Mark L. Taylor Movies

Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of a series of sudden deaths-and to figure out why each of the corpses has been drained of blood. The audience, of course, knows that the culprits are those pesky South American spiders, which grow larger with each kill. To make matters worse, Jeff Daniels suffers from a profound case of arachnophobia. John Goodman supports the cast as a slovenly exterminator, and Frank Marshall, longtime producer of Steven Spielberg's films, makes his directorial debut in Arachnophobia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This TV adaptation of Tennessee Williams' prize-winning play stars Robert Wagner as Brick, a college sports champion who hasn't made it in the real world, and Natalie Wood as Brick's wife Maggie, the sexually frustrated "cat" of the title. Brick and Maggie are staying at the home of Brick's wealthy parents, Big Daddy and Big Mama, as are Brick's successful brother Gooper and Gooper's eternally pregnant wife Mae. Big Daddy (Laurence Olivier) has been seriously ill, thus his offspring are concerned over the size of their inheritance. It has been hinted that Big Daddy will leave his fortune to Brick provided Maggie produces a child, but the marriage has been plagued by Brick's refusal to sleep with his wife, and by a dark secret in Brick's past life that has brought about impotence and alcoholism. The reason for Brick's insecurity is his past friendship with school buddy Skipper, a homosexual who'd committed suicide. Brick believes that Big Daddy is convinced that Brick and Skipper "had sodomy together", and Gooper delights in taunting Brick over this. Big Mama learns that Big Daddy has inoperable cancer, and determines to keep the truth from her husband. She also knows that Brick is Big Daddy's favorite son, thus rejects Gooper's cold-blooded attempts to set up a trusteeship for Big Daddy's estate. In the final scene, Maggie lies to Big Daddy that she is pregnant, and Big Daddy (unaware of his imminent doom) chooses to believe her. Brick will get the estate, and Maggie will hopefully convince her husband to makes theirs a "real" marriage. A made-for-TV production, the 1976 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is more sexually explicit than the censor-ridden 1958 Hollywood version, but isn't quite as strong dramatically despite its powerhouse cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lesley Ann Warren makes her first appearance as Sophie Bremmer, who descends upon her daughter, Susan (Teri Hatcher), after calling it quits with her current boyfriend, Morty (Bob Newhart). Elsewhere, Bree (Marcia Cross) enrages Lynette (Felicity Huffman) when she disciplines Lynette's incorrigible son Porter. Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom) has another shocking surprise for his parents. And Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) fiddles with his prenuptial contract while wife Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) burns. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fourteen-year-old Eddie Ogden (Taylor Ball) is the best player on his baseball team. He also happens to be a natural-born chef, and it is this peculiar talent that opens him up for ridicule, not only from his fellow players, but also from the team's coach, who happens to be Eddie's father (Mark L. Taylor). After enduring such jibes as "Will he trade his baseball mitt for an oven mitt," poor Eddie is in for even more verbal abuse when he enters a prestigious cooking contest -- on the same day as the championship ballgame. Our hero's story is paralleled with that of a young girl who is being forced by her mother to try out for the cheerleading squad, even though the girl would rather play baseball. Real-life master chef Bobby Flay appears as himself in the New Zealand-filmed Eddie's Million-Dollar Cookoff, which made its Disney Channel debut on July 18, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An honest cop stands in the face of the corruption of his peers in this thriller. Jack Flinder is a police detective who loves his work. Jack and his partner Art are chasing an arsonist. Their investigation reveals a shocking conspiracy. Art is subsequently murdered in front of his girlfriend Lisa who then joins forces with Jack to expose the conspiracy which will in turn expose people in highest echelons of the police force. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Kenny Ortega's High School Musical 2 reunites the cast from the hit made-for-Disney Channel original to tell another story in the lives of the musically inclined students attending East Side High. The sequel takes place primarily at the Lava Springs Country Club, an exclusive summer resort that hires Wildcat basketball hero Troy Bolton (Zac Efron), his genius girlfriend Gabriella Montez (anessa Hudgens), and their two best friends. The parents of scheming Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale) own the resort, and she wields her remarkable power in an attempt to win Troy away from Gabriella. Eventually Troy must decide between a bright future with a scholarship, or true love. High School Musical 2 premiered on the cable outlook on August 17, 2007. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Erstwhile inventor Rick Moranis has been experimenting with an electro-magnetic shrinking machine. He leaves the device unattended in his attic; shortly afterward, it is accidentally activated. Alas, the demon machine is aimed at Moranis' children, as well as the son of neighbor Matt Frewer. The kids, shrunk to 1/4-inch height, are tossed into the trash bin by the unwitting Moranis. For the rest of the film, our teeny-tiny protagonists attempt to gain their parents' attention--and to survive the wilds of the backyard, where all sorts of dangers, from bumblebees to lawnmowers, threaten their well-being. Honey, I Shrunk the Kids features Marcia Strassman as Moranis' wife, and juvenile players Robert Oliveri, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Brown, Jared Rushton and Amy O'Neill. The visual effects are the handiwork of such masters as Joe Johnston, Phil Tippett, and David Allen. When originally released to theatres, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was double-billed with the "Roger Rabbit" cartoon Tummy Trouble; this is how it is presented on videotape as well. The film (the live-action one, that is) prompted a 1992 sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Director Joe Dante infuses this science fiction comedy with the visual razzle-dazzle and manic, goofball performances typical of his cartoon-inspired sensibilities. Navy test pilot Lt. Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) has volunteered for a highly dangerous medical experiment. A submersible craft, with Tuck at the controls, is to be shrunk down to molecular size and inserted into the body of a living rabbit. If successful, the test could result in radical breakthroughs in surgical techniques, but some high-tech thieves attempt to steal Tuck and his ship while both are in miniature form. Enter Jack Putter (Martin Short), a mild-mannered, hypochondriac retail store clerk, a nerd who suddenly finds himself injected with Tuck and his tiny ship. Now poor Jack's got to rise above his mundane existence to help an American hero get back to safety, while also trying to reunite Tuck with his beautiful estranged girlfriend Lydia (Meg Ryan). Innerspace (1987) won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

An unusually heavy barrage of artillery crossfire forces the 4077th to evacuate. The men and women of M*A*S*H to refuge in a tiny, dark, damp cave--whereupon Hawkeye (Alan Alda) reveals in disturbing fashion that his claustrophobic. As the others try to adapt (none too quietly or successfully) to their unhospitable new surroundings, a crisis develops in the form of a seriously wounded patient in dire need of an extremely delicate operation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

No sooner has Al (Ed O'Neill) cancelled the family's car insurance than newly-licensed driver Bud (David Faustino) has an accident in the Bundymobile. Bud's story is that the driver of the Mercedes hit him, and the family intends to back him up by appearing in court with a variety of highly suspicious-looking injuries (sister Kelly arrives with a white cane and seeing eye dog). Ultimately, however, the truth comes out, thanks to unwilling witness Marcy. Psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers) appears as the judge. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This final episode of Moonlighting finds Bert (Curtis Armstrong) and Agnes (Allyce Beasley) getting married, just as David (Bruce Willis) is breaking up with Annie (Virginia Madsen), the cousin of his partner and former lover Maddie (Cybill Shepherd). At the same time, the Blue Moon Detective Agency closes its doors, whereupon ABC network executive Walter Whitebread (Mark L. Taylor) solemnly begins dismantling the set. An eleventh-hour effort to save the Agency--and the series--is foiled by the demographic evidence supplied by big-time Hollywood producer Cy (played by Dennis Dugan, billed under his Moonlighting character name of Walter Bishop). Even worse--the Anselmo Case (you remember the Anselmo Case) may never be solved! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While Harry (Harry Anderson) takes a night off, his replacement is the much-older Judge Robert Hirsch (Jeff Corey). This turns out to be a calamitous substitution: though Harry may be eccentric, Judge Hirsch proves to be downright certifiable. Before the night is over, the half-baked Hirsch has jailed public defender Christine (Markie Post) and prosecutor Dan (John Larroquette)--and replaced them with court matron Florence (Florence Halop) and resident derelict Phil (William Utay)! Future Evening Shade regular Michael Jeter shows up in a minor role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide