Florence Stanley Movies

Atlantis: Milo's Return is a direct-to-video animated sequel made up of three episodes. In the first episode, Milo (voice of James Arnold Taylor) and Queen Kida (voice of Cree Summer) find a town called Krakenstad, lead by Magistrate Edgar Volgud (voice of Clancy Brown). In the second story, the team of adventurers heads to the American Southwest to investigate a sandstorm and meet land prospector Sam McKeane (voice of Jeff Bennett). In the third episode, Whitmore (voice of John Mahoney) fights his old adversary Erik Hellstrom (voice of Morgan Sheppard). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

The first Disney cartoon to be produced in the 70 mm format since The Black Cauldron (1985), this blend of traditional animation with computer-generated imagery is a straight adventure tale of the Jules Verne school, eschewing the studio's typical formula of cute critters mixed with song-and-dance routines. Michael J. Fox is the voice of Milo Thatch, a lowly museum employee and linguist in the early 20th century who's determined to continue his late grandfather's search for the lost, sunken empire of Atlantis. Bankrolled by eccentric millionaire Preston Whitmore (John Mahoney), Milo teams up with a diverse crew of mercenaries led by submarine commander Rourke (James Garner). After a sea battle with a giant denizen of the deep, the explorers locate the submerged civilization. Milo falls in love with Princess Kida (Cree Summer), the daughter of Atlantis' aged ruler (Leonard Nimoy), and must choose sides when it's revealed that some of his fellow expedition members intend to steal a mystical energy source from their hosts. Claudia Christian, Mark Hamill, David Ogden Stiers, Don Novello, and the late Jim Varney co-star. Although considered a shoo-in for a nomination in the debut year of the new Oscar category of Best Animated Feature, Atlantis: The Lost Empire faced stiff competition from other non-live-action entertainment in the summer of 2001, including Shrek, Final Fantasy, and Monsters Inc.. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

This TV sitcom apparently was inspired by the low concept of Martha Stewart meets Green Acres, since the central character is country-living TV host Sara Campbell (Judith Light) who feels it's deceptive to do a show about life in the country as part of the population in New York City. So she decides to relocate her life, her huge business empire, and her television show to a farm in upstate New York. As she explains to her daughter Frederica (Ashlee Levitch), "You don't need therapy in the country. If you get tense, you just go and milk something!" Accompanying Sara on this rural sojourn are her complaining mother Muriel (Florence Stanley) and her producer Greg (James Patrick Stuart). Husky farm foreman Lucas (Brett Cullen) offers a contrast to the citified types, including Fran Drescher and Rachel Chagall who guest as cameos in the first episode, re-creating their roles on The Nanny. Filmed in L.A., the series premiered June 3, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Paul (Paul Reiser) really asks for it when he agrees to direct a charity production of The Pirates of Penzance. Meanwhile, Jamie (Helen Hunt) insists she doesn't have postpartum depression, even though she obsesses over her "Dr. Seuss Character" figure. The separate crosses borne by Paul and Jamie threaten to wreck the life of a person they don't even know. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This animated Disney feature is based on a popular afternoon television show. The story centers on Goofy's teenage son, Max, who is terrified that he will grow up to be as dorky a dog as his daffy daddy. Just as shy Max has screwed up enough courage to ask his dreamgirl, Roxanne, on a date, Goofy stumbles in and announces that they need to spend some quality time together, and then drags Max off on a vacation. Just before they leave, Max tells Roxanne that he will be in the audience at the next Powerline concert, which is to be televised. As Goofy heads for the forest for some huntin' and some fishin', "hyuk," Max schemes to get them to LA where he hopes they will be able to sneak backstage after the concert and fulfill his promise to Roxanne. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this lively crime thriller, luckless ex-con Harry Talbot wins several thousand dollars and a luxury car in a poker game. He is delighted, having no idea that the others let him win because the trunk of the Lincoln contains the remains of Gordo. No, Harry is finally feeling lucky and in his shiny convertible sets off across the country in search of more card games. While driving, he picks up a lovely hitchhiker named Kit. She is out on a personal vendetta and is pursued by her grandmother, a crime boss, and her dim-bulbed cousin Danny. Realizing that he is a gambling addict, Kit manipulates him into driving to a certain mob-operated casino where she plans to off her father's killer. Things get more sticky when a gangster informs the card sharps who put Gordo in the trunk, that the deceased is carrying a key to a safe-deposit box containing a vast amount of money. They immediately set out after Harry as he fatefully heads for the gambling house. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Sweet old Mrs. Rothman (Florence Stanley) dodders into the courtroom to confess the murder of her husband. The motive, opportunity and details are clear--but Judge Harry (Harry Anderson) has trouble believing her. Elsewhere, Dan (John Larroquette) is taken aback when he is rejected as a sperm donor, and a morose detective (Bruce Kirby) spreads his depression throughout the court staff. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Two women with serious differences are forced to look out for each other in this anarchic comedy. Sandy (Bette Midler) and Lauren (Shelley Long) are a pair of struggling actresses who don't get along especially well -- and are even less fond of each other when they discover that they're both dating the same man, Michael (Peter Coyote). However, when Michael suddenly goes missing, they discover that he's actually an espionage agent working with a foreign government, and as they set out to find him, they learn that he has implicated them in his schemes. Now Sandy and Lauren are stuck with each other as they look for Michael while trying to outrun the law. Outrageous Fortune also stars George Carlin as Frank, a burned-out '60s holdover who the women meet along the way. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A lesser but still entertaining Neil Simon work, The Prisoner of Second Avenue was adapted to film in 1974. Jack Lemmon takes over the role played on Broadway by Peter Falk: Mel is a New York-based advertising man who goes through hell when he loses his job. The gods seem to conspire against him as he tries to cope with his unemployed status; he is particularly depressed over the fact that he must now subsist on the income of his wife (Anne Bancroft). There are laughs in The Prisoner of Second Avenue, but it's the laughter of desperation and despair; it might not be advisable to watch this film after a bad day at the office. Watch for Sylvester Stallone as the "human punch line" of an old urban legend about a pickpocket. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A serious social drama film of the type that flourished in the 1960's, Up the Down Staircase seems somewhat dated and preachy when viewed by modern audiences. The subject matter is laudable, of course: an ambitious, spirited and concerned young teacher determined to make a difference in a troubled inner city school. And there are quite a few memorable moments, including a very well-directed juxtaposition of Sylvia Barrett triumphing by getting her class excited about A Tale of Two Cities as the lovelorn and dejected Alice Blake quietly and calmly examines the classroom of the teacher she loves before jumping from a window. Director Robert Mulligan also provides appropriate tension to a scene in which another troubled student forcefully comes on to the young teacher, and throughout he does a commendable job of using a hand held camera and a very busy, overlapping soundtrack to convey the tumult, confusion and chaos of the high school. He is less successful in overcoming the script's tendency to excessive earnestness and dialogue that often sacrifices subtlety and nuance to make its points. The film also suffers from a bit of hollowness at its core. Some of this is due to Sandy Dennis's performance - her peculiar brand of acting, while effective in conveying much about the character, also tends to isolate her from the other cast members. However, the decision to present the character solely in terms of the school and its immediate environs and never in her home life also contributes to the hollowness. The supporting cast is marvelous, with a mixture of seasoned pros and novices, although one wishes Eileen Heckart had been given more to do. Despite its flaws, Staircase remains involving. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi