Mike Genovese Movies
Former recurring actress Ming-Na returns to the series as a regular in the role of Dr. Deb Chen, who had given Carter (Noah Wyle) quite a run for his money during their intern days. Elsewhere, Kovac (Goran Visnjic) treats two brothers (Brian Hooks, Andre Fogenay Wilson), both of whom have apparently been abandoned by their parents -- and one of whom is mentally challenged. Finch (Michael Michele) takes care of a manically overachieving high school athlete (Gabrielle Union). And Greene (Anthony Edwards) flies to San Diego in search of his irascible father (John Cullum), who has "escaped" from his retirement home. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
On Christmas Eve, Carol brings one of her twin babies into the ER for a checkup, while the attending room is clogged with half a dozen very sick Santas. Overstepping her authority, Finch (Michael Michele) takes teenager Chad (Emile Hirsch) away from his mother (Roxanne Hart) so he can undergo treatment for alcohol abuse. Corday (Alex Kingston) tries to persuade patient Rollins (Lawrence Monoson) to have leg surgery. And Lucy (Kellie Martin) doggedly tracks down the off-duty Dr. Romano (Paul McCrane) to beg his help in a very delicate heart transplant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Halloween night has several surprises in store for the ER staff as they treat a young car-crash victim whose gender is a matter of debate, and a schizophrenic woman (Sheila Kelley) who insists that she's about to give birth despite all evidence to the contrary. Meanwhile, Greene (Anthony Edwards) gets stunning news from his daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima). Carter (Noah Wyle) gets in hot water when he leaves Lucy (Kellie Martin) to supervise a wild med-school dorm party. And Weaver (Laura Innes) spends several humiliating hours putting up with a rival candidate for the office of ER chief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The ER swings into action when an abortion clinic is bombed. Ross (George Clooney) tries to save teenaged mother Zoe (Sally Livingstone) and her unborn baby, while Del Amico (Maria Bello) is asked to complete an abortion. Corday (Alex Kingston) is startled when she learns who is among the bombing victims -- and even more so when she finally realizes how she feels about Benton (Eriq La Salle). And a tragic personal loss casts a pall over the staffers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Bester (Walter Koenig) doggedly pursues a murderous telepath who killed a friend of his. He takes this opportunity to provide valuable on-the-job training to a pair of rookie Psi Cops. Since the focus is on Bester, virtually none of the Babylon 5 regulars appear, with the exceptions of Jeff Conaway (Zack) and Richard Biggs (Dr. Franklyn). Best moment: the Psi Corps training film, a marvelous piece of ersatz propaganda. First broadcast on April 15, 1998, "The Corps is Mother, The Corps is Father. . ." was written by J. Michael Straczynski. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Biggs, Jeff Conway, (more)
Simone (Jimmy Smits) regrets his covert participation in an FBI sting against Joey Salvo when he is suspended from the force by Internal Affairs. An arrogant journalist who earlier wrote an article smearing the New York Police Department continues rubbing people the wrong way after he is mugged. And the detectives investigate a particularly vicious murder which, suggests the victim's psychiatrist, may have been perpetrated by the dead woman's father. This final episode of NYPD Blue's fourth season comes to a characteristically jarring climax when Simone and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) are caught in the crossfire of a mob hit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Unable to cope with losing custody of baby Suzy, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) begins consulting a therapist, whereupon the events in this episode (directed by series regular Anthony Edwards) are unfolded in flashback form. One of the plot developments involves Carol (Julianna Margulies), who in order to save her paramedic boyfriend, Shep (Ron Eldard), from disciplinary action may be forced to lie on his behalf. Elsewhere, Ross (George Clooney) discovers that his father, Ray, has run out on Karen (Marg Helgenberger) -- and with most of Karen's money. And Carter (Noah Wyle) tries to comfort a young girl named TC (Gabrielle Boni), whose surgery will prevent her from participating in a basketball tournament. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greene (Anthony Edwards), Weaver (Laura Innes), and Doyle (Jorja Fox) argue over the treatment of a drunken woman who tried to kill her unborn child. Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) is surprised by the benign attitude of Al (Michael Beach) after he serves her divorce papers. And Lydia's (Ellen Crawford) marriage is over before it begins. This episode introduces Kirsten Dunst as Charlie, a teenaged dope addict -- and also (for the time being) bids farewell to Sherry Stringfield as Susan Lewis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Christmas and Hanukkah are simultaneously acknowledged during the holiday season at the ER. The faith of Holocaust survivor Hannah Steiner (Joan Copeland) is sorely tested when she is injured in a carjacking and her baby granddaughter is apparently kidnapped; and a priest (Tony Plana) who has been mortally wounded in a shooting at his own church prays that this tragedy will not result in wholesale gang war. As for the staffers, Greene (Anthony Edwards) sullenly prepares to spend his first Christmas without his wife; and Shep (Ron Eldard) finally expresses his true feelings toward Carol (Julianna Margulies). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Greene's (Anthony Edwards) miserable personal life continues to spill over into his professional one. Ultimately, he risks dismissal by admitting a patient (Michael Galeota) for observation against the orders of Pediatrics chief Dr. Neil Bernstein (David Spielberg). Meanwhile, Ross (George Clooney) faces a violation-of-ethics charge for spending the night with med student Harper (Christine Elise), and Jeanie Boulet (Gloria Reuben, now joining the series' regular cast) is surprised by the aloofness of her former lover Benton (Eriq La Salle) during her first day as the ER's new physician's assistant. And Carol (Julianna Margulies) encounters innumerable distractions while filling out the necessary papers to purchase her own house. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Carol (Julianna Margulies) takes a more than professional interest in Tatiana (Milana Vayntrub), a six-year-old Russian girl with AIDS who has been adopted -- and then abandoned -- by an American family. Overachiever Deb (Ming-Na) accidentally ingests some candy-coated LSD. And despite their volatile professional differences, Kayson (Sam Anderson) asks Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) out for a special Valentine's Day dinner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rule-bound Dr. Kayson (Sam Anderson) again incurs the wrath of Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) when he orders the early release of a heart patient named Vennerback (Michael Monks). But when Vennerback is brought back to the ER in critical condition, it is Lewis who is held responsible for the tragedy that follows. Elsewhere, Benton (Eriq La Salle) adopts a somewhat nasty method to stem the constant complaints of his student, Carter (Noah Wyle); and Lewis' pregnant sister, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite), announces her intention to move to Texas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Cvetic (John Terry) is growing more and more contemptuous of his patients, leading to some bizarre behavior on his part. Carol (Julianna Margulies) is caught on the horns of a dilemma when she is bound by ethics not to reveal details of an accident imparted in confidence by a patient. Ross (George Clooney) grows restless in his relationship with Linda (Andrea Parker). And Carter (Noah Wyle) learns a few more valuable life lessons as he treats transvestite patient Henry (Vondie Curtis-Hall). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
What do you get when you combine a Western with a Science Fiction film? You might get this shoot'em up in space. It is set in the distant town of Oblivion (it was actually filmed in Romania). Though it's a high tech town, it has the feel of an old fashioned Western outpost from the 1800's. The town is being terrorized by the snakelike, power-mad Redeye who is also out for the contents of local mines. He shoots the sheriff and disarms Stell Barr, his cyborg deputy. Enter Zack Stone, son of the late Sheriff Stone. Zack is of a rare breed, the empaths. Because he feels the pain of others, he walks a path of non-violence. Can he remain pacifistic in the face of Redeye's terrifying reign? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Joseph Paul, Jackie Swanson, (more)
A beautiful devil-girl tires of torturing the souls of the damned and so busts out of hell to visit the mortal plane. Finding it nearly as debauched and wicked as her home, the girl decides to take care of the villainous and evil before they get down to the Devil's domain. Soon the blood begins flowing like sacramental wine. During an accident she is seriously wounded, and a kindly young doctor helps her recover and as he does, she cannot help but fall in love with him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
In Best of the Best 2, Alex Grady and his partner, Tommy Lee, turn their karate talents toward crime fighting. An illegal fighting club, headed by Wayne Newton, is a center for crime and criminals. Alex and Tommy decide to take it down but first they have to fight their way through Brakus, the big evil, and his growth protein-engorged posse. ~ Brian Whitener, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Phillip Rhee, (more)
Exiled to Bajor, Kira becomes acquainted with The Circle, a radical Bajoran resistance movement. Apparently breaking away from the status quo, The Circle announces its intention to join the Federation. But the DS9 crew rightly suspects that there's a sinister motive behind The Circle's altruistic posture. Oscar winner Louise Fletcher guest stars as imperious Bajoran spiritual leader Vedek Winn, while Frank Langella is cast as the duplicitous Jaro. Originally telecast October 2, 1993, "The Circle" was written by Peter Allan Fields. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Whenever there's a TV movie about a "lone holdout" juror, you can bet that reality will be left behind at the front door. Killer Among Us is no exception. A Different World's Jasmine Guy plays a doubting jury member on a homicide case. She not only believes the defendant innocent, but suspects that the foreman of the jury, played by Dwight Schultz, is the guilty party. To make a long story short, which the scriptwriter didn't, Guy ends up being stalked by the real murderer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Enterprise's Holodeck malfunctions, trapping Captain Picard in a recreation of 1941 San Francisco. In the tradition of the earlier Star Trek episode A Piece of the Action, Picard finds himself smack-dab in the middle of a film noir-style gangster melodrama, with familiar movie stereotypes abounding (two of them played by "cult" actors Lawrence Tierney and Dick Miller). As if this weren't enough, Picard is pestered by hostile aliens who demand that he give them their undivided attention. Nominated for a Best Cinematography Emmy Award, "The Big Goodbye" was written by Tracy Torme, and was first telecast January 16, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
On Fire stars John Forsythe as the chief arson inspector of a major metropolis. After 22 years' service as a firefighter, Forsythe is summarily ordered to retire. He tries to fight this in court, but learns that, although mandatory retirement is illegal on a federal basis, it can be enforced on a local level in cases of life-threatening jobs. While this TV movie starts well with Forsythe's anger and confusion over being cast adrift at age 60, the script descends into by-the-numbers melodrama after a harrowing experience leaves Forsythe more scared and distracted than ever. Carroll Baker, the "Baby Doll" of the 1950s, is cast against type in On Fire as John Forsythe's patient and supportive wife. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A trio of rich ex-cops begin to investigate a murder involving baseball and gangsters. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Wass, Markie Post, (more)
Nervous Norman Willis (Mike Genovese) is an aptly named racketeer who becomes even more nervous than usual when he loses his "little black book", which contains evidence of all his crooked dealings. As it happens, the book is in the possession of Daisy Duke (Catherine Bach), who has picked it up by mistake while gathering together her little-theater rehearsal notes. Pursued by Nervous Norman's minions, Daisy hides out at the home of lovestruck deputy Enos (Sonny Stroyer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An interesting diversion for the genre, this stylish but leaden supernatural period piece tells the tale of an 18th-century minister (Dennis Lipscomb) and his flock who are exiled to the wilderness after being accused of witchcraft by the citizens of Dalton's Ferry. The small community settles briefly in an eerie valley in Shawnee territory -- which is also the domain of a powerful demon and his earthen underlings. As horrific apparitions and bizarre events begin to haunt the party in increasing frequency, a young madwoman believed to be a witch brings her own formidable powers to bear against the demonic menace. Good performances and beautiful location cinematography help to create a mood of encroaching doomretentious dialogue, leaden pacing and an overabundance of clunky religious allegory causes the entire project to collapse under its own ponderous weight. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Lipscomb, Rebecca Stanley, (more)


















