Terry Kiser Movies

Chicagoan Terry Kiser has been a member of the movie character-actor pool since 1968. Kiser hasn't exactly scaled the heights of fame with such films as Friday the 13th Part VII, but he has paid his bills on time. His TV work has included a stint as Dr. John Rice on NBC's The Doctors, a recurring role as reporter Al Craven on the popular sitcom Night Court, and a sojourn as a member of Carol Burnett's repertory players on 1990's Carol & Company. Terry Kiser's most memorably recent film assignment has been as the scene-stealing corpse (!) in the two Weekend at Bernie's comedies of the 1990s. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
2001  
 
As Jane (Clea DuVall) puts it, "I keep trying to kill myself, but I keep getting interrupted," and a close look at her life gives a reasonable idea of why she's depressed about her current state of affairs in this dark, absurdist comedy. Jane hasn't been able to block out much of a career path, earning a meager living as a waitress at a low-rent greasy spoon; her boyfriend (Judson Mills) is an aspiring musician with little talent and even less charm; and her roommates -- Gina (Jennifer Aspen), a struggling actress, and Marvin (Richmond Arquette), a writer who can't write -- are driving her up the wall. Deciding she needs to do something, Jane embarks on a life of crime, getting a gun and giving robbery a try, with Gina and Marvin as her accomplices. Jane isn't much of a thief, however, netting little more than a few cases of Spam, and Gina and Marvin are not much of a help; desperate, she decides to take a stab at kidnapping, with a big-time film producer (Stanley DeSantis) as her target. See Jane Run was the debut feature from writer and director Sarah Thorp. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Clea DuvallKevin Corrigan, (more)
1996  
 
When avaricious land developers threaten the pristine forest playground of local children, a mythical spirit appears to help them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Chuck NorrisTerry Kiser, (more)
1995  
 
Plagued throughout his life by fuzzy, disturbing memories, Coloradoan William Coit Jr. (Neil Patrick Harris) realizes that these memories may put a crimp in the happiness of his recent marriage. In his efforts to get at the root of his anxieties, Coit ruminates over his unhappy, unstable childhood -- and his much-married mother Jill (Bonnie Bartlett), who, in addition to her other peccadillos, has cheated her children out of their late father's inheritance. Can it be possible that the wanton Jill actually murdered William's father? And if so, what horrors are in store for Jill's brand-new husband (number ten!) if William does not take immediate action? Based on a true story, Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story first aired October 3, 1995, on the Fox network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Neil Patrick HarrisBonnie Bedelia, (more)
1994  
 
A bizarre entry even for an area of film that specializes in the offbeat, this is the story of an ideal teenage couple, a cheerleader and a jock, who are abruptly separated when a jealous rival slays the footballer. At the hospital, a crazed doctor transplants the young man's brain into that of a giant robotic dinosaur as part of his immortality-via-cobras experiment. Unfortunately, the newly transplanted boyfriend is most unhappy with his new form and with the way things have turned out in general, so he goes on a bloody rampage for revenge. When he finds the cheerleader, he is somehow able to convey his plight to her. She and a pal decide to help him by finding a new body in which to place his brain (his old one was beyond repair). While the low-budget Tammy and the T-Rex has been for some reason marketed as a family-oriented comedy, parents beware. There is a lot of blood, violence, crude sexual innuendo and a striptease scene. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Denise RichardsPaul Walker, (more)
1993  
 
Taking no chances of failure, Will (Will Smith) signs up for a bunch of "easy" classes at college. There's only one exception: the Western Philosophy course in which he enrolled to meet pretty girls. Unfortunately, the course proves too topheavy for Will's taste, so he drops out--a decision he comes to regret after getting to know the philosophy teacher, the fascinating (and astonishingly versatile!) Professor Jeremy Mansfield (Jim Meskimen). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1989  
 
A massive drug-money laundering scheme has cost seven lives--with the two most recent victims dying in agony in an "accidental" fire. The situation becomes more bleak when a female undercover agent investigating the fire is kidnapped. While searching for the missing woman, Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) must put up not only with the interference of their superiors, but also with the abductee's federal-agent father (Terry Kiser) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1989  
 
Crystal Bernard stars as a woman searching for answers about her eccentric grandfather's death, in this made-for-television movie. Bernard stars as Shelly, a woman who wants to find out why her grand-dad was killed after she uncovers that he and a partner were secretly masquerading as costume-wearing, crime-fighting, super-heroes. The film was intended as the pilot for a series. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Marcus GilbertCrystal Bernard, (more)
1988  
 
This week we're off to Canada, where Jill Morton (Kristy McNichol), the niece of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), has joined the rodeo circuit. While visting Jill, Jessica is disturbed by the presence of the girl's somewhat disreputable rodeo-performer boyfriend. More disturbing still is the trailer fire that takes the lives of a nasty rodeo doctor and his patient--a torching for which Jill is among those under suspicion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1985  
 
Up-and-coming actress Nita Cochran (Alice Krige), who happens to be the niece of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), lands a plum role on a popular TV soap opera. Nita has been cast as a serial murderer--a fact that proves most unfortunate when an actual murder occurs at the TV studio. The victim was Nita's boss, who may or may not have been planning to abruptly write her off the show. . .but it soon develops that Nita was only one of several people with a strong motive. This episode represents the final TV appearance of Lloyd Nolan, whose well-known difficulty in memorizing lines is cleverly woven into the final scene. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
Stella Stevens guest stars as Irene Danbury, New York City's oldest and most notorious madam. When Irene is brought into Night Court for prosecution, Harry (Harry Anderson) must decide whether or not to enter into evidence her diary--which lists the names of virtually every political higher-up in the city! Meanwhile, the sensitive Bull (Richard Bull) is aghast to learn of a family Thanksgiving ritual favored by court clerk Mac (Charlie Robinson). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
Magnum's latest client is a little Vietnamese street kid named Tran Quoc Jones (Ronald Harrah III). An illegal alien, the boy has come to Hawaii in search of his missing dad, an American G.I. Can it be that Magnum's friend T.C. (Roger E. Mosley) is the man Tran Quoc seeks? And why has pompous politician Dick Hasley (Rick Lenz) chosen to exploit the child's plight as a means of publicizing his campaign? The answers, of course, are not immediately forthcoming--in fact, it will require a murder for the truth to be revealed! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
The Night Court staff tries to settle a bet about Judge Harry Stone's actual age. To do this, they rifle through his job file--only to find out that Harry (Harry Anderson) is a former street entertainer and con artist with a criminal record. (By the way, he's also 34 years old). This episode introduces Terry Kiser) in the role of abrasive court reporter Al Craven. Also: Judy Landers makes the first of three Night Court guest appearances, this time as a jilted bride, while appearing as a bum is Barney Martin, long before he settled into the TV role of Jerry Seinfeld's father. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
Introduced to NBC's Wednesday-night schedule as a mid-season replacement on January 4, 1984, the weekly 30-minute sitcom Night Court quickly built a large and appreciative audience, enabling the series to remain on the network for nine seasons. Harry Anderson, a comedian who had established his reputation as a smooth-talking, nimble-fingered street magician and self-styled con artist, was perfectly cast as affable, irreverent Manhattan night-court judge Harry T. Stone. Although he came across as an iconoclastic jokester who held standard legal procedure in contempt (in one episode, his verdict was based on the flip of a coin), Harry was a highly successful jurist with a well-honed sense of fair play, whose handling of the oddballs that paraded in and out of his court resulted in a gratifyingly low "return" rate and quite a few reformations. Even those who'd never stood before Judge Stone in court were familiar with his lovable eccentricities, including his fondness for faded blue jeans and his adoration of singer Mel Tormé. The supporting cast included John Larroquette as Assistant DA Dan Fielding, who spent as much time trying to score with the ladies in night court as he did trying to secure convictions, and Richard Moll as bald-headed bailiff "Bull" Shannon (Richard Moll), whose bark was worse than his bite, but not by much.

During the series' first season, Paula Kelly was seen as legal-aid defense lawyer Liz Williams, who was alternately appalled and fascinated by Harry's unorthodox tactics; Karen Austin also appeared as court clerk Lana Wagner, who harbored a not-so-secret crush on Harry. In subsequent seasons, Liz was replaced by Billie Young (Ellen Foley), who in turn was replaced by Christine Sullivan (Markie Post); as for Lana, her replacement was Mac Robinson (Charles Robinson). Both Christine and Mac remained for the rest of the series; not so with Selma Diamond as abrasive jail matron Selma Hacker, a character who lasted only until Diamond's death. The actress' replacement, Florence Halop as Florence Kleiner, likewise passed away after only a short time on the series; she in turn was replaced by Marsha Warfield as Roz Russell, a character who stayed in place until the series' own demise. The on-again, off-again romance between Harry Stone and Christine Sullivan was definitely "off" during seasons seven and eight, when Christine was wed to undercover cop Tony Guillano (Ray Abruzzo), a union which produced a baby. After Christine divorced Tony, her relationship with Harry heated up considerably, but before long the ardor had cooled. Eventually, Christine was elected to congress, whereupon she was pursued not by Harry but by the ever-libidinous Dan Fielding. The final episode of Night Court, which set something of a record for the number of bizarre, surrealistic incidents occurring within a single half-hour, was broadcast on July 1, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Harry AndersonRichard Moll, (more)
1984  
 
This week's trouble begins when a mild-mannered fellow named Leo (Sidney Lassick) entrusts Judge Harry (Harry Anderson) with a winning lottery ticket. It now falls to Harry to select the "worthy individual" who will receive the three-million dollar prize. Meanwhile, bailiff Bull (Richard Moll) wrestles with the problem of working the word "Pentimento" into a sentence. William Utay, soon to become a recurring character as philosophical derelict Phil Sanders, is here seen as Ivan Brewster. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1984  
 
Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson) becomes a celebrity-by-association when he begins dating rock star Jennifer Black (Kristine DeBell). Before long, the courtroom is under siege by reporters, photographers and some truly frightening music fans! This episode originally marked Night Court's move from its original Wednesday-night slot to its long-standing Thursday-night berth; also, Alice Drummond appears as temporary court clerk Mavis Tuttle, filling in for the departed Lana Wagner (Karen Austin). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1983  
 
In this taut, futuristic drama, the maiden voyage of a hypersonic passenger jet becomes a disaster when something goes terribly wrong and it gets stuck in orbit. The film is also known as Starflight: The Plane That Couldn't Land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1981  
 
In this thriller, a snoopy and ambitious television news reporter causes an average citizen to become suspected of being a serial killer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

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1978  
 
Future Cop had been a disastrous 1977 TV series about a human cop and his "biosynthetic android" (or robot) partner. Not content to leave bad enough alone, Paramount Television attempted to revive the Future Cop concept under the title The Cops and Robin. As in the earlier TV series, Ernest Borgnine is the flesh-and-blood policeman, teamed with humanlike robot Michael Shannon. Borgnine and Shannon are assigned to protect Robin (Natasha Ryan), the 6-year-old daughter of the witness to a cop killing. Even if Cops and Robin had made it as a series, it would have run into trouble from authors Harlan Ellison and Ben Bova, who sued the producers on the basis that this TV-movie pilot was swiped from their own short story Brillo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1978  
 
Mike and Gloria are convinced that the spark has gone out of their marriage. To rekindle that spark, the Stivics spend a weekend in the Pocono Mountains. Unfortunately, the time alone only further convinces Mike and Gloria that something is seriously wrong with their relationship. Also appearing are Judy Kahan as Lorraine and Terry Kiser as Bob. Written by Larry Rhine and Mel Tolkin, "Stale Mates" first aired on February 19, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Carroll O'ConnorJean Stapleton, (more)
1977  
 
Terry Kiser is Benny and Tim Thomerson is Barney, two undercover cops operating in Vegas. So as not to attract attention to their sleuthing, Benny and Barney pose as nightclub entertainers. The case of the moment is the rescue of a kidnapped singer, which B and B pull off successfully within the allotted 76 minutes. Real-life Las Vegas "regulars" Rodney Dangerfield, Marty Allen, George Gobel and Bobby Troup pop up in cameo roles. Seemingly filmed during everyone's lunch hour, Benny and Barney: Las Vegas Undercover was the pilot for a never-sold TV adventure series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1976  
 
While other emergency calls go waiting, Roy (Kevin Tighe) and John (Randolph Mantooth) are repeatedly summoned to the home of a married couple (Terry Kiser, Anne Schedeen) who are causing each other great bodily injury during their "interpersonal therapy" sessions. Other cases this evening include an industrial fire, which serves to introduce the men of Squad 51 to their new mascot, a sad-eyed dog named Henry. And in a tense climax, John is among those trapped in a tunnel collapse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1976  
 
One of four dramatic miniseries carried by NBC under the blanket title Best Sellers, Captains and the Kings was adapted from a novel by Taylor Caldwell. Covering a time span from 1857 to 1912, this was the saga of the Irish-immigrant Armagh clan, with emphasis on the rags-to-riches career of Joseph Armagh (Richard Jordan). Achieving fame and prominence (if not full-fledged social acceptance) through a Byzantine series of investments in the oil industry, the elder Armagh was obsessed with the notion of having one of his sons become the first Irish-Catholic President of the United States (does this story sound vaguely familiar?). Along the way, Joseph and his offspring indulged in innumerable romantic liaisons, extramarital and otherwise. Featured in the all-star cast is Patty Duke Astin, who won an Emmy award for her portrayal of Bernadette Hennessey Armagh. Captains and the Kings was broadcast from September 30 to November 18, 1976 in seven installments, two of which ran 120 minutes, and the other six lasting 60 minutes -- a total of nine hours' air time in all. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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1975  
 
A murder is committed, and the only witness is a restaurant busboy. Undercover cop Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) tries to locate the missing busboy before the bad guys catch up to him. Originally scheduled to air on October 1, 1975, this episode was rescheduled at the last minute, finally seeing the light of day on December 17 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Robert BlakeEdward Grover, (more)
1992  
R  
Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Pare star in this ridiculous rip-off of Top Gun and Rambo III. Hall plays Tom Slade, a Hollywood pretty-boy star who prepares for a film role by hanging around Air Force fighter pilot Paul Watkins (Michael Pare). Of course, Paul resents the Hollywood intrusion, but as the film unravels, he begins to respect Tom Slade. Paul begins by putting Tom through the wringer, and Tom manages to make it through the tough training regimen, but Paul gets his dander up when Tom makes a play for his girlfriend Major Goode (Deborah Maria Moore). Finally, Tom gets to ride in an F-16, and Paul puts on an aerial display that would rival the Blue Angels. Unfortunately, during the stunts the boys are shot down and end up in the Middle East where they are tortured by Bedouins. Tom and Paul have to combine their stunt tricks in order to escape the enemies clutches. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

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Starring:
Anthony Michael HallMichael Paré, (more)

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