John J. Strauss Movies
- 1989
- PG
In this comedy a Hollywood agent heads for Africa in order to convince a beautiful princess to sign a special release so her life-story can be made into a television movie. Instead he ends up entangled in a kidnapping scheme. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Salinger, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 1993
Rue McClanahan guests as Cory's freewheeling grandmother Bernice, who breezes into town with all sorts of fantastic plans and promises (including a Cal Ripkinautograph!) for her grandson. In eager anticipation, Cory (Ben Savage) backs out of a fishing trip with dad Alan (William Russ), who invites his son's buddy Shawn (Rider Strong) along instead. Alas, Grandma blithely reneges on all her promises--and it looks like Cory will never recover from this devastating disillusionment. Meanwhile, Eric (Will Friedle) sets his sights on Mr. Feeny's gorgeous niece, played by no less than Keri Russell). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) stages a mock class reunion ("Welcome Back Class of 2000") and assigns his students to predict how their adult lives will turn out. When Cory (Ben Savage) announces his plans to become a center fielder, the waspish Feeny gives him a "incomplete" for being unrealistic, a crushing blow for our hero--until he is given a jolt of confidence by real-life major leaguer Jim Abbott). Meanwhile, Morgan (Lily Nicksay) finds herself in deep doo-doo when she trades her mom's valuable necklace for a cheap imitation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Kathy Ireland is cast as Alexis, the sexy if somewhat duplicitous representative for a shady modeling agency. When Alexis offers Eric (Will Friedle) a modeling job (provided he pay $90 for a portfolio, of course), the starstruck teen quits his job at his dad's store. Figuring that Eric needs to learn a lesson about real life, dad Alan refuses to intervene--and sure enough, Eric sets himself up for a big-time public humiliation. Meanwhile, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) assigns his class to pretend to be "TV families", which is how Cory (Ben Savage) ends up the Dad, Topanga (Danielle Fishel) the Mom, and Shawn (Rider Strong) and Minkus (Lee Norris) the kiddies! Jason Marsden makes his first appearance as Eric's friend...who, by a curious coincidence, is also named Jason Marsden. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Reluctant to play Hamlet in a classroom production (he considers the Melancholy Dane to be a "whiner" in a sissy costume), Cory (Ben Savage) relinquishes the role to nerdy Minkus (Lee Norris)--who can't act his way out of a paper bag. Even so, Mr. Feeny (William Daniels) decides to teach you-know-who a lesson by allow Minkus to remain in the role and demoting Cory to a spear-carrying extra. And in a curiously related subplot, Alan (William Russ) seriously considers quitting his job at the store after the district manager cuts his salary by five percent. (PS: This is the episode with the backyard miniature-golf tournament). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This TV sitcom series centers around Denver advertising man Jack McLaren (Tom Selleck), such a powerhouse that he's nicknamed "The Legend." In the opening episode, his agency's biggest client is the U.S. Army, but after Jack beats the President of the United States on the golf course, he's out of a job the same week he's being divorced by his wife (Joanna Kerns). Turning down a competitor's offer, Jack snaps back into action with his own agency, assembling his team of veteran creative director Carl Dobson (Ed Asner), geeky copywriter Bruno (David Krumholtz), sharp-talking secretary Beverly (Suzy Nakamura), and Ivy League accountant Erica (Penelope Ann Miller). Meanwhile, he has to deal with his daughter Alex (Hedy Burress), who wants to drop out of college. Filmed in Burbank, the series began February 23, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Selleck, Ed Asner, (more)
The Farrelly Brothers set this romantic comedy in their home state of Rhode Island. In 1985, when teen-nerd Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) challenges a high-schooler who's bullying retarded Warren Jenson (W. Earl Brown), his concern prompts Warren's sister, the dazzling and desirable Mary Jenson (Cameron Diaz) to choose Ted as her senior prom date, a fact Ted's pals find hard to believe. However, on prom night, Ted gets his penis caught in his zipper, so the much-desired date never happens. Living in Providence and waxing nostalgic 13 years later, Ted hires Pat Healy (Matt Dillon) to locate Mary, and the creepy private investigator finds her in Miami, where she lives with her tan-shriveled roommate Magda (Lin Shaye). After Pat develops a stalker-style fixation on the lovely, unattached Mary, he lies to Ted, telling him that she's now an overweight mother confined to a wheelchair. Employing professional eavesdropping equipment, Pat gathers a dossier on Mary's life and future plans, information that forms the basis for more lies when Pat begins dating her. Sure enough, Mary falls for Pat, although her friend Tucker (Lee Evans) is very suspicious of Pat's claim to be a Harvard-educated architect. Meanwhile, Ted learns the truth but continues to encounter offbeat obstacles as he accelerates to Miami in hopes of finding happiness with his true love. Former Modern Lovers singer Jonathan Richman vocalizes a narrative ballad of onscreen commentary in the Cat Ballou (1965) tradition. Most of the cast sings and frolics to Build Me Up, Buttercup by The Foundations during the closing credits. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, (more)
If you think you've seen a man killing someone, does that mean you shouldn't be dating him? This and other questions about modern relationships are explored in this offbeat romantic comedy. Amanda Pierce (Monica Potter) has found a great job (restoring paintings for the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and a great place to live: a spacious East Side apartment that she shares with four successful models, played by Ivana Milicevic, Shalom Harlow, Sarah O'Hare, and Tomiko Fraser. Amanda is still in the market for a great boyfriend, since most of her previous relationships have ended in broken promises or infidelity. She thinks she may have found the right guy in Jim Winston (Freddie Prinze Jr.), but she has reason to believe that he might be guilty of murder. Since she's not sure he has actually done anything, she decides to find out the truth, and her investigation has unexpectedly comic consequences. Head Over Heels was directed by Mark S. Waters, whose first feature, The House of Yes, also starred Freddie Prinze Jr.. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Potter, Freddie Prinze, Jr., (more)
Former Prada model and Road Trip co-star D.J. Qualls makes a bid for leading man status in this nerd-makeover comedy. Qualls stars as Dizzy, a dorky but delinquent high school student who's determined to get expelled from his hellish high school -- but ends up landing in jail instead. There he meets the intimidating, street-smart Luther (Eddie Griffin), himself a former geek, who takes Dizzy under his wing to teach him the art of being cool. Soon Luther and his pals have broken Dizzy of his meek, maladroit ways, and Dizzy is ready to start a new life at a new high school under a new name: Gil Harris. When Gil arrives at East Highland High -- his former inmate reputation known to all -- he quickly ingratiates himself with the cool kids and lays to waste any jocks who stand in his way. He even manages to date the school's most coveted girl, Danielle (Eliza Dushku). But when a face from his past shows up, it seems that his facade as the big man on campus may be about to crumble. The New Guy also stars Zooey Deschanel and Lyle Lovett, and features cameos from rockers Henry Rollins, Gene Simmons, and Tommy Lee. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- D.J. Qualls, Eliza Dushku, (more)
Eight years after getting a crash course in the fine art of personifying Christmas, Tim Allen returns as Kris Kringle's replacement in this sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. While Scott Calvin (Allen) initially had mixed feelings when he became the new Santa Claus, after eight years on the job he's come to enjoy being Father Christmas, and he and the Elves are looking forward to another holiday season when things begin going a bit wrong. Scott finds he's becoming less and less "Santa-like," and his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) has become difficult enough to land on the official "Naughty" list. Scott discovers most of his problems stem from an obscure passage in his contract with the North Pole which decrees that he has to find a Mrs. Claus. Scott has little choice but to start dating, but he soon learns that when you're a big guy from the North Pole who lacks conventional employment, single women do not come running. In order to leave him more time to search for a wife, Scott and the Elves create a duplicate Santa to keep an eye on the shop; however, the "other" Santa turns out to be more Naughty than Nice, and in time Scott has to wrestle control of the North Pole away from his doppelganger. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and David Krumholtz also reprise their roles from The Santa Clause. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
Teen queen Lizzie McGuire grows up a bit and hits the big screen in this comedy drama, based on the popular Disney Network series. Lizzie McGuire (Hilary Duff) and her best friends Kate (Ashlie Brillault), Gordo (Adam Lamberg), and Ethan (Clayton Snyder) have just graduated from middle school, and to celebrate, they're taking part in a class trip to Rome, Italy. Eager to celebrate their new maturity as high school students, Lizzie and her pals hope to live it up in one of Europe's most fabled cities, but fate has something more spectacular in store for Lizzie. Lizzie discovers that she bears a striking resemblance to Isabella, an Italian teen-pop idol famous for her duets with heart-throb Paolo (Yani Gellman) -- so much so that when Paolo and Isabella have a falling out, he asks Lizzie to take Isabella's place for an upcoming concert. Lizzie, however, isn't sure she feels comfortable stepping into the spotlight, and is even less sure about the way she feels about Paolo, who makes no secret of his infatuation with her. Things don't get any simpler for Lizzie when her family gets wind of her newfound fame, and catch the next flight to Italy. The Lizzie McGuire Movie also features Robert Carradine and Hallie Todd as Lizzie's parents, and Jake Thomas as her younger brother Matt, all of whom reprise their roles from the television series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Duff, Yani Gellman, (more)
A man hoping to make his way back to the big time starts by heading back to middle school in this comedy. Roy McCormick (Martin Lawrence) is one of the most successful coaches in college basketball, but he's just as famous for his hair-trigger temper as he is for molding winning teams. When an outburst of anger during a game escalates into an embarrassing public indecent, McCormick loses his job and is banned from college sports. Looking for a way to rehabilitate his image, McCormick takes a job coaching the basketball team at the middle school he used to attend, only to discover his players are a handful of misfits and losers with no skill on the court. Can McCormick mold the kids into a winning team -- and make himself into a better man along the way? Rebound also stars Wendy R. Robinson, Breckin Meyer, Horatio Sanz, Megan Mullally, and Patrick Warburton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Lawrence, Wendy Raquel Robinson, (more)
- 2006
- G
- Add The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause to QueueAdd The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause to top of Queue
Tim Allen returns as a regular guy-turned-Jolly Old Elf in the second sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who doubles as Santa Claus, has settled into his home at the North Pole with his new wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell), and is preparing for another Christmas when he receives a visitor -- Jack Frost (Martin Short), the cold-weather sprite who has been sent to help out St. Nick by Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler) and Father Time (Peter Boyle) after making a scene at a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. However, while Jack is supposed to acting as an assistant to Santa, he has a habit of making things go haywire, and as it happens this is no mistake -- Jack is hoping that an exasperated Santa will quit his position so Jack can take over and finally have a holiday he can bend to his will. Meanwhile, Scott has invited Carol's parents, Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret), over for a long-promised visit, but since he needs to keep his other identity a secret, he and his elves are forced to go to great lengths to convince them that they're actually in Northern Canada. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and Spencer Breslin also reprise their roles from the first two Santa Clause films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Elizabeth Mitchell, (more)
A handful of zoo animals leave behind their well-protected environment for the streets of the big city in this computer-animated comedy. Sampson (voice of Kiefer Sutherland) is the king of a make-believe jungle far from the African plains -- he's a lion on display at a zoo in New York City's Central Park, and he lords it over the other animals, including Nigel (voice of Eddie Izzard), a testy koala bear; Larry, a dumb but well-meaning snake; ; Bridget (voice of Janeane Garofalo), a bright but cynical giraffe; and Benny (voice of Jim Belushi), a very New York-ish squirrel who is good friends with Sampson and is trying to romance Bridget without much success. The pride and joy of Sampson's life is his son, Ryan (voice of Greg Cipes), and he's devastated when one day Ryan is crated up and shipped back to Africa. Sampson is desperate to find his boy, and with the help of his pals he escapes the zoo and sets out on a daring mission to rescue Ryan, battling the unfamiliar terrain and Kazar, a wildebeest with a will to power and a passion for choreography (voice of William Shatner) along the way. The Wild was the first directorial credit for animator and special-effects artist Steve "Spaz" Williams. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, (more)
When a hard-luck blue-collar worker and his two best friends are mistaken for Army Reservists by a tough-talking Army sergeant, the plane set to fly them to the front lines of Iraq mistakenly drops them in the middle of Mexico to disastrous results in a freewheeling military comedy starring Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, and D.J. Qualls. Larry (the Cable Guy) has lost his job and his woman in the short span of 24 hours. Convinced that some suds and target shooting are just the right remedies for a broken, jobless heart, Larry sets out with his next-door neighbor Bill (Engvall) and their trigger-happy pal Everett (Qualls) in order to blast off some rounds and down some brews. Their relaxing weekend soon takes an unexpected turn, however, when hard-case Army sergeant Kilgrove (Keith David) mistakes the trio as slacking Army reservists and loads them in a plane bound for Fallujah. Subsequently air-dropped over Mexico due to pilot error, the clueless, wannabe war heroes become convinced that they're actually in the Middle East and set out to save a rural village from what they assume to be an insurgent uprising. Though the thankful locals champion the noble but dimwitted trio for their heroism, the celebration is short-lived as ruthless warlord Carlos Santana (Danny Trejo) pays a personal visit to the town with a plan to confront the fearless warriors who dared to challenge his iron-fist rule. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, (more)
