Patrick Cranshaw Movies
This appallingly bad sci-fi film about an invisible bank-robber (Douglas Kennedy) was shot back-to-back with Beyond the Time Barrier on the grounds of the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The usual cackling and crime is included, most of which was done better in The Invisible Man. Marguerite Chapman is the film's one bright spot as Kennedy's lowlife girlfriend, but the rest of the characters are annoying and unsympathetic. Unpleasant, downbeat, and badly produced, it is hard to see the appeal of this one, even for genre completists. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Is Fred (Redd Foxx) telling the truth when he fails to recognize Carol (Spo-De-Odee), a woman who claims she knew him 40 years ago? For once, the redoubtable Mr. Sanford is telling the truth -- he is drawing a complete blank when it comes to Carol. When recognition finally dawns, however, Fred is forced to confront his long-ago "involvement" in a criminal activity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Redd Foxx, Demond Wilson, (more)
- 1976
Alice (Linda Lavin) has every reason to assume that she is the beneficiary of her late husband's insurance policy. So imagine her surprise--and outrage--upon discovering that the policy is in the name of another woman. The first airing of this episode, on October 6, 1976, occurred only in the Mountain and Pacific time zones: the rest of the country had to make do with a presidential debate between a couple of guys named Ford and Carter. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
Landing a singing gig in a somewhat shady nightclub, Alice (Linda Lavin) is unaware that most of the other ladies on the premises are engaged in another--er--profession. However, she soon learns what's what when she and two "working girls" (Liberty Williams, Caren Kaye) are hauled off to jail by the vice squad! Though she could be freed by simply paying her fine, Alice refuses to go anywhere until her name and reputation are cleared. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The staff of Mel's Diner is on pins and needles when an influential food critic (Victor Buono) accepts Alice's invitation to sample the diner's bill of fare. Realizing that the critic is a man of exotic tastes, Mel (Vic Tayback) knocks himself out to dish up a batch of chili that his guest will never forget. Unfortunately, a pall is cast over the evening when the critic has the effrontery to drop dead of food poisoning! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Alice (Linda Lavin), Tommy (Philip McKeon) and the gang from Mel's Diner pile into a tractor-trailer and head off to pay a Christmas visit to Alice's cousin. Unfortunately, the revellers literally stalled in their tracks by a blinding snowstorm somewhere in Colorado. Alice may have always dreamed of a White Christmas, but this one bids fair to be a nightmare! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Alice sees an episode of 60 Minutes about a famous mobster who dropped out of sight three decades ago. Shortly thereafter, an oldster named Gino (Michael V. Gazzo) makes another of his regular drop-ins at the diner. Taking a closer look at the elderly Gino than she ever has before, Alice is convinced that the old man and the missing mobster are one and the same. This episode was originally slated to air on October 30, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Alice (Linda Lavin) manages to land an extra job as a nightclub singer. Unfortunately, our heroine's foray into moonlighting takes its toll on her day job at Mel's Diner. Before long, the other staffers must cover for Alice, who can barely stay awake long enough to walk across the floor. Legendary "joke machine" and Dick Van Dyke Show regular Morey Amsterdam appears as Herman in this episode, in which star Linda Lavin sings "But Not For Me". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1977
It's Saturday night and they ain't got nobody--"they" being Alice (Linda Lavin), Flo (Polly Holliday) and Vera (Beth Howland). In desperation, the ladies decides to try out a new singles bar in the neighborhood. It's a most eventful evening, climaxing as all three girls fall for the same guy. Victoria Carroll), later to join the cast as Mel's girlfriend Marie, appears in an unbilled bit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Comic actor Bob Dishyappears in this episode as a pharmacist who has made it his mission in life to protest against artificial food additives. The pharmacist takes his crusade to Mel's diner--where he announces his intention to dramatize his stand by committing suicide! The curious changes in the décor of Mel's Diner which are unique to this episode suggest that it was taped very early in Season Two, but held back for several months. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
With his 50th birthday approaching, Mel (Vic Tayback) insists that he doesn't want the diner staff to make a big fuss over the occasion--and he most certainly does NOT want a surprise party. Dutifully, Alice (Linda Lavin) and the other waitresses take Mel at his word. And as a result, Mel becomes extremely upset that no surprise party occurs (go figure)! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Brad Gorman appears as Stretch Parker, a high school basketball star whom Tommy idolizes. Unfortunately, Stretch takes advantage of Tommy's idolatry by making a pass at the boy's mother Alice (Linda Lavin)! Originally shown as a "special" Tuesday-night episode (outside the series' usual Sunday-night slot), "Love is a Free Throw marks the first appearance of Marvin Kaplan in the recurring role of Henry. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Tim Conway as Dr. Tart and Don Knotts as Inspector Winship play two bumbling Scotland Yard investigators out to solve a double murder in this send-up of film noir and the mystery story. The intrepid Winship and his assistant Tart arrive at a Gothic mansion occupied by the grieving heiress Phyllis (Tricia Noble), whose parents have just been killed. Along with Phyllis are a crazed crew of employees ranging from the warrior cook to the well-endowed maid. The inept detecting duo stumble along from one prop to the next: paintings with moving eyes, a torture chamber, a monster, caped figures, and other oddities. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Conway, Don Knotts, (more)
- 1985
Public defender Billie (Ellen Foley) is head over heels in love with her latest beau David Towers (Geoffrey Scott). But Billie's ardor may prove detrimental to her career when David is hauled into court on a pickpocketing charge. And what would a "very special" Valentine's Day episode be without a human Singing Heart (Larry Gelman)? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Co-written by Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman, Pee Wee's Big Adventure marks the debut of director Tim Burton, who stamps the entire film with his quirky trademark style. The premise: Pee Wee (Reubens), an overgrown pre-pubescent boy sporting a molded Princeton cut, blush, lipstick, and a shrunken gray flannel suit, lives an idyllic life in his bizarre home (some have compared the remarkable set design to the expressionistic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) until someone nabs his most prized possession: a fire engine-red customized bicycle. He then embarks on an epic cross-country search to find his lost love, not to mention more than a little adventure. Along the way, he makes friends with various oddball characters, visits the Alamo, endures various hallucinatory nightmares, and has a supernatural run-in with a spectral trucker. In this reprisal of his popular standup routine, Reubens is wonderful as the nerdy man child; he plays it silly, yet he manages to imbue the role with some sensitivity without ever seeming maudlin. The score by Danny Elfman is terrific -- as is the case in nearly every film Burton has directed -- and the script is fresh and inventive. Some of the most memorable moments: the opening sequence involving Pee Wee's morning activities is a stroke of genius (note the bunny slippers and talking breakfast), as are the scenes at the truck stop, and the "Hollywood" version of Pee Wee's story at the end (starring James Brolin and Morgan Fairchild in surprise cameos). In all, Pee Wee's Big Adventure is a delightful film, enjoyable for children as well as adults. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reubens, Elizabeth Daily, (more)
- 1986
While Harry (Harry Anderson) takes a night off, his duties are assumed by Judge Watson (Jeff Altman), with whom Dan (John Larroquette) forms a bond. But when Watson proves to be packing heat--and worse, turns out to be a crook--it is a very reluctant Dan who agrees to wear a wire in a police sting operation aimed at the errant Judge. Watch for the hilarious "Bert and Ernie" moment featuring former Black Sheep Squadron regular Dirk Blocker and future Murphy Brown costar Joe Regalbuto. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Ambitious journalist Isabel Turette (Anne-Marie Johnson) has parlayed a string of skid-row murders into a spectacular, Pulitzer-worthy front-page story. As Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) investigate the killings, they can't help but notice that the journalist has refused to allow the police to tap her phone, even though she claims that the killer has been calling her personally just before each "hit." The story takes a sinister turn when a homeless person contacts the detectives--and insist that the reporter herself is the murderer! Beah Richards makes her first series appearance as garrulous bag lady "Pockets" in this final episode of Hunter's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- R
A transit engineer and his family must face the gargantuan task of moving from New Jersey to Boise, Idaho in this lively comedy starring Richard Pryor. It all begins after he gets a really great job out West. Unfortunately, his family is less than thrilled with the prospect. The furniture movers, who prove to be crooks, and their crazy neighbors conspire to make matters all the worse. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Pryor, Beverly Todd, (more)
- 1989
Maggie's parents Ed (Gordon Jump) and Kate (Betty McGuire) conspire with the Seaver kids to arrange a surprise 20th anniversary part for Jason (Alan Thicke) and Maggie (Joanne Kerns). Alas, the festivities quickly degenerate into a shoutfest involving Maggie's mom and dad, Jason's mom Irma Jane Powell), and the rest of the guests--culminating in one of TV's sloppiest food fights. Even so, the party proves to be a boost for the blossoming relationship between Mike (Kirk Cameron) and Julie (Julie McCullough). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Premiering on NBC in 1989 and continuing for five seasons, Quantum Leap gained a cult following for its ability to balance the qualities of science fiction with the hour-long television drama format. Each episode features a different adventure as Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaps through time, into different bodies, hoping to someday leap home. Along the way, Sam rights wrongs of the past with help from his hologram companion, Al (Dean Stockwell). In Quantum Leap: Pilot - 1956 viewers are able to see where it all began. Despite the fact that it isn't ready to be tested, Sam chooses to try out the accelerator and leaps into the body of a test pilot with little of his memory intact. After saving the pilot's family, Sam leaps, but rather than leaping back into the accelerator, he finds himself inhabiting the body of a minor league baseball player in 1968 with the task of winning the last game of the season. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, (more)
- 1991
Stressed out over the impending addition to the Bundy family, Buck the dog stops eating. The family immediately shifts its attention from pregnant Peg (Katey Sagal) to the morose mutt. Upset over being ignored, Peg packs up and pays a visit to her relatives in Wanker County, where a serious culture clash quickly develops between Mrs. Bundy and Cousins Eb and Effie (William Sanderson, Joey Lauren Adams). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Penelope Spheeris directed this compulsively faithful film adaptation of the popular 1960s television series. The familiar story 'bout a man named Jed Clampett (Jim Varney), a poor mountaineer who barely kept his family fed, continues to follow the TV show's format. Jed discovers oil on his Arkansas property and overnight becomes a multi-millionaire. He moves his family to Beverly Hills, wanting to turn his daughter Ellie May (Erika Eleniak) into a sophisticated woman. At his new Beverly Hills mansion, he meets Mr. Drysdale (Dabney Coleman), a kow-towing banker, and Drysdale's assistant, the repressed crone Miss Hathaway (Lily Tomlin). Jed announces that he would like to re-marry, and that leaves the door open for Drysdale's scheming lackey Woodrow Tyler (Rob Schneider) and his fortune-hunting partner Laura Jackson (Lea Thompson) to make the moves on Jed. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diedrich Bader, Dabney Coleman, (more)
Two men with nothing in common become unlikely companions in this comedy. Advertising executive Nick Beame (Tim Robbins) is not having a good day when he comes home from work to discover that his wife Ann (Kelly Preston) is having an affair with another man -- who, adding insult to injury, happens to be his boss, Phillip Barrow (Michael McKean). Deeply depressed, Nick hops into his SUV and starts driving aimlessly. He ends up in a rough neighborhood where a carjacker, T. Paul (Martin Lawrence), pulls a gun and jumps in the passenger seat. Nick grumbles "Boy, did you pick the wrong guy on the wrong day," and, thinking he has no reason to live, heads out to the desert over T. Paul's objections. Nick learns that T. Paul is actually a family man who has turned to crime because he can't get a job. Nick offers to help T. Paul, though crime is not one of his strong suits, and things get even more complicated when a pair of crooks, Rig (John C. McGinley) and Charlie (Giancarlo Esposito), start following them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Lawrence, Tim Robbins, (more)
- 1997
Drew (Drew Carey), Mimi (Kathy Kinney), and Larry (Ian Gomez) all want to replace the retiring employee representative on the store's board of directors. Larry seems to be eliminated from the race at the beginning thanks to his cloddish behavior, while Drew and Mimi are preoccupied with undercutting each other. Finally, Drew appears to have a "lock" on the position thanks to his new magic act -- but store owner Mrs. Louder (Nan Martin) has a surprise for everyone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) and Lynette Evans (Penny Johnson Jerald) try to dissuade a wounded street-gang member (Jermaine Montell) from escaping the ER to seek out vengeance. On a more personal note, Carol thinks she may be pregnant with Ross' (George Clooney) baby. Elsewhere, the apparently clueless Lucy (Kellie Martin) again incurs the wrath of Carter (Noah Wyle). Corday (Alex Kingston) has second thoughts about interning when she is ordered around by Romano (Paul McCrane). And Weaver (Laura Innes) is a candidate for the office of emergency-medicine chief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
