Stuart Segall Movies
- 2007
Intended as a five-times-weekly presentation of MyNetwork's "Secret Obsessions" package, the English-language telenova Saints and Sinners was based on the TV Azteca prime-time soaper La Calle de las Novias ("Bride's Avenue"). An updated rehash of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet", the series focused on the bitter rivalry between the Capshaws and the Martins, rival hotel owners in Miami Beach. Widowed Sylvia Capshaw (Mel Harris) was determined to break up the romance between her daughter Julia (Tyler Kain) and young Roman Martin (Scott Bailey), son of unscrupulous hoteliers Diana and August Martin (Maria Conchita Alonso, Charles Shaughnessy). It was not merely hatred of the Martins which motivated Sylvia: Roman had been arrested on the charge of murdering Julia's father. Acquitted of the crime, Roman endeavor to save his family from financial ruin by opening his own nightclub, "The Verona" (!) He also hoped to win back Julia from her current beau Richard Vargas (Chris Engen), the son of shady business mogul Antonio Vargas, who may or may not have actually been the infamous underworld boss known as "The Guerrero." Weaving in and out of the proceedings was the series' "Friar Lawrence" counterpart, a handsome bogus priest named Marcus (Ryan Scott Greene), and New York fashion designer Kelly Mitchell (Robin Givens), who wanted Robin all too herself. This series was originally filmed under the title "A Dangerous Love"; in the early developmental stages, the warring families were named Olivera and Manzini, Kelly Mitchell's name was Kelly Dodd, Maria Conchita Alonso's character had been conceived as the starring role. With the overall ratings for MyNetwork's various "original" telenovas plummeting precipitously, by the time Saints and Sinners debuted on March 14, 2007 the series had been reconfigured as a weekly rather than a nightly offering, with two episodes shown back-to-back each week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2007
The sixth of the prime time "novelas" offered by the fledgling MyNetwork service, American Heiress was based on the Spanish-language TVAzteca soap opera (La Heredera--and could just as easily have been retitled "The Perils of Elizabeth." Alice Leigh Willis starred as toothsome young heiress Elizabeth Wakefield, whose adventures began when her family's private jet crashed in a Guatemalan rain forest. Surviving the wreck, the pampered Elizabeth was forced to battle the elements with her fellow survivor, hard-bitten pilot J.D. Bruce (Carter MacIntyre). Ultimately returning to civilization, Elizabeth found that her troubles were far from over: Her imperious father Lionel (John Aprea) was dead set against her romance with the charismatic J.D., while her scheming older brother Damian (Race Owen)--who may very well have engineered the plane crash--was tireless in his efforts to claim the entire family fortune for himself, leaving his siblings out in the cold. The other characters were similarly drawn with broad, unsubtle strokes, especially the resident "easy" girl Loren (AnnaLynne McCord). Debuting March 13, 2007 and initially planned as a 65-episode series to be run on a nightly basis, American Heiress was quickly pared down to 22 weekly installments thanks to MyNetwork's ever-plummeting ratings (the network would soon abandon original "fictional" programming entirely in favor of a docket of new reality series and old movies). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Originally titled Art of Betrayal, the nightly, hour-long Wicked Wicked Games was the fourth of the fledgling MyNetwork's English-language "novellas." When the series was first announced, Sean Young was billed as the leading character, ruthless real-estate magnate Blythe Hunter, by the time filming commenced, Young had been replaced by former child actress Tatum O'Neal. 25 years after she and her twin sons were abandoned by her husband Theodore Crawford (Clive Robertson), who threw her over for a much wealthier woman, the now-powerful and influential Blythe set about to orchestrate an intricate and fiendish plan of revenge. Her scheme involved having her grown sons Josh (David Smith) and Aaron (Jack Krizmanich) insinuate themselves into the lives and hearts of Crawford's daughters Emma (Jessie Ward) and Brooke (Kate French), the better to marry the girls so that Blythe could gain full control of Crawford's business empire in general and his "Tides" racetrack in particular. Complications ensued when, digressing from the plan, Aaron fell for party-girl Brooke instead of sensible Emma, while Josh, a doctor who initially had no idea what his mother was up to, suddenly tumbled to the revenge plot. The enormous supporting cast was headed by Femi Emiola as Blythe's assistant Lani Walker, who may have had more on her mind than mere job security. The first of the 65 Wicked Wicked Games episodes premiered December 6, 2006, as the replacement for the previous MyNetwork prime time soap opera Desire. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
The third of MyNetwork's nightly English-language "novellas", Watch Over Me was based on Telefe Argentina's Resistere. Daynara Torres, a Puerto Rican actress and former Miss Universe, starred as young psych student Julia Rivera, who was engaged to wealthy but faithless "medical entrepreneur" Michael Krieger (Mark Menard). With fingers in several dirty pies, Michael had made enemies of a number of tough underworld characters, and thus found it expedient to hire a bodyguard for Julia, a handsome hunk named Jack Porter (Todd Cahoon). With typical soap-opera inevitability, the impressionable Julia found herself romantically torn between the dashing Michael and the down-to-earth Jack--while Jack, anxious to wrest Julia aware from her dangerous sweetheart, endeavored to open the girl's eyes to Michael's true nature. Others lurking about included several "star names", among them Casper Van Dien as Andre Forester, a hired assassin who knew where most of Michael's bodies were buried (chances are Andre buried them himself!), Catherine Oxenberg as Michael's enigmatic personal assistant Leandra Thames, and Roxana Zal as all-purpose femme fatala Natalie Weller. Rounding out the main cast was Caitlin McCarthy as Michael's troubled daughter Caroline, whose horrible nightmares invariably provided clues as to what had previously transpired and dropped hints concerning the perils in the furture. The series benefited from a strong tie-in with the Wal-Mart retail store chain, which provided many of the characters' costumes. The first of the 65 hour-long Watch Over Me episodes premiered December 6, 2006, as the replacement for the previous MyNetwork nighttime soaper Fashion House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Debuting over MyNetwork TV on September 5, 2006, Fashion House (working title: Secret Obsessions) was one of two nightly hour-long continuing dramas seen over the fledgling network during its first season on the air; both this series and its companion show Desire were inspired by the Spanish-language telenova genre, and both were filmed in San Diego. Fashion House unfolded the tale of two rival fashion designers: Maria Gianni (Bo Derek), beautiful but ruthless owner of Fashion House, and her hated rival, the wealthy Sophia Blakely (Morgan Fairchild), whose mission in life was to put Maria out of business via a hostile takeover. The sinister machinations of these two ladies were seen through the eyes of Michelle Miller (Natalie Martinez), a housewife who aspired to be a top designer, and who began pursuing that goal after discovering that her husband Lance (Mike Begovich) had cheated on her with his vixenish business assistant Gloria (Donna Feldman). For her part, Michelle entered into a torrid affair with Michelle's son Luke (Taylor Kinney), a would-be painter. Weaving and sometimes skulking through the proceedings were sinister dealmaker William Chandler (Joel Berti), who aligned himself with Sophia for the purpose of destroying Maria; and supermodel Nikki Clark (Nicole Pulliam), Michelle's best friend. Telecast on a Monday through Friday basis with a weekend recap, Fashion House was destined for a 13-week, 65-episode run, at which point MyNetwork would replace it with a new nightly soaper, Watch Over Me. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bo Derek, Morgan Fairchild, (more)
- 2006
Debuting over MyNetworkTV on September 5, 2006, Desire was one of two nightly hour-long continuing dramas seen over the fledgling network during its first season on the air; both this series and its companion show, Fashion House, were inspired by the Spanish-language "telenovela" genre, and both were filmed in San Diego. The principal players in Desire included the Thomas brothers, Alex (Zack Silva) and Louis (Nate Haden), who had to give up running their restaurant in Bayonne, NJ, when the headstrong Louis was caught in bed with the daughter of a gang boss. Fleeing the gangsters' wrath, the Thomas boys relocated to California, where they went to work for sexy Andrea Zavatti (Michelle Belegrin), heiress to a huge restaurant fortune. Having lost her best employee and boyfriend George (Tomy Dunster) to her false friend Suzy (Vivian Gray), Andrea's affections were torn between the affable Alex and the ruthless Louis for the balance of the series. Others in the cast included Andrea's calculating half-sister, Victoria Marston (Sofia Milos), vengeful mob chieftain Joey Gamarra (Chris de Rose), and the Thomas brothers' long-suffering mother, Rita (Eliana Alexander). Telecast on a Monday through Friday basis, with a weekend "recap," Desire was destined for a 13-week, 65-episode run, at which point MyNetwork would replace it with a new nightly soaper, Wicked Wicked Games. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michelle Belegrin, Zack Silva, (more)
- 2003
The second made-for-TV "reunion" of the stars of the long-running NBC cop drama Hunter (1984-1990), Hunter: Back in Force was, like its predecessor (Hunter: Return to Justice), set in San Diego. Newly reactivated police detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) and his recently widowed partner, Dee Dee McCall (Stephanie Kramer) are targeted for extermination by vicious ex-convict Randall Skaggs (Gregory Scott Cummins), an old enemy from the original Hunter series. As Skaggs gathers together a mini-army of murderers, Hunter and Dee Dee devote their time to solving a string of bank robberies committed by a team of women -- possibly at the behest of a jailed convict (played by pro wrestler Chyna), with the assistance of a corrupt official. More obviously a TV pilot than Hunter: Return to Justice, Hunter: Back in Force, did in fact precipitate a revival of the old series, with five hour-long episodes telecast in the weeks following the film's April 12, 2003, debut. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Hunter: Return to Justice is the second made-for-TV movie based on the popular cop series Hunter, which originally ran from 1984 to 1991. Fred Dryer returns to the role of LAPD detective Rick Hunter, whom, as we soon discover, may be older but is no mellower. In fact, the film begins with a burst of gunplay that would put Dirty Harry to shame. As the result of a bad drug bust which cost the lives of a few innocent civilians, Hunter is put "on leave" by the department and advised to take a good long rest. He heads down to San Diego, current home of his former police partner, Dee Dee McCall (Stephanie Kramer), now the fiancée of fabulous, wealthy mayoral candidate Roger Prescott (Sam Hennings). If Hunter truly expects any R&R, he is in for a shock: Prescott turns out to be an ex-KGB agent, placing himself and Dee Dee in the cross-hairs of the Russian mafia. Filmed almost entirely on location, Hunter: Return to Justice played to excellent ratings when it first aired November 16, 2002, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Jonathan Frakes is both star and producer of this made-for-TV fantasy, which originally aired as part of UPN's "Nightworld" movies series. Teenager Rachel Linden (Hayler DuMond) drowns as the end result of a nasty scheme hatched by Vanessa Cunningham (Shannon Elizabeth), Rachel's rival for the affection of Matt Jannett (Gabriel Mann). As her spirit leaves her body, Rachel is met by Will (Jonathan Frakes), a guardian angel assigned to gently escort the girl to the Next World. But vengeful Rachel refuses to leave until she can make Vanessa pay for her sins. With only token reluctance, Will arranges for Rachel to temporarily inhabit the body of her best friend Leslie Chambers (Linda Cardellini)--who, suffering from arythmia, may not be able to survive the habitation. It's a teen-oriented combo of Ghost and All of Me, with a major surprise at the climax. Dying to Live was first broadcast on April 22, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
- PG13
This updated remake of the 1958 sci-fi cult classic I Married a Monster from Outer Space closely adheres to the same basic plotline as the original. On the eve of his wedding to Kelly Drummond (Susan Walters), good ol' boy Nick Farrell (Richard Burgi) wanders into the woods, where he is promptly abducted by aliens. Despite this ordeal, Nick shows up at the church on time and the wedding proceeds. But Kelly cannot help but notice that there is something "different" about her husband. Whereas previously all Nick cared about was drinking and carousing with his buddies, now he is serious, well-spoken, and curiously insistent that he and Kelly begin making babies as soon as possible. When all of Nick's drinking companions undergo similar character transformations, it becomes obvious to Kelly that the man she married isn't the man she intended to marry, but instead the "host" for an impending invasion from beyond.. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Walters
- 1997
Pragmatic businesswoman Gail Metzger (Joanna Kerns) has never seen eye to eye with her eccentric sister Renee (Debrah Farentino), a bad situation made worse when the two women butt heads over a real estate deal. Later on, Renee turns up dead, an apparent suicide. But as more "facts" come to surface, the police change their minds about Renee's demise--and Gail is suspected of murder. In her efforts to find out what really happened, Gail is enveloped in a frightening atmosphere of suspense and mysticism. Adapted fromBarbara L. Parker's novel Suspicion of Innocence, the made-for-TV Sisters and Other Strangers made its initial CBS network appearance on May 6, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joanna Kerns, Debrah Farentino, (more)
Originally made for and aired on the Movie Channel, but then released to video, this action thriller features Burt Reynolds as a mercenary who gets revenge upon the quartet of corrupt government officials who send him and his squad on a mission to Bosnia and then plan to kill him. Originally, these high-ranking politicos told Jerome "Raven" Katz (Reynolds) that his mission was to go to the war-torn country to steal a Soviet gadget designed to commandeer control of any of the world's computer defense networks. Katz succeeds, but only he and one other, Martin Grant, survive. Realizing that his was meant to be a suicide mission so that the crooks could sell the invention to Iran, he keeps the machine and tries to sell it himself. Grant protests, and a fearsome fight erupts. After that, word is passed that both men are dead and that each of them carries one half of the invaluable device. But both men are very much alive. Years pass and Grant gives up the mercenary business to settle down to a peaceful California lifestyle with his lover Cali. Raven has not changed and stalks Grant in hopes of getting the second half of the decoder. While slowly closing in on Grant, Raven is also methodically murdering the four crooks who betrayed him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Matt Battaglia, (more)
- 1995
In the erotic thriller Illegal in Blue, Chris Morgan (Dan Gauthier) is a young policeman who confronts the harsh reality that he must compromise his ideals to get along in a world of moral ambiguity. When police officers split a large sum of confiscated illegal gambling money among themselves, Morgan reports it to Internal Affairs. He starts receiving death threats, and the police department suspends him without pay. Morgan begins a steamy love affair with a stunning nightclub singer, Kari Truitt (Stacey Dash), whose husband is found murdered. Morgan's suspension is lifted, and he goes back to the police department to face open hostility from officers who want him to soften his testimony against the policemen who split the gambling money. He also gets caught up in the murder investigation, where his new lover is the prime suspect, and he soon finds that he must make some difficult choices. A well-integrated musical score, moody shots of the city at night, and lyrical love scenes help to make Illegal in Blue somewhat better than many similar low-budget efforts. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1991
Created by Stephen J. Cannell, the weekly, hour-long police drama Silk Stalkings dealt with unusual and frequently kinky crimes of passion amongst the wealthy elite of Palm Beach, FL. During the series' nine-season run, three different "dog and cat" teams of undercover cops pieced together the clues and snapped the cuffs on the perps. Introduced during season one were Sgt. Chris Lorenzo (Rob Estes) and his partner Sgt. Rita Lee "Sam" Lance (Mitzi Kapture), the latter also serving as the series' narrator. Chris and Rita took their orders first from grouchy, by-the-book Captain "Hutch" Hutchinson (Ben Vereen). He was transferred to the Ft. Lauderdale division midway through season two, then briefly replaced by Lt. Lou Hudson (Robert Gossett). By the time season three rolled around, Chris and Rita were answering to bombastic hypochondriac Captain Harry Lipschitz (Charlie Brill), who in turn answered to his domineering wife Fran (Mitzi McCall). Characters such as Harry and Fran provided comic relief to offset the drama and tension inherent in the stories. Likewise cast in a humorous vein were radio sex therapist Melissa Cassidy (Kim Morgan Greene), libidinous morgue attendant Roger (Danny Gans), bon vivant con artist Cotton Dunn (John Byner), and Runyonesque gangster Donnie "Dogs" DiBarto (Dennis Paladino). While it was "strictly business" between Chris and Rita during the series' early seasons, their relationship deepened into romance after Chris was shot and nearly killed by a demented woman at the end of season three. Ultimately, Chris and Rita were married at the beginning of the fifth season, but one month later Chris was fatally shot while trying to rescue Rita from a kidnapper. She became so distraught that she quit the force, whereupon Captain Lipschitz formed a team of replacement cops: ex-Chicagoan detective Michael Price (Nick Kokotakis) and Southern belle detective Holly Rawlins (Tyler Layton). Come season six, and both Price and Rawlins were gone with little explanation. Their replacements were Det. Sgt. Tom Ryan (Chris Potter) and Det. Sgt. Cassandra "Cassy" St. John (Janet Gunn), who had once been husband and wife. Tom and Cassy remained the stars until the series' curiously downbeat finale. Debuting November 7, 1991, Silk Stalkings was a coproduction of over-the-air network CBS and the USA cable network, and ran on both services until November 4, 1993. The series' final seven seasons were first-run exclusively on USA until the series' end in late 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
In this drama, a highly moral judge becomes a secret avenger in the war against crime after his face is disfigured during an assassination attempt. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1978
- R
This road comedy is about a group of prostitutes who take their bordello on the road, loading into a van and using their CB radio to inform truckers of when and where they'll be stopping. The fun-loving girls enjoy success with their mobile brothel until they cross the state line into the Bible belt and find themselves under pursuit by the police. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
Basically the final act of Peter Bogdanovich's Targets stretched to feature length (and without any redeeming subtext), this weak slasher thriller involves a psycho who stalks unsuspecting moviegoers with a variety of sharp implements, particularly a massive sword, during a drive-in screening of a cheesy western. This naturally leads to various scenes of necking patrons being shish-kebabbed with the weapon of choice. Although this might have been an amusing novelty when actually shown at a drive-in, it's just a dreary mess on home video, making the otherwise terse 80-minute running time seem like three hours. One trivial point of interest is the behind-the-camera participation of familiar "B"-movie character actor Buck Flower, who collaborated on the screenplay. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jake Barnes, Adam Lawrence, (more)
