Fred Dryer Movies

The second made-for-TV "reunion" of the stars of the long-running NBC cop drama Hunter (1984-1990), Hunter: Back in Force was, like its predecessor (Hunter: Return to Justice), set in San Diego. Newly reactivated police detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and his recently widowed partner, Dee Dee McCall (Stephanie Kramer) are targeted for extermination by vicious ex-convict Randall Skaggs (Gregory Scott Cummins), an old enemy from the original Hunter series. As Skaggs gathers together a mini-army of murderers, Hunter and Dee Dee devote their time to solving a string of bank robberies committed by a team of women -- possibly at the behest of a jailed convict (played by pro wrestler Chyna), with the assistance of a corrupt official. More obviously a TV pilot than Hunter: Return to Justice, Hunter: Back in Force, did in fact precipitate a revival of the old series, with five hour-long episodes telecast in the weeks following the film's April 12, 2003, debut. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hunter: Return to Justice is the second made-for-TV movie based on the popular cop series Hunter, which originally ran from 1984 to 1991. Fred Dryer returns to the role of LAPD detective Rick Hunter, whom, as we soon discover, may be older but is no mellower. In fact, the film begins with a burst of gunplay that would put Dirty Harry to shame. As the result of a bad drug bust which cost the lives of a few innocent civilians, Hunter is put "on leave" by the department and advised to take a good long rest. He heads down to San Diego, current home of his former police partner, Dee Dee McCall (Stephanie Kramer), now the fiancée of fabulous, wealthy mayoral candidate Roger Prescott (Sam Hennings). If Hunter truly expects any R&R, he is in for a shock: Prescott turns out to be an ex-KGB agent, placing himself and Dee Dee in the cross-hairs of the Russian mafia. Filmed almost entirely on location, Hunter: Return to Justice played to excellent ratings when it first aired November 16, 2002, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a three-part story, the Justice Leaguers, teamed with an alternate-reality Vandal Savage, have gone back in time to World War 2 in hopes of preventing the present from being horribly altered by despotic dictator Vandal Savage. Assisting the League in its efforts are such vintage comic-book heroes as Blackhawk, Steve Trevor (Wonder Woman's erstwhile mortal beau), and Sgt. Rock of Easy Company. Unfortunately, the villainy has been doubled as the 1940s-era Savage trades information with his modern-day counterpart. Will the combined forces of good be able to vanquish Savage, or will the horrifiying "alternate" world of the 21st century become reality? ~ Rovi

Imaginary Z-grade 1960s exploitation film producer Morty Fineman (Jerry Stiller), who was responsible for such faux-works as Buddy Cops V: Hayseed and Toughnut, sci-fi blaxploitation flick The Foxy Chocolate Robot, and, of course, Heil Titler , is the focus for this mockumentary co-written and directed by Stephen Kessler). While Fineman struggles to make his latest effort, Ms. Kevorkian, about a gun-toting babe who's passionate about assisted-suicide, the bank wants to foreclose on his hallowed studio and sell his film archive for $8 a pound. In absolute desperation, he reaches out to his estranged daughter Paloma (Janeane Garofalo), who grudgingly agrees to be the president of his production company in spite of numerous moral qualms. Along the way, the film features interviews with such real-life luminaries as Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Corman, and blaxploitation stalwart Fred Williamson, that paints a picture of a relentlessly gung-ho producer whose work somehow manages to rise above nothing budgets and lackluster talent. They also highlight Fineman's penchant for hitting on his leading ladies; Karen Black recalled one incident by noting, "It helped to be drunk." This film was screened at the 2000 South By Southwest Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

In this outdoor drama, a grizzly bear is found in a small town near a mountain range. Fearful that the wild animal may attack people, several of the locals set out to find the bear and bring him down. But one teenager defies the community and sets out to save the animal's life. Wild Grizzly stars Daniel Baldwin, Michele Greene, and Fred Dryer. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The press, the police and a neighborhood watch group are swept up in a tsunami of controversy thanks to the actions of an unknown vigilante. Twice in the past week, someone has taken the law into his (or her) own hands--and in the second instance, an innocent black teenager was savagely beaten. Hunter (Fred Dryer) is determined to find the truth of the matter and avert a citywide riot (and incidentally, this episode takes place long before the Rodney King debacle!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Sammy Davis Jr. guest stars as Benny Shaffer, veteran trainer of up-and-coming boxer Sonny Ruiz (Scott Colomby). When Ruiz's manager and doctor are murdered, both Shaffer and the boxer fall under suspicion. With the help of police detective Hunter (Fred Dryer), Shaffer hopes to prove that the real culprit is a big-time promoter. Famed restauranteur Nicky Blair) appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Now executive-produced by George Geiger, who this year replaces the veteran Roy Huggins, the fifth season of the NBC cop drama Hunter opens with the episode "Heir of Neglect", in which LAPD homicide detectives Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) come to the aid of a troubled teenager who is trying to cope with unpleasant revelations about his late dad's private life. Similarly, Hunter's sentimental side is exposed for all to see in "The Baby Game", as he protects a 2-year-old girl who may have witnessed her mother's murder. Later, "Shoot to Kill" poses a question that was virtually obligatory on cop shows of the 1980s: did an overzealous McCall shoot an unarmed suspect? And in "Ring of Honor", Sammy Davis Jr. makes one of his final TV appearances as a long-suffering boxing manager. Other Season Five highlights include the two-part "Dead of Target", in which a long-ago mission in Vietnam comes back to haunt war vet Hunter when several of his former comrades in arms are systematically murdered; and the three-part "City Under Siege", wherein Hunter joins a new task force designed to control crime in specially selected neighborhoods. This last-named multiparter features a rare acting appearance by onetime LA Police Chief Daryl Gates. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this actioner, a battle-hardened Marine sergeant finds himself faced with single-handedly rescuing his former colonel from Middle Eastern terrorist abductors. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Hunter (Fred Dryer) is reunited with his Vietnam-war buddy Randall Fain (Dirk Blocker), who is awaiting the arrival of his Oriental mail-order bride Rose Chin (Clare Nono). Unfortunately, the girl has been kidnapped by minions of the drug-smuggling ring with which she is peripherally involved. The case takes a unexpected twist when the crooked marriage broker who brought Rose to America is murdered--leaving Hunter with nary a lead to work with! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The good news is that Sam (Ted Danson) has been offered a job filling in for his sportscaster buddy Dave Richards (Fred Dryer). The bad news is that Sam hasn't figured out a way to temporary abandon his bartending duties without rousing the ire of Cheers manager Rebecca (Kirstie Alley). Will Sam's patented masculine charm win the day or will Rebecca lower the boom? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having played to dismal ratings during its first season, the NBC cop drama Hunter increased its viewership dramatically during Season Two, thanks to several corporate and creative decisions. To begin with, the network removed the series from its "suicide" slot opposite CBS' Dallas and into a slightly more appealing Saturday night berth, where its principal competition was the fading The Love Boat. Also, Roy Huggins was brought in as the new producer, whereupon he immediately set about to broaden Hunter's appeal by softening the characters and changing the basic locale. The fact that LAPD homicide detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) was the son of a gangster was allowed to fade into obscurity before disappearing completely, while Hunter's previously impervious partner Dee Dee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) was less the "brass cupcake" she'd been in Season One and more of a sensitive, compassionate human being. It was further hinted that the relationship between Hunter and Dee Dee went far beyond a professional one. Additiionally, Huggins moved the two partners off the mean streets of downtown LA and into a more refined "uptown" setting. Replacing Captain Dolan as Hunter's dyspeptic superior officer this season is Bruce Davison as Captain Wyler, less irascible and vindictive than Dolan but not much more sympathetic to Hunter's unorthodox police methods. Also added to the cast are John Shearin as Lt. Ambrose Finn, whose later death in the line of duty would allow Hunter to demonstrate the more sentimental side of his personality,and Garrett Morris as Arnold "Sporty" James, bombastic street hustler and informant. In the season opener "Case X", directed by onetime Starsky and Hutch star David Soul, Hunter searches for the serial killer of female porn stars. Later episodes include "The Biggest Man in Town", in which Hunter and Dee head to a resort community run by a man who may be a big-time criminal; "Rich Girl", wherein a guilt-ridden Hunter seeks out the actual perpetrator of a crime for which a suicidal young woman was wrongly accused; "Killer in a Halloween Mask", taking place on the set of a Hunter-like TV series for which Hunter and Dee Dee serve as technical advisors; "Fagin 1986", in which our hero mercilessly targets another corruptor of youth; "The Set-Up", bringing Hunter in contact with the "untouchable" international criminal who may have caused the death of his former partner; and "The Return of Typhoon Thompson", clearly inspired by the story of boxer "Hurricane" Carter and starring Isaac Hayes in the title role. The most memorable of the season's offerings is the two-part "Rape and Revenge", with Hunter declaring a vendetta against the South American man who raped Dee Dee, then managed to escape prosecution by declaring diplomatic immunity. Only slightly less fascinating is another two-parter, "The Beautiful and the Dead", in which the murder of a gorgeous girl in a seedy motel plunges Hunter into a complex espionage yarn involving both Federal and Russian secret agents. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi