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Erik Palladino Movies

Erik Palladino was supposed to join the family's heat contracting business. Raised in Yonkers by his schoolteacher mother and contractor father, the 12-year-old Palladino caught the acting bug from Robert De Niro's famed performance as Jake La Motta in Raging Bull. He quickly joined a local children's repertory company and soon began hosting a heavy metal television show in New York. But like many actors, the adult Palladino took the long road to success. He built an arrest record, struggled through New York's Marymount Manhattan College, sang in a mediocre indie rock band, and survived several canceled television shows. By the late '90s, Palladino had a familiar face -- as a regular on Comedy Central, a voluble MTV video jockey, an indolent stepson on Murphy Brown, and Jennifer Love Hewitt's unctuous cousin in Can't Hardly Wait (1998) -- but not a well-known name. However, perseverance and ubiquity will lead to stardom and, in 1999, Palladino scored two plum roles: the part of an American sailor opposite Matthew McConaughey in U-571 and a coveted slot as Dr. Dave Malucci on NBC's top-rated ER. Both characters are Italian-American; both characters pigeonhole Palladino as the insolent, self-important bastard. Yet, his performances project the strength of an actor who has been around the bend and can create brazen men that are not simply ogres, but refreshingly forthright, occasionally tender, and always heroic.
Despite a public outcry and an Internet petition to keep him on the show, Palladino left ER in 2001. He then added to his movie credits -- which already included This Space Between Us (2000) with fellow ER star Alex Kingston and Finder's Fee (2000) with James Earl Jones -- by starring in the "Disco Inferno" segment of the VH1' Strange Frequency (2001). He also began racing cars in the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Though his career forced him to relocate to California, Palladino remains a die-hard New Yorker and a loyal Yankees fan. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi
2011  
R  
Add Answers to Nothing to Queue Add Answers to Nothing to top of Queue  
A handful of wayward souls from Los Angeles cross paths against the backdrop of a missing-child investigation in this ensemble drama starring Dane Cook, Elizabeth Mitchell, Julie Benz, and Barbara Hershey. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Dane CookElizabeth Mitchell, (more)
 
2009  
PG13  
Add The New Daughter to Queue Add The New Daughter to top of Queue  
Kevin Costner stars as a father who moves his pair of kids to an isolated farm only to find his daughter's changed behavior might have something to do with a burial ground near his property in Luis A. Berdejo's The New Daughter. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

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Starring:
Kevin CostnerIvana Baquero, (more)
 
2008  
NR  
Add Hotel California to Queue Add Hotel California to top of Queue  
Three Los Angeles criminals and a spurned lover team up to seek revenge against the criminal that betrayed them all before fleeing to Miami in this crime thriller starring Tyson Beckford and Simon Rex. When Troy (Erik Palladino) calls his old partners Al (Beckford) and Pete (Rex) to announce that he's back in L.A., the pair immediately relay the news to their boss Dmitri (Raymond J. Barry), one of the city's most feared criminal kingpins. Troy claims he's turned over a new leaf, but when he starts talking about a new scheme, it becomes obvious to everyone involved that he's the same old con artist he's always been. As tensions start to heat up, Al, Pete, Dmitri, and Jessie (Tatyana Ali) all join forces to exact bitter revenge against the man who thought he could just waltz back to town without atoning for his previous transgressions. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2007  
 
Add Crash and Burn to Queue Add Crash and Burn to top of Queue  
Michael Madsen, Erik Palladino, and David Moscow star in director Russell Mulcahy's action thriller about an undercover FBI agent on a mission to infiltrate the treacherous world of "choppers." Special Agent Kevin Hawkins (Palladino) knows that the stakes are high when he ventures into the world of fast cars, but he never expected to find himself stuck between a murderous crime boss (Madsen) and a vicious group of cutthroat gangsters. Now, with danger closing in from both sides of the criminal underworld, Hawkins straps himself in for a race that could mean the difference between life and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Erik PalladinoMichael Madsen, (more)
 
2007  
R  
Add Return to House on Haunted Hill to Queue Add Return to House on Haunted Hill to top of Queue  
When the lone survivor of the original excursion to The House on Haunted Hill dies under suspicious circumstances, her sister returns to the foreboding mansion to solve the mystery of her sibling's death in the feature directorial debut of former make-up special effects artist Victor Garcia (Hellboy). Back in 1931, malevolent doctor Richard Vannacut and his entire staff at the hilltop asylum were killed when the patients revolted and set the institution ablaze. Ever since then, rumors have persisted that the spirits of those consumed in the inferno still haunt the hospital. Those rumors seemed to be confirmed when, in 1999, billionaire Steven H. Price and his guests were viciously slaughtered in the refurbished mansion. Though the authorities officially blamed Price himself for the gruesome massacre, survivor Sarah Wolfe insists that there was indeed a supernatural element at play. Now, eight years have passed since that fateful night, and Sarah's sister Ariel - a successful editor at a popular men's fashion magazine - has just received word that Sarah has committed suicide. Immediately sensing foul play, Ariel's suspicions are confirmed when a strange book arrives in the mail shortly thereafter. Sent by Sarah just before she died, the book proves to be Vannacut's personal diary. According to the diary, which Ariel manages to translate with a little help from archeologist Richard Hammer, an ancient Baphomet idol is hidden somewhere deep within the sprawling estate. In her last days, Sarah had become convinced that the idol was the source of the house's evil. Richard, too, shares this belief, and with the help of graduate students Michelle and Kyle he is determined to find the idol. But Ariel isn't about to go on a ghost hunt in the same mansion where so may atrocities have occurred, at least not until she is kidnapped by Desmond Niles and his vicious band of mercenaries. They too seek the Baphomet idol, and they too will soon discover why few people who venture into the former asylum ever come out alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Jeffrey CombsAmanda Righetti, (more)
 
2006  
 
Add The Thirst to Queue Add The Thirst to top of Queue  
In this straight-to-video horror effort, a clan of young vampires find themselves not only craving, but addicted to bloodsucking. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

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2005  
 
Add Over There [TV Series] to Queue Add Over There [TV Series] to top of Queue  
Executive produced by Steven Bochco and Chris Gerolmo (who also wrote the theme music), the weekly, 60-minute Over There was the first TV war series to air while the war it was dramatizing was still being waged. Set in Iraq (with California and Mexico serving as location-filming substitutes), the series followed a platoon of the Third Infantry Division, most of whose personnel were serving their first tour of duty as part of "Operation Iraqi Freedom." The platoon was led by veteran soldier Sgt. Chris "Scream" Silas (Erik Palladino), who despite his profane gruffness cared deeply about his charges. Among the boots on the ground were Private Bo Ryder (Josh Henderson), a college football star who early in the campaign lost a leg in a roadside bombing; Pvt. Frank "Dim" Dumphy (Luke MacFarlane), a college boy born into privilege who had a lot of trouble adjusting to the horror and bloodshed all around him; Pvt. Maurice "Smoke" Williams (Kirk Jones, aka Sticky Fingaz), an abrasive, street-smart tough guy who held any form of idealism in the highest disdain; Pvt. Avery "Angel" King (Keith Robinson), a devout Christian who enlisted on an impulse and lived to regret it; PFC Tariq Nassiri (Omid Abtahi), a Detroit-born Arab-American, in many ways the most fervently patriotic member of the platoon; and two female soldiers, PFC Esmerelda "Doublewide" Del Rio (Lizette Carrion), a rambunctious Puerto Rican wife and mother, and Pvt. Brenda Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox), who'd signed up just for the military benefits and whose constant whining and complaining earned her the nickname "Mrs. B" (and it didn't stand for "Beautiful").

The graphic depiction of the carnage in Iraq alternated with scenes back at home, where we met Bo's wife, Terry (Sprague Grayden), who bravely dedicated herself to helping her amputee husband adjust to the new restrictions in his life; Dim's spouse, Vanessa (Brigid Brannagh), an alcoholic and serial philanderer; Frank's troubled stepson, Eddy (Jimmy "Jax" Pinchak); and Sergio Del Rio (Lombardo Boyar), Esmerelda's long-suffering husband. Although the producers insisted that the tone of Over There was apolitical, a certain amount of criticism aimed toward the Bush administration inevitably crept in. But what sustained interest were the various moral crises encountered by the platoon members, as they picked and scraped their way through a war like none other in recent American history. Prepared for the UPN network but ultimately picked up by the FX cable service (mainly because of the series' excess of violence and bad language), Over There launched its 13-week run on July 27, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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2005  
 
Add L.A. Dicks to Queue Add L.A. Dicks to top of Queue  
A pair of wise cracking cops competes with a group of detectives to see who can become the first to break big in Hollywood. In the City of Angels everyone wants to be a star, even the police. Now, as the competition heats up to find out who will ascend to stardom and who will stick to the street beat, an all-seeing psychic with a keen eye for the future sends the quest for fame spiraling totally out of control. Michael Madsen and Erik Palladino star in an arresting showbiz satire from director Dean Alioto. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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2005  
R  
Add Dingle, Barry to Queue Add Dingle, Barry to top of Queue  
A conniving mother seeks to enter the world of politics by encouraging her boorish son to marry a senator's daughter. Eleanor Dingle (Veronica Cartwright) knows that politicians wield power, and she's desperate to break into the game. If she could just convince her son Barry (Barry Shurchin) to court Ethel Shivers (Nicole Sullivan), the homely daughter of a rising senator, then her road to the White House would be all but paved. But little does Eleanor realize that her longtime nemesis Derek (Erik Palladino) has already dispatched his own two sons on precisely the same mission, and it isn't long before the whole ruse blows up in her face. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Barry ShurchinVeronica Cartwright, (more)
 
2005  
 
Veteran U.S. Army campaigner Sgt. "Scream" Silas (Keith Robinson) more than lives up to his name when he finds out he's been assigned an additional 90-day stint in the Iraq war as the TV drama series Over There begins its 13-week run. Not only is Scream sick of being stuck in "the middle of downtown Sh*tville," but he must also wet nurse a platoon comprised entirely of combat "virgins." The horror of war hits home immediately when former football star Pvt. Bo Rider (Josh Henderson) loses a leg in a roadside bombing. Later episodes show the soldiers facing moral dilemmas regarding the treatment of prisoners and the handling of civilians, the latter problem particularly affecting the street-smart Pvt. "Smoke" Williams (Kirk Jones) when he's suspected of the wrongful death of an innocent Iraqi, whereupon the insurgents put a price on his head. In another all-too-common crisis, a journalist imbedded with the platoon is taken hostage by terrorists. And in less common but no less vexing predicament, the soldiers mull over the possibility of petty larceny when they stumble upon a million dollars squirreled away by Saddam's minions. Elsewhere, preppy private "Dim" Dumphy (Luke MacFarlane) must deal with the fact that his wife, Vanessa (Brigid Brannagh), is not only cheating on him but is hitting the bottle big-time; the invalid Bo has trouble making ends meet when his military pay is cut off; PFC "Doublewide" Del Rio (Lizette Carrion) ends up going AWOL out of concern for her autistic son; abrasive and resentful Pvt. "Mrs. B" Mitchell (Nicki Lynn Aycox) makes a public spectacle of herself cavorting around with anti-war movie actors; and in the waning days of the tour, the lives of the platoon members are placed in serious jeopardy by the miscalculations of new CO Alexander Hunter, aka "Captain Underpants" (Josh Stamberg). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Keith RobinsonErik Palladino, (more)
 
2005  
PG13  
Add Alchemy to Queue Add Alchemy to top of Queue  
A struggling actress in search of companionship finds her heart torn between an expert in the art of seduction and a computer with the social skills of the most seasoned ladies' man in director Evan Oppenheimer's technologically flavored tale of love in the 21st Century. Professor Mal Downhey (Tam Cavanagh) has just made one of the most important technological breakthroughs in modern computing; he has created a computer named "Jerry" that can interact with people on an intellectual level even greater than that of some made from flesh and bone. When his unimpressed bosses give the flustered professor two weeks to publish his data or pack his bags, Mal convinces his good friend Jane to assist in proving his machine's worth by running a contest aimed at proving a woman can fall in love with a computer even faster than she would a real man. Now, as "Jerry" and Professor Troy Rollins - aka Dr. Love - compete for the love of a lonely actress named Samantha (Sara Chalke), the very man who masterminded the man-versus-machine scheme finds himself falling for the one woman who could make or break his entire future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Tom CavanaghSarah Chalke, (more)
 
2004  
R  
Add Dead & Breakfast to Queue Add Dead & Breakfast to top of Queue  
A road trip rolls through a small town where the line between the dead and the living has become a bit problematic in this horror parody. A handful of twentysomethings are driving to Galveston, TX, in an RV to attend the wedding of a close friend. After a long day on the road, the travelers find themselves in a tiny town called Lovelock, where the only available accommodations are at a bed and breakfast run by the eccentric Mr. Wise (David Carradine). One of the kids, Johnny (Oz Perkins), notices that Mr. Wise is carefully looking after a small box; curious about its contents, Johnny opens it, only to unleash a torrent of evil spirits who turn the local rednecks into bloodthirsty creatures hovering somewhere between life and death. Dead & Breakfast features supporting performances by Portia de Rossi, Diedrich Bader, Jeremy Sisto, and David Carradine's daughter Ever Carradine; co-star Oz Perkins is also the offspring of a well-known actor, Anthony Perkins. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Ever CarradineBrent David Fraser, (more)
 
2003  
R  
Add Latter Days to Queue Add Latter Days to top of Queue  
Sweet Home Alabama screenwriter C. Jay Cox directs the independent romance Latter Days. Christian (Wesley A. Ramsey) is a young gay party boy who lives in Southern California. When a group of good-looking Mormon missionary guys move into his apartment complex, he's determined to pick one up. He ends up falling for sweet, innocent Mormon Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), who's secretly struggling with his sexuality. Aaron slowly falls for Christian, even though he thinks he's shallow. The romance causes problems in both worlds. Christian tries to develop a conscience and ends up meeting Keith (Erik Palladino), a man dying of AIDS. Aaron has the difficult job of coming out to his mom (Mary Kay Place) and to his fellow missionaries. He comes against harsh criticism from the blatantly homophobic Ryder (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). Latter Days won awards at the Philadelphia Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and L.A. Outfest. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Starring:
Wesley A. RamseySteve Sandvoss, (more)
 
 
2001  
R  
Add Finder's Fee to Queue Add Finder's Fee to top of Queue  
A first feature from the man best known as the host of the hugely successful reality-TV series Survivor, Jeff Probst's twisty thriller is centered around the world of card-playing and con men. A street artist, Tepper (Erik Palladino), finds a wallet outside his apartment building one rainy New York night and phones a number he finds inside. He finds out it belongs to Avery Phillips (James Earl Jones) but notices it contains a lottery ticket worth six million dollars and foolishly tells his garrulous pal Fishman (Matthew Lillard). On the night of their poker game, two more men enter the equation: Quigley (Ryan Reynolds), a divorced sad-sack, and Bolan (Dash Mihok). After Tepper phones him, Avery decides to sit in on their game, unaware that Tepper has his winning lottery ticket. As their game progresses, Tepper's sense of ethics is put to the test, as are the loyalties of the men at the game. Robert Forster co-stars as a street cop thrown into the proceedings, and Carly Pope appears as Tepper's longtime girlfriend Carla. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

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Starring:
Erik PalladinoJames Earl Jones, (more)
 
2001  
 
Add ER: Season 08 to Queue Add ER: Season 08 to top of Queue  
Resolving the cliffhanger ending of season seven, season eight of the award-winning hospital drama ER surveys the damage done when the emergency room of Chicago County was besieged by a gun-wielding lunatic whose son Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) had put in foster care. In subsequent episodes, two new characters are introduced: medical student Michael Gallant (Sharif Atkins) and intern Dr. Gregory Pratt (Mekhi Phifer), two polar-opposite personalities whose only common bond is the fact that they are both African-Americans. Under normal circumstances, the season's most dramatic development might have been the return after a five-year absence of Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield), who finds herself re-upping with the ER even though that hadn't been her original intention (the fate of Susan's troublesome sister Chloe and Chloe's daughter, Suzy, would be explained in a "crossover" episode with another NBC series, Third Watch). However, too much happens this season for any one plot strand to predominate. For starters, Dr. Benton (Eriq La Salle) enters into a bitter custody battle over his son, Reese, with Roger (Vondie Curtis-Hall), the widow of Reese's late mother, who had previously been helping to raise the boy, during which Benton's paternity is called into question; this and other crises ultimately inspire Benton to leave the ER and go to work in a small clinic with his current girlfriend, Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele) -- who, ironically, has become exposed to the HIV virus, just like Benton's former sweetheart Jeanie Boulet. Elsewhere, nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) tries to mediate an argument between her neighbors, only to get beaten up for her trouble; though East European émigré Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) seizes upon this incident to appoint himself Abby's "protector," she is still sweet on Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). As for Carter, he is burdened with family problems brought about by his estranged parents -- especially his guilt-tripping mom. On a lighter note, a case of on-the-job political incorrectness gets several of the ER doctors "sentenced" to a weekend sensitivity-training session, which evolves into the series' own version of The Breakfast Club. In addition to the departing Eriq La Salle, season eight of ER marks the exit of Anthony Edwards as Dr. Mark Greene. After learning that his tumor has returned and is now truly inoperable, Greene slowly loses his faculties and wastes away, as his new wife, Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston), and daughter Rachel (Hallee Hirsh) stand by helplessly. Greene's final episode, largely told in flashback, is one of the series' most poignant moments. Curiously, however, the demise of Dr. Greene does not take place in the season finale; that particular episode is reserved for a cliffhanger situation involving a smallpox scare, a lockdown at the ER, and a riot -- not to mention a passionate kiss between two of the principal characters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Noah WyleAnthony Edwards, (more)
 
2000  
PG13  
Add U-571 to Queue Add U-571 to top of Queue  
In this World War II action thriller, American reconnaissance agents learn that a German submarine is sinking. The doomed ship carries an Enigma Machine, a special coding device that allows high-level Axis forces to send messages that can't be read without a similar encryption mechanism. Obtaining a working Enigma device would be invaluable for the Allied war effort, so a U.S. sub is sent out to rescue the machine. However, German forces have already picked up the sub's distress signal and are en route to rescue their comrades. U-571 features a distinguished cast, including Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Harvey Keitel, and Jon Bon Jovi. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Matthew McConaugheyBill Paxton, (more)
 
2000  
 
Add ER: Season 07 to Queue Add ER: Season 07 to top of Queue  
Curiously, there were no major cast defections during the seventh season of the award-winning hospital drama ER. However, two new characters make their first appearances this season: psychiatrist Dr. Kim Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell), who coerces ER chief Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) to admit that she is a lesbian; and 19-year-old pediatrics intern Rena Trujillo (Lourdes Benedicto), who latches onto Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) -- who in turn is trying to wean himself from a dangerous dependency on drugs and booze, brought about by a double tragedy in the previous season. The season's predominant plotline involves Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), whose romance with Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) results in a baby and a marriage -- and who, in a more disturbing development, is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Another subplot concerns the ongoing feud between doctors Romano (Paul McCrane) and Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), culminating in Benton being fired from the ER and blacklisted throughout the Chicago medical world; though he is eventually reinstated, Benton is saddled with additional problems vis-à-vis his gangbanger nephew Jesse (Andrew McFarlane) and Jesse's girlfriend, Kynesha (Toy Connor). Also, OB nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) finds herself strapped for cash in her efforts to enter medical school, and is drawn to Carter -- though their budding relationship is sorely strained when she becomes his AA sponsor. Meanwhile, East European émigré Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) continues to suffers flashbacks to past tragedies in his war-torn homeland. Among the season's notable guest stars as Sally Field, in an Emmy-winning turn as Abby's bipolar mother, and John Cromwell as a dying Catholic bishop who tries to reawaken the embittered Kovac's faith in God. The unforgettable season seven finale finds the ER under siege by the homicidally vengeful father of a child whom Greene had removed to foster care. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Noah WyleAnthony Edwards, (more)
 
1999  
R  
Add Road Kill to Queue Add Road Kill to top of Queue  
A film student discovers the action movie project of his dreams is happening around him in real life in this offbeat independent drama. Alex (Erik Palladino) is a nerdy student studying film production and not doing especially well with it. One day, Erik and his roommate Lars (Billy Jayne) discover they have a new neighbor, an attractive and self-confident woman named Blue (Jennifer Rubin). After they share a few beers and discover a mutual fondness for the films of Sam Peckinpah, Alex makes a startling discovery about Blue -- she's a hired killer, who has a hit scheduled the following week in Miami. After that, Blue plans to get out of the business and leave the United States for good. Alex has a brainstorm: he'll tag along for Blue's last "project" with a camera and make a documentary about her. Blue agrees to cooperate, but en route Alex finds out more about Blue than he was planning on, and when the killing doesn't go smoothly, he finds himself suddenly aiding Blue and not just recording her actions. Jennifer Rubin gives a standout performance in this film, which also features Brian Vander Ark from the rock band The Verve Pipe in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Jennifer RubinErik Palladino, (more)
 
1999  
 
Add This Space Between Us to Queue Add This Space Between Us to top of Queue  
A novice filmmaker finds himself dealing with both personal and professional dilemmas when his life takes some unexpected turns in This Space Between Us. Alex (Jeremy Sisto) is a director whose first feature has received a frosty reception from the Hollywood brass, and the best job his agent can find him is directing a TV movie reuniting the cast of Punky Brewster. Alex decides it's time to give up on Los Angeles and heads to his old stomping grounds in the San Francisco Bay area, through his memories of his days there are now bittersweet following the death of his wife, Maggie (Vanessa Marcil). Alex is soon reacquainted with several of his old flames, including French artist Zoe (Clara Bellar), cheery high school pal Arden (Poppy Montgomery) and rich but flaky Paternelle (Alex Kingston). He also finds that his best buddy from school, Jesse (Erik Palladino) is still feuding with his old rival Sterling (Vincent Ventresca), who is now a city supervisor. This Space Between Us features cameo appearances from musicians David Charles Lowery (of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven) and Brian Van Der Ark (of The Verve Pipe). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Jeremy SistoVanessa Marcil, (more)
 
1999  
 
Add ER: Season 06 to Queue Add ER: Season 06 to top of Queue  
The impossibly obstreperous Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) matriculates from recurring to regular character as the Chicago-based hospital drama ER enters its sixth season. Other incoming cast members include Maura Tierney as OB nurse Abby Lockhart, who is introduced when she delivers the twin babies of Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies); Goran Visnjic as troubled Eastern European émigré and war veteran Dr. Luka Kovac, Erik Palladino as zany Dr. Dave Malucci; and, back after a lengthy absence, Ming-Na as former intern and now full doctor Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen, who in her med-student days had been a formidable competitor to Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). Conversely, a number of familiar characters make their exits this season, most notably George Clooney as maverick Dr. Douglas Ross and Julianna Margulies as long-suffering Nurse Carol Hathaway; the season's penultimate episode, detailing with the ultimate fates of Ross and Carol, is among the series' most famous sequences -- and one which was surprisingly kept secret until the very night of the telecast. Additional "defectors" include Gloria Reuben as HIV-positive Jeanie Boulet, who has gotten over her earlier romance with prickly Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) and has wed police officer Reggie Moore (Cress Williams); and Kellie Martin as med student Lucy Knight, who is stabbed to death by a deranged patient, an attack that also seriously imperils the life of Lucy's erstwhile lover Carter -- who even upon recovery endangers himself by turning to drugs. Season five plot developments include Romano's ascension to chief of staff, a promotion given as part of a deal whereby Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) would be appointed ER chief; Romano's subsequent and surprising appointment of his verbal sparring partner Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) as his assistant; Corday's blossoming romance with her colleague Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), and the reciprocal love affair between Corday's mom and Greene's dad (who dies later in the season); Benton's affair with Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele), counterpointed by his incessant squabbling with his sister Jackie (Khandi Alexander); and guest star Alan Alda, who in a poignant story arc plays a celebrated surgeon in the first stage of Alzheimer's. The traditional season-ending cliffhanger finds Carter facing a crucial decision: seek out treatment for his ever-growing drug dependency or destroy whatever career he has left. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Starring:
Noah WyleAnthony Edwards, (more)
 
1998  
 
In this TV working-class sitcom, comedian John DiResta portrays himself. After 12 years as a NYC Transit cop, DiResta found fame with his 1997 one-man Off-Broadway show, Beat, A Subway Cop's Comedy, leading to this United Paramount Network series in which friendly Long Island Transit cop DiResta lives in a rented house with wife Kate (Leila Kenzle) and their two kids. Since he works his beat with his sister-in-law Liz (Sandra Pupuro), forget about any secrets outside the home. DiResta's boss (Joe Guzaldo) keeps a prize rooster in the squad room, and in the subway DiResta must contend with bag lady Grandma Woolyhat (Pat Crawford Brown) and other hapless homeless. Yes, in this wacky world, there's no rest for DiResta. Filmed in L.A., this series premiered October 5, 1998 on United Paramount Network. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Starring:
John DiRestaLeila Kenzle, (more)
 
1998  
PG13  
Add Can't Hardly Wait to Queue Add Can't Hardly Wait to top of Queue  
After the Huntington Hills High graduation ceremony, the fun gets underway at the graduation party where an assortment of jocks, geeks, prom queens, bimbos, headbangers, and nerdy misfits unload four years' worth of emotional baggage at a house where the hostess (Michelle Brookhurst) loses control of her guests. Writer wannabe Preston Meyers (Ethan Embry) has been in love with Amanda (Jennifer Love Hewitt of Party of Five) since the first time he saw her during their freshman year. His tormented infatuation with Amanda has intensified throughout high school and culminates at the party, where Preston must now seize this final opportunity to proclaim his love for her before he leaves the next day for Boston. Preston decides to make his move at some point during the party, a particularly auspicious occasion since Amanda has just been dumped by her super-jock boyfriend, Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli), who wanted freedom to pursue his testosterone-charged fantasies with college women. Cringing at this ludicrous love triangle is Preston's introverted pal and confidante, Denise Fleming (Lauren Ambrose). When Denise runs into her ex-childhood friend Kenny (Seth Green), the two begin sexual experimentation behind the closed bathroom door. Geeky science-fiction fan William Lichter (Charlie Korsmo) devises a plan to ruin Mike's stud reputation and publicly humiliate him and his meathead buddies -- sweet revenge for four years of agony. Former Huntington Hills graduate Trip McNieley (Jerry O'Connell) tells Mike about the terror awaiting in college where "Guys like us are a dime a dozen." Yearbook Girl (Melissa Joan Hart of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) wants everyone to sign her cherished volume of memories as the partying teens attempt to move into the uncertain future. Party house exteriors were shot on Rubio Street in Altadena, California, and other California locations included Johnnie's Broiler in downtown Downey, Dutton's Book Store in Reseda, Marshall High School in Los Feliz, and Union Station in LA. With more than 70 speaking parts, this film is the directorial debut of the scriptwriting team of Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

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Starring:
Jennifer Love HewittEthan Embry, (more)