John Marshall Jones Movies
- 2002
Piecing together elements from such past series as The Profiler, Quantum Leap, and the 1967 cult classic Coronet Blue, John Doe starred Dominic Purcell as the title character. Awakening naked on a desert island, the hero eventually washed up in Seattle, where he quickly gained a reputation as a walking encyclopedia of arcane facts. If one wanted to know how many dimples there were on a golf ball, or the name of the ruler of Peru in the early 16th century, all one had to do was ask "John Doe," who literally knew all the answers save one: He had no idea who he really was, where he had come from, or how he had managed to accumulate so much knowledge. Even so, John offered the benefit of his expertise to the police to solve baffling crimes and missing-persons cases. While some of the authorities welcomed his input, there were those who thought there was something very fishy -- if not other-worldly -- about the enigmatic Mr. Doe. As expected, each hour-long episode provided tiny clues as to the protagonist's identity, but never enough to give the whole game away. John Doe debuted amidst much publicity fanfare on September 20, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic Purcell, Azura Skye, (more)
- 2001
"Bailey's Mistake" is the apt cognomen for a dismal, virtually uninhabitable island off the coast of Maine. Upon finding that the island was secretly purchased by her late husband, impoverished widow Liz Donovan (Linda Hamilton) heads "down east" to discover just what it was about Bailey's Mistake that compelled the deceased Mr. Donovan to squander all of his money on it. Before long, Liz and her two children are plunged into a mystery of Gothic dimensions, involving such elements as a man with a tail, a woman who calls herself "the Other Mrs. Donovan," a demonic land-grabber, airborne youngsters, eccentric Irish faith healers, a voracious goat, and a drunken cat. Originally aired by ABC as a two-hour episode of the Wonderful World of Disney anthology, Bailey's Mistake premiered on March 18, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Hamilton, Kyle Secor, (more)
The classic 1955-59 sitcom The Phil Silvers Show (also known as "You'll Never Get Rich" in its first few episodes) became this high concept comedy with an all-star cast. Steve Martin stars as U.S. Army Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko, a conniving motor pool supervisor who uses his position to finance various get-rich-quick schemes, including illegal gambling, at a Kansas military base. His commanding officer, Colonel Hall (Dan Aykroyd) is mostly oblivious to Bilko's antics. Trouble arrives when the master sergeant's old rival, Major Thorn (Phil Hartman), appears. It seems that Thorn, the butt of several past Bilko capers, is eager to settle the score by spearheading a review of Bilko's records and stealing away his fiancée Rita (Glenne Headley), who may have been left at the altar one too many times. At the same time, military engineer Major Ebersole (Austin Pendleton) is testing a new high-tech "hover tank" that may not be quite ready for deployment. Directed by light comedy specialist ($Jonathan Lynn, who brought a similar touch to My Cousin Vinny (1992) and Greedy (1994), the updated Sgt. Bilko costarred Cathy Silvers, daughter of the TV show's late star, as Lieutenant Monday. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
- 1995
Connie Sellecca portrays another 1990s woman in peril in this made-for-television thriller. Sellecca stars as Sharon Blake, a successful career woman who has a passionate affair with a possessive man (Gregory Harrison). When she tries to break off the relationship though, she uncovers the dark side of her former lover, who starts stalking and harassing her. Harrison (Trapper John, M.D.) is effectively creepy as the obsessed, spurned ex-lover. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Connie Sellecca, Gregory Harrison, (more)
- 1995
Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) feels she is under attack from all sides when Kayson (Sam Anderson) draws up charges against her vis-à-vis the Vennerbeck death, and ER chief Morganstern (William H. Macy) reprimands her for her lack of self-confidence. Elsewhere, Greene (Anthony Edwards) tends to a human "mule" who has secreted a half-kilo of cocaine in his stomach. Benton (Eriq La Salle) conducts a desperate search for his missing mother. And Carter (Noah Wyle) offers to help fellow med student Deb (Ming-Na) as she deals with an emotionally disturbed patient. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- R
Noted independent film producer Peter McCarthy made his writing and directing debut (Angie Brown served as co-director) with this surreal comedy. John Boyz (James LeGros) is an aimless sad sack who is wandering Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 riots. John is in an unclear state of mind; he can't find a job (and doesn't really want one), the IRS has confiscated his money, his girlfriend Jessica (Lisa Zane) is sleeping around, he can't figure out what the beautiful but mysterious Elle (Marzita Rivera) wants from him, his drug-addicted brother Jimmy (Ethan Hawke) needs 3,000 dollars for a detox program, and police chief Merryl Fence (Nelson Lyon) is encouraging the citizens of L.A. to kill themselves. A stellar roster of actors and musicians appear in cameo roles, including John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Piven, Dave Navarro, Dave Alvin, and Exene Cervenka. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James LeGros, John Cusack, (more)
- 1994
In this drama, a woman attempts to recovering following a bout of schizophrenia. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1993
At the request of the girl's father, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) allows her student Dashawn Curtis (Jonell Green) to stay at her house over the weekend. Appalled at Dashawn's tomboyish behavior, Whitley admonishes her to act more like a lady--resulting in chaos when Dashawn decides to play a few practical jokes. Meanwhile, Ron (Darryl M. Bell) and Freddie (Cree Summer) put together a dance marathon as a fundraiser for Amnesty International, which nearly degenerates into a riot thanks to Ron's money-grubbing tactics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Ron Shelton (Bull Durham) wrote and directed the basketball-oriented seriocomedy White Men Can't Jump. Woody Harrelson plays Billy Hoyle, a white con artist who hustles basketball games with black players, lulling his victims into the misguided notion that white men can't match up with black hoopsters. One of his victims, African-American Sidney Deane (Wesley Snipes), becomes Hoyle's "agent," arranging his various inner city scams. Deane doesn't feel as though he's selling out his own people; he goes along with Hoyle to provide a better life for his wife, Rhonda (Tyra Ferrell), and son. The film breezes through several zany sequences, including one liberal-baiting satirical moment set at a black/white "solidarity" basketball game arranged by an ambitious politician. Crooked gamblers intrude upon the last scenes of the film, but Hoyle is rescued by his girlfriend, Gloria (Rosie Perez), a Jeopardy freak who realizes a lifelong dream by winning big on the Alex Trebek-hosted game show. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes, (more)
A doctor finds out the hard way that there's more to medicine than skill in the operating theater in this emotional drama. Jack McKee (William Hurt) is a gifted but arrogant surgeon who cares little about the emotional welfare of his patients and is little more than a benign stranger to his wife Anne (Christine Lahti) and his son Nicky (Charlie Korsmo). Jack has been suffering from a nagging cough for some time, and when he begins coughing up blood one morning, he finally allows another doctor to take a look at him. The doctor discovers that Jack has a malignant tumor in his throat that could rob him of the ability to speak, or even kill him. Suddenly, Jack is a patient instead of a doctor, and he learns first hand about the long stretches in the waiting room, the indignity of filling out pointless forms, and the callous attitude of the professional medical community. Jack also gets to know June (Elizabeth Perkins), a terminal cancer patient whose joyous embrace of life as her time draws to a close is an inspiration to him. Restored to health, Jack is determined to be a more caring healer and strives to be a better husband and father, but his new lease on life also earns him an enemy in fellow surgeon Murray (Mandy Patinkin), who wants Jack to lie under oath for him in a major malpractice case; and a new respect for Eli (Alan Arkin), an ear-nose-throat man he used to ridicule for his empathetic treatment of his patients. The Doctor was based on the memoir of real-life surgeon Ed Rosenbaum, entitled "A Taste of My Own Medicine." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hurt, Christine Lahti, (more)
James Belushi and Charles Grodin team up for this variation on the Prince and the Pauper. Belushi plays Jimmy Dworski, a convicted car thief, serving time in a minimum security prison. But when Jimmy wins a pair of tickets to the World Series from a radio call-in show, he can't resist walking out of jail, particularly when the warden won't even let the inmates watch the series on television. Grodin plays rich workaholic Spencer Barnes, who, when his wife walks out on him right before a long-planned vacation, leaves his datebook in an airport telephone booth. Happening upon Spencer's datebook is Jimmy, who simply intends to return the datebook to Spencer for a 1,000-dollar reward. But when he finds the datebook contains his credit cards, Jimmy assumes Spencer's identity, living the good life and dating the boss's daughter, while making his way to Malibu to return the property to Spencer. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Belushi, Charles Grodin, (more)
Dudley Moore stars as Emory Lesson, an advertising genius whose finds himself committed to an insane asylum in Tony Bill's Crazy People. Emory becomes tired with creating phony ad campaigns and decides to create his own campaigns that tell the brutal truth. Since sex sells, Emory designs an explicit ad campaign consisting of unadorned sexuality. The campaign is so offensive that his colleagues have Emory put in a mental institution. At first Emory resists, but under the tutelage of a concerned psychiatrist, Dr. Liz Baylor (Mercedes Ruehl) and the tender love of Kathy (Daryl Hannah) a beautiful patient, Emory begins to like it in the mental home. Befriending the cute and lovable patients in the mental ward, Emory discovers that the crazy people are natural-born advertising geniuses and Emory utilizes their genius for a new ad campaign. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Daryl Hannah, (more)
