Bill Kalmenson
- 2004
Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) has been forced to kill Chappelle (Paul Schulze). Back at CTU, it's determined that Saunders (Paul Blackthorne) has a 19-year-old daughter to whom he's been sending money. She's a student at UC Santa Barbara. Knowing that Saunders probably has surveillance on her, Jack tells Tony (Carlos Bernard) that they'll have to do a "plain sight swap," replacing the girl with a double so Saunders won't know she's missing. The closest match they can come up with for Jane Saunders (Alexandra Lydon) is, sadly, Kim (Elisha Cuthbert). Tony gives Kim the assignment, despite Chloe's (Mary Lynn Rajskub) reservations. But when Jack gets back to CTU and finds out about it, he goes ballistic. Kim manages to convince him that it's her duty. Jack gives her a gun, just in case. They take a chopper to UCSB, where the switch is made in the ladies' room of the library where Jane works. Kim isn't enough of a physical match to fool anyone who gets too close, and that's just what happens, forcing Kim to use that gun. Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) meets with his Cabinet and tells them what's happened with the hotel, and informs them that he's had a CTU agent murdered to meet the terrorist's demand. Meanwhile, Chase (James Badge Dale) goes to interrogate Susan Cole (Jenni Blong), the wife of the man who left the Chandler Plaza Hotel, and that man, William Cole (Patrick Fabian), goes to a pharmacy and then an emergency room, complaining of a nosebleed that just won't stop. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Don Cheadle makes his first series appearance as Paul Nathan, an overaged med student who chose to enter school only after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. During his first shift, Nathan plunges in to help the other staffers treat the victims of a Halloween party fire -- whereupon his colleagues notice that he doesn't react all that well to intense pressure. In other developments, Corday (Alex Kingston) and Romano (Paul McCrane) battle over a patient who may be facing an amputation; despite her recent erratic behavior, Weaver (Laura Innes) tries to save a baby who was all but killed in a home birth gone awry; and the romance between Chuny (Laura Ceron) and Kovac (Goran Visnjic) is sabotaged by his insatiable addiction to sex. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Grissom (William L. Petersen), Nick (George Eads), and Sara (Jorja Fox) would seem to have an open-and-shut case on their hands when a suspect is caught burying a body that has been shot three times. But, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence, Grissom doubts that the suspect is the guilty party. And in another development, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Warrick (Gary Dourdan) must determine if a woman found dead in a health spa locker room was a victim of natural causes, murder -- or something else. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this romantic comedy, LA stand-up comic Barry (Christopher Meloni) and dentist Robert (Timothy Busfield) are longtime buddies. Barry has a rocky relationship with feminist activist Thea (Janel Moloney) who begins to find his glib, one-liner approach to life annoying. She drifts off to campaign for candidate Jerry Brown. Meanwhile, Robert has a different kind of problem -- dealing with his lesbian wife (Allison Mackie). Comic Steve Landesberg portrays himself. Shown at the AFI/Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Meloni, Janel Moloney, (more)
- 1991
- R
When an archaeologist uncovers an ancient Norse power stone, he returns with it to his New York City home. Too bad for the relic-digger, because it's not long before an evil spirit is projected from the stone into the archaeologist, turning him into a hairy beast. And too bad for the people of NYC, because this hairy beast goes on a vicious marauding spree that befuddles the local police. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Riegert, Joan Severance, (more)
Joan Micklin Silver's farce stars Patrick Dempsey as a pizza delivery boy who begins satisfying the romantic needs of a group of bored Beverly Hills housewives. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Dempsey, Kate Jackson, (more)
- 1987
Deborah Harmon appears as Mimi, who'd been the high school arch-rival of Peg Bundy (Katey Sagal). Time has passed, but the two ladies still detest each other, a fact which leads to Peg challenging Mimi to a "duel" in the local bowling alley. Unfortunately, the Bundy bowling team comes up short thanks to the improvidence of son Bud (David Faustino)--but never fear, Steve Rhodes (David Garrison) is on hand as the family's "honorary" son. This is the first episode to feature the infamous "Bundy Cheer." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
LA cop Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson), whose wife has recently died, is a loose cannon with a seeming death wish. This makes him indispensable in collaring dangerous criminals, but a liability to any potential partners. Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover), a conservative family man who wants to stay alive for his upcoming 50th birthday, is partnered with Riggs. As Riggs gets to know Murtaugh and his family, he begins to mellow, though his insistence on using guerilla tactics to catch criminals is still (put mildly) above and beyond the call of duty. The main villain is The General (Mitchell Ryan), a drug dealer responsible for the death of the daughter of one of Murtaugh's oldest friends. The General is also in charge of a deadly, militia-like gang of smugglers. Adding fuel to the fire is The General's chief henchman, played with all stops out by Gary Busey. Moviegoers familiar only with the relatively tongue-in-cheek Lethal Weapon sequels may be amazed to find out how dangerous and unpredictable Riggs is in the first Lethal Weapon -- and how likely it seems that Murtaugh might not survive until fade-out time. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, (more)
