everyday concerns open the story. The trivia that fills their secure, ordinary existence disappears when a TV show is interrupted with the announcement that nuclear bombs have exploded in the major cities on the East Coast, and then the entire scene is erased in an increasingly white, blank movie screen -- meant to show that nuclear blasts have been detonated in California as well. Over 1000 people die in the first month from radiation sickness, but the mother in the Wetherly family (Jane Alexander) displays great inner strength as she cares for orphaned children the family has taken under its wing and goes on sustaining those that remain in her own family. At one point, she quietly conveys to her daughter the happiness of intimacy between two adults, knowing her daughter will not live to experience adult love. As these individuals and the children cope with day-to-day existence, there is never any intrusion of overt horrors, the focus remains on the individuals and the way in which they adjust to the inevitable. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Alexander, William Devane, (more)
- 1982
When a little girl is killed by a German shepherd which had been purchased as a family pet, a kennel owner comes to Quincy (Jack Klugman) for help. The man explains that he'd originally sold the dog to a security service, which, after cruelly training the animal to be an attack dog, resold it elsewhere without any warning to the new owners. Thus begins another crusade for Quincy, as the compassionate coroner challenges the laissez-faire legislation which allows such dangerous transactions to take place. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
