Michele Scarabelli Movies
- 2001
Mistaken identity leads a man into a race against the law in this action thriller. Jed Griffin (Michael Madsen) is traveling through Vermont in a motor home with his wife and family when they happen upon Rudy Wicker (Jeff Wincott). Wicker is a desperate criminal whose attempt to rob a bank left several customers dead, including the wife of the town sheriff; now he's on the run from the police, and when Rudy sees Jed and his RV, he steals the vehicle with Jed's family still inside, and shoots Jed to keep him out of the way. Jed was not killed by Rudy's bullet, just wounded, but now the police believe he's the man they're looking for, so Jed has to find a way to prove his innocence while tracking down his camper to save his family from Rudy. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Jeff Wincott, (more)
- 1998
Burned-out, boozing crime novelist Bruce Simon Barker (John Ritter) emerges from his doldrums long enough to involve himself in a bizarre missing-persons case. At the urging of his police inspector sister (Samantha Eggar), Bruce investigates the disappearance of a baby. There have been no ransom demands, the baby's parents are (to put it mildly) dysfunctional, and the father of the child is cheating on his wife with her sister. At first, Barker figures that these sordid real-life intrigues might serve as inspiration for another of his crime novels, but the deeper he becomes enmeshed in the situation, the more he realizes that there is much, much more to the case than meets the eye. Meanwhuile, Barker must wrestle with the disintegration of his own marriage and the alienation of his daughter. Daphne Zuniga, Michelle Scarabelli and Roddy McDowell deliver standout performances as the sister-in-law, the baby's mother, and the family's shady attorney. Produced for Canadian TV under the title Loss of Faith, this film has since been shown on America's Lifetime network as The Truth About Lying. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Michele Scarabelli, (more)
- 1997
Per its title, this Fox network TV movie is one of several followups to the shortlived science fiction series AlienNation, which ran on Fox from 1989 to 1991 and was based on the 1988 theatrical feature of the same name. The original series was set in a futuristic Los Angeles wherein human earthlings coexisted more or less peacefully with the Newcomers, a race of aliens from the planet Tencton who had settled in LA after escaping a slave-transport ship, and who, despite the prejudices harbored by the "Purists" and other such xenophobes, had assimilated to the point of were holding down traditionally "human" jobs and living in the 'burbs with their families. Repeating their series roles are Gray Graham as LAPD detective Matthew Sikes and Eric Pierpoint as his Newcomer partner, Detective George Francisco (George is the one with the huge bald cranium and the vestigal ears). The story gets under way when a group of "kamikaze" Newcomers invades Los Angeles, apparently with homicidal intentions towards the humans--but only because they've been brainwashed by a higher power. Tied in with this alien influx is the Udara, the radicalized Newcomer guerillas who had fomented the rebellion on the Tectonese slave ship, and who remain dedicated in their mission to kill off all "Overseers"--including those of the human variety. Much to George's surprise, his own wife Susan (Michele Scarabelli) is part of the Udara movement, resulting in a major conflict of interest. One of the fim's many subplots involves the efforts by George and Susan's son Buck (Sean Six) to follow in dad's footsteps and join the police force; elsewhere, a few unresolved plot strands from the earlier series and its previous TV-movie sequels are tied up. AlienNation: The Udara Legacy originally aired July 29, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In this TV movie spun off from the popular sci-fi series Alien Nation, the year 2000 is approaching and Earth-born detective Matthew Sykes (Gary Graham) and his space-alien partner George Francisco (Eric Pierpont) are on the trail of a "newcomer" who has started a bizarre religious cult. Preying on pre-millennial anxieties, the cult leader claims to offer a fast track to bliss, but Sykes and Francisco fear the cult's virtual reality scheme could prove deadly. Francisco is especially worried when he discovers his son Buck (Sean Six) has fallen prey to the cult's teachings. Like the TV series, Alien Nation: Millennium was adapted from the characters created in the 1988 feature film of the same name. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, (more)
- 1995
The Alien Nation series continues with this made-for-television science-fiction thriller. In keeping with the original premise, the film is set in the near future on a planet Earth that is integrated with aliens. Alien detective Francisco and his human partner Sikes return, this time to investigate a mysterious child and her keeper. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1995
An honest temporary employee (Nancy McKeon) finds herself accused of murder when the president of the real estate company to which she has been assigned is suddenly murdered before she can tell him that she discovered one of his regular workers has been robbing him blind. That she was having an affair with the slain man only complicates matters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy McKeon, Chelsea Field, (more)
- 1995
Fraser (Paul Gross) dons female drag to go undercover as a teacher at an all-girl's school. Somehow this is tied in with the mysterious appearances of several Capone-era artifacts all over Chicago, and the disappearance of a young schoolgirl named Celine (Heather McComb). Along the way, Ray (David Marciano) is reunited with his junior-high sweetheart (Michele Scarabelli)--now a nun--and Celine's shy roommate Melissa (Marisol Nichols) comes out of her shell. And don't miss "Ms. Fraser"'s disco dance with a fellow teacher. First broadcast on American television, this episode made its US debut on March 29, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1994
This made-for-TV sci-fi outing is a sequel to the television series version of a popular feature film about a futuristic Southern California in which aliens, called Newcomers, co-exist with humans. This episode of the saga focuses on 250,000 aliens who came to earth to escape slavery. Their peaceful existence is disrupted when their masters send Aponso earthward to recapture them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint, (more)
- 1992
- R
In this video production later shown on TV as well, young student Marty Hiller (Justine Bateman) needs a roommate and finds Alec Danz (Adam Baldwin). After beginning a brief affair with her new roomie, Marty realizes that he is becoming obsessed with her and will stop at nothing to possess her. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Justine Bateman, Adam Baldwin, (more)
- 1992
- PG
Jason Alexander stars in this sweet-natured romantic comedy, marred by some overblown stereotypes. Alexander plays shoe salesman Bernie Fishbine. Bernie is lonely and shy and ever conscious about his weight problem. He stills lives at home with his mother Sarah (Lainie Kazan) and grandpa Irving Fein (Lou Jacobi). One night, taking a bus back home, he meets Theresa Garabaldi (Nia Peeples), an attractive graduate student in psychology who works at night as a singer in her uncle's Italian restaurant. Bernie falls in love with her, and he thinks she loves him too. To make her proud of him, Bernie stops eating the chocolate kisses he purchases every day from Frieda's (Eileen Brennan) candy store and, instead, works out at a gym to lose weight. But Bernie is crestfallen to learn that Theresa is being friendly to him because she is using him as the subject of her graduate thesis entitled "The Psychological Study of an Obese Male." ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Alexander, Nia Peeples, (more)
- 1991
Patrick Stewart doubled as star and director of this fourth-season Next Generation episode. The focus of the story, however, is not on Stewart's character Captain Picard, but on humanistic android Data. Hoping to experience the sensation of Love, Data dispassionately tries to develop a relationship with Ensign Jenna D'Sora (Michele Scarabelli), herself on the rebound from an unhappy romance. Responding to his by-rote advances, Jenna plays along with Data, even giving him a few courtship hints along the way, while the Enterprise crew tries to cope as best it can with a decidedly non-emotional crisis. Written by Ronald D. Moore and Joe Menosky, "In Theory" originally aired June 8, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason listens to the pleas of a 13-year-old girl and helps her father who was falsely accused of murdering a gambler. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
This entry in the series of Canadian direct-to-video actioners, follows the further adventures of renegade cop/Vietnam war hero Jack Kelly (Lorenzo Lamas). This time he is placed in an asylum after breaking down and slaughtering four drug lords who were cutting their cocaine with rat poison. More violence ensues after he escapes and continues his crime-fighting spree. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lorenzo Lamas
Hume Cronyn and Vincent Gardenia star as two retirement-home residents, longtime friends who possess wildly diverse temperaments. - John Cooper (Cronyn) is crotchety and physically frail, but his brain is sharp as a tack. Michael Aylott (Gardenia) is easygoing and in excellent health, but his mind is slowly deteriorating. The two men form an "us against the world" bond, which crumbles when Michael's memory further fails him and John is advised to move back in with his family. Adapted by Bob Larbey from his Broadway play A Month of Sundays, Age Old Friends was first telecast over the HBO cable service on December 16, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hume Cronyn, Vincent Gardenia, (more)
- 1987
Cancelled by CBS at the end of its third season, the high-tech adventure series Airwolf was brought back for a fourth and final season through the good graces of the USA Network, beginning in January of 1987. As before, the series' title referred to a remarkable, futuristic helicopter, equipped with state-of-the-art accessories and a full complement of weaponry, created on behalf of a secret government agency known as the Firm, but in the control of maverick pilot String Hawke (Jan-Michael Vincent). Although he had agreed to fly death-defying missions on behalf of the Firm, String refused to return Airwolf to them until they located his brother, St. John Hawke, who'd been missing in action since Vietnam. The season begins as String climbs into Airwolf for the purpose of rescuing St. John (portrayed by new cast member Barry Van Dyke) , whose whereabouts have at long last been confirmed. During this mission, String is seriously injured, whereupon St. John becomes the head of the Airwolf team (Jan-Michael Vincent had by this time left the series). Meanwhile, String's longtime partner Dom Santini (played in previous seasons by Ernest Borgnine) has been killed in an explosion, obliging his niece Jo (Michele Scarabelli) to take over her uncle's business, Santini Aviation. Jo also becomes St. John's partner in various missions, with hotheaded Major Mike Rivers (Geraint Wyn Davies) functioning as St. John's copilot. And yes, the team continues to take orders from the Firm -- or as it is now known, the Company -- but no longer from that organization's mysterious, ethereal liaison man Michael Archangel (played by Alex Cord). Their new contact man at the Company is Jason Locke, played by Anthony Sherwood. Although the production values and budgets of the USA Network Airwolf episodes suffered in comparison with the CBS episodes (studio facilities had shifted from California to Canada), the series still delivered full entertainment and excitement value -- especially when relying upon stock aviation footage from the series' first three seasons! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barry Van Dyke, Michele Scarabelli, (more)
- 1986
The fact-based NBC movie The High Price of Passion was adapted by Mel Frohman from the book by Russell M. Glitman. Set in and around Tufts University, this is a sad story of obsession and murder, focusing on middle-aged anatomy professor Williams Douglas (Richard Crenna) and greedy 21-year-old prostitute Robin Benedict (Karen Young). Hoping to literally buy Robin's love, Douglas showers her with money, ultimately squandering 67,000 dollars on the callous young woman. Not surprisingly, Robin plays Douglas for a sucker and laughs in his face, with tragic results. Told in flashback from the luckless Prof. Douglas' point of view, The High Price of Passion made its NBC debut on November 30, 1986 -- instantly stirring up a maelstrom of controversy when Tufts' board of directors strenuously objected to the film's suggestion that the University was located within shouting distance of Boston's red-light district. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Crenna, Karen Young, (more)
Letting Go stars John Ritter as a widower and Sharon Gless as a lonely unmarried woman. They meet during a group-therapy session. Romance is inevitable, but the road to true happiness is pockmarked by a series of comic complications. Advertised as a straight romantic drama, Letting Go is actually more akin to the screwball comedies of the 1930s, with a strong satirical bent regarding "behavior modification" theories. The made-for-TV film debuted May 11, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
- R
A lesser "teens on the loose" farce, Breaking All the Rules is set in a Canadian amusement park. The main characters are park worker Carl Marotte and his pal Thor Bishopic, who fancy themselves God's gift to women. The boys manage to impress the impressionable Carolyn Dunn and Rachel Hayward, especially after winning a stuffed toy at one of the booths. Since there has to be a plot somewhere, the toy contains a valuable diamond, stolen by three humorless crooks. The ensuing chase whisks our protagonists into a break-dancing contest, where the storyline is resolved in laff-riot fashion. Though four writers are credited for the screenplay of Breaking All the Rules, one gets the impression that it was being improvised as it went along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carl Marotte, Thor Bishopric, (more)
- 1985
A garage workers' strike turns ugly when a labor representative becomes entangled in a family conflict. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1984
These two middle-aged geezers take a shot at professional ski racing in between romantic overtures to a pretty female sports writer. ~ All Movie Guide
This macabre, whimsical, erotic, dark, seriocomic film is a complex tale about an eccentric family and the psychological and emotional maelstroms that follow them around from New England to New York to Vienna, where the Hotel New Hampshire is located. Writer-director Tony Richardson worked from the convoluted novel by John Irving that covers most universally saleable topics -- homosexuality, death, incest, abandonment, Nazis, masochism, terrorists, rape, mental instability, and anarchists. The children in the family are the main focus: John (Rob Lowe) is a womanizing high-school student with a deep-rooted desire for his own sister; Franny (Jodie Foster) is the eldest daughter, a victim of a gang rape, now morbidly fascinated by one of the rapists, and equally attracted to her brother with incestuous desire; Frank (Paul McCrane) is the younger gay brother; and Lilly (Jennifer Dundas) is the little sister who blossoms into a famous author. Associated with the family is Suzie the Bear (Nastassja Kinski) who is not secure enough to come out of her bear suit. One friend of the family, Freud (Wallace Shawn), has been blinded by the Nazis and is running the Hotel New Hampshire in Vienna when he asks everyone to come and help him out. By this time, the plot has run out of room, and the climactic endings to several unresolved relationships happen in quick succession. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, (more)
