Stuart Charno Movies
- 1992
As indicated by the title, ethics play a major role in this episode, as does loyalty. Paralyzed in an accident, Lt. Worf reasons that he has no choice but to follow Klingon custom and commit suicide. An additional crisis arises when Worf asks Riker to help him kill himself. A possible way out of the dilemma presents itself in the form of an experimental and highly dangerous operation which may restore Worf's mobility, and which Dr. Crusher does not wish to perform. Scripted by Ronald D. Moore from a story by Sara Charno and Stuart Charno, "Ethics" made its American TV bow on March 7, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
After several weeks of reruns, Next Generation resumed its first-run manifest on January 4, 1992, with this poignant episode. Resigned to the fact that he has a son named Alexander (Brian Bonsall), Worf reluctantly allows the boy to live with him on the Enterprise. Worf's parenting skills, which even in the best of times are hardly salutary, are put to a grueling test when Alexander begins exhibiting some markedly un-Klingonlike behavior. The inevitable climax is a showdown between father and son (described by one publicity blurb as "Fatherhood: The Final Frontier"). "New Ground" was scripted by Grant Rosenberg from a story by Sara Charno and Stuart Charno. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Stephen King wrote his first original screenplay for this horror gore fest that features cameos by directors Clive Barker, Joe Dante, Tobe Hooper, John Landis, and King himself (playing a cemetery attendant). The story concerns a twilight people named "sleepwalkers" --creatures similar to vampires and werewolves whose faces turn animalistic whenever they are frightened or angry and who require the lifeforce of a virgin to survive. A single-parent sleepwalker family, consisting of Mary Brady (Alice Krige) and her son Charles (Brian Krause), have taken up residence in a small Indiana town. Charles has expressed a romantic interest in the attractive Tanya Robertson (Madchen Amick), a girl in his high school literature class. Mary wants Charles to lure Tanya home so that she can suck out her life force, but it appears that Charles has fallen in love with her --that is, until their first date, at a picnic at the cemetery. There Charles changes from a shy romantic suitor into a brutal and violent force, slapping Tanya around and attempting to rape her. But Tanya wards off his advances by plunging a corkscrew into his torso. Charles staggers back home to mother, where she nurses him back to health. Then Charles and his mother seek vengeance upon the Robertson family. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Mädchen Amick, (more)
- 1991
Bob Gunton guest stars as Benjamin Maxwell, a renegade Federation starship captain. Acting on his own initiative, Maxwell makes a series of unprovoked attacks on Cardassian ships. To forestall a resumption of hositilities between the Cardassians and the Federation, Captain Picard may be forced to kill Maxwell, who happens to be an old comrade. First aired February 2, 1991, "The Wounded" was scripted by Jeri Taylor, from a story by Stuart Charno, Sara Charno, and Cy Chermak. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this uneven teen comedy, an aspiring female high-school journalist assumes a fake male identity after her essay on just that subject -- a woman posing as a male jock -- is rejected in a contest. Miffed by what she assumes is a bias against her gender in the rejection of her essay, Terry (Joyce Hyser) dons the right garb, gets a new haircut, drops her voice down to a suitable male-sounding register and passes herself off as a guy (okay, not believably, but one is willing to go along with the conceit to see what happens). As she soon discovers, moments in the locker room and at phys ed classes can be harrowing, but worse yet, she becomes seriously enamored of Rick (Clayton Rohner) a quiet, good-looking guy who does not run with either the macho or preppie pack. How can she broach the subject of her real identity? Terry's friends have their own romantic interests, all of which are resolved at the high school prom. It just had to be -- this film was followed by one titled Just One of the Girls with another director, and a male cross-dresser as the featured protagonist. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joyce Hyser, Clayton Rohner, (more)
Best remembered for containing the film debut of phenomenally popular comedian of the early '90s, Jim Carrey, Once Bitten is a horror comedy that chronicles the attempts of a bloodthirsty female vampire living in modern day Los Angeles to find the three male virgins she needs every year to stay alive and young-looking. If she cannot do it by Halloween, she will surely die. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Hutton, Jim Carrey, (more)
In Hard to Hold, pop singer Rick Springfield is cast as an immensely successful recording artist named James Roberts. As a result of a fender-bender accident, Roberts meets and falls in love with child psychologist Diana Lawson (Janet Eilber), who is not the least bit impressed with James' wealth or fame. He spends the rest of the picture following Diana all over San Francisco, much to the discomfort of his lovelorn writing partner Nicky Nides (Patti Hanson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rick Springfield, Janet Eilber, (more)
Director John Carpenter returns to the suburban landscape he explored so chillingly in Halloween (1978) with this lean, stripped-down adaptation of the Stephen King best-seller about a haunted car with a devilishly bad attitude and the teen underdog who falls head-over-heels for her chrome-accented charms. Shortly after geeky, horn-rim-sporting Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) narrowly escapes a beating at the hands of shop-class bully Buddy Repperton (William Ostrander) on the first day of his senior year, he soon falls prey to a far more duplicitous villain in the form of a rusted-out 1958 Plymouth Fury nicknamed "Christine" by its crusty owner George LeBay (Roberts Blossom) -- who sells wide-eyed Arnie the old hulk despite the protests of best friend Dennis (John Stockwell) and the admonition of his domineering parents. As Arnie sets to the task of restoring Christine, his hobby grows into an obsession -- and the real power that hums beneath her hood begins to emerge, seemingly granting newfound coolness and sex appeal to the once-nerdy outcast, while simultaneously drawing away his very soul. A vengeful spirit, Christine lashes out violently at those who dare to stand between her and Arnie -- starting with Repperton and his gang, who completely trash the car, but are soon hunted down one by one and pulverized beneath the whitewalls of the miraculously-restored Fury. When Arnie's pretty, popular girlfriend Leigh (Alexandra Paul) begins to suspect she may soon be on the receiving end of automotive vengeance, she calls on Dennis for help... but a frightening midnight ride in Christine convinces Dennis that Arnie's only hope lies in destroying the demonic vehicle. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, (more)
- 1982
Charles (David Ogden Stiers) and Hawkeye (Alan Alda) are out to prove the old adage that one can never go broke underestimating the intelligence of the average person. To that end, the two doctors spread a rumor that Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe will soon be paying a visit to the 4077th. The only person left unexcited by this "news" is B.J. (Mike Farrell), who is conducting a desperate search for a wounded soldier that he was forced to leave in the battlefield--and who was indirectly responsible for B.J. earning a Purple Heart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this comedy, a group of randy young interns turn City Hospital upside down with their romantic liaisons and their blunders. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael McKean, Sean Young, (more)
Two months after the events of the original Friday the 13th, Alice (Adrienne King), the lone survivor or Mrs. Vorhees' killing spree, meets a grisly end in her city apartment. Five years later, a new group of co-eds converges near Camp Crystal Lake, scene of the original massacre and the drowning of Jason Vorhees that preceded it. This time around, the horny collegians attend a nearby training school for camp counselors. As half the group parties in town, an unseen assailant picks off the other half one by one. Only when camp leader Paul (John Furey) and his girlfriend, Ginny (Amy Steel), return to camp do they uncover the identity of their stalker -- none other than Jason (Warrington Gillette) himself, alive but grotesquely deformed as a result of his childhood drowning. Flashbacks chronicle Jason's behind-the-scenes activities in the first film (perhaps explaining how his mother was able to throw the dead bodies of muscular youths through windows with such apparent ease). The young couple's only hope to defeat the fiend lies in psych major Ginny's insights in Jason's mental state. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Steel, John Furey, (more)
