David Marciano Movies
- 1994
Leslie Nielsen guest stars as Sgt. Buck Frobisher, a legendary Canadian mountie who is idolized by our hero Benton Fraser (Paul Gross). Frobisher's daughter Julie (Cali Timmins) solicits Fraser's help when Buck disappears from view, one week shy of retirement. Resurfacing in Chicago, an uncharacteristically frightened-looking Frobisher reveals that he is being pursued by an old enemy, escaped criminal Harold Geiger (William Smith). It is up to Fraser to rescue Frobisher and to restore the old trooper's self-respect. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1994
Accompanied by his trusty pet wolf Diefenbaker, RCMP constable Benton Fraser doggedly pursues the murderer of his Mountie father (whose death has been officially deemed an "accident") from the snowy environs of the Yukon to the urban sprawl of Chicago. Once in the Windy City, Fraser meets wisecracking local police detective Ray Vecchio, whose career has likewise been motivated by the death of his father. Forming a tentative friendship, Fraser and Ray become an unofficial team, determined to track down miscreants by combining their separate but equally effective police methods. Along the way, our heroes discover that Fraser's father was killed while investigating a large-scale coverup involving a hydroelectric dam project. This two-hour pilot episode of the weekly seriocomic cop series Due South has since been divided into two hour-long episodes for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1994
Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) become temporary daddies when someone leaves a baby in the back of Ray's car. Following the trail of clues, the two lawmen determine that the child has been sold to a black-market adoption racket. Though he is all for turning the kid over to the proper authorities, Ray allows Fraser six hours to track down the infant's birth parents--and to try to talk some sense into their heads. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1994
Just before Christmas, Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) are put in charge of young Del Porter (Ryan Philippe), who claims to have witness a bank heist. In truth, Del is trying to shield his father William (James Purcell), the wheelman for a gang of bank robbers disguised as sidewalk Santas. The two lawmen take it upon themselves to straighten out the situation and to persuade William from further disillusioning his loyal son. This Yuletide episode includes an altogether appropriate reference to O. Henry, author of "Gift of the Magi." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
Lethal Weapon 2 reteams Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as, respectively, "loose cannon" LA detective Martin Riggs and Riggs' partner, the cautious family man Roger Murtaugh. The villain this time is a South African diplomat (Joss Ackland) who doubles as a drug dealer. Though Riggs knows what's going on thanks to characterless character witness Joe Pesci, he can't touch the villain because of "diplomatic immunity." After perils too numerous to mention, Riggs and Murtaugh shoot it out with the heavies on the deck of a South African cargo ship. Lethal Weapon 2, of course, contains as one of its comic high-points a now famous suspense scene: Mel Gibson agonizingly attempting to extricate a terrified Danny Glover from a booby-trapped toilet seat. Gibson, Glover, Donner and Joe Pesci would be reunited three years later for Lethal Weapon 3 and in 1998 for Lethal Weapon 4. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, (more)
Eddie Murphy, in addition to starring as Quick, the son of 1930s Harlem gambling-house proprietor Sugar Ray (Richard Pryor), also wrote and directed the film. The plotline details the combined efforts of Quick and Sugar Ray to prevent white gangster Bugsy Calhoune (Michael Lerner) from muscling in on their operation. The supporting players include Redd Foxx, Danny Aiello and Jasmine Guy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, (more)
- 1989
Rock video director Richard Casey makes his feature debut in this violent drama, which delves into the seamy side of the lives of some of L.A.'s wannabe musicians. In return for signing over his soul (?!), Lemmy (Phil Ward) gets the sponsorship of drug-gang leader Tanas (David Marciano), the owner of the Bar Sinister to get music gigs for his band. Having done that, instead of advancing his music career, Lemmy and his girlfriend Angel (Lyn Levand) take drugs and zone out while gang related violence breaks out on every side. The music in this film is by Drowning Pool, Love Supreme, Angry Samoans, Trotsky Icepick and Angst, among others. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil Ward, Lyn Levand, (more)
Whoopi Goldberg stars in this TV movie as a single mother who begins paying the bills by hustling pool at a local billiards hall. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1988
Robert Conrad stars in this 2-hour Police Story TV special, directed by another veteran of 1960s series television, James Darren. Conrad plays an unpopular cop who is being sued for harassment by a prostitute. His mob enemies murder the hooker and frame Conrad for the killing. This results in Conrad being sent to a prison nicknamed "the gladiator school," where many of the inmates eagerly await the opportunity to exact revenge upon the hard-nosed cop. Originally telecast on November 5, 1988, Police Story: Gladiator School is an expanded remake of one of the scripts from Police Story's original 1973-1980 weekly run. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this detective yarn, an amiable investigator finds himself entangled with mobsters after he tries to help a woman who is apparently having a run of bad luck. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
