Michael Switzer Movies

Their skill with a scalpel offset by their outrageous behavior, two brilliant but unpredictable medical students become hopelessly mixed up in an underworld organ harvesting ring in this goofball horror comedy from co-directors Ryil Adamson and Gavin Gillette. When it comes to practicing medicine, Gavin and Curt may be brilliantly talented, though their antics in the lab are more than the dean is willing to take. When the mischievous twosome plants an electric penis on a lab cadaver during the dean's final instructional exam, Gavin and Curt are finally expelled from school. Down on their luck and unsure of what to do next, the medical school rejects are caught completely off guard when their downstairs neighbor Rosalie comes knocking on the door, begging them to help stop her husband from bleeding to death. In the process of helping Rosalie's husband, however, Gavin and Curt make the shocking discovery that local mob heavy Hector the Plunger has been running a kidney-harvesting ring and flooding the black market with stolen organs. Later, despite the fact that Gavin and Curt make their best efforts to disassociate themselves from the loathsome criminals, they find themselves unwittingly drawn back into the bloody fray when Gavin's girlfriend's kidneys give out and her rare blood type makes it virtually impossible to find a donor through conventional means. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A belief in "angels on earth," not to mention a belief in oneself, may enhance the enjoyment of this made-for-cable drama. Jaclyn Smith stars as Kay Woodbury, a tough, no-nonsense judge whose intractability in legal matters is intensified by a number of personal crises, including a bitter feud with her jurist father and her anguish over the recent remarriage of her ex-husband. Thus, Kay is no mood to play nice when teenager Sally Powell (Lyndsy Fonseca) is brought before her. Harboring an intense hatred for the father who apparently abandoned her, Sally is a seemingly incorrigible delinquent who has already "flunked out" in four foster homes. Figuring that she could no worse than anyone else, Kay takes Sally home on a trial basis. The girl proceeds to behave as atrociously as possible, but surprisingly Kay does not decide to write her off as a bad job, but instead concludes that what the girl needs is someone to trust and something to believe in. In this spirit, Kay locates Sally's birth father (C. Thomas Howell), and, upon being convinced that he was not motivated by selfishness when he dropped out of his daughter's life, secretly contrives for Sally and her dad to reconnect -- and in so doing Kay finds her own way toward forgiveness, not only of those whom she feels have wronged her, but also of herself. Ordinary Miracles made its Hallmark Channel debut on May 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The shock of seeing her family slaughtered by knife-wielding serial killer Frank Tanner (Michael Gross), and her subsequent escape from his murderous clutches, has caused Gilda (Melissa Gilbert) to have amnesia. In an effort to start a new life, Gilda becomes the nanny to the son (Matthew Lawrence) of Mike (Jack Scalia), a handsome businessman in the process of divorcing his wife. Mike and Gilda become romantically entwined, and Mike takes it upon himself to discover who she is -- or was. Meanwhile, Tanner slays several others who are unfortunate enough to resemble Gilda in his unceasing efforts to find her -- his daughter. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

Following the death of her minister husband, Sophia Myles (Della Reese) faces the future with fear and loathing. Making matters worse, small-town big shot Mary Margaret (Rue McClanahan) pressures Sophia to vacate her house as part of a civic economy drive. How Sophia manages to hold on to both her home and the town she loves forms the crux of this heartwarming made-for-TV drama. Based on a stage play by John MacNicholas and location-filmed in Ontario (albeit set in North Carolina), The Moving of Sophia Myles made its CBS network debut on November 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Carolinian Sarah Cooper (Linda Lavin) and Texan Harriet Cahill (Gena Rowlands) are lifelong friends who are both widowed at virtually the same time. Although Sarah is financially well off, Harriet is struggling to make ends meet. In her efforts to help Harriet, Sarah is shocked to find out that her old friend has always been jealous and resentful of Sarah's comparative success in life--and that is not the only startling occurrence in the challenge- and crisis-ridden months that follow. Deflty managing to including such TV-movie standbys as adultery, old-age romance and terminal illness, Best Friends for Life made its CBS network bow on January 18, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A young father endures to learn that parenthood can be a rewarding venture despite the weight responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with the job in this heartfelt tale of fatherhood starring Brian Austin Green and featuring music by Mark Mothersbaugh. A typical teenage who divides his free time evenly between his band and chasing girls, Jason Kempler (Green) is shocked when a one night stand with Melanie (Nicholle Tom) suddenly leaves him an expectant father. Despite his desperate attempts to distance himself from both the mother of the child and the newborn baby itself, reality comes crashing down when Melanie leaves the child on his doorstep and disappears without a trace. Subsequently kicked out of his home by his father and stepmother in hopes that he will finally be willing to take responsibility for his actions, Jason soon discovers that he can't imagine a life without his baby. When Melanie re-appears demanding that Jason give up the child he has grown so close to, the prospect of losing his child deals a devastating blow to the now loving father. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Critics were somewhat amused when this made-for-TV movie first aired over CBS on February 21, 1996. They could understand why someone would want to make a biopic about notorious "Hollywood madam" Heidi Fleiss (here played by Tricia Leigh Fisher)--but of what possible dramatic value was a film about Heidi's father, California consulting pediatrician Paul Fleiss? Well, that question was sufficiently answered throughout the film's 90 minutes, told largely in flashback from the point of view of Dr. Fleiss, portrayed by Michael Gross. According to Karol Ann Hoeffner's teleplay, Fleiss was a good, caring, almost saintly family man, whose misguided liberal sympathies led him to excesses of self-indulgence when it came to raising his children. So far as as the spoiled and pampered Heidi is concerned, Dr. Fleiss doesn't believe in discouraging her on any issue, including sex--and this, coupled with the neurotic attitudes of Heidi's repressed, high-strung mother Elissa (Cindy Pickett) led the girl into her life's work, using sex for profit while remaining coolly detached from her work and using her associates and customers rather than ever allowing them to use her. That Heidi is clearly the villain of the piece is made obvious not only by actress Fisher's vitriolic performance, but also by the dramatic core of the story, in which Dr. Fleiss ends up being charged with fraud when Heidi pressures him into signing a highly suspicious bank loan application. The sweeping inaccuracies in The Good Doctor: The Paul Fleiss Story evidently didn't hurt its ratings, nor did the film lack viewers when it was subsequently rerun on cable TV under the title The Making of a Hollywood Madam. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV drama covers fifteen years, from WW2 to the mid-1950s, in the lives of farm couple Gordon and Jean Holly (Richard Thomas, Annabeth Gish). A daughter of privilege, Jean had married Gordon much against her parents' wishes, whereupon the couple took charge of a ranch in California, where they raised their children. Throughout their marriage, the Hollys not only faced the disdain of their loved ones, but also the prejudices and misunderstandings of their neighbor. And why? Because both Gordon and Jean Holly were totally blind, and thus regarded by the standards of their era to be "unworthy" of parenthood and self-reliance. Based on the novel by Susan Vreeland, What Loves Sees first aired September 22, 1996, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A coach develops an unlikely friendship with a member of his Little League team in this made-for-television movie. Richard Dean Anderson stars as Bill Parish, a father grieving over the loss his 11-year-old son. He is coaxed into coaching an underdog baseball team to help him work his way through his grief. While coaching, Bill takes a liking to a mysterious member of the team named Lucky Diamond (Grayson Fricke) who brings both Bill and the team out of their respective slumps. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

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

In this made-for-TV drama, Patty Duke plays a mother who vows to do everything possible to keep custody of her grandchild following the murder of her son. Though no one believes her, Duke is convinced that her boy was murdered by his suspiciously worldly ex-wife-to-be. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In the process of trying to rediscover her identity, a young amnesiac leads herself and her employer on an investigation into her past that leads them into danger. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide