George Pentecost Movies
- 1994
Originally made for cable television, Roswell is an entertaining mix of purported actual events and science fiction. The narrative unfolds primarily in flashbacks as retired Army officer Jesse Marcel (Kyle MacLachlan) attends a reunion of the 509th Bomber Group and tries to come to closure on events that had taken place 30 years earlier. Back in 1947, Major Marcel had been part of a military team that investigated a crash site on a ranch near Roswell, New Mexico. The debris recovered from the site had exhibited some remarkable properties such as being able to repair itself instantly after being cut, suggesting that it might have been of extraterrestrial origin. The military brass had ordered Marcel to go along with their phony story that the material was ordinary metal foil from a weather balloon, and he had reluctantly complied. By the time of the 1977 reunion, Marcel is suffering from a terminal illness, and he feels compelled to try to find out what had really happened at Roswell all those years ago. MacLachlan gives an effective performance, particularly when he portrays Marcel as an older man trying to understand his past. Evocative location shooting in the American Southwest adds cinematic impact. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Martin Sheen, (more)
- 1986
When Christine (Markie Post) chokes on her lunch, Dan (John Larroquette) performs the Heimlich maneuver and saves her life. Much as Christine would like to repay Dan for his unaccustomed gallantry, the "price" he demands--namely, a night in bed--is a bit too high. Reluctantly, Christine says "Yes"...but Dan's hopes for an evening of purple passion are dashed by the unexpected appearance of a suicidal 38-year-old male virgin (Sandy Helberg)! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
A group of mental patients use the courtroom to rebel against the shoddy treatment afforded them by their nursing-home staff. Things get a tad out of hand when one of the patients, a mute, locks herself in the chambers of Judge Harry (Harry Anderson), armed with a revolver. This episode was originally slated to air on October 24, 1984, then on December 13 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This run-of-the-mill teen romantic comedy's main attraction is 22-year-old Demi Moore as Laura Victor, an aspiring rock singer. The slightly younger Jon Cryer is Charles Cummings, a dedicated photographer who meets Laura, falls in love, and decides that a dedication to furthering her career might further his own amorous designs. Charles is essentially a loser when it comes to women -- and just about anything else except photography. One day Charles captures Laura on film along a San Francisco seashore and is shocked but excited to run into her later while at a North Beach nightclub where she is a performer. Unable to just let her go, he finally convinces her to pose for him, and as a result of that session he comes up with one good photo which he then puts on nearly 200 San Francisco cabs -- using up all his savings in the process. The result consists of offers that have nothing to do with singing -- until one exception occurs. Another new face in the crowd in this conventional movie is Jennifer Tilly (younger sister of Meg Tilly and Oscar-nominated for her role in Bullets Over Broadway), working in her first film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Cryer, Demi Moore, (more)
- 1980
- R
Natalie Wood and George Segal star in this labored and old-fashioned sex farce, directed by Gilbert Cates. Wood and Segal play Mari and Jeff Thompson, a happily married couple who are thunderstruck when they see all their friends and acquaintances are headed for divorce court. Eventually their own marriage is put in jeopardy by their obsession with staying together. Seeing all the marital discord around them, Mari and Jeff begin to question the stability of their own relationship. Furthering their uneasiness is the arrival of Barbara (Valerie Harper), to whom Jeff is attracted. Barbara and Jeff have an affair and Mari decides to go out and have an affair of her own. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Segal, Natalie Wood, (more)
- 1979
Shortly after placing a phone call to his childhood pal Jim Rockford (James Garner), reporter Eddie Hellinger (Frank McCarthy) is murdered. Within the next few days, Jim receives a lot of packages in the mail, presumably from the late Mr. Hellinger. As a result, a couple of hoodlums kidnap Jim and beat him senseless in a meat locker--and that's only for starters. At the bottom of all this skullduggery is a case of widespread union corruption, and a very ripe piece of cheese. Soap-opera diva Constance Towers appears as Sally, a journalist with some rather fascinating credentials. This episode marks the final series appearance of Noah Beery Jr. as Jim's dad Rocky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
It seems that Laverne (Penny Marshall) can never go shopping at a department store without getting into trouble. In an earlier episode, she was falsely accused of shoplifting: this time, she is attacked by a giant toy robot! AN ambulance-chasing lawyer (Richard Karron) encourages Laverne to sue the store, with the usual hilarious results. Ironically, the "huge" robot is manned by renowned dwarf actor Billy Curtis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
When three of his fellow private eyes lose their licenses, Jim (James Garner) risks his own to help them. It turns out that the P.I.'s have been victimized by a "mystery woman" (Katherine Charles) working for a huge detective agency which is determined to eliminate all competition--even if means committing murder. To get even with the villains, Jim and his friends stage an elaborately preplanned break-in at the impenetrable Waterbury Building, an undertaking that bears a startling resemblance to the Watergate burglary, right down to a cameo appearance by an ersatz "Deep Throat". Simon Oakland) makes his first series appearance as detective Vern St. Cloud. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Conspiracy film specialist Alan J. Pakula turned journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's best-selling account of their Watergate investigation into one of the hit films of Bicentennial year 1976. While researching a story about a botched 1972 burglary of Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex, green Washington Post reporters/rivals Woodward (Robert Redford, who also exec produced) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) stumble on a possible connection between the burglars and a White House staffer. With the circumspect approval of executive editor Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards), the pair digs deeper. Aided by a guilt-ridden turncoat bookkeeper (Jane Alexander) and the vital if cryptic guidance of Woodward's mystery source, Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), Woodward and Bernstein "follow the money" all the way to the top of the Nixon administration. Despite Deep Throat's warnings that their lives are in danger, and the reluctance of older Post editors, Woodward and Bernstein are determined to get out the story of the crime and its presidential cover-up. Once Bradlee is convinced, the final teletype impassively taps out the historically explosive results. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, (more)
