John O'Leary Movies
- 1988
- PG13
Martin (William Hurt) and Jack (Timothy Hutton) are World War II soldiers who go from being army buddies to bitter enemies during the war in this uneven melodrama. Not realizing they are brothers-in-law, Martin eventually learns that Jack is married to his sister Josie (Melissa Leo). On their wedding night, Josie's father Jorge (Francisco Rabal) had abducted her in an attempt to dominate her with his old-world ideals of marriage. When Jorge drowns in a lake after the car skids off the road, black-sheep Martin returns home to learn of his father's death, vowing to avenge his father after he learns his buddy is his sworn enemy. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hurt, Timothy Hutton, (more)
This spoof of the Airport series of disaster movies relies on ridiculous sight gags, groan-inducing dialogue, and deadpan acting -- a comedy style that would be imitated for the next 20 years. Airplane! pulls out all the clichés as alcoholic pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays), who's developed a fear of flying due to wartime trauma, boards a jumbo jet in an attempt to woo back his stewardess girlfriend (Julie Hagerty). Food poisoning decimates the passengers and crew, leaving it up to Striker to land the plane, with the help of a glue-sniffing air traffic controller (Lloyd Bridges) and Striker's vengeful former captain (Robert Stack), who must both talk him down. Along the way, we meet a clutch of stock disaster movie passengers like the guitar-strumming nun, a sick little girl, a frightened old lady, and two African-American travelers whose "jive" has to be subtitled. Leslie Nielsen portrays the plane's doctor, launching a new phase of the actor's career that carried him through the next two decades in several similarly comedic roles. The trio of directors Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker, and David Zucker responsible for the film would eventually go on to solo careers, but not before making Top Secret! and Ruthless People. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, (more)
- 1959
Working the London beat, American reporter Raymond Houston (Barry Sullivan) is in danger of losing his job because of his chronic gambling. As a last-ditch effort to remain employed, Houston arranges to spend a night in a wax museum, then write an article about his nocturnal experiences in the museum's "Murderer's Den." As the evening drags on, Houston becomes more and more frightened, convinced that at least one of the waxwork murderers will come to life before the sun rises. This episode is based on a famous 1931 short story by eminent suspense writer A.M. Burrage (and appropriately enough, the "A" stands for "Alfred"). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Conspiracy film specialist Alan J. Pakula turned journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's best-selling account of their Watergate investigation into one of the hit films of Bicentennial year 1976. While researching a story about a botched 1972 burglary of Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate apartment complex, green Washington Post reporters/rivals Woodward (Robert Redford, who also exec produced) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) stumble on a possible connection between the burglars and a White House staffer. With the circumspect approval of executive editor Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards), the pair digs deeper. Aided by a guilt-ridden turncoat bookkeeper (Jane Alexander) and the vital if cryptic guidance of Woodward's mystery source, Deep Throat (Hal Holbrook), Woodward and Bernstein "follow the money" all the way to the top of the Nixon administration. Despite Deep Throat's warnings that their lives are in danger, and the reluctance of older Post editors, Woodward and Bernstein are determined to get out the story of the crime and its presidential cover-up. Once Bradlee is convinced, the final teletype impassively taps out the historically explosive results. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, (more)
Also known as Banjo Hackett: Roamin' Free, this TV pilot film stars Don Meredith in the title role. Banjo Hackett is a western horsetrader, circa 1885, who travels in the company of his orphaned nephew (Ike Eisenmann). While searching for a rare Arabian mare stolen from the nephew's late mother, Hackett occasionally pays a visit to Mollie (Jennifer Warren), a ranch owner whom Banjo would marry if he'd only admit he loved the woman. Millionaire Dan O'Herlihy and untrustworthy bounty hunter Chuck Connors are also after the stolen horse. The film's storyline is as rambling as Banjo Hackett himself, which was both its charm and curse. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Meredith, Ike Eisenmann, (more)
- 1975
A desperate young mother wants to reclaim the baby she sold into adoption. The woman approaches undercover cop Tony Baretta (Robert Blake), begging for his help. Baretta takes on the case, and in so doing exposes a "black market baby" racket. This episode was first telecast on November 19, 1975, in place of the scheduled Baretta installment "The Big Hand's on Trouble," which was moved to December of the same year. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Blake, Edward Grover, (more)
- 2001
Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) follows in the footsteps of undead-lovin' big sister Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) when she ends up in the arms of a cute teen vamp. Her adventures take place on Halloween -- the same day Xander (Nicholas Brendon) finally announces his engagement to Anya (Emma Caulfield). During the festivities, Tara (Amber Benson) confronts Willow (Alyson Hannigan) about her over-reliance on magic to solve life's problems. Meanwhile, Dawn deals with her own teen angst by shoplifting from the magic shop and sneaking out with a friend for a midnight rendezvous with some handsome young lads. When her date sprouts fangs, however, Dawn is forced to dust him -- shades of Buffy and Angel (see "Becoming, Part 2"). Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), Spike (James Marsters), and Buffy eventually rescue Dawn and her friend from the mess they're in. But the Slayer leaves it up to her Watcher to mete out punishment. Elsewhere, Willow seeks to escape further scoldings by casting a spell to make Tara forget their fight. Originally broadcast October 30, 2001, on UPN, "All the Way" marked episode 106 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1983
Robert Conrad plays a long-married husband suffering from perceived boredom. In traditional male-menopause fashion, Conrad walks out on his family in search of greener pastures. Before waking up and smelling the coffee, he has a brief affair with the much-younger Ann Dusenberry. Respectively cast as Conrad's wife and daughter, Jennifer Warren and Mary Crosby are a lot more understanding than our "hero" deserves. Produced by General Hospital mentor Gloria Monty, the made-for-TV Confessions of a Married Man premiered on January 31, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
More formally known as Father Damien: The Leper Priest, this made-for-TV biopic stars a heavily-wigged Ken Howard in the title role. Father Damien was a Belgian priest who, in 1873, was assigned a far-from-desirable congregation: the leper colony of Molokai in the Hawaiian islands. At first appalled by the colony and its denizens, Damien devoted his life to administering to their needs and improving their living conditions. He died in 1889 at the age of 49, having long earlier contacted leprosy himself. When originally telecast October 27, 1980, Damien: The Leper Priest was dedicated to the memory of David Janssen, who before his death was slated to portray Father Damien. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Adapted from a lesser-known novel from SF/Horror author Dean R. Koontz, this claustrophobic thriller presents a computerized nemesis incorporating the murderous elements of 2001's HAL with the world-domination goal of the title villain in Colossus: The Forbin Project. Brilliant cybernetics expert Dr. Alex Harris (Fritz Weaver) develops a revolutionary new supercomputer dubbed Proteus IV (voice of Robert Vaughn, uncredited) which is capable of almost human self-awareness and capacity for intellectual growth. Unfortunately for Alex and his wife Susan (Julie Christie), Proteus is also imbued with a very human desire to grow beyond the limitations of his own knowledge -- as well as to escape the isolation of the laboratory -- and taps into the home terminals of the Harris' high-tech dream house, in which he makes Susan a virtual prisoner. As she is put through a tortuous series of physical and mental tests, the Proteus mainframe takes severe steps to prevent any interference -- even resorting to the murder of Harris' assistant (Gerrit Graham). Susan's confusion eventually turns to dread when she begins to realize Proteus' true intentions... to evolve beyond mere circuitry and assume a human form by impregnating her with his "seed." Despite the lurid premise, this is probably the most conventional effort from controversial director Donald Cammell (Performance, Wild Side), and the film's theme of the computer's ominously pervasive role in human affairs -- in this case forcing its way into our bodies as well as our lives -- seems oddly prescient today. Christie's convincing performance makes the most of a role which has her shouting at the walls and ceiling for two-thirds of the movie. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Christie, Fritz Weaver, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this psycho thriller, Richard Sullivan is a mild-mannered, trusting ad-man who is tickled when his long lost cousin Harry suddenly shows up at his door. Harry is accompanied by Connie, his fiancee and the innocent Richard welcomes them into his happy home. Unfortunately, whereas Richard, his wife Kate and their son Alex live an idyllic existence, Harry and Connie's relationship is stormy and unstable. Connie constantly whines about wanting the perfect home, and both of them are intensely envious of the Sullivans. Their jealousy takes a darker turn when they try to become the Sullivans. First they begin undermining Richard and Kate's authority over Alex. Then Harry and Connie begin going through the couple's personal effects and files. Eventually, the spooky duo begins impersonating the Sullivans as much as they can. When Kate begins to get suspicious,the story takes a deadly turn for neither she nor Richard realize that they are dealing with cold-blooded, murderous psychopaths. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Harris, David Keith, (more)
- 1975
- R
Previously filmed in 1942 as The Falcon Takes Over and in 1944 as Murder, My Sweet, Raymond Chandler's Farewell My Lovely was given its third cinematic go-round under its original title in 1975. Spouting the Chandlerish prose as if it were second nature, Robert Mitchum stars as 1940s private eye Philip Marlowe, hired by the goonish Moose Malloy (Jack O'Halloran) to locate his former girl friend. This involves Marlowe in the theft of a jade necklace, which in turn leads to murder. All roads seemingly lead to adventuress Mrs. Grayle (Charlotte Rampling), wealthily married but far from satisfied. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Mitchum, Charlotte Rampling, (more)
Bette Midler stars as a Martha Raye-type entertainer during the World War II era in this big-budget nostalgia piece. Midler plays big-band singer Dixie Leonard, who is chosen to perform at an overseas USO Christmas show by her uncle Art Silver (George Segal), a comedy writer for famed comedian Eddie Sparks (James Caan). Dixie is shuttled to London, where she is thrown on-stage with Eddie, who takes an immediate dislike to her. But her performance is a sensation, and the audience can't stop howling at Dixie's smart one-liner comebacks to Eddie. Dixie is catapulted to stardom, and the repartee between Eddie and Dixie becomes the stuff of legend. The two spar together through World War II, the McCarthy era, and Vietnam. But Dixie stops speaking to Eddie when he fires a writer for being a communist sympathizer and, later, she doesn't speak to him again after he arranges for a reunion between her and her son on the battlefields of Vietnam. Finally, Dixie, now an old woman, is cajoled to appear on a television awards show to reunite with a now decrepit Eddie, age 91. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, James Caan, (more)
- 2003
TV talker "Dr. Phil" McGraw makes his acting debut in this episode. Though mad at Dr. Phil because of an outstanding poker debt, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) agrees to take Roz (Peri Gilpin) to the good doctor's lecture. Upon arrival, Frasier is shocked to discover that Dr. Phil's agent is the redoubtable Bebe Glazer (Harriet Sansom Harris). Frasier is also peeved that Bebe had never been able to make him a huge star in all the time she was representing him. So imagine his surprise when Bebe offers to do for Frasier what she's done for Dr. Phil -- in exchange for certain, er, favors. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Phil McGraw, Harriet Sansom Harris, (more)
A wealthy playboy is being stalked by a murderous seductress, and it's up to a seasoned bodyguard to keep him out of the line of fire in director Richard Munhckin's explosive action entry. Lawton Hobbs has it all, but money and fame are nothing when a murderous stalker is tracking your every move. Upon hiring bodyguard Cynthia McKay to keep him safe from harm's way Lawton assumes he has navigated safely out of the danger zone. When the sparks between Lawton and Cynthia begins catch fire though, the self-assured lady's man is about to discover just how wrong he really is. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The sixth and final season of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys begins as female criminal Arciana (Katie Holmes) breaks out of prison in search of the all-powerful Sword of Hera. Arciana is inexorably linked to the demon Xerxos (Jeremy Roberts), who long ago murdered the family of Hercules' friend and traveling companion Iolaus (Michael Hurst). In their efforts to track down Arciana, Iolaus and especially Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) face an additional challenge in the form of the sinister lookalike of Hercules' lost love Serena (Sam Sorbo). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
- 1996
Assuming the face and form of Hercules' sculptor friend Thanis (Paul Gittins), the hideously ugly shapeshifting god Proteus frames Thanis for murder. This he has done for the sake of love, reasoning that he would otherwise have no chance of winning the heart of Thanis' daughter, Daniella (Ashley Lawrence). It falls to Hercules to do battle with Proteus and to teach the errant god a lesson in "being yourself". The candidates of the 1996 U.S. presidential election are given a brief, good-natured ribbing in this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst, (more)
Heroes is an old-fashioned social problem movie concerning a troubled Vietnam veteran and the loving woman who helps him to work out his problems. Henry Winkler plays Jack Dunne, a veteran who has a history of mental problems. Jack fools the hospital doctor Elias (Hector Elias) and escapes from the hospital with the intention of starting a worm farm with money collected from his fellow inmates. Jack hops aboard a bus, where he meets up with Carol Bell (Sally Field), who, invites Jack to join up with her on a trip to California. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Winkler, Sally Field, (more)
- 1984
Having gone to his Heavenly reward in 1948, lawyer Arthur Morton is "reborn" in 1987 as Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon), a probationary angel who in order to earn his wings must return to Earth and offer help and support to unfortunate mortals. In this debut episode of Highway to Heaven, Jonathan is assigned to Havencrest, a retirement home that is facing demolition. Adopting the earthly guise of a handyman, our hero sets about to improve the quality of life of Havencrest's surly and sullen residents. Originally telecast as a two-hour TV movie, the opening episode of Highway to Heaven has since been divided into two one-hour installments for syndication. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1984
Originally broadcast as a two-hour TV movie, this opening episode of Highway to Heaven has since been divided into two one-hour installments for syndication. In part two, probationary angel Jonathan Smith (Michael Landon), adopting the guise of an earthly handyman, continues in his efforts to bring some joy and sunshine into the lives of the unhappy residents of Havencrest, a retirement home slated for demolition. Although most of the elderly residents respond positively to Jonathan's efforts, a bitter, selfish old lady named Estelle (guest star Helen Hayes) refuses to have anything to do with either Jonathan or her contemporaries. Not only is Estelle's attitude hurting her, but it also might ruin Jonathan's chances of ever earning his wings. ~ All Movie Guide
This drama tells of the powerful rise of emperor Julius Caesar along with his swift fall in this adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1998
The prosecution of a Mafia murder faces a stumbling block in the form of a Mr. Dobbs (Philip Bosco), the lawyer of an elderly mob don. Dobbs argues that his client is mentally and physically unfit to stand trial -- and all evidence suggests that the attorney is telling the truth. Adding to the intrigue is the dead witness, and the all-too-eager confession of a two-bit hoodlum. The D.A.'s office arrives at the truth through the "magic" of videotape -- and a steady finger on the slow-motion button. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Paul (Paul Reiser) is in Canada on a film shoot, losing both his mind and some of his hair. Meanwhile, Jamie (Helen Hunt) and Lisa (Anne Ramsay) exchange places for a day when their purses are accidentally mixed. Andrew Gordon, who co-wrote this episode, makes a significant appearance in an insignificant role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
A U.S. general confronts the struggle of her lifetime when she decides to run for president in this drama. ~ All Movie Guide
