Clyde Kusatsu Movies
Hawaii-born actor Clyde Kusatsu has appeared in roles calling for a variety of indeterminate ethnic origins. Early film appearances included unbilled bits in Airport 75 (1975) and Alex and the Gypsy (1976). With his minor role as the Freighter Captain in Black Sunday (1977), Kusatsu began working his way up the featured-player ladder. On series television, Kusastu has had plenty of opportunity to display his talent in the roles of Ali in Bring 'Em Back Alive (1982) and Dr. Kenji Fushida in the Hawaii-based Richard Chamberlain vehicle Island Son (1989). In 1994, Clyde Kusastu was sixth-billed in the psychological nailbiter Dream Lover. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2006
It promises to be a busy week at the Federal courthouse in this final episode of Monk's fourth season. The Feds are prepared to escort "most-wanted" criminal Miguel Escobar (Carlos Gomez) to his long-overdue trial, and Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is summoned to jury duty on a minor robbery case. Though it makes him queasy to be locked in a room with eleven strangers, Monk appears to be in no hurry to leave when he is the only one to vote "Not Guilty." As he tries to sway the other jurors to his way of thinking, Monk finds himself saddled with another legal headache when the body of a dead woman is found stuffed in a dumpster just outside the courtroom. This being Monk, it is virtually a foregone conclusion that our hero's "Not Guilty" ballot, the woman's death, and the impending Escobar trial are all linked together. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The real-life drama of the 1994 O.J. Simpson trial is given quasi-fictional treatment in this two-part CBS miniseries, which aired in November 2000. Much of the miniseries' plot focuses on the battle of egos between defense lawyers Johnnie Cochran (Ving Rhames) and Robert Shapiro (Ron Silver) and how the personalities of these men in part shaped the outcome of the trial. Also included in the cast are Bruno Kirby and Christopher Plummer. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ving Rhames, Ron Silver, (more)
- 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)
- 1998
During the three-month interim between the Babylon 5 cliffhanger "Movements of Fire and Shadow" and its payoff episode "The Fall of Centauri Prime," the popular TNTnetwork science-fiction series was represented by a two-hour TV "movie", Babylon 5: Thirdspace. Set during the final months of the Shadow war, the film gets under way as B5 officer Ivanova (Claudia Christian discovers a huge artifact in hyperspace. In order to bring the object back to the station for analysis, the B5 crew must accept the assistance of IPX, a corporation specializing in often dangerously experimental technology. The plot thickens when the artifact begins profoundly affecting the subconscious thoughts of the combined crews, producing dreams that threaten to become deadly at any moment. Though Babylon 5 purists complained that this film was more appropriate to the series' fourth season than the continuity of Season 5, the ratings were quite good, especially for a basic-cable telecast. Written by . Michael Straczynski, and later novelized by Peter David, Babylon 5: Thirdspace premiered on July 19, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1997
Apparently intended to be shown right after the 1996 Real Adventures of Jonny Quest episode "Bloodline," "The Bangladore Falcon" was held back from release until February 14, 1997. While touring Bangalore, India, the Quest team teenagers find a rare falcon, which may or may be not be able to lead the kids to the legendary city of Shambala. Also expressing an inordinate interest in the falcon are the beautiful but lethal twin daughters of the team's old nemesis Dr. Zin. Lucy Liu, here billed as Lucy Xavier Liu, provides the voice of Melana Zin.
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
- 1997
Evidently, the reports of Dr. Zin's death in the previous episode ("Night of the Zinja") were slightly exaggerated. Here is old Zin again, once more endeavoring to destroy the Quest team, this time with a whole slew of robots. But Dr. Quest is at this point as fed up with Zin's antics as the audience must be! Two of the important women in the life of Race Bannon -- his ex-wife Estella and his one-time amour Jade -- make return appearances. "The Robot Spies" was initially broadcast on April 15, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
- 1996
The title character in this episode is our old "friend" Dr. Zin, who this time around takes over a Malaysian satellite designed by Benton Quest. Rewiring the device, Zin threatens to blow up the world unless he is given a substantial amount of money. Voice actor Clyde Kusatsu makes his first "appearance" as the redoubtable Zin. "Nemesis" first aired on December 20, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
- 1994
Having outdistanced the original Star Trek by nearly 100 episodes, The Next Generation closed out its seven-season run with this aptly titled two hour long finale. The emphasis is on Captain Picard, who in the course of the story finds himself hopscotching between the past, present, and future. Seeking an explanation for this phenomenon, Picard once more crosses the path of his old nemesis Q (John de Lancie), who, without buildup or explanation, relates some particularly bad news: Humanity is on the brink of destruction, and Picard is responsible. "All Good Things. . ." was written by Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga (then simultaneously busy on the screenplay of the theatrical feature Star Trek: Generations), and was originally telecast on May 22, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
A friend's determination to uncover the truth is the basis for the made-for television drama. Sheila Kelley stars as Sarah Vincent, a woman who leads a bizarre double-life as a woman in business by day, and a sleazy bar-hopper by night. After Sarah is mysteriously killed, her best friend Elizabeth (Rachel Ticotin) goes on a quest to uncover the true story behind her friend's secretive life and untimely death. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
The late journalist Randy Shilts' best-selling book on the burgeoning AIDS crisis was adapted for cable TV by Arnold Schulman. In 1981, researchers begin discerning a mysterious new disease that apparently affects only homosexual males (or so they thought at that time). Working independently, and with marked hostility toward one another, an American and a French research team manage to identify and name the dreaded HIV virus. The long-range effects of AIDS is experienced through the first- and secondhand experiences of several unfortunates, including a choreographer (Richard Gere) whose character is said to be based on Michael Bennett. The all-star cast (most of whom eschewed their usual high salaries) includes Lily Tomlin as San Francisco health official Selma Dritz, Matthew Modine as Centers for Disease Control researcher Don Francis, Alan Alda as NIH official Robert Gallo (who emerges as the villain of the piece), Ian McKellan as gay activist Bill Kraus, and Glenne Headley, Steve Martin and Anjelica Huston in cameo roles. And the Band Played On debuted September 11, 1993, on HBO. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Still yearning to feel human emotions (despite the disastrous results of these yearnings in previous episodes), Data continues to undergo his dream program and experiences his very first nightmare. Upon awakening, Data begins to exhibit peculiar behavior, which may be the cause of a number of bizarre occurences aboard the Enterprise. Before the story can resolve itself, the rest of the crew is exposed to a few real-life nightmares of their own. Appropriately released on October 30, 1993, "Phantasms" was written by Brannon Braga. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV thriller stars Ben Gazzara as a publishing magnate framed for murdering the call girl with whom he was having an affair. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Partially filmed in Hawaii and Tahiti, And the Sea Will Tell was a two-part TV movie based on a real murder case. A wealthy couple (James Brolin and Deidre Hall) are killed on their yacht off the coast of a secluded South American island called Palmyra. The suspects are a hippyish pair (Hart Bochner and Rachel Ward) whom the rich folks had befriended. It's fairly clear that the hippies were involved in the crime: The question is, did the man do it while the girl looked on helplessly, or was she a willing accomplice? Richard Crenna plays real-life defense attorney Vincent Bugliosi, upon whose book And the Sea Will Tell was based. The first part of this teledrama premiered on February 24, 1991; part two, in which the girl's testimony consumes most of the screen time, was shown on February 26. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Will Dwayne (Kadeem Hardison) go on to graduate school, or will he accept a fabulous job from the Kinishewa company? Dwayne allows Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Ron (Darryl M. Bell) to sway his decision, but he is ultimately forced to rely on his own judgement thanks to a crisis involving Col.Taylor's son Terrence (Cory Tyler). And Jaleesa (Dawnn Lewis) is visited by her married sister Danielle (Vanessa Bell Calloway), who is fed up with being "just a housewife." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The made-for-TV Jailbirds is a distaff comedy variation on The Defiant Ones. Phylicia Rashad plays an important LA business executive, while Dyan Cannon portrays a trailer-trash babe from Louisiana. Both Rashad and Cannon are thrown into a dank Southern jail for crimes they didn't commit. While manacled together, the ladies escape, driving each other cuckoo as they elude their captors. Apparently, CBS had so little faith in Jailbirds that the network hardly bothered to advertise the film went it premiered May 16, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV domestic drama is a follow-up to 1990's Children of the Bride. Rue McClanahan plays a 53-year-old newlywed, the wife of much-younger Ted Shackelford (replacing the earlier film's Patrick Duffy) It's bad enough when McClanahan unexpectedly becomes pregnant. It gets worse when the same thing happens to her unwed teenaged daughter Kristy McNichol. Directed by actor Bill Bixby, Baby of the Bride first aired December 22, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Jessica (Angela Lansbury) serves as narrator for tonight's story, which centers around working-class private eye Frank Albertson (a pre-Politically Incorrect Bill Maher) and his wife Sunny (Faith Ford). After years of sponging off Frank and Sunny, Frank's uncle Charlie (John Finnegan) suddenly inherits a fortune--and just as suddenly disappears. Later on, a mangled corpse is found on a local railroad track, whereupon Frank attempts to claim the body as that of Uncle Charlie.. However, there seems to be several other people interested in claiming the corpse--and the aforementioned inheritance--themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
James Farentino plays the chief of a big-city underground narcotics unit. When a drug buy goes awry, a shotgun blows away one of Farentino's best men--and closest friends. As the once-harmonious drug unit disintegrates into recriminations and guilt, Farentino becomes more and more withdrawn, until he's of little further value to the force. A chance for redemption for everyone arrives in the form of another big-time drug bust. In the Line of Duty: A Cop for the Killing was based on a true story, as were all the In the Line of Duty films produced for television in the late 1980s--early 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this romantic drama set on the Hawaiian Islands, a police detective pursues both some ruthless criminal and a comely prosecuting attorney. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Commander Maddox (Brian Brophy), the officer presiding over Starbase 173 demands that Data be taken apart for study. The argument is that Data is merely "property" and not a living being. This assertion is particularly painful to Guinan, who equates Maddox's attitude with that of Southern slaveholders during the Civil War; it is on this base that Picard mounts his defense of the hapless Data. Written by Melinda Snodgrass, "The Measure of a Man" was originally telecast February 18, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One by-product of two consecutive Oscar wins is that Tom Hanks no longer has to appear in such potboilers as Turner and Hooch. Hanks plays Turner, a meticulously groomed, excruciatingly well-organized detective working in a small California coastal town. When local "character" John McIntyre is murdered by drug smugglers, the only witness is McIntyre's slobbery, smelly mutt Hootch. You're way ahead of us, folks: Turner, who despises dogs in general and Hooch in particular, is compelled to put the cantankerous dog up as his house guest. Also easily predictable is the fact that Turner and Hooch will, by the next-to-last reel, become boon companions. To its credit, the film has an abundance of laughs and thrills...but, gee, that ending! Neither terrific nor terrible, Turner and Hooch is a pleasant time-filler; we do wish, however, that more time had been spent on the budding romance between Turner and veterinarian Emily Carson (Mare Winningham). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, (more)
- 1989
The Road Raiders was not, as might be expected, an American rip-off of The Road Warrior. It is instead a made-for-TV combat film, set during World War II. Bruce Boxleitner heads a group of "Black Sheep Squadron" style misfits, stationed on a lonely South Pacific island (along with the requisite voluptuous nurses). When they can find the time, Boxleitner's raiders bedevil the Japanese. Road Raiders had all the earmarks of a pilot film for a proposed series--including a quickie TV playoff when the series didn't sell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
