David McNally Movies
- 2006
Originally titled American Crime, the Fox network legal/procedural series Justice focused on the California law firm of Trott, Nicholson, Tuller & Graves (also known as "TNT&G"), a "dream team" specializing in high-profile cases guaranteed to draw maximum media attention. Victor Garber starred as TNT&G's head man, Ron Trott, a "celebrity lawyer" in every sense of the word, who when not found in the courtroom was doing the rounds of all the best and highest-rated TV talk shows. The "N" of TNT&G was Tom Nicholson (Kerr Smith), described by Trott as "the American face of not guilty," who charmed judges and juries alike with his man-of-the-people demeanor, and whose polite, self-effacing exterior masked a win-at-all-costs aggressiveness that was second only to his senior partner. The final "T" of the firm was ambitious young female attorney Alden Tuller (Rebecca Mader), a genius at research and cross-examination. The "G" of TNT&G was former prosecutor Luther Graves (Eamonn Walker), well-connected in both political and special-interest circles, whose specialty was scrutinizing each case from both sides so as to anticipate the opposition's every move. Most of the episodes were inspired by real-life court cases, and each featured a meticulous, high-tech reenactment of the alleged crime, assembled by Trott and his colleagues to figure out all the angles. And each episode ended with a flashback to what really happened before TNT&G decided to defend their client, allowing the viewers at home to decide whether or not justice had been served. Produced for Jerry Bruckheimer Productions by former litigator Jonathan Shapiro, Justice was described by one critic as "CSI at warp speed." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victor Garber, Kerr Smith, (more)
Two low-level American crooks head to Australia, where they match wits with a kangaroo (who appears to have an intellectual edge on his pursuers) in this broad comedy. Charlie Carbone (Jerry O'Connell) is a hairdresser from Brooklyn whose best friend, Louis Booker (Anthony Anderson), scrapes together a living moving stolen merchandise. Charlie's stepfather, Sal Maggio (Christopher Walken), is a crime kingpin who has loaned Charlie a lot of money and wants to know when he'll get it back; Sal's not especially fond of Louis, especially after he and Charlie accidentally lead the police to a storehouse of burgled goods owned by Sal. Charlie owes Sal a big favor, and Sal wants Charlie and Louis out of his hair for a while, so Sal sends them to Australia, where they're to deliver a large amount of cash to a mysterious Mr. Smith (Marton Csokas). En route to their meeting in the outback, Charlie and Louis accidentally run over a kangaroo, and the half-bright tourists decide to dress the dead marsupial in sunglasses and Louis' favorite jacket for snapshots. However, the animal wasn't as dead as they imagined, and it soon hops away, shortly after Louis realizes the payment to Mr. Smith was in the pocket. Now Louis and Charlie are out to find the fast-moving critter, with the help of Jessie (Estella Warren), a wildlife expert; Mr. Jimmy (David Ngoombujarra), a wilderness guide; and Blue (Bill Hunter), a pilot familiar with the outback. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry O'Connell, Anthony Anderson, (more)
An aspiring musician becomes one of the most famous bartenders in New York in this high-spirited comedy-drama. Small-town girl Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo) dreams of making a name for herself as a singer and songwriter, so she moves to New York City in hopes of landing her big break. Needing to support herself until stardom rolls around, she takes a job as a barmaid at a new nightspot called Coyote Ugly, where the owner Lil (Maria Bello) and the staff of attractive young women dance on the bar, flirt with the mostly male clientele, sing along with the jukebox, and goad the customers into matching them shot for shot. Soon, local media pick up on the bar's success, turning the staff into unexpected celebrities, a situation that presents its own set of problems. Coyote Ugly also stars John Goodman as Violet's straight-laced father, Adam Garcia as a customer Violet becomes involved with, and Tyra Banks, Melanie Lynskey, Bridget Moynahan, and Izabella Miko as the barmaids; action-film titan Jerry Bruckheimer produced. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Piper Perabo, Adam Garcia, (more)
- 1935
In the fourth of 18 inexpensive Tom Tyler Westerns produced by Reliable Pictures and filmed on location in Newhall, California, Tom and his sidekick, Windy (Ben Corbett), are hired by John Baker's Bar X Ranch. Baker (Lafe McKee) offers a $1,000 reward to anyone who can capture "The Phantom," a wild stallion suspected of chasing a herd of mares through a hole in the Bar X fence. The real horse thief, however, is Bar X's unscrupulous neighbor, Mack Larkin (Dick Alexander), who is in cahoots with Baker's crooked foreman, Bert (Charles "Slim" Whitaker). Tom befriends "The Phantom" and is determined to prove the horse innocent. Despite the skepticism of Baker's pretty daughter, Helen (Alice Dahl), Tom and Windy set out to prove Larkin's guilt. Although sharing the same character name, "Windy," the rustic Corbett had little else in common with George Hayes (later nicknamed "Gabby"), the quintessential comic sidekick of "Hopalong Cassidy" series fame. A holdover from the silent era, Corbett was woefully unfunny and an amateurish actor to boot. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
