Robert Torti
Gridiron Gang star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson picks up the pigskin once again for this sports-themed family comedy concerning a football superstar who abandons the gridiron to answer the call of fatherhood. Joe Kingman (Johnson) was a star quarterback destined for greatness; not only is the Boston-based team he plays for well on their way to the championships, but he's got all the money and fame that a man could want out of life. A perpetual bachelor whose one brief marriage ended many moons ago, Kingman is stunned to learn that a long-forgotten youthful fling had more permanent consequences than he ever anticipated. Now, just as his career is set to blow up bigger than ever, this perpetual bachelor learns that he has a seven-year-old daughter named Peyton (Madison Pettis). So how does a lifelong jock who's used to partying all night and dropping 20-yard bombs all day adjust to a life of ballet classes, Barbie dolls, and afternoon play dates? Whatever road he chooses to take, it certainly won't be easy, especially since his ruthless, goal-oriented agent, Stella (Kyra Sedgwick), would rather see her client scoring touchdowns than cementing familial bonds. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- The Rock, Madison Pettis, (more)
A simple case of assumed identity snowballs into a romantic mix-up of epic proportions in director Andy Fickman's contemporary teen take on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Viola Hastings (Amanda Bynes) has good reason for wanting to conceal her identity upon arriving at Illyria Prep school, and with her twin brother Sebastian (James Kirk) skirting school in an attempt to break into the London music scene, Viola sees her sibling's well-timed absence as the perfect opportunity to assume his identity. When Viola is assigned a shared dorm room with campus cool guy Duke (Channing Tatum), her façade slowly begins to crumble as she begins harboring a deep-rooted crush on her unsuspecting new roommate. The situation begins to take a turn for the worse, however, when Duke reveals his affection towards campus knockout Olivia (Laura Ramsey), who in turn seems increasingly drawn toward the sensitive imposter known as Sebastian. The problem is, the real Sebastian has decided to cut his London trip short, and upon arriving on campus two days earlier than expected, Viola's elaborately executed ruse hits an unexpected hitch that sends the entire situation spiraling into chaos. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amanda Bynes, Channing Tatum, (more)
The made-for-cable musical satire Reefer Madness is based on the award-winning play of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the notorious -- and deliciously awful -- 1936 anti-marijuana film originally titled Tell Your Children. A smarmy lecturer (Alan Cumming in the first of his three roles in the film) arrives in a typical small town of the late '30s to warn the populace of the dangers of the "evil weed," bringing along a lurid propaganda film to dramatize his message. In broad, unsubtle, and hilarious strokes, the movie-within-a-movie shows how even a squeaky-clean pair of highschoolers named Mary Lane (Kristen Bell) and Jimmy Harper (Christian Campbell) can become hopeless dope addicts by succumbing to the lure of marijuana. Reefer Madness is not only a savage skewering of the original black-and-white movie (some of the musical's campiest lines are taken directly from the earlier script!), but also a devastating attack on what playwrights Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney consider to be the real reason that the 1936 movie was made: to frighten the public out of their wits in order to keep them under the thumb of an oppressive government. Thus, the musical manages to take a number of not-so-veiled swipes at xenophobia, racism, McCarthyism, the Bush Administration's Homeland Security policy, and even the recent FCC clampdown on "offensive" TV fare (one of the film's highlights is a garish nightclub number featuring Jesus Christ). The ebulliently staged songs include "The Stuff," "Down at the Ol' Five and Dime," "Lonely Pew," "Listen to Jesus Jimmy," "Mary Jane/Mary Lane," "The Brownie Song," "Tell 'Em the Truth," and the title number. Officially titled Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, this film first aired April 16, 2005, on the Showtime cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, (more)
- 2001
A $200,000 prize was originally offered to the viewer(s) who could spot the largest number of deliberate errors in this fourth annual Drew Carey Show "What's Wrong with This Episode?" offerings. The plot revolves around Lewis (Ryan Stiles), who has good reason to worry that he's going to end up in Hell. In an effort to mend his past bad behavior, Lewis turns into a quasi-evangelist, endeavoring to "save" all his friends by mercilessly harrassing them whenever they're on the verge of sinning (or whenever they're not!) As a reward for his good deeds, Lewis is struck by lightning--again and again and again. Meanwhile, Steve (John Carroll Lynch) fills in for Mimi (Kathy Kinney) at the store while she takes care of the baby. (For the record, at least 45 "mistakes" occur in the course of the show, including a wacky vignette in which the main characters are suddenly replaced by African-American TV icons!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Drew's sprained--uh--organ has completely healed, so now the time has finally come for Drew (Drew Carey) and Kate (Christa Miller) to have sex. Just before the Main Event, Kate stumbles onto a meeting of the "Been Dumped by Kate Club", a support group consisting of all her ex-boyfriends. Worried that she'll "ruin" Drew as she has so many other lovers, Kate calls the Big Night off--but won't give him the real reason why. In another development, Drew is forced to drive Mimi (Kathy Kinney) to a fertility clinic when Steve is called out of town. No one should be surprised that this episode concludes with a splashy (and Emmy-nominated!) production number--not to mention a startling plot twist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- NR
- AddJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatto QueueAddJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatto top of Queue
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's first musical blockbuster comes to video in this production starring Donny Osmond, who racked up over 1,800 stage performances in the title role. Based on the Biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, Joseph (Osmond) is the favorite son of Jacob (Richard Attenborough), but his siblings resent the attention Jacob showers upon him. Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery, and eventually the favored son finds himself in jail. However, his favorable interpretation of the dreams of the Pharaoh (Robert Torti) win him the admiration of the all-powerful leader, and soon Joseph is one of the most powerful men in Egypt. Shot as a feature film but released directly to video, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat also stars Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar and Maria Freidman as the Narrator. Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber served as producer. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donny Osmond, Maria Freidman, (more)
- 1996
Inspired by a motivational speaker, Drew (Drew Carey) decides to make himself indispensible to Winfred-Louder by coming up with a brilliant promotional idea: renting animal mascots to change the store's stuffy image. The subsequent "Bull and Camel" TV ads are a spectacular success, prompting Mrs. Louder (Nan Martin) to appoint Drew as head of promotion. Unfortunately, the pressure of coming up with great new ideas on a daily basis proves to be a bit beyond Drew's capacities--as witness his disastrous decision to have the far-from-housebroken mascots make a personal appearance at the store. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
The second season of The Drew Carey Show begins with yet another romantic tribulation for the title character (played by himself). Lisa (Katy Selverstone) has lately grown jealous of Drew's lifelong friendship with Kate (Christa Miller) and his dedication to his job. In the latter category, Drew finds himself "top man" at Winfred-Louder because he is handling the annual job evaluations. Unfortunately, his relationship with Lisa is dealt another blow when she finds out that Drew's evaluation of her work performance is decidedly less than flattering. Weaving throughout this amorous intrigue is a battle of practical jokes between Drew and his perennial enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). This is the first episode to feature the series' familiar "Five O'Clock World" production number--and the ONLY episode to feature exploding troll dolls. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Season One of The Drew Carey show concludes with the launching of a brand-new plot tangent that will permeate most subsequent seasons. Upon discovering that Winfred-Louder has been purchased by a Dutch business group, Drew and his fellow workers worry that they'll all soon be unemployed. Hoping to create a market for their talents, the gang pools their savings and opens up their own microbrewery. Believe it or not, it is Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader), far from the brightest bulbs in the batch, who come up with the idea of a coffee-flavored beverage called "Buzz Beer." As it turns out, everyone's job at Winfred-Louder is safe--well, almost everyone's. This episode marks the only on-screen appearance of Drew's billious boss Mr. Bell (Kevin Pollack). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
David Cross (Mr. Show, Arrested Development) guest stars as Earl, the weird new tie-counter clerk at Winfred-Louder. Alerted to Ed's bizarre behavior, Drew (Drew Carey) is embarrassed to discover that he hadn't noticed Earl's admission on his job application that he'd once been confined to a home for the criminally insane. Forced to fire Earl, Drew is advised that his life is now in danger, but in typically insouciant fashion he doesn't bother to do anything about it until it's almost too late. Meanwhile, Mimi carries a torch for Antonio Banderas (who does NOT appear in this episode, as far as we can determine). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Craig Ferguson makes his first appearance as Britisher Nigel Wick, the new boss of Drew (Drew Carey) and the rest of the gang at Winfred-Louder. Not only is Mr. Wick insufferably snotty, but he also imposes a series of unpopular cost-cutting ideas, all the while making sure that Drew will shoulder the blame for the mass firings and salary reductions. Chafing at being labeled "Carey the Horrible", Drew finally gets his revenge when Wick goes one tiny step too far. Meanwhile, Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles) resort to exploiting child labor to fill their first major order for Buzz Beer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Drew (Drew Carey) has always wanted a personal assistant, so Mr. Bell gives him one. Unfortunately, the libidinous Mr. Bell has already claimed the voluptuous Suzie (Angela Dohrmann) for himself; thus, Drew is saddled with his eternal "bete noire" Mimi (Kathy Kinney). The ensuing hostility between Drew and Mimi is so disruptive (and destructive!) that Bell temporarily suspends them both, ordering them to at least try to get along with each other--or else. Meanwhile, Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles) "appropriate" a moving crew hired by their buddy Jay (Robert Torti) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Drew (Drew Carey) tries to figure out ways both subtle and blatant to stay out of his own house when Lisa (Katy Selverstone) moves in with her menagerie of pets. Meanwhile, Kate (Christa Miller) begins to doubt that Jay (Robert Torti) is truly willing to commit himself to marriage. Embarrassment ensues for both Kate and Drew when they leap at the wrong romantically-related conclusions, culminating in a wholesale orgy of destruction perpetrated by the newly misanthropic Kate--and misery for Drew as he is saddled with a "broken" dog. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
After missing his ride with the Optimists Club carpool, Drew (Drew Carey) finds out that he just barely escaped being killed in a traffic accident. He finds this out when, upon showing up at work, he hears Mimi (Kathy Kinney) somewhat prematurely celebrating his demise! Convinced that he has been saved by Divine intervention, Drew forsakes all worldly goods and sets about to become a minister--but alas, his skills at dispensing pastorial advice leave a great deal to be desired. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Any episode that opens with Tim Allen parachuting into Drew's backyard has got to be an instant classic! Once this bizarre prologue is dispensed with, we shift our attention to Winfred-Louder, where Mr. Bell, angry that he has been forced to fire his assistant-mistress Suzie (Angela Dohrmann), threatens to dismiss any other employees who are dating coworkers. Not wanting to break up their budding romance, Drew (Drew Carey) and Lisa (Katy Selverstone) formulate a plan: Kate (Christa Miller) will pose as Drew's girlfriend, while Kate's real boyfriend Jay (Robert Torti) will impersonate Lisa's sweetheart. Ah, but the two couples have reckoned without the mean-spirited curiosity of Drew's mortal enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Susan Saint James guest stars as Kate's hyperjudgmental mother Lynn, who celebrates her daughter's birthday by taking Kate (Christa Miller), Drew (Drew Carey) and Lisa (Kay Selverstone) out to dinner. Throughout the evening, Kate is hesitant to tell Lynn that she is dating Jay (Robert Torti), but "helpful" Lewis (Ryan Stiles) shows up and spills the beans. Concluding that Jay is merely seeing Kate to get over the trauma of his recent divorce, Lynn proceeds to make her daugher's life even more miserable than usual. This episode is highlighted by a pivotal drunk scene between Kate and Drew, as well as a wacked-out vignette wherein Lewis tries to become the legal guardian of his roommate Oswald (Diedrich Bader). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Robert Torti makes his first appearance as Jay Clemens, an old junior-high-school buddy of Drew (Drew Carey), Oswald (Diedrich Bader) and Lewis (Ryan Stiles). Having been preoccupied with her love life for several weeks, Katy (Christa Miller) shows up at Drew's house only to find that her place in "the gang" has apparently been usurped by Jay in her absence. The ensuing friction threatens to wreak havoc at Drew's upcoming birthday party--and if that weren't enough plot development, we're also confronted with a surprise guest appearance by pro basketball star Dave Winfield (he just came for the food, folks!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
So what's "gnu" this week? Well, there's the first series appearance of Drew's dad George Carey (Stanley Anderson), who has returned to Cleveland to accept the Wildebeest Lodge's lifetime achievement award. Encouraged by George to join the Wildebeests himself, Drew (Drew Carey) suddenly finds that his job prospects have improved tenfold. Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of this good fortune, Drew must now curry favor with a bunch of nasty old racial bigots. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
When Lisa (Katy Selverstone) announces her intention to see other men, Drew (Drew Carey) reciprocrates by dating his hardbitten, hard-living hairstylist Soux (played with unbridled ferocity by Jamie Lee Curtis). This proves to be a big-time blunder, not only because Soux somehow manages to imperil Drew's life and limb at every turn, but also because she becomes close friends with Drew's eternal enemy Mimi (Kathy Kinney). Reuniting with Lisa, Drew tries to figure out a way that he and Lisa can get around the "no dating" rule at their workplace--while Soux's demands on Drew's time become more and more threatening...and potentially lethal! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Now that his mom Vy (Vernee Watson-Johnson) has broken up with her boyfriend, Will (Will Smith) accepts her invitiation to come back to Philadelphia for a family reunion. But he is less obliging--in fact he's downright appalled--when Vy begs him to remain in Philly after he graduates from prep school, rather than return to Bel-Air and begin college. Another of the series' trademarked surrealistic nightmares caps this episode. Robert Torti takes over from Diedrich Bader in the role of Will's caucasian Uncle Frank. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
"Danse Diabolique" is the title of a "cursed" ballet, which has been performed only three times. On the first two occasions, the prima ballerina has died under mysterious circumstances--and the same thing happens to the unfortunate young lady who stars in the third performance. Suspecting that murder rather than superstition is the cause of these three deaths, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) investigates, at one point posing as a scatterbrained Southern matron in order to weed out some vital information about some significant roses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
When newspaper editor Charles Bradley (Anthony Zerbe) makes a call uncovering corrupt Los Angeles cops selling drugs, his phone is tapped and his architect son Joey (Clayton Rohner) is endangered. A detective is killed in Joey's apartment and detective Ryan (Ray Sharkey) is assigned to protect him. Ryan is in league with the crooked cops and tries to kill Joey. Joey escapes but is hit by a car driven by Jenny Fox (Talia Balsam). She takes him back to her place where Joey is nursed back to heath and the seeds of love are planted. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- 1982
A young woman's grandmother is murdered by a vicious street gang. However, she is the one who is sent to prison for it. When she is finally released, she uses her martial arts skills to fight the gang and bring the real killers to justice. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karin Mani, Robert Torti, (more)
- 1980
The sixth season of Quincy M.E. begins as pugnacious, compassionate medical examiner Quincy (Jack Klugman) shows up in a small mill town to lend a helping hand to his colleague Charles Volmer (William Daniels. No sooner has he arrived than Quincy finds himself waist-deep in a brace of ethical challenges. For starters, the father (Phillip Abbott) of a boy who has OD'ed on drugs is pressuring Volmer to alter the results of the autopsy so that the boy's mother will believe that her son has accidentally drowned. And in another part of town, a powerful industrialist (Warren Stevens) is arranging a coverup of his own to hide the fact that the safety standards in his textile mill aren't up to code--with tragic results. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1980
Quincy (Jack Klugman) performs an autopsy on a high school gymnast who has died of cerebral hemorrhage. Finding evidence of amphetamines and other stimulants, Quincy suspects that the gymnast was supplied with drugs by her "win-at-all-costs" athletic coach. The challenge now is to prove his suspicions and risk public censure by bringing the very popular coach to justice. This is one of the first TV dramatic episodes to delve into the serious (and still timely) issue of steroid use. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
