Lawrence Schiller Movies

Originally presented in two parts by the CBS network, Master Spy is the true story of Robert Hanssen, a disgruntled FBI agent who, for 20 years, systematically sold out his country to the former Soviet Union. The film depicts Hanssen (played by William Hurt) as hyper-intelligent and hyper-sensitive, frustrated by what he perceives to be the mediocrity of his fellow federal agents (at one point in the story, Hanssen's boss advises him to "dumb down" if he hopes to survive in the agency). Hanssen's self-imposed lofty standards and values are somewhat at odds with his rather kinky sexual preferences, and with his habit of spending far more than he earns. In danger of losing everything he owns due to improvident financial transactions, Hanssen proves to be ripe for plucking by the Soviet KGB, which offers him wealth beyond his wildest dreams if he will simply transfer top secret information to the Russians. Throughout his career of duplicity and treachery, Hanssen enjoys the unswerving loyalty of his wife, Bonnie (Mary-Louise Parker), who remains blissfully ignorant of his double-agent activities until the day of his arrest. Scripted by the inimitable Norman Mailer, Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story aired over two consecutive weekends, on November 10 and 17, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The real-life drama of the 1994 O.J. Simpson trial is given quasi-fictional treatment in this two-part CBS miniseries, which aired in November 2000. Much of the miniseries' plot focuses on the battle of egos between defense lawyers Johnnie Cochran (Ving Rhames) and Robert Shapiro (Ron Silver) and how the personalities of these men in part shaped the outcome of the trial. Also included in the cast are Bruno Kirby and Christopher Plummer. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Inspired suave aristocrat Col. Claus von Stauffenberg's ingenious plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler during the waning days of World War II, director Lawrence Schiller's historical war drama traces the remarkable events that unfolded as the Third Reich's Operation Valkyrie emergency plan was implemented on July 20, 1944. Could World War II have been stopped before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? A group of senior army officials have decided to turn on their führer, but is their plan doomed from the very moment of conception? A strategy meeting is set to take place at Hitler's Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair). There, the tyrannical German leader will be completely vulnerable to attack by the very people he trusts most - his own officers. In order to succeed, von Stauffenberg and his men will need to make some serious sacrifices. Later, as the plot gets underway, fighting continues raging all across Europe, and the men wait patiently for the perfect moment to strike. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A TV mini-series, this is a visually pleasant movie about the life of Russia's colorful ruler, from childhood on. Big name cast is wasted on small roles, however. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide

To land a job as a sports reporter, a young woman must disguise herself as a man. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

Originally made for television and based on a true story from the '50s, this film concerns a rural Arizona town that deals in polygamy. Specifically, a boy is shocked that his father (Christopher Atkins), a veteran of the Korean War, wishes to take a 15-year-old girl for another wife. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Hey, I'm Alive is the true story of Ralph Flores and Helen Klaben. In 1963, pilot Flores and passenger Klaben survived a plane crash in the snowy hills of the Yukon. For 49 days, the two survivors endeavored to find food and warmth, to attract the attention of low-flying planes, and to preserve their sanity. When found, Flores and Klaben were frostbitten and dangerously close to starvation--but alert and alive. Ed Asner and Sally Struthers star in this made-for-TV film; they were directed by Lawrence Schiller, who as a Life magazine photographer covered the real-life rescue. Hey, I'm Alive first aired November 7, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this documentary, it becomes clear that the musicians of the rock group, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. are no strangers to drug use themselves. Their attitudes and drug use are discussed in backstage interviews in between sessions of a concert at the Federal Narcotics Rehabilitation Center in Lexington, Kentucky. It is difficult to tell if the irony was intended. This film explores the drug use of the musicians as well as the question of drug abuse in general. This serious subject is leavened by the musical performance of the group, which is shown in segments throughout the film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide