Deborah Lee Johnson Movies
- 2005
Three 12-year-old boys grow up a bit faster than they expected when an adventure takes an unforseen turn in this bittersweet comedy. Joe (Soren Fulton), Tiger (Matthew Borish), and Chris (Sam Semenza) are best friends growing up together in Allentown, PA. The three boys look to one another for support as they struggle with their personal issues -- Joe's big brother is in Europe, Tiger's dad is a cop who has developed a drinking problem, and Chris is a target for bullies since he's overweight. When Joe reads some open mail in his house that leads him to suspect his parents haven't been honest with him about a trip they're planning while he's away at baseball camp, he and his friends hit the road for Philadelphia to find out the truth. While Joe, Tiger, and Chris try at first to make the 60-mile trip on their bikes, the fates have other plans, and they soon turn to hitchhiking. The boys are picked up by a grubby guy named Rascal (Michael Dean), who en route sticks up a convenience store, and the three runaways aren't sure if they're hostages or accomplices as the police begin looking for them and Rascal at the same time. Rounding First was the first feature film from writer and director Jim Fleigner. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Soren Fulton, Matthew Borish, (more)
- 1996
In this sequel to the fifth-season episode "Coma," Larry Miller reprises the role of sleazy former comedy-club owner Michael Dobson. Having been acquitted of murdering his first wife, Dobson ends up the prime suspect when his second wife is killed while jogging in Central Park. Determined to nail Dobson once and for all, the detectives and the D.A.'s office hitch their hopes to a Columbian coin which has been illegally used as a subway token. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A cab driver is murdered, putting the detectives on a long and circuitous trail of clues. Along the way, such elements as a loan shark, a missing plumber, and a forged check determine the proceedings. Ultimately, the investigation focuses on the dead man's widow, Denise Johnson (Lisa Gay Hamilton) -- and, of course, Johnson's resourceful attorney, Brian Elliott (Michael Beach). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The made-for-TV Earth Angel stars Cathy Bodewell as Angela, a prom queen who dies in 1962. Unfortunately, Angela has not always lived up to her name, and her entry into Heaven is held up indefinitely. She is given a chance to redeem herself by returning to earth in 1990, where she is to successfully complete an important mission. Thing of it is, she has no idea what her mission is-though she suspects it has something to do with romance. Clearly intended as a hybrid of Ghost and Peggy Sue Got Married, Earth Angel was first telecast March 4, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cathy Podewell, Cindy Williams, (more)
Bill Murray co-directed (along with Howard Franklin) this mixture of The Out-of-Towners and After Hours, concerning Grimm (Bill Murray), a frustrated city planner who is fed up with the corruption and venality of New York City. Getting together a couple of accomplices -- Phyllis (Geena Davis), who admires Grimm for his audacity, and Loomis (Randy Quaid), a follower to Grimm's leader since grade school -- Grimm decides to rob a bank, pocket the money, get out of town and take off to tropical splendor. Dressing in a clown suit, Grimm devises a unique way to rob a bank -- taking a group of hostages at the bank and inviting the police to surround the bank. Amazingly, although pursued by a police chief (Jason Robards), the trio manage to pull off the robbery. However, the problems really start when they try to get from the bank to the airport -- which proves to be more difficult than the robbery. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Geena Davis, (more)
Actor Dan Aykroyd made his directorial debut with this bizarre comic fantasy. Financier Chris Thorne (Chevy Chase) hopes to impress beautiful Diane Lightson (Demi Moore), so he invites her along for a trip to Atlantic City, with a pair of wealthy Brazilians, Fausto (Taylor Negron) and Renalda (Bertila Damas) tagging along for the ride. After running a stop sign in a small town just off the New Jersey turnpike, Chris and his friends are pulled over and arrested by a motorcycle cop named Denis (John Candy). The travellers are brought before J.P. (Aykroyd), the ancient and vindictive Justice of the Peace in the very strange village of Valkevania, where minor traffic offenses are usually punished by torture or death. While Fausto and Renalda are able to escape, Chris and Diane find themselves trapped in a bizarre underground maze in which fellow tourists like themselves must fight for their lives. Keep an eye peeled for the screen debut of Tupac Shakur, who appears as a member of the rap group Digital Underground. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
A clueless caveman meets his intellectual match in the form of Pauly Shore in this teen-oriented comedy. Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) is a high school student in Encino, California, where he spends most of his time with his dazed-and-confused buddy Stoney Brown (Shore) and tries to figure out why his girlfriend Robyn (Megan Ward) left him for thick-headed jock Matt (Michael DeLuise). Hoping to boost his low status in the High School pecking order, Dave wants to put in a swimming pool at his family's home for a massive post-prom party. While Dave and Stoney are digging the pit, an earthquake strikes that unearths a frozen caveman (Brendan Fraser). To Dave and Stoney's surprise, the frozen Neanderthal soon comes to life, and after a bath, a shave, and a new set of clothes, the boys are passing off their dim-witted-but-friendly companion "Link" as an exchange student from Estonia. Link soon becomes the most popular guy at school, and Dave is determined to use Link's social success as a way to win back Robyn and foil Matt. Encino Man marked the directorial debut of Les Mayfield, who previously produced the critically acclaimed documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Pauly Shore, (more)
