John McNamara Movies
Clearly inspired by such wall-to-wall action flicks as The Fast and the Furious and XXX, the endearingly mindless TV series Fastlane chronicled the adventures of two tough, hard-driving undercover L.A. cops. Answerable only to their leather-clad superior Billie Chambers (Tiffani-Amber Thiessen), officers Van Ray (Peter Facinelli) and Deaqon Hayes (Bill Bellamy) -- the latter was the brother of the former's murdered partner -- made mincemeat of a variety of nasty urban villains. This the heroes were able to do because they had full access to Billie's "Candy Store," a warehouse full of seized stolen goods, ranging from souped-up cars to state-of-the-art weaponry to hyper-sophisticated computer technology. The series was cocreated by McG, the former music-video director who'd helmed the 2001 theatrical feature Charlie's Angels. Played out larger than life and with tongue firmly in cheek, Fastlane proved to be everyone's favorite "guilty pleasure" when the series debuted on September 18, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Facinelli, Bill Bellamy, (more)
- 2000
A remake of the popular 1960s TV series of the same name (which had previously spawned a smash-hit 1993 theatrical feature), CBS' The Fugitive stakes out the old familiar ground. This time out, former Wings star Timothy Daly is cast as Dr. Richard Kimble, who was falsely accused of murdering his wife. Despite his protestations that he'd seen a "one-armed man" fleeing the murder scene, and apparently lacking the financial wherewithal to hire a lawyer like Alan Dershowitz or Johnny Cochran, Kimble was found guilty and sentenced to the electric chair. En route to prison, Kimble managed to escape during a train wreck, and he spends the rest of the series traveling from town to town, adopting a variety of aliases and professions, and helping those whose lives he touches. All the while, Kimble pursues the elusive One-Armed Man (Stephen Lang), even as he himself is being pursued by dogged, single-minded Police Lieutenant Gerard (played by Mykelti Williamson, best known as Bubba Blue in the 1994 Oscar-winner Forrest Gump). Infinitely more expensive and special-effects-laden than its TV predecessor, this "retro" series makes up in energy and high-tech visuals what it lacks in originality. The Fugitive revival began (literally) running on October 6, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Daly, Mykelti Williamson, (more)
- 1998
In this TV drama series, the somewhat sinister anti-hero Mr. Chapel (Michael Madsen) is "Mr. Right for those who've been wronged." Working outside the system, Chapel delivers his own brand of justice. When a criminal gets away with it and is declared not guilty, friends and loved ones of victims can get satisfaction from Chapel, who's aided by a past beneficiary of his efforts, paralegal KC Griffin (Kathleen York). In the pilot episode, the secretary who knew too much (about money-laundering) is murdered, and her wealthy killer is acquitted by a $1,500-per-hour attorney (Ray Wise). Vigilante Chapel steps in to even the score. Filmed in Los Angeles, this series premiered September 29, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Kathleen York, (more)
- 1991
- R
An innocent law student gets accused of murdering a mob chief's son when a casino poker game turns into a fistfight that ends with a fatality. Soon the mob and the corrupt local police are after the kid whose only respite in this film is a short romance with a new-found sweetheart. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Kelly Preston, Ken Pogue, (more)
- 1989
In this entry in the Parent Trap series, the triplets, their newlywed father, his bride, and her twin head for Hawaii where mayhem ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hayley Mills, Barry Bostwick, (more)
- 1988
In this Disney comedy, an unemployed, destitute actress tries to save her dog after it eats too much junk food during a shoot for a dog-food commercial. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1987
Disney's Double Switch stars George Newbern and....George Newbern. The plot revolves around a teenaged rock idol named Bartholomew (Newbern #1). Trapped by his celebrity, Bartholomew finds a way out when he meets the geeky winner of a Bartholomew lookalike contest (Newbern #2). In the tradition of The Prince and the Pauper, the two teens trade places, then refuse to go back to their true identities because they're having too much fun. A very young Elizabeth Shue costars as the "other" Bartholomew's girlfriend. Double Switch originated as the January 4, 1987 episode of TV's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- George Newbern
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