Hugh Gillin Movies
- 1996
This made-for-TV drama covers fifteen years, from WW2 to the mid-1950s, in the lives of farm couple Gordon and Jean Holly (Richard Thomas, Annabeth Gish). A daughter of privilege, Jean had married Gordon much against her parents' wishes, whereupon the couple took charge of a ranch in California, where they raised their children. Throughout their marriage, the Hollys not only faced the disdain of their loved ones, but also the prejudices and misunderstandings of their neighbor. And why? Because both Gordon and Jean Holly were totally blind, and thus regarded by the standards of their era to be "unworthy" of parenthood and self-reliance. Based on the novel by Susan Vreeland, What Loves Sees first aired September 22, 1996, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
The final installment in the Back to the Future trilogy picks up where the second film left off, but it casts off the dizzying time travel of the first two films for mostly routine comedy set in the Old West. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) receives a 70-year-old letter from his inventor friend, Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), who tells Marty that he has retreated a century in time to live out a relatively quiet life in the Old West. Doc Brown reveals that he hid his DeLorean car/time machine in an abandoned mine outside town, and when Marty does some research and discovers that the Doc died shortly after writing the letter, he decides to find the car, travel back in time, and warn the Doc about his demise. Meanwhile, the Doc, who has fallen in love with a local woman (Mary Steenburgen), realizes he can't hide in the past from the problems he has caused to the time flow in the previous two adventures. He reluctantly decides to return to the present with Marty, but first, they have to find a way to get the DeLorean up to time-travel velocity with a broken fuel line and no gasoline. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, (more)
- 1988
It was axiomatic back in the 1980s that, if you put the name "Elvis" in the title of your made-for-TV movie, your ratings would go through the roof. Such was the case of the two-part Elvis and Me, which not only cleaned up in the ratings, but also earned a TV Guide cover (the week , before it aired!) Based on the reminiscences of Elvis' wife Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, the film stars Susan Walters as Priscilla and Dale Midkiff as The King. In Part One, 14-year-old army brat Priscilla meets Elvis while he's doing his military duty in Germany. Their courtship is sporadic at best, but when Priscilla visits Presley in Hollywood in 1962, the story really gets going. The first part of Elvis and Me originally aired February 7, 1988 (see separate entry for details on Part Two). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dale Midkiff, Susan Walters, (more)
- 1987
Private Eye was the pilot for the 1987 TV series of the same name. The setting is the Los Angeles of 1956. Ex-cop Jack Cleary (Michael Woods), embittered over his brother's death, becomes a Spillanelike private detective, principally to solve his sibling's murder. A Rock 'n' roll idol (John Brolin) becomes Cleary's largely unwelcome partner when the trail of evidence leads to a scandal in the record industry. The film is partly inspired by the "Payola" imbroglio of 1959, which (so far as we know) resulted in very few murders. Bill Sadler and Lisa Persky costar, while Jay O. Sanders has a fall-on as Cleary's unfortunate brother; the background music was provided by Joe Jackson. Private Eye was first telecast September 13, 1987, while the series proper commenced five days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Small-town banker Robin Williams has never been able to live down the fact that he dropped an important pass during a crucial high-school football game. Likewise tainted for life is the team's star quarterback Kurt Russell, now a garage owner. Fed up with living his life under a cloud, Williams hits upon a brilliant idea: he will stage a rematch-13 years after the fact--with the members of the rival team. Trouble beckons when Williams' father-in-law announces that he's rooting for the opposition. Williams is determined to win, and in pursuit of that goal he pushes his former teammates to hitherto untapped brilliance. Directed by Roger Spottiswood, The Best of Times was written by Ron Shelton, future writer/director of such delightful sports films as Bull Durham, White Men Can't Jump and Tin Cup; it was Shelton, in fact, who directed most of Best of Times' climactic football game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Williams, Kurt Russell, (more)
- 1986
Bill Duke directed this fact-based tale of a poor Southern black woman who rose from poverty to become an FBI agent. Retitled Johnnie Gibson F.B.I. for home video. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In this family drama, the life of a woman and her son are severely disrupted when her estranged husband, who abandoned them thirty years before, returns. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Claire Bloom, (more)
- 1985
In this socially conscious drama, an ex-con meets constant opposition from avaricious land owners who want the land on which he has set up a ranch-style juvenile correctional facility. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1983
In the final episode of the seven-part, eighteen-hour miniseries The Winds of War, Ambassador-at-large "Pug" Henry (Robert Mitchum) represents the US in a series of conferences with the intansigent Russian premier Josef Stalin (Anatoly Chauginian). Dallying briefly with his erstwhile British sweetheart Pamela Tudsbury (Victoria Tennant), Pug stays in Moscow long enough to witness the attempted Nazi invasion. Meanwhile, Pug's daughter-in-law Natalie (Ali McGraw) and her Uncle Aaron (John Houseman) are among the Jewish refugees being smuggled into Palestine. And back in the Western Hemisphere, Pug's sons Byron (Jan-Michael Vincent) and Warren (David Dukes) are swept up in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The Winds of War was adapted by Herman Wouk from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Ali MacGraw, (more)
- 1982
When several people are killed in a hotel blaze, the authorities pin the blame on a known pyromaniac. But after a careful forensic examination, Quincy (Jack Klugman) is convinced that the wrong man is behind bars. To help prove this theory, Quincy persuades his old pal, insurance investigator Jake Carter (Gerald O'Loughlin, to come out of retirement. The opening fire sequence in this episode was excerpted from 1978's Inferno, a two-hour TV movie spinoff of the popular Jack Webb series Emergency! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Death of a Centerfold: The Dorothy Stratten Story is a surfacy TV-movie rehash of the same real-life events which inspired the 1980 theatrical feature Star 80. Jamie Lee Curtis stars as Dorothy Stratten, here depicted as an ingenuous, highly vulnerable Canadian girl who aspires to show business stardom. Decked out with a generous toupee, Bruce Weitz co-stars as Paul Snyder, the "fringie" who married Dorothy and managed her career. The girl is discovered by Playboy publisher Hugh Hefner, who features Dorothy in a nude foldout spread. As Dorothy's fame grows, Snyder becomes more obsessive and difficult to control. Dorothy tries to make a clean break from Snyder, which culminates in tragedy. Death of a Centerfold initially aired on November 1, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Lindsay Wagner stars as Callie, who battles her way up the ladder from waitress to fabulously wealthy Texas socialite. The price for her success is her son Randy, played by Jameson Parker. Though wielding great power, Callie is nearly powerless in her efforts to keep Randy away from beautiful young schemer Michelle Pfeiffer. The film's many intrigues result in a sensational murder trial. Made for TV, Callie and Son was originally seen October 13, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) has struck a deal with a beer distributor who wants to purchase the Duke farm. Since he can't get the property through honest means, Boss resorts to trickery (surprise!), arranging a fake accident on the property and having Sheriff Roscoe (James Best) sue the Dukes for whiplash. As it turns out, it is Boss who suffers as Roscoe, playing his "victim" part to the hilt, forces Hogg to wait on him hand and foot. This episode marks the first appearances of two recurring characters, Doc Appleby (Parley Baer) and Circuit Judge Potts (Barney Philips). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
Quincy (Jack Klugman) is invited to appear on the talk show emceed by Dick Wilcox (Ron Masak). Also appearing on the same show is Corinne O'Connor, the author of a best-selling diet book. Almost immediately, Quincy goes on the offensive against Corinne, claiming that her controversial diet was a contibuting factor in the death of young model Gretchen Stone (Lori Street). Although no real crime is committed on this episode, there is plenty of punishment to go around--especially when Corinne slaps Quincy with a multimillion-dollar libel suit. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Diane Ladd makes her Alice debut in this episode as Belle Dupree, the waitress hired by Mel to replace the departed Flo (ironically, Ms. Ladd had created the role of Flo in the series' feature-film prototype Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore). The Mississippi-born Belle had worked for Mel in the past, and he fondly recalls her as "one of the best waitresses I've ever had" (though he might have been swayed by her looks rather than her talent). Little does he know that Belle is merely biding her time until she can realize her dream of writing country-western songs. One of these, which is performed by Diane Ladd, is titled "Uncle Bud", and the actual composer is Preston P. Ladner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
At the height of a four-day torrential downpour, a mudslide unearths a body in a mountaintop cemetary. Peforming lab tests on the corpse, Quincy (Jack Klugman) discovers that the death may have been due to typhoid--and that this body and several others were buried illegally. In his frantic efforts to determine the truth behind this mystery, and to avoid a widespread epidemic, Quincy once again runs up against the brick wall of bureaucracy (to say nothing of that old municipal ritual popularly known as "C.Y.A.") ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
WKRP holds a contest in which deejays Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid) are offered as "prizes." Meanwhile, Andy is reunited with his former girlfriend Linda Taylor (Barrie Youngfellow), a touring rock star who entreats him into leaving radio and joining her on the road. This was originally telecast as the last of WKRP in Cincinnati's eight "test" episodes, whereupon the fledgling series went on hiatus for three months. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
The peace talks at Panmunjon have broken down again, and it looks as if the Korean "police action" will drag on interminably. One person who is decidedly miffed by this logjam is our old friend and reluctant soldier Hawkeye (Alan Alda). Taking the bull by the horns (and breaking several regulations in the process), Hawk heads to the peace conference to put in his own two cents' worth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1976
The Angels investigate when a crusading journalist "accidentally" drowns at a fancy West Coast resort. As Kelly (Jaclyn Smith) and Jill (Farrah Fawcett-Majors) work undercover at the resort itself, Sabrina (Kate Jackson) and Bosley (David Doyle) team up on the "outside." It soon develops that the dead woman had stumbled onto a crooked land-development scheme masterminded by criminals who are "hiding in plain sight" -- and who are not averse to committing four murders if necessary. This was the first Charlie's Angels episode filmed, but the sixth to the be telecast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Farrah Fawcett-Majors, Kate Jackson, (more)
- 1987
- R
This comical adventure pokes fun at Rambo as it chronicles the exploits of Traxx, a Texas Highway patrolman who leaves the state police to become a soldier-of-fortune in Hadleyville where he gets into baking funky cookies and working as a sort of town bouncer helping to clean up the burg. While there he and the Mayor, Alexandria Cray have a passionate affair. Real trouble comes to town in the form of the fearsome Uzi-toting Guzik brothers who have come to throw the do-gooder out. To draw him out, the nefarious brothers kidnap the town Little League team. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shadoe Stevens, Priscilla Barnes, (more)
Nick Randall (Rutger Hauer) is a modern-day bounty hunter who goes after notorious terrorist Malak Al Rahim (Gene Simmons) in this action feature. Nick is called on after Malak disrupts Los Angeles with a series of fatal bombings. William Russ plays Nick's friend and retired LAPD lieutenant Danny Quintz, with Robert Guillaume as CIA agent and former partner Philmore Walker. Nick tries to avoid being one of many caught in Malak's murderous bloodbath. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Gene Simmons, (more)
For his third outing as disturbed innkeeper Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins directed as well as starred in the thriller Psycho III. This time out, Norman is still manning the desk at the Bates Motel, where he now has an assistant, Duane (Jeff Fahey), and a new long-term tenant, Maureen Coyle (Diana Scarwid). Maureen has been seeing Duane and has some issues to resolve in her life; she gave up her vows as a nun not long ago, and she isn't sure just how she feels about either spiritual or earthly matters. Norman takes an interest in Maureen, which may not be good for her long-term health -- after all, the last woman with the initials "M.C." who stayed in that room (and used the shower) met with a rather nasty fate. Perkins played Norman Bates one more time, in the made-for-cable Psycho IV: The Beginning; a short-lived TV series followed, Bates Motel, in which Perkins did not participate. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Diana Scarwid, (more)
A sequel to one of the most popular horror films of all time, this psychological thriller received a pleasantly surprised, positive critical reception. Anthony Perkins returns as Norman Bates, who has just been released from an insane asylum after 22 years, having been judged clinically sane by the State of California over the objections of Lila Crane Loomis (Vera Miles), sister to one of Norman's murder victims. Norman returns home to the hotel and hilltop mansion he once inhabited with his mother. As a parole condition, Norman is hired at a local diner, where he struggles to join mainstream society, despite the stares of patrons aware of his past. At the diner, Norman befriends Mary (Meg Tilly), a waitress, and it seems that he may be putting some semblance of a life back together. But then Norman begins to experience hallucinatory encounters with his long-dead mother, including a handwritten note, a phone call, and a sighting of her standing at her favorite window. Is Norman's psychosis manifesting itself again, or are old enemies attempting to drive him back into an institution? As the pressure mounts, bodies pile up, and Norman's fragile hold on normality becomes more and more tenuous. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, (more)
- 1982
- R
James Woods plays "Fast-Walking" Miniver, a strikingly amoral prison guard, in this dark, hard-hitting comedy/drama. When not smoking dope or scaring up customers for Evie (Susan Tyrrell), the proprietor of the local house of prostitution, Fast-Walking tries to keep order in an Oregon prison. Fast-Walking is looking for a big payday so he can quit his job and get into something less stressful, and he thinks he may have found it when William Galliot (Robert Hooks), a black political activist who has just landed behind bars, offers him $50,000 to help him escape. Fast-Walking thinks this sounds fine with him, until he finds out that his cousin Wasco (Tim McIntire) is part of a plot to kill Galliot and wants his help. Fast-Walking's dilemma is intensified by his affair with Wasco's girlfriend, Moke (Kay Lenz). Fast-Walking was written, produced, and directed by James B. Harris, who as a producer helped bring several early Stanley Kubrick films to the screen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Tim McIntire, (more)
