Reginald VelJohnson Movies
African-American actor Reginald VelJohnson is the ideal choice for "urban everyman" roles: his sour-apple facial expression, bald pate, and chubby frame are perfectly suited for the many policemen and blue-collar workers he has played over the years. Beginning in small parts in films like Ghostbusters (1984), VelJohnson gained a following with supporting roles in Crocodile Dundee (1986) and Die Hard (1988). A guest spot as an undercover cop on a 1989 episode of TV's Perfect Strangers led to VelJohnson's longest professional engagement to date. In the company of former Perfect Strangers regular Jo-Marie Payton-France, Reginald VelJohnson, since the fall of 1989, starred as Chicago cop Carl Winslow on the weekly comedy series Family Matters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuidePeter Falk, Rip Torn, Bill Cobbs, George Segal, and Coolio star in director Charlie Picerni's geriatric road comedy following an adventurous group of four senior citizens as they set out to prevent the daughter of one from marrying the wrong guy. Gus Fitzgerald (Falk)'s daughter is about to tie the knot in Las Vegas; trouble is, she's tying it to a guy who isn't worth the price of your average buffet meal. But regardless of the fact that Gus may be retired and living the life in Florida, by no means is he averse to a little adventure. Now, after rounding up golfing buddies Joe Wallace (Torn), Marvin Jeffries (Cobbs), and Dominic Spinuzzi (Segal), Gus rents "The Ultimate Party Bus" and plots his path to Las Vegas. Along the way, Gus and his crew will dance the night away at a Miami Beach salsa club, give a ride to a rap superstar who goes by the name The Flo (Coolio), and eventually land free rooms at the lavish Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino - located directly in the luminous heart of Sin City. As the hour of the wedding draws near, Gus and his pals attempt to stay out of trouble long enough to break up the ceremony and rescue his daughter from a life of certain unhappiness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Attending his 25th class reunion at UC-Berkeley, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is haunted by memories of his late wife Trudy (played in flashback by Lindy Newton). It is especially painful when Monk is reacquainted with Trudy's old school chum Dianne Brooks (Cynthia Stevenson), who it so happens has been targeted for murder. The very odd and extremely manipulative behavior of another fellow grad, coupled with a suicide note written a quarter-century ago, further persuades Monk that he might have been better off skipping the reunion and staying home. This is the episode in which we discover that the student Adrian Monk was known as "Captain Cool"--but not for the reasons one might think. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When their past becomes their present, nine friends reunited for the funeral of their hometown hero find their worldviews clashing in ways that will challenge their beliefs, and perhaps reaffirm their relationships with God. Chris Hayden has died, and as his friends gather to mourn his passing old tensions quickly begin to surface. Former youth pastor Jeremy (David A.R. White) has strayed from his faith to party hard in college. Now caught between his old flame Sherry (Tracey Melchoir) and his beautiful fiancée Rachel (Stacey Keenan), Jeremy wavers between feeding the fire that burns deep inside and reaffirming his commitment to his future wife. Meanwhile, as conversation between old friends drifts to the topics of faith and fidelity, Gary (John Schneider) playfully assumes the role of devil's advocate and Pastor Wexler (Reginald Vel Johnson) encourages the group to always follow the truth that their old friend lived. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reginald VelJohnson, Corin Nemec, (more)
A pair of escaped juvenile delinquents discovers that missionary life is just as restrictive as life in their state-sponsored correctional facility after posing as Mormon missionaries to elude detection in director Rodney Henson's religious-themed comedy. Justin (Brandon Beemer) and Ty (Ty Hodges) are two rebellious teens who just can't seem to grasp the concept of authority. Shortly after making a successful escape from their Mojave Desert detention center run by the overzealous General Wilkins (Charles Napier), the pair's perfect escape plan hits a snag when their car dies at a remote rest stop where Mormon missionaries Elder Talbot (Shaun Weiss) and Elder Johnson (Jason Winer) are taking a break before heading to their next assignment in nearby New Harmony. Soon swapping their military fatigues for Mormon missionary duds, Justin and Ty hit the road in their new car assured that the authorities will never suspect their true identities. Though they were correct in their assumption, the one thing that Justin and Ty never expected was to be offered a police escort to New Harmony -- where the ultra-religious locals have big plans for their newly arrived guests. Now stuck in a town where the lights go out at ten, the alarm goes off at six, and God's word is the law, these two identity-thieving delinquents are eventually forced to choose between living a life of lies or finally coming clean about their shady past. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Prosky, Charles Napier, (more)
Lee Majors, Alison Eastwood, and Derek Hamilton star in writer/director Joey Travolta's supernatural story of a murdered father who returns from the afterlife in order to save his son from meeting a similarly grim demise. Sixty year old family man Bucko Cassidy (Lee Majors) has just been murdered for refusing to sell his homestead, and now it's looking as if his son Junior (Hamilton) is next on the list to die. Upon returning to Earth in spirit form to help his son, Bucko discovers that not only has Junior incurred the wrath of soma particularly dangerous men, but that his marriage to Ellie Rachel Wilson) is in dire straits as well. Should the marriage collapse, Junior will be forced to sell both his house and the family junkyard in order to satisfy the divorce settlement. It's only been six months since Junior buried Bucko, and lately the weight of the loss combined with the stress of his failing marriage is taking a heavy toll on him. Thankfully, despite the fact that there's some serious paperwork to be filled out before Bucko can truly return to Earth, he's been granted permission to temporarily come back in spirit form. But Junior is the only person who can see or hear Bucko, and now his friends and family are convinced that he's finally lost his marbles. Perhaps if Bucko can draw out the unique abilities that Junior possessed in his previous incarnations, his besieged son can finally summon the courage to confront his many problems with the confidence needed to truly solve them once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lee Majors, Derek Hamilton, (more)
Against his professional principles, Grissom (William L. Petersen) becomes personally involved in the plight of a wealthy Las Vegas family whose baby has apparently been kidnapped. Complicating matters, evidence is unearthed suggesting that certain family members were themselves involved in the child's disappearance. And, as if to confirm the real-life inspiration for this episode, even the baby's parents find themselves under suspicion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Early evidence indicates that the man found killed at a pottery store died while attempting to rob the establishment. But Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) soon discovers a link between this death and an unsolved kidnapping 16 years before. And, in another development, Sara (Jorja Fox) is convinced that a woman has died of spontaneous combustion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this made-for-TV movie, a former lap dancer befriends a well-off young man who's investigating the murder of his family and the disappearance of his father. When Ivy Leaguer Tim Faulkner (Patrick Muldoon) finds his sister and mother dead, he can't locate his father. He soon learns that his dad may have been involved with the Mob. But despite eyewitness testimony that his father drowned, Tim skips town to look for him anyway. He soon meets Meredith (Tori Spelling), a bubbly good-time girl who helps him stay one step ahead of the authorities who are also trailing his father. Meanwhile, violent crook Mariano (Richard Belzer) keeps tabs on the boy, hoping Tim will lead him to Mr. Faulkner, who owes him a large sum of cash. As Tim's search continues, he gets closer to the truth -- and grows closer to Meredith. So why is she behind his back taking phone calls from Mariano? Originally broadcast on NBC in 1996, Deadly Pursuits aired again in 1999 and subsequently joined several other Spelling vehicles in frequent rotation on the Lifetime cable channel. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
This fact-based made-for-television drama follows a policewoman's fight for justice after she is raped by colleague. Though there is no denying the offending officer's guilt, he stands protected by an unspoken code of silence by his peers, a code that the woman herself feels obligated to honor. Her attitude changes, however, when she learns that the bad-apple cop has raped a civilian. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Loughlin, Martin Sheen, (more)
Writer, director, and star Mario Van Peebles tried to correct historical misconceptions about African-Americans on the frontier with this action-packed western that's also an homage to spaghetti Westerns. During the Spanish-American War, a squadron of black soldiers led by Jesse Lee (Van Peebles) is assigned a dangerous mission behind enemy lines in Cuba by evil Colonel Graham (Billy Zane). Joined by a white gambler, Little J (Stephen Baldwin), the troupe is to recover a chest of gold. Realizing that Graham will slaughter them once they've relinquished the booty, Lee and his men retrieve the chest, wound Graham, and head for home. Ambushed by Graham in New Orleans, the "posse" heads for Lee's hometown of Freemanville, a frontier settlement of ex-slaves. Years ago, Lee's minister father (Robert Hooks) was murdered there by Klansmen, and the gunslinger wants revenge. There's new trouble brewing in Freemanville, however. Sheriff Bates (Richard Jordan), top lawman in neighboring Cutterville, plans to wipe out Freemanville's citizens and sell their lucrative property to a railroad. Then there's Graham, still on Lee's trail. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Van Peebles, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
A made for TV, two-part series, this is the story of a Southern attorney who suddenly finds himself embroiled in politics, a particularly controversial murder trial and a public battle with a vindictive journalist -- all at the same time. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corbin Bernsen, Mel Harris, (more)
In this drama a bride, widowed on her wedding day when her husband was shot, investigates her late groom's past. She soon discovers why he was killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Lucci, David Soul, (more)
"Another basement, another elevator...how can the same thing happen to the same guy twice?" asks John McClane (Bruce Willis), in what is doubtless the key question of this film. A year after foiling the terrorist takeover of a high-rise office building in the first movie, McClane is waiting to pick up his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), at Dulles International Airport just outside Washington, D.C., on Christmas Eve. Scheduled to arrive the same evening is Ramon Esperanza (Franco Nero), a South American political figure who is being brought to the United States to stand trial for his role in a drug-smuggling ring. However, a group of terrorists, led by renegade American military officer Col. Stuart (William Sadler), take control of the airport, scuttling radio transmissions and placing their own men in the control tower. Stuart and his men ensure that Esperanza's plane lands safely, and then demand that Stuart and his men be given a fully-fueled 747 and free passage wherever they choose to go. Otherwise, they will guide the many circling jets waiting for landing instructions into definite crash landings, killing the many passengers on board. Not willing to stand aside as terrorists once again threaten his wife's life, the wise-cracking McClane once again leaps into action to foil Stuart's plans and bring the passenger jets safely to the ground. William Atherton, John Amos, Dennis Franz, and John Leguizamo highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
Good thing they told us this Jury Duty: The Comedy; we might have thought it was Jury Duty: The Term Paper. This comedy salad features a whole slew of TV luminaries--Alan Thicke, Bill Kirchenbauer, Lynn Redgrave, Heather Locklear, Tracy Scoggin, Reginald VelJohnson etc.--playing judge, jury, defenders and prosecutors in an embezzlement case. The clue as to the film's sobriety level is the fact that Bronson Pinchot plays four roles: Sanford, Arthur Lloyd, Jorge Jimenez, and Magda. Highlights include a mid-trial pizza delivery, a faulty oxygen tank, and a kid holding up a "Hi Mom" sign for the benefit of the courtroom cameras. This dumb-but-lovable TV movie first aired January 15, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One by-product of two consecutive Oscar wins is that Tom Hanks no longer has to appear in such potboilers as Turner and Hooch. Hanks plays Turner, a meticulously groomed, excruciatingly well-organized detective working in a small California coastal town. When local "character" John McIntyre is murdered by drug smugglers, the only witness is McIntyre's slobbery, smelly mutt Hootch. You're way ahead of us, folks: Turner, who despises dogs in general and Hooch in particular, is compelled to put the cantankerous dog up as his house guest. Also easily predictable is the fact that Turner and Hooch will, by the next-to-last reel, become boon companions. To its credit, the film has an abundance of laughs and thrills...but, gee, that ending! Neither terrific nor terrible, Turner and Hooch is a pleasant time-filler; we do wish, however, that more time had been spent on the budding romance between Turner and veterinarian Emily Carson (Mare Winningham). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, (more)
This is the true story of Los Gatos (California) high school football coach Charlie Wedemeyer (Michael Nouri). At 31, onetime football pro Wedemeyer is living the American dream; a winning team, a happy marriage and public adulation. Then in 1977, Charlie is diagnosed as suffering from ALS, a degenerative neurological ailment better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Given only one year to live, Charlie determines to continue leading his Los Gatos Wildcats to a state championship -- which he eventually does, despite losing all powers of speech and movement. Several notches above the usual "disease of the week" TV movie, Quiet Victory: The Charlie Wedemeyer Story was directed by Roy Campanella II -- himself the son of a physically disabled pro athlete, baseball star Roy Campanella. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Nouri
It's Christmas time in L.A., and there's an employee party in progress on the 30th floor of the Nakatomi Corporation building. The revelry comes to a violent end when the partygoers are taken hostage by a group of terrorists headed by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), who plan to steal the 600 million dollars locked in Nakatomi's high-tech safe. In truth, Gruber and his henchmen are only pretending to be politically motivated to throw the authorities off track; also in truth, Gruber has no intention of allowing anyone to get out of the building alive. Meanwhile, New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) has come to L.A. to visit his estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedelia), who happens to be one of the hostages. Disregarding the orders of the authorities surrounding the building, McClane, who fears nothing (except heights), takes on the villains, armed with one handgun and plenty of chutzpah. Until Die Hard came along, Bruce Willis was merely that wisecracking guy on Moonlighting. After the film's profits started rolling in, Willis found himself one of the highest-paid and most sought-after leading men in Hollywood. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, (more)
Arliss Howard plays a baby-faced undercover cop, posing as a high school student. Howard is investigating the murder of a teacher, a task made difficult when his own brother (Loren Dean) becomes the primary suspect. Meanwhile, the ersatz student falls in love with Alexandre Powers, the daughter of the school's gym instructor. Before long, Howard is having trouble separating his "real" self from his fictional persona: he event develops a crush on home-room teacher Suzy Amis! Director Martha Coolidge and scriptwriter A. Scott Frank seem to be having a lot of fun pushing the credibility envelope in the amusing but unnecessarily convoluted Plain Clothes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arliss Howard, Suzy Amis, (more)
Felix (George Kranz) is the down-and-out young drummer who obtains a pair of magic drumsticks from a street vendor. He soon finds out the sticks are able to make native New Yorkers dance uncontrollably -- but not visitors to the city. Joe Silver plays a good-hearted pawnbroker, with Kelly Curtis as the pretty music student Shirley. Vibraphone virtuoso Chico Hamilton is also featured. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Kranz, Kelly Leigh Curtis, (more)

- 1985
- PG13
- Add Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins to QueueAdd Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins to top of Queue
Adapted from the "Destroyer" series of novels and comic books (not exactly the level of Ian Fleming), Remo Williams (Fred Ward) is a New York cop who works for a top-secret government agency accountable directly to the President of the U.S. After his reluctant induction into this agency, Remo is trained in a near-magical Korean martial arts form by Chiun (Joel Grey) in great sequences where walking on water is taken in stride. After his training, Remo goes after a corrupt arms manufacturer with connections in the U.S. military and acquires the necessary help-mate in the form of Major Rayner Fleming (Kate Mulgrew). Antics at the Statue of Liberty and other stunts enliven the action, but cannot make up for comic-book level characters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson star as a quartet of Manhattan-based "paranormal investigators". When their government grants run out, the former three go into business as The Ghostbusters, later hiring Hudson on. Armed with electronic paraphernalia, the team is spectacularly successful, ridding The Big Apple of dozens of ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties. Tight-lipped bureaucrat William Atherton regards the Ghostbusters as a bunch of charlatans, but is forced to eat his words when New York is besieged by an army of unfriendly spirits, conjured up by a long-dead Babylonian demon and "channelled" through beautiful cellist Sigourney Weaver and nerdish Rick Moranis. The climax is a glorious sendup of every Godzilla movie ever made-and we daresay it cost more than a year's worth of Japanese monster flicks combined. Who'd ever dream that the chubby, cheery Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man would turn out to be the most malevolent threat ever faced by New York City? When the script for Ghostbusters was forged by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, John Belushi was slated to play the Bill Murray role; Belushi's death in 1982 not only necessitated the hiring of Murray, but also an extensive rewrite. The most expensive comedy made up to 1984, Ghostbusters made money hand over fist, spawning not only a 1989 sequel but also two animated TV series (one of them partially based on an earlier live-action TV weekly, titled The Ghost Busters. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, (more)
Wolfen, a frightening horror movie based upon a novel by Whitley Strieber, is an absorbing update on the werewolf legend. Detective Dewey Wilson (Albert Finney) is assigned to investigate the strange murder of a millionaire and his wife in a downtown park. Wilson and his friend, city coroner Whittington (Gregory Hines), aided by criminal psychologist Rebecca Neff (Diane Venora) connect the killing to those of several others, primarily winos, drug addicts and derelicts, all of whom seem to have been mutilated by wild animals. Their search leads them to a group of Native Americans led by Edward James Olmos who tell them of a legend of a superior species that once roamed the area, but now are living and hunting in the slums of New York. The film is engrossing, frightening and intelligent, with sensational special effects. Director Michael Wadleigh uses these effects to great advantage, frequently showing the movements of the characters through the eyes of the "Wolfen." This film is also the screen debut of Gregory Hines. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Albert Finney, Diane Venora, (more)





















