Shaun Baker Movies

The investigation of a deli robbery in which the owner was killed is bollixed up by Daron Hodges (Daniel Baldwin), an overzealous detective from another precinct who inadvertently leads a witness to finger the wrong man for the crime. In another development, a phony priest is apparently victimizing a young girl -- but this turns out to be the tip of the iceberg in an ever-developing confidence scam. And in the aftermath of the previous week's hostage crisis, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) decides to live for the moment and admit his affection for Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) -- even unto inviting Connie to join him and his son Theo (Austin Majors) on their trip to Disney World. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In view of her well-publicized divorce from singer Tommy Lee, star Pamela Anderson Lee reverts to just plain Pamela Andersonas the tongue-in-cheek action series V.I.P. enters its third season in syndication. Otherwise, things haven't changed much since Season Two: Anderson's character, gorgeous professional bodyguard Vallery Irons, is still the figurative head of the V.I.P. security agency, still proving her worth to her doubting (and eminently more qualified) coworkers Tasha (Molly Culver), Nikki (Natalie Raitano), Quick (Shaun Baker]) and Kay (Leah Lail). Dustin Nguyen, previously seen on recurring basis in the role of VIP's resident martial-arts whiz Johnny Yuh, is now a full regular, acknowledged as such in the opening credits of each episode. The celebrity cameos which were so much a part of the series' previous seasons have diminished to trickle this year, though we are still graced with the presence of such luminaries as Engelbert Humperdinck and Weird Al Yankovic. Otherwise, the Big Names appearing herein--Stephanie Zimbalist, Corben Bernsen, George Takei et al--are relegated to standard guest appearances as characters other than themselves. Also weaving throughout the season's proceedings is a shadowy assassin named The Owl, who befitting his mysterious nature is nearly always portrayed by an uncredited actor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Freshly arrived in LA from the midwest, buxom Vallery Irons (Pamela Anderson Lee) is soon being squired around by a variety of handsome hunks, including a certain macho movie star. When this star is jumped by assailants, Vallery accidentally saves the man's life--whereupon, to avoid embarrassment, the star informs his fans that Vallery is actually a professional bodyguard. Picking up on this story are the employees of Colt Arrow Security Services, a deeply-in-debt protection agency. Hoping to avoid closing up shop, the Colt personnel invite Vallery to sign on as head bodyguard and spokesperson, going so far as to rename the organization Vallery Irons Protection (V.I.P.) Assured that she will merely be a sexy "front" and kept far out of harm's way while the rest of the V.I.P. personnel--ex-spy Tasha (Molly Culver), former boxer Quick (Shaun Baker), munitions expert Nikki (Natalie Raitano) and mousy computer wonk Kay (Leah Lail--do all the heavy lifting, Vallery petulantly insists upon being allowed to live up to her reputation and pitch in when the going gets rough. For reasons that may be hard to comprehend, most of Vallery's perilous assignments require her to wear extremely revealing costumes. That's the situation facing us as V.I.P. launches its first season of 22 episodes, in which Vallery and company tackle all manner of risky bodyguarding assignments for a vast array of A-list clients. During Season One alone, the VIP's list of subscribers includes the likes of Coolio, Charles Barkley, Pauly Shore, #Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Bill Maher, Robin Leach, Shannon Tweed, Erik Estrada and Jerry Springer! And in the episode "The Last Temptation of Evil", Dustin Nguyen makes his first appearance as Japanese martial-arts superstar Johnny Loh, who will join the cast on a regular basis in the seasons to come. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The fifth and final season of Living Single finds Manhattan-based magazine editor Khadijah (Queen Latifah) short one roommate when her cousin Synclaire (Kim Coles) gets married to her longtime fiancé Overton (John Henton). Moving in with Khadijah and her best friend Regine (Kim Fields Freeman) is Ira Lee "Tripp" Williams III, a composer of commercial jingles who aspires to bigger things. Meanwhile, Khadijah's former college roommate Max (Erika Williams) has decided not to move to London with her erstwhile sweetheart Kyle (T.C. Carson). Even so, Kyle is not completely out of her life, as Max learns to her amazement when, at season's end, she discovers the identity of the donor with whose sperm she has been artificially inseminated! In other developments, honeymooners Synclaire and Overton are briefly stranded on a desert island, and once rescued they move to Hollywood, the better for Synclaire to pursue her blossoming acting career. Gold-digging Regine finally marries her millionaire, a fellow named Dexter Knight (Don Franklin). And after a three-year absence, Khadijah's former beau Scooter (Cress Williams) returns to her life, hoping to pick up where he left off...and them's the conditions that prevail as Living Single concludes its five-year run. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Queen Latifah is irrefutably the star of Living Single in the role of New York-based magazine editor Khadijah James, many of the series' third-season episode place emphasis on the other regulars. For starters, the eternally squabbling Max (Erika Alexander) and Kyle (T.C. Carson) break up their romance for the umpteenth time. Also, after a bitter quarrel with herroommate Khadijah at the end of Season Two, Regine (Kim Coles) moves into her own place, at least until she and Khadijah patch up their differences; later on, Regine gets a new job as assistant wardrobe consultant on the TV soap opera "Palo Alto." As for Khadijah's Synclaire (Kim Coles), she and her boyfriend Overton (John Henton) are moving ever closer to marriage. New to the cast this season are Shaun Baker as Jamaican-born Russell Montego, who makes no secret of his desire for the desirable Regine--who in turn spurns him because he can't support her in the manner to which she'd like to become accustomed; and Bumper Robinson as NYU student Ivan Ennis, the new "gopher" in the offices of Kadijah's magazine "Flavor." Season Three guest stars include the NBA's Grant Hill, the singing group TLC, Eartha Kitt, CCH Pounder, Jasmine Guy, and father-and-son filmmakers Melvin Van Peebles and Mario Van Peebles. As the season approaches its cliffhanger finale, Khadijah faces the loss of her magazine in a lawsuit; Max runs for alderman, only to be subjected to a smear campaign based on her past romantic travails; and Overton encounters incredible obstacles in his efforts to propose to Synclaire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) goes after a private eye who may be cheating his client by feeding him with false hopes about his missing child. The father of a 13-year-old murdered in the street seeks out justice on his own when the killer injures LaSalle (Wendy Makkena) and escapes. Will this incident hurt LaSalle's chances of landing a job at a local equal-employment-opportunity office? Real-life NYPD commissioner Raymond Kelly appears, uncredited, as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Lawrence Kasdan's Grand Canyon is a gathering of random events, uniting the film's wildly divergent protagonists. Driving home from an LA Lakers game, Mack (Kevin Kline), an immigration attorney, is stranded in an unsavory part of town when his car breaks down. He is rescued from a gang of hoods by Simon (Danny Glover), an African-American tow truck driver, inaugurating a friendship between these two men. Mack offers to repay Simon's kindness by helping his sister (Tina Lifford) find an apartment in a better neighborhood, and by arranging a blind date between Simon and Jane (Alfre Woodard), a friend of Mack's secretary Dee (Mary Louise Parker). Woven into this fabric are the tribulations of Mack's best friend, a pompous exploitation movie producer (Steve Martin), who is later wounded in a robbery similar to the one threatening Mack at the beginning of the film; of Mack's wife Claire (Mary McDonnell), who adopts an abandoned baby, and disenfranchised son Roberto (Jeremy Sisto); and of Simon's nephew (Patrick Malone), who is contemplating joining a street gang. The title is symbolic, referring to the class-imposed chasms which would normally separate the characters. Kasdan co-wrote the screenplay with his wife Meg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide