John Hostetter Movies

Long before The Commish and The Shield, Michael Chiklis guest-starred on this Murphy Brown episode as a foul-mouthed, misogynistic standup comedian named Andrew Dice...er, named Tony Rocket. Not wishing to put up with Rocket's patented anti-feminist slurs, Murphy refuses the opportunity of interviewing the man (sort of like what's-her-name on Saturday Night Live, remember?) But Miles (Grant Shaud) forces Murphy to proceed with the interview, struggling to keep her cool in what the CBS publicity folks described as "Rocket's Red Glare"! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Not only has potty-mouthed tabloid journalist Jerry Gold (Jay Thomas) ended his romance with Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen), but he has also given up his own show to accept a post with "FYI" team. Miles (Grant Shaud) cooks up a point-counterpoint weekly feature called "Nose to Nose", then assigns Murphy and Jerry to debate over a variety of hot-button topics on each telecast. At first, the two journalists really heat up the airwaves with their arguments and insults--but when the romantic flames are rekindled, the couple's on-camera performance suffers mightily. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Murphy (Candice Bergen meets her match--literally--when "FYI" agrees to a joint telecast with its counterpart on Russian television. Almost immediately, Murphy clashes with Soviet investigative reporter Vladia (Robin Strasser), who turns out to be Murphy's equal in every way...right down to the oversized ego and mercurial temperament. As air time for the international telecast approaches, it looks as though the Cold War is going to start heating up all over again! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

"FYI"'s resident airhead Corky (Faith Ford) wins her first Humboldt Award for her special report "The Women's Touch at West Point", leaving Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Frank (Joe Regalbuto) stewing at the starting gate. Hoping to capitalize on all the publicity, Miles (Grant Shaud) assigns Corky to the show's next BIG STORY--adding insult to injury by asking Murphy to help the novice newscaster with her report. Alex Rocco carries over his characterization of oily talent agent Al Floss from the CBS sitcom The Fabulous Teddy Z (seems that Al also represents Corky and Frank!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Murphy's co-anchor Jim Dial (Charles Kimbrough) feels honored when he is chosen for his first foreign assignment in years, in far-off Libya. Little does he know that the network has an ulterior motive: concerned that Jim may be wearing out his welcome, the "suits" decide to try out a callow young anchorman named Miller Redfield (Christopher Rich) in his first series appeance) in his absence. Disdaining Miller as the "Fake Jim", Murphy (Candice Bergen) enters into a conspiracy to sabotage the newcomer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Dyed-in-the-wool activist Murphy Brown (Candice Bergen) is determined to be the first woman to storm the battlements of the Dunfries, the last male-only club left in Washington DC. Not surprisingly, the members resist this onslaught of raw feminism, but Murphy is able to gain entry by digging up a loophole in the club's bylaws (Evidently, any professional person willing to wear a necktie can appear in the reception hall!) All this brouhaha does nothing to assuage the emotional pain suffered by Murphy's coworker Jim (Charles Kimbrough)--who happens to be a Dunfries Club member of long standing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

During the 70th anniversary of Phil's bar, Murphy (Candice Bergen) flashes back to 1977, when she az first auditioned for a job with "FYI"--and her chief competition consisted of her current coworker Frank Fontana (Joe Regalbuto) and NBC commentator Linda Ellerbee (as herself in both the new scenes and in stock footage from 1977). As a bonus, we get a glimpse of Murphy's producer Miles (Grant Shaud) back when he was a precocious thirteen-year-old (played by Jason Marsden). Meanwhile, back in The Present, Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) develops a crush on Corky (Faith Ford). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Making its first appearance on November 14, 1988, the long-running, Emmy-winning CBS sitcom Murphy Brown starred Candice Bergen as the title character, the driving, driven, often overbearing but essentially likable star reporter of the Washington, D.C.-based TV magazine "FYI." A thorough professional, Murphy never gave less than her best before the cameras -- but behind the cameras, it was a different story. Constitutionally incapable of doing anything by halves, Murphy told her colleagues exactly what she thought of them at all times, seldom made a comment that wasn't laced with sarcasm, and was addicted to tobacco and, for a while, booze (this last shortcoming required her to do some time at the Betty Ford Clinic). Though the rest of the "FYI" staffers were accustomed to Murphy's mood swings and idiosyncrasies, outsiders tended to be scared off by our heroine: indeed, one of the series' most famous running gags was the fact that Murphy had a different secretary in practically every episode! Also in the cast were Charles Kimbrough as "FYI"'s uptight, humorless anchorman Jim Dial; Joe Regalbuto as the show's gonzo (and obviously toupeed) investigative reporter Frank Fontana, Faith Ford as "FYI"'s voluptuous, somewhat vacuous cub reporter and ex-Miss America Corky Sherwood, who considered Murphy to be her role model (often to Murphy's dismay) and who eventually married staff writer Will Forest (Scott Bryce), thereby becoming -- are you ready? -- Mrs. Corky Sherwood Forest; and Grant Shaud as "FYI"'s nebbishy executive producer Miles Silverberg, not exactly what one would call a born leader of men (or of Murphy!).

When not on the set of her show, Murphy could be found in her townhouse apartment, often conversing with quirky, philosophy-spouting house painter Eldin Bernecky (Robert Pastorelli), who spent day and night trying to finish redecorating Murphy's living room -- a job he still hadn't entirely completed when he left the series in season seven. Murphy also hung out with her co-workers at a neighborhood bar owned by another erstwhile philosopher named Phil (Pat Corley), at least until he reportedly died, whereupon Murphy and company purchased the bar themselves (as it turned out, reports of Phil's death were slightly exaggerated -- by Phil!). Additionally, Jay Thomas appeared intermittently as Geraldo-like journalist Jerry Gold, with whom Murphy frequently clashed -- when they weren't romancing one another, that is. As the series progressed, the basic throughline, and the characters, underwent a few changes. After her divorce from Will Forest, Corky eloped with Miles Silverberg, though she stayed in Washington when he left to run a CNN-style news service in New York. Murphy's brief fling with her ex-husband, Jake (Robin Thomas), produced a baby named Avery (who apparently grew up rather quickly, since he was played during the final season by Haley Joel Osment) -- and also stirred up a controversy when no less than Vice President Dan Quayle chastised Murphy Brown for eroding "family values" in America by bearing a child out of wedlock. Later on, dashing international reporter Peter Hunt (Scott Bakula) joined the "FYI" staff, sweeping Murphy off her feet and ultimately asking her to marry him (she didn't). Other additions to the cast included Garry Marshall as new network president Stan Lansing, who waged an ongoing war with Murphy over her non-PC attitude; Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) as Stan's whiny nephew Andrew, who was forced upon Murphy as her secretary -- and actually kept the job for more than a single episode; Christopher Rich as "FYI" co-anchor Miller Redfield, just the sort of gorgeous-looking, empty-headed TV personality whom Murphy despised with every fibre of her being; and Lily Tomlin as Kay Carter-Shepley, "FYI"'s imperious, and not altogether competent, new executive producer. In addition to the main and supporting cast, the series featured a number of real-life news personalities as "themselves," among them Walter Cronkite, Connie Chung, Larry King, Katie Couric, and Paula Zahn. The series' tenth and final season found Murphy undergoing treatment for breast cancer, an outwardly grim situation that, amazingly enough, never intruded upon the laughter. Murphy Brown ended its network run on August 10, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Whatever you do, don't ask Murphy (Candice Bergen) what sort of a day she's had. It's bad enough that she's making the latest in a long line of efforts to quit smoking. It's worse that house painter Eldin (Robert Pastorelli) is making even less progress than usual. But it's too much to bear when, in the middle of an "FYI" telecast, Murphy and her coworkers are held at gunpoint by a nerdish nutcase (Robert Harper) who demands that his nonsensical manifesto be read on the air. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Gena Rowlands won an Emmy for her towering portrayal of former first lady Betty Ford. After surviving breast cancer, the feisty Ford earns the love and admiration of the entire country. This makes it all the harder for her to keep private her biggest personal battle -- against alcohol and prescription-drug addiction. Josef Sommer and Nan Woods co-star respectively as Gerald and Susan Ford in this sensitive but candid adaptation of Betty Ford's autobiography The Times of My Life. Made for television, The Betty Ford Story was first telecast on March 3, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

No Way Out is told in flashback as Naval officer Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is grilled by his superiors regarding a recent "unpleasantness." While at a Washington party, Tom meets Susan Atwel (Sean Young), and they're soon sharing a steamy love scene in the back of a limo (marvelously parodied in 1993's Hot Shots! Part Deux). Several months pass before Tom meets Susan again; he discovers she's the mistress of the US Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman). When Susan is murdered by Brice, his loyal aide (Will Patton) dutifully destroys the evidence and invents the fallacious theory that a KGB mole was responsible. Tom is assigned to locate that mole -- a perilous situation, since Tom knows that no such mole exists, but must go along with the charade since he was the last person who was seen with Susan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having spent much of his directorial career emulating Don Siegel and John Ford, Clint Eastwood borrows a page from the catalogue of Sam Fuller in Heartbreak Ridge. Eastwood casts himself as an old-fashioned Marine Corps sergeant who is out of step with the new-fashioned military. He returns to his old outfit as a gunnery sergeant, where he runs afoul of 1980s-style superior officers to whom the words "Gung Ho" are foolish anachronisms. But through his tough tutelage, Eastwood's lackadaisical platoon is whipped into a first-rate fighting machine, favoring teamwork over such New Age gobbledygook as "self-fulfillment." Eastwood's men prove their mettle during the invasion of Grenada. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hayao Miyazaki's fantasy adventure Castle in the Sky begins with a chase scene through a flying ship, where all the passengers are after the young girl, Sheeta (voice of Anna Paquin). Going overboard to avoid capture, Sheeta is rescued by her powerful crystal necklace which floats her down to safety. She's recovered by Pazu (voice of James Van Der Beek), a young resourceful boy who works in a small mining town. Sharing a common desire to see Laputa, the castle in the sky, Pazu and Sheeta team up to outrun the pirates and the military. Led by hard-bitten matriarch Dola (voice of Cloris Leachman), the pirates are a rowdy yet dimwitted group of brothers who are after Laputa's treasure. Led by the greedy yet civilized Muska (voice of Mark Hamill), the military is after Laputa's secret powers. Everyone races to get to the abandoned castle of Laputa, which has been overgrown with vines and plant life. Its only inhabitants are the animals and robots who protect a magical garden. As the different parties fight over who gets to control Laputa, it's up to Sheeta to use her ancient knowledge to save it from ultimate destruction. The English-language version also includes the voices of Mandy Patinkin and Andy Dick. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi