Cedric Young Movies
The low-budget ensemble comedy drama Dimension, directed for under 100,000 dollars by Matthew Scott Harris, follows what happens to a number of Chicago citizens after they are granted the opportunity to change any part of their body, but only by three inches. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Turner, Mary Kay Cook, (more)
- 1997
Still on suspension from the ER, Carol Hathaway (Julianna Margulies) stops off at a local convenience store, and ends up smack dab in the middle of a robbery. Shots rings out, the store's owner and one of the robbers are wounded, and the incident turns into a dangerous hostage situation. Hoping to save the lives of the other people in the store, Carol simultaneously tries to defuse the situation and tend to the wounded. Neatly sidestepping the usual TV cliché, the hostage crisis is resolved some 20 minutes before the end of the episode -- but Carol's troubles are far from over. "The Long Way Around" earned an Emmy award for Best Editing. Ewan McGregor guest starred as one of the robbers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
A threatening phone call leads to censure proceedings against Joel Thayer (David Groh), a prominent New York judge. When the case arrives at the office of D.A. Adam Schiff (Steven Hill), his subordinate Claire Kincaid (Jill Hennessy) surprises him by resigning. It seems that Kincaid once clerked for Judge Thayer -- and there is talk that a romance developed, one that may have been decidedly (and injuriously) one-sided. Future Malcolm in the Middle star Jane Kaczmarek appears as Janet Rudman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Ron Howard's drama follows a beleaguered reporter during a hectic 24 hours at a New York City tabloid. Michael Keaton stars as Henry Hackett, a metro editor for the struggling New York Sun. Hackett is being wooed by the Sentinel, a more upscale paper, but he's addicted to the adrenaline-stimulating, breakneck pace of the Sun's newsroom, much to the consternation of his pregnant wife Martha (Marisa Tomei. Hackett is currently pursuing a story of two minority youths who have been arrested for the murders of two men. He learns that the police think that the killings may be a mob hit. In the court of public opinion, however, the innocent suspects are being judged as guilty, and the police may bow to the pressure. As Hackett and his staff desperately work all the story's angles to find the truth, several other dramas unfold. Top editor Bernie (Robert Duvall) learns that he has prostate cancer, and tough publisher Alicia (Glenn Close) wonders if her lack of popularity is due to her cost-cutting, her personality, or the fact that she's a woman. In their only collaboration, screenwriter David Koepp co-wrote the script with his brother Stephen Koepp, a senior editor at Time magazine. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 1992
- PG
- Add Home Alone 2: Lost in New York to QueueAdd Home Alone 2: Lost in New York to top of Queue
John Hughes and Chris Columbus repeat their best-selling formula from the first Home Alone film with this sequel. Once again Kevin McCallister's (Macaulay Culkin) family leave him behind, only now he gets on a flight to New York instead of going with his family to Miami. Kevin manages to hail a cab and is delivered to the doorsteps of the Plaza Hotel, where, using his father's credit card, he rents out a suite and has the time of his life -- although a smarmy hotel clerk (Tim Curry) and bellboy (Rob Schneider) eye him with suspicion. But ingenious Kevin keeps them at bay, using the same tomfoolery he applied to his uncle in the first picture. He takes time out from his consumer debauch to chat with a friendly old toy-store magnate (Eddie Bracken) and pontificate to a homeless Pigeon Lady (Brenda Fricker) on the meaning of Christmas. But then he runs into his old enemies Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern).When he finds out that they plan on robbing the old man's toy store on Christmas Eve, he mans the battle stations once again, complete with electric prods, flames of fire, and sundry blunt instruments. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, (more)
In this better-than-average kick-boxer foray, Brandon Lee (son of famed martial-arts film star, Bruce Lee) stars as a young art student who happens to witness a drug murder and is placed in protective custody by federal agents. It's not too long before he realizes that the only real protection he can count on is his own martial-arts training. This film is rated R for violence, sex and profanity. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe, (more)
The sons of a Chicago fireman who gave his life in the performance of his duties, firefighting brothers Kurt Russell and William Baldwin carry their lifelong sibling rivalry into their work. Russell is convinced that Baldwin hasn't got what it takes to remain in the fire department. Baldwin is transferred to a "safe" assignment, assisting arson investigator Robert DeNiro, who is trying to make sense of a series of fires involving an oxygen-induced ball of fire called a backdraft. The investigation reveals a link between corrupt alderman J. T. Walsh and imprisoned pyromaniac Donald Sutherland. The trail of evidence leads Baldwin to suspect that his brother Russell, a much-decorated hero, may be the "inside" man setting up the arsons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, (more)
- 1990
This made-for-TV drama--Sammy Davis, Jr.'s last--stars Trent Cameron as a young orphan who must fight against social workers in order to remain with his adoptive father, a widowed jazzman. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Consumed by grief when his father is felled by a heart attack, 11-year-old Obie (Ricky Busker) runs away from his white, upper-class surroundings. He ends up in a particularly dismal Chicago ghetto neighborhood where, after enduring a beating administered by gang members, he is befriended by streetwise black youth Jeremy "Scam" Henderson (Darius McCrary). The two become partners in crime, leading to a deadly situation involving a pair of professional hit men. Just when it seems things can't get any worse, they do. Robert Prosky co-stars as a slimy pawnbroker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricky Busker, Darius McCrary, (more)
