Michael Carr Movies

A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's up to Mosely to make sure that Bunker makes it to the courthouse in one piece -- a job that Mosely estimates will take a maximum of 15 minutes. A black van has been trailing the pair unnoticed, though, and after stopping off at a nearby liquor store to pick up some breakfast, Mosely emerges from the store just in time to save Eddie from the lethal bullet of a determined assassin. When backup arrives in the form of Detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosely quickly realizes that the detective on Nugent's team is the same cop that Bunker is set to testify against. Now faced with the tough task of dodging bullets and eluding a massive onslaught of corrupt cops, Mosely must keep Bunker alive long enough to get him before the judge and ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Stephen Frears' Hero is a contemporary re-working of a Frank Capra-styled fable about a two-bit criminal named Bernie (Dustin Hoffman) who saves several passengers from a plane crash and leaves the scene without being identified, leaving only a lost shoe for identification. One of the passengers happens to be news-reporter Gale (Geena Davis) who is intent on finding her savior, and offers a million dollars to the "hero" of the crashed flight. Bernie has since given his remaining shoe to a homeless man named John (Andy Garcia) who decides to cash in on the offer. A handsome, charming man, John wins the hearts of the entire city. Soon, Bernie realizes that he's been cheated out of a million dollars, and he begins an effort to get his proper recognition--and his money. Hero manages to be quite funny and satirical while sticking to a story that is essentially a Hollywood fable. That is to the credit of director Frears and the cast, who turn in uniformly excellent performances. Nevertheless, Hoffman is superb as a bitterly comic and spiteful variation on his classic Ratso Rizzo character. By the way, be on the lookout for Chevy Chase in a very funny cameo. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

While researching a book, Tim (Bill Bixby) uses Martin's CCTBS time machine to return to the "New Netherlands" of 1626. Unfortunately for posterity, Tim manages to talk the Indians out of selling Manhattan Island to Peter Minuit (Leon Askin). In his efforts to set things right and restore the balance of history, Martin finds his mission complicated by amorous Indian princess Little Feather (played by future Will & Grace regular Shelley Morrison. This was originally telecast as the final episode of My Favorite Martian. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western a cowboy rides out for vengeance against the outlaws who brutally murdered his sister. But before he can exact vigilante justice upon the killers a wise old lawman manages to round up the gang and bring them to proper justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this western, a cavalry sergeant is wrongly court-martialed. To reclaim his good name, he takes over a patrol that just lost its leader in an Indian attack. He leads the regiment to Fort Courageous, but is appalled to discover that the Indians attacked and massacred all but one of its inhabitants. The hardy little group must now fight the renegades on their own. The ex-sergeant plans a brilliant strategy that culminates in winning the Indian's respect. They leave the fort alone and peace is restored. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This episode marks the first Maverick appearances of urbane swindler Gentleman Jack Darby (Richard Long) and Southern-fried dance hall gal Cindy Lou Brown. Through a series of incredible plot convolutions, Cindy Lou helps Gentleman Jack switch places with Bart, so that Jack can abscond with $1000. But Cindy Lou has a change of heart, and decides to help Bart recover the loot. (Trivia alert: guest stars Richard Long and Arlene Howell were later reteamed on the Warner Bros. TV detective series Bourbon Street Beat). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A virtual remake of the earlier The Purple Monster Strikes (1945) and containing an overabundance of stock footage from that serial and G-Men vs. the Black Dragon (1943), this 12 chapter science fiction serial from Republic Pictures featured former RKO contract player Walter Reed as owner of an air patrol company. Along with his lovely secretary, (Lois Collier), Reed is looking into the mysterious doings of a certain Dr. Bryant (James Craven). As it turns out, the good doctor is under the spell of none other than Mota (Gregory Gay), a visiting Martian in search of uranium and other materials needed to power his ferocious weapons of war. Establishing himself in the crater of a volcano, Mota embarks on a terror campaign against the earthlings which seemingly only Reed's Fowler Air Patrol is able to counter. In the end, both Mota and Dr. Bryant are destroyed by one of their own atomic bombs, leaving Reed and Collier able to plan a less stressful future. Cashing in on the enormous popularity of sci-fi in the late '50s, this serial was re-edited and released as a feature film under the new title Missile Monsters. Villain James Craven had played the same role in the earlier The Purple Monster Strikes and was obviously cast in order to match the stock-footage. Roy Barcroft, who had played the title role in "Purple Monster," did not repeat, however, but was still very visible in the re-edited footage. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide

In his second starring vehicle, singing cowboy Rex Allen plays the head of a frontier cattlemen's association. The villain is dishonest meat packer Charles Stevens (Robert Emmet Keane), who has been trying to fix cattle prices to his advantage. When Rex decides to do business with another firm, it requires driving the herds through miles and miles of desolation--and, incidentally, avoiding Stevens' hired guns. The action highlights include a harrowing cattle stampede. Johnny Downs, star of many of collegiate musicals of the 1940s, has a cameo role as a square-dance caller. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This prison drama is told via flashback and follows a group of prisoners bound for Alcatraz. En route, the group plans their escape. One of the convicts is innocent and ends up falling in love with a pretty passenger. Later romance really blooms after his name is cleared, but the other would-be escapees all die trying to break out. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide