Alice Playten Movies

Season 12 of Law & Order featured a new face in the D.A.'s office: feisty young A.D.A. Serena Southerlyn, played by Elisabeth Rohm. The opening episode, based on a real-life California case, gets under way when a jogger and her pet terrier are mauled by a vicious pit bull. Further investigation reveals that the attack dog's original owner, now serving two life terms in Attica, bred the animal for illegal dog fights. It is up to the D.A.'s office to prove that the pit bull's current caretakers, Sherri and Roger Quinn (Melissa Leo, Bruce McCarty), were fully aware of how dangerous their "pet" was when they bought it. Originally slated to air on September 19, 2001, this episode was moved forward to the following week. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Frasier's dad Martin (John Mahoney) is an eligible widower. Roz's mom Joanna (Eva Marie Saint) is likewise unattached. Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Roz (Peri Gilpin) are thus convinced that the union between Martin and Joanna would be the proverbial "match made in Heaven." The results: Joanna is exultant -- and Martin is annoyed. And speaking of matchups, listen for the Very Famous Couple providing "guest voices" during Frasier's radio call-in show. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of Frasier's season-six finale, all three of the Crane men continue to encounter big problems in their respective love lives. Niles (David Hyde Pierce) decides his new girlfriend is too "hip" for his room; Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is caught between two lovers, whose names he can't keep straight; and the relationship between Martin (John Mahoney) and his lady friend Bonnie (Alice Playten) hits a serious snag thanks to Eddie the dog. Originally telecast as a one-hour "special," this episode has since been re-edited as two separate half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Containing romance, sex, and political musing spiced with generous amounts of black comedy, this non-narrative goulash from Yvonne Ranier looks at the lives, loves and concerns of post-menopausal lesbians living in conservative America. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Michael J. Fox stars as Doug Ireland in this romantic comedy about a brash concierge at a swanky New York hotel who always makes it a point to go out of his way for the hotel guests. But Doug doesn't want to be a concierge forever. What he would really like to do is build a swanky hotel of his own, and all he needs is $3 million to do it. When haughty and patronizing tycoon Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins) comes to the hotel for a rendezvous with his mistress Andy Hart (Gabrielle Anwar), Doug sees the opportunity to convince Christian to invest the $3 million in his dream of a hotel. So, Doug willingly agrees to baby-sit Andy when Christian has to leave her to see his wife. But the more time he spends with Andy, the more affectionate he feels toward her, until finally he has fallen in love with her. Now Doug must make a choice concerning what he really wants -- his dream of a hotel or the love of Andy. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

This futuristic animated comedy finds the Earth on the verge of World War IV. World War III has divided the world into two factions. A mutated strain of males live in one part of the world, with the females populating the other half. Hitler clones and ballerina warriors are just some of the amusing cartoon characters involved in the next world war. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Inspired by stories from the fantasy graphics magazine Heavy Metal, this five-part animated feature combines the talents of hundreds of artists and animators from 17 different countries. A glowing green orb called Loc-Nar that contains the sum total of all evil in the universe travels through space and time, spreading violence and discord in its wake. The stories that follow demonstrate Loc-Nar's malevolent presence throughout the universe. In New York in the year 2023, cabbie Harry Canyon picks up a fare who turns out to have Loc-Nar in her possession, and it turns out to be one trip he wishes that he had never made. In contemporary suburban America, a nerdy high school kid finds the orb in his backyard and is transported to a comic-book universe where he's a mighty warrior and famous spoiler of women. A robot created by an alien race falls in love with a secretary from Earth who was kidnapped by his masters, while she is at once fascinated and repelled by his sexual talents. And finally, Loc-Nar crashes into a mountain, and a world of fantasy and danger spontaneously appears in its wake, ruled by The Defender, a beautiful amazon who rides on a giant bird. The voice cast for Heavy Metal includes John Candy, Harold Ramis, Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, Richard Romanus, and John Vernon. The sound track features selections by Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Cheap Trick, Devo, and Grand Funk Railroad. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Produced for the third season of the ABC Afterschool Special series, this episode was not seen until halfway through season four. Kristy McNichol stars as 12-year-old Nina Beckwith, who, much to her own surprise, finds that she is able to adjust quite satisfactorily to her parents' divorce. Unfortunately, Nina encounters a great deal of difficulty accepting her father's new wife -- especially since the woman in question is also Nina's math teacher! ~ Rovi

This thought-provoking and only slightly heavy handed anti-war tract is based on a real incident that occurred during the atomic terror of the Cuban missile crisis. The tragedy begins when a civil defense siren is accidentally tripped while a school is in session. The panic-stricken children are immediately sent home. One young girl has an air-raid shelter in her backyard and invites many children inside. A less popular girl begs to be let in, but the first girl makes excuses and shuts her out leaving the terribly frightened child to hide out in an abandoned refrigerator where she dies. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi