Cynthia Gibb Movies

Cancelled by NBC after two seasons in the spring of 1983, the musical drama series Fame was nonetheless extremely popular amongst American teenagers and with fans all over the rest of the world. Accordingly, its producers decided to keep the property alive with a third season 24 new episodes, filmed for off-network syndication. Virtually the entire cast of the NBC Fame was retained for the syndicated version, except for Lori Singer as cello student Julie Miller; it was explained that Julie had decided to leave school to get married. And while the popular Erica Gimpel was seen in the first handful of syndicated episodes as ambitious singer-dancer Coco Hernandez, she too had exited the show by the middle of its third season, her character having dropped out to pursue her professional career (oddly enough, Gimpel continues to receive billing throughout the season). Also, this is Lee Curreri's last year as Bruno Martelli. New to the cast are Cynthia Gibb as energetic drama major Holly Laird, and Billy Hufsey as cocksure dance student Christopher Donlon; also, chubby tuba player Dwight (David Greenlee), previously a recurring character, is now one of the regulars. And, since it was decided that the series needed a strong adult menace, Ken Swofford was hired to play Quentin Morloch, new vice principal at New York's High School of the Performing Arts. A self-important, anal-retentive "rules are rules" type, Morloch will spend much of his screen time cooking up methods to instill his own brand of discipline on the kids, often denying them the opportunity to show off their talents (which is rather like not allowing students in an industrial arts class to make cabinets!). Episodes like "Hail to the Chief" and "Rules" are prime examples of Morloch's blinkered approach to education; indeed, he would not come to fully understand that his students were uniquely gifted and not just a bunch of noisy kids until he was on the brink of leaving the series two years later. The first of the "syndie" episodes is the two-part "I'm Gonna Learn How to Fly", in which arrogant keyboard student Bruno faces the possibility of leaving school when his dad dies. Later episodes this season include "Consequences" wherein the students are put in charge of the school to teach them a lesson about responsibility; "Break Dance", a contemporary West Side Story in which Christopher mediates a turf battle between two street gangs; "Lisa's Song", a semi-fantasy in which Holly makes contact with the ghost of a disgruntled former student; and "Sheer Will", which finds ebullient would-be comic Danny (Carlo Imperato) coming to grips with the fact that he has been diagnosed with leukemia. Of the series' many guest stars this season, Chorus Line principal Donna McKechnie is cast as Holly's mother in "Stages", impressionist George Kirby is featured as a former nightclub headliner turned wino in "Catch a Falling Star", blind actor-composer Tom Sullivan plays a substitute teacher who falls for dance instructor Lydia (Debbie Allen) in "A Friend in Need"; Melissa Manchester shows up as a once-famous torch singer who is afraid to return to performing in "Home Again", and veteran gangster-movie heavy Lawrence Tierney shows up in "The Deal", which turns out to be nothing more nor less than an old Mickey Rooney "Let's raise money by putting on show!" musical. And as in the previous season, highlights from the real-life musical tours undertaken by the cast members are featured in a brace of special episodes: "The Kids from 'Fame' in Israel" and "'Fame' Looks at Music 83" (with Irene Cara). In addition to accumulating even more local stations and a bigger audience than it had ever enjoyed as a network series, Fame earned yet another Emmy award, this one going to film editor Howard Brock. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

On her first day at an all-girls Catholic High School in Chicago, shy and reserved Janey Glenn (Sarah Jessica Parker) meets the wild and wacky Lynne Sands (Helen Hunt). Even though her oppressive dad, Col. Glenn (Ed Lauter), won't let her go, Lynne talks her into sneaking out to try out for a spot on the beloved show Dance TV. Janey wows the judges with her gymnastic ability and makes first cuts, conveniently assigned to a cute dance partner: blue-collar bad boy Jeff Malene (Lee H. Montgomery). They compete against the bratty rich girl Natalie Sands (Holly Gagnier), who sabotages them because she wants Jeff and the contest for herself. Janey and Lynne get revenge by inviting punks and street kids to crash her debutante ball. Natalie then resorts to making her wealthy industrialist dad, J.P. Sands (Morgan Woodward), threaten Jeff; If he doesn't let Natalie win, his dad (Biff Yeager) could lose his job at the factory. It all leads up to the live television broadcast of the Dance TV contest, right when Janey's dad races to the studio to stop her. Also starring Shannen Doherty as Jeff's little sister, Maggie. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

While Salvador wasn't Oliver Stone's first film (a pair of offbeat horror stories preceded it), it defined his style of fiercely dramatic, politically oriented filmmaking, staked out his territory as one of the major directors of the 1980s and 1990s, and remains one of his strongest works to date. Veteran photojournalist Richard Boyle (James Woods) has been taking his camera to the world's trouble spots for over 20 years; while he does good work, Boyle's fondness for booze and drugs, and his colossal arrogance, have given him a reputation that's left him practically unemployable. Broke and with no immediate prospects, Boyle and his buddy Doctor Rock (Jim Belushi), an out-of-work disc jockey, head to El Salvador, where Boyle is convinced that he can scare up some lucrative freelance work amidst the nation's political turmoil. However, when Boyle and Rock witness the execution of a student by government troops just as they enter the country, it becomes clear that this war is more serious than they were expecting. Increasingly convinced that El Salvador is a disaster starting to happen, Boyle eventually decides that it's time to get out; but he has fallen in love with a woman named Maria (Elpidia Carrillo), and he doesn't want to leave her behind. James Woods gives one of his best performances as Boyle; and the passion of Stone's message, aided by the power of its truth (the film is based on actual events), propels the film forward. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The "Jack" who's "back" in this contemporary chiller is none other than Jack the Ripper. The scene is Los Angeles: the time is August of 1988, exactly 100 years after the Ripper's original reign of terror in Whitechapel. When several LA prostitutes turn up murdered and disemboweled, young physician James Spader is accused of emulating Spring Heel'd Jack. Before the film is half over, Spader is killed, and so far as the police are concerned, the case is closed. But then, Spader's twin brother appears on the scene, determined to track down the genuine culprit (if it doesn't turn out to be him, that is!). Handled with restraint, Jack's Back covers much of the same ground as the classic Robert Bloch tale Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper," though its crucial plot twist is a tad more clever (if a bit silly out of context). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Fisher Stevens reprises his role of Ben Jahrvi, the co-inventor of the cute robot Number Five, in this sequel to Short Circuit. Since the last film, Ben has moved to the city, where he lives in a truck and sells toy Number Fives as a street vendor. Ben plies his trade until one day luck strikes in the form of Sandy (Cynthia Gibb), a toy buyer in dire straits who offers Ben $50,000 if he can quickly churn out a thousand toy robots. Offering to help the naive Ben is street con man Fred (Michael McKean), who becomes Ben's partner and finances the burgeoning enterprise through a loan shark. Ben and Fred begin to manufacture the toys in a warehouse; unfortunately, they soon find the building also houses the entrance of a tunnel dug by thieves, preparing to rob the bank across the street. With things appearing their bleakest, a crate arrives from Montana. Inside is the new and improved Number Five, who now insists on being called Johnny Five. Johnny Five has even learned to talk in a litany of phrases gleaned from television shows, and now helps Ben get started in the toy business. In the process, Ben and Johnny Five contend with the temptations and corrupt business practices of a big city environment. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

This drama chronicles the relationships between eight Northern California high-school graduates living on the cusp of 1960. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A physician--an amateur sleuth--decides to investigate the suicide of a former student of his and begins to suspect that it was murder. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

In this road drama, a depressed ex-daredevil is hired to drive an experimental stunt car across the country to L. A. He is accompanied by a country-singer. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Based on a Broadway play and featuring the Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim score, this is a remake of the 1962 movie which was based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, a stripper, depicting her life growing up in "show biz." ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

A mother's happiness is shattered when she learns an awful truth about the man she married shortly after she had been brutally raped and left pregnant by a stranger. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Similar to the big-budget volcano film Dante's Peak, Volcano: Fire on the Mountain begins with an unfortunate couple who are consumed by lava after climbing to the peak of a rumbling volcano. Despite a the efforts of a volcanologist, the mountain community remains unconvinced and refuses to evacuate, which proves to be a big mistake when the volcano erupts. Directed by Graeme Campbell, the film features Dan Cortese and Cynthia Gibb. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

In this exciting thriller, a massive quake razes the Big Apple. Amidst the rubble and chaos, a policeman desperately searches for his family. At the same time, a serial killer stalks him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

John Schneider serves as both director and star of this heartwarming made-for-TV film. It all begins when a cute little girl named Felicia Wallace (Jenna Boyd) writes a letter to Santa asking for a "new mommy" as a Christmas present. No-nonsense TV reporter Mary Maloney (Cynthia Gibb) is assigned to spend the Christmas holidays with Felicia and her wealthy widowed father Joel Wallace (Schneider). Though this set-up would seem to automatically guarantee a happy ending, it turns out that the "real" Santa Claus really has his work cut out for him. Tom Bosley rounds out the leading players as an enigmatic old duffer named Les Turner. Mary Christmas premiered November 29, 2002 over the PAX network. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi