Bill Quinn Movies

In this black comedy about cannibalism, an overweight man (Joe Alaskey) is thrilled when a beautiful woman (Donna Dixon) invites him to her family's home for Christmas dinner. Little does he know that he's slated to be the main course. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

The original 1946 Dark Mirror starred Olivia de Havilland as twin sisters, one of whom has committed a murder. Since each twin can provide an alibi for the other, a rumpled detective (Thomas Mitchell) and a handsome shrink (Lew Ayres) are compelled to get to the truth through patience and not a little sneakiness. Dark Mirror was remade as a TV movie in 1984, this time with Jane Seymour in the "leads" and Vincent Gardenia as the detective. Seymour has a field day alternating between the good and bad twin; would that the audience was having as much fun. There really isn't any point to this dour remake, except perhaps to honor a contractual commitment to Jane Seymour, whose playing is so ripe that we secretly hope both twins will get the chair. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the popular television series created by Rod Serling, this film of horror and the supernatural tells four separate stories--each by a different director: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller. In one, a bigot is taught a lesson when he is transported to experience the lives of three different victims of prejudice and intolerance. Another takes a trip to an old-age home where the arrival of a special man turns some of the residents into youthful people once again. In the third, a woman befriends a timid young child who turns out to be a maniacal brat with bizarre powers. The final segment shows how a man with an aversion to flying has a rough time when he panics and then sees a strange creature on the wing outside his window seat. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide

Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, the screenwriters behind the highly successful Alien, turned their attention to earthbound terrors with this creepy horror tale. Dead and Buried focuses on Dan Gillis (James Farentino), a man who has recently returned to his hometown of Potter's Bluff to be its sheriff. His job becomes difficult when a series of strangers who visit Potter's Bluff begin dying in violent and mysterious ways. To make matters worse, his wife, Janet (Melody Anderson), has begun to act strangely, taking an odd interest in voodoo and acting like she might be having an affair. As the murder victims pile up, Gillis discovers that all his troubles have an occult origin that has to do with the town's elderly mortician, Dobbs (Jack Albertson, in his final feature film role). Gillis gets to the bottom of the mystery, only to discover that the truth is much worse than he imagined. Despite effective direction and solid acting, Dead and Buried got lost in the shuffle of the early '80s horror boom and failed to click with the movie-going public. However, it later gained an audience via home video and cable and remains a minor cult favorite today thanks to its singular blend of creepy atmosphere and gruesome shocks. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

Based on the best-selling memoirs of Lillian Rogers Parks, the NBC miniseries Backstairs at the White House traces over five decades of American political history as witnessed from the vantage point of the servants' quarters. Played by Tania Johnson as a teenager and by Leslie Uggams as an adult, Lillian Rogers Parks served for 52 years as a maidservant at the White House. Though crippled early on with polio, Lillian diligently and loyally stuck to her duties -- and her own rock-solid set of principles and ideals -- through eight highly different Presidential administrations, often (and occasionally reluctantly) acting as friend and confidante to the First Lady of the moment. The large and stellar cast included a number of top-rank film and TV actors, obviously having the time of their lives impersonating such presidents as William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, and their respective wives. Also in the cast were several African-American veterans from the landmark TV miniseries Roots. Earning 11 Emmy Award nominations, the nine-hour Backstairs at the White House was seen in five installments from January 29 to February 19, 1979. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Archie discovers that the cash register in his bar contains several counterfeit ten-dollar bills. Alas, he makes this discovery after Edith has been arrested for trying to spend one of those phony bills. Even more embarrassing is the fact that Edith was using the "funny money" to buy him some new underwear. This episode was written by All in the Family fixtures Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf. "Bogus Bills" first aired on December 3, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Bob Newhart Show ended its six-season, 142-episode run with the aptly titled "Happy Trails to You." The show opens as Bob assumes his new responsibilities as a psychology professor in a small Oregon college. In flashback, Bob recalls how he bade farewell to his friends, colleagues, and patients back in Chicago. Best scene: The impromptu rendition of "Oklahoma." Bob Newhart's real-life father-in-law, character actor Bill Quinn, appears as Dr. Wyler. Written by Glen Charles, Les Charles, and Lloyd Garver, "Happy Trails to You" originally aired on April 1, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Stone (Karl Malden) is appalled by an upsurge in teenage crime, especially because the perpetrators have been able to escape punishment because they're still "children" in the eyes of the law. Bucking against public opinion and political pressure, Stone tries to change the laws so that the teen outlaws will be tried as adults. Mark Hamill, on the verge of celebrity by virtue of Star Wars, is afforded "special guest star" billing in the episode; Carl Weathers, despite his burst of fame as Apollo Creed in Rocky, is merely listed among the featured players. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Delta County USA was the feature-length pilot film for a proposed prime-time serial. The titular county is an old, hidebound Southern community, harboring ever so many dark secrets. The dramatic tension of the film is manifested in the lack of understanding between the older citizens and the young set. Jim Antonio heads the cast as "Jack the Bear," who's smarter than the av-er-age...you know. Delta County USA was initially telecast May 20, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Attending a group therapy session, Jim (James Garner) and Angel (Stuart Margolin) make the acquaintance of former mental patient Mary Jo Flynn (Joanne Nail). Insisting that her life is in danger because she has met a government spy who was being held against his will in a psychiatric hospital, Mary Jo has trouble convincing Jim of her plight--until he, too, finds himself up to his neck in peril. It all has something to do with a Chilean military coup, and a crisis of loyalty within a mob family...and this being The Rockford Files, the estimable Angel (Stuart Margolin) is mixed up in the intrigue! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It's The Wages of Fear, prairie style, in this tension-laden episode. When the price of grain plummets precipitously, Charles (Michael Landon), Edwards (Victor French), and two other men must seek out employment in a hurry. The four men accept a high-paying but highly dangerous job, transporting explosives over treacherous mountain roads. In the course of their perilous journey, the men are forced to confront their own inner demons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this thriller, an innocent man is wrongfully committed to an asylum for the criminally insane. While there he learns how to tap into his psychic powers and to affect the lives of others via astral projection. These skills come in mighty handy after he is released and he heads out for revenge against those who framed him. This movie was originally filmed as The Kirlian Force. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide