Al White Movies
A woman's body is found stuffed in a wooden box that is oozing a strange liquid. Andy (Jimmy Smits) and Bobby (Jimmy Smits) locate the victim's brother, who seems less concerned about the woman's murder than he is with his favorite soft drink. Elsewhere, Diane (Kim Delaney) wonders if the death of a child was the result of parental neglect, while Greg (Gordon Clapp) and Jill (Andrea Thompson) investigate the shooting of another child whose intensely religious parents are all too willing to forgive the killer. And while off duty, Jill lets Diane know that she knows something she isn't supposed to know. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Little Jerry Seinfeld" is the name Kramer (Michael Richards) has bestowed on his new pet rooster -- and though Kramer had really wanted a hen, Little Jerry proves to be a dynamite cockfighter. This may prove to be advantageous for Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), who has become a pariah for giving a bad check to vengeful store owner Marcelino (Miguel Sandoval). Meanwhile, on behalf of the Susan Ross Foundation, George visits a woman's prison and falls for an inmate named Celia (Andrea Bendewald). And as for Elaine, her current boyfriend, Kurt (John Michael Higgins), has this problem with his hair.... ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
As Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) try to determine the motive for an Indian matron's murder, Andy has problems with the new temporary PAA. Now back on the force, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) teams with Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) to connect a bizarre robbery with a widespread credit-card scam. And, in her efforts to nail an illegal-weapons dealer, Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) insists on going it virtually alone -- and reacts violently when Bobby offers to provide backup. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A thwarted leprechaun exacts his bloody revenge in this darkly comic horror film. A thousand years ago in Ancient Erin, there lived a wee Leprechaun who searched for a comely bride. Legend has it that his proper bride would thrice sneeze. Poor Leprechaun did find his sneezing lass, but just before the third achoo, her daddy, the Leprechaun's slave, thwarts his plans. Angry, the wee man vows to exact his revenge upon the man's fairest ancestor 1,000 years hence. Time flies and the movie moves to modern California on St. Paddy's day. The Leprechaun returns to find the lovely Bridget sneezing. Once. Twice. Thrice. He captures hapless Colleen. To her rescue comes her fearless boyfriend Cody who steals a bit of gold from the Leprechaun. Enraged, the greedy greeny begins systematically killing people. Will Cody prevail? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warwick Davis, Charlie Heath, (more)
- 1992
- Add Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story to QueueAdd Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story to top of Queue
Adapted from Robert Sam Anson's fact-based book Best Intentions, Murder without Motive stars Curtis McClarin as Harlem teenager Edmund Perry. A brilliant student, Perry is transferred from the inner city to an exclusive prep school principally attended by whites. Ten days after graduating with honors, the 17-year-old Perry is killed by a white undercover policeman, who claims he was attacked by Perry and his younger brother Jonah (Guy Killum). Though unsparing in its indictment of racism and police brutality, the Murder without Motive attempts to be fair to both sides, showing the many external pressures which led both killer and victim to their fatal meeting in the spring of 1985. This made-for-TV film was first shown January 6, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on Dean R. Koontz's novel Twilight, Servants of Twilight is a made-for-cable horror film about a Christian cult that plots the assassination of a young boy who their leader believes is the Antichrist. A private detective (Bruce Greenwood) is hired to save the boy and his mother from the terrorization of the religious cult. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Belinda Bauer, (more)
Part of a pointless string of sequels ostensibly based on the werewolf novels by Gary Brandner, this entry deserves credit for taking the creatively dead series in an interesting new direction. Set in the barren rural town of Canton Bluff, the story centers on the enigmatic figure of Ian (Brendan Hughes), a likeable but severely solitary drifter who takes a job making repairs to the local church. Eschewing human contact, Ian seems unnaturally leery of the impending full moon, a fear shared by a man named Harker (Bruce Payne), the owner of a sleazy traveling carnival. Aware that Ian is a genuine werewolf, Harker is able to blackmail the young man into working for his carnival, where he is put on display with other human oddities. To further complicate matters, Harker is revealed to have a monstrous secret of his own -- he's a vampire, who sees Ian's condition as a cover for preying on the blood of local folk. In a nod to Tod Browning's Freaks, Ian joins forces with the other carnival freaks to destroy their evil master. Director Hope Perello's taut, suspenseful debut makes clever references to classic horror films without lapsing into parody or imitation, and the production has a classy look and feel, helping to shrug off the unpleasant stigma normally associated with the otherwise mediocre Howling franchise. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Hughes, Bruce Payne, (more)
Miles O'Keeffe and Lou Ferrigno star as Vietnam war buddies who team up to rid their community of drugs. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
Things have barely settled from the excitement and resolve of the original Back to the Future, when in pops that crazy inventor Dr. Emmett Brown (Christopher Lloyd) with news that in order to prevent a series of events that could ruin the McFly name for posterity, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox ) and his girlfriend are whisked into the future to the year 2015, where Marty must tangle with a teen rogue named Griff, who's obviously the descendant of Biff, the first Future film's bully. Marty foils Griff and his group when he jumps on an air-foil skateboard that flies him through town at rakish speeds with the loser bullies beaten again. Marty gets a money-making brainstorm before hopping in the time-traveling DeLorean, and he purchases a sports almanac. He figures that back in 1985 he'll be able to place sure-fire bets using the published sports scores of the games that are yet to happen. Unfortunately for Marty, Dr. Brown disapproves of his betting scheme -- he feels too much messing with time is very dangerous -- and he tosses the almanac. A hidden Biff overhears the discussion about the almanac, sees it get tossed out, and grabs it. Thus begins a time-traveling swirl to make the head spin. Biff swipes the DeLorean, heads back to 1955, and with the help of the unerring almanac, bets his way to power. The now-altered "Biff world" has turned into a nightmarish scene with Biff the mogul, residing in a Vegas-styled pleasure palace and running everything. It's all our hero Marty can do to pull the pieces together this time, as he must jump between three generations of intertwined time travel. The end of Back to the Future, Part 2 introduces its sequel as the zany professor has already time-dashed away to the Wild West of the late 1800s and invites Marty into a new adventure. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, (more)
Dolph Lundgren stars in this controversial action film directed by Joseph Zito (Missing in Action). The beefy Swede plays Soviet KGB agent Lt. Nikolai, who is sent to Africa with orders to eliminate a black rebel. Eventually, Nikolai begins to side with the locals, has a red scorpion tattooed on his chest by a shaman, and helps fight against the Cubans and the Soviets. Horror fans should note Tom Savini's expert gore effects during a torture scene, while others will be pleased with a fine supporting cast including M. Emmet Walsh, Carmen Argenziano, and Brion James. The film was originally commissioned by Warner Bros., which dropped it after controversy over its South African genesis, but they might as well have dropped it for its endless desert treks and uninvolving screenplay. An unrelated Canadian sequel followed five years later. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)
Jack Corbett (Ken Wahl) is a journalist who takes to the bottle after a series of setbacks. When his daughter Jessie (Nicole Eggert) is kidnapped during a liquor store robbery, he calls on LAPD Detective Milnor (Doug McClure) for help. When Milnor's efforts prove ineffective, Jack calls on his friend and former Vietnam veteran Phil (George DiCenzo) to seek vengeance in this routine action thriller. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ken Wahl, George DiCenzo, (more)
This children's movie is set in sunny Key West during a Fourth of July celebration. Three buddies sneak off to their secret fort and to their surprise discover a Russian sailor hiding there. He is Mischa, who with two shipmates was assigned to sneak into the town military base to steal certain computer parts. Unfortunately, a rafting accident left him stranded and alone. The boys eventually decide to help poor Mischa make it back to his home. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whip Hubley, Leaf Phoenix, (more)
Blind Justice is a fact-based TV movie starring Tim Matheson, here made to look "normal" with glasses and mustache. The innocent Matheson is fingered by witnesses as an armed robber/kidnapper/rapist. For the next 14 months, his life is hell. Too much circumstantial evidence surrounds the case, and too much information leaks out to the public; even if Matheson beats the rap, he'll be ruined in his community. Blind Justice was first telecast on March 9, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Matheson, Mimi Kuzyk, (more)
A John Carpenter story served as the launching pad for Black Moon Rising. Veteran thief Quint (Tommy Lee Jones) is hired by the FBI to steal some politically volatile computer tapes. The owners of the tapes are displeased, and begin chasing Quint all over the countryside. Just when he's about to surrender his booty, Quint's car -- wherein the tapes are stored -- is stolen by Nina (Linda Hamilton). She delivers the car to her corporate-villain boyfriend Ryland (Robert Vaughn), who runs a hot auto ring. Nina then has second thoughts and decides to throw in with Quint...and round and round we go. The "Black Moon" of the title is the name Quint's high-tech, low-slung vehicle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Linda Hamilton, (more)
When a small-time businessman (Richard Pryor) needs a loan, he goes to a loan shark and ends up in jail on false pretenses. After feigning madness to get out, he is tossed into the mental ward of a hospital. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Pryor, Rachel Ticotin, (more)
Murder: By Reason of Insanity was inspired by a disastrous series of events occurring in New York State in 1979. Candice Bergen portrays a Polish immigrant housewife whose husband Jurgen Prochnow has subjected her to years of physical abuse. At first, she tells herself that he is acting out of frustration over his business failures, but the attacks become increasingly life-threatening. Adjudged mentally unbalanced, Prochnow cannot be sent to prison, but instead is checked into a hospital. Thanks to bureaucratic oversights and sheer laxity, Prochnow walks out of the hospital, fully intending to carry out his death threat against his wife. Despite her frenzied phone calls to the authorities, and the many empty restraining orders issued by the courts, Ms. Bergen's ultimate fate is inexorable. Made for television, Murder: By Reason of Insanity has been released to videocassette under the irresponsibly antiseptic title My Sweet Victim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
It took nearly two years after its completion for Big Trouble to reach the big screen. Peter Falk and Alan Arkin are respectively cast as a shady wheeler-dealer and an uptight family man. Strapped for the cash necessary to send his son to Yale, Arkin reluctantly enters into a murder scheme with Beverly D'Angelo. She is married to Falk, who, though he hasn't got long to live due to a heart ailment, may very well spend every penny D'Angelo has before he expires. Arkin is persuaded to kill Falk before this happens, then split the money with D'Angelo. To Arkin's amazement he finds himself the victim of a carefully prepared confidence scam engineered by Falk and D'Angelo. Now that he has a hold over Arkin, Falk gets the poor fellow mixed up in yet another "perfect crime". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Alan Arkin, (more)
NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough makes a return visit to Hazzard county, this time to provide words of comfort to a seriously ill youngster who is about to undergo surgery. Unfortunately, Yarborough somehow gets involved with bank robbers, who manage to frame both him and the Duke cousins for a high-profile heist. Wanna bet that the story is resolved by some fancy race-car calisthenics in the climactic chase scene? Oh, and look: Playing one of the bad guys is Saved by the Bell's "Mr. Belding", Dennis Haskins! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The A-Team surfaces in Los Angeles to take on a corrupt police S.W.A.T. unit which hires itself out for private assassinations. Though Hannibal (George Peppard) and company are as usual resourceful, they find themselves up against a crack squad of well-trained villains armed with powerful magnums--who always manage to be one step ahead of the "good guys." Adding to the dilemma is the plight of Ed Maloney (Norman Alden), the clean cop who has blown the whistle on the S.W.A.T. men, thereby placing his family in direst peril. Jack Ging, who later became an A-Team regular in the role of General Harlan Fulbright, is here cast as sadistic S.W.A.T. leader Captain Stark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Lensed on videotape, Emergency Room was the first presentation of the syndicated Commworld Prime Time Showcase. Sarah Purcell and LeVar Burton star in this hospital melodrama. Purcell plays the doctor in charge of the E.R., dealing not only with an onrush of patients but also with hospital red tape and an on-again, off-again romance with a fellow physician (Gary Frank). The guest cast includes Penny Peyser, Paul Stewart, Julie Sommars, Gary Lockwood and Conchata Ferrell. Most markets first saw Emergency Room in mid-July 1983. The film was barter-sponsored to local stations by Procter and Gamble, as was the second and last Commworld Prime Time Showcase effort, Desperate Intruder (see separate entry). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
As teenagers, George and his best friend made a list of what they wanted to accomplish in life, each betting the other that they'd complete the list first. Years later, George realizes that he has met all his goals -- all except one. Unfortunately, that "one" requires him to punch out an old neighborhood bully, Powerhouse Watson (Rosey Grier). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
A nurse who had served in Vietnam is found dead under questionable circumstances. After performing an autopsy on the unfortunate woman, Quincy (Jack Klugman) is alerted to the plight of the victim's best friend Rachel Kane (Karen Austin), also a nurse and likewise a Vietnam veteran. It soon becomes painfully obvious that Rachel is suffering from delayed-stress syndrome, and is "coping" with her depression by drinking heavily--and unless Quincy can come to her aid, the woman's plight may terminate fatally. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
With the Jerry Zucker-Jim Abrahams-David Zucker team absent, this sequel to the cash-cow 1980 spoof Airplane once again finds garrulous man-with-a-past Ted Striker (Robert Hays) compelled to take over the controls of crippled aircraft, all the while trying to patch up his relationship with stewardess Elaine (Julie Hagerty). This time, the first passenger space shuttle is launched into orbit -- and takes off for the moon - but the on-board computer malfunctions and sends the craft hurtling toward the sun, threatening the lives of everyone on board. Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves return from the first Airplane, while William Shatner, Chad Everett, Sonny Bono, Raymond Burr and Chuck Conners join the cast, as they too lampoon their established images. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, (more)
In mid-escape from the authorities, Coy (Byron Cherry) and Vance (Christopher Mayer) take time to investigate some shady-looking characters hanging around a jewelry store. These characters turn out to be crooks hired by Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) to rob the store and frame the Duke boys for the crime. Normally, the plan would include the complicity of Sheriff Roscoe (James Best)--but he is so determined to win the state's "Lawman of the Year" award that he refuses to victimize the Dukes. Unfortunately, in his efforts to be Top Cop, Roscoe hasn't the time to catch the REAL bad guys either! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Quincy (Jack Klugman) and Sam (Robert Ito) arrive at a maximum-security prison to investigate the death of a rabble-rousing inmate. No sooner have the two examiners arrived than the prisoners stage a revolt and take them hostage. Claiming that the dead man was killed by a sadistic guard, the rioting prisoners are prepared to kill their hostages unless the guard is turned over to them. With several lives at stake, Quincy and Sam use their forensic skills to determine the truth--even if some of the prisoners can't handle the truth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
























