Garrett Morris Movies

Flung into a deep depression following his wife's accidental death, jazzman Morris Poole (Michael Madsen) borders on suicide, punishing himself for the tragedy. They had been in the middle of a violent argument when she accidentally fell from an upper-story window. Eventually he gets involved with another gal, who finds the still-depressed Poole pretty hard to figure out, as he just can't keep his mind from his first-wife loss. ~ All Movie Guide

This B-movie from director Rodman Flender (The Unborn) was originally broadcast on Showtime's Roger Corman Presents series. Joan Severance stars as a cop who becomes a leather-clad superhero named Black Scorpion when her father is murdered in a barroom shooting. The murder is part of a seemingly random crimewave engineered by an asthmatic villain called the Breathtaker, who wears a big metal suit like comic book bad-guy Dr. Doom. Breathtaker is planning to turn the whole city into his wheezing slaves by way of poisoned gas masks, and Severance must stop him. In between, she gets former car-thief Argyle (Saturday Night Live alumnus Garrett Morris) to build her a super Scorpion-mobile and tries to keep her identity secret from former partner/lover Bruce Abbott (Re-Animator). ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

This stylish chiller tells the grim tale of a sleeping vampire, Czakyr, who is inadvertently awakened when his ancient crypt beneath a church is flooded. At the same time, Cindy and Lucy, two teenage girls, prepare to go to college. Cindy is only visiting the town while Lucy is a local. Just before they go, the girls must go for a late night dip in the flooded crypt as this is a local rite of passage. Unfortunately, Lucy's cross falls from her neck and the blood-thirsty Czakyr attacks her while Lucy escapes. Later Father Frank Aldin informs his pal Mark Garnener, a teacher, that Cindy has become a vampire and has made her mother Karen a bloodsucker too. Frank has captured the two and locked them in a room. He feeds them on blooded leeches. Mark decides to investigate this wild claim and with Lucy returns to her home town and finds that most of the residents have become Czakyr's minions. They capture the two invaders, but the two manage to get away. The town drunk, piloting a religious van, picks up the fleeing couple and takes them to an abandoned lumber mill. That night Cindy visits Lucy and asks her to help destroy Czakyr. Lucy has already killed her mother. The next morning Mark and the drunk find that Lucy has disappeared. They race to town to save her and embark upon their final confrontation with the evil bat man and in the end, good does indeed triumph over evil but not before much blood is spilled. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Michael Schultz directed this deeply felt recollection of adolescent life on Chicago's near North Side in 1964. Like American Graffiti, Cooley High deals with girl, school, and police troubles as a group of high-school seniors prepare for post-high-school life. The chums are Glynn Turman as "Preach," who loves to read poetry and history and wants to become a Hollywood screenwriter, but who has the worst grades in the school; and Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as Cochise, the high-school basketball star and suave lady-killer. Preach has to contend with love problems in the form of Brenda (Cynthia Davis), school problems with emphatic teacher Mr. Mason (Garrett Morris), and law problems with street toughs Stone (Shermann Smith) and Robert (Norman Gibson). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Dance to Win is set in the outer fringes of Hollywood. A gang of delinquents, jealously observing the "haves", see no way out of their lot other than petty thievery. The gang is redeemed when they are organized into a dance troupe specializing in interpreting vintage rock 'n' roll themes. Charles Gomez, Daniel Quinn and Sally Stewart are among the leading players; the film's choreography was handled by no less than Paula Abdul. Filmed in 1989, Dance to Win remained on the shelf until picked up for cable exposure in 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cvetic (John Terry) is growing more and more contemptuous of his patients, leading to some bizarre behavior on his part. Carol (Julianna Margulies) is caught on the horns of a dilemma when she is bound by ethics not to reveal details of an accident imparted in confidence by a patient. Ross (George Clooney) grows restless in his relationship with Linda (Andrea Parker). And Carter (Noah Wyle) learns a few more valuable life lessons as he treats transvestite patient Henry (Vondie Curtis-Hall). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A vacationing family is befriended by an adorable stray dog that may just hold the secret to keeping such a disparate clan together in this lighthearted tale of friendship for the entire family. Colin York (Jon Gries) is a loving husband and father who suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder. As long as he doesn't venture outside of his "zone" everything is fine, but the moment he does it all starts to come unglued. When Colin's wife Jennifer (Cynthia Watros) inherits her family's idyllic summer home, the prospect of spending an entire summer on an island doesn't exactly thrill the couple's teenage daughter Anna (Brittany Robertson). Anna would rather be with her friends than be forced to entertain her geeky six year-old brother Patrick (Ashton Dierks). The tempestuous teen's sour opinion of island life quickly begins to sweeten, however, once she meets handsome local Sean Redhorse (Brian Burnett). When reports of an escaped circus animal begin to circulate among the island inhabitants, concerned father Colin does his best to keep his two children safe. One night, when a curious Patrick ventures out to find the missing animal, he instead stumbles across a lovable little pup named Frank. Though Frank is injured and Colin makes no secret of his contempt for man's best friend, it's obvious that the dog means the world to his children. Recognizing this, Colin agrees to help nurse Frank back to health and put him up for adoption at the end of the summer. Yet despite Colin's reluctance to being a pet into the household, by the end of the summer this whole family will release that when you have a friend like Frank, you hold on to him for all it's worth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Jane Curtin and Susan Saint James share star-billing with Jessica Lange in this uninspired comedy about three women who need a cash infusion. (Curtin and Saint James would later co-star in the popular sitcom Kate and Allie.) Jane (Saint James) is divorced and financially pressed to raise her children in the manner to which they were accustomed. Elaine's (Curtin) husband left with all their assets except for the house and car, and Louise's (Lange) antique store is going to go bust unless she gets rid of the red ink. After the three women share their angst, they hit on a scheme of robbing cash from the local shopping mall, a place they know quite well. That familiarity, it turns out, cannot guarantee success. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A vicious narcotics supplier has dispatched a Hawaii-based hit man known as "Beach Boy" to bump off those Los Angeles drug dealers who have refused to do business with him. Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) are assigned to prevent "Beach Boy" from carrying out his mission--a task that thrusts the two detectives on a deadly odyssey from Malibu to Chinatown. Garrett Morris makes his first series appearance as flamboyant street hustler Sporty James. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, the Justice League must put aside its difference to save one of its own from certain death. The member in question is the Green Lantern, who has been targeted for prosecution (or is it persecution) by a Martian court. Making things difficult is the fact that the Green Lantern's comrade J'onn J'onnz is a member of the selfsame "Manhunter" faction that has arrested the Green One. This story is adapted from the Justice League of America comic-book continuity "No Man Escapes the Manhunter," and does not feature either Batman or Wonder Woman. Both episodes of "In Blackest Night" were released on DVD in tandem with another Justice League two-parter, "The Enemy Below," in April of 2003 under the umbrella title "Justice on Trial." ~ All Movie Guide

Robert Townsend directs this biopic on the life of one of the great early rock & roll entertainers -- Little Richard (played by Leon). The film charts Richard's rise from his humble origins in Macon, Georgia, to his chart-topping success to his much-reported return to the Church. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Upon the death of his barber, Al (Ed O'Neill) must endure the humiliation of visiting a salon and submitting to a stylist. The results inspire Al's family to make several barbed comments about his rather epicene appearance, which son Bud (David Faustino) sums up as the "No Closet Can Hold Me Look." Rather than undergo another assault on his machismo, Al decides to grow his hair long--REAL long. This episode received three Emmy nominations. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide