Peter Horton Movies
Lead actor, onscreen from the '80s. ~ All Movie Guide
A variety of crooks, losers, and working stiffs living in the shadow of Hollywood find their various personal crises overlapping in this intricately woven melodrama. Lee Woods (James Spader) is a cold-blooded hit man and Dosmo Pizzo (Danny Aiello) a soft-at-heart gangster; they've been sent to murder Roy Foxx (Peter Horton), the former husband of also-ran Olympic skier Becky Foxx (Teri Hatcher). Lee's girlfriend Helga (Charlize Theron) is unhappy about his habit of killing people, and she attracts the attention of Alvin (Jeff Daniels) and Wes (Eric Stoltz), two cops who've been put on vice detail but don't have the heart to bust the prostitute they've been trailing. Alvin dreams of becoming a homicide detective, so when he discovers that he might be on the trail of a murder, it's like Santa Claus showed up in mid-July to hand him a present. Dosmo manages to escape the crime scene, only to foil a murder attempt by Lee, forcing him to hide out in the home of Hopper, a pretentious English art dealer (Greg Cruttwell), whom Dosmo holds hostage along with Hopper's long-suffering assistant, Susan (Glenne Headly). In the midst of all this, a down-on-his-luck television director (Paul Mazursky) contemplates suicide (the main stumbling block is finding someone to take care of his dog) while also being pestered by an actor with equally bad luck (Austin Pendleton) and meeting a compassionate nurse (Marsha Mason) on a visit to a cemetery. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Aiello, Greg Cruttwell, (more)
The 1987 portmanteau comedy feature Amazon Women on the Moon lampoons several film genres in general and the 1954 sci-fi cheapie Cat Women of the Moon in particular. Other sketches in Amazon Women include an opening bit with Arsenio Hall; a vignette titled "Son of the Invisible Man" wherein a naked Ed Begley Jr. runs around in full view of the nonplussed supporting cast; the It's Alive parody "Hospital", which offers the spectacle of Michelle Pfeiffer giving birth to Mr. Potato Head; and a Siskel & Ebert takeoff, featuring Arche Hahn as a TV viewer whose entire life is given a "thumbs down." Directed by several hands, including Joe Dante, Carl Gottleib, Peter Horton, John Landis, and Robert K. Weiss, Amazon Women on the Moon also features a satire of the Kroger G. Babb school of "sex hygiene" exploitation cheapies, with syphilis victim Carrie Fisher being counseled by unctuous doctor Paul Bartel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Bellamy, (more)
- 1998
In this supernatural thriller TV series, set in NYC, Detective Ezekiel Stone (Peter Horton) murdered his wife's rapist, was killed on duty, and was then sent to Hell by the Devil (John Glover). After 113 evil escapees flee the netherworld and return to Earth, Zeke gets a second chance. If he can track them down, he might make it to Heaven. Filmed in L.A., this series premiered October 6, 1998 on Fox. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Horton, John Glover, (more)
Narrator Job (Robby Kiger) relates the tale of Gatlin, NE, where one day the children, led by a boy preacher named Isaac (John Franklin), rose up and slaughtered all the grown-ups. A few years later, Job and his sister, Sarah (Ammemarie McEvoy), help their friend, Joseph (Jonas Marlowe), try to escape through the cornfields of Gatlin. Meanwhile, Burt Stanton (Peter Horton), a commitment-phobic young doctor, and Vicky Baxter (Linda Hamilton), his frustrated girlfriend, travel through the cornfield-lined roads of Nebraska on their way to Burt's new internship in Omaha. Their car hits Joseph, who appears out of nowhere, but upon examining him, Burt realizes the child's throat was slit before he ever wandered out from the corn. Attempting to locate help, Burt and Vicky turn to gas-station owner Diehl (R.G. Armstrong), who urges the couple to go anywhere but nearby Gatlin to report the murder. Several contradictory street signs later, they arrive in Gatlin anyway, and, befriending Sarah and Joseph, attempt to uncover the mystery behind Isaac's cult and its mysterious deity, known only as He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Stephen King cash-ins flooded the market between the successes of Brian DePalma's Carrie (1976) and Rob Reiner's Misery (1990), many of them, like Children of the Corn, based only loosely on the author's fiction. The original short story appeared in the collection Night Shift. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton, (more)
- 1994
This made-for-TV movie examines a rare genetic disorder that makes certain people so sensitive to light that they can only survive at night. The story centers on a family that has two so-afflicted children. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Horton, Tracy Pollan, (more)
- 1983
Choices of the Heart (aka In December the Roses Will Bloom Again) recounts the life and death of Irish lay missionary Jean Donovan. Together with three American nuns, the 27-year-old Donovan (here played by Melissa Gilbert) was murdered in El Salvador in 1980. Constructed in a complex flashback-flashforward style, the film shows how Donovan went from a selfish, materialistic girl to a champion of human rights. Martin Sheen plays the priest who is instrumental in Donovan's turnaround. The increasing demand for the US to withdraw its support of El Salvador's military-oriented government is a secondary but vital ingredient to the full dramatic impact of this made-for-TV movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melissa Gilbert, Martin Sheen, (more)
- 1996
The true-story of Native American legend Crazy Horse is told in this made-for-cable movie. Michael Greyeyes stars as the Oglala Sioux warrior who battled for freedom against encroaching westward expansion and fought General Custer and his forces at Little Big Horn. Filmed on location in South Dakota, the film was made by Turner Pictures as part of a TNT series. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Greyeyes, Wes Studi, (more)
- 1996
In this Kentucky-set drama, a tax attorney lays his career and life on the line while endeavoring to prove that a young girl was murdered. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
The Bad Old Days of Dallas and Dynasty were gloriously resurrected in this over-the-top ABC drama series about the impossibly wealthy, incredibly dysfunctional Darling family of New York. After the death of his father Dutch George (Trevor St. John) in a suspicious plane crash, straight-arrow attorney Nick George (Peter Krause) inherited the responsibility of looking after the Darlings--a job that largely consisted of keeping their names out of print and the family members out of prison. Actually, Nick was bribed into assuming his new responsibilities by patriarch Tripp Darling (Donald Sutherland), who offered the young attorney a $10 million annual retainer. Nick accepted only on condition that he never be required to tell lies on the family's behalf (something his less ethical father had no qualms about). Even so, it seemed at times that Nick would be corrupted in spite of himself, and the possibility of this occuring put something of a strain on the relationships between Nick, his wife Lisa (Zoe McLellan), and their impressionable daughter Kiki (Chloe Moretz). To be sure, the Darlings were quite a piece of work. Despite his protestations of respectability and fidelity, Tripp had no qualms about cheating on his imperious wife Letitia (Jill Clayburgh) with her ex-friend Natalie (Tamara Feldman). Their eldest son Patrick (William Baldwin) found his political aspirations threatened by his affair with transgendered Carmelita (Candis Cayne). Another son, Rev. Brian Darling (Glenn Fitzgerald), was saddled with an illegitimate child and weighed down by a long-standing hatred for the comparatively virtuous Nick. Daughter Karen, an unregenerate boozehound, loved to tell everyone within earshot (including her various husbands) that she had lost her virginity to Nick years earlier. And as for twin siblings Juliet (Samaire Armstrong) and Jeremy (Seth Gabel), she was a spoiled-brat pill-popper with vague aspirations of movie stardom, while he was an overage slacker with a gift for wreaking havoc and destruction wherever he went. Incredibly, there were even worse examples of humanity on the series, notably Tripp Darling's deadly rival Simon Elder (Blair Underwood). Dirty Sexy Money premiered September 26, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Filmed in semidocumentary fashion, Extreme Close-up features Morgan Weisser as a 16-year-old boy grieving the death of his mother (Blair Brown). Trying to assuage his grief, Weisser runs family videotapes of his mother. It becomes increasingly clear that the woman was falling apart emotionally in the months before her death, and Weisser wants to know why. Looking for answers, he begins taping new videos of his turbulent home life -- which slowly mirror the disintegration of his mother. Made for television, Extreme Close-up was written by thirtysomething veterans Marshall Herkovitz and Edward Zwick; its director was Peter Horton, who'd played Gary on thirtysomething. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blair Brown, Craig T. Nelson, (more)
- 1980
- R
An interesting, introspective variant on the '80s slasher formula, this low-key psychological thriller details the troubled life of obsessed movie junkie Eric Binford (Dennis Christopher), whose love of old movies extends far beyond his job at a film distributor's warehouse and endless late-night film screenings in his bedroom. His singular obsession eventually rounds the bend into psychosis after he crosses paths with a Marilyn Monroe look-alike (Linda Kerridge), who becomes the physical embodiment of his cinematic desires. When stood up on what he believed would be their first date, Eric becomes homicidally unbalanced, transforming himself into a gallery of classic movie characters -- including Dracula, The Mummy, Hopalong Cassidy, and Norman Bates -- and sets out to destroy his oppressors, starting with his crotchety wheelchair-bound Aunt Stella (Eve Brent Ashe), then targeting a boorish co-worker (a very young Mickey Rourke), and eventually working his way toward Kerridge. The film begins with a groovy concept, but loses something in the execution -- the horror and comedy elements fail to gel completely, and Christopher's performance is too creepy to generate much empathy. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Christopher, Linda Kerridge, (more)
- 1981
After a particularly bitter argument with her divorced mother, teenager Libby Bellow (Mare Winningham) runs away from home. Eventually, she links up with a traveling carnival and takes on a variety of responsibilities, in so doing coming to the realization that her life at home might not have been so bad after all. In addition to serving as an early showcase for actress Mare Winningham, this made-for-TV film also features a number of original songs by Janis Ian. Freedom was originally telecast by ABC on May 18, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
President John F. Kennedy issued the challenge to America in a speech to Congress in 1961: Land a man on the moon within the decade. This HBO mini-series, produced by Tom Hanks, chronicles the story of NASA's efforts to carry out the vision. Episode three looks at the step forward made by Apollo 7. Learning from the design mistakes of the ill-fated Apollo 1 spacecraft, NASA scientists designed a complex new model, with millions of working parts. The sense of relief was palpable when the Apollo 7 successfully took flight. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The professional roles and real lives of a diverse group of surgeons collide unexpectedly in this Golden Globe-winning ABC television drama. As an intern at prestigious Seattle Grace Hospital, Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) tries hard to live up to the reputation of her legendary surgeon mother while hiding the fact that her mom now suffers from Alzheimer's disease. As if life weren't complicated enough, Meredith also falls for her boss, Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), a surgical resident recently relocated to Seattle from New York. Meredith's friend and rival Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) finds herself in a similarly taboo romance with Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), Derek's chief competition for the title of chief resident. As for Meredith and Cristina's fellow interns -- Isobel "Izzie" Stevens (Katherine Heigl), George O'Malley (T.R. Knight), and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) -- they've got problems of their own. Izzie doesn't want to be judged for her underwear-model past; Alex is better at bedding the ladies than bedside manner; and George can't get any of the women around him to see him as anything but a cuddly friend. All five interns answer to the roar of senior resident Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), affectionately known as "the Nazi." But even Dr. Bailey jumps to it when Chief of Surgery Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.) is on the scene. Although it was a hit from the time of its mid-season launch -- in a plum post-Desperate Housewives time slot -- on March 27, 2005, Grey's Anatomy had sat on the shelf for a year before it saw the light of day. Creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes received plenty of accolades for her color-blind casting, but it was Oh who earned an Emmy nod and a Golden Globe statuette for her work on the show's first season. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2005
It's a grueling and eventful first 48 hours for the new crop of surgical interns at Seattle Grace Hospital in the debut episode of Grey's Anatomy. Among the newcomers are Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo), still struggling to emerge from the shadow of her celebrated surgeon mother Ellis Grey (Kate Burton); fiercely competitive Stanford grad Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), who will in time become Meredith's best friend; former fashion model Isobel "Izzie" Stevens (Katherine Heigl), a bit put off that she's no longer the sole center of attention; amiable, naïve George O'Malley (T.R. Knight); and Alex Karev (Justin Chambers), who wastes no time proving himself to be a pompous jerk. After a pep talk from chief surgeon Richard Webber (James Pickens Jr.), the interns are placed in the not-so-tender care of supervising doctor Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), also known as "The Nazi" for reasons that become instantly obvious. During their two-day shakedown cruise, the rookies come face to face with the harsh realities of hospital life, with Meredith tending to a girl suffering from seizures, George enduring his first appendectomy, and Cristina finds that it's no picnic workiing under veteran surgeon Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington). But the biggest shock of all is reserved for Ellis, when she discovers that her handsome "one-night stand" from the previous evening happens to be her new boss, Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey)! Peter Horton received an Emmy nomination for his direction of this inaugural episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Code Black emergency remains in effect as Blake (Isaiah Washington) tries to remove a live bomb imbedded in the chest of a WW2 re-enactor--with a very nervous Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) holding the explosive steady lest it blow the hospital to smithereens. The strain proves too much for Dr. Webber, who suffers what seems to be a heart attack. Meanwhile, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) has gone into labor, but refuses to deliver her baby without her husband present--placing Derek (Patrick Dempsey), presently operating on the husband for injuries sustained in a car accident, in quite a quandary. And with the whole world crumbling around them, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) and Alex (Justin Chambers) pick this time to express their love...in a linen closet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The OR staff has its hands full with the victims of a spectacular car crash caused by flagrantly careless driver Bob Seibert. In the course of events, it is revealed that Seibert is a drug abuser, wife beater and all-around louse--and he is also in desperate need of a liver transplant. Ironically, the perfect donor turns out to be the very man whom Seibert killed on the road, placing the surgical interns smack in the middle of a major ethical dilemma. Elsewhere, George (T.R. Knight) is forced to work side by side with the same nurse who gave him syphillis; Webber (James Pickens Jr.) gets what-for from his wife (Loretta Devine) for having brain surgery without her knowledge; Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Cristina (Sandra Oh) do their best to lose themselves in their work and forget their romantic travails; and we finally find out the reason for the rift between Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Addison (Kate Walsh). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Everyone seems to be having a Merry Christmas except the people at Seattle Grace. Izzie (Katherine Heigl) can't get into the holiday spirit because she's still p.o.'ed at Alex (Justin Chambers), who for his part is convinced that he'll fail again when he takes his board exams for the second time. Back at the hospital, Bailey (Chandra Wilson) maintains her backbreaking schedule despite her pregnancy; George (T.R. Knight) can't help but feel that his patient's obnoxious relatives are the root cause for her gastric ulcer; and Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Burke (Isaiah Washington) have a theological argument while trying to persuade a 10-year-old to undergo a heart transplant. Finally, though Derek (Patrick Dempsey) and Addison (Kate Walsh) have reconciled for the umpteenth time, it doesn't last long--a fact that doesn't make Addison happy, but which may turn out to be the best Christmas present that Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) ever had. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
In the first episode of a two-part story, Burke (Isaiah Washington) orders a "Code Black" when a WW2 re-enactor is brought in with a homemade bomb embedded in his chest. There's tension aplenty as the man is brought into surgery while young paramedic Hanna Davies (guest star Cristina Ricci) nervously holds the explosive in place and bomb-squad detective Dylan Young (Kyle Chandler) tries to maintain order and calm. Elsewhere, Alex (Justin Chambers) and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) undergo life-altering experiences that neither could ever have dreamed of; and Bailey (Chandra Wilson) finally goes into labor--while her husband is nowhere to be found. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Season Two of Grey's Anatomy picks up exactly where Season One left off, with the unexpected arrival at Seattle Grace Hospital of brilliant surgeon Addison Shepherd (Kate Walsh)--much to the dismay of Addison's estranged husband Dr. Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey), to say nothing of Derek's current amour, surgical intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo). Naturally, Meredith feels betrayed by Derek, and keeps on feeling that way throughout the rest of the episode. Meanwhile, chief of surgery Dr. Webber (James Pickens Jr.) recovers from his operation with the special help of intern George O'Malley (T.R. Knight), who has been appointed official bearer of gossip from the hospital; and Meredith's friend and coworker Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) has big news for her boss Dr. Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington)--and vice versa. Finally, arrogant intern Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) displays a hitherto untapped streak of compassion when the team's favorite bartender Joe suffers a heart attack. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Following its nine-episode inaugural season, the seriocomic medical series Grey's Anatomy returns with a full complement of episodes for its second year on the air--indeed, five of the unaired installments from Season One are added to the 22-episode manifest of Season Two, with even more to follow after the series begins offering two episodes per week at season's end. Picking up where the previous season left off, we find the romance between Seattle Grace Hospital intern Meredith Grey (Ellen Pompeo) and handsome neurosurgeon Derek Shephard (Patrick Dempsey) coming to an abrupt halt when Shepherd's estranged wife, neonatal physician Addison Montgomery, joins the staff. Likewise, intern Isobel "Izzie" Stevens (Katherine Heigl) leaves her boyfriend Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) in the lurch (despite the heating up of their romance during a "Code Black" emergency at the hospital) when she falls for heart-transplant patient Denny Duquette (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Meanwhile, another intern, Dr. Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh), deepens her relationship with cardiothroacic specialist Preston Burke (Isaiah Washington), but that doesn't constitute a full commitment by any means; and senior surgical resident Miranda Bailey (Chandra Wilson), aka "The Nazi", also finds herself Great With Child, and as such is briefly replaced by a woman who is her temperamental polar opposite. Other season highlights include an earth-shattering visit from Meredith's celebrated surgeon mother Dr. Ellis Grey (Kate Burton); an emotionally disastrous one-night stand between Meredith and intern George O'Malley (T.R. Knight); and a bittersweet story arc involving premature quintuplets. As the season approaches its climax, both Alex and Izzie are serious questioning their dedication to the medical profession; and there may be a change in the weather so far as Chief of Surgery Richard Weber (James Pickens) is concerned. When Emmy Awards time rolled around in the spring of 2006, the producers of Grey's Anatomy went home with a stauette in the "outstanding casting for a drama series" category. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, (more)
Having proven that it could stand on its own two feet without Desperate Housewives as its lead-in, Grey's Anatomy remained in its new Thursday-night slot as the seriocomic medical series entered its third season. In addition to established stars Ellen Pompeo (intern Meredith Grey) Patrick Dempsey (Dr. Derek Shepherd), Katherine Heigl (intern "Izzie" Stevens), Isaiah Washington (Dr. Preston Burke) et. al.. former recurring players Eric Dane (as plastic surgeon Mark Sloan) and Sara Ramirez (Dr. Callie Torres) have now been promoted to "regular" status. The season begins as the Seattle Grace Hospital medical team's favorite bartender Joe (Steven W. Bailey) provides those who came in late with a quick run-down of the events of the previous two seasons. Meredith is now torn between two lovers, Derek Shepherd and Dr. Finn Dandridge (Chris O'Donnell). The prickly relationship between Derek and his estranged-wife Dr. Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh) is made even more so by the reappearance of their daughter. Intern Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) has decided to remain with her current amour, Preston Burke. And after seriously considering giving up the medical profession after the death of her beloved heart patient Denny, Izzie changes her mind when the Denny Duquette Memorial Clinic is established. The first of the season's two most crucial story developments occurs when Chief of Surgery Richard Weber (James Pickens) announces his impending retirement, sparking a tense competition amongst Derek, Burke, Addison and Mark to take Weber's place. The apparent dark horse in this competition is Dr. Colin Marlow (Roger Rees), though Marlow makes his mark on the proceedings by coming between Cristina and Burke. Another major plot deveopment involves a disastrous collision between a cargo ship and a ferryboat, which threatens to claim the life of protagonist Meredith Grey (it also provides Izzie's former beau Dr. Alex Karev (Justin Chambers) the opportunity to become overly involved with an unidentified accident victim, played by Elizabeth Reaser). At season's end, Dr. Weber's successor is announced, Cristina and Burke are about to be wed, Callie demands that her husband George O'Malley (Sara Ramirez) make a commitment, and the interns sweat out the results of their first-year medical exams. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey, (more)
- 2005
After considering several candidates, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) decides who will be her roommates during her first-year internship. Back on the job, she butts heads with a pediatric intern to save the life of a newborn child, and also claims temporary possession of a gruesome "souvenir" left behind by the man who raped her patient Allison (Alex Thayer). Meanwhile, Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Alex (Justin Chambers) get their act together, so to speak; George (T.R. Knight) spends a few disheartening hours with the Seattle Grace code team; and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) copes with a patient who speaks no English. In other developments, Burke (Isaiah Washington) finds out why Derek (Patrick Dempsey) may be chosen as chief of surgery over hm; and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) remains close-mouthed over how well he knew Meredith's mom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
This is the first episode in the anthology drama series that deals with the unexpected effects a gun can have on people's lives. Walter (James Gandolfini) buys a gun to protect his family, unaware that his wife (Rosanna Arquette) is having an affair -- or that the former owner of the gun wants it back...and will do anything to get it. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rosanna Arquette, James Gandolfini, (more)
