Suzanne Kent Movies

Larry (Larry David) locks himself out of his car, and learns that the drive-thru window at Jack-in-the-Box does not accept walk-thru customers. He despairs until Peter (Frank Whaley), a friendly passing motorist, agrees to give him a lift. Jeff (Jeff Garlin) arrives, and gives Larry the bad news about Richard (Richard Lewis): he needs a kidney transplant. Because the comic's cousin refuses to give up any of his organs while he's still alive, Richard is hoping that a close friend will come through. Larry's response is, "I have to choose healthier friends." Eventually he gets into a conflict with Jeff about which of them should offer to give Richard a kidney. Also, Larry aggravates two different receptionists, one by revealing too little information, the other by revealing too much. He also argues with Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) over what constitutes "snuggling" ("I'm using the ass as a lever to draw you in! That's all!") and debates the rules of "Eenie Meenie Minee Mo" with Jeff. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Penelope Ann Miller's delightful performance as the shy, part-time librarian Betty Lou Perkins is the saving grace of this comedy from Touchstone Pictures. Betty Lou is the neglected wife of small-town police detective Alex Perkins (Eric Thal). She soon feels even more neglected when Alex can't make their anniversary dinner because he has to investigate a brutal motel room slaying. Taking her dog for a walk, Betty Lou finds a gun by the river's edge that just happens to be the missing murder weapon in Alex's murder investigation. In order to get some attention, she announces that she was the one who committed the murder. Hauled behind bars, Betty Lou gets some quick assertiveness training from her cell-mate, hard-boiled prostitute Reba Bush (Cathy Moriarty). She also becomes an instant media celebrity, with crowds clamoring around her and television news reporters elevating her to legendary status. But Alex doesn't believe she committed the murder (she tells him the dead man was her lover) and continues investigating the crime. Her husband is not the only one who's suspicious -- the FBI wants to use her to lure crime lord Beaudeen (William Forsythe), who they suspect actually committed the murder, out into the open. It turns out the FBI is right; Beaudeen killed the motel room victim because he planned to blackmail him with an incriminating cassette. Beaudeen is convinced that Betty Lou has the tape and musters his forces to get it from her one way or another. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

In Randal Kleiser's entertaining adaptation of Jack London's classic novel White Fang, Ethan Hawke plays Jack Conroy, a young man who travels to Alaska with the intent of finding his father's lost gold mine. During the course of his travels, he's accompanied by a big white wolf that he rescued from a professional dog fight promoter. Conroy and the wolf, which he names White Fang, have a number of adventures and make a few enemies on their way to finding the gold mine. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Today's secret word is "Fast", which is what Pee-wee's feet have to be when Mrs. Renee learns how to tango. Also quick on his pedal extremities is Cowboy Curtis, who demonstrates his skill on rollerskates. This episode is so much fun that Jambi helps the gang relive the experience, via rewind and fast-forward. And you kids at home can do it too! "Tango Time" was first released on video in tandem with "Front Page Pee-wee in Volume 11 of Pee-wee's Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Today's secret word is "Place." In this instance, the place (SCREAM REAL LOUD!) is Japan, whence came Pee-wee's houseguest Oki-Doki (Joey Miyashima). Smugly, Pee-wee intends to teach his friend the ways of the West, but instead learns a few lessons himself about such traditional Japanese items as origami, sushi and (via stock footage) Gamera the Turtle-Headed Monster. "Accidental Playhouse" was released on video in tandem with "Playhouse Day" in Volume 12 of Pee-wee's Playhouse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This fact-based TV drama recounts the trial of a California couple (Judge Reinhold and Rosanna Arquette) charged with manslaughter after their diabetic son died because they withheld his insulin due to their belief that a miracle from God would save him. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

The big news for season two of Pee-Wee's Playhouse is the selfsame Playhouse's "new look"--which extends to redesigning several puppet characters, notably Globey. Though Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens), Miss Yvonne (Lynne Stewart), Cowboy Curtis (Laurence Fishburne), and many other regulars are still in attendance, there are also several new faces including Suzanne Kent as neighbor lady Mrs. Rene and William Marshall as the King of Cartoons, replacing the previous season's Gilbert Lewis. The season's ten half-hour episodes include "Open House," in which Pee-wee supervises the Playhouse's makeover; "Puppy in the Playhouse," wherein our hero tries to adopt a doggy that already belongs to one of his best friends, Reba the Mail Lady (S. Epatha Merkerson); "Store," wherein Miss Yvonne goes shopping at Pee-Wee's imaginary convenience shop; "Pee-Wee Catches a Cold," an object lesson in how anything can be cured with a good dose of chicken soup; "Why Wasn't I Invited," in which a misunderstanding almost causes Pee-Wee to miss the Countess' big party; "Tons of Fun," highlighted by a lip-synched performance "That Certain Feeling" (original artist: Bob Hope); "School," which brings Christopher Columbus briefly back to the land of the living; "Spring," a study in disconsolation as Pee-Wee fails to make the baseball team; "Playhouse in Outer Space," which proves that even a secret word like "Zyzzybalubah" can crop up in casual conversation; and "Pajama Party," which delivers just what the title promises (and it's co-ed, too!) For its second season, Pee-Wee's Playhouse earned still another Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Children's Series. ~ All Movie Guide

Love Lives On is the apotheosis of all made-for-TV "problem" films. The focus is on 15-year-old Susan Wallace (Mary Stuart Masterson), who in the course of the film's 97 minutes runs the gamut of crises from drug addiction to unwed pregnancy to cancer. In the climax, poor Susan must decide whether or not to bring into the world a baby that may be even less healthy than she. Add to this mixture the alcoholic father and battered mother of Susan's erstwhile boy friend, and one has the quintessential "disease of the week" flick--though, incredibly, it is all based on actual events. The film earned an Emmy award for "Lullaby", an original song by Douglas Brayfield and James Di Pasquale. Love Lives On made its ABC network debut on April 1, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jack Lemmon stars in Mass Appeal as a popular Los Angeles parish priest, who has retained the good will of his parishioners by cracking jokes and never taking a stand on crucial matters. Enter young seminarian Zeljko Ivanek, whose rebellious reputation threatens to earn him an expulsion. Lemmon is expected to bring Ivanek around to the Church's "party line," but the younger man resists the older man's advice--quite loudly at times. The audience is fully aware that, by film's end, Ivanek will have converted Lemmon instead of the other way around, but the sheer joy of watching two superb actors at work transcends the story's predictability. Mass Appeal was based on a play by Bill C. Davis, and produced by none other than the widow of McDonalds mogul Ray Kroc. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Tom Smothers and Carol Kane co-star with Paul Reubens and Judge Reinhold in this uneven comedy spoof of slasher films. Sergeant Cooper (Smothers) is a Canadian Mountie who investigates the death of cheerleaders attending a summer camp at Indiana's It Had To Be University. Cameo appearances by Eve Arden, Kaye Ballard, Eileen Brennan, Tab Hunter, and Donald O'Connor fail to add anything to the thin, sophomoric plot. This film should not be confused with the similarly titled 1988 Australian feature directed by Hadyn Keenan. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Here, the dope-smoking duo are working on an ice-cream truck, and their specially treated confections are more than just a hit for the kids. Nice Dreams is the third in the series. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

A group of religious leaders is up in arms over a WKRP program starring self-styled preacher Little Ed Pembrook (Michael Keenan). In additon to making a farce of all things spiritual, Little Ed insists upon promoting such questionable religious icons as "Baptist shower curtains." But inasmuch as the 300-pound preacher used to be a professional wrestler, no one at the station has the guts to question his ethics--dumping the problem into the trembling hands of Andy (Gary Sandy) and Carlson (Gordon Jump). This is the final episode of WKRP in Cincinnati's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide