John Karlen Movies
Stocky, blondish character actor John Karlen gained a mid-1966s following as Willie Loomis (and several other roles) on the Gothic TV soap opera Dark Shadows. Thereafter, Karlen became a fixture in other Dan Curtis productions, appearing in such feature-length Curtis endeavors as House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Trilogy of Terror (1973). In 1987, Karlen won an Emmy for his portrayal of Harvey Lacey, the contractor husband of Mary Beth Lacey (Tyne Daly), on the TV series Cagney and Lacey (1982-88); two years later he co-starred on the less successful video weekly Snoops. John Karlen's TV movie credits include the role of Jerry Barr in the execrable Roseanne: An Unauthorized Biography (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
In the first episode of a two-part story, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is in Ireland, staying at a bed-and-breakfast at Ballynook Castle. Rumor has it that the castle is haunted by the ghost of a murdered woman, and the locals are convinced that the spirt is responsible for the death of a kitchen worker. Suspecting that the victim was murdered by "live" culprits who are searching for a hidden treasure, Jessica follows a trail of clues that may well lead her into a death trap! Rod Taylor and Fionnula Flanagan, both of whom had appeared in previous episodes filmed in Ireland, show up here in different roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is still in Ireland, investigating the mysterious (and deadly) goings-on at ancient Ballynook Castle. In her efforts to prove that a legendary ghost was not responsible for the death of a kitchen worker, Jessica had become trapped in the castle's dank and gloomy dungeon. Meanwhile, the genuine culprits, who may or may not be involved in an intricate antique-smuggling scheme, remain at large. Rod Taylor and Fionnula Flanagan, both of whom had appeared in previous episodes filmed in Ireland, show up here in different roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
New York's toughest lady detectives re-team to solve the murder of a homeless transient who had been terrorizing the residents of a posh apartment building with screaming threats, insults and physical intimidation. Though the cops think the culprit is another street person, Cagney and Lacey believe the real killer is one of the tenants, many of whom have ample reason to have murdered the boorish bum. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Gless, Tyne Daly, (more)
- 1995
This "very special" episode goes back in time to recount the hectic three months leading up to the wedding of Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt). Last minute complications include a call from Aunt Selma, a tiff over Incan gifts, and a detour to a manhole. And wait till you see who performs the ceremony (hint: Julia Roberts is not among the guests). Originally telecast in a single hour-long time slot, this episode has since been divided into two half-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This "very special" episode goes back in time to recount the hectic three months leading up to the wedding of Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt). Among other matters of importance, the couple must decide upon the appropriate nuptial music: "Color My World," "Alley Cat," or "The Hokey Pokey"? Originally telecast in a single hour-long time slot, this episode has since been divided into two half-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In 1994 -- six years after the final episode of the groundbreaking 1980s television crime drama Cagney & Lacey -- Sharon Gless and Tyne Daly reprised their iconic roles for the first of four TV-movie sequels. Cagney & Lacey: The Return finds the now-retired Lacey reuniting with the now-married Cagney for a case involving weapons smuggling, all while dealing with women's issues such as career, marriage, parenthood -- and, this time around, menopause -- in the trademark style that made the parent show such a cultural touchstone. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tyne Daly, Sharon Gless, (more)
- 1994
Murray the dog "teams" with Kim the grocer (played by Ping Wu) to provide five turkeys for Jamie's ten-person buffet thanksgiving. Among the guests is Aunt Lolly (Meg Wyllie in her first series appearance) -- but whose aunt is she? And will the marshmallows hold out? This is the episode in which John Karlen and Penny Fuller take over the roles of Jamie's parents, Gus and Theresa Stemple. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Also known as Surf Warriors, this film is a low-budget, offbeat comedy aimed at the teen audience. Two young surfer dudes from southern California, Johnny (Ernie Reyes, Jr.) and Adam (Nicolas Cowen), have their lives changed when they discover that they are heirs to the crown of Patu San, an obscure South Pacific island nation. The country's throne has been taken over by an incompetent, evil warlord, Colonel Chi (Leslie Nielsen). As the two surfer heroes travel to Patu San to regain the throne, Colonel Chi sends mercenaries to stop them. Johnny and Adam find that they have been given magical powers to help them in their quest -- one of them becomes instantly skilled at kung fu, and the other has psychic powers. Rap music artist Tone Loc plays one of Colonel Chi's henchmen, Lieutenant Spence. Martial arts sequences dominate the fighting scenes, which evoke the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles craze of the era. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernie Reyes, Jr., Rob Schneider, (more)
Noted documentary filmmaker Errol Morris made his dramatic feature debut with this story about murder and other dirty dealings on an American Indian reservation. Recent college graduate Jim Chee (Lou Diamond Phillips) has just taken a job with the Navajo Reservation Police in Arizona, where he helps keep the peace with his superior Joe Leaphorn (Fred Ward) on land earmarked for joint use by Navajo and Hopi tribes. Cowboy Dashee (Gary Farmer), a sheriff from the Hopi law enforcement group, discovers a decaying and unidentified body in the desert, an event he thinks may be linked to a recent robbery at the reservation's trading post. The shop's Hopi manager, Jake West (John Karlen), is convinced that Joe Musket, a Navajo drug dealer and ne'er-do-well, is responsible, and as Chee and Leaphorn investigate the murder, the robbery, and a mysterious plane crash, they find themselves drawn into a web of corruption, prejudice, and deceit. Dark Wind was based on a novel by noted crime author Tony Hillerman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Fred Ward, (more)
- 1992
This episode marks the first appearance of Sean Culhane (George Hearn) a retired Irish detective now serving on the same Manhattan University faculty as Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). After being heard threatening the life of an old enemy from the Auld Sod--a contractor who had recently relocated to New York--Culhane is charged with the man's murder. Jessica of course is convinced that Culhane is being framed, and she won't rest until she is proven right. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
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This fact-based drama follows the flight of a Milwaukee woman wrongly convicted for murdering her husband's ex-wife. Hoping to have a chance for a re-trial she escapes from prison and heads for Canada. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason proves that a famous illusionist is innocent of deliberately killing his assistant during a spectacular stage stunt. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
In this two-part made for TV movie, a woman (Valerie Bertinelli) fights for the custody of her sister's son after the sister is murdered by her husband.. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Michael Ontkean, (more)
- 1990
In this made-for-cable television horror thriller, a travel writer visits a historic hotel to write a story about it and inadvertently finds herself on the 13th floor where she witnesses a Satanic rite and tangles with an axe-wielding killer. She escapes, but no one believes her story because the hotel has no 13th floor. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
The death of Jessica's role model, Agatha Christie-like mystery novelist Lady Abigail Austin (June Havoc), sets Jessica (Angela Lansbury) to thinking of an incident back in 1947 in which Lady Abigail was involved in a real-life murder case. In an extended flashback, the action takes place on board the luxury liner "Queen Mary", where an ex-Gestapo officer has been stabbed to death--and Lady Abigail is the primary suspect. The presence of a father-son team of detectives (played by John Karlen and Gary Kroeger) suggests that this episode may have actually been intended for an earlier Richard Levinson-William Link TV mystery series, Ellery Queen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Julia Duffy is the cover girl and Dinah Manoff the cop in this made-for-TV contrivance. When dim-witted model Duffy witnesses a murder, short-fused officer Manhoff is assigned to protect her. Would you be shocked if we informed you that the ladies drive each other crazy? But never fear: they forget their differences long enough to jointly nab the killer at the end. Filmed on location in Washington DC, Cover Girl and the Cop trounced in the ratings by the vastly superior The Ryan White Story when it first aired on January 16, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Babycakes is an American remake of the raucous 1988 German comedy Sugarbaby. A pre-talkshow Ricki Lake stars as Grace Johnson, who works as a cosmetician in a funeral parlor. The elephantine Grace falls in love with pencil-thin ice skater Rob Harrison (Craig Sheffer). Despite Harrison's indifference, Grace maps out a meticulous campaign to overwhelm and seduce her dream lover. Made for TV, Babycakes had its premiere on February 14, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1988
In this crime drama, an exhausted vice cop finds himself teetering on the brink of an emotional and mental breakdown as he contemplates a failed love-affair, and the suicide of a good friend. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Down payment on Murder is a fact-based TV movie starring Connie Sellecca as a battered wife. For ten years she has been the punching bag of her real-estate agent husband, played with brilliant repugnance by Ben Gazzara. When Connie moves out, Gazzara is convinced that it's because of another man; his twisted ego suffers a further blow when she is given custody of the children and police protection. With the help of a security guard with mob connections, Gazzara hires a hit man (G.W.Bailey) to kill his estranged wife. Down payment on Murder is drawn out far too long to sustain its suspense, but its neat surprise ending compensates for the duller passages. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Daddy" is Dermot Mulroney--a high-school-age kid who has no clue of what he's in for. Mulroney has gotten his girlfriend Patricia Arquette pregnant, less out of callousness than naivete. Arquette drops out of school, thinking she can drop back in anytime, while Mulroney puts his music lessons on hold for the "duration," also treating the situation as temporary. The film is remarkable in conveying the principles' utter lack of preparedness for their upcoming parental responsibilities. Some critics felt that the film should have been required viewing for teens who think themselves wise beyond their years simply because they've discovered sex. Made for TV, Daddy was first telecast April 5, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Timothy Williams plays a top high-schooler: Straight As, star athlete, the works. When he's arrested in a street drug bust, it becomes public knowledge that the boy has had a homosexual experience with an older man. In an instant, he is harassed by his classmates, who circulate a petition demanding his expulsion. The boy is also shunned by his aggressively macho father Tony Lo Bianco. The worst aspect of the "scandal" is the fact that the boy himself has no idea whether he's really gay or not. Made for TV, Welcome Home, Bobby raises several issues that its fair-to-middling screenplay is unable to satisfactorily handle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
- PG
Previously filmed in Argentina in 1951, black author Richard Wright's powerful race-conscious novel Native Son was remade in this barely released 1986 version. The story involves Bigger Thomas (Victor Thomas), an angry Depression-era Chicago black who hopes to elevate himself through his chauffeur's job with a prosperous white Gold Coast family. The family's daughter (Elizabeth McGovern) takes advantage of Bigger's servile status by ordering him to drive her to a rendezvous with her communist-activist lover (Matt Dillon). Their "parlor liberal" attitude both pleases and confuses Bigger, as do the girl's apparent sexual advance towards him. One evening, Bigger drives the girl home after she's gotten herself drunk. She flirts harmlessly with him in her bedroom; when her blind mother (Carroll Baker) stumbles onto the scene, the terrified Bigger, certain that he'll be accused of rape, tries to muffle the girl so she can't talk. He accidentally kills her, whereupon the panicky Bigger hides the body and tries to pin the girl's "kidnapping" on her lover. Tragedy piles upon tragedy before Bigger's climactic murder trial and execution; throughout, we are given the impression that this sorry state of affairs would never have taken place without the black-white tensions and divisiveness that existed in 1930s, and which still exist to this day. During the trial scene, TV talk host Oprah Winfrey makes a heavily-made-up cameo appearance as Bigger's mother. The whole scene has the earmarks of an "Oscar clip," but Oprah's excessive histrionics pale in comparison to her brilliant, well-modulated performance in the earlier The Color Purple. The 1986 version of Native Son was co-produced by PBS' American Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll Baker, Akosua Busia, (more)
- 1986
The made-for-TV Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer was so named for two reasons. For one, this 1986 production appeared after two previous "Hammer" TV movies and a brief weekly series. For another, star Stacy Keach was returning to American television after a British prison term for possession of narcotics. Keach settles into the Hammer role as though he'd never left, taking on the assignment of protecting the young daughter of a movie star (Lauren Hutton). The child is kidnapped right under Mike's nose, and while trying to retrieve her, Hammer discovers that there's a lot more to the case that either the movie actress or the authorities have told him--including a Deep Dark Secret that reaches back to the jungles of VietNam. As with the Mike Hammer series itself, Return of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer seems to owe more to Ross ("Lew Archer") McDonald than to Spillane. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
