Lauri Johnson Movies

Mockumentary mastermind Christopher Guest turns his satirical eye away from dog shows, small-town theater, and folk music to offer a hilarious take on Hollywood award season in this comedy focusing on trio of actors whose lives are turned upside down when they discover that their performances in an independent film are generating a sizable buzz in the entertainment industry. Jay Berman (Guest) is in the process of directing his first feature film -- an intimate family drama set in the 1940s and detailing the tempestuous reunion of an estranged Jewish family that is reluctantly drawn together to celebrate Purim at the behest of their dying matriarch. The cast soon comes down with an infectious case of award fever when rumors on the Internet claim that "Purim" stars Marilyn Hack (Catherine O' Hara), Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), and Callie Webb (Parker Posey) may be delivering Oscar-caliber performances. When "Hollywood Now" co-anchors Chuck Porter (Fred Willard) and Cindy Martin (Jane Lynch) perpetuate the buzz on national television, the entire film crew starts to see stars in their eyes. Subsequently convinced that they have a sleeper hit on their hands, unit publicist Corey Taft (John Michael Higgins), talent agent Morley Orfkin (Eugene Levy), and producer Whitney Taylor Brown (Jennifer Coolidge) immediately cave to requests from Sunfish Classics president Martin Gibb (Ricky Gervais) to alter the film so that it may appeal to a larger audience. Now, while "Purim" screenwriters Lane Iverson (Michael McKean) and Philip Koontz (Bob Balaban) are forced to watch helplessly as their original screenplay is plundered in order to cash in on the positive buzz, awards season draws near and the production takes a most unexpected turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) goes on a date with a boring but rich hunk while Angel (David Boreanaz) and Doyle (Glenn Quinn) bust some vampire butt. One of the vamps escapes and attacks Cordy, whose date flees in terror. Doyle saves the day, and a light goes off in Cordy's little head that maybe the Angel's sidekick is worth getting to know a little big better. Just as things seem to be moving to the next stage, however, a face from Doyle's past shows up -- Harry (Kristin Dattilo), his estranged ethnodemonologist wife, who wants to obtain a divorce so she can remarry. Her fiancé, Richard Straley (Carlos Jacott), turns out to be part of a tribe of demons who have given up their barbaric ways and adopted human guises. Doyle grudgingly gives his blessing to the union, whereupon Harry convinces Doyle and Angel to attend Richard's bachelor party and Cordelia to attend her own shower. As the parties progress simultaneously, Cordelia makes a horrifying discovery about the traditions of Richard's clan -- just as the groom-to-be's brothers are preparing to force Doyle to participate in a grotesque and deadly ritual. Originally broadcast November 16, 1999, on the WB network, "The Bachelor Party" marked season one, episode seven of the supernatural comedy drama. In a twist on typical male and female names, Doyle's wife, Harry, calls him Francis, revealing that his full name is Allen Francis Doyle. During the scenes in which she considers a romance with "fixer-upper" Doyle, Cordy alludes to her abortive relationship with Xander Harris in seasons two and three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi