David Gerber Movies
Although al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001, only three reached their intended targets. United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 that departed late from Newark to San Francisco, crash-landed near Pittsburgh instead of becoming a weapon against the White House or the United States Capitol. This speculative cable-TV docudrama imagines how the flight might have played out for the flight's passengers, who are believed to have risen up against their hijackers after being alerted to the other terrorist attacks via cell phone. Unfolding in more or less real time, Flight 93 depicts the hijacking from the viewpoints of those on the flight and those on the ground. Tom Burnett (Jeffrey Nordling), Mark Bingham (Ty Olsson), Todd Beamer (Brennan Elliott), and many of the flight's other, posthumously famous passengers are portrayed, as are their families, law-enforcement agents, air-traffic controllers, United employees, and cell-phone company personnel. Flight 93 originally aired in January 2006 on the A&E cable network, several months after the Discovery Channel debuted its documentary The Flight That Fought Back and several months before the feature film United 93 premiered. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Nordling, Brennan Elliott, (more)
- 2003
Road Trip was the blanket title bestowed upon a series of videotaped odysseys presented by the Travel Channel cable network. Running various lengths from week to week, the series bore such secondary titles as "TV Road Trip," "Movie Road Trip," and "Haunted Road Trip," the content of which were fairly self-explanatory. On a typical episode, a group of washed-up pro athletes and has-been TV and movie stars conducted a tour of the locations throughout the U.S. that had some significance to their careers -- back when they all had careers, that is. The series premiered March 30, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the spirit of such "celeb-reality" cable series as The Osbournes and The Anna Nicole Show, The Jim Rose Twisted Tour was built around the hijinks of the Jim Rose Circus, a real-life aggregation of punkish sideshow performers who had previously risen to fame as part of the 1992 Lollapalooza tour. The troupe was headed (naturally) by Jim Rose, whose act included lying on a bed of nails, smashing broken glass in his face, and swallowing razor blades. Rose's entourage consisted of Mr. Lifto, whose muscles and veins bulged grotesquely as he toted objects several times his size; Rupert the Illusionist, whose specialty was balancing lawn mowers on his chin; Bebe the Circus Queen, whose idea of a good time was to swallow scorpions; Rubber Boy, whose contortions bordered on the obscene; and Cappy, an obese yo-yo champ -- and, perhaps deliberately, the troupe's least popular performer (with both his co-worker's and the fans). The series followed the Circus as it traveled from San Francisco to New Orleans, regaling and sometimes nauseating spectators all along the way. Debuting March 30, 2003, The Jim Rose Twisted Tour was arguably the most atypical weekly program ever to emerge from the normally traditionalist Travel Channel cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The World Poker Tour covers a series of "elimination" poker tournaments in the top casinos throughout the world. Individual episodes boasted such colorful titles as "Bellagio Five Diamond," "Bicycle Casino," and "Ultimate Bet." The concluding program was a winner-take-all competition at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, with each of the surviving contestants required to pony up 25,000 dollars to play against the previous year's tour winners. World Poker Tour made its Travel Channel bow on March 30, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mike Sexton, Vincent Van Patten, (more)
- 2003
The third live-action TV series based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' immortal "King of the Jungle" (there had also been a few cartoon series and innumerable theatrical features), the WB network's Tarzan offered a few new up-to-date spins on the classic canon. Orphaned in the jungle as an infant, John Clayton (played by male model Travis Fimmel) was raised by apes and came to maturity as the resourceful Tarzan. All this changed when John/Tarzan was captured by his uncle, billionaire industrialist Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi), and flown to New York City, there to take his rightful place as the heir apparent of the vast Greystoke business enterprises. As uncomfortable as Tarzan felt in his new civilized surroundings, it was nothing compared to the discomfiture expressed by Richard Clayton's sister, acid-tongued publisher Katherine Clayton (Lucy Lawless), who wished that Tarzan would return whence he came so that she could take over Greystoke. At last fed up by all the inter-family squabbling and backstabbing, Tarzan escaped to the concrete jungle known as Manhattan, where he befriended feisty female NYPD detective Jane Porter (Sarah Wayne Callies). Ultimately, Me-Tarzan teamed with You-Jane to track down elusive criminals, while Jane's detective boyfriend, Michael Foster (Johnny Messner), and her official partner, Sam Sullivan (Miguel Nunez Jr.), expressed dismay at the girl's newfound bravado -- and while Jane's younger sister, aspiring actress Nicki Porter (Leighton Meester), lolled around awaiting her next "damsel in distress" assignment. The new Tarzan swung into view on October 5, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Travis Fimmel, Sarah Wayne Callies, (more)
Based on a true story, the made-for-cable feature The Lost Battalion is set in 1918 during the final months of WWI. Assigned to capture an enemy stronghold in Charlvaux at the height of the Argonne campaign, the men of the AEF 308th Battalion, 77th Division, are led by young American major Charles Whittlesey (Rick Schroder), an inexperienced but dedicated "citizen soldier." Totally cut off from the other allied troops, unaware of their vulnerability, and barraged by "friendly fire," the 500-plus men of the 308th bravely hold their position, suffering incredible losses and unspeakable deprivations in the process -- while the battalion's superior officers, far from the firing line, callously prepare to write off the men as expendable casualties. Fairly graphic and horrifying by basic-cable standards, The Lost Battalion was filmed on-location in Luxembourg, and made its American TV debut courtesy of the A&E Channel on December 2, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Based on the novel Fatal Exposure, this cautionary made-for-TV thriller stars John Corbett as dedicated scientist and ecologist Evan Thorne. When he tries to warn the authorities that the earth's ozone layer has eroded to such an extent as to endanger all mankind, Thorne is laughed off as a nut case and his career and credibility are destroyed -- largely thanks to the skulduggery of his rival Dr. Schiffren (Tom Irwin), a scientist who has sold his soul to the industrial community. But when whales begin dying at an alarming rate, airplanes crash, corpses catch fire, wildlife goes insane, and deadly insects threaten to engulf Los Angeles, it would seem that Thorne wasn't just whistling Dixie. Even so, it takes the combined efforts of Thorne, his politician ex-wife, Jennifer (Josie Bissett), formerly cynical reporter John Morgan (Bradley Whitford), and gorgeous female scientist Elizabeth Sorel (Jo Anderson) to bring the authorities to their senses and expedite rescue-and-evacuation proceedings. By film's end, the future of humanity rests in Evan's ability to construct a bomb that will restore the balance of nature. A standard disaster flick disguised as a profound pro-environmental screed, The Sky's on Fire was reportedly produced for cable TV in 1998, but did not formally premiere until it was telecast by ABC on July 15, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Corbett, Josie Bissett, (more)
- 1996
Filmed in Canada and broadcast in America by the USA cable network, We the Jury offers a new and intriguing spin to the old 12 Angry Men format. There is absolutely no question that Emmy-winning TV personality Wynne Atwood (Lauren Hutton) shot and killed her cheating husband in the home of his mistress. But while the prosecution demands that Atwood be convicted of murder, her attorney, Wilfred Franciscus (Christopher Plummer), insists that the charge be reduced to manslaughter, arguing that his client had been driven to insanity by an abusive husband. Ultimately the verdict must be determined in the jury room, where at first the jurors are divided straight down gender lines. As the deliberations continue, things get hot, heavy, and potentially violent, with the various prejudices, biases, and even the ambitions of the jurors (one of whom wants to write a book about the trial!) threatening to build impenetrable roadblocks on the path of true justice. Attempting to keep his colleagues "on program" is the beleaguered jury foreman, played by future Da Vinci's Inquest star Nicholas Campbell. American viewers first saw We the Jury on October 16, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly McGillis, Lauren Hutton, (more)
- 1986
It seems that even American History must sometimes succumb to Hollywood "sequel mania." The 4-hour TV movie George Washington: The Forging of a Nation was a follow-up to the successful 1984 miniseries George Washington (see entry 82308). Barry Bostwick is back as Washington, as is Patty Duke as Martha. Whereas the first film covered the years 1743 through 1783, The Forging of the Nation concerns itself with the events of 1788 through 1797. The film begins with the ratification of the Constitution, and concludes with Washington ending his second term as the first President of the United States. The drama intensifies as Washington tries to handle the often diametrically opposed viewpoints of such firebrands as Thomas Jefferson (Jeffrey Jones), Alexander Hamilton (Richard Bekins) and John Adams (Paul Collins). Filmed on location in the New England locales where the story originally took place, George Washington: The Forging of a Nation debuted on September 21 and 22, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
This three-part, seven-hour TV adaptation of Edgar Bulwer-Lytton's 1834 best-seller The Last Days of Pompeii was arguably more faithful to its source than any of the earlier film versions -- and inarguably the most expensive version of all, boasting a 19,000,000-dollar budget and a truly spectacular cast. In recounting the events leading up to the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., the film, like the novel, introduces a veritable coliseum full of colorful fictional characters: stalwart Athenian Glaucus (Nicholas Clay), religious-zealot Egyptian Arbaces (Franco Nero), and mighty gladiator Lydon (Duncan Regehr), all of whom vie for the affections of high-born Ione (Olivia Hussey) and lowly, sightless slave girl Nydia (Linda Purl). Also around and about are Ned Beatty as wealthy merchant Diomed, Lesley-Anne Down as belly-dancing courtesan Chloe, and a handful of theatrical stalwarts like Laurence Olivier and Anthony Quayle. Mercilessly drubbed by the critics, who chortled at such dialogue as "Turn the other cheek, Christian lover!" and "Christians. They're everywhere I go. They're spreading through the empire like a pox!," The Last Days of Pompeii nonetheless garnered healthy ratings when it aired over ABC from May 6 to 8, 1984, despite the formidable opposition of the NBC blockbuster miniseries V: The Final Battle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Barry Bostwick plays the Father of Our Country in this 3-part, eight-hour TV miniseries. The Richard Fielder/Jon Boothe teleplay, based on a book by James Thomas Flexner, covers the years 1743 through 1783, tracing Washington from age 11 to his farewell to the troops at Valley Forge. A great deal of screen time is devoted to Washington's alleged early romance with Sally Fairfax (Jaclyn Smith), the wife of George's best friend (David Dukes). Martha Washington, who never goes anywhere near a candy store during the film, is played by Patty Duke Astin. Filmed on the actual locations where the Washington saga occurred, the production earned five Emmy Award nominations. Originally telecast April 8, 10 and 11, 1984, George Washington was followed in 1986 by George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation (see entry 82309) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1982
Based on a story by Jimmy Breslin, The Neighborhood takes place in an all-white, blue collar neighborhood in an unspecified big city. A "blockbuster" real estate agent begins selling houses to black families (among the new neighbors is recent Oscar nominee Howard Rollins Jr.), resulting in mixed emotions (most of them leaning towards hostility) from the white residents. There are isolated incidents of terrorism, including a burning cross, before wiser heads prevail and the neighbors learn to live together in harmony. The nicer white residents include Christine Belford and Ron Masak, playing the sort of altruistic types that seem to exist exclusively in TV movies. The contrived upbeat ending of The Neighborhood is a sure giveaway that the film was intended as the pilot for a weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Masak, Christine Belford, (more)
Premiering January 17, 1981, on NBC, the hour-long crime drama Walking Tall was based on a extremely popular series of theatrical features -- which in turn, were inspired by the real-life exploits of relentless Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser (Pusser's story also served as the basis of a 1978 TV movie, A Real American Hero). Dedicated to smashing the political corruption all around him, Pusser was not averse to driving his points home with brute force, usually with the home-made club that he wielded at every opportunity. Naturally, the local bad guys did everything they could to put Pusser out of the way, including a number of assassination attempts -- one of which had claimed the life of the sheriff's wife, making his crusade against crime personal as well as professional. Starring as the TV version of Buford Pusser -- here in charge of McNairy County, TN -- was Bo Svenson, who had previously played the role in two of the three theatrical films, succeeding the original Walking Tall's star Joe Don Baker (the real Pusser had died in a highly suspicious car crash just before he was to star in one of the films himself). Others in the cast included Walter Barnes as Buford's dad Carl Pusser, Rad Daly and Heather McAdam as the sheriff's children Mike and Dwana, and Harold Sylvester, Jeff Lester, and Courtney Pledger as loyal deputies Aaron Fairfax, Grady Spooner, and Joan Lytton. Ultra-violent even by the standards of its era, Walking Tall remained on NBC's nighttime docket until June 6, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Svenson, Walter Barnes, (more)
- 1981
TV movies dealing with Elvis Presley are always good for a few vital extra rating points, and Elvis and the Beauty Queen was no exception to this rule. The King, here played by Don Johnson, is first seen here at the age of 37. Elvis falls in love with 21-year-old Miss Universe contestant Linda Thompson (Stephanie Zimbalist), and the two stay together for five years, remaining as close as it's possible to be a world populated of managers, gophers and sycophants. Linda tries to wean Presley off drugs, but you and I and everyone in the universe knows how that turned out. There's nothing here that hasn't already been trampled to death by the tabloids, but diehard Elvis fanatics will be satisfied. Three surprises: Elvis and the Beauty Queen was not telecast on Elvis' birthday; it wasn't telecast on the anniversary of his death; and it premiered in March of 1981, several weeks after the February "sweeps". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1981
With Dandy Don Meredith in the cast, the made-for-TV movie Terror Among Us bears a resemblance to the 1970s series Police Story. Meredith plays a police sergeant who is desperately trying to track down serial rapist Ted Shackleford. Newly paroled, Shackleford may very well carry out the threats he's made on the five women who testified against him. Meredith enlists the aid of parole officer Jennifer Salt to stop the wave of terror before it begins. Terror Among Us first aired January 12, 1981. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In this made-for-TV "roman a clef", Joe Don Baker stars as Tommy Vanda, a Hoffa-esque labor leader. Told in flashback, the film recounts Vanda's humble beginnings on the Chicago docks, where he gains fame and notoreity amongst his coworkers and his bosses by spearheading a wildcat strike. Rising to top dog of the Cartage Union, Tommy doesn't care whon he has to crush on the way up the ladder. Inevitably, Tommy's peccadilloes catch up with him, resulting in federal charges, an arrest, and (remember who he's supposed to be) a mysterious disappearance in the night. Written by Ernest Tidyman of The French Connection fame, Power was telecast in two two-hour installments by NBC on January 14 and 15, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
In this espionage drama, a computer whiz conned into assisting a tricky spy, finds himself face-to-face with the world's most deadly criminal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Beulah Land is an edited, movie-length version of the three-part TV miniseries adaptation of Lonnie Coleman's multi-part novels. The film is set in the Old South, with a time span ranging from 1827 to the postwar Reconstruction Era. Lesley Ann Warren stars as Sarah Kendrick, young belle of the Beulah Land plantation, who finds herself in love with a "damn Yankee." Sarah must also contend with a weakling brother (Paul Rudd) and a former slave (Dorian Harewood) who demands freedom as a right rather than a privilege. Beulah Land took forever to get before the cameras due to protests from black historical organizations; when it was finally telecast on October 7-9, 1980, NBC conducted a low-pressure ad campaign, as though the network was still fearful of stepping on toes despite the testimonial of a black Yale history professor, who commended the production for its "special sensitivity." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lesley Ann Warren, Michael Sarrazin, (more)
- 1980
In this disaster movie, eight people stranded on a bridge find their lives jeopardized after a collision has caused the unstable structure to collapse. One of the eight is a bank robber on the lam. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Doctors' Private Lives was the 2-hour pilot film for the shortlived TV series of the same name. Ed Nelson and John Gavin star as, respectively, chief surgeon Dr. Michael Wise and cardiovascular unit chief Dr. Jeffrey Latimer. The drama arises from the ongoing clash of egos between these two medical giants. Nelson and Gavin were carried over to the series, as was Randolph Powell as Dr. Rick Calder. The guest cast includes Bettye Ackerman, who had ironically costarred in an earlier hospital series, Ben Casey (Ackerman was the wife of Sam "Dr. Zorba" Jaffee). Doctors' Private Lives premiered March 20, 1978; the series itself ran from April 5 to 28, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Also known as Behind the Lines, Keefer was a bargain-counter Casablanca geared to fans of TV's Cannon. William Conrad stars in this busted pilot as the proprietor of a Lisbon bar during World War II. As we've all learned from Hollywood movies, Lisbon is a veritable hotbed of wartime intrigue, meaning that Keefer is also active in the local branch of the OSS. His job: Destroy a German radar base. Keefer looked and sounded a lot like the mid-1950s TV series Foreign Intrigue, which likewise was inspired by Casablanca. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
Joe Don Baker stars as chief of detectives, Eischeid, in the 4-hour, 2-part TV film To Kill A Cop. Eischeid must contend with a series of seemingly unrelated bank robberies and the vicious murders of two police officers. Eischeid deduces that the culprits are members of a violent African-American revolutionary movement, but he is blocked in his investigation by the politically ambitious chief of police. As time runs out, Eischeid must prevent the planned wholesale slaughter of civilians at the hands of the revolutionaries. Scripted by Ernest Tidyman (The French Connection), To Kill a Cop served as the pilot for the TV series Eischeid, which ran from September 1979 to January 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1978
This film is a failed TV pilot. The action drama chronicles the lives and exploits of Air Force test pilots. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1977
Gorgeous LAPD undercover cop Pepper Anderson (Angie Dickinson) continues to put her life on the line while wearing some of the sexiest outfits of the 1970s in the fourth and final season of Police Woman. In the opener, Pepper foregoes assuming a false identity as she and her superior officer Lt. Crowley (Earl Holliman) go to the aid of a battered wife. Later on, of course, it's disguise time again, with Pepper variously posing as a congressional witness, a schoolteacher, a drug pusher, and a nun. Making guest appearances this year is a fascinating blend of familiar faces and talented newcomers, including Nipsey Russell, Keenan Wynn, Fernando Lamas, Lloyd Nolan, Nehemiah Persoff, Louis Nye, Paul Williams, Tab Hunter, Sandra Dee, Eartha Kitt, Catherine Bach, Debra Winger and Mare Winningham. The most offbeat bit of cast is comic impressionist Rich Little's chilling portrayal of a serial rapist. The funniest of the guest stars is Adam West, playing a cloddish thug who moves his lips while reading a "Batman" comic book! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angie Dickinson, Earl Holliman, (more)
- 1977
Ingredients essential to this made-for-TV movie are a famous former pro football player, an interracial romance, and a brutal murder. Yes, the football player is O.J. Simpson, but the film was made a full 17 years before the death of Nicole Brown Simpson. In A Killing Affair, Simpson is cast as police detective Woody York, who is partnered with white female cop Viki Eaton (Elizabeth Montgomery) to solve a mysterious killing. In the course of the assignment, Woody and Viki fall in love. Also known as Behind the Badge, A Killing Affair premiered September 21, 1977, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dean Stockwell, Elizabeth Montgomery, (more)
