Van Epperson Movies
- 2006
It promises to be a busy week at the Federal courthouse in this final episode of Monk's fourth season. The Feds are prepared to escort "most-wanted" criminal Miguel Escobar (Carlos Gomez) to his long-overdue trial, and Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is summoned to jury duty on a minor robbery case. Though it makes him queasy to be locked in a room with eleven strangers, Monk appears to be in no hurry to leave when he is the only one to vote "Not Guilty." As he tries to sway the other jurors to his way of thinking, Monk finds himself saddled with another legal headache when the body of a dead woman is found stuffed in a dumpster just outside the courtroom. This being Monk, it is virtually a foregone conclusion that our hero's "Not Guilty" ballot, the woman's death, and the impending Escobar trial are all linked together. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2006
Bill (Bill Paxton) gets Margene (Ginnifer Goodwin) her own car, much to her delight. Nicki (Chloë Sevigny) is making some extremely elaborate plans for Wayne's (Keegan Holst) fifth birthday celebration. Bill is upset when he finds out she plans to invite 153 people to a fancy hotel, and he's even angrier when she tells him that Roman (Harry Dean Stanton) has agreed to pay for the event. Bill insists that the party be a small event in their home, and lets her know that her father is not welcome. The security system he's installed to protect the family from Roman causes its own problems. Margene is excited about the prospect of meeting her mother-in-law, Lois (Grace Zabriskie), for the first time, but Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn) warns her not to get her hopes up. Someone, probably Alby (Matt Ross), barges into the offices of Henrickson Home Plus, and forces Wendy (Jodie Markell), a junior executive, to sign over a check for 20,000 dollars that Roman feels he's owed. Bill's partner, Don (Joel McKinnon Miller), expresses his concerns that their connection to Roman and the notorious Juniper Creek leaves them vulnerable to being exposed as polygamists, which would, among other things, destroy their business. Friendly new neighbors, Carl (Carlos Jacott) and Pam (Audrey Wasilewski), move in across the street from the Henricksons, and this is also cause for concern. On the day of the birthday party, cultures clash, as Roman shows up after all, and brings along young Rhonda (Daveigh Chase), who explains to Sarah (Amanda Seyfried) that she's in "pre-marriage placement" with Roman, a way to "get around the law" until she's 16. When Sarah asks about Rhonda's personal happiness, the girl tells her, "The greatest freedom we have is obedience." ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- 2001
Peter Falk returns to the role of Lt. Columbo -- he of the grimy trenchcoat, dumb-like-a-fox interrogations, and the inevitable "Just one more question" -- in this two-hour TV-movie special. British comic actor Billy Connolly guest stars as famed movie composer/conductor Findlay Crawford, who commits murder rather than have the public discover that his Oscar-winning movie scores were ghostwritten by a younger and more talented tunesmith. Although the hard-drinking Crawford does a magnificent job covering his tracks and deflecting suspicion, shabby little Lt. Columbo suspects that there is more to the case than meets the eye. Beyond the usual cat-and-mouse banter between the detective and his prey, the film includes such highlights as a musical duet between Falk and Connelly (who knew that Peter Falk was capable of so stirring a rendition of "That's Amore"?). Reportedly filmed in 1999, Columbo: Murder With Too Many Notes made its ABC network bow on March 12, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2001
As Angel (David Boreanaz) exhibits a glimmer of romantic feelings for Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), the gang begins to research a prophecy about the looming arrival of an evil being who will play a pivotal role in the battles to come. A more immediate arrival, however, causes an instant battle. Darla (Julie Benz) shows up and reveals not only her pregnancy, but also the details of her night of empty passion with Angel (see "Reprise"). Cordelia, furious that Angel has lied to her, immediately takes Darla's side. As thanks, the expectant vampire mother bites her, though not fatally. The ravenous Darla, suffering the vampire equivalent of cravings for pickles and ice cream, escapes to an arcade and nearly succeeds in killing a little boy. Angel intervenes and prepares to stake Darla, who cries out for him to go ahead. Just then, Angel realizes that Darla's child has a heartbeat and must therefore be human -- and have a soul. He brings her back to the hotel and begins to accept the fact that he's going to be a father. Meanwhile, flashbacks chronicle one of the many run-ins between Angel and Darla and relentless 18th century vampire hunter Holtz (Keith Szarabajka), their most bitter victim and fiercest enemy. Originally broadcast November 5, 2001, on the WB network, "Offspring" marked season three, episode seven of the supernatural comedy drama. The first installment in a four-part sequence, this story line continues in "Quickening." ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- 2000
Once again, Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles) screw up, and as a result the Buzz Beer booth at a business expo is set up right next to the booth occupied by a virulent anti-alcohol group, whose horribly graphic pictures of rotting livers are hardly condusive to happy drinking. Despite this blunder, the guys are determined that Buzz will be selected as "beer of the month", and to this end Oswald and Lewis come up with a can't-miss idea: Renting a beer-guzzling circus bear named Buzzie Wuzzie as corporate mascot. Unfortunately, Buzzie has spent far too many hours in the DrugCo experimental labs, and has developed his own ideas about promotion--which include stealing the Buzz beer truck and going for a joyride! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Many a lovesick young man has threatened to camp out by a girl's front door, but one guy actually tries it in this alternately sweet and tasteless romantic comedy. Peter (Josh Schaefer) is a good-natured but socially inept young man who is madly in love with Erica (Keri Russell), the sweet and devastatingly sexy girl next door. Peter desperately wants Erica as his girlfriend, even though she already has a boyfriend, the large and humorless Nick (Johnny Green). Eager to prove himself, Peter takes up the advice of Nonno (Buck Kartalian), his batty grandfather, and literally camps out on her front lawn, willing to wait out the entire summer until she gives him a chance to prove that he can be the man of her dreams. Meanwhile, Peter is frequently kept company by his buddy Matt (R.D. Robb), who has learned how to deal with his sexual tensions through the use of fresh fruit, while Peter's dad (Mark Taylor) is convinced that his son has gone nuts and won't allow him back in the house, even for a change of clothes. While it won the Audience Award at the 1997 Slamdance Film Festival, Eight Days a Week didn't receive much commercial exposure until its release on video, after Keri Russell had made a splash on the acclaimed TV series Felicity. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Josh Schaefer, Keri Russell, (more)
- 1996
A time capsule buried 20 years ago is unearthed, yielding letters written in childhood by Joe (Tim Daly), Brian (Steven Weber), and Helen (Crystal Bernard). In a series of fantasy sequences, the three lifelong chums visualize what their lives would have been like had they fulfilled their childhood ambitions. Joe cuts quite a figure as a big-league ballplayer, while Brian is coolness personified as a Bond-like secret agent -- but only Helen's ambitions came to full fruition in real life. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
Everybody at "FYI" is saddened when stage manager John (John Hostetter) announces that longtime crew member Jack Saunders has passed away--everyone, that is, except Murphy (Candice Bergen). It isn't that she disliked Jack or anything like that; it's simply that she can't remember the guy. With this in mind, one can imagine Murphy's dismay when she is asked to deliver the eulogy at Jack's funeral. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1995
The first episode of Murphy Brown's eighth season ties up the loose ends left dangling at the end of Season Seven, and throws a few extra added attractions into the mix. First off, Murphy (Candice Bergen) has decided not to marry her lover Peter Hunt--but in a surprise move, "FYI" producer Miles (Grant Shaud) and Murphy's co-anchor Corky (Faith Ford) have eloped. Secondly, although Murphy isn't going to get hitched after all, she receives a personalized wedding present from no less than John F. Kennedy Jr., who uses his unbilled cameo as an opportunity to plug his new magazine "George". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1990
In the first episode of a two-part story (originally telecast as a single one-hour special), a heavy rainstorm forces the Seaver family to spend Halloween indoors. To pass the time, the family begin trading ghost stories, beginning with Jason's (Alan Thicke) fanciful yarn about yellow-eyed aliens. When Maggie's (Joanna Kerns) tale of horror turns out to be an educational tract, it looks like everyone is in for a dull evening...until...AUUUGGGGHHH!!! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
