Carol-Ann Susi Movies

In the wake of the fire that destroyed her house, Mimi (Kathy Kinney) is anxious to receive the insurance claim so she replace the structure. There's just one small hitch: If the insurance adjuster (played by Seinfeld's Wayne Knight) learns the truth behind the cause of the conflagration, Mimi won't get a dime. Thus it is that Drew (Drew Carey) and his pals must coach Mimi's five-year-old son Gus (Matthew Josten) in the fine art of lying like a thief! This episode originally aired back to back with Burning Down the House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three guys from New Jersey decide they need some male bonding with their fathers -- whether their fathers like it or not -- in this independent comedy. When his grandfather dies, Richie Gallo (Scott Baio) finds himself thinking about his relationship with his family, and realizes that he barely knows his aging father Jimmy (Dean Stockwell). Richie discusses his emotionally distant relationship with his dad with his pals Al (Carlo Imperato) and Philly (Thomas Calabro), and they confess they aren't much closer to their own fathers -- and their fractured family lives have had an impact on their less-than-stable relationships with women. Richie decides they should get closer to their dads before it's too late, so Richie, Al, and Philly fast-talk their fathers Jimmy, Charlie (Joe Viterelli), and Phil (Alex Rocco) into joining them for a long weekend getaway of family bonding, though the older men are hardly enthusiastic about the idea. Star Scott Baio co-wrote the screenplay for Face to Face, which was based on a story he wrote with Adam Ferrara and fellow cast member Carlo Imperato. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this comedy drama, a winning lottery ticket gives four aspiring actors the chance of a lifetime. The quartet is first seen commiserating over the failure of their latest off-Broadway production in the Cottonwood Diner in Greenwich Village. To ease the sting of a scathing review, the four buy a lottery ticket and promise that they will use the wealth to make a film. Sure enough, they win $3 million. After viewing many popular hit movies including The Godfather, Rocky and When Harry Met Sally, they set to penning a highly derivative script. Trouble comes when one of them, a compulsive gambler, backs out and uses his share to bet the ponies. The remaining trio then bring in a new partner, the daughter of famed vaudevillian Danny Rose. After that they convince a relative to manage them and head off to solicit a hot young director. More trouble comes when the Screenwriter's Guild tries to sue them for plagiarism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Peg (Katey Sagal) and her lady friends decide to find out just what it is that attracts their husbands to "The Jiggly Room", a local nudie bar. Al (Ed O'Neill) is upset by Peg's intrusion upon his macho sanctum sanctorum, but is downright appalled when his wife decides to strut her own stuff on the Jiggly Room stage. Meanwhile, Kelly (Christina Applegate) may have trouble holding on to her latest commercial acting assignment for a weight-loss product. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Harry Hamlin plays a cop on the trail of a psychotic killer who just may be his lover, in Under Investigation. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

High-concept director Robert Zemeckis applies his usual polish -- helped by an equally adept cast -- for this surprisingly gruesome and extremely funny black comedy. The film begins with narcissistic actress Madeline (Meryl Streep) stealing the latest in a series of potential fiancées, wimpy plastic surgeon Ernest (Bruce Willis), from her ex-best friend Helen (Goldie Hawn). Depressed and infuriated, Helen suffers a breakdown that lands her in a mental hospital -- in addition to a junk-food bender that seems to triple her weight. When Madeline crosses paths with Helen again many years later, she is horrified to discover her once-chunky rival looking younger, slimmer and more glamorous than ever before. Fearing that Helen will try to steal Ernest back -- and dreading the thought of not having a plastic surgeon at her beck and call -- Madeline solicits the supernatural services of an exotic New Age mystic (Isabella Rossellini), who sells her a potent youth elixir with the stipulation that she follow the dosage instructions to the letter... yeah, right. It appears that Helen owes her sexy comeback to the same magic formula, and the inevitable violent clash between the two well-dressed banshees leads to the realization that both women have become nearly impervious zombies, clawing at each other's throats long after the blood has run cold in their veins. Best remembered for Dick Smith's Oscar-winning makeup effects, which allow the rapidly-rotting undead femmes to toss off witty one-liners with ragged holes blasted through their bodies or spin their heads Exorcist-style. Not all the sight gags work, and Zemeckis' lighthearted treatment of such grotesque material tends to dull the satirical edge, but there are some truly inspired moments of dementia -- particularly a hilarious cameo from Sydney Pollack as a doctor who comes unglued while examining Streep (who has yet to realize she's dead). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Over the river and through the woods go the Buchmans and their friends to spend Thanksgiving in Connecticut with Jamie's parents. Before embarking upon their holiday train ride, Paul (Paul Reiser) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) are getting along splendidly, Fran and Mark Devanow (Leila Kenzle, Richard Kind) are not, and Jamie's sister Lisa (Anne Ramsay) and Jay Selby (Tommy Hinkley) haven't yet determined what they really think of one another. All this has changed by the time the above-mentioned characters return to New York -- and remember, there's always room for Jello, especially when delivered by FedEx. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pregnant Christine (Markie Post) enlists Harry (Harry Anderson), Bull (Richard Moll) and Dan (John Larroquette) as her Lamaze-class coaches, only to realize that she might have been better off with Moe, Larry, and Curley. The bulk of this episode is devoted to a series of fantasy sequences, wherein each of the male coaches imagines the influence they will have on Markie's child. But their imaginings are trumped by a fourth fantasy, this one conjured up by Christine herself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Seavers arrange to hold a fundraiser for a free mental-health clinic in their own home. Unfortunately, Jason (Alan Thicke) uses last year's calendar to select the date for the event--and as a result he and his family are caught short when the Big Day arrives one day too early. Frantically, Jason and Maggie (Joanna Kerns) scramble about to find a caterer for the fundraiser...with only 23 minutes to go before the guests arrive! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, the members of the Shakers, an aspiring rock band, perform at a series of weird and wacky weddings. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Released at the height of his popularity on Family Ties and in the wake of Back to the Future and Teen Wolf, Michael J. Fox stars in this "country boy in the big city" comedy, directed by Herbert Ross. After making the move from Kansas to New York City, Brantley Foster (Fox) secures a job in the mailroom at his uncle's large corporation. Doffing any plans of working his way up the corporate ladder the old fashioned way, Brantley begins impersonating an executive to impress a high-ranking female co-worker, played by Helen Slater. Once his oversexed aunt enters the mix, Brantley finds himself juggling two identities, two jobs, and two women. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide