Judge Reinhold Movies

Stanley the Stinkbug Goes to Camp, the sixth episode of Christian theologian Max Lucado's CG-animated children's series Hermie and Friends tells the humorous story of the insect Stanley the Stink Bug, a new arrival at Camp Bug-a-Boo whose fellow campers have difficulty handling his unpleasant stench - until God teaches everyone that Stanley only stinks because of his fear that the others won't like him. This program teaches young viewers that the Lord made each of us special and that we must accept each other in spite of our differences. For two of its lead voices, the film sports the vocal talents of comic greats Tim Conway and the late (and beloved) Don Knotts, who had teamed up years prior in a series of comedy classics for Disney, including The Apple Dumpling Gang, and later headlined and 1979's The Prize Fighter and 1980's The Private Eyes. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the sprawling six-part, 12-hour TV miniseries Into the West covers 65 years of American history, from the first major migration westward in the mid-1820s to the massacre at Wounded Knee in the early 1890s. The story is largely seen through the eyes of two protagonists (and their families): Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle), a wheelwright who leaves his Virginia hometown and his family's business in 1827 to seek his destiny in the company of legendary mountain man Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin); and Loved by the Buffalo (George Leach), a Lakota Sioux holy man who spends a lifetime seeking the answers to his profound and disturbing images about the future of his country -- and his people. Eschewing the usual "old-age makeup" route often pursued in epic tales of this nature, the main characters are played by progressively older actors in the course of the story: for example, Loved by the Buffalo is portrayed by no fewer than four different performers! In a more traditionalist How the West Was Won vein, the miniseries is festooned with major stars, some cast in very brief roles: among these are Josh Brolin, Keri Russell, Matthew Modine, Beau Bridges, Gary Busey, Tom Berenger, and Judge Reinhold. Nor is How the West Was Won the only inspiration for the multi-plotted storyline: other films echoed and emulated throughout the saga include The Iron Horse, The Big Trail, Westward the Women, The Searchers, and Dances With Wolves. As mentioned, the story is divided into six parts: "Wheel to the Stars," in which the fates of Jacob Wheeler and Loved by the Buffalo become forever intertwined; "Manifest Destiny," chronicling the first major trek to California; "Dreams & Schemes," wherein the Lakota lands are despoiled by Gold Fever and war breaks out between the North and South; "Hell on Wheels," chronicling the postwar chaos and the coming of the railroad; "Casualties of War," wherein the conflict between Native Americans and the white man results in wholesale bloodshed -- and, surprisingly, a "counter-revolution" of compassion and understanding; and "Ghost Dance," the last great stand of the Lakota, which brings the story full circle. Largely filmed in the Canadian Rockies over a six-month period, and utilizing the talents of six directors, Into the West premiered June 10, 2005, on the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

An act of sabotage causes a string of power blackouts in San Francisco--not to mention three deaths. Monk (Tony Shalhoub) unearths evidence indicating that the man responsible for the chaos is anti-military activist Winston Brenner. Well and good--except that Winston Brenner died nine years ago. This doesn't stop Monk from ardently pursuing the murderous "corpse", who has apparently struck again and claimed a fourth victim. Watch for a fleeting reference to Silence of the Lambs (1991), in which Monk regular Ted Levine (Captain Stottlemeyer) played wily serial killer "Buffalo Bill." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on Matthew's Gospel in the Bible, this video series teaches children important Christian history, values, and behavior standards. Actor Judge Reinhold stars in this episode set in a modern community service program designed for rebellious teens. Stories revealing Christ's passionate nature, rebellion against negative authority figures, and eventual sacrifice of Himself for all humanity may appeal to many young adults struggling with their own desires for rebellion and love. Intended for children ages six and older. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide

After discovering an alien that just crash landed on Earth, two teenage siblings due the best to keep their extraterrestrial secret under wraps as they help the desperate star man find his way back home. Mel and his brother Mac were simply going about their business when the sky was suddenly set ablaze by a blinding celestial explosion. Later, when the curious teens discover that the flash in the sky was actually a UFO crashing through the atmosphere, they meet a mysterious figure (Geoff Stults) from beyond the stars. Now, as the kids seek the advice of nearby Navajo descendent Evie (Adrienne Barbeau) while attempting to keep the otherworldly visitor a secret from their inquisitive father (Judge Reinhold), a local law enforcer (Richard Moll) and a tenacious government agent (Joanna Pacula) do their best to ferret out the truth and be the first to get undeniable proof of life on other planets. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The rude, crude, slobbering St. Bernard known as Beethoven is on thin ice with the parents who run the Newton household. If he destroys dad's (Judge Reinhold) artwork and drools on mom's (Julia Sweeney) briefcase one more time, he's history. The loving children of the family (Joe Pichler and Michaela Gallo) secretly enroll the dog into an obedience school in hopes of Beethoven learning a few manners. Meanwhile, Michelangelo, the pampered St. Bernard of the ultra-wealthy Sedgwick family -- a dog so well mannered it not only wipes its feet on a door mat but can also fold a dinner napkin -- accidentally winds up at the Newton's while Beethoven ends up at the Sedgwick estate, confusing the humans who live in both households. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

How does a man convince the woman he loves that attempting to make him the toast of Broadway could be a really bad idea? Paul Halpern (David Paymer) is a cynical, middle-aged comedy writer who primarily works in television. Paul once had dreams of becoming a successful playwright, but after a passionate, short-lived relationship with a beautiful woman, he wrote a stage drama that became a notorious flop when it was presented for the first (and only) time by a Los Angeles theater company. Paul has come to believe that his play is cursed, and he has spent years trying to distance himself from the ill-fated project. Paul is more single than he'd like to be these days, and he's encouraged when he's approached by Carla (Rosalind Chao), an attractive, intelligent woman who seems quite fond of him. However, while Carla is attracted to Paul personally, she also has a professional interest in him. Carla is a director who wants to stage Paul's play in New York, and while he'd like to make her happy, he thinks it would be inviting disaster to put his drama back on the boards. Enemies of Laugher also features Judge Reinhold as a filmmaker directing a documentary about Paul, Peter Falk and Bea Arthur as Paul's parents, and cameos from Marilu Henner and Kathy Griffin. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Ellen Burstyn stars in this warm family drama. Mattie (Burstyn) is an aging southern belle who realizes that she's getting too old to go on living in a house. After an odd encounter with the local dogcatcher Lamar (Mark Hamill), Mattie befriends Lamar's bad-egg nephew, Wesley (Jonathan Taylor Thomas). Soon he betrays her trust and escapes from juvenile detention. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Based on novelist Tim Sandlin's Sorrow Floats, this moving drama follows an alcoholic woman and two recovering drinkers as they travel across the nation in search of her son, who was taken away from her by her husband. Along the way, the journey cannot help to inspire the woman to embark upon a quest for her own salvation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

If it worked for Speed, it'll work for Runaway Car--or at least, that seems to have been the philosophy behind the making of this highly derivative made-for-TV actioner. Having suffered through an unusually rotten day on the job, timid nurse Jenny Todd (Nina Siesmaszko) heads to the garage where her 1978 Rambler Hornet is being repaired. Here she meets neurotic computer programmer Ed Lautner (Judge Reinhold), who asks her to give him a ride home. En route, Jenny picks up her baby nephew, as well as an unexpected hitchhiker: wiseguy skateboarder Dex Strang (Brian Hooks), whom Jenny may or may not have caused to suffer a nasty fall. Once the "dramatis personae" is established, the situation goes from bad to horrendous: The brakes jam, the door latches lock, the accelerator sticks at 100mph, and our wide-eyed heroine finds herself at the wheel of an out-of-control death machine, dangerously zooming through the busy city streets, barely avoiding crashes and collisions at every corner. The film's abundance of thrills, spills and impossible coincidences come to a climax of sorts when a police helicopter attempts to rescue Jenny's screaming nephew. Based (believe it or don't) on a true story, Runaway Car rolled off the Fox network TV-movie assembly line on January 21, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

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