Mayim Bialik Movies
- 2005
A trio of lifelong friends returns to their hometown of Kalamazoo, MI, for their ten-year high-school reunion, only to discover that their graduation time capsule contains embarrassingly unmet goals for all of them in director David P. O'Malley's affectionate comedy. For Carol Cavanaugh (Josie Davis), Maggie Goldman (Mayim Bialik), and Joan Branson (Joanna Clare Scott), life hasn't necessarily been as fruitful and as glamorous as they may have hoped in the idealistic days of their carefree youth. Though still relatively young and hopeful about the road that lies ahead, the prospect of having all of their unfulfilled dreams trumpeted before every member of their graduating class is much too humiliating to take lying down. Now, as the three lifelong friends attempt to recover the capsule before it can be read aloud, the spirits of their deceased grandmothers appear to offer solace and consolation in an uncertain time of progress and transition. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mayim Bialik, Josie Davis, (more)
- 1996
Benton Quest and Race Bannon are invited to attend a phenomenology conference in the Himalayas, little suspecting that the conference is a sham created by their old enemy Jeremiah Surd. With Quest Compound apparently unprotected by adults, Surd leads his henchmen on an assault of the Quest team's Maine headquarters -- and also enslaves the mind of Jonny's friend Hadji. With no other choice, Jonny and Jessie pretend to be their fathers, Benton and Race, in order to foil Surd's mad scheme. "Assault on Questworld" first aired on September 4, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
- 1996
The Philosopher's Stone, which is said to have the power to turn base metals into gold, is located by Dr. Quest, only to be stolen by Quest's duplicitous partner. The villain then kidnaps Jonny, Jessie, and Hadji, intending to use their Purity of Heart to activate the precious Stone. Those celebrated conjurers Faust and Merlin make "cameo" appearances in "The Alchemist," which was first telecast in the United States on September 10, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- J.D. Roth, George Segal, (more)
The second film to be made from Woody Allen's successful stage comedy (following a 1969 feature starring Jackie Gleason), Don't Drink the Water is a made-for-television adaptation directed by and starring Allen himself. The fish-out-of-water premise remains the same: Allen plays Walter Hollander, a caterer from New Jersey who takes his family on vacation to a fictional Eastern European country. The trip turns sour when, thanks to a series of misunderstandings involving some inopportune snapshots, they are accused of espionage. The family goes on the run, taking refuge in the American Embassy. There, with the help of a wily young diplomat, they try to figure out a way to return to America without sparking an international incident. Though this version is set 25 years later than the original film, the changes are mostly cosmetic: the visual style is hand-held and more frantic, and the script replaces numerous references to the Cold War with a few glancing nods to present-day politics. Another notable change, the addition of an opening montage parodying newsreels, was reportedly the result of network pressure after Allen's initial cut proved too short for the planned time slot. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Aimed at young adults in order to increase their awareness of AIDS and HIV, this video combines informational and educational messages with entertainment. Each segment teaches teenagers something different about the HIV virus or AIDS, such as how anyone can contract AIDS, how and why AIDS is contracted, why everyone at risk should get tested, and that abstinence is the best defense against contracting the virus. Hosted by Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson, there is also medical advise from AIDS expert Dr. Karen Hall and plenty of celebrities who speak out on the truths of this often misunderstood disease. Magic Johnson talks about his personal experiences with the HIV virus in an in-depth interview. ~ Cecilia Cygnar, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Miles (Grant Shaud) puts together a junior version of "FYI" to appeal to preteen viewers, and he asks Murphy (Candice Bergen) to mentor one of the youthful reporters. In her diligence to do the right thing, Murphy succeeds only in creating a Frankenstein--specifically a younger, even nastier clone of herself! Future Blossom star Mayim Bialik appears as the "mini-Murphy", while a very young Mark-Paul Gosselaar (NYPD Blue) is seen as one of the other student reporters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Based on a novel by Iris Rainer Dart, Beaches traces the 30-year oil-and-water friendship between free-spirited Bronx Jew CC Bloom (Bette Midler) and uptight San Francisco WASP Hillary Essex (Barbara Hershey). The two meet as children in Atlantic City (played by Mayim Bialik and Marcie Leeds) and are reunited in the 1960s, when CC is a struggling singer and Hillary is trying to break free from her staid upbringing by becoming an activist. The two ladies room together, then fall out when both are attracted to off-Broadway producer John Pierce (John Heard). CC wins John, but she quickly outgrows him as she matriculates into a bawdy performer. The recently patched-up friendship between CC and Hillary is torn asunder again when Hillary and her new husband express distaste for CC's performing style. Comes the 1970s, and CC and Hillary are reunited after shedding their respective spouses. Broke again, they once more become Manhattan roommates. Their bond strengthens, but there is tragedy in store for the duo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey, (more)
A bereaved farmer enlists the aid of a terrifying demon to help avenge his son's death in this stylish horror movie that contains a strong moral. It all begins as gentle widowed farmer/general store owner Ed's beloved 10-year-old son is involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident with an careless unknown motorcyclist. Ed nearly goes berserk with grief and to bring back his son heads to the cabin of a wise old witch to see if she can rejuvenate the youth. Unfortunately, it is beyond her considerable powers so Ed, now equally desperate for revenge, invokes the legendary Pumpkinhead, a terrifying demon with the power to make the biker pay. One by one, Pumpkinhead dispatches the terrified cyclist and his friends, leaving Ed to reconsider his rashness. He tries to call the demon back, but by then it is far too late.... The film is the directorial debut of Oscar-winning special effects wizard Stan Winston. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lance Henriksen, Jeff East, (more)
