Michael de Lano Movies

Existing evidence suggests that an elusive and very prolific thief known as the Golden Gate Bandit is responsible for the murder of policeman Jack Campbell (Stuart Randall). But Ironside (Raymond Burr) suspects that someone else is using the thief's crime spree to cover up their own homicidal activities. Characters essential to the action are the cop's widow Gloria Campbell (Vera Miles) and a lifelong loser named Christopher (Brandon De Wilde, in one of his final TV appearances). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Joseph Wambaugh's best-seller about patrol-car cops in urban Los Angeles is given a competent yet antiseptic treatment by director Richard Fleischer. The film has a bad-tasting us-versus-them mentality in its depiction of patrolmen-civilian interaction, and its hopeless atmosphere carries over into the bleak suicide of one of the principle characters. But behind its rancid veneer, the story is the old "B"-movie police story concerning a rookie cop being shown the ropes by a kindly and wizened old veteran. Roy (Stacy Keach) is the young patrolman introduced into the ways of Los Angeles street life by Kilvinsky (George C. Scott), the philosophical old pro. Kilvinsky is just short of retirement and wants to educate Roy to succeed him when he leaves. Roy, however, is on the edge because of a recent divorce, and it takes many speeches by Kilvinsky and the love and affection from his new black girlfriend Lorrie (Rosalind Cash) to keep from going over the deep end. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

After a routine heist, two-bit car thief Artie Fowler (Mark Alaimo) is killed in cold blood. Kojak suspects that there's something bigger than a standard robbery going on--especially after Artie's girlfriend Maria (Lara Parker) lets slip that an upcoming "caper" will make fools of the authorities. It turns out that a $500,000 heist is in the works, masterminded by mob leader Hugh Jellicoe (Paul Lambert) and an unknown party whose theatrical bravado astonishes even the professional crooks. Future Dallas costar Ken Kercheval appears in a significant role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jim (James Garner) is summoned to the bedside of his old friend Eddie Marks (Howard Duff), who claims to be dying and desperate need of money for his medical treatment. Eddie begs Jim to get him access to high-stakes poker game presided over by Blast Gillette (George Memmoli) in order to acquire the necessary funds. Only after Jim has revealed the location of the big game does he discover that he's been scammed by Eddie, who robs the poker players in order to set up an even bigger scam involving a luxury liner. Left holding the bag for the robbery, Jim turns the tables on Eddie and his equally duplicitious daughter Christina (Joan Van Ark), aided and abetted by several cronies of the irrespressible Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An episode of the television series, in which Buck tries to free an unjustly jailed woman, who mistrusts him, while being pursued by an android guard. ~ All Movie Guide

Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda), a housewife whose husband has left her for his secretary, begins her own secretarial career at a huge corporation. Violet Newstead (Lily Tomlin), a feisty, veteran office manager, instructs her on the perils and procedures of office life -- and of working for Franklin Hart Jr. (Dabney Coleman), their chauvinistic, sleazy boss, and his right-hand woman, the crisp, nosy Roz (Elizabeth Wilson). Meanwhile, Hart's endless attempts to seduce his happily married secretary, Doralee Rhodes (Dolly Parton), lead the entire office to think she's a trollop. When Hart unfairly passes Violet over for a promotion, she drowns her sorrows at a local bar with Judy and Doralee, who regales the others with tales of Hart's epic advances. Later, at Doralee's house, the women smoke pot, eat barbecue, and concoct hilarious revenge fantasies -- a rodeo hog-tie, a Wild West shootout, and a gothic Snow White scenario -- about killing their boss. When a mix-up leads the women to think they have accidentally poisoned Hart's coffee, they hatch a scheme to protect themselves by stealing Hart's body from the morgue. When he turns up alive, never having drunk the coffee, they must kidnap him to prevent him from blackmailing them or calling the police. The women then use the occasion of their boss' absence to effect some changes around the office. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

When millionaire Wilson MacLeish, an extremely unpopular man who was notorious for his cruel practical jokes, is reported killed in a plane explosion, a surprised Magnum (Tom Selleck) learns that he has inherited MacLeish's estate--as well as an extra $50 million. Unfortunately, Magnum has also inherited a would-be murderer; MacLeish has left behind a tape recording, accusing one of his heirs (though not by name) of planning his death, and warning Magnum that he's next on the list. As the story progresses, Magnum begins to wonder if MacLeish was telling the truth, or if he is being set up for the practical joke to end all practical jokes! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Given one last chance to capture the A-Team, Col. Lynch (William Lucking, in his final series appearance) makes a beeline to the Wild West show run by Captain Winnetka (Morgan Woodward). It seems that Winnetka's daughter Carrie (D..D. Howard) has lodged a complaint of being victimized by a gang of crooks passing themselves off as the A-Team. Naturally, the real Team can't stand imitations, and decide to thwart the crooks on their own, adopting disguises straight out of the Village People playbook: Hannibal (George Peppard) as a flashy sharpshooter, Face (Dirk Benedict) as a clown, and Murdock (Dwight Schultz)as an Indian. The climax involves another jerry-built weapon, this one shooting wads of taffy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Shortly after The Terminator wrote his name in bold neon lights across box-office grosses, this action thriller took advantage of the hitherto (almost) unexploited comic side of star Arnold Schwarzenegger and paired him with Rae Dawn Chong. Colonel Matrix (Schwarzenegger) is retired and living peaceably with his 10-year-old daughter when she is kidnapped by the henchmen of an exiled Latin American dictator. The dictator's plan is to reinstate himself in power by eliminating the president of his country, using Matrix to kill him (or he will kill the kidnapped daughter). Matrix escapes from the plane that is supposed to be carrying him to his mission and then proceeds to go from one violent confrontation to the next as he hunts down the dictator and moves to rescue his daughter. Helping him is Cindy (Chong), who has her own reasons for wanting the dictator dead. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

In this horror sequel, the members of a female rock group set off to spend the weekend in a deserted condominium. However, when Courtney's (Crystal Bernard) dreams of a drill-wielding, murderous rock singer (Atanas Illitch) prove to be more than mere nightmares, the girls must struggle to survive their weekend getaway. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide