Sherry Bilsing Movies
- 2008
The CBS sitcom Welcome to the Captain may well have been inspired by Nathaniel West's searing novel Day of the Locust, which chronicled the hopeless aspirations and dashed dreams of Hollywood's "fringies". New York-bred writer Josh Flug (Fran Kranz) was a former "wunderkind" who'd been whisked to LA-LA-land on the strength of an Oscar-winning short subject he'd produced in 2003. Alas, since that time Josh had done absolutely nothing of any significance, and was on the verge of heading home in defeat when his pal Marty Tanner (Chris Klein) talked him into remaining in Tinseltown. Thus, John moved into the El Capitan, a once-legendary Hollywood apartment building which, like John himself, had fallen upon hard times, and was now populated by showbiz wannabes, hasbeens, and never-weres. Jeffrey Tambor costarred as Uncle Saul, manager of El Capitan and onetime staff writer for the long-defunct comedy series Three's Company. Also seen were Raquel Welch as faded soap-opera diva Charlene Van Ark; Joanna Garcia as acupuncturist-in-training Hope; Al Madrigal as irritable desk attendant Jesus, who refused to be referred to as Hey-Soos and insisted upon the Biblical pronunciation of his name; and Valerie Azlynn as eccentric starlet Astrid, who for reasons that must have seemed funny on paper began all her sentences with the "S" sound. Welcome to the Captain first checked in on February 4, 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Klein, Fran Kranz, (more)
- 2004
Upset over her dad's heart attack, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) comes on to Ross (David Schwimmer) -- but he refuses to rekindle their romance under such circumstances, no matter how much he wants to. Meanwhile, adoptive birth mother Erica (Anna Faris) informs Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) that the father of their soon-to-be-adopted baby may well be the infamous "shovel killer." And, just as the episode's title reveals, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) takes French lessons from Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) in preparation for a movie audition. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Faris, Ron Leibman, (more)
- 2003
Ross (David Schwimmer) insists that he's "fine" concerning the romance between Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) and Joey (Matt LeBlanc), but proves otherwise when he gets drunk during a dinner date. Complicating matters is the confused state of mind of Ross' erstwhile girlfriend Charlie (Aisha Tyler). Meanwhile, Phoebe's half-brother, Frank Jr. (Giovanni Ribisi), pays a visit with the triplets borne by surrogate mom Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) in tow, the better to make a curious offer. And Chandler (Matthew Perry) sticks his foot in it when he lets slips the fact that a youngster of his acquaintance was adopted. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giovanni Ribisi, Aisha Tyler, (more)
- 2003
Jon Lovitz makes a return appearance as Steve, the dopey doper whose restaurant Monica (Courteney Cox) auditioned to be a chef for during season one of Friends. Steve turns out to be one of several "candidates" that Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) have chosen as potential sight-unseen dates for Ross (David Schwimmer) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). The logic behind this is sublime: by demonstrating how many bad choices there are in the world, Joey and Pheebs hope to bring Ross and Rachel back together. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jon Lovitz, Sam Pancake, (more)
- 2003
Monica (Courteney Cox) drops in at Mike's (Paul Rudd) piano bar, an evening which culminates in our heroine's public singing debut -- and a hot number it is indeed! Meanwhile, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) has responded to the attentions of her co-worker Gavin (Dermot Mulroney) with a kiss, whereupon the lovelorn Joey (Matt LeBlanc) sadly decides to withdraw from the scene. He probably felt like doing so anyway after his disastrous eyebrow-waxing job -- speaking of which, Chandler (Matthew Perry) has a "secret" plan. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rudd, Dermot Mulroney, (more)
- 2002
To practice his dating technique, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) takes Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) to dinner -- but this little game of "let's pretend" might turn into something real. Elsewhere, Ross (David Schwimmer) is given a chance to take over for the ailing teacher of a college honors class -- if only he can get to the classroom on time. And a Ms. Pacman arcade game, presented by Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) as a wedding present for Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry), becomes a source of embarrassment when Ross' son, Ben (Cole Sprouse), wants to play. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2002
A baby shower thrown by Monica (Courteney Cox) causes Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) to wonder if she's truly prepared for motherhood. Not helping matters at all is the arrival of Rachel's imperious mother, Sandra (Marlo Thomas) -- whom Monica forgot to invite to the shower. Meanwhile, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) prepares to audition for a job as host of a TV game show ("This is the best game ever!"), with the progressively unenthusiastic assistance of Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Ross (David Schwimmer). ~ All Movie Guide
- 2002
Season nine of Friends begins a mere few seconds after the end of season eight, with brand-new mother Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) under the assumption that she is engaged to Joey (Matt LeBlanc) -- as Ross (David Schwimmer) heads to her hospital room intent upon proposing himself! An already confusing situation is made even more so by the well-intentioned interference of good old Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). Meanwhile, back in the tiny hospital closet where Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler (Matthew Perry) had sequestered themselves for a "quickie," the prying eyes of a third party may mean big trouble in future episodes. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, Cleo King, (more)
- 2001
Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) is on the verge of telling Ross (David Schwimmer) that he's the father of her baby (and it's about time -- he's the only one at this point who doesn't know!) Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox) are on the verge of taking their honeymoon. And Joey (Matt LeBlanc) and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) are on the verge of getting into big trouble with the law -- and all because they want to take a peek at the newlyweds' apartment. A subplot involving a "bumped" couple of airline passengers had to be refilmed due to references that would have been deemed inappropriate in the light of 9/11. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2001
Now that he is firmly established in his Days of Our Lives role as a man with a transplanted woman's brain, Joey (Matt LeBlanc) has been nominated for the coveted "Soapie" award. But rather than build up his hopes too much (even though he would obviously walk through fire to win), Joey submits to a few lessons in "good losing" from an expert in the field -- Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). And with her marriage to Chandler (Matthew Perry) rapidly approaching, Monica (Courteney Cox) begins to worry that true love will fly out the door when matrimony flies in the window. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alison Sweeney, Kyle Howard, (more)
- 2001
To fully appreciate the title of this episode, one must understand that "Rosita" is the name Joey (Matt LeBlanc) has given to his beloved -- and rather run-down -- easy chair. As Joey mourns the loss of his favorite piece of furniture, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) settles into her new job as a telemarketer, only to find that she must play nursemaid to her first customer, a high-strung office manager named Earl (played by Seinfeld's Jason Alexander), who threatens to kill himself after hearing Pheeb's sales pitch. And the old "mom always loved you best" routine plays itself out between siblings Ross (David Schwimmer) and Monica (Courteney Cox). This episode originally ran 40 minutes (with commercials) when it aired on NBC. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Alexander, Elliott Gould, (more)
- 2001
In the third of four special 40-minute Friends episodes which originally ran in February 2000, Susan Sarandon guests as Jessica Lockhart, one of the stars of Days of Our Lives, the TV soap opera in which Joey (Matt LeBlanc) has returned in the role of the comatose Dr. Drake Ramoray. Under normal circumstances, Jessica and Joey -- who are clearly quite attracted to one another -- would have hit it off immediately, and everything would have been coming up roses. But alas, the daytime drama's plotline requires that Jessica's character be killed off, whereupon her brain is to be transplanted in Joey's head! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Sarandon, Eva Amurri, (more)
- 2001
In the second of Friends' four special 40-minute episodes which originally ran in February 2000, the magic number is not "40" but "30," as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) becomes the last of the friends to hit the big three-oh. This sets the others to reminiscing about their own "milestone" birthdays, replete with embarrassing flashbacks. And there's something else: thanks to her redoubtable twin sister, Ursula, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) discovers that she's slightly older than she ever suspected. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould, Christina Pickles, (more)
As expected, the eighth season of Friends picked up exactly where season seven left off -- that is, a few minutes after the wedding of Chandler (Matthew Perry) and Monica (Courteney Cox), with Joey (in a WWI uniform for his role in an upcoming movie) serving as best man. Also as expected, the mystery surrounding the pregnancy of one of the female Friends regulars is solved, with Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) turning out to be the one in the family way. It would take a few additional episodes, though, for Ross (David Schwimmer) to step forward as the father of Rachel's child. This plot development, however, did not lead to another wedding. Though Ross and Rachel were about to become parents, they did not see the need to become husband and wife, and in fact, both of them dated other people throughout the rest of the season, with Bonnie Somerville becoming a quasi-regular in the role of Ross' steady date Mona. In the course of season eight, Joey found himself falling in love with the pregnant Rachel, an affection culminating in a proposal at the tail end of the season -- just after Rachel had delivered a healthy baby girl, named Emma. Whether or not this would lead to a lasting relationship between Joey and Rachel was something that would have to be resolved during the next season. Meanwhile, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) had quite an eventful romantic life of her own, briefly pairing with guest stars Sean Penn (uncharacteristically cast as a nice guy) and Alec Baldwin (more characteristically cast as a well-meaning doofus whose overbearing enthusiasm drove everybody crazy). In keeping with this "celebrity guest" kick, Brad Pitt, husband of series regular Jennifer Aniston, showed up in one episode as one of Monica's high-school acquaintances. Though Pitt received no onscreen billing, his appearance was lavishly publicized throughout the civilized world, and was even deemed worthy of that loftiest of honors -- a TV Guide cover. Two Emmy awards were presented to Friends during its eighth season: the show itself received a statuette, as did Jennifer Aniston for Outstanding Lead Actress. Despite the formidable competition of CBS' Survivor, Friends remained the top-rated program on network television, posting a 15.0 in the Nielsens. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox Arquette, (more)
- 2000
Hoping to reproduce the "secret" cookie recipe handed down to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) by Pheeb's grandmother, Monica (Courteney Cox) makes a somewhat disillusioning discovery. Elsewhere, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) goes into full control freak mode while teaching Joey (Matt LeBlanc) how to sailboat. And an embarrassed Chandler (Matthew Perry) inadvertently performs a "lap dance" with future father-in-law Jack (Elliott Gould) -- while both men are naked in a steam room. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elliott Gould
- 2000
Ross (David Schwimmer) had hoped to spend the weekend in romantic seclusion with his college-age girlfriend, Elizabeth (Alexandra Holden). Unfortunately for Ross, the couple's cabin hideaway is "invaded" by Elizabeth's father, Paul (Bruce Willis, in the second of three guest appearances). No, Paul has not arrived in the capacity of an outraged parent: he was simply hoping for a little lovemaking himself with his current date, Rachel (Jennifer Aniston). Meanwhile, back in the Big Apple, Monica (Courteney Cox) has big plans for Chandler (Matthew Perry) -- so big that she isn't about to let him know what they are. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Alexandra Holden, (more)
- 2000
In the first episode of a two-part story, Reese Witherspoon guest stars as Jill Green, spoiled-rotten kid sister of Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston). Showing up at Rachel's doorstep after her parents have cut off her allowance, Jill expects her sister to help her get her life together. Alas, the old sibling rivalry roars into flame when Jill suddenly becomes very, very interested in Ross (David Schwimmer). Elsewhere, Chandler (Matthew Perry) can't cope with the fact that Monica (Courteney Cox) has both a bad head cold and an enormous yearning for his body, and Joey (Matt LeBlanc) picks the wrong time to be generous. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, James Michael Tyler, (more)
- 1999
New living arrangements pose problems for Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), Monica (Courteney Cox), Chandler (Matthew Perry), Joey (Matt LeBlanc), and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow). For starters, new roomies Phoebe and Rachel decide to work out together by running every day, a decision that makes Phoebe feel like a fool. In another development, Joey is fascinated by his sexy new roommate, Janine (Elle MacPherson in her first series appearance), little realizing the trouble she has in store for him. Finally, Chandler bollixes up the simple task of cleaning Monica's apartment, thanks to a faulty memory. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elle MacPherson
- 1993
- PG13
- Add National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 to QueueAdd National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 to top of Queue
The Lethal Weapon series and the rest of the buddy-cop genre receives the parody treatment in this low-brow comedy. Emilio Estevez stars as Jack Colt, the Mel Gibson-like loose cannon, while Samuel L. Jackson assumes the Danny Glover role as Wes Luger, his exasperated partner. Together, Colt and Luger investigate the murder of Luger's former partner (Whoopi Goldberg) and discover a criminal conspiracy led by the nefarious General Mortars (William Shatner). Hoping to mimic the success of the Naked Gun films, director Gene Quintano (of Police Academy 4 fame) loaded the film with broad visual gags, deadpan slapstick, and gratuitous parodies of The Silence of the Lambs, Basic Instinct, and other movies. The attempt to mimic successful parodies proved ineffective, however, as critics and viewers alike found the parody stale and the juvenile humor dreary. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emilio Estevez, Samuel L. Jackson, (more)
"Another basement, another elevator...how can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?" asks John McClane (Bruce Willis), in what is doubtless the key question of this film. A year after foiling the terrorist takeover of a high-rise office building in the first movie, McClane is waiting to pick up his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), at Dulles International Airport just outside Washington, D.C., on Christmas Eve. Scheduled to arrive the same evening is Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), a South American political figure who is being brought to the United States to stand trial for his role in a drug-smuggling ring. However, a group of terrorists, led by renegade American military officer Col. Stuart (William Sadler), take control of the airport, scuttling radio transmissions and placing their own men in the control tower. Stuart and his men ensure that Esperanza's plane lands safely, and then demand that Stuart and his men be given a fully-fueled 747 and free passage wherever they choose to go. Otherwise, they will guide the many circling jets waiting for landing instructions into definite crash landings, killing the many passengers on board. Not willing to stand aside as terrorists once again threaten his wife's life, the wise-cracking McClane once again leaps into action to foil Stuart's plans and bring the passenger jets safely to the ground. William Atherton, John Amos, Dennis Franz, and John Leguizamo highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
