Casey Sander Movies
A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's up to Mosely to make sure that Bunker makes it to the courthouse in one piece -- a job that Mosely estimates will take a maximum of 15 minutes. A black van has been trailing the pair unnoticed, though, and after stopping off at a nearby liquor store to pick up some breakfast, Mosely emerges from the store just in time to save Eddie from the lethal bullet of a determined assassin. When backup arrives in the form of Detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosely quickly realizes that the detective on Nugent's team is the same cop that Bunker is set to testify against. Now faced with the tough task of dodging bullets and eluding a massive onslaught of corrupt cops, Mosely must keep Bunker alive long enough to get him before the judge and ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Mos Def, (more)
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which traffics in mystery novels. The game is afoot when Sam's friend Barbara Sommers (Patricia McCormack, a dyed-in-the-wool conspiracy buff, suspects foul play in the death of a wealthy relative. Still worse, Barbara has been frozen out of the will, which favors such high-profile lowlifes as the dead man's brassy trophy wife Madaline (Robyn Lively) and his covetous stepdaughter Fawn (Kari Wuhrer). After crying "foul" in public over the questionable circumstances surrounding the loved one's death and the subsequent bequests, Barbara is herself murdered--and the incriminating photos which she had in her possession have vanished. Investigating the killing, Sam and her friends, former CIA agent Philby (Casey Sander) and public prosecutor Cassie (Nina Siesmazko), unearth a trail of evidence going as far back as 60 years! Mystery Woman: Snapshot originally aired January 28, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which traffics in mystery novels. On this occasion, Sam hopes to bring new customers into her establishment by inviting the once famous folk-rock trio of Steven, Dan and Carly (played by David Naughton, John Getz) and Ellen Greene) to perform at a charity show held near the "Mystery Woman" bookshop. Inevitably, a murder occurs, and the victim is Steven, Dan and Carly's much-despised promoter Jason Hurd. The prime suspect is Carly, who has apparently been engaged in underhanded dealings with her burned-out husband Dan. Taking a personal interest in the case is Sam's coworker, former CIA agent Philby (Clarence Williams III), who has idolized the musical trio since the 1960s. Mystery Woman: Sing Me a Murder debuted February 25, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which traffics in mystery novels. This time out, Sam scores a coup when she manages to get reclusive mystery writer Donald Fiske (William Katt) to make a rare personal appearance at her "Mystery Woman" bookshop. Also on hand is the writer's bitchy wife Jody (Sheree J. Wilson) and his troubled son Cameron (AJ Trauth), not to mention a somewhat disreputable videogame developer named Randy (Jamie Elman), who has persuaded Sam to carry his latest creation, an addictive game called "Whodunnit?", in her store. When Fiske is murdered, Randy is the primary suspect, the result of an ownership squabble over "Whodunnit" which not only involved the dead man, but also some very shady characters from Russia. Though Randy seems to be guilty as hell, Sam nonetheless works overtime to prove his innocence, a task complicated when Sam is assaulted and Jody is kidnapped. Mystery Woman: Game Time premiered August 21, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which traffics in mystery novels. To improve business, Sam hosts a book signing with three celebrity "whodunit" authors in attendance. One of the three, Claire Beckman (Beth Broderick), uses the occasion to announce her retirement -- whereupon she is nearly shot to death by a cleverly rigged hidden pistol. A second attempt on Claire's life, using poison, succeeds, whereupon local police chief Connors (Casey Sander) places everyone under suspicion -- including Sam. Thus, our heroine is forced once again to play amateur sleuth, with the able assistance of her friends and colleagues, especially enigmatic former CIA agent Philby (Clarence Williams III). Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend debuted January 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kellie Martin, Clarence Williams III, (more)
- 2005
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which specializes in mystery novels. As is her habit, Sam ends up playing amateur detective herself, this time at a fancy health spa called Drummonds. One of the spa's customers, a woman named Debbie (Allison Smith) is found murdered, and suspicion immediately falls upon Alice (Bess Meyer), whose husband George (Scott Grimes) and Debbie were having an affair. Complicating matters is the presence of a psychic named Emily (Felicia Day) who with unbecoming eagerness offers to direct the police to the location where Debbie's body has been hidden. As a result, Emily herself is accused of the murder--and at this point Sam and her friends Cassie (Nina Siemaszko) and Philby (Clarence Williams III)--the latter a former CIA agent!--try their hand at ferreting out the real killer. Mystery Woman: Vision of Murder debuted June 5, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An epic-Western in the grand tradition, the made-for-cable The Trail to Hope Rose stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Keenan Deerfield, a half-Indian outlaw just released from prison. Determined to start life anew, Keenan takes a grueling rock-mining job in a town controlled by the odious Driggers family, headed by flint-eyed patriarch Samuel Drigger (Warren Stevens), with the coldblooded Gerald Rutledge (Richard Tyson) as the family's chief henchman. Keenan's fellow workers are treated like slaves and forced to live in squalor, but none dare complain lest they meet with one of the many convient "accidents" that have befallen anyone who dares stand up to the Driggers. With stoic fortitude, Keenan waits for the right moment to strike a blow for justice, benefiting from the moral support of the town's honest but ineffectual Marshal Toll (Lee Majors) and good-natured farmer Eugene Lawson (Ernest Borgnine). The plot thickens when Keenan falls in love with Gerald's "woman," the pregnant Christine Beckford (Marina Black), and when one of Keenan's past associates, A.J. Foster (David Shackelford), rides into town intent upon stealing the Drigger mine's payroll. The rather endearing old-fashioned quality of the film is enhanced by the location-shooting at the Paramount Ranch, a reconstructed western town in Agoura, CA. The Trail to Hope Rose first aired July 4, 2004, on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ernest Borgnine, Lou Diamond Phillips, (more)
- 2000
A teenage boy has his life turned upside down (usually once a week) in this half-hour situation comedy. 14-year-old Tucker Pierce (Eli Marienthal) is already having enough trouble dealing with school, the onset of adolescence, and his body's new habit of betraying his feelings about girls when his father decides to leave his mother Jeannie (Noelle Beck) for a younger woman. With few options, Tucker and Jeannie end up moving in with Jeannie's sister Claire (Katey Sagal), her husband Jimmy (Casey Sander), and their son Leon (Nathan Lawrence). Tucker is more than a little creeped out by Leon's malign obsession with professional wrestling, and Claire is convinced her nephew is some sort of pervert, but Tucker fortunately has an ally in the neighborhood -- a pretty girl his age named McKenna (Alison Lohman). Directed and co-produced by Allan Arkush, Tucker premiered on the NBC television network on October 2, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eli Marienthal, Katey Sagal, (more)
- 1996
Ellen Hart Pena was a woman who seemingly had it all -- she was beautiful, a respected athlete, and the wife of a successful politician, Federico Pena -- the mayor of Denver, CO, before being named U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Clinton. But Ellen also had a dangerous secret -- she suffered from the eating disorder bulimia, which not only came close to claiming her life, but also threatened the health of her unborn child. Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story is a made-for-TV movie that documents Ellen's struggle to conquer her eating disorder, as well as overcome the poor self-image that led her to starve herself. Ellen Hart Pena is played by Crystal Bernard, while her husband Federico is portrayed by Esai Morales; the supporting cast also includes Casey Sander and Tom Atkins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crystal Bernard, Esai Morales, (more)
- 1996
While being escorted to prison from Phoenix to New York, crazed killer Peter Cronin (Anthony Michael Hall) hijacks a commercial jet in flight with the help of accomplices. Holding the 200 passengers and the crew members hostage, Cronin forces the plane to land in Dallas, then demands another, more powerful aircraft for the last leg of his escape. As FBI agent Frank Layton (Perry King) and detective Deni Patton (Ally Sheedy) attempt to negotiate with Cronin, time runs perilously short for the hostages, who know that the killer isn't bluffing when he threatens to kill one prisoner per hour unless his demands are met. A curious reunion for former Breakfast Club costars Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy, the made-forTV Hijacked: Flight 285--which is so weighed down with the "backstories" of the many characters that it could well have been retitled "The High and the Mighty at Gunpoint"--made its ABC network debut on February 4, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Brolin, Perry King, (more)
- 1995
- R
During a big barroom brawl, petty crook Martin accidentally shoots the son of a crime lord and flees to the relative safety of a remote northern California logging community in this taut drama. In the little town, he takes over an abandoned hunting cabin, changes his name and begins working as a logger. Eventually he meets, Anna, a lovely young widow and her teenage son, Jeff. The disparate twosome fall in love, but Martin tells Anna nothing about his past. She has a good effect on him and he tries to live a decent life. Unfortunately, a crooked sheriff learns the truth and begins trying to blackmail him. He also meets opposition with his crew boss Max, Anna's suspicious brother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Megan Gallagher, (more)
- 1994
In this adventure, a poor street urchin and a poor-little-rich boy who look exactly alike meet and decide to switch roles. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Weaver, Rider Strong, (more)
Stars of country music fill out the cast of this made-for-TV western. Kenny Rogers plays a bounty hunter who sets off with his newlywed partner (Travis Tritt) to track down the kidnappers who ran off with Tritt's wife (Laura Harring). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1992
As The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air returns for a third season, rap-happy homeboy Will (Will Smith) returns to the lavish LA home of his relatives, the Bankses, after spending the summer in his old South Philly 'hood. Will has brought with him a new hip-hop hairstyle and wardrobe that thrills his cousin Ashley (Tatyana M. Ali) but greatly annoys his uptight Uncle Philip (James Avery). When he clashes with Philip over the use of his new cell phone, Will is turned out of the house, whereupon he tries to move in with his pal Jazz (Jeff Townes)--but things don't turn out as planned, and before long our hapless hero has been collared by The Law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
- Add Wild Orchid 2: Two Shades of Blue to QueueAdd Wild Orchid 2: Two Shades of Blue to top of Queue
All poor Blue really wants is to be a regular, suburban Southern California teen from the 1950s, with a boy friend and lots of normal friends. Unfortunately, Fate has other plans. This erotic drama (related to it's predecessor in name and director only) chronicles her experiences. Blue's father is a heroin-addicted jazz musician and her estranged mother is a hooker. The trouble begins when her father, Ham, runs out of heroin and gets too upset to play. Blue procures him a fix, but when he learns that she sold herself to the club owner to get it, he drops dead of shock. Blue continues working at the club, but she is no great shakes in the sex department and the club owner sells her to an upscale brothel that caters to high-ranking government officials. On one of her days off, she meets a handsome young man outside a church. Josh is everything she dreams of, clean-cut and kind. Unfortunately, she cannot tell him of her true profession and they must separate. Blue is despondent and makes a lousy call girl. To try and liven her up a bit, a senator hires her for a private gang bang. He films the festivities, but fortunately, just before she is raped by the depraved politicians, her chauffeur, Sully, who has become her friend, rushes in to save her and they leave town. Eventually they end up in Josh's town. She and Josh fall in love. Unfortunately, the irate madame has come looking for her. To break them up, she show's the young football captain the politician's video-tape of his girlfriend in action. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nina Siemaszko, Wendy Hughes, (more)
- 1992
Do not confuse this fact-based feature with the more tongue-in-cheek cable TV version, The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader Murdering Mom. This one looks seriously at the story of a Texas mother who was willing to kill to ensure her daughter's place on the cheerleading squad. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Based on the true-life adventures of the late Drug Enforcement Agency spy Barry Seal, this exciting espionage adventure chronicles the events that lead up to his death in 1984. Before coming to work for the DEA, smooth-talking Seal (Dennis Hopper) had been a drug smuggler for the notorious Medellin Cartel in Colombia. The DEA captures him and he agrees to become their informant. Unfortunately, though he is a master con artist, he is no match for the con men running the U.S. government agency. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper
- 1991
The whole story is in the title of this made-for-TV heartstopper. Based on a true 1988 incident, the film details the breakout of a fire in a Los Angeles high-rise. The LA fire department does what it can, but their ladder equipment falls short of the 37-story requirement. Lee Majors, Lisa Hartman and Peter Scolari comprise the all-TV star cast of this Towering Inferno clone (which improves upon its role model): Majors is the LAFD supervisor, while Hartman and Scolari are the unlucky entrapped office workers. The focal point of Fire! Trapped on the 37th Floor is not the conflagration itself but the resourcefulness of the professional firefighters and the improvisational skill with which they utilize their equipment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Majors, Lisa Hartman, (more)
- 1991
This biopic chronicles the rapid rise to fame of the enduringly popular California rock band. Though it was a fast ascent, it was not without problems and each of the band members suffered personal problems. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
The "first time" usually refers to romance in TV movies of this nature. Corin Nemic is an impressionable young Jewish kid who falls hard for girl next door Cheryl Pollak. Ah, but this is San Antonio in the early 1960s, and Pollak is Catholic. Before you can say "Bridget Loves Bernie" (or even "Abie's Irish Rose") the two young spooners are stymied by parental pressure. It is the girl who takes the initiative in quelling the fears and doubts of the grown-ups, while shy Corin stands by in moonstruck admiration. For the Very First Time is nearly stolen by Donovan Leach (son of rock singer Donovan and sister of actress Ione Skye), who plays a beatnik artist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Al Novak (Robin Thomas), ex-husband of officer Chris Novak (Robin Thomas), goes undercover to flush out a counterfeiter known as The Dutchman. When the counterfeiter's courier is killed, Hunter (Fred Dryer) discovers that the American Secret Service has a vested interest in the case. Chris' interest is, however, a little more personal--especially when Al's cover is blown. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Single parent Victoria Principal is justifiably driven into a blind rage when her 11-year-old daughter (Danielle Harris) is molested. Thanks to legal loopholes, the girl's attacker is set free. Victoria swears vengeance, and intends to get it by any means possible, despite the level-headed remonstrations of cop Paul Sorvino. Also known as Nightmare, the made-for-TV Don't Touch My Daughter debuted April 7, 1991. Its director was John Pasquin, who later helmed the innocuous, family-oriented theatrical feature The Santa Clause. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Principal, Danielle Harris, (more)
This special effects-heavy science fiction sequel moves the action from the first film's Amazon forest to the urban jungle of L.A. Danny Glover stars as Lt. Mike Harrigan, an LAPD detective baffled by his latest case, the ritualistic slaughter of several drug dealers by a devastating killer who leaves no traces. As Harrigan and his partners, Danny Archuletta (Ruben Blades), Leona Cantrell (Maria Conchita Alonso), and Jerry Lambert (Bill Paxton), try to figure out who or what killed the criminals, FBI investigator Stephen Keyes (Gary Busey) attempts to warn the team away from investigating further. When two of his team are killed in a particularly grisly way, Harrigan uncovers the truth -- their quarry is an alien creature that hunts humans for sport. Attracted to violence, its latest choice of prey is gun-toting Jamaican drug dealers. Keyes and his team know all about the nasty extraterrestrial and its bloody pastime because they've been studying it for ten years, and they've come up with a possible means of dispatching the beast. When that plan backfires, however, it comes down to Harrigan and an extremely irritated otherworldly foe, slugging it out in a rooftop confrontation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Gary Busey, (more)
This slapstick parody of space movies chronicles the riotous exploits of a group of dim-bulbed, misguided aliens under the mistaken impression that they are supposed to invade the Earth after they hear a rebroadcast of Orson Welles' notorious "War of the Worlds" one Halloween night. Thinking they are late, they rush in with their ramshackle spaceship and end up in Big Bean, Illinois, a peaceful midwestern town. Naturally after they announce they want to kill the "Earth scum," the residents want to kill them. Fortunately, the town sheriff and his daughter try to keep the moronic Martians safe and help their captain get them safely back in space. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Douglas Barr, Royal Dano, (more)
