John D'Aquino Movies
The General Lee is back and so are the Duke boys in this big-screen adaptation of the hit TV series, brought to you by Jay Chandrasekhar of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. Set in the "present day," the story follows Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) as they cruise around Hazzard County and wreck havoc in their classic 1969 Dodge Charger. Together with their scantily clad cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshining Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), the two good old boys battle the corrupt county commissioner Boss Hog (Burt Reynolds) when he and local Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey) threaten to take away the family farm. John O'Brien has the lone writer's credit on the film, though additional uncredited rewrites were handled by the Broken Lizard gang. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, (more)
When Todd Anderson (Storm P) signs a 30-million-dollar contract with the New Jersey Nets after being named the number one NBA draft pick of the year, his mother (Jenifer Lewis) vows to prevent her son from forgetting his roots. Not used to balancing his new life with his old, Todd mistakenly invites family and friends from his old neighborhood to his multi-million-dollar house for a cookout on the same day of an important endorsement interview. Though his extravagant family cookouts were welcome at his old digs, Todd's stuffy new neighbors -- particularly the conservative Republican Judge Halsted Crowley (Danny Glover) -- are less than thrilled with the arrival of Todd's massive family. Complicating the situation further is the eccentric neighborhood security guard (Queen Latifah), who takes on the heady assignment of ensuring that none of the private community's rules are broken, as well as two thugs who, determined to get an autographed pair of sneakers, hold up the cookout at gunpoint. Directed by Lance Rivera, The Cookout also features performances from Ja Rule, Eve, Farrah Fawcett, and Jonathan Silverman. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ja Rule, Tim Meadows, (more)
- 1998
Returning to Earth Prime, Quinn (Jerry O'Connell), Maggie (Kari Wuhrer) and Remmy (Cleavant Derricks) are thrilled to discover that the Kromaggs have been defeated and the human race has been saved. Alas, this "victory" turns out to be nothing more than a Virtual Reality illusion--and in fact, the sliders have landed on a parallel world where "V.R." is not merely a recreation but a necessity of life. Will the three travelers be able to build a new sliding device and escape the planet, or will they be misled by yet another illusion? And will Maggie succumb to tempation and become an incurable V.R. addict--just like everyone around her? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Former Evening Shade costars Burt Reynolds and Charles Durning are reunited in this made-for-TV action thriller, the first entry in a three-picture deal between star-director Reynolds and the TNT cable network. Framed for murder after a botch stakeout, maverick cop Logan McQueen (Reynolds) escapes from maximum security and heads to Miami in search of the man who set him up. He is hotly pursued by the minions of a politically ambitious DA (Billy Dee Williams), who sees McQueen's capture as a stepping-stone to the governor's mansion. The film is so spectacularly violent that the cameo appearance by pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper seems a model of decorum in comparison. And Durning? He plays McQueen's ageing partner, as fast with a quip as with a gun. Originally telecast on December 13, 1998, Hard Time was followed by a brace of sequels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Charles Durning, (more)
- 1997
Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) rescue Ulysses (John D'Aquino), seafaring king of Ithaca, from a three-against-one battle. With the help of our two heroines, Ulysses recaptures his ship from the minions of Poseidon (Charles Siebert), the God of the Sea. Embarking upon the return voyage to Ithaca, Ulysses is occasionally thrown off course by such distractions as the Singing Sirens and Gabrielle's mal de mer. He also grows fonder of Xena with each passing day, blissfully unaware that his bride, Penelope (Rachel Blakely), is still alive -- and that his troubles will be far from over once he lands on Ithacan soil. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1996
Hoping to curry favor with George Steinbrenner, George (Jason Alexander) dickers an arrangement with Newman (Wayne Knight) to pick up a low-cost supply of eggplant calzone. Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) goes on several dates that aren't really dates. Kramer (Michael Richards) insists upon getting his clothes "straight out of the dryer" -- though an oven will do when he runs out of quarters. And Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) is blessed with an extraordinarily persuasive girlfriend. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
Seth Hazlitt (William Windom arranges for Cabot Cove to stage a rock concert benefit to save a local patch of woods. The star of the concert is Tommy Vaughn (eith Coulouris), a popular singer who is anything but popular to the people who work for him. Inevitably, a murder occurs, with an electric guitar as the weapon. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) plays a few detection riffs herself to find out which of the dead man's many enemies is the guilty party. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
Jessica's enterprising nephew Grady (Michael Horton) has become the partner of a pair of high-pressure land developers (John D'Aquino, Mary Gordon Murray) who have swept into Cabot Cove with grandiose plans of building an elaborate resort/marina complex. As local investors eagerly line up to get in on the project, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) cannot help but suspect that the whole enterprise seems to good to be true. It looks like her instincts are right on target when the wife (Katherine Cannnon) of one of the biggest investors dies in a suspicious car accident. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
Millionaire oilman Buck Wilson (Wayne Tippet), the father of Jessica's editor, has disappeared--and along with him $150,000,000 from his corporate account has vanished. Brought in to investigate the matter, psychic Marika Valenti (Natalja Nogulich) claims to have had a vision that Wilson is dead. Jessica (Angela Lansbury) enters the fray when Marika herself turns up murdered. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1992
Originally aired on CBS in 1992, Stompin' at the Savoy was produced and directed by Broadway choreographer and actress Debbie Allen. Set in New York City during the late '30s, the story concerns the economic survival of four young women trying to achieve their dreams at the end of the Harlem Renaissance. Pop star Vanessa Williams stars as Pauline, a domestic worker trying to make it as a singer. After work, she frequents the happening Savoy Ballroom along with Esther (Lynn Whitfield), Alice (Jasmine Guy), and Dorothy (Vanessa Bell Calloway). Eventually, fame and WWII come between the four friends. Though nominated for several Emmy awards for choreography and costume design, Stompin' at the Savoy has never been released on home video. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lynn Whitfield, Vanessa Williams, (more)
A bereaved farmer enlists the aid of a terrifying demon to help avenge his son's death in this stylish horror movie that contains a strong moral. It all begins as gentle widowed farmer/general store owner Ed's beloved 10-year-old son is involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident with an careless unknown motorcyclist. Ed nearly goes berserk with grief and to bring back his son heads to the cabin of a wise old witch to see if she can rejuvenate the youth. Unfortunately, it is beyond her considerable powers so Ed, now equally desperate for revenge, invokes the legendary Pumpkinhead, a terrifying demon with the power to make the biker pay. One by one, Pumpkinhead dispatches the terrified cyclist and his friends, leaving Ed to reconsider his rashness. He tries to call the demon back, but by then it is far too late.... The film is the directorial debut of Oscar-winning special effects wizard Stan Winston. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lance Henriksen, Jeff East, (more)
- 1987
Though a murdered Magnum (Tom Selleck) was seen wandering off to Heaven in the final episode of Magnum, P.I.'s seventh season, the public demanded the return of both the character and the series. Thus, Season Eight begins with Magnum still in a coma, the result of a violent shootout. In this state, the detective has an out-of-body experience, in which he is guided Heavenward by his old friend "Mac" MacReynolds (Jeff MacKay, who plays a dual role in this episode). Fortunately, he awakens to find himself back in the "real" world--whereupon he grimly sets out to find the surviving member of the criminal trio who nearly caused him to cash in his chips. Featured in small but significant roles are series star Tom Selleck's mother Martha Selleck and son Kevin Selleck. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
No Way Out is told in flashback as Naval officer Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is grilled by his superiors regarding a recent "unpleasantness." While at a Washington party, Tom meets Susan Atwel (Sean Young), and they're soon sharing a steamy love scene in the back of a limo (marvelously parodied in 1993's Hot Shots! Part Deux). Several months pass before Tom meets Susan again; he discovers she's the mistress of the US Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman). When Susan is murdered by Brice, his loyal aide (Will Patton) dutifully destroys the evidence and invents the fallacious theory that a KGB mole was responsible. Tom is assigned to locate that mole -- a perilous situation, since Tom knows that no such mole exists, but must go along with the charade since he was the last person who was seen with Susan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, (more)
