Michael Ensign Movies
- 2004
Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) is convinced that his widowed mother Maria (Susan Kellerman) is about to marry a con artist: namely, a much-younger antique dealer named Dalton Padron (Nestor Carbonel). As a favor to Disher, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) and Sharona (Bitty Schram) pose as a married couple and join a therapy group whose members also include the redoubtable Padron and his bride-to-be Maria. What neither Disher nor Monk know (but the audience does!) is that Padron is not only a crook but a murderer, who has already killed his partner to get his mitts on a fortune in hidden gold--and isn't about to stop at only one victim! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Famous film star Tom Haviland (Chad Michael Murray) is the primary suspect when a young Asian woman is found murdered in his bed. As Grissom (William L. Petersen) investigates, his findings are challenged by his old friend and mentor Philip Gerard (Raymond J. Barry). In fact, Gerard has been hired by Haviland's defense counsel to discredit the conclusions of the CSI in court. As it turns out, Grissom and his crew have made several significant errors -- but all this pales in the light of the episode's most startling revelation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) lives to regret inviting Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) to take a literature class with her. A note meant to ward off the person who stole Ross' sandwich results in Ross (David Schwimmer) being classified as (gasp!) "mental." Joey (Matt LeBlanc) continues making a fool of himself in his efforts to cover up for Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox). And a nude Polaroid leads to a startling -- and totally bogus -- confession. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Based on a true story, the sentimental TV movie A Thousand Men and a Baby takes place during the final months of the Korean War in 1953. Spiritually adopting an abandoned boy, the crew members of the U.S.S. "Point Cruz" set about to find a proper home for the infant. All the while, ship's doctor Hugh Keenan (Richard Thomas) struggles to keep the baby alive. According to some sources, the grown-up protagonist of the story appears in a bit role in this film. Originally telecast by CBS on December 7, 1997, A Thousand Men and a Baby has since been telecast in the UK under the slightly more lurid title Narrow Escape. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerald McRaney, Richard Thomas, (more)
- 1995
Dropping her longtime agent Steve (Chris Elliott), Murphy (Candice Bergen) signs on with the agent representing her coanchor Jim (Charles Kimbrough). This makes Jim sore, especially when it appears that his agent is favoring Murphy over him. But Jim's jealousy doesn't reach the boiling point until both he and Murphy are scheduled to appear alongside John McLaughlin, Fred Barnes and Eleanor Clift on The McLaughlin Group! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
First telecast May 22, 1993, this episode is a double-pronged tale of unrequited love. Veteran Star Trek stalwart Majel Barrett reprises her Next Generation role as Lwaxana Troi, who, as before, arrives on the scene in search of a husband. Much to his dismay, Odo finds himself the object of Lwaxana's affections. Meanwhile, some mysterious downloaded data causes the DS9 computer to develop a crush on O'Brien. "The Forsaken" was scripted by Don Carlos Dunaway and Michael Piller, from a story by Jim Trombetta. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Lauren Holly plays the hasn't-got-a-clue heroine of the made-for-cable melodrama Dangerous Heart. When her policeman husband is killed, the grieving wife seeks comfort and companionship. She falls for the line dispensed by slick Timothy Daly, never dreaming that her new beau is the man responsible for her husband's death. Daly is only after the money stolen from him by Holly's late husband, and he isn't particular as to how to get it. The suspenseful denouement of Dangerous Heart helps one to forget the conspicuous lack of logic in the establishing scenes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Holly, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1991
Apprenticing as an art buyer for E.H. Wright, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) purchases some paintings by a promising but unknown artist--thereby going against the specific instructions of her new boss. It looks like Whitley's career is over before it has even begun, until an unexpected development occurs. Elsewhere, Freddie (Cree Summer) tries to draw listeners to her new radio call-in show by adopting the alternate personality of a Jamaican philosopher "Mother Eartha". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
While on a first contact mission with the Malconian race, Riker is seriously injured. When he awakens in a hospital, he insists that he is someone else, specifically, Rivas Jakara of the Marta Community. The Malconian authorities place him in custody, accusing him of being the leader of an impending alien invasion. The subsequent plot twists and turns may prove baffling even for hard-core Next Generation fans. Scripted by Dennis Russell Bailey, David Bischoff, Joe Menonsky, Ronald D. Moore and Michael Piller from a story by Marc Scott Zicree, "First Contact" was first presented to the American viewing public on February 23, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rock Hudson is a TV-biopic oversimplification of the life and career of the durable screen idol. Most of the background material is based on the book by Phyllis Gates, who was briefly married to Hudson in the 1950s. The film recounts (in fan-magazine fashion) Hudson's rise from truck driver to movie star, then spends the last twenty minutes or so on his death from AIDS. Only a few of Hudson's personal and professional associates are depicted in the film: Daphne Ashbrook is seen as Phyllis Gates, Andrew Robinson (who'd portrayed Liberace in an earlier TV movie!) plays Hudson's manager Henry Wilson, and Don Galloway portrays John Frankenheimer, who directed Hudson in Seconds. Rock Hudson himself is played by Thomas Ian Griffith, who came from obscurity and promptly went back after this film was completed. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Ian Griffith, William R. Moses, (more)
- 1988
Marilu Henner stars as a Los Angeles police detective in The Ladykillers. Thomas Calabro co-stars as Henner's new partner, who also happens to be her lover. Together, Henner and Calabro attempt to solve the murder of a stripper. No, the title does not refer to the murderer: "The Ladykillers" is a male stripper club, and the victim is certifiably masculine. Also starring Lesley-Anne Down and Susan Blakely, this leering little escapade was first broadcast November 9, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilu Henner, Susan Blakely, (more)
- 1988
This courtroom drama was inspired by the notorious Scopes trial of 1925 concerning the teaching of Darwinism in public schools. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
A sprawling adaptation of the same-named novel by David Nevin, the three-part CBS miniseries Dream West starred Richard Chamberlain as colorful, controversial American explorer John Charles Fremont (1813-1890). The story detailed the visionary (and occasionally mercenary) Fremont's lifelong war against shortsided authority figures, beginning with his early skirmishes with the "brass" as an Army officer. In 1842, Fremont embarked upon his greatest adventure, heading an expedition to map the Oregon Trail -- the first step towards opening the entire North American continent to free and unimpeded exploration. His mission pitted Fremont against hostile Indians, the Mexican army, and the U.S. government itself. Along the way, he crossed paths with scores of historical figures, including Kit Carson, Jim Bridge, John Sutter, and President Abraham Lincoln. Alice Krige, Richard Chamberlain's vis-à-vis in the earlier Wallenberg: A Heroes' Story, co-starred as Jessie Benton, the headstrong senator's daughter who became Fremont's wife. Running seven hours in all (plus commercials), Dream West was originally telecast from April 13 to 15, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
A stellar cast distinguishes this chillingly cautionary ABC Afterschool Special about the perils of drunk driving. Told in flashback, this is the tale of two couples: sensible Beth (Mare Winningham) and Tim (Lance Guest), and footloose Annie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Eric (Val Kilmer). The latter duo drink champagne on their first date, and continue imbibing at a dangerous rate during their subsequent double dates with Beth and Tim. Finally, Beth confronts Eric about his liquor problem, but he angrily blows her off -- with tragic results. Filmed several years before its network-TV debut in 1985, One Too Many has since become a staple of driver's-education classes throughout America. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mare Winningham, Lance Guest, (more)
- 1984
In this drama, a lady lawyer's campaign to become state attorney general is jeopardized by a scandal involving a gigolo, extortion and even murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Bo (John Schneider) and Luke (Tom Wopat), still operating undercover for the Feds, continue to race the General Lee under the banner of crooked promoter J.J. Carver (Ramon Bieri). The good news is that the Duke boys have managed to gather enough evidence to put Carver behind bars for a long time. The bad news is that Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and Sheriff Roscoe (James Best), unaware of what the Dukes are up to and hoping to get the good on Carver themselves, succeed only in blowing Bo and Luke's cover at the worst possible moment! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
On her deathbed, mean-spirited millionairess Lily Tomlin has her will amended so that her soul will pass into the body of young, healthy Victoria Tennant. Thanks to a mix-up in transmutation, Tomlin winds up instead trapped in the body of upright (and uptight) attorney Steve Martin. The plot involves the fragility of male-female relationships, the importance of making commitments, and the antics of goofy guru Richard Libertini. As ridiculous as it sounds, All of Me is completely credible, thanks to Steve Martin's remarkable "body language" when conveying the notion that he's two different people with two different sets of emotions and gestures. Though the circumstances of the plot won't allow Martin to connect with the lovely Tennant, in real life things were different: the two costars were married shortly after filming wrapped. Phil Alden Robinson and Henry Olek adapted the script from Ed Davis' novel Me Too. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin, (more)
- 1984
In the first episode of a two-part story, Daisy (Catherine Bach) and Jesse (Denver Pyle) are astonished--a not a little disgusted--when Luke (Tom Wopat) and Bo (John Schneider) accept an offer from Mary Beth Carver (Lydia Cornell) to return to the NASCAR circuit. After all, Mary Beth's promoter father J.J. Carver (Ramon Bieri) is a mob-connected crook, and the Duke boys had previously vowed never to work for him again. What no one but Luke, Bo and the viewer knows is that the boys are working undercover on behalf of some Federal agents, who hope to get the goods on Carver and put him away for life--assuming, of course, that the Dukes will live long enough to see this happen! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Made for cable television, The Ratings Game was directed by Danny DeVito, who co-starred in the film with his wife Rhea Perlman. DeVito plays the owner of a New Jersey trucking firm who yearns for a televison career. He offers several TV-series ideas to a receptive network programming head. On the verge of being fired, the network exec decides to have his revenge on his ex-bosses by selecting the very worst of DeVito's concepts. The "born to fail" series becomes a hit, and soon DeVito is the hottest programmer in the industry! More truthful than many of us are willing to admit, The Ratings Game premiered with astonishingly little fanfare over The Movie Channel cable service on December 15, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, (more)
- 1984
The made-for-TV Shattered Vows stars Valerie Bertinelli as a young nun named Mary Gilligan. Though she tries to honor the edicts of her calling, Mary falls in love with a handsome priest (David Morse). Her overwhelming desire to marry and raise a family culminates in her leaving her order before taking final vows. The real-life Mary Gilligan Wong eventually became a clinical psychologist. Her autobiography Nun: A Memoir served as the basis for Shattered Vows, which first aired October 29, 1984 ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
A group of villains previously defeated by the A-Team pool their savings and hire professional assassin Major Kyle (Ed Lauter) to get rid of the Team once and for all. Kyle's plan is to play upon the well-known weaknesses of the various team members in order to kidnap them one by one--and then to kill them slowly and painfully, while Team leader Hannibal (George Peppard) is forced to watch. Tricia O'Neill repeats her portrayal of Dr. Maggie Sullivan, a character introduced in the first-season A-Team episode "Bad Day at Black Rock". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
