Michael Marrona Movies

Jess (Milo Ventimiglia) moves to Venice, CA, to bond with his long-estranged father Jimmy (Rob Estes) -- and to cope with Jimmy's eccentric neighbors. Back in Stars Hollow, Lorelai tries to tell Rory (Alexis Bledel) that Jess is gone and that her college financial aid has been rejected while the two ladies prepare for their European backpacking trip; and Lane (Keiko Agena) tearfully reconciles herself to being shipped off to a conservative college where the boys and girls aren't even allowed to spend free time in the same park. The episode ends with a surprise for Lorelei -- a good one, for a change! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Thirteen progressively bizarre episodes are included in the portfolio of The Adventures of Pete & Pete's third season. As before, the titular siblings, Big Pete and Little Pete, are portrayed respectively by Michael Maronna and Danny Tamberelli, with Hardy Rawls as the boys' lawn-obsessed father and Judy Grafe as their mother, a human radio receiver (it makes sense once you see the show). The season opener "35 Hours" features none other than Patricia Hearst as the very nice Mrs. Kretchmar. In other episodes, "Dance Fever" affords viewers the only opportunity to see Iggy Pop and Luscious Jackson on the same episode; Adam West appears as seriously deranged school principal Kent Schwinger in "Last Laugh" and "Allnighter"; and the series finale, "Saturday," could just as easily have been titled "The Road to Wellville" were one in a perversely whimsical mood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After its introduction in one-minute comedy sketch form in 1990, the cheekily absurdist sitcom The Adventures of Pete & Pete was formalized as a weekly half-hour in December of 1993. Eight surreal episodes were churned out during the first season, beginning with "Day of the Dot," guest-starring comedienne Ellen Cleghorne as a bus driver in a lengthy spoof of the avant-garde short subject The Dot. In "Nightcrawlers," Little Pete (Danny Tamberelli) aspires to break the World Non-Sleeping Record. "King of the Road" finds the Wrigley family inadvertently providing a nudie show during their yearly visit to Hoover Dam. Jude Ciccolella appears as Big Pete's (Michael Maronna) psycho shop teacher Mr. Slum in "Join or Die." "Rangeboy" is highlighted by a guest appearance by Frank Gifford, cunningly cast as Frank Gifford. One week later, another sports icon, John McLaughlin, is on hand for "When Petes Collide." Troubles in gym and history class dictate the action in "Don't Tread on Pete." And "Hard Day's Pete" shines the spotlight on Polaris, the rock band that performs the series' theme song -- on the front lawn of Pete and Pete's house. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide