Robert Mandel Movies
- 2005
As any college theater student will tell you, the title of this episode translates as "god from the machine," a theatrical device whereby everyone's problems are solved by a single, miraculous and highly unlikely climactic act of divine intervention. In this case, the deus ex machina is literally a "machine" -- an airplane found in the forest that may or may not prove a means of escape for the survivors. But there's more to the story than that, especially when an extended flashback reveals some traumatic events from Locke's (Terry O'Quinn) past. As an adult, Locke made contact with his biological father, whom he'd never known, and the two started to bond, but there was more to the situation than there seemed to be. In other events, Sawyer (Josh Holloway) is suffering from extreme headaches, and Jack (Matthew Fox) and Sayid (Naveen Andrews) come up with a solution that he most certainly does not like. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Swoosie Kurtz, Kevin Tighe, (more)
One of the most unabashedly profane (albeit honest) TV movies ever produced for "basic" cable, A Season on the Brink is based on John Feinstein's book about the 1985-1986 Indiana Hoosiers' basketball season. Brian Dennehy heads the cast as the controversial, combative, chair-tossing Hoosiers coach Bobby Knight, whose motto is "The only two words you need to know to play basketball at Indiana: Yes, Sir!" Driving his players mercilessly, and making verbal mincemeat of fans and reporters alike, Knight isn't interested in winning any popularity contests -- he is only interested in winning games, which he does with intimidating frequency. Along the way, Knight's abrasive style has profound effects on two of his best players, Daryl Thomas (Michael James Johnson) and Steve Alford (James Lafferty) -- not to mention Bobby's assistant coaches and family members. Videotaped footage of actual games is incorporated into the dramatized re-enactments, with mixed but generally effective results. A Season on the Brink was simulcast over ESPN and ESPN2 on March 10, 2002, with the original TVMAL-rated version airing on the former service, and a "laundered" TV14LV-rated version running on the latter channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Duane Murray, (more)
- 2002
Originally titled On the Edge, this Lifetime cable network feature film is the story of Zoey Carter (Julia Whelan), the superachieving "perfect" daughter of professional couple Marcia and Larry Carter (Mia Farrow and Cliff De Young). Traumatized by her parents' divorce, Zoey begins experimenting with drugs, only to grow more and more dependent upon narcotics -- and the thrill of shoplifting -- thanks to the influence of unsavory high school senior Ron Morris (Michael Coristine). After weeks and weeks of obfuscation, lies, and denial, Zoey and her parents are forced to face the seriousness of the girl's problem. But for all the help and support extended by sympathetic social worker Mike Harper (Andrew McCarthy), the solution to the dilemma lies with the choices made by Zoey's mom and dad -- if they are indeed equal to the challenge. The Secret Life of Zoey first aired on August 19, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mia Farrow, Cliff De Young, (more)
- 2001
- Add Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story to QueueAdd Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story to top of Queue
The saga of pop metal superstars Def Leppard is told in this biopic, produced by cable television music channel VH1. The film traces the band's history from their origins as a teenage hard rock act in the English industrial town of Sheffield to the massive success they enjoyed worldwide as multi-platinum recording artists. Def Leppard's rise to the top is depicted as driven by rabidly dedicated lead singer Joe Elliott (Orlando Seale), though along with the money, supermodels and parties there are tragedies as well. Original guitarist Pete Willis (Nick Bagnall) is sacked when excessive drink affects his performance, drummer Rick Allen (Tat Whalley) loses an arm in a car accident and must endure grueling effort to learn how to play again, and lead guitarist Steve Clark (Karl Geary) struggles with alcoholism as he bounces in and out of rehab centers. Through all the tribulations and excess, however, the band sticks together like brothers and fights to keep rocking as a unit. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karl Geary, Orlando Seale, (more)
- 2000
Robert Mantegna stars as tough Boston private eye Spencer in this made-for-cable adaptation of the Robert B. Parker novel Thin Air. It all begins when Lila St. Claire (Yancy Butler, the new bride of police detective Frank Belson (David Ferry), is kidnapped by Latino ganglord Luis DeLeon (Jon Seda). As a personal favor to Belson, Spencer agrees to burrow into the barrio in hopes of rescuing Lila. In so doing, Spencer is made privy to more unsavory aspects of Beantown's Latino subculture--and also learns more than he cares to know about Lila's clouded past. Thin Air was originally telecast by the A&E network on September 12, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
In this animated adaptation of the popular musical, British widow Anna Leonowens (voiced by Miranda Richardson, with singing by Christiane Noll) and her ten-year-old son Louis (Adam Wylie) travel from London to Siam in 1863. The King of Siam (Martin Vidnovic) has requested a proper English governess to teach his Royal children about the western world, from which he feels his nation can no longer remain isolated. While the King is an absolute monarch bound to uphold the traditions of his country, he is also a man of science. Uncertain about change, he realizes he must lead Siam to find its place in the world, but there are many roadblocks ahead. Anna begins to teach not just the children but also the King. The two strong-willed individuals immediately clash, but Anna soon proves an able advisor, convincing the King not to fight the approaching British emissaries, but to throw them a grand ball instead. There he will convince the world he is the modern monarch of a civilized country. Kralahome (Ian Richardson), the Prime Minister of Siam, has other ideas. As the Royal Astrologer, Kralahome possesses the ability to create powerful and horrific illusions to prey on the fears of his enemies, and he has his own plans for the country. He seeks to rule the nation but he must first get rid of the King. He plans to show the British that the King is a barbarian who should be removed from office, and only a man of Kralahome's sophistication can properly lead the people. With his bumbling assistant, Master Little (Darrell Hammond), the Prime Minister hatches a plot to dethrone the King. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miranda Richardson, Christiane Noll, (more)
An ex-mercenary (Tom Berenger) becomes a take-no-prisoners teacher in a drug-ridden, gang-infested Miami high school in this campy morality tale about restoring lost American virtues to the inner city. Berenger's character, Shale, has no first name, a shadowy past as a patriotic gun-for-hire, and is temporarily unemployed and living with an idealistic teacher, Jane Hetzko (Diane Verona). Jane has angered a school gang leader, Juan Lucas (Marc Anthony), by asking the principal to get him transferred after he has threatened her in the schoolyard. After Jane is kneecapped by a gang member, Shale fakes a resume and becomes a substitute teacher, Mr. Smith. He lectures his class on the lessons of Vietnam ("We were fighting Communism") while looking for a way to get revenge on Juan. When he challenges the school's tolerance for student misbehavior, Smith is fired by the slimy principal, Claude Rolle (Ernie Hudson), an ex-cop who is running for City Council and doesn't want to rock the boat. Shale stays because he cites a union rule requiring two weeks' notice. During that period, tensions escalate and eventually Shale intervenes in a gang war that degenerates into a school-destroying inferno of violence. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, (more)
- 1996
This made-for-TV movie is staged in the form of an ongoing news report, unfolding in "real time." The year is 2014, and the men and women of the Global News Network are covering the final two hours of the first manned space mission to Mars. Suddenly, before an audience of billions, things begin to go horribly awry: Eugene Slader (Keith Carradine), captain of the spaceship "Destiny", falls ill and the ship's computer malfunctions. But what seems to be an unavoidable tragedy is revealed to be a massive corporate conspiracy when a group of protesters "hijacks" the telecast with the intention of exposing the whole truth. In the tradition of the similar Special Bulletin, the film is capped by a surprise ending that is both shocking and eminently logical. Unfortunately, NBC chose to premiere Special Report: Journey to Mars on March 25, 1996, directly opposite ABC's Academy Awards telecast--meaning that probably the only people who saw it were the Martians (unless, they too, wanted to find out if Bravehart would beat out Apollo 13 for the Best Picture Oscar). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
A small town in the Pacific Northwest has been plagued by a series of mysterious deaths. The victims are all local high-school graduates of the class of 1989. Assigned to investigate this phenomenon are FBI agent Fox Mulder, whose recent job performance has been compromised by his ever-growing obsession with paranormal activities, and Mulder's new partner, medical doctor Dana Scully, who refuses to believe that "the truth is out there." Despite their prickly working relationship, it is clear that Mulder and Scully are destined to be a team from now on. Written by Chris Carter, the pilot episode of The X-Files originally aired September 10, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An assemblage of young Hollywood actors poised for stardom marked this tale of anti-Semitism at a 1950s prep school. Brendan Fraser stars as David Greene, a working-class Jewish quarterback from Scranton, Pennsylvania, who is offered a senior year scholarship to a prestigious New England academy. It's David's ticket to an Ivy League education and a way out of his Rust Belt hometown, but there's one condition: the school's elders ask him to be discreet about his religion. At first willing to do so, David struggles with his silence about his faith as his popularity grows. David strikes up a friendship with his roommate Chris Reece (Chris O'Donnell) and a possible romance with Sally Wheeler (Amy Locane), a student at a nearby girls' school. When jealous classmate Charlie Dillon (Matt Damon) learns David's secret at an alumni party, he exposes the school's new gridiron hero, and David faces the full force of religious intolerance from the prejudiced WASP institution. Also featuring early performances from Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, and Cole Hauser, School Ties was loosely based on the real-life experiences of producer Dick Wolf, creator of TV's popular series Law & Order. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon, (more)
- 1991
The Haunted is a Fox Network TV-movie purportedly based on eyewitness testimony. The story goes that in the mid-1980s, the Smurl family of Pittston, Pennsylvania began noticing something askew in their four-bedroom Victorian home. Apparently there are agents of Satan at work, bedeviling the family and smashing the crockery. None of the Smurls believes in ghosts--"until," as the ad copy for this film proclaims, "they have no choice." Since this film was shown on Fox, the "standards and practices" people were a wee more lax than they would have been on another network; hence the "Parental Discretion Advised" tag on the film's original telecast. The Haunted is some distance removed from believability, but stars Sally Kirkland and Jeffrey DeMunn seem to be having a high old time playing scared. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Perfect Witness is New York restaurant owner Aidan Quinn. After witnessing a mob murder, Quinn does his civic duty by reporting the incident to the authorities. This plunks Quinn into the middle of a power play between the DA and ambitious US attorney Brian Dennehy, who won't let up on the case until he can prove that the murder is part of a larger conspiracy. When mob thugs injure Quinn's son, he asks to be allowed not to testify, whereupon Dennehy jails the poor fellow for obstructing justice. Perfect Witness was first telecast October 28, 1989, over the HBO cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Dennehy, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 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)
- 1986
- R
Michael Keaton plays a famous Chicago-based hockey player who befriends trouble-prone teenager Ajay Naidu (after Naidu's gang has tried to mug him!) He also extends the hand of friendship to Naidu's mother Maria Conchita Alonso, a friendship that blossoms into a physical relationship. Too self-centered to make a commitment to Alonso, Keaton tries to break things off, but Naidu won't let him go so easily. This seemingly frivolous situation is underscored by the more serious efforts of Alonso to make a better life for herself and her son. The comic and dramatic elements of Touch and Go never quite jell, but the winning performances of the three main characters help gloss over the film's unevenness. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Maria Conchita Alonso, (more)
A man who simulates death for a living finds himself unwittingly tied into the real thing in this New York-based suspense drama. Special effects man Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) makes his living simulating gory mayhem and photogenic violence for movies such as "I Dismember Mama." Tyler is given a chance to expand his professional horizons when he's approached by Lipton (Cliff DeYoung), who introduces himself as an FBI agent and makes an unusual proposal. Mob kingpin Nicholas DeFranco (Jerry Orbach) is willing to testify against his fellow gangsters, but the investigators are worried about his safety. Lipton wants Tyler to help him and his staff fake DeFranco's assassination; if everyone is convinced DeFranco is dead, people will be a lot less likely to look for him. Tyler grudgingly takes the assignment, and while he's able to realistically simulate DeFranco being shot in a crowded restaurant, after the "gag," he discovers that he's been double crossed, and he's wanted for the murder of the man he just "shot." Tyler hides out with his girlfriend Ellen (Diane Venora), but he realizes that whoever set him up wants him dead after she's killed by a bullet meant for him. With the help of fellow effects artist Andy (Martha Gehman), Tyler goes underground and tries to unravel the truth behind the Lipton murder. Meanwhile, police detective Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy) is convinced that something is not right when he's called to the scene of DeFranco's murder and is certain that the dead body is not the gangster. F/X was followed by a sequel, and later a short-lived TV series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bryan Brown, Brian Dennehy, (more)
- 1983
The dangers facing teenaged hitchhikers are forcefully brought home in this uncompromising ABC Afterschool Special. Though she has been warned never to hitch a ride, Andrea Cranston (Michele Greene) feels that she has no choice when she and her boyfriend are stranded in the middle of nowhere. Besides, the man offering the ride seems like such a nice, harmless fellow. But he is nothing of the kind, as Andrea learns to her horror when she is raped and abandoned. Unable to discuss her ordeal for several days, Andrea is further traumatized when she finally breaks down and tells her parents: her furious father threatens to kill her assailant, while her mother wants to keep the whole incident quiet. Meanwhile, the serial rapist who attacked Andrea is poised to strike again...and again....The winner of five Emmy awards, this film is based on Gloria D. Miklowitz' novel Did You Hear What Happened to Andrea? (which is also the drama's alternate VHS title). ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Greene, Moosie Drier, (more)
- 1983
- R
In this run-of-the-mill romantic drama, the title Independence Day refers to the usual Fourth of July fireworks festival in the U.S. but also to the dilemma of Mary Ann Taylor (Kathleen Quinlan) who lives in a small town but has a big ambition to go to the city and study photography for a profession -- should she go, or should she stay in her hometown with the man she loves? Focus on Mary Ann's dilemma slips to other characters -- her boyfriend's suicidal sister (Dianne Wiest) who is abused by her husband, the abusive husband's equally nasty father, and Mary Ann's boyfriend himself who is preparing his Camaro for the annual Fourth of July race. With the story moving from here to there, hampered by some extraordinary leaps of imagination, the narrative is thinned considerably by the time the Fourth is at hand. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kathleen Quinlan, David Keith, (more)
- 1981
Mildred (Linda Gillin) is a young woman caught in the vise of a gender conflict, made worse by the fact that she has bought into all the female stereotypes against her own nature. Mildred fantasizes about "true love" and is sure that she has found it in the person of Max (Craig Wasson), a super-macho cowboy who whoops it up with the boys at O'Rears. All the bravado cannot disguise an underlying emptiness, but neither can it improve Max's character. He and his overbearing buddies do not have a clue - about anything - and Mildred suffers because of their crass behavior. The more she tries to reach out to Max, the more he mistreats her until one day Mildred ends up injured and in the hospital because of one of Max's crude stunts. He comes to visit her, and at that point, Mildred must either look at the truth or bury herself in a neurotic denial. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Wasson, Linda Gillin, (more)
