Jeffrey D. Sams
Ultimate Avengers 2 features famous superheroes Thor, Captain America, the Hulk, Iron-Man, and Black Panther teaming up in order to put an end to an alien invasion of Africa. This story is based on the comic book The Ultimates. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justin Gross, Grey DeLisle, (more)
A feisty octogenarian on the verge of his ninetieth birthday invites his three grown children to his upcoming birthday celebration with the explicit understanding that when the festivities end, so does his life, in a dark but light-hearted family comedy directed by Jeff Hare and starring Peter Falk. Morris (Falk) has lived a full life, but now the time has come to end his impressive run. When Morris goes to mortal extremes to reunite his three estranged children, his morbid declaration helps his offspring to realize that, even in old age, the importance of one individual should never be underestimated. David Paymer, Laura San Giacomo, and Judge Reinhold co-star in the one comedy that proves you're never too old to stir up a bit of mischief. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Laura San Giacomo, (more)
- 2003
Flight 323 has crashed in the Colorado Rockies, killing everyone on board. Was the disaster the result of carelessness, incompetence, malfunctioning equipment--or terrorism? To answer these question, a team of experts from the National Transportation Safety Board, headed by Al Cummings (Mandy Patinkin) painstakingly recreate the events leading up to the tragedy, and also trace the movements of the various passengers in the last hours on earth. As the impatient media and the victims' grieving families demand answers immediately, Cummings and company do their best to remain calm and detached while using a flight simulator and other such devices to try out innumerable scenarios, in the manner of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (and before that, Rashomon). A compelling example of "procedural" drama, with a logical if not altogether satisfying outcome, the made-for-TV NTSB: The Crash of Flight 323 was originally telecast March 22, 2004, by ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The bodies of teenagers Toby Wellstone and Jill Frommer are found a half-mile apart in the Hell's Gate region of Death Valley. The curiously arranged evidence suggests that the teens died in a Romeo-and-Juliet suicide pact, but Sara (Jorja Fox) and Warrick (Gary Dourdan) refuse to rule out the possibility of murder. Meanwhile, Grissom (William L. Petersen), Catherine (Marg Helgenberger), and Nick (George Eads) investigate when equestrian trainer Lori Hutchins is trampled to death by a horse -- on a private 747 jet, bound from Belgium to Las Vegas. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Speeding motorist Alex Jomes pulls up in front of a casino, gets out of his car -- and dies as the result of the wooden stake driven into his head. It falls to Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Nick (George Eads) to track down the so-called "vampire killer." Meawnhile, Warrick (Gary Dourdan) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) follow the trail of clues when the five-year-old son of NBA star Tavian Tombs (Dwayne Adway) is kidnapped while Tombs is having an incredible run of luck at the gaming tables. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Hank Peddigrew (Christopher Wiehl), the paramedic boyfriend of the CSI's Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox), is among those injured when an old woman (Sandra Gimpel) crashes her Jaguar into a bar-restaurant during a crowded "happy hour." Was it a random accident, or a deliberately mapped-out murder? As she investigates, Sara is unnerved when she finds out why Hank was at the bar in the first place. Meanwhile, Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Nick (George Eads) probe the death of a woman who succumbed to a gas leak in her home. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Detective Lockwood (Jeffrey D. Sams), longtime friend and colleague of the CSI team, is killed during a daylight bank robbery. Grissom (William L. Petersen) determines that the fatal shot was fired from outside the building -- and that the three masked, high-tech bandits may not have been after the money in the safety deposit box that they stole. The trail of evidence leads to casino owner Sam Braun (Scott Wilson) -- an old and trusted friend of the CSI's Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger). This final episode of the series' third season ends as Grissom faces a daunting challenge regarding his hereditary hearing loss. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A violent pile-up occurs during an amateur soccer game -- and when the teams disperse, unpopular hockey player Terry Rivers (David Andriole) is found at the bottom of the pile, with his throat slashed. As Grissom (William L. Petersen), Catherine (Marg Helgenberger), and Sara (Jorja Fox) investigate Rivers' murder, Warrick (Gary Dourdan) and Nick (George Eads) try to determine if a saxophone player died of a drug overdose. Among those closest to the dead musician was casino singer Lillie Ivers (Nicole Ari Parker), in whom Warrick takes a more than professional interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
The influence of the popular action film The Fast and the Furious hangs heavily over the first episode of CSI's third season. Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Nick (George Eads) investigate when the mutilated corpse of Jace Felder, a champion in the field of illegal street-racing, is found at an abandoned desert airstrip. Meanwhile, Grissom (William L. Petersen) probes the death of legendary poker player Doyle Pfeiffer, who appears to have suffered a heart seizure during a high-stakes card game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
A body covered in lye is found in a Las Vegas park. Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Sara (Jorja Fox) try to build a case on what is left of the rapidly decomposing corpse, but it isn't easy. Meanwhile, Nick (George Eads) wrestles with an even more baffling mystery: It seems that the body of a hiker has been found in the middle of the desert -- and the victim had died of drowning. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
This episode served as the pilot for the spin-off series CSI: Miami, with David Caruso making his first appearance as Horatio Caine, Miami counterpart to CSI's Gil Grissom (William L. Petersen). It all begins when Las Vegas' former chief of detectives is killed execution-style after a party at his home. In addition, the dead man's young new wife and their seven-year-old daughter are missing. Ultimately the girl is spotted near Miami, obliging the Vegas CSI team to work hand in glove with Horatio Caine and his colleagues. Other soon-to-be regulars of CSI: Miami introduced herein are Emily Procter as Calleigh Duqesne, Adam Rodriguez as Eric Delko, Khandi Alexander as Alexx Woods, and Rory Cochrane as Tim Speedle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) investigate when a wealthy couple, Calvin and Monica Newman, are found murdered outside the expensive Las Vegas house that they had hoped to sell. Suspicion falls on someone very close to the couple, as well as another person who at first seemed startled by the discovery of the bodies. Meanwhile, Sara (Jorja Fox) looks into the grisly death of teenage cheerleader Amanda Kirk, whose cannibalized body was found on a high school soccer field. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
In this TV sitcom, Cupid (Jeremy Piven) has lost his touch and is banished from Mount Olympus. To reclaim his position there, he must go to Earth and assume the role of mortal Trevor Hale. Once he brings 100 couples together without the benefit of magic, he can return to Olympus. Naturally, this tale gets him institutionalized. In the course of Hale's extensive therapy, his shrink, Dr. Claire Allen (Paula Marshall), remains skeptical of Hale's bizarre Cupid concept, but even so, she invites him into a singles group, an ideal arena for Hale to begin his difficult assignment. Filmed in Vancouver, this series premiered September 26, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Piven, Paula Marshall, (more)
- 1998
- PG13
This comedy blends a romance centered upon mistaken identity with a satiric, insider's look at the film industry. Harold (played by Jeremy Piven) lives in Hollywood and earns his living driving a tour bus that makes the rounds of the homes of the stars. One day, Harold sees his favorite actress, Amanda Clark (Sherilyn Fenn), in a restaurant and impulsively introduces himself. Amanda, who was discussing screenwriters with her agent only moments before, is for some reason convinced Harold is a writer -- and Harold is too pleased to be talking with Amanda to correct her, especially when she suggests they meet to discuss an upcoming project. However, when Harold is assigned to rewrite a script Amanda is considering, Harold has to find a way to make his illusion a reality. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Jeremy Piven, (more)
- 1997
In this second episode of a three-part story, Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) have returned to New York from Hollywood, after arresting the chief suspect in the grisly murder of a female movie-studio executive. Alas, their work may have been for nothing: There is a strong likelihood that someone else may be the culprit. Meanwhile, Assistant D.A. Ross (Carey Lowell) learns to her dismay that the suspect's defense counsel is her own ex-husband Neal Gordon (Keith Szarabajka) -- who has a hidden agenda all his own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
In this opening episode of Law & Order's first (and thus far only) three-part story, a female Hollywood studio executive is found murdered -- and decapitated -- in New York City. Detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Curtis (Benjamin Bratt) head to Tinseltown to check out the suspects, among them the dead woman's abusive ex-husband, Eddie Newman (Scott Cohen), and shady personal trainer Evan Grant (Jeffrey D. Sams). Meanwhile, assistant D.A.'s McCoy (Sam Waterston) and Ross (Carey Lowell) work overtime to make sure that Briscoe and Curtis are not overstepping their jurisdictional bounds. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This hit domestic comedy-drama concerned the fortunes of an extended African-American family recalled through the eyes of young narrator Ahmad (Brandon Hammond). Ahmad's world revolves around his grandmother, Big Mama Joseph (Irma P. Hall) and her three daughters: workaholic attorney Teri (Vanessa Williams), newlywed salon owner Bird (Nia Long), and Ahmad's housewife mom, Maxine (Vivica A. Fox). Each sister is in turmoil. Teri has lost patience for her husband Miles (Michael Beach), who wants to quit the law and take up music. Bird doesn't realize that her husband Lem (Mekhi Phifer) is about to be humiliated by her ex-boyfriend (Mel Jackson). And while Maxine's relationship with her husband Kenny (Jeffrey D. Sams) is going well, her relationship with her jealous sister Teri needs fixing. These conflicts boil over at Big Mama's traditional Sunday dinners, where the matriarch plays peacemaker. The ritual faces extinction, however, when Big Mama suffers a stroke -- but Ahmad is waiting in the wings to take her place. Soul Food launched the directing career of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native George Tillman, Jr., who based the script on his own family experiences. In the summer of 2000, Soul Food was spun off into a cable TV series. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, (more)
- 1997
Goldie Hawn garnered favorable reviews with her TV-movie directorial debut, a family drama set against the backdrop of racism in the American South of the early '60s. While in 1962 the Cuban Missile Crisis generates fears among adults, 12-year-old Lilly Kate Burns (Jena Malone) dreams of a career as a dancer. The problem is how to escape her dreary small-town existence, where she's surrounded by her mother (Mary Ellen Trainor), a stroke victim; her bigoted Uncle Ray (J.T. Walsh), a theater owner; her dejected Aunt Emma (Christine Lahti); and her alcoholic dance teacher Muriel (Catherine O'Hara). In addition to young Billy (Lee Norris), Lilly is also friends with black minister Jediah Walker (Jeffrey D. Sams). Uncle Ray has provided only a single exit in his theater, and when a young black boy dies in a theater fire, the tragedy sparks and inflames local racial conflicts. Uncle Ray is charged with wrongful death, and Lilly contemplates the nature of truth and justice. Filmed on location in Anderson, Texas. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jena Malone, Christine Lahti, (more)
This made-for-TV drama, produced for the acclaimed anthology series Hallmark Hall of Fame, follows four orphans journeying from New York to the American West during the great migration of the 19th century. En route, the four boys find an abandoned baby, whom they adopt and raise as their own. As the girl, whom they name Mary Rose (Jennifer Garner), grows up, she begins to chafe under the authority of Adam (Jeffrey D. Sams), Douglas (Zak Orth), Travis (Tristan Tait), and Cole (Justin Chambers), who are at once brothers and surrogate parents to her. The conflicts come to a head and Mary decides to go to New York, in hopes of finding the parents who gave her up years before. Rose Hill was adapted from the novel For the Roses by Julie Garwood. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Grumpy, chain-smoking prosecuting attorney Ingrid Maynard (Stockard Channing) hasn't accepted a case since the accident that left her confined to a wheelchair. But when the husband of assistant DA Rachel Simone (Michelle Forbes) is killed in a robbery, Ingrid decides to return to the courtroom to take over the investigation and ultimate prosecution of the culprit. Forced to work together, the embittered Ingrid and the dispirited Rachel don't always see eye to eye, but this does not compromise the value of their work. However, a major "conflict of interest" crisis threatens to slow the wheels of justice to a grinding halt. Made for the NBC network by the same team responsible for the series Homicide and Prime Suspect, The Prosecutors originally aired on December 2, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A surprise Hollywood hit, this film is based on the novel of the same name by Terry McMillan and centers on four well-to-do African-American women and their relationships with men and one another. All of them are "holding their breath" until the day they can feel comfortable in a committed relationship with a man. Robin (Lela Rochon) is the long-time mistress of Russell (Leon), who keeps reneging on his promise to leave his wife for her. She dumps him to find a man she can have to herself, but her dates with a reliable but unattractive business partner (Wendell Pierce) and a drug addict (Mykelti Williamson) send her back to Russell. Savannah (Whitney Houston) is a successful television producer who also believes that her married lover Kenneth (Dennis Haysbert) will leave his wife. Bernadine (Angela Bassett) is a wealthy woman who abandoned her own career to raise a family. Her husband is now leaving her to marry a white woman. Gloria (Loretta Devine) is a beauty salon owner and single mother raising a teenage son. After years alone, she falls in love with a new neighbor, Marvin (Gregory Hines). The women share their stories over lunches and conversations at Gloria's salon. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Whitney Houston, Angela Bassett, (more)
Struggling musicians vie for success in the hard world of the New York hip-hop scene in this gritty urban drama. Rich (Jeffrey D. Sams) is convinced he has a future as a rapper -- so much so that he leaves his wife and family to go to New York and reach for the brass ring. While scuffling for work, Rich meets another MC, I Tick (Ron Brice), whose roughneck style is a contrast to Rich's smooth delivery. The two rhymers begin working together and soon find that they may have a shot at the big time. The supporting cast includes Maura Tierney, Larry Gillard Jr., and Leo Burmester; rapper MC Lyte contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey D. Sams, Ron Brice, (more)
