Steve Vinovich Movies

The third film in the Swan Princess children's series, The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure offers another animated musical adventure of magic and romance. When swan princess Odette is captured by the vile sorceress Zelda, Prince Derek vows to get her back at any cost. But the price may be higher than even he is willing to pay, as Zelda's demand for Odette's return is the Forbidden Arts -- a treasure that would grant the witch unlimited powers and rule over the kingdom. ~ All Movie Guide

Disney's original animated feature film The Swan Princess was loosely based on the famous ballet Swan Lake. In that film, Princess Odette is about to marry Prince Derek, but he is too enamored of her beauty, so she flees the kingdom. The villainous sorcerer Rothbart kidnaps the princess and turns her into a swan. The customary Disney animal sidekicks rescue the Swan Princess and eventually reunite her with Prince Derek, who learns to appreciate her for more than just her beauty. In this sequel, Odette (Michelle Nicastro) and Derek (Douglas Sills) are about to celebrate their first wedding anniversary when they find that the kingdom's fields have been set afire. It's the work of Knuckles, slave to the villain Clavius (Jake Williamson). Clavius hopes to steal a globe containing the forbidden powers with which he wants to enslave the world. Clavius kidnaps Queen Uberta (Christy Landers), and when Derek attempts to rescue her, he too is captured. Odette turns herself back into a swan to save the prince. Once again, Jean-Bob the frog, Speed the turtle, and Puffin the bird come to her assistance to thwart the plans of Clavius. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

Ally's efforts to help a divorce (Brenda Vaccaro) make her separation legal in Jewish law go awry when she offends the woman's rabbi (Jason Blicker). ~ TV Guide, All Movie Guide

As the staffers at County General anxiously await news as to which hospital in their county is going to be closed down, a number of personal dramas play themselves out. Both Greene (Anthony Edwards) and Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) strike out with their respective blind dates; Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) begins to understand the negative effect that being HIV-positive will have on her life; and Carter (Noah Wyle) plots revenge against Benton (Eriq La Salle) for making his first day as an ER intern so miserable. John Aylward makes his debut appearance as Dr. Donald Anspaugh, the ER's new chief of staff. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

James L. Brooks' showbiz comedy I'll Do Anything is "The Musical That Almost Was" (after test screenings Brooks removed all the musical numbers in the film, turning the film into a songless romantic comedy). Matt Hobbs (Nick Nolte) is a hardly working actor who finds himself raising his 6-year-old daughter Jeannie (Whittni Wright) after her mother Beth (Tracey Ullman) is sent away to prison. Since Matt now has to support a daughter, he has to develop more regular work habits. As a result, he takes a job as a chauffeur for a William Castle-inspired schlockmeister named Burke Adler (Albert Brooks). As Adler develops a relationship with divorced test-marketing researcher Nan Mulhanney (Julie Kavner), Matt becomes romantically attached to beautiful development executive Cathy Breslow (Joely Richardson). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Television sitcom star Tim Allen made his big screen debut with this light, family-friendly holiday comedy. Allen stars as Scott Calvin, the divorced dad of Charlie (Eric Lloyd). Scott is distressed to learn that his ex-wife Laura (Wendy Crewson) and Charlie's psychiatrist stepfather Neal (Judge Reinhold) have informed his son that there is no Santa Claus. While a sullen Charlie visits his dad on Christmas Eve, a noise on the roof brings them outside, where Scott startles the intruder, who tumbles from the roof. It turns out that there is a Santa after all, and Scott has just accidentally killed him. Because of a legal technicality known as "the Santa clause," Scott inherits the jolly old elf's job. As the next year passes, Scott rapidly gains weight, grows a white beard and meets the elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) -- who is the one who really runs the North Pole -- while Charlie regains his Christmas spirit. However, Neal becomes concerned about Scott's sudden change in appearance and insistence that he's Santa, and he forces him to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Director John Pasquin previously directed Allen in the TV series Home Improvement and would team with him again for Jungle 2 Jungle (1997). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Al Bundy (Ed O'Neill) may be a humble minimum-wage shoe salesman, but he's also a former high school football hero. Thus it is that Al is chosen along with pro athletes Steve Carlton), Sugar Ray Leonard and Ed "Too Tall" Jones) to appear in a commercial for a new high-end shoe line. It soon develops that everybody except Al has a say in what the commercial is all about--including Al's feet. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Roger Corman's production company does it again with this fast-paced, funny send-up of grade "B" movie-making. Like the first Hollywood Boulevard, this story is set at the kitschiest production company in Tinsel Town, Miracle Pictures. The trouble begins during the filming of Barbarian Goddesses of the Amazon It seems someone has been bumping off the studio's buxom starlets. Poor studio head Max Miranda is frantic to find new ones. When toothsome Candy Chandler slinks in, someone mistakes her for an extra and rushes her into the set for Barbarian, where Max becomes instantly enamored and begins promising her that she will be the studio's brightest young star, something that doesn't set well with jealous diva Mary Randolph. Corman fans will again be delighted by the many clips from earlier New World films and by the many inside jokes. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In Mannequin, a lame attempt to revive the style and panache of fantasy-tinged romantic comedies of the '30s and '40s, Andrew McCarthy stars as a department store window-dresser who discovers that one of his mannequins (Kim Cattrall) is actually a woman from ancient Egypt when she becomes animated one evening. She then inspires him to become the most expressive window-dresser the business has ever seen. Of course, there is intrigue involving a rival department store's attempt to drive the good guys out of business, and together the two store-crossed lovers must combat the forces of evil to save the day. There is no real mystery about what will happen in the course of the film; it all seems color-by-numbers. The only thing unique about Mannequin is its uniquely bad and illogical script, which has holes larger than the Grand Canyon. Mannequin was a surprise box-office hit, earning nearly 25 million dollars in just under a month of its release -- no small feat considering its miniscule budget and seeming lack of appeal to any particular demographic. It spawned an inferior sequel, Mannequin Two: On the Move, reaffirming the belief that anything is possible. In spite of being panned by critics across the board, it did manage to receive one accolade -- its theme, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now," was nominated by the Academy for Best Song. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

The PBS series Great Performances first presented the made-for-TV feature Seize the Day. The time is the success-driven '50s; Robin Williams plays Tommy Wilhelm, a middle-ager who has just lost his salesman's job. Margaret, his wife (Katherine Borowitz), is on the verge of divorce and fully intends to take him to the cleaners whether he has an income or not. Doctor Adler (Joseph Wiseman), Tommy's judgmental father, cannot abide having a failure in the family and refuses to lend his son a single penny. In desperation, Tommy heads to New York City, where his old wheeler-dealer pal Dr. Tamkin (Jerry Stiller) has promised him a job. Even there, however, Tommy is defeated by the cold-shoulder treatment afforded him by the people whose opinions he values most. Seize the Day was adapted by Ronald Ribman from the novel by Saul Bellow. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Amanda Plummer was preparing to star in the Broadway play Agnes of God (for which she ultimately won a Tony Award) when she was cast in this ABC Afterschool Special. Having never known her "late" father, 15-year-old Angela Dunoway (Plummer) is startled when she meets him by accident. Insisting upon learning the truth about her dad, Angela confronts her mother Karen (Barbara Feldon), who reluctantly reveals that Angela was born out of wedlock. Filmed on location in Long Island, The Unforgivable Secret is based on Hila Colman's novel Tell Me No Lies (in which, incidentally, the heroine is 12 years old, rather than 15). ~ All Movie Guide

"Mom" is Connie Stevens, who stars in this made-for-TV comedy. Stevens plays a small-town waitress who is appointed the housemother for a rambunctious fraternity house on the local college campus. The frat boys assume that freewheeling Stevens will allow them to party to their hearts' content, but "Mom" takes her job quite seriously and compels the students to behave themselves. She also becomes involved in a campus feminist movement that threatens to topple the college's male power structure (headed by dean Van Johnson). Call Her Mom was the pilot for a Connie Stevens TV series that found neither a sponsor nor a network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide