John Cothran, Jr. Movies
Based on Danny Wallace's autobiographical book, Jim Carrey stars as a man who decides to spice up his life by saying yes to everything in his life that he would normally say no to. Fun With Dick and Jane's creative team of director Peyton Reed and writer Nick Stoller head up the production. Zooey Deschanel co-stars as the romantic interest, with Bradley Cooper appearing as Carrey's best friend. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Carrey, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
When a weathered, God-fearing ex-blues musician finds the town nymphomaniac severely beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, he vows to cure her of her wicked ways in Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer's raw and unflinching follow-up. Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a hard-living ex-blues guitarist for whom the troubled days are beginning to outnumber the good. Rae (Christina Ricci) is a 22-year-old sex addict whose wild ways are finally about to catch up with her. When Lazarus discovers Rae covered in dust and clinging to life on the side of the road, he takes her in and nurses her back to health; but Lazarus isn't your typical caregiver, he's more concerned for Rae's immortal soul than he is for her physical well-being. Now, after chaining Rae down and employing the power of the Good Book to curb the salacious seductress' hedonistic ways, Lazarus will be forced to confront his own darkest demons in order to save the soul of a woman whose one-way ticket to hell has already been paid in full. Now, as Lazarus wages a righteous struggle to redeem the soul of the fallen Rae while simultaneously ensuring that his own life hasn't been lived in vain, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's possessive boyfriend, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) -- a roughneck Guardsman currently preparing for a tour of duty in Iraq -- comes searching for his missing lover. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, (more)
- 2004
Death Row inmate Ray Kaspo (David Meunier) is poisoned to death--45 minutes before his execution. While investigating this curious turn of events, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is approached by another inmate, former billionaire Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck, whom Monk sent away for murder in the series' fourth episode (formerly played by Adam Arkin, Dale the Whale is now portrayed by Tim Curry). This time out, Dale is suspected of killing Ray, but insists that he's innocent and wants Monk to prove it. This requires our hero to suppress his million-and-one phobias and go undercover as a convict--whereupon he is immediately befriended by the dangerously sociopathic Spyder Rudner (Danny Trejo). This final episode of Monk's second season ends on a cliffhanger, with Monk seemingly poised to solve the long-ago murder of his beloved wife Trudy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the first half of Charmed's fifth-season finale (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), the mythical Titans are released from their eternal prison, whereupon they wipe out all the Whitelighter Elders -- leaving only Leo (Brian Krause) in charge. While Leo is thus occupied, a mysterious Whitelighter from the future is assigned as guardian angel for the Charmed Ones. Somehow, this results in the three girls being transformed into Greek goddesses: Piper (Holly Marie Combs) is the Goddess of Earth, Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is the Goddess of Love, and Paige (Rose McGowan) is the Goddess of War! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 1999
In this episode, we learn that Monica (Roma Downey) has always wanted to be a singer, but her voice is so hideous that she was kicked out of the Heavenly Choir eons ago. Thus when she is assigned to straighten out the life of Alice (Charlotte Church), a 13-year-old girl who possesses a exquisite singing voice, Monica is consumed by jealousy. What really sticks in our heroine's craw is the fact that Alice is nasty, rude, and totally unappreciative of her special gift. As a result, Monica turns the assignment down flat--and gets herself in hot water with her Higher-Ups. Appearing in this episode as a motley crew of street performers is 'N Sync. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Monica (Roma Downey) and Tess (Della Reese) find young Lydia (Alanna Ubach), a talented artist from a wealthy family, living in squalor and addicted to crack cocaine. Despite the best efforts by Lydia's father Bill (Dan Lauria) and new stepmother Margaret (Mary-Joan Negro), the girl makes no effort to clean up her act, and in fact becomes more drug-dependent the harder her parents try. Finally, Tess, posing as a drug counselor, tersely advises Bill and Margaret to start practicing "tough love"--in other words, to be cruel in order to be kind. But when Lydia surpasses her previous misdeeds by kidnapping a newborn baby, it looks like even Tess has failed! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist) directed this Walter Mosley script adaptation of Mosley's short story collection, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. Ex-con Socrates Fortlow (Laurence Fishburne) returns to L.A., looks for work, becomes friends with Right Burke (Bill Cobbs), is told he's too old for a construction job, helps youngster Darryl (Daniel Williams), and romances cafe-owner Iula Brown (Natalie Cole). Socrates provides a moral uplift to the neighborhood, while Burke's voiceover narration has a Sunset Boulevard twist. The TV movie premiered March 21, 1998 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Bill Cobbs, (more)
- 1997
The death of Gant causes a major blowup between Carter (Noah Wyle) and Benton (Eriq La Salle). Ross (George Clooney) uncovers some facts about battered homeless teen Charlie (Kirsten Dunst). HIV-positive Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) dates Greg Fischer (Harry J. Lennix), a specialist in infectious disease. And woefully understaffed during the nurses' "sick-out," Carol (Julianna Marguiles) makes a fatal error in judgment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Popular comic and television personality Ellen DeGeneres had her first starring role in a feature film in this black comedy. Martha Alston (DeGeneres) is a thirtysomething single working as a producer for a talk show. Ever since Martha's younger sister got married, her parents have been after her to settle down, but Martha has had little luck finding the right guy. On Valentine's Day, Martha is depressed and drinking at a bar when she meets Whitman Crawford (Bill Pullman), who seems like the perfect man -- he's good looking, sensitive, intelligent, and affectionate. However, when she makes the mistake of telling her new beau that he can be himself around her, she discovers the real Whitman -- he's a horrible poet, he likes awful music, he enjoys shoplifting ("Stolen beer just tastes better!"), and he's a borderline psychotic who doses her with LSD for fun. What's more, his mother (Joan Plowright) and ex-girlfriend (Joan Cusack) hate Martha's guts and don't mind telling her so. So how can Martha convince her friends and family that she wants nothing to do with the man of her dreams? More importantly, how does she convince Whitman? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Pullman, (more)
A gangster is looking to get away from crooked deals and double-crossing people but ends up in the movie business anyway in this comic crime story. Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami-based loan collector for the mob trying to collect a gambling debt. His assignment takes him to Hollywood to collect money from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a mildly sleazy producer of low-budget horror movies. Although Chili intends to hurt Harry if necessary, he takes a certain liking to him and an even keener interest in Karen (Rene Russo), Harry's girlfriend, whom Chili recognizes from Harry's grade-B monster epics. It seems Harry has a script that he feels is Academy Award material, and he could get the project off the ground if he could get the right actor for the lead -- say, the well-respected but egocentric (and diminutive) Martin Weir (Danny DeVito). Chili thinks he has a feel for the movie business and decides to see what he can do to persuade Weir to get behind the project. Chili soon finds himself hip deep in the film industry, which at least puts him in contact with a higher grade of scumbags than he's used to. But Chili isn't the only criminal Harry's been dealing with; he's been obtaining financing from Bo Catlett (Delroy Lindo), a drug dealer with a highly uncertain temperament. An intelligently constructed crime story and a hilarious look at the absurdities of the film business, Get Shorty was based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard; Leonard based Chili on a real-life former gangster of his acquaintance, though Chili's model never worked in Hollywood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Gene Hackman, (more)
- 1995
On the eve of his wedding to Lisa (Nia Long), Will (Will Smith) begins to wonder if he's ready for marriage. Oh, he still loves Lisa--but it has just dawned on him that he hardly knows the girl. Elswehere, Will's mom Vy (Vernee Watson-Johnson) and Lisa's dad Fred (John Amos) discover that they enjoy yelling at each other; and it's splitsville for Jazz (Jeff Townes) and his wife Jewel when he discovers her secret. This last episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air's fifth season also marks the final series appearance of Nia Long. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
A freak mishap in the wormhole propels Kira and Bashir into an alternate universe. Upon getting their bearings, the pair is astounded to learn that the Klingons, Cardassians, and Bajorans have formed an alliance, with the tyrannical Bajor calling the shots. Even more astonishing -- and terrifying, as far as DS9 is concerned -- is the fact that the alliance has enslaved all humans. Originally telecast on May 14, 1994, "Crossover" was written by Peter Allan Fields and Michael Piller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Clad in a blonde wig, Joe Pesci stars as the title character, a luckless actor. Unable to make it in the real showbiz world, Jimmy starts fantasizing about fame and fortune. His delusions eventually turn into reality when, through a fluke, Jimmy becomes known to one and all as "Jericho," a Robin Hood-like vigilante. Victoria Abril appears in a supporting role and the film's climax features a number of cameo performances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Christian Slater, (more)
- 1994
Class of 1999, Part 2: The Substitute was (surprise!) a sequel to 1989's Class of 1999--which was itself a sequel of 1982's Class of 1984. Once again, the setting is an embattled high school, where no mere mortal teacher dare walk the corridors. To keep the homicidally-inclined student body in line, a fleet of android teachers are put on the faculty. The robots went ballistic in Class of 1999, inspiring their students to new heights of mayhem. In the sequel, rogue android Sasha Michael, though trained to kill, attempts to try less drastic means to get through to the students. Michael is shadowed by a sinister stranger, who will not be satisfied unless the android does what he (it?) is ordered to do. Like its predecessor, Class of 1999, Part 2: The Substitute is a very hard "R." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
In 1962, a Georgian woman serves a light sentence for a petty crime. Upon her release, she discovers that her children have been sold by a dubious adoption agency, causing the woman to spend the next 20 years searching for her lost babies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marg Helgenberger, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
R&B star Janet Jackson made an impressive film debut in Poetic Justice as Justice, a hairdresser at a small salon in South Central Los Angeles. Justice uses her poetry to deal with her grief after her boyfriend is killed in a shooting incident at a drive-in. Hired to work at a hair stylists' event in Oakland, Justice is stranded when her car breaks down, until she remembers that her friend Ieasha (Regina King) was going to hop a ride down to Oakland with her boyfriend Chicago (Joe Torry), a postal worker who is heading there with a truck full of mail. Justice tags along to discover that Chicago's driving partner is Lucky (Tupac Shakur), the postman who delivers mail to her shop and keeps asking her out. Ieasha and Chicago have to deal with their own rocky relationship while Justice has to decide if she's ready for a new love -- and if Lucky is the man she's waiting for. Along with strong work from Jackson, Poetic Justice features a surprising turn from Shakur, whose nuanced performance as Lucky is in strong contrast to his "Thug Life" public persona. Justice's poems were written by Maya Angelou, who also appears in a small role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, (more)
- 1993
After a two-week rerun cycle, Next Generation's sixth season resumed on May 1, 1993 with this first-run episode. The title refers to a competition involving the Enterprise, the Cardassians, the Klingons, and the Romulans. All four combatants race to solve a genetic puzzle that has remained inscrutable for four billion years. Alas, the solution of the puzzle may unleash a secret that will mean the end of the Galaxy. Veteran actors Norman Lloyd and Salome Jens guest star as, respectively, Picard's former archeology professor Galen and an enigmatic Humanoid; additionally, former Avengers regular Linda Thorson is seen as Gul Ocett. Directed by Jonathan Frakes, "The Chase" was written by Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
When a TV producer strikes up a romance with an old flame, a star in his new TV series, their relationship is threatened by mysteries she won't explain to him. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
Director John Singleton's debut chronicles the trials and tribulations of three young African-American males growing up in South Central Los Angeles. When young Tre (Cuba Gooding Jr.), a bright underachiever, begins to show signs of trouble, his struggling professional mother (Angela Basset) sends him to live with his father (Lawrence Fishburne), a hard-nosed, no-nonsense disciplinarian. There he befriends Ricky (Morris Chestnut), a burgeoning football star, and Doughboy (Ice Cube, in a standout performance), a would-be gang banger. Over the years, each chooses his own path: Tre seems bound for college; Ricky is a blue-chip running back with his pick of schools; Doughboy is a dope dealer and bona fide gangster who drifts in and out of the county juvenile facility. All is well until, without warning, a rival gang chases down Tre and Ricky with tragic results. Doughboy immediately prepares for revenge, forcing Tre to decide whether to jeopardize his future and, perhaps, his life for the price of revenge and self-respect. Sometimes riveting, Boyz'N the Hood is not without its problems. The film tries to cram every single issue facing the black community into an hour and a half of screen time, making the film seem at times forced. The symbolism seems forced as well, and the film is often unbearably heavy-handed. Also, the characterization often relies on cardboard cut-outs; every white character in the film is a one-dimensional bigot, and the black police officer with whom Tre and his father deal is even worse than his Caucasian counterparts. Still, the unevenness of the film is redeemed by some moments of true brilliance. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cuba Gooding, Jr., Morris Chestnut, (more)
Ricochet, a suspenseful, exciting police thriller that loses its way at the end, is the story of a good cop whose life is destroyed by an obsessed psychotic criminal whom he sent to prison years before. Nick (Denzel Washington) is a successful happily married police officer with a distinguished record. He is drugged, kidnapped and framed by Blake (John Lithgow) who has never forgiven him for arresting him years before. Nick must redeem himself both to the police force, his family and the public who had come to love and respect him. Denzel Washington is excellent in his role of the good man in an impossible situation. John Lithgow, while always interesting, is completely over-the-top as the psychotic criminal, and the film looses plausibility during an extended and highly improbable and unbelievable final chase sequence around the Watts Towers. Despite these flaws, Ricochet is an exiting suspense film with a fine performance by Washington and worth watching despite its disappointing conclusion. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, John Lithgow, (more)
Aftermath: A Test of Love begins where most TV movies end. Based on fact (as recorded in Gary Kinder's book Victim), the story revolves around the family of Richard Chamberlain, an aloof obstetrician. The family falls victim to a violent, random crime, depicted in gruesome detail. Chamberlain's wife is murdered, and one of his sons is seriously wounded. Surviving this ordeal, Chamberlain must now try to hold his remaining loved ones together emotionally and attempt to reassemble his own battered psyche. The true events which inspired Aftermath: A Test of Love occurred in the 1970s in Ogden, Utah, where this TV movie was partially filmed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Saturday Night Live star Dana Carvey had his first leading role on the big screen in this comedy. Eddie (Carvey) and Lou (Todd Graff) are a pair of small-time con artists deep in debt to Pinkie (Mike Bacarella), a loan shark. During a lean period, Eddie and Lou resort to breaking and entering to make some money, but as they're clearing out a house, they overhear the answering machine announce that the owner is away on business for a few weeks -- and the housesitter won't be able to stop by. Eddie and Lou settle in and enjoy their good fortune, which just gets better when Milt (Robert Loggia) pays a visit. Milt assumes that Eddie is the housesitter, who is a close friend of his son. Eddie is soon introduced to Milt's beautiful daughter, Annie (Julia Campbell), and Milt decides that Eddie is executive material at his successful manufacturing firm. Soon Eddie starts to wonder if he should go on lying to the people he's come to like -- and there's the little matter of the 60,000 dollars that Eddie and Lou swiped from Pinkie's car. Opportunity Knocks also features Milo O'Shea and James Tolkan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Carvey, Robert Loggia, (more)
- 1990
This made-for-TV drama--Sammy Davis, Jr.'s last--stars Trent Cameron as a young orphan who must fight against social workers in order to remain with his adoptive father, a widowed jazzman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
The year is 1997. Manhattan Island is now a heavily guarded maximum-security prison, where the scum of the earth have converged. When Air Force One crash-lands in Manhattan, the president (Donald Pleasence) is held hostage by its denizens. One-eyed mercenary Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) is strong-armed into rescuing the chief executive. He is aided, not always willingly, by a tough gal (Adrienne Barbeau) and a manic cab driver (Ernest Borgnine). Escape from New York was followed by a sequel of sorts in 1996, Escape From L.A., again starring Kurt Russell. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, (more)
