Merritt Butrick Movies

From the Dead of Night has an acceptable two-hour premise; unfortunately, the producers saw fit to drag things out to four hours. Lindsay Wagner stars as an LA fashion designer who, when she nearly drowns, has an out-of-body experience. Haunted by this, Wagner seeks out a spiritualist (Rita Zohar). This weird but worthy seer suggests that Wagner saw what no living person can be permitted to see, and prophesies that six entities from "the other side" will try to drag Wagner back. The conclusion finds the plucky Ms. Wagner doing battle with resurrected corpses. From the Dead of Night was stretched out over two consecutive days, February 27 and 28, 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This horror-comedy sequel finds the teen protagonist of Fright Night being terrorized by the undead sister of the vampire he killed in the original film. Two years after the death of bloodsucker Jerry Dandridge, young Charley Brewster (William Ragsdale) has settled into life as a college student and rejected his former belief in the existence of vampires. Although he's busy pursuing the affections of determined coed Alex (Traci Lind), Charley soon falls under the spell of the mysterious and alluring Regine (Julie Carmen). Although everything about the woman screams vampire, her feminine charms -- and her claims of being nothing but an outlandish performance artist -- lead Charley to become her unwilling servant. Torn between Regine's enchantments and his loyalty to Traci, the youth again looks for help from Peter Vincent (Roddy McDowall), the washed-up horror-show host who assisted him in the first film. Soon, Charley, Peter, and Traci are facing off against a coven of picturesque bloodsuckers led by Regine, who reveals herself to be the ancient sister of Jerry Dandridge. Directed and co-written by John Carpenter colleague Tommy Lee Wallace, Fright Night Part 2 includes a co-writing credit for Pretty Woman scribe Stephen Metcalfe and cinematography from Mark Irwin, who has worked with everyone from David Cronenberg to the Farrelly brothers. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Writer Jill Clayburgh wants to remove her coke-addicted daughter Martha Plimpton from the corruptive environs of Manhattan. When assigned to write an article about family trees, Clayburgh, with daughter in tow, heads to the bayous of Louisiana, there to seek out an elusive great-uncle--and, it is hoped, to give Plimpton a new start in life. Upon their arrival in the deep south, Clayburgh and Plimpton are confronted with the uncle's rugged, iron-willed wife Barbara Hershey and her four grown sons. The anticipated culture clash results in tragedy for all concerned. Wavering between the plausible and the outrageous, Shy People makes for fascinating, almost mesmerizing viewing. Released late in 1987 to qualify for the Academy Awards, the film was given a general release in mid-1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Blood and Orchids was adapted from Norman Katkov from his own fact-based book. The scene is Hawaii, 1937. The wife (Madeline Stowe) of a naval officer (William Russ) is beaten nearly to death by her lover (Matt Salinger)--her husband's best friend. Four native Hawaiians find the woman and take her to the hospital, then flee out of fear of being blamed for the assault themselves. The aristocratic mother (Jane Alexander) of the beaten woman knows the truth, but, coldly insistent upon maintaining white supremacy on the islands, orders her daughter to claim that the Hawaiian boys had abused her. A trial follows, complicated by an honest police officer (Kris Kristofferson), who doesn't believe the victim's story. This two-part TV movie digresses from the source novel by hoking up a romance between the cop and the young wife (Sean Young) of the prosecuting attorney (Jose Ferrer). Blood and Orchids was originally telecast in February of 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

With a script that is too anemic for the red-blooded actors featured here, this anorexic comedy moves slowly up and down the corporate ladder with the fortunes and misfortunes of several company men. Jack Issel (Judge Reinhold) gets a VIP position at INC in the PR department (business-speak). Suddenly the corporation's shady activities come to the fore -- especially when a U.S. plant is set to close for a move south of the border where labor is almost free. Enmeshed in these tangles, Jack is hardly prepared to fall in love with the leading activist against the plant closing -- but he does. Meanwhile, a lot of other subplots quickly dispose of potentially budding villains like Stedman (Danny DeVito) the inside trader -- too bad. DeVito and Don King (appearing as himself) would have made a great team. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

The made-for-TV Code of Honor covers a time span of over a dozen years. Merritt Butrick plays Captain Paul Dennison, whose career-and life-is unfairly snuffed out by fellow officer Joseph Cheever (Kevin Dobson). Fourteen years later, Cheever, now a highly decorated and universally respected major, comes face to face with Dennison's revenge-seeking sister (Kelly McGillis). Failing to recognize the girl, Cheever tries to make love to her--a fatal mistake. Code of Honor was originally telecast October 31, 1984 under the title Sweet Revenge; its production title was For the Love of a Soldier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-television comedy drama, a divorcee reels even further when her married lover dumps her too. On the rebound, she takes up with a peculiar policeman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is fondly regarded as being the closest in spirit to the 1966-69 TV series that spawned it. Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) escapes the tedium of a desk job to join Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) on another space mission. While boldly going where no man etc. etc., Kirk crosses the path of his old enemy Khan (Ricardo Montalban), who as any die-hard Trekker can tell you, was the chief antagonist in the 1966 Trek TV episode "Space Seed." Leading a crew of near-savage space prisoners, Khan insinuates himself into the Genesis Project, which is designed to introduce living organisms on long-dead planets. Intending to harness this program for his own despotic purposes, Khan engages in battle with the Enterprise crew. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide