Eugene Roche Movies

Robinson Devor directed this film noir parody about a used car salesman obsessed with writing and directing his dream project: a maudlin tale called The Man Who Got Away about a trucker who runs over a little girl. Richard Hudson (Seinfeld regular Patrick Warburton) works at a used car lot during a scalding hot summer in L.A. during the 1950s. The atmosphere, or perhaps the heat, begins to lead his drifting mind to the glamour of showbiz. After moving in with his floozy of a mom (she even flirts with him), he learns that her new husband is a has-been filmmaker. This starts Hudson's gears turning, and soon nothing daunts the salesman from pursuing his dream. The Woman Chaser was screened at the 1999 New York Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

In this action thriller, a group of Islamic terrorists, led by Nagi Hassan (David Suchet), highjacks a 747 jetliner with 400 passengers aboard, but Lt. Col. Austin Travis (Steven Seagal), a United States intelligence agent, is convinced that this isn't an ordinary case of air piracy. His suspicions are soon confirmed; Hassan's men have obtained a large cache of stolen Soviet nerve gas, and they are using the 747 to smuggle the deadly gas into the United States, where they intend to use it to wipe out Washington D.C. and possibly the entire East Coast. As the jet approaches the U. S., engineer Dennis Cahill (Oliver Platt) designs a plan in which a military plane will be able to transfer U.S. soldiers onto the 747 and regain control of the plane and its deadly cargo. However, when Travis dies in the course of the mission, intelligence agent Dr. David Grant (Kurt Russell) is forced to take his place alongside explosives expert Cappy (Joe Morton), commando Rat (John Leguizamo), and stewardess-turned-anti-terrorist Jean (Halle Berry). Executive Decision was the first directorial assignment for veteran film editor Stuart Baird; he cut the film as well. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The life of Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor is told in this made-for-television drama. Sherilyn Fenn stars as Oscar-winning actress Liz Taylor, whose career began when her mother pushed her into acting as a child in the 1940s. Her tumultuous career ups and downs, and her turbulent personal life are chronicled in the film, which was based on the book by C. David Heymann. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

A recently transferred high-school student finds herself walking a double-edged sword in her attempt to court friendship with the powerfully popular but frighteningly unpredictable head cheerleader in a disturbing look at the adolescent social hierarchy starring Tori Spelling and Kellie Martin. Angela Delvecchio (Kellie Martin) has just transferred to a new high school, and popularity is her highest priority. Her burgeoning friendship with beautiful cheerleader Stacy Lockwood (Spelling) a sure sign that she is fast making headway with the in crowd, Angela quickly discovers that it doesn't take much for her new best friend to become her new worst enemy. Now, as the vengeful Stacy unleashes a firestorm of cruelty and humiliation on the increasingly vulnerable transfer student, Angela grows unstable for fear of what horrors her venomous teen tormentor will inflict upon her next. But Angela isn't one to take Stacy's abuse in stride, and before the semester is over, the unrelenting tyranny of the cold-blooded cheerleader will lead the newest girl in school to commit an act so shocking that it will shake the entire community. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this crime drama, a talented, ambitious young lawyer takes the case when one of his colleagues, jealous of the other attorney's flawless court record, is found murdered. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Murder She Wrote enters its eighth season with a revised production staff and a new central location (New York City rather than fictional Cabot Cove, Maine), but with the same popular star, Angela Lansbury, as mystery writer Jessica Fletcher. Having been contracted to teach a college criminology course in the Big Apple, Jessica leaves Cabot Cove behind to search for a midtown Manhattan apartment. She gets one, only to find that the previous tenant, an antique dealer, had been murdered--and that someone has broken into the place in search of...what? To help Jessica solve the mystery, her old Cabot Cove cohort Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) pays a timely visit. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this blend of fantasy and romantic comedy, a man isn't sure if he's stuck between past and present or if his imagination is simply working overtime. Edward (Jon Voight) is a prince in Medieval Europe, where his greatest rival is his brother Roni (Armand Assante). Roni wants to declare war on neighboring kingdoms, while Edward believes in keeping the peace, and both are in love with a beautiful gypsy named Dahlin (Eileen Davidson); only the frequent intervention of their father, the King (Wilford Brimley), keeps the two from killing each other. Or at least that's how it seems until Edward wakes up. It seems that his name is really James, he's the host of a talk show in Los Angeles, and he keeps having a recurring dream in which he and his co-workers are characters in a tale of knights in shining armor. Eric, his boss, looks just like the King, and Roni is a dead ringer for Sean, a high-powered businessman who is organizing a hostile takeover of James' company. However, things really start to get interesting for James when he meets Valerie, who is directing a television commercial at James' studio. She bears a striking resemblance to Dahlin the gypsy girl, and James can't help but tell her that she's the girl of his dreams. But are they really dreams, or memories of a past life? Eternity was Jon Voight's first film in three years; he also co-wrote the screenplay with director Steven Paul and Dorothy Koster Paul. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Jessica's nephew Grady Fletcher (Michael Horton) and his fiancée Donna Mayberry (Debbie Zipp) have decided to get married in the home of Donna's parents (Eugene Roche, Gale Storm). With Jessica (Angela Lansbury) on the guest list, can murder be far behind? Not likely: This time the victim is Mr. and Mrs. Mayberry's fanatically fastidious housekeeper, who is "done in" with her own meat thermometer! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Robin Masters' latest manuscript is stolen, Magnum teams with "old school" private eye Luther Gillis (Eugene Roche) to retrieve the document. The two detectives also try to find out who has attempted to murder Higgins (John Hillerman)--and worse, has done harm to Higgins' beloved Dobermans Zeus and Apollo. Curiously, the case's progression of events closely adheres to the plotline of Robin's unpublished novel, suggesting that someone has a very compelling reason to prevent the book from hitting the shelves. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

French detective Claude Fornier (Paul Verdier), whose exploits have inspired several of Robin Masters' novels, is murdered just after presenting Magnum (Tom Selleck) with the "PI of the Year" award. Though anxious to solve Fornier's murder, Magnum finds that he'll have to wait in line as every other detective attending the awards ceremony (many of whom closely resemble popular TV gumshoes!) insists upon taking a crack at the case. Elisha Cook Jr., usually cast as shady businessman Ice Pick, reprises his characterization of weasely "gunsel" Wilmer from The Maltese Falcon in a dream sequence; and appearing as chief of security at the ceremony is prolific TV producer Stephen J. Cannell. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

St. Louis-based private eye Luther H. Gillis (Eugene Roche) pays a return visit to Hawaii to pick up an award from the National Academy of Private Investigators. Unfortunately, Luther's loyal secretary Blanche (Sheree North) is kidnapped along with Higgins (John Hillerman), forcing a flustered Magnum (Tom Selleck) to once again join forces with the redoubtable Mr. Gillis. Meanwhile, a typically dour Higgins and an incongruously cheerful Blanche try to formulate an escape plan while roped together in an abandoned building. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi