Eriq La Salle Movies

In this Italian adventure, the deadly drug manufacturing and export operation of a prominent South- American drug czar is discovered by an investigative TV news correspondent and her cameraman who went to the jungle to look into evidence that a notorious, corrupt colonel is still alive. While in the jungles, they encounter hostile natives and other typical dangers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In Rappin', Mario Van Peebles is John Hood, a con who when released from jail goes back to his neighborhood to find his girl shacked up with a nasty gang-leader named Duane (Charles Flohe). Duane is on the take with a corrupt contractor who plans to tear down Hood's neighborhood and he and his gang serve as ruffian rowdies who help evict the tenants. John Hood will not put up with this nonsense; he throws a community rap session and gets everybody aligned against the bad guys. His rappin' is so ratin' that he impresses a record company and wins his gal back. ~ All Movie Guide

Vietnam War Story is a feature-length "omnibus" film culled from the three-episode TV series of the same name. The film consists of a trio of playlets involving members of the American armed forces during the Nam era. In "The Mine," a soldier (Eriq LaSalle) is unable to accept his best friend's death. In "Home," a paraplegic soldier tries to adjust to his war-related injuries. And in "The Pass," three GIs spend their "R and R" time at a sleazy bar. Originally telecast on the HBO cable service between August 29 and September 20, 1987, Vietnam War Story was followed by a sequel series one year later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Coming to America casts comedian Eddie Murphy as pampered African prince Akeem, who rebels against an arranged marriage and heads to America to find a new bride. Murphy's regal father (James Earl Jones) agrees to allow the prince 40 days to roam the U.S., sending the prince's faithful retainer Semmi (Arsenio Hall) along to make sure nothing untoward happens. To avoid fortune hunters, Prince Akeem conceals his true identity and gets a "Joe job" at a fast-food restaurant. Murphy and Hall play multiple roles, and there are innumerable celebrity cameos peppered throughout the proceedings -- including the Duke Brothers (Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) from Trading Places. Coming to America made further headlines when humorist Art Buchwald sued the film's producers for plagiarizing one of his works. Buchwald carried the case to trial, where he won a sizeable judgement against the film's producers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A tortured man finds himself caught in a middle-ground between hallucination and reality in this supernatural thriller, scripted by Bruce Joel Rubin of Ghost (1990) and My Life (1993).
Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) is a soldier stationed in Vietnam who undergoes a traumatic experience on the battlefield - the nature of which is initially unclear. The film then moves into his post-Vietnam experience in 1970s New York, where he feels consistently traumatized, but can never quite remember exactly what happened to him in Southeast Asia or to free himself from his anxieties over the recent tragic death of his young son (Macaulay Culkin). Though well educated, Jacob works as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and has become romantically involved with one of his co-workers, Jezzie (Elizabeth Pena), after divorcing his wife. Soon, Jacob's tenuous hold on reality starts to slip as horrifying events befall him; he is nearly run over by a subway train, pursued by faceless demons in cars, and spots reptilian tails and horns protruding from the bodies of those he encounters. Jacob also suffers severe panic attacks related to the chaos that may be reality, or may exist only in his mind. He seeks counsel from Louis (Danny Aiello), a kindly chiropractor, as his ex-wife Sarah (Patricia Kalember), fellow Vietnam vet Paul (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and enigmatic stranger Michael (Matt Craven) all try to help the tortured soul. Jason Alexander, Ving Rhames and Eriq LaSalle highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Eyes of a Witness stars Daniel J. Travanti as a stereotypical "ugly American" at large in Kenya. He has come to Africa to convince his estranged daughter Jennifer Grey, a bush doctor, to abandon her practice and return to America. Through an improbable series of random events, Travanti finds himself accused of murder. His daughter buries her animosity and attempts to clear her father's name. Already a sure cure for insomnia, the made-for-TV Eyes of a Witness is rendered doubly dull by its characters' endless recitations of Kenyan law and medical nomenclature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When New York psychiatrist Bill Capa (Bruce Willis, in an uncharacteristically un-smirking performance) visits Los Angeles to take over his murdered colleague's therapy group, he finds himself embroiled in the thick of a mystery when he bumps into (literally) Rosa (Jane March) and begins a torrid affair. Double-identities, death threats and love scenes abound as he delves deeper into the case to uncover the truth about his friend's death. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

The first season of the prestigious NBC medical drama ER is seen largely through the eyes of new third-year medical student John Carter (Noah Wyle) as he tries to survive his shakedown cruise in the Emergency Room of Chicago's County General Hospital. Carter is swiftly introduced to his ill-tempered, ultra-demanding supervisor Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), ER head Dr. Morganstern (William H. Macy), and his new co-workers, womanizing Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney), workaholic Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), and troubled Dr. Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield). Likewise appearing for the first time -- and almost the last -- is Ross' current amour, Head Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies), a character who was supposed to have appeared only once before committing suicide, but who proved so popular that she recovered and returned to work. The many first-season plot strands include Greene's ever-growing domestic problems with his restless wife, Jennifer (Christine Harnos), the normally ice-cold Benton's anguish over the failing health of his mother (Beah Richards), and Lewis' tribulations with her irresponsible, drug-addicted sister, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite), who presumptively deposits her baby at Lewis' home and disappears. Showing up in mid-season during a major medical crisis is Dr. Angela Hicks (CCH Pounder), one of the few people who can match Benton in anger and imperiousness. Another character conflict develops between Lewis and rule-bound Dr. Kayson (Sam Anderson), who first brings charges of incompetence against her -- and then tries to date her! On a more salutary note, Greene is promoted to attending physician. The Emmy award-winning episode "Love's Labor Lost" dramatized a career turning point for Greene when a misdiagnosis causes the death of an expectant mother. Shortly afterward, new ER chief William Swift (Michael Ironside) makes trouble for the staff with his eccentric approach to medicine. Also introduced is another third-year med student, Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen (Ming-Na), who enters into intense competition with Carter -- with disastrous results. Another first-season recurring character, Lewis' erstwhile boyfriend Dr. Div Cvetic (John Terry), breaks under the pressure of the ER and runs naked into the streets, never to be seen again. Worth special notice is the episode "Motherhood," directed by no less than Quentin Tarantino; and the season finale, in which the marriage between Carol Hathaway and Dr. John Taglieri (Rick Rossovich) is scuttled at the last moment, leaving poor Carol with another emotional cross to bear. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this inspirational sports drama, a talented but drug-addicted basketball player cleans up his act and devotes his life to teaching Harlem children to play the game. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Season four of ER opens with the famous "live" episode, which was originally telecast in "you are there" documentary fashion (with two separate stagings, one each for the East and West Coasts). This episode serves to introduce a new regular, British doctor Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston). Within a few weeks, Elizabeth has inaugurated a romance with irascible Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), who is presently occupied with caring for his deaf son, Reese. Another character, overachieving pediatrician Dr. Anna Del Amico (Maria Bello), graduates from recurring to regular status just in time to enter into a relationship with Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). Also joining the cast this season is the obnoxious, obstreperous Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane), whose dislike of Dr. Corday borders on the obsessive; and Carter's fabulously wealthy grandmother, played by Frances Sternhagen. Dr. Greene (Anthony Edwards) spends much of the season trying to overcome the physical and emotional scars after being severely beaten by an unknown assailant near the end of season three. When Dr. Ross (George Clooney) heads to California to handle funeral arrangements for his ne'er-do-well father, Greene accompanies him, and along the way he endures a painful reunion with his own parents. Elsewhere, Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) breaks off her rekindled romance with Ross; gruff ER head Dr. Anspaugh (John Aylward) is "humanized" by the serious illness of his son; Dr. Weaver (Laura Innes) is appointed new acting chief of emergency services, leading to a brief fling with the CEO in charge of the cost-cutting organization that has purchased Chicago County; Greene makes a bid for the position of pediatrics attending physician, causing a sharp divide between those for and against his promotion; and Benton's ex-girlfriend Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) tries to lead a normal life and career despite her AIDs. The season closes with Ross in deep trouble (again!), this time over his unauthorized treatment of a drug-addicted baby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lucas Davenport, the wily (and very sexy) computer-programmer detective created by novelist John Sandford, comes to the small screen in the form of actor Eriq LaSalle) in this made-for-TV adaptation of Sandford's best-seller Mind Prey. A nutcase named John Mail (Titus Welliver) escapes from a mental institution and kidnaps his therapist (Sheila Kelley) and her two daughters. Though he intends to exact revenge against his captive for having him put away, Mail intends to prolong the agony by playing a cruel game of cat-and-mouse with the police, leaving behind a number of cryptic computer clues to his whereabouts. It is up to Lucas Davenport to make sense of these clues--and to figure out there is more to the story than a simple kidnapping. Fans of John Sandford were not entirely happy with the literary liberties taken in this adaptation, but since star Eriq La Salle was also one of the producers, it isn't surprising that the main character would be reshaped to suit his established TV persona. Reportedly the pilot for an unsold weekly series, John Sandford's Mind Prey originally aired March 22, 1999 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The impossibly obstreperous Dr. Robert Romano (Paul McCrane) matriculates from recurring to regular character as the Chicago-based hospital drama ER enters its sixth season. Other incoming cast members include Maura Tierney as OB nurse Abby Lockhart, who is introduced when she delivers the twin babies of Nurse Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies); Goran Visnjic as troubled Eastern European émigré and war veteran Dr. Luka Kovac, Erik Palladino as zany Dr. Dave Malucci; and, back after a lengthy absence, Ming-Na as former intern and now full doctor Jing-Mei "Deb" Chen, who in her med-student days had been a formidable competitor to Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle). Conversely, a number of familiar characters make their exits this season, most notably George Clooney as maverick Dr. Douglas Ross and Julianna Margulies as long-suffering Nurse Carol Hathaway; the season's penultimate episode, detailing with the ultimate fates of Ross and Carol, is among the series' most famous sequences -- and one which was surprisingly kept secret until the very night of the telecast. Additional "defectors" include Gloria Reuben as HIV-positive Jeanie Boulet, who has gotten over her earlier romance with prickly Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle) and has wed police officer Reggie Moore (Cress Williams); and Kellie Martin as med student Lucy Knight, who is stabbed to death by a deranged patient, an attack that also seriously imperils the life of Lucy's erstwhile lover Carter -- who even upon recovery endangers himself by turning to drugs. Season five plot developments include Romano's ascension to chief of staff, a promotion given as part of a deal whereby Dr. Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) would be appointed ER chief; Romano's subsequent and surprising appointment of his verbal sparring partner Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) as his assistant; Corday's blossoming romance with her colleague Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), and the reciprocal love affair between Corday's mom and Greene's dad (who dies later in the season); Benton's affair with Dr. Cleo Finch (Michael Michele), counterpointed by his incessant squabbling with his sister Jackie (Khandi Alexander); and guest star Alan Alda, who in a poignant story arc plays a celebrated surgeon in the first stage of Alzheimer's. The traditional season-ending cliffhanger finds Carter facing a crucial decision: seek out treatment for his ever-growing drug dependency or destroy whatever career he has left. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Curiously, there were no major cast defections during the seventh season of the award-winning hospital drama ER. However, two new characters make their first appearances this season: psychiatrist Dr. Kim Legaspi (Elizabeth Mitchell), who coerces ER chief Kerry Weaver (Laura Innes) to admit that she is a lesbian; and 19-year-old pediatrics intern Rena Trujillo (Lourdes Benedicto), who latches onto Dr. John Carter (Noah Wyle) -- who in turn is trying to wean himself from a dangerous dependency on drugs and booze, brought about by a double tragedy in the previous season. The season's predominant plotline involves Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), whose romance with Dr. Elizabeth Corday (Alex Kingston) results in a baby and a marriage -- and who, in a more disturbing development, is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Another subplot concerns the ongoing feud between doctors Romano (Paul McCrane) and Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle), culminating in Benton being fired from the ER and blacklisted throughout the Chicago medical world; though he is eventually reinstated, Benton is saddled with additional problems vis-à-vis his gangbanger nephew Jesse (Andrew McFarlane) and Jesse's girlfriend, Kynesha (Toy Connor). Also, OB nurse Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) finds herself strapped for cash in her efforts to enter medical school, and is drawn to Carter -- though their budding relationship is sorely strained when she becomes his AA sponsor. Meanwhile, East European émigré Dr. Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic) continues to suffers flashbacks to past tragedies in his war-torn homeland. Among the season's notable guest stars as Sally Field, in an Emmy-winning turn as Abby's bipolar mother, and John Cromwell as a dying Catholic bishop who tries to reawaken the embittered Kovac's faith in God. The unforgettable season seven finale finds the ER under siege by the homicidally vengeful father of a child whom Greene had removed to foster care. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide