Meredith Salenger
Young, self-absorbed attorney Matt Fleming (Jason London) is sent out of the city and into the woods by his mother, who is worried over the welfare of Matt's crusty, eccentric nature-loving grandfather Jack (Ed Asner). Not surprisingly, Matt is in for quite a culture shock. Not only does Jack do without any modern conveniences, but he also enjoys wandering in the great outdoors completely naked. Even worse -- at least as far as Matt is concerned -- Jack has spent the entire family fortune on a patch of land that he intends to donate to a local Native American child. In trying to curb Jack's enthusiasm and control the old man's behavior, Matt instead ends up learning about how to fend for himself in the wilderness, a skill that comes in very handy during a serious mid-film crisis. Matt also applies what he has learned from Jack in his efforts to make a lasting commitment to his own girlfriend Linda (Meredith Salenger). Produced for cable's Hallmark Channel, Out of the Woods debuted April 2, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Asner, Jason London, (more)
Martin Sheen and his son Charlie Sheen play father and son, appropriately enough, in this tense crime thriller. Bill Patterson (Martin Sheen) is a veteran police detective who works side by side with his son Jake (Charlie Sheen) in the vice squad. Both Bill and Jake share a dedication to their work that often gets in the way of their relationships with others. The job has put a wedge between Jake and his wife Rebecca (Meredith Salenger), and Jake also feels that he's starting to burn out, tired of living in the shadow of his better-respected dad. When a fellow vice detective is killed trying to crack a drug ring, Bill and Jake make it their personal responsibility to bring in the killers and take the drugs off the street. However, they quickly discover that they've severely underestimated the ruthlessness and brutality of the dealers (played by Tina Nguyen, Joe Lando, Courtney Gains, and Bruce Nelson) and that their lives are in great danger. No Code of Conduct was the first feature written and directed by Bret Michaels, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the lead singer with the popular rock band Poison. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, (more)
So what's under the water in that lake deep in the Maine woods? No one is sure what it could be, but a dead and severely mutilated body was found near the shore, and the only clue is a large tooth which appears to be from a prehistoric animal resembling a huge crocodile. Jack Wells (Bill Pullman), the local fish and game warden, is investigating the case when he's assigned a helper, paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda). Kelly generally does office work since she hates the outdoors (a drawback in her line of work) and is recovering from a breakup with one of her co-workers. Jack would just as soon handle this matter without Kelly's help, but with time, the two get used to each other and something beyond a working relationship begins to develop. Meanwhile, Jack and Kelly also have to deal with Sheriff Hank Keogh (Brendan Gleeson), who would like to find the mystery creature and kill it; Hector Cyr (Oliver Platt), a quirky mythology expert who wants to capture and study the beast; and Mrs. Bickerman (Betty White), an eccentric older woman with dubious stories about her missing cattle -- and missing husband. Blending suspense, humor, and romance, Lake Placid was written by David E. Kelley, creator of the popular TV shows Ally McBeal and The Practice, and directed by Steve Miner, whose credits range from TV's The Wonder Years to the films Forever Young and Halloween: H20. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, (more)
- 1998
Something is driving people crazy the day before the Sadie Hawkins Dance, and it's not just deciding who to ask. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) has to stop a boy from shooting a girl. As she knocks the gun from his hands, the couple seem perplexed as to why they were fighting and the gun disappears. Later, while bored in class, Buffy has a vision of a student and teacher from the '50s who were having a relationship. Then, a janitor and teacher also attempt to kill each other. Distraught over Jenny's (Robia La Morte) death (see "Passion"), Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) assumes the culprit is her poltergeist. Meanwhile, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) discovers the tale of James and Miss Newman, a student and teacher who had an illicit love affair in 1955, which ended in tragedy the night of the Sadie Hawkins Dance. Apparently, James doesn't want anyone else attending the dance either. ~ All Movie Guide
When a typical teenager discovers her family is moving from a large city to a small town in the country, there are plenty of changes she's planning on ... but battling swarms of murderous insects isn't one of them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This film is a remake of the classic 1960 science-fiction thriller, Village of the Damned, which was based on the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. Veteran horror director John Carpenter is at the helm this time, with Christopher Reeve replacing George Sanders in the starring role. Aliens put the entire village of Midwich to sleep for 24 hours and impregnate many women. Reeve plays Alan Chaffee, the town doctor, whose wife Barbara (Karen Kahn) is one of the women carrying an alien baby. Visiting scientist Dr. Susan Verner (Kristie Alley) is monitoring the situation for the government. She supervises a mass birthing in a barn. The children turn out to be white-haired, glassy-eyed, and telepathic. Their plan is to use their supernatural powers to kill the villagers and help the aliens take over, and only Chaffee and Verner can stop them. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Reeve, Kirstie Alley, (more)
- 1995
Plagued throughout his life by fuzzy, disturbing memories, Coloradoan William Coit Jr. (Neil Patrick Harris) realizes that these memories may put a crimp in the happiness of his recent marriage. In his efforts to get at the root of his anxieties, Coit ruminates over his unhappy, unstable childhood -- and his much-married mother Jill (Bonnie Bartlett), who, in addition to her other peccadillos, has cheated her children out of their late father's inheritance. Can it be possible that the wanton Jill actually murdered William's father? And if so, what horrors are in store for Jill's brand-new husband (number ten!) if William does not take immediate action? Based on a true story, Legacy of Sin: The William Coit Story first aired October 3, 1995, on the Fox network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neil Patrick Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
- 1994
- R
This drama combines elements of humor and sarcasm to chronicle to story of a charming serial killer in Albuquerque circa 1965. It is loosely based on a true story, a story that is said to have inspired Charles Manson. Kit is the narcissistic pathological liar and killer with a love of women. His story is told by his former follower Rudy. Kit lived to deceive. He would spend hours with makeup, hair dye and elevator boots to make himself resemble Elvis. He would say anything to get a woman into bed. He becomes romantically involved with Kirsten, a kindred spirit from a wealthy family. She is as manipulative as he and soon demands he prove his love for her. Kit trustingly tells her of a recent murder he performed. He had already confided in Rudy, but she figured he was lying. Kirsten uses the information to keep Kit close to her. She also tries to get rid of Rudy by messing up his relationship with Donna. Kit and Kirsten continue their increasingly intense game. It culminates in murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Ramsay, Balthazar Getty, (more)
- 1991
- R
Set amidst the gorgeous and rugged rainforests of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula, this outdoor actioner centers on a troop of Eagle Scouts who must use their wits (and a handy secret cache of illegal military weapons they stumble across) to save themselves from murderous illegal loggers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger, (more)
In 1987-88, a quartet of films with the same basic body-switching premise deluged theaters: Like Father, Like Son (1987), Big (1988), Vice Versa (1988), and 18 Again (1988). One year later, Dream a Little Dream (1989) followed suit. Coleman Ettinger (Jason Robards) is forever scolding the local high school students who use his yard as a shortcut to and from their nearby school. Coleman is not a crotchety old coot, however. He's deeply in love with his wife Gena (Piper Laurie) and is good friends with his next-door neighbor Ike (Harry Dean Stanton). In fact, Coleman is looking for a mystical way to preserve his and Gena's lives forever by transferring their consciousness into the bodies of younger people. One day, student Bobby Keller (Corey Feldman) has a bicycle mishap with Coleman while cutting through the yard, and their minds change places. Now Coleman has the brain of a teenager, while young Bobby uses Coleman's wisdom and life experience to win over the girl of his dreams. Dream a Little Dream was the directorial debut of Marc Rocco, son of actor Alex Rocco, who costars in a supporting role. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger, (more)
- 1988
- R
- AddA Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardonto QueueAddA Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardonto top of Queue
The teen drama A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon is directed by William Richert, who adapted the screenplay from his own semi-autobiographical novel Aren't You Even Going to Kiss Me Goodbye? Set in a wealthy Chicago suburb during the 1960s, middle-class Jimmy Reardon (River Phoenix) hangs out with his upper-class best friend, Fred Roberts (Matthew Perry), and sleeps with Fred's snobby girlfriend, Denise Hunter (Ione Skye). He spends his time writing poetry and drinking coffee while he decides what to do after high school. His parents won't help him pay for tuition unless he attends the same business college as his father did, but Jimmy doesn't want to follow that path. Instead, he focuses on coming up with enough money for a plane ticket to go to Hawaii with his wealthy yet chaste girlfriend, Lisa Bentwright (Meredith Salenger). On the night of a big party, Jimmy is given the task of driving home his mother's divorced friend, Joyce Fickett (Ann Magnuson), who conveniently seduces him. Since he is late picking up Lisa, she goes to the dance with the rich Matthew Hollander (Jason Court) instead. Jimmy then crashes the family car and shares an intimate rapprochement with his father (Paul Koslo). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- River Phoenix, Ann Magnuson, (more)
- 1988
The morning invoked by the title of this made-for-TV drama is April 19, 1775. On that day, the "shot heard 'round the world" was fired, signalling the start of the American Revolution. Departing from known history, novelist Howard Fast (who wrote the book on which this film is based) proposes that the skirmish between the Colonial militia and the British troops on Concord Green, Massachusetts, was precipitated by fervent American patriot Solomon Chandler (Rip Torn). Later, Chandler commandeered guerilla raids against the British, activities which involved the film's main protagonist, 15-year-old Adam Cooper (Chad Lowe). Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Urich and Susan Blakely co-star in this Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation, originally telecast April 24, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Robert Urich, (more)
The Kiss, an erotic horror film dealing with ancient curses and the occult, is the story of a teenage girl whose world is destroyed by the arrival of her mysterious aunt and the death of her mother. Amy (Meredith Salenger) leads a normal, suburban existence until the mysterious death of her mother and the simultaneous arrival of her exotic, beautiful jet-set model aunt Felice (Joanna Pacula) who she has never met. Amy's world is completely changed as she watches her father become increasingly sexually attracted to Felice. When Amy rejects Felice's strangely intense interest, Amy and her friends begin to suffer from a series of accidents which leads Amy to believe that black magic is involved. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicholas Kilbertus, Joanna Pacula, (more)
- 1986
The frontier of the title is Australia, the locale for this sprawling four-hour TV movie. Linda Evans stars as an American divorcee who marries an Australian cattleman (Tony Bonner). He dies in a plane crash, leaving Evans and her two teenaged stepchildren stranded on a drought- and debt-ridden ranch. She finds herself smack-dab in the middle of a feud between a covetous land baron (Jason Robards) and his idealistic son (Jack Thompson). With problems of her own, Evans refuses to take sides...until she falls in love with the son. The Last Frontier was filmed on location in Australia's Northern Territory and Barossa Valley. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1986
My Town is a one-hour Disney TV movie set in a tranquil American community. Meredith Salenger considers the place "My Town," and prefers that it remain untouched. Thus Salenger is dead set against the urban renewal plans of town banker Glenn Ford--who is also her grandfather. My Town first saw the light of day on May 25, 1986. It was shown back to back with another 60-minute film, The Casebusters, on ABC's Disney Sunday Movie. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Disney's The Journey of Natty Gann stars Meredith Salenger in the title role. During the Depression, Natty's father (Ray Wise) takes a job in a Northwestern lumber camp, leaving his daughter behind in Chicago with the promise that he'll send for her when he's put together enough money. Unwilling to wait that long, Natty runs away from her guardian (Lainie Kazan) and hops a freight bound for her dad's camp. In addition to the human friends she accrues along the way, including vagabond John Cusack and tough-but-nice juvenile delinquent Barry Miller, Natty is protected on her journey by a friendly wolf (actually a dog, but you try training a wolf). Journey of Natty Gann stretches its "PG" rating as far as possible, but it's still safe and sane entertainment for the younger crowd. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Meredith Salenger, John Cusack, (more)
