Jill Jaress Movies
- 2005
After too many years away, brittle big-city doctor Sydney Ludwick (Lisa Hartman Black) returns to her home town of Bloomfield for a high school reunion. She is mildly surprised to find out that her widowed mother Helen (Rue McLanahan), with whom she hasn't communicated since the death of her dad, has transformed the family home into a bed-and-breakfast. Likewise bidding fair to bring change to Sydney's life is the fact that her high school sweetheart Gus (Dale Midkiff) is now a widower. But nothing quite prepares Sydney for the revelation of a dark secret that her mother has been harboring for years, with the tacit assistance of local pastor Ed Jenkins (Don Harvey). The background music is provided by country singer Clint Black, husband of the film's leading lady. Produced for cable's Hallmark channel, Back to You & Me originally aired on July 23, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Night Court alum John Larroquette and character actress Karen Valentine (Gidget Grows Up, Room 222) play Jack Landry and Audrey Landry, husband and wife and the parents of three grown daughters, in this made-for-television comic feature. Learning to adjust to the girls' absence, Jack and Audrey are just beginning to enjoy the empty nest syndrome -- even planning a second honeymoon -- when all three girls (played by Kelly Overton, Marina Black, and Jaime Ray Newman) unexpectedly resurface and each announces her wedding plans. With three trips to the altar for the beleaguered Jack, and Audrey drowning in a sea of invitations, complete pandemonium -- and a surfeit of laughs -- are not far behind. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Larroquette, Karen Valentine, (more)
A new '90s expressiveness regarding homosexuality in movies is gently mined for laughs in this 1993 comedy that predates the similar but much more raw Chasing Amy and slightly more humorous Threesome. With her straight greasy hair, semi-paranoid outlook, and leather jacket she wears like a shield, Connie (Kelly Lynch) already seems a bit unhinged. Then her girlfriend, Ellen (Sherilyn Fenn), breaks up their relationship and Connie loses it. In her grief, she hits upon a bizarre plan: Why not hire male prostitute Joe (William Baldwin) to seduce Ellen, then break her heart? Wouldn't that make Ellen rush back into Connie's arms? Of course not. For one thing, Joe's life is complicated by his protective yet sinister pimp (Joe Pantoliano) and a thug who mistakenly believes Joe set him up for a prison sentence. And Joe and Ellen fall in love. Yet an odd, sibling-like friendship develops between Joe and Connie that steers them through the repercussions of Ellen's discovery of their deceit, the thug's attack on Joe, and Joe's desire to give up prostitution. By the story's end, they've lost Ellen, but they have one another, and have learned to step beyond the protective relationships they have lost. Three of Hearts solidified William Baldwin's ascent to leading-man status (along with brothers Stephen and Alec) after 1991's Backdraft. ~ Nick Sambides, Jr., All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, (more)
Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren play archenemies from beyond the grave in this action film. During the Vietnam War, Luc (Van Damme), hoping to be sent home, comes upon blood-crazy Scott (Lundgren), who is starting a one-man genocide program. When Luc tries to stop Scott's carnage, Scott fights back and they end up killing each other. But now the government gets involved, cryogenically freezing their corpses and using their bodies in a secret government project call "UniSols" --turning the dead men into android fighting machines. Luc and Scott are now metallic fighting members of a robot SWAT team. But Luc begin to have flashbacks to the final moments of his life in Vietnam, as does Scott, who recalls that one of his final thoughts was to kill Luc. Meanwhile, a snoopy reporter named Veronica (Ally Walker) stumbles upon the secret of the UniSols, and soon Luc is trying to save both himself and Veronica from the wrath of Scott, who is trying to kill them both. All of the action culminates in a wild chase between a prison bus and a UniSols van, racing around hairpin turns on desert precipices. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, (more)
A teenager in the '50s moves to a new neighborhood and has to deal with all the problems that come with it in this lighthearted feature--complete with a rock 'n' roll soundtrack. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Young, Keith Coogan, (more)
- 1990
Keith Michell dominates this episode in the role of Dennis Stanton, ex-jewel thief turned insurance investigator. While probing into a theft and double murder, Dennis decides to use his own criminal knowhow to trap the culprit. At the center of the intrigue is a rare silver dollar, an icy dowager, and a few random suspicious-looking gentlemen with accents. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Although penned by the same screenwriter, David S. Ward, this sequel to The Sting (1973) is tarnished by comparisons to its predecessor. Jackie Gleason fills the shoes of Paul Newman as Harry Gondorff and Mac Davis slips into the Robert Redford role of Johnny Hooker, two con men pals whose latest "sting" involves Hooker pretending to be a down on his luck boxer. Their goal is the fixing of a prizefight, which will rook a tacky nightclub owner (Karl Malden) out of a fortune while simultaneously getting revenge on their old nemesis, Doyle Lonnegan (Oliver Reed). On their side is Veronica (Teri Garr), a seasoned scam artist, but what Gondorff and Hooker don't know is that Lonnegan is manipulating events behind the scenes. Director Jeremy Paul Kagan followed up this terribly unfunny and inferior sequel with the much better received The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), while Ward became a director of such comedies as Major League (1989) and King Ralph (1991). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Gleason, Mac Davis, (more)
- 1982
In the conclusion of a two-part story, the cabbies recall the "turning points" in their own lives as Elaine (Marilu Henner) considers an offer to leave New York for a new job. In the course of events, Latka (Andy Kaufman) flashes back to the day he left his (unpronounceable) homeland to start life anew in the U.S., and Alex (Judd Hirsch) remembers the humiliating event which convinced him to kiss the corporate world goodbye. This was the final episode of Taxi's fourth season and the last one to be telecast on ABC before the series' move to rival NBC. ~ All Movie Guide
In this biting comedy satirizing Hollywood cynicism from writer-director Blake Edwards, Felix Farmer (Richard Mulligan) is a motion picture director whose career is on the skids. Having just completed a family musical that is sure to be a $30 million flop, Felix knows that his days are numbered and tries unsuccessfully to commit suicide. When he recovers, Felix suddenly has a brainstorm and hatches a scheme to buy the film back from his studio and lens new scenes that will turn it into a pornographic movie with big stars, a sure-fire box office winner. In order to pull it off, he'll need to convince his female lead and wife, Sally Miles (Julie Andrews, not coincidentally the director's real-life wife) to defy her wholesome, squeaky-clean public image by baring her breasts on film. S.O.B. (1981) was the final film of legendary actor William Holden. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Andrews, William Holden, (more)
Pop singer Neil Diamond stars in this ill-begotten second remake of Al Jolson's seminal 1927 musical The Jazz Singer. The moth-eaten story concerns a cantor's son who desires success as a pop singer, despite the wishes of his imperious father. The film takes place in the present day with Yussel Rabinowitz (Neil Diamond) playing a young (though middle-aged looking) cantor performing at the synagogue of his father (Laurence Olivier). Yussel is married and has settled down to a life of religious devotion to the teaching of his fath. But on the side, he writes songs for a black singing group, and when a member of the quartet takes ill, Yussel covers for him at one of their gigs by wearing blackface! The nightclub engagement is such a success that Yussel abandons his family -- and his father's synagogue -- and leaves his New York home for Los Angeles, hoping to break into the music business. Almost immediately he is spotted by spunky agent Molly Bell (Lucie Arnaz), who books him as an opening act for a touring comic. Yussel hits it big, but his father resents Yussel's forsaking their traditional Jewish ways. His father disowns him, rending his garments and bellowing, "I hef no son!" ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neil Diamond, Laurence Olivier, (more)
- 1978
After a retired police officer is found beaten, Kojak discovers that the ex-cop had been keeping an over-the-hill thoroughbread race horse in the police stables, in defiance of department rules. Now the old nag is missing, and Kojak wants to know why. Meanwhile, the horse's abductors are spreading the word throughout the racing world that they have a very valuable foal for sale to the highest bidder. Future Taxi costar Jeff Conaway appears in a supporting role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
When Carol's latest romance begins to adversely affect her job performance, Jerry takes it in stride, chalking it up to a professional hazard. When Carol's problems begin seeping into his own private life, it's too much to bear. Per the episode's title, Jerry has to fire Carol. Richard Schaal appears as Don, while other cast members include Dick Wilson (aka "Mr. Whipple") and Gene Blakely. Originally telecast on February 16, 1974, "By the Way...You're Fired!" was written by Barbara Gallegher and Sybil Adelman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1973
On the occasion of her 29th birthday, Carol quits her job, feeling unfulfilled as a woman. Before long, Carol has joined Bob's group-therapy session, with results better seen than described. Though essentially a showcase for series regular Marcia Wallace, this episode benefits from the comic knowhow of supporting players Jill Jaress, Don Barrow, and Jack Bender. First telecast January 13, 1973, "The Crash of 29 Years Old" was written by Charlotte Brown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1973
Emily accepts a full-time job with the Board of Education. Not keen on the idea in the first place, Bob becomes even more disapproving when he is left at the mercy of temporary maids and is forced to cook his own dinners. But how can he tell Emily to quit her job when she clearly finds her new responsibilities so fulfilling? Edward Winter guest stars as Professor Trainer. Written by Martin Cohan, "Emily, I'm Home...Emily?" was first telecast on February 17, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Newhart, Suzanne Pleshette, (more)
- 1971
Television newsman Harry Walsh (Leslie Nielsen) holds fast to the maxim "seeing is believing" in this political/medical thriller, with science-fiction overtones. Harry saw a well-known U.S. Senator (Bradford Dillman) have a car accident, and took video coverage on the scene. When he arrives at the hospital to follow up on the story, he is told that no such person is, or ever was there. Since the senator is a presidential hopeful, this is a very important story, and Harry keeps at it. His TV station, which ran a report on the accident, retracts the story with an apology when the senator's office calls with the story that the senator is on a fishing trip. Harry doesn't believe it. In a parallel story, the senator wakes up in a hospital with all sorts of transplanted organs, etc., when he should simply be dead. He discovers that his survival is part of a worldwide medical blackmail scheme involving world political leaders. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
