Michelle Guthrie Movies
A kind of riff on The Blair Witch Project, Dirt Boy is focused on the title of a best-selling novel named "Dirt Boy" that has reigned popular in the small Massachusetts town of Atwater Commons -- named, not coincidentally, after the book's author, Atwater Bridges (Arthur J. Walsh). An ex-junkie New York migrant named Matty (Jacob Lee Hedman), who intends to study forensic science, signs up for a local workshop on the subject, presided over by the eerie Dr. Klugard (Luca Bercovici). After the doctor drops information about the book's content, Matty starts to retrace the steps of the book's murders with the help of an audio book of Dirt Boy, and before he knows it, ends up unearthing the corpses of supposedly fictional characters. Matty discovers a young woman (Michelle Guthrie) who has seemingly survived an attack by the mysterious author, and he attempts to solve the mystery of his discoveries. The film is narrated by Glen Victor Boyle and also features Lonnie Framer, Fran Devasto, and Eddie McCabe. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glen Victor Boyle, Jacon Lee Hedman, (more)
- 1997
Mary Tyler Moore is reunited with her onetime sitcom costar Edward Asner in this anything-but-funny TV movie melodrama. While closing down her restaurant late one night, Kathryn Stanfill (Moore) notices a prowler hanging around outside. She quickly summons the police, only to stand by in horror as one of the cops, a loose cannon named Brian Kaleen (Frederick Lehne), brutally and without provocation beats the prowler within an inch of his life. Jack Patkanis (Asner), the police department's Internal Affairs investigator, has long suspected that there have been a few rotten apples like Kaleen on the force, and urges Kathryn to report the beating. Suspended from the force, the psychotic Kaleen methodically mounts a campaign of revenge, using his police-department and political connections to financially destroy Kathryn's husband (Dennis Arndt) and frame her son (Adam Scott) on a murder charge. Payback was first telecast by ABC on February 10, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Asner, (more)
- 1992
- PG13
A rising young executive is ecstatic to learn that he is to be acting president at the small-town bank his company just purchased until he gets there and realizes that it is a sperm bank. This base little comedy centers on his attempts to make the place profitable and also chronicles the growing love between himself and the uptight but pretty biologist who works there. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shelley Long, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
- 1991
Because sources gave contradictory information on this made-for-TV film--two different plot synopses from two different sources--the information here is based on the scattered TV listings found for the film. Mare Winningham plays Jamie Hurd, a young mother whose life is put in danger by a photograph. The picture reveals vital evidence pertaining to a recent mob hit. Jamie comes into possession of the fatal snapshot when her order is mislabeled at the local camera shop. And so it goes for the next 97 minutes. Fatal Exposure debuted February 6, 1991, over the USA Cable Network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mare Winningham
- 1991
This effective made-for-TV supernatural thriller (based on the novel Virgin by James Patterson) involves the travails of a Catholic priest (Anthony John Denison) who is ordered by his superiors to investigate the prospect of two separate virgin births -- one of which will bring the Son of God into the world, the other the Son of Satan. Unfortunately, there is no overt indication as to which child is which. Omen-style apocalyptic portents abound as the forces of Evil throw a variety of obstacles in Denison's path, even possessing the soul of the nun (Sela Ward) who is assisting him. Potent, gripping stuff -- and very intense for a TV movie -- this retains much of the metaphysical punch of its source material. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Tony Richardson, who in his days of prominence directed the Oscar-winning Tom Jones (1963), demonstrated in 1986's Penalty Phase that the intervening years did not dim his talent in the least. Peter Strauss stars as a liberal judge, in the midst of a re-election campaign. Strauss has been under fire from his enemies for being too soft on criminals. He intends to prove otherwise while presiding over the case of a vicious mass murderer and rapist (Richard Chaves). Shortly after a guilty verdict is reached, Strauss is tipped off anonymously that the defendant right's may have been violated during interrogation. While the jury enters "the penalty phase" wherein they must decide on proper punishment, Strauss undergoes a profound moral dilemma: Should he honor the letter of the law, thereby incurring public wrath and losing all hopes for being re-elected? Scripted by former lawyer Gail Patrick Hickman, the made-for-TV Penalty Phase was originally telecast November 18, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
