Bob Sherman Movies

Angus MacGyver returns in this made-for-television movie based on the popular TV-series. Richard Dean Anderson stars as MacGyver, the cool hero with a knack for creating technical gadgets to save the day. Here, MacGyver is in London for the birthday of his old friend Paul Moran (Nicholas Farrell). When terrorists kill Moran and kidnap his daughter, MacGyver assembles a team to avenge the murder and uncovers an arms-dealing ring involved with a nuclear weapons plant. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

A group of young adults tries to escape from Czechoslovakia in 1952 in this historical drama. The communist regime sets up what appears to be a western zone in order to trap the escapees and trick them into speaking out against the oppressive regime. Only when it is too late do the people discover that they have been tricked and that the lucky ones will head to prison. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

It started as a 1960 Roger Corman horror comedy, filmed in two days; it then inspired a lavish 1982 Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Finally in 1986, Little Shop of Horrors (1960) graduated into a multimillion-dollar, all-star film musical. Rick Moranis plays nebbishy Seymour Krelborn, who works in a rundown flower shop on Skid Row. While his boss (Vincent Gardenia) bemoans the lack of business, Seymour seeks a way of bringing the shop -- and himself -- fame and fortune. He purchases a strange plant from an even stranger oriental street vendor (Vincent Wong), naming the plant after his girlfriend Audrey (Ellen Greene, one of the few carry-overs from the Broadway version). Gradually, Seymour learns to his horror that "Audrey II" (given the voice of R&B performer Levi Stubbs) craves blood and flesh. With each of Audrey II's "FEEED MEEE"s, Seymour must scare up human food to satisfy the plant's appetite. One such victim is dentist Steve Martin, a leather-jacketed Elvis type (the dentist's ultra-masochistic patient played by Jack Nicholson in the 1960 original is here impersonated by Bill Murray). The lighthearted tone of the film darkens as Audrey II grows in monstrosity, but the unhappy ending of the Broadway version is avoided herein. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Saigon: Year of the Cat is a low-budget drama about the fall of Saigon. The film was made for the BBC in 1983. It was one of many television projects that director Stephen Frears (High Fidelity) worked on in the early part of his career. Playwright David Hare (Plenty) wrote the script. Judi Dench plays Barbara Dean, a depressed loan officer working for a British bank in Saigon in 1974. Barbara politely wards off the advances of her Scottish co-worker, Donald (Roger Rees), who does not share her respect for the Vietnamese people. She also avoids getting involved with Frank (Wallace Shawn), an American embassy employee with whom she plays bridge. When she meets Bob (Frederic Forrest), however, she's immediately attracted to him. She soon learns that while Bob poses as a cultural attaché, he actually works for the CIA. When Bob belatedly recognizes her attraction, he opens up to her, and they become lovers. Bob hears from a reliable intelligence source that the North Vietnamese are stepping up their aggression and plan to take Saigon soon. He tries to convince his boss, Jack Ockham (Josef Sommer), and the U.S. ambassador (E.G. Marshall) to prepare for the fall of the city by evacuating the South Vietnamese citizens who have worked most closely with the U.S. government. The ambassador does not want to appear to be abandoning President Thieu's regime. He refuses to credit Bob's report. Meanwhile, as the crisis looms, Barbara is growing despondent because Bob is not spending time with her, and because there's little she can do to help her South Vietnamese friends get out of the country. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Released in the U.S. under the title The Final Option, this action thriller was produced and set in Great Britain. The British Special Air Services, an anti-terrorist group, is pitted against an organization of international terrorists who plan to take over the U.S. Embassy in London and hold everyone hostage. Captain Skellen (Louis Collins), a member of the Special Air Services, assumes a false identity in order to infiltrate the terrorists, who are rogue members of the anti-nuclear-weapons movement -- and uncover their plans. Judy Davis appears as Frankie, a key member of the anti-nuclear group. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

E. L. Doctorow's novel Ragtime was a sprawling fictional account of American manners and mores in the years between 1900 and 1913. Among the mosaic of colorful factual and fictional characters in the novel were escape artist Harry Houdini and radical Emma Goldman. Both characters are all but eliminated in the film version, which only concentrates on three of Doctorow's many plot threads: The story of an immigrant artist (Mandy Patinkin) who becomes a movie director; the saga of "Gibson Girl" Evelyn Nesbit Shaw (Elizabeth McGovern), for whose sake playboy Harry K. Thaw (Robert Joy); kills architect Stanford White (Norman Mailer) and a lone black man's (Howard Rollins Jr.) quest for justice when his car is destroyed by a racist fire chief (Kenneth McMillan). This last subplot consumes most of the film's running time, to the overall detriment of the pacing. There are also several scenes involving an unnamed upper-middle-class family (headed by James Olson and Mary Steenburgen) who are evidently meant to be the audience's eyes and ears, but are frankly not terribly interesting. Back in 1981, Ragtime was given plenty of press coverage as the "comeback" picture for James Cagney, after twenty years in retirement. The problem is that Cagney's character (a police commissioner) isn't in the book, and his inclusion not only throws the story off balance, but necessitates the removal of several potentially interesting characters and events. Another detriment is the gratuitous (and illogical) nudity in the Evelyn Nesbit scenes, which earned the film its "R" rating. An ornate misfire, Ragtime is of interest today only for its remarkable cast of veterans and stars-to-be, including Pat O'Brien and Eloise O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Allen, Moses Gunn, Jeff Daniels and Fran Drescher. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Most Inspector Clouseau fans regard The Pink Panther Strikes Again as the best of the clumsy Parisian detective's "comeback" films of the 1970s. Driven insane by the stupidities of Clouseau (Peter Sellers), ex-inspector Dreyfuss (Herbert Lom) transforms into a master criminal. Kidnapping the inventor of a death ray, Dreyfuss threatens to use the demon device indiscriminately unless Clouseau is offered as a "sacrifice." A hunted man, Clouseau is forced to adopt one transparent (but hilarious) disguise after another. He is rescued from being incinerated by Dreyfuss when Soviet spy Olga (Leslie Ann Down) falls in love with him and strives to protect him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Mousey a made-for-TV thriller, a disturbed and obsessed man seeks to regain his son from his overbearing, controlling wife. Kirk Douglas, nick-named "Mousey" by his high-school student, is left by his wife, Laura (Jean Seberg) who also takes her young son who "Mousey" has adopted. "Mousey" begins to stalk her, murdering strangers in the vain hope of impressing her. Kirk Douglas, well-directed by Daniel Petrie, gives a strong, chilling performance, portraying a vengeful man obsessed over his lack of power. Mousey is exceptionally well done and engrossing. It presents a portrait of obsession and gives Douglas the opportunity to explore and build on his character. While Jean Seberg, in the last role before her death, is quite good, this is Kirk Douglas' movie and he never lets it go. Mousey was also released as Cat and Mouse. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

Future teen idol Bobby Sherman guest stars in "Monkees at the Movies" as beach-movie star Frankie Catalina. Hired as extras for Catalina's latest flick, the Monkees must endure the star's imperious arrogance, not to mention his envy of "chick magnet" Davy. But it all seems worth it when Frankie walks off the set, whereupon Micky, Mike,and Peter try to promote Davy as the star's replacement. Jerry Lester, Hamilton Camp, and Pamelyn Ferdin appear in supporting roles. Songs: "When Love Comes Knocking at Your Door", "Valleri", "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", and "Last Train to Clarksville". Also known as "The Monkees in the Movies," this episode was written by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, and was first telecast on April 17, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Transatlantic with Street offers a look at how one can travel by yacht along the Trade Winds route. The two-hour program charts progress from Ireland all the way to the Caribbean. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide