Marianne Muellerleile Movies
- 1987
- R
Though a young sci-fi writer suffers from a bad case of writer's block, he does not seem to have a problem finding someone to date; he is involved with his landlady and her daughter. This low-budget comedy is the feature debut of writer and director, Gary Walkow. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Villard, Susan Dey, (more)
- 1986
Kate Jackson had intended to both produce and star in the made-for-TV A Child's Cry, but her busy Scarecrow and Mrs. King schedule forced her to relinquish the leading role to Lindsay Wagner. Wagner plays Joanne Van Buren, a sensitive social worker whose latest charge, young Eric Townsend (Taliesen Jaffe), shows signs of being abused. Running up against several walls of resistance, Joanne nonetheless continues to investigate. She ultimately unearths a shocking truth involving Eric's father, played in image-busting fashion by James Brolin. A Child's Cry debuted February 9, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
In Harry's absence, night court is presided over by Judge Eve Gardner (Ann Turkel), who takes an immediate dislike to public defender Christine (Markie Post). Harry (Harry Anderson) returns just in time to spring Christine from jail after she has been cited for contempt of court. As it turns out, Judge Gardner's beef against Christine is not professional but personal--as Harry discovers when he ends up in bed with the amorous jurist! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
Wheelchair-bound law student Kristen (Barbara C. Adside), a protégée of Judge Harry T. Stone (Harry Anderson), asks Harry to escort her to her graduate prom. When Harry balks (as he has always previously balked whenever she'd invited him anywhere), Kristen accuses him of being prejudiced against the handicapped -- and he begins to brood over the possibility that she might be right. Selma Diamond makes her last appearance as court matron Selma Hacker in this, the final episode of Night Court's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
Goofy medical students have all kinds of rip roaring fun pulling crazy pranks such as scaring first year students by pretending to be cadavers. When the hijinks accelerate, the dean of the school tries to stop them. Filled with vulgarity, sexist and bathroom humor, the film's director Rod Holcomb, not wanting to take responsibility for the film, billed himself as "Allen Smithee," the official pseudonym of the Directors Guild. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parker Stevenson, Geoffrey Lewis, (more)
Revenge of the Nerds is the juvenile sex comedy perhaps most synonymous with the 1980s, alternating gags and scantily clad women with a power to the underdogs mentality that prompted three sequels. The handsome jocks of Alpha Beta, led by Stan (Ted McGinley), run Adams College, which means that when they burn down their house after a stunt involving grain alcohol and an open flame, they kick a bunch of socially inept freshman out of their dorm and into the gymnasium. But sleeping on cots is only the beginning of their worries, as the so-called nerds soon become the target of pranks by Alpha Beta, assisted by Betty (Julie Montgomery) and the gorgeous gals of Pi Delta Pi. Instead of taking the abuse sitting down, the displaced freshman, led by Gilbert (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Robert Carradine), buy a ramshackle house, affiliate themselves with the only national chapter who will take them (the all-black Lambda Lambda Lambda), and use their superior intellect to launch a counterstrike. The bespectacled but loveable geeks set up surveillance cameras in the Pi bathroom and put liquid heat in the athletes' jock straps, then draft a sister sorority of misfits (Omega Mu) to strengthen their resources. The frats quickly become bitter rivals, and the goal is to win the annual fraternity decathlon, which involves such feats as a burping contest and a go-cart race, with bragging rights (and perhaps peace of mind) at stake. Look for John Goodman and future thirtysomething cast member Timothy Busfield in small roles, and expect a torrent of nasal laughter. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, (more)
Endlessly imitated, The Terminator made the reputation of cowriter/director James Cameron -- who would go on to make 1997's titanic Titanic -- and solidified the stardom of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie begins in a post-apocalyptic 2029, when Los Angeles has been largely reduced to rubble and is under the thumb of all-powerful ruling machines. Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), a member of the human resistance movement, is teleported back to 1984. His purpose: to rescue Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), the mother of the man who will lead the 21st-century rebels against the tyrannical machines, from being assassinated before she can give birth. Likewise thrust back to 1984 is The Terminator (Schwarzenegger), a grim, well-armed, virtually indestructable cyborg who has been programmed to eliminate Sarah Connor. After killing two "Sarah Connors" who turn out to be the wrong women, he finally aims his gunsights at the genuine article. This is the film in which Schwarzenegger declared "I'll be baaaack" -- and back he was, in "kinder and gentler" form, in the even more successful Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, (more)
- 1983
- R
In this comedy, a stuffy congressman is dismayed when he discovers that his beloved daughter intends to marry limousine driver John Bourgignon (John Candy). While intending to put on a good show for his father-in-law to be, John is captured by some political opponents of the congressman. His capturers attempt to brainwash him into assassinating the congressmen, but things don't go exactly as planned. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Candy, Eugene Levy, (more)
- 1982
When Tom Willis (Franklin Cover) makes a small fortune in the stock market thanks to financial advice provided by George Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley), Florence (Marla Gibbs) is quite impressed. She prevails upon George to give her a few tips, but he is reluctant to do so since she has very little money to start with. Undaunted, Florence pools her savings with those of several other maids in the building -- leading to a humongous headache for our man Jefferson. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, (more)
- 1981
Soviet fighter pilot Yuri Dolgof (Jeff Pomerantz), who defected a year or so ago, wants Magnum to help his track-star fiancee Nina Marcova (Susan Helfond) likewise escape to the West. Unfortunately, the KGB is watching every move that Nina makes during her stopover in Hawaii for a big track meet. Thus, Magnum and his cohorts T.J. (Roger E. Mosley) and Rick (Larry Manetti) must formulate a veritable "Mission: Impossible" to spirit Nina away from the Reds...while Higgins (John Hillerman) runs backup with a few diversionary tactics of his own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
