Joe Sabatino Movies
This was the third follow-up to Tim Burton's Batman (1989), the original revisionist look at the Gotham City legend, as well as the second in the Batman series directed by Joel Schumacher and the first featuring George Clooney as the Caped Crusader; it features not one but two super-villains, and a new heroine to fight crime alongside Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) and Dick Grayson (aka Robin) (Chris O'Donnell). The experiments of Dr. Victor Fries (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to preserve his late wife cryogenically have gone horribly wrong, turning him into the evil genius Mr. Freeze, who must keep his body at sub-zero temperature in order to say alive -- and he wants to put Gotham City on ice. Shy horticulturist Pamela Isley (Uma Thurman) goes a bit wild with a Venus Fly Trap-like creation she's been working on and mutates into Poison Ivy, who wants to kill all the people on Earth so plants can take over. Can Batman and Robin stop these fiends before their plans go too far? Meanwhile, Bruce and Dick's faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) isn't feeling well, so his niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) comes to pay a visit. When Barbara finds out what her uncle's employers do in their spare time, she decides she wants in on the action, and she joins the crime fighting twosome as Batgirl. Batman & Robin also features Jesse Ventura in a small role as a prison guard; it would be his last film role before becoming Governor of Minnesota in 1998. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, (more)
- 2001
As usual, one group of CSI members investigates a death, while another group checks up on a second murder. Specifically, Grissom (William L. Petersen), Warrick (Gary Dourdan), and Nick (George Eads) look into a shooting that occurred during a casino heist, while Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Sara (Jorja Fox) probe a homicide at a remote desert convenience store. As the team compares notes, it appears as if there is a strong connection between the two crimes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
Season nine of ER begins ten minutes after season eight left off, with the County General ER still in lockdown in the face of a possible smallpox epidemic. Though most of the patients and staffers have been evacuated, a handful are quarantined at the ER for two weeks, among them Carter (Noah Wyle), Abby (Maura Tierney), Chen (Ming-Na), and Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), now a full-fledged series regular. In the midst of the chaos and confusion, Carter and Abby have managed to find the opportunity to lock lips, thereby inaugurating a whole new phase in their relationship. Meanwhile, on the roof of the hospital, Romano (Paul McCrane) throws another temper tantrum, with disastrous consequences when, in mid-rant, he backs into the tail rotor of a helicopter. And in faraway London, the newly widowed Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) has joined her father's business -- but may now be too "Americanized" for her family's tastes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
While en route to a romantic rendezvous with Doris, Jim (Charles Kimbrough) is arrested for possessing marijuana. Although the weed is part of the "medicinal-purposes" stash that he had bought for Murphy (Candice Bergen) in the earlier episode "Waiting to Inhale", Jim gallantly refuses to reveal this fact publicly, and as a result his career may be ruined. Unfortunately, his friendship with Murphy may likewise be destroyed; she hates the idea of his being noble for her sake! Don Rickles shows up unbilled as Murphy's penultimate secretary. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
Just as they're closing in on the Mob, Kelly (David Caruso) and Fancy (James McDaniel) are ordered to turn off the heat. Though Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) will recover from his shooting, he may not be able to remember who tried to kill him. As Kelly's soon-to-be-ex-wife, Laura (Sherry Stringfield), prepares to go into private law practice, her neighbor Goldstein (David Schwimmer) arms himself against the possibility that he'll be mugged again. And despite orders to kill Kelly, Janice (Amy Brenneman) knocks off the man who ordered the hit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
The mother of Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) prepares to face the grand jury to answer questions about the death of Diane's abusive father. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) unearth additional family intrigue as they look into the murder of a mobster's son. And Diane has problems with the overly amorous stepson of another murder victim and the suspect's slick lawyer -- not to mention a trail of evidence leading circuitously back to the suspect in the case being followed by Andy and Bobby. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
The fifth-season opener of NYPD Blue ties up several story ends left dangling at the climax of season four. With no one willing to back up his alibi for his relationship with murdered gangster Jimmy Salvo, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) is still on suspension pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) wants to extend Bobby a helping hand, but he too is under scrutiny from the IAB. Coming to the rescue (in a manner of speaking) is Detective Jill Kirkendall (Andrea Thompson, now promoted from recurring to regular status), who produces a source to back up Bobby's allegations. Elsewhere, the squad searches for a pimp suspected of killing several people. And on the domestic front, Gina Colon (Lourdes Benedicto) is pregnant, but hasn't yet informed the father, Det. James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro). Sharon Lawrence makes a token appearance as Sylvia Costas; the actress, busy with her own starring sitcom Fired Up, would be absent throughout most of season five. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2002
In the first half of NYPD Blue's ninth-season finale, no sooner have Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) returned from Disney World than they join the rest of the 15th precinct in a case involving a missing four-year-old boy. At first, it seems as though the youngster has fallen victim to an online sexual predator, but before long, several other possible suspects come to surface. Elsewhere, gay cop John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) inherits a huge amount of money from his late long-estranged father. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2001
John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) risks incurring the wrath of precinct skipper Rodriguez (Esai Morales) when John's badge is stolen from his car. Led by Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), the rest of the squad tries to cover up for John -- a task that becomes difficult when the badge is used in a string of robberies committed by a crook posing as a cop. In hopes of recovering John's badge and saving his job, fellow officer Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) adopts a most unusual disguise. And elsewhere, Connie is assigned a case that leads her to consider contacting the daughter whom she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2002
The murder of a college coed, who was wearing boots more suitable for a prostitute, occurs in the same location where a hooker is later killed. The hooker's cell phone provides a lead for investigating detectives Andy (Dennis Franz) and John (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), but the medical examiner's findings put a crimp in their conclusions. Meanwhile, Angela Lupo (Jessica Ferrarone), the drug-addicted former wife of precinct skipper Tony Rodriguez (Esai Morales), comes back into Tony's life in a spectacular manner. And Andy's son Theo (Austin Majors) wonders if his dad and Connie (Charlotte Ross) will ever really get together. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 1993
Patient confidentiality rules may stymie John (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) and Andy (Dennis Franz) in their investigation of an abortion-clinic firebombing in which a security guard was killed. This same crime yields evidence that Valerie (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) lied to Baldwin (Henry Simmons) about her miscarriage. In other developments, a gun found in a car leads to reopening of a Jane Doe investigation; and Rita Ortiz (Jacqueline Obradors) realizes that a homicide victim is the woman with whom her husband, Don (Stan Cahill), was having an affair. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2003
Little Theo Sipowicz (Austin Majors) accidentally sees Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross) without a stitch on. Back at the 15th, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) is saddled with his least-favorite "snitch," Pisano (Lenny Venito), who has apparently been targeted for death by a tough customer known as "The Dentist" (Raymond O'Connor). A witness to a shooting will hand over the videotape of the crime only on the condition that he retains exclusive exhibition rites. And the tormented father (Joe Spano) of Detective John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) commits a desperate act. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 1993
NYPD Blue was already off and running in its debut episode, in which Detective John Kelly (David Caruso), in the middle of an acrimonious marital breakup, is faced with the loss of his partner, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Kelly's wife, Laura (Sherry Stringfield), is working on her divorce papers with her neighbor Josh "4B" Goldstein (David Schwimmer), who is subsequently the victim of a mugging. Meanwhile, the burned-out Sipowicz gets in dutch with the IAB for putting too much heat on mob boss Giardella (Robert Costanzo), whose partner, Marino (Joe Santos), wants Kelly dead. As the episode draws to a close, Kelly has launched a romance with the woman who may turn out to be his assassin -- and Sipowicz pays a terrible price for his ruthless treatment of Giardella. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
Lt. Fancy (James McDaniel) has another run-in with Officer Szymanski (Christopher Stanley), the white cop who hassled Fancy over a broken taillight a few seasons back. Now, Szymanski is being investigated for his shooting of a black undercover officer. This incident rekindles old and unresolved racial issues between Fancy and Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), culminating in a physical confrontation. Elsewhere, Andy agrees to continue aiding Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence) in her efforts to clear the name of the late Suarez, while the squad tries to help absentee PAA Dolores Mayo (Lola Glaudini), who has turned to shoplifting. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
An old school chum whose daughter is running around with a really bad crowd asks Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) to try to straighten the girl out. Alas, it's a bit too late: the girl's psychotic boyfriend has murdered her roommate, an aspiring transsexual. Elsewhere, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) investigate when several graves are robbed and the gold teeth are extracted from selected corpses. And temporary PAA Naomi Reynolds (Gabrielle Fitzpatrick) reveals her Australian roots to a fascinated Simone (Jimmy Smits). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1998
A rape and murder take place in the apartment owned by Jamal (Giancarlo Esposito), an ex-crack dealer who was previously disabled in a police shoot-out. The investigation of a shooting in a medical clinic prompts a brutish, lovelorn security guard named Bruce (John Thaddeus) to forcibly "protect" the suspect, resulting in a deadly and decisive response from Medavoy (Gordon Clapp). And Bobby (Jimmy Smits) learns of Andy's (Dennis Franz) increasingly grave medical situation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2000
Investigating a multiple murder in which all the victims were naked men, Andy (Dennis Franz) and Danny (Rick Schroder) are given a bum steer by a misguided police profiler (Kirk Baltz). On a more personal note, Danny is fascinated by a female paramedic at the murder scene, even though he is currently dating fellow cop Mary Franco (Sheeri Rappaport). And upon finding out that her ex-husband, Don (Erich Anderson), has been arrested Jill (Andrea Thompson) tries to help him, whereupon Don "uses" her -- and nearly costs Jill her job. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) encounter hostility while investigating a murder with which an off-duty cop might have been involved. Medavoy (Nicholas Turturro) and Jill (Andrea Thompson) follow up clues in the murder of a young girl who left behind a disturbing video. And repressed memory syndrome kicks in when Diane (Kim Delaney) suffers a nervous breakdown in Simone's apartment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A disturbing videotape appears to hold the power of life and death over those who view it in this offbeat thriller. A strange videotape begins making the rounds in a town in the Pacific Northwest; it is full of bizarre and haunting images, and after watching it, many viewers receive a telephone call in which they are warned they will die in seven days. A handful of teenagers who watched the tape while spending a weekend at a cabin in the mountains scoff at the threat, but as predicted, they all die suddenly on the same night. Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts), the aunt of one of the ill-fated teens, is a journalist who has decided to investigate the matter and travels West with her young son, Aidan (David Dorfman), a troubled child who has been drawing pictures of strange and ominous visions. Rachel managed to find the cabin in the woods and watches the video herself; afterward, she receives the same phone call, and realizes she must solve the puzzle of the video and the person or persons behind it within a week. Rachel turns to her ex, Noah (Martin Henderson), an expert in video technology, who at first is convinced the story is a hoax until he digs deeper into the mystery. The Ring was adapted from a 1996 Japanese film by Hideo Nakata, which became a massive box-office success in Asia and spawned two sequels. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Naomi Watts, Martin Henderson, (more)
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