Les Lannom Movies
- 1999
In this Emmy-winning concluding episode of a two-part story, Ross (George Clooney) suffers the consequences for his part in the death of ALD patient Ricky Abbott. Also detrimentally affected are Carol (Julianna Margulies) , who assisted Ross in treating Ricky, and his superiors Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Weaver (Laura Innes). Weighed down by controversy and not wishing to cause any more trouble for his colleagues, Ross bids farewell to County General. In other developments, Greene treats injuries stemming from a school bus accident; tragedy strikes in the home of troubled Nigerian janitor Mobalage (Djimon Hounsou); and Carol makes a painful personal sacrifice to save her free clinic. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1997
The fifth-season opener of NYPD Blue ties up several story ends left dangling at the climax of season four. With no one willing to back up his alibi for his relationship with murdered gangster Jimmy Salvo, Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) is still on suspension pending an Internal Affairs investigation. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) wants to extend Bobby a helping hand, but he too is under scrutiny from the IAB. Coming to the rescue (in a manner of speaking) is Detective Jill Kirkendall (Andrea Thompson, now promoted from recurring to regular status), who produces a source to back up Bobby's allegations. Elsewhere, the squad searches for a pimp suspected of killing several people. And on the domestic front, Gina Colon (Lourdes Benedicto) is pregnant, but hasn't yet informed the father, Det. James Martinez (Nicholas Turturro). Sharon Lawrence makes a token appearance as Sylvia Costas; the actress, busy with her own starring sitcom Fired Up, would be absent throughout most of season five. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1993
The Larry Sanders Show gets a new producer in this episode of HBO's popular late-night talk show satire. When Artie gets stuck on the freeway during torrential rains, Paula (Janeane Garofalo), the show's booker, momentarily takes over the reigns as producer. Guest stars include Bruno Kirby, Les Lannom, D.V. DeVincentes, Stephen Wright, and Porno for Pyros. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 1993
Late-night talk show anniversary specials are always a treat for fans, though Larry's (Garry Shandling) dwindling interest in the traditional highlight show finds him attempting to find ways to pass the time. As rumors of a film role for Larry flood the office with speculation, our host decides to instead focus on the possibility of penning a book. Guest stars include Anita Barone, Suzanne Somers, Richard Frank, Les Lannom, and Joan Embery. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Sidney Poitier makes his long-overdue return to films in the 1988 thriller Shoot to Kill. Poitier plays an FBI agent, on the trail of an elusive killer. Reluctantly teamed with tracker Tom Berenger, the citified Poitier braves the wilds of the Pacific Northwest in search of his quarry. For Berenger, the pursuit is personal; the killer, whose identity is not immediately revealed, has joined a hunting party being guided through the country by the tracker's girlfriend Kirstie Alley. Though only bearing the slightest resemblance to Real Life (you'll love the scene between lifelong city-dweller Poitier and a huge grizzly bear), Shoot to Kill delivers the goods in the suspense department. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sidney Poitier, Tom Berenger, (more)
- 1987
The Spirit is a TV movie based on Will Eisner's celebrated comic-strip crimefighter. The title character's real name is Denny Colt (played by Sam Jones), a police officer who is believed to be have been killed by gangsters. Revived in a shack near the city graveyeard, Colt dons a domino mask and vows to fight crime as "The Spirit." His first job is to thwart the villainous vamp P'gell (McKinlay Robinson), who schemes to detonate a bomb during an important civic event. Intended as the pilot for a weekly series, The Spirit is a misshapen fiasco, bearing little resemblance to its excellent comic strip source material. Apparently the producers were appalled by the results, since the existing 78-minute version of The Spirit gives evidence of being hacked up in the editing room. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Dr. Jack Hammond (Dudley Moore) is a noted heart surgeon whose personality is switched with his teenage son Chris (Kirk Cameron) in this uninspired comedy. The ingestion of a brain transference serum is the catalyst for the comic catastrophe and the confusion that follows. Sean Astin and Patrick O'Neal co-star with Margaret Colin and Catherine Hicks. A decent idea for a comedy that has since been done better in Brian Gilbert's 1988 comedy Vice Versa starring Fred Savage and Judge Reinhold. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dudley Moore, Kirk Cameron, (more)
Based on a true story, Silkwood begins and ends with Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) driving along a lonely road in 1974, heading to a meeting with a New York Times reporter to deliver evidence of negligence at the Kerr-McGee Plant in Cimarron, Oklahoma. The balance of the film flashes back to Karen's ribald private life with her lover (Kurt Russell) and her loose-living friends (Cher and Diana Scarwid). This is in contrast to her humdrum job at Kerr-McGee--or it least it was humdrum until Karen and several other employees become contaminated by radiation. The higher-ups want to sweep this incident under the rug, but Karen thinks that something's fishy, and informs the union of that fact. X-rays of the faulty fuel rods and written proof of the inadequate safety measures that caused Karen's illness are tampered with, forcing Karen to conduct her own private investigation. As she gathers evidence, Karen becomes a pariah to her boyfriend because of her obsession. She finally organizes the evidence into a briefcase, and heads off to her meeting with the Times reporter. She never makes it; the "official" report on her fatal auto accident is that Ms. Silkwood had been drinking and was under the influence of tranquilizers. Kerr-McGee was eventually forced to pay the Silkwood family an enormous settlement because of her contamination, but the full facts behind her convenient accident have never been revealed (though the filmmakers clearly indictate whom they hold responsible). Director Mike Nichols and screenwriters Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen surround this true story with a lively, improvisational atmosphere that gets the best out of Streep, Russell, and Cher, while providing perhaps the fullest on-screen realization of Nichols' theater-based techniques of realistic, character-centered, dialogue-driven filmmaking, as well as one of the first movie screenplays from future director Ephron. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, (more)
A handful of part time soldiers unwittingly turn a field exercise into a miniature war in this offbeat action drama from writer and director Walter Hill. A group of National Guard reservists are sent to Louisiana on a chilly weekend for war games exercises. None of these weekend warriors seem especially happy to be there, especially laid-back Spencer (Keith Carradine), tightly-wound macho man Reece (Fred Ward) and transplanted Texan Hardin (Powers Booth). While making their way through swamp country, the reservists discover their maps are out of date and they've become lost. Rather than march back to camp and start over, they decide to "borrow" several canoes they've found by the banks of the bayou, which should put them back on track. When a Cajun local catches the soldiers stealing his canoes, Stuckey (Lewis Smith) fires a few rounds in his direction; for the purposes of their exercises, the Guardsmen have been given blank shells, so Stuckey imagines this is a harmless way to scare the man off. However, the Cajun soon returns fire -- with real bullets. After Poole (Peter Coyote) is killed by a shotgun blast, the Guardsmen find themselves lost in a place they do not understand, surrounded by angry men determined to drive the unwelcome visitors off their land at all costs. A taut and atmospheric action film which is also serves as an intelligent and evocative metaphor for America's role in the Vietnam war, Southern Comfort also features an excellent score by guitarist (and frequent Walter Hill collaborator) Ry Cooder. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, (more)
In the tradition of his earlier work in Grapes of Wrath and Twelve Angry Men, Henry Fonda played another social-protest role in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV presentation Gideon's Trumpet. Clarence Earl Gideon (Fonda) is a poor, ill-tempered Florida handyman who is arrested for petty larceny in 1961. Unable to afford a lawyer, Gideon is sentenced to five years in prison. His treatment by the Florida judicial system, a clear violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, is brought to the attention of the Supreme Court. As a result, a landmark decision is reached, assuring free legal representation for anyone accused of a crime in the United States. Also appearing are Jose Ferrer as Gideon's attorney Abe Fortas, John Houseman (who also produced) as the Chief Justice, and Fay Wray as the owner of the lodging establishment where Gideon lived. Gideon's Trumpet premiered on April 30, 1980. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Henry Fonda, John Houseman, (more)
- 1979
A motion-picture production company wants to make a documentary about J.D. Pickett's factory, but Erin (Mary McDonough) tries to prevent them from pestering the other workers. To get Erin out of their hair, the producers promise to take her to Hollywood and make her a star -- and she falls for this line completely! Elsewhere, Jason (Jon Walmsley) pulls rank on his fellow soldiers to force them to accept a dinner invitation from the eccentric Baldwin sisters. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The first volley in the never-ending "Presley movie" blitzkrieg, the made-for-TV Elvis: The Movie stars Kurt Russell as the King, Season Hubley as Priscilla, Pat Hingle as Col. Parker, Shelley Winters as Elvis' mom, and Bing Russell (Kurt's real-life father) as Elvis' dad. The film recounts Presley's life from age ten to his 1969 Vegas comeback. Presley imitator Ronnie McDowell expertly dubs in Kurt Russell's renditions of "Love Me Tender," "Heartbreak Hotel," et al. When first telecast on February 11, 1979, the ratings for Elvis: The Movie went through the roof, even beating out a competing telecast of Gone With the Wind. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, (more)
- 1979
Unless John (Ralph Waite) can prove that he has graduated from high school, his lumber company will lose an important Army contract. Unfortunately, John's diploma is nowhere to be found, and thus he is forced to take a difficult equivalency test -- and he's none too happy about virtually returning to his scholar days at the tender age of 43. Elsewhere, new district nurse Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) tangles with a superstitious mountain family which refuses to accept any form of "new fangled" medical treatment. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
- PG
The trouble in this violent action comedy begins when two buddies buy a '62 Corvette together. After the deal is done, the two check the trunk and find it filled with money and heroin. Soon afterward, they discover themselves pursued by gangsters. The film is known as Abigail: Wanted on video. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The longest (26-1/2 hours), most expensive ($25 million) and most complicated (four directors, five producers, five cinematographers, almost 100 speaking parts, several hundred extras) project made for television up to that time, Centennial was shown in two- and three-hour installments over a period of four months. An adaptation of James Michener's best-selling novel, it told the story of the settling of the American West by looking at the founding of the fictional town of Centennial, Colorado, from the settling of the area in the late 18th century to the present. Emmy-nominated for film editing and art direction, it boasts of sterling performances from Richard Chamberlain as frontiersman Alexander McKeag, Robert Conrad as the French-Canadian trapper Pasquinel, and a surprisingly powerful performance from former football star Alex Karras as compassionate but iron-willed immigrant farmer Hans Brumbaugh. ~ Brian Gusse, Rovi
- 1978
Alternately titled Lacy and the Mississippi Queen and Kate and the Mississippi Queen, this made-for-TV Western stars Kathleen Lloyd as cowgirl Kate Lacy and Debra Feuer as Kate's half-sister, female gunslinger Queenie. After their father is murdered, Kate and Queenie team up to track down the train robbers responsible for the killing. This leads to a part-time job for the girls as they work as detectives for the Union Pacific railroad, while tending their ranch in their off hours. The pilot for an unsold TV series, Lacy and the Mississippi Queen made its NBC debut on May 17, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1978
A high-school boy's ho-hum summer at the beach turns into a dream-come-true when he is befriended by a beautiful but depressed singer whose career is on the wane. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Suzanne Somers, Steven Keats, (more)
- 1975
Cloris Leachman plays a pregnant woman whose husband contracts a venereal disease from a teen he has been having an affair with. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
The 1975 TV movie Death Scream is based on the shameful Kitty Genovese affair of 1964, in which a N.Y.C. woman was stabbed to death while 38 witnesses locked their windows and doors and pretended not to hear. Raul Julia stars as the detective who investigates the murder and stirs up the guilt feelings of those who refused to help. The film casts celebrity actors in the roles of the witnesses (Diahann Carroll, Cloris Leachman, Lucie Arnaz, Nancy Walker, Art Carney, et al.). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1975
A Martinez heads the guest cast in this episode as Hispanic SFPD officer Jimmy Vega. Outraged that his old neighborhood is in the grip of elusive drug pusher Roberto Perez (Lloyd Battista), Jimmy is willing to do anything to bring Perez to justice--even if it means planting false evidence. Once again, detectives Stone (Karl Malden) and Keller (Michael Douglas) are placed in the ethical dilemma of ruining the career of a fellow cop in order to protect the rights of a scurrilous piece of scum like Perez. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Director Phil Karlson harks back to the no-nonsense, no-thrills directness of his 1950s "B" pictures in Framed. Joe Don Baker, Karlson's star in Walking Tall, plays Ron, a high-rolling gambler with a streak of integrity. Framed by the film's villains--including a cartel of corrupt cops--Ron is carted off to prison. Upon his release, he embarks upon a carefully calculated campaign of revenge. The film's stylistic ties to the enormously successful Walking Tall include the screenwriting contributions of Mort Briskin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joe Don Baker, Conny van Dyke, (more)
- 1974
For middle-aged vacationer Claire Stevens (Cloris Leachman), the nightmare begins when she picks up personable young hitchhiker Keith Mile (Michael Brandon). Feeling a bit lonely, Claire strikes up a friendship and then a romance with her handsome passenger. Little does she know that Keith has just finished murdering his stepmother -- and that his fondness for older women is, to put it mildly, conditional. Hitchhike made its ABC network bow on February 23, 1974, scheduled in a Saturday-night slot opposite The Mary Tyler Moore Show (which, fortunately for indecisive Cloris Leachman devotees, did not feature Phyllis on that particular evening). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1972
The FBI beats the bushes for John Morgan (Billy Green Bush), a notorious bank robber. Morgan's success in the past has hinged on the fact that he is a "lone wolf", neither trusting nor relying upon anyone. But when Morgan falls in love with beautiful barmaid Laura Ann Millpark (Lane Bradbury), it is only a matter of time before he makes that proverbial One Wrong Move. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Michael Ritchie, better known for his gentle satires of American social institutions, enters Don Siegel territory in the unusual crime thriller Prime Cut. Lee Marvin is surly collection agent Nick Devlin, who is hired by Chicago racketeer Jake (Eddie Egan) to collect an overdue payment from Kansas cattle baron Mary Ann (yes, Mary Ann!) (Gene Hackman). When Devlin travels west to get Jake's money from Mary Ann, he finds the cattle king mixed up in complex drug deals and pimping wild women -- two of which are Poppy and Violet (Sissy Spacek and Janit Baldwin -- both in their film debuts). ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
- Starring:
- Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, (more)
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