Category Archives: Made for TV Movie

Murder, She Wrote S2 E13: Trial by Error (1986)

Posted on by

It’s a bad day for the jurors when Jessica is the foreperson of the jury hearing the case of a man claiming self-defense in the death of an enraged husband.

Season 2, Episode 13: Trial by Error (January 12, 1986)

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote…

JB is the foreperson of a jury trying Mark Lee Reynolds for the murder of Cliff Anderson. The case revolves around claims of self-defense, as Reynolds says that he killed Anderson in a moment of rage after being attacked. However, Jessica suspects that the truth is more complicated.

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Prosecutor Tom Casselli is David Ackroyd (The Dark Secret of Harvest Home, Exo-Man).

Suspect Mark Lee Reynolds is Tony Bill, who is also a director.

Victim Cliff Anderson is played by Michael Swan.

Defense Attorney Oscar Ramsey is Macdonald Carey from The Damned and Dr. Tom Horton on Days of Our Lives.

Defense Attorney Max Flynn is Jon Cypher. He was Man-at-Arms in Masters of the Universe.

Virginia Capers plays Margo Webster.

Doran Clark from The Warriors is Becky Anderson.

Gene Evens plays Otto Fry.

Josh Corben is Tom Ewell from The Seven Year Itch.

Lee Callahan is Gary Frank from Family.

Arlene Golonka from Hang ‘Em High plays Sally Conover

Wow! Alan Hale Jr., the Skipper, is in this as Fenton Harris.

Sally Conover is played by Lenore Kasdorf, Rico’s mom in Starship Troopers.

Vicki Lawrence, better known as Mama, plays Jackie MacKay.

Allan Miller plays Frank Lord.

Thornton Bentley is Brock Peters.

Richard Sanders from WKRP In Cincinnati plays Gerald Richards.

Gregory Walcott (Plan 9 from Outer Space) is Willie Patchecki.

Norman Burton is Drew Narramore.

James Hampton is Jerry Blevins.

Walter Mathews is Judge Philo Walker.

John Detweiler is played by John Davis Chandler, Bleak from Adventures In Babysitting.

Warren J. Kemmerling from The Dark plays Dr. Maurice Webster.

In minor roles, Robert Caspar plays Arnold Jasper, Javier Grajeda is a paramedic, Liane Lander portrays Stephanie Reynolds, R.J. Adams is Victor Assmussen, and trial spectators include Robert Buckingham, Larry Carr, Paul LeClair, Mark Rodney, Walter Smith, Steve Wagner, and Judith Woodbury. At the same time, Lemuel Perry is a deputy sheriff.

What happens?

Jessica is starring in her own 12 Angry Men as she’s the foreperson for a trial where Mark Lee Reynolds kills Cliff Anderson with a poker after being caught in bed with the man’s wife, Stephanie. Everybody, it seems, wants to declare the case closed, but you know how Jessica is. She wonders why Mark came to be in the bed of Stephanie Anderson moments after his wife was nearly killed in a car accident.

Everyone just wants to vote, and Jessica says, “Don’t you think that we should examine the evidence first?”

Oh Jessica.

Between the jury fighting and flashbacks of what happened, this episode peels back the layers and reveals who did what to whom. And of course, we know JB will solve it.

Who did it?

Mr. Reynolds faked a car accident to kill his wife so he could keep her money and still be with Mrs. Anderson, his lover. But when Mr. Anderson found out, he came home and wanted to kill both of them. Mrs. Anderson is the one who killed him. Double murder!

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Seymour Robbie and written by Paul Savage and Scott Shephard.

Does Jessica get some?

No. She’s sequestered. Too bad, she and The Skipper are a dream match.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

Nope. Come on!

Was it any good?

Yes, it’s a very different type of episode.

Any trivia?

Nearly everyone in this episode would be back for multiple appearances as different characters.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Mark Lee Reynolds: How can I thank you for your verdict?

Jessica Fletcher: There’s no need. The satisfaction is knowing that the right thing has been done.

Mark Lee Reynolds: Nevertheless, I just want you to know I’ll never forget you.

Jessica Fletcher: Oh, yes. I’m pretty sure you will.

What’s next?

Poisoned strawberry preserves served at the Joshua Peabody Inn result in murder!

USA UP ALL NIGHT: Casualties of Love: The “Long Island Lolita” Story (1993)

Posted on by

EDITOR’S NOTE: Casualties of Love was on USA Up All Night on February 13, 1993; November 25 and December 3, 1994.

Of the three Amy Fisher movies, NBC’s Amy Fisher: My Story, ABC’s The Amy Fisher Story with Drew Barrymore, and this film, which aired on CBS on January 3, 1993 — the same night as ABC’s film — this is the only one featuring Lawrence Tierney.

Alyssa Milano is Amy, which is probably why this was on USA Up All Night so often.

Director and writer John Herzfeld also made numerous TV movies, including Daddy, A Father’s Revenge, The Ryan White Story, The Preppie Murder, and Remember, which features Donna Mills. He also produced several ABC Afterschool Specials, 2 Days in the Valley, Don King: Only in America, and the John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John film Two of a Kind.

This one has a lot of Joey Buttafuoco (Jack Scalia), coked out and playing drums. And his brother is played by Bud, Leo Rossi! Man, did I cast this movie?

This one tells Joey’s side of the stor,y and the USA Network bought it while it was being filmed. Milano said,  “Our version was the one from Joey Buttafuoco’s point of view: That she was a lunatic. Since then, we’ve learned that his version wasn’t all true.”

You can watch this on Tubi.

Perversions of Science E10: The People’s Choice (1997)

Posted on by

Directed by Russell Mulcahy and written by Scott Nimerfro, this is the last episode of Perversions of Science. Todd and Betty Sorensen (Patrick Cassidy and Maxine Bahns) get caught between warring groups of nanny robots that resemble elderly women. When one of their robots is damaged every night, a robot repairman suggests that they buy a new one: a red, white, and blue patriot by the name of Liberty 1 (Roger W. Morrissey). It’s filled with beehive hairdos and a future that feels like the 1950s. Barry Williams and Richard Riele are in it, too.

This takes its title from “The People’s Choice” from Weird Science #16, which was written by William Gaines and Al Feldstein and drawn by Joe Orlando. Please read the original comic, which is so much better than this lazy episode. In the comic book, a version of Kukla, Fran and Ollie runs for President and ends up being an alien who takes over the planet. It’s the best kind of EC story: dumb while smart, commenting on politics and the media while ending with the horrific image of a cute alligator controlling a woman through her arm.

You can download all of the episodes here or watch this episode on YouTube.

Murder, She Wrote S2 E12: Murder by Appointment Only (1986)

Posted on by

A former student of Jessica’s becomes involved in a love triangle that ends in murder.

Season 2, Episode 12: Murder by Appointment Only (January 5, 1986)

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote…

Everyone Jessica knows gets killed. You know how it goes. This time, a former student finds love, drama and death. Does Grady show up? No! Not Grady!

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury?

Lila Lee Amberson is Jayne Meadows, Billy Crystal’s mom in City Slickers. She’s the older sister of Audrey Meadows.

Fiona Keeler is Christine Belford, who was in Christine.

Norman Amberson? Robert Culp! Am I going to make the joke about his dick again? Yes.

Roger Adiano is played by Robert Desiderio.

Elizabeth Gordon is Ann Dusenberry from Jaws 2.

Herb Edelman — Stan Zbornak — is Lieutenant Varick!

Grady Fletcher is in this. Yes, he’s played by Michael Horton again.

Leigh McCloskey from Inferno! He’s Todd Amberson.

Millie Perkins — yes, Anne Frank — is Glenda Vandevere. She was also in The Witch Who Came from the Sea.

In minor roles, Robert Stoneman is a photographer, Fred Ponzlov is Mr. Hillsdale, Catherine Battistone and Cathy McAuley are actresses, and Sam Nickens plays a guest.

What happens?

While in New York City, Jessica runs into an old student, Elizabeth Gordon, who has become the fiancée of Lila Lee cosmetics tycoon Norman Amberson. As good as her life sounds, she reveals that it is pretty rough. So when she shows up dead — even students of Jessica aren’t safe from her death energy, which is like Dim Mak, the punch of death — JB promises to get justice.

At one point, Lila Lee even shows up and thinks that Cabbot Cove is Cabbage Cove, so you can understand why Jessica feels weird about her.

Jessica’s student was a sex worker before she hooked up with the rich guy. But let’s not shame. Elizabeth’s portrait is painted with lipstick after her death, a lipstick whose color — Tangerine Twist — has been taken out of the catalogue. Somehow, though, Elizabeth was literally a hooker with a heart of gold and gave most of the money she made to charity.

But what if she starts seeing an old client? Will all the rumors of her being a gold digger cause her death? I mean, we’re watching Murder, She Wrote.

Who did it?

Norman, who was jealous and worried about his wife’s past.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman and written by TV vet Jerry Ross.

Does Jessica get some?

No. Come on!

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

She does, dressing up like she’s a make-up saleswoman for Lila Lee!

Was it any good?

Yeah.

Any trivia?

Herb Edleman would come back as Lieutenant Artie Gelber.

Christine Belford appeared in four episodes as different characters. When she was a kid, she lived at the Amityville Horror house from ages 11-16. Then, her parents sold it to the DeFoes.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Lila Lee Amberson: Mrs. Fletcher! You should have told me you weren’t a Lila Lee lady. I just assumed you were one of us because you ARE absolutely perfect. My dear, it gives me great pleasure to offer you the entire Lila Lee franchise for all of Cabbage Cove.

What’s next?

It’s a bad day for the jury when Jessica is the foreperson hearing the case of a man claiming self-defense in the death of an enraged husband.

Sizzlin’ Summer of Side-Splitters 2025: Meet the Raisins! (1988)

Posted on by

Sept 15-21 Mockumentary Week: “Ladies and gentlemen, by way of introduction, this is a film about trickery – and fraud. About lies. Tell it by the fireside, in a marketplace, or in a movie. Almost any story is almost certainly some kind of lie. But not this time. No, this is a promise. During the next hour, everything you hear from us is really *true* and based on solid facts.”

If you had asked me the names of the California Raisins before this, I couldn’t tell you. Now I know they are singer A.C. Arborman, drummer Beebop Arborman, guitarist and pianist Red Raisin and bassist Stamford “Stretch” Thompson. From their rise as the Vine-Yls to their fall and rise back, this will tell you their tale.

Did you know their version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” hit #84 on Billboard? Or that the album from this has them cover songs like “Green Onions” and “Tears On My Pillow?” Or that Will Vinton made the sequel, The California Raisins Sell Out, which has them trying other genres of music?

This is directed by Barry Bruce and features a writing crew that would go on to do much more afterward. Mark Gustafson would co-direct Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, while Craig Bartlett would create Hey, Arnold!

Raisins weren’t doing well before this. This concept was created by advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board. Copywriter Seth Werner said, “We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine.'” It worked and surprised everyone.

The sad real story is that ad agencies are scummy. I know this. I once owned one. Herschell Gordon Lewis ran one.

The California Raisin Advisory Board ended when members of the grape farming industry learned that Foote, Cone & Belding was continually raising the price of producing these commercials, with all the profits going back to the agency as well. In fact, the ads cost double what the farmer made.

The Raisins trademarks and copyrights became the property of the state of California, and in somewhat of a happy ending, they were licensed to the new California Raisin Marketing Board. After mergers, Foote, Cone & Belding is now Draft FCB, one of the largest agencies worldwide.

You can watch this on YouTube.

Perversions of Science E9: Ultimate Weapon (1997)

Posted on by

A shapeshifting alien from outer space assumes a human form (Paolo Seganti,  Sotto il vestito niente – L’ultima sfila) in order to mate with Lou Ann Solomon (Heather Langenkamp), a housewife who has enough to put up with. She has an ill-tempered husband, Matt (Mitchell Whitfield), drunk girlfriends Selena and Tess (Kim Myers and Maria Chin) and a visit from her parents (Jennifer Darling and Steve Kahan).

Of course, Langenkamp was Nancy and Kim Myers was Lisa in the Nightmare On Elm Street movies.

This is the only directing credit for Dean Lopata, who is primarily a producer and the story editor on Bones. The story was written by Gilbert Adler and Jeannette Lewis. This is her only script, and most of her career was in minor roles on TV shows.

“The Ultimate Weapon” in Incredible Science Fiction #32 is where the title comes from. The comic was written by Jack Oleck and drawn by Bernie Krigstein and Roy Krenkel.

You can download all of the episodes here or watch this episode on YouTube.

USA UP ALL NIGHT: Buried Alive (1990)

Posted on by

EDITOR’S NOTE: Angel Heart was on USA Up All Night on November 7, 1992 and December, 1994.

Before he became known for his adaptations of The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and The Mist, as well as his work on The Walking Dead TV show, Frank Darabont wrote the screenplays to Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors and the remake of The Blob. This film was the first he’d ever get the chance to direct.

Originally airing May 9, 1990, on the USA Network, this movie was produced under the title Till Death Do Us Part. It’s a very EC Comics-ish story of Clint Goodman (Tim Matheson, Animal House), a contractor who is very much in love with his wife, Joanna (perennial crush Jennifer Jason Leigh, the daughter of Vic Morrow, who took the name Jason in her stage name as a tribute to family friend Jason Robards). Joanna, however, wants out of Clint’s small hometown, where he’s content to live simply and fish with his best friend Sheriff Sam Eberly (Hoyt Axton, Gremlins).

So she does what any of us would do. She shacks up with CortlanVanan Owen, a doctor who has plenty of tropical fish that he’s able to extract poison from. He’s also the guy who keeps performing abortions for her so that she never has to get stuck with Clint’s child. He’s played by William Atherton, who is the go-to guy when you’re making a movie in the 1980s and need someone to be a complete asshole.

Needless to say, the bad guys are comically evil in this one, and Clint is the nicest guy ever, until he awakens in his own grave and has to claw his way back. From then on, this becomes a revenge picture and a pretty decent one at that.

This is one of those films that has been long out of print and commands high prices on eBay. You can always turn to the gray market and find bootleg copies of it, as well as the sequel. It’s one of Becca’s favorite movies, and we watch it pretty often in our house.

Murder, She Wrote S2 E11: Murder Digs Deep (1985)

Posted on by

An archaeological dig, potentially the site of Coronado’s City of Gold, does not please everyone as a new corpse is discovered.

Season 2, Episode 11: Murder Digs Deep (December 29, 1985)

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote…

What if Jessica Fletcher went on an Indiana Jones-style adventure?

Who’s in it, outside of Angela Lansbury, and were they in any exploitation movies?

Karen Parks is played by Cecile Callan. Most of her career was on TV.

Dr. Aubrey Benton is George Grizzard, a TV movie regular.

Dr. Stan Garfield is David Groh, Rhoda‘s husband Joe. At one point, this guy was on the highest-rated show almost ever.

Raymond Two Crows is Randolph Mantooth from Emergency!

Steve Gamble? That’s Stephen Shortridge, who was on Welcome Back, Kotter.

Man! The Armstrongs, Gideon and Cynthia? Connie Stevens and Robert Vaughn! There’s the starpower!

William Windom is Dr. Seth, as always.

Minor roles are played by Robert Dryer, Jake from Savage Streets, as a guard and Curtis Credel (the Worth Keeter movie Hot Heir) as a Native American.

What happens?

Jessica and Dr. Seth are on a platonic date all the way in New Mexico, digging with the Armstrongs. Joining them are grad students Karen Parkes and Steve Gamble, Dr. Garfrield, who is looking for treasure, Dr. Bento, who is also looking for gold and Native American expert Raymond Twocrows. At night, a Native American dancer keeps trying to scare them away.

The next night, Cynthia gets drunk and shoots at the dancer. He falls down, and it ends up being Raymond, who didn’t die from a gunshot. Yes, this show is a Giallo. Jessica soon shows Seth that Raymond only fell three feet, so that couldn’t be what killed him. It was drowning. In the desert.

The Armstrongs don’t allow anyone to use the radio or go to town to get the police. Jessica decides to look through the caves and scares Seth for the second time this episode, finding a cassette player with tribal chants on it. Someone is trying to scare people off while also leaving relics all around to try to get some more money for the land.

Who did it?

Cynthia, trying to take money off her husband through murder.

Who made it?

This episode was directed by Phillip Leacock and written by Mary Ann Kasica and Michael Scheff.

Does Jessica get some?

I think in this episode, she was testing Dr. Seth to see if he could be a hero and a rough lover. He failed.

Does Jessica dress up and act stupid?

She gets to wear desert dig clothes.

Was it any good?

Sure, it’s alright.

Any trivia?

I love that Raymond ends up being a fake Native American, one of the few examples of evil whitewashing I’ve seen.

Watch when Cynthia shoots at the Native American dancer. Her husband calls her her real name, Connie, not Cynthia.

It’s illegal to dig for relics on Native American reservations.

Give me a reasonable quote:

Jessica Fletcher: Is the weather always like this?

Dr. Seth Hazlitt: Nope. It starts to get hot in a couple of hours.

What’s next?

A former student of Jessica’s becomes involved in a love triangle that ends in murder. Robert Culp is in it, but doesn’t show his dick.

Sizzlin’ Summer of Side-Splitters 2025: The Last Polka (1985)

Posted on by

Sept 15-21 Mockumentary Week: “Ladies and gentlemen, by way of introduction, this is a film about trickery – and fraud. About lies. Tell it by the fireside, in a marketplace, or in a movie. Almost any story is almost certainly some kind of lie. But not this time. No, this is a promise. During the next hour, everything you hear from us is really *true* and based on solid facts.”

Yosh (John Candy) and Stan (Eugene Levy) Shmenge came all the way from Leutonia to become the biggest polka band of all time, a career that lasted forever until they retired, which is what this movie is about. It’s also, as the title will tell you, The Last Waltz. Plus, you get the Michael Jackson tribute concert that ruined their career, Linsk Minyk (Rick Moranis) playing a series of road songs and an appearance by The Lemon Twins (Robin Duke, Catherine O’Hara and her sister Mary Margaret O’Hara).

Directed by John Blanchard (Really Weird Tales), this story of the Happy Wanderers first aired on HBO. You get to see so many of the shows that the brothers did, like Strikes, Spares and Shmenges, a bowling show, and the Polka Variety Hour. Plus, hear their most famous song, “Cabbage Rolls and Coffee.”

Nearly everything the SCTV cast did was right on, almost every time. This is perfect —a mockumentary that could convince some that this was a real band.

You can watch this on YouTube.

Perversions of Science E8: Snap Ending (1997)

Posted on by

On a mission to investigate an uncharted planet, a spaceship captain (Jennifer Hetrick) and her mixed gender crew, Bryan (Wil Wheaton), Taylor (Sean Astin, who directed) and Paula (Kathleen Wilhoite) struggle with anxiety when an extraterrestrial virus puts the ship in lockdown. Then, the self-destruct sequence starts.

This episode was written by Kevin Rock, who was the writer of the Roger Corman Fantastic Four.

This takes its title from “Snap Ending!” from Weird Science #18. That short — “A gag story about space explorers who land on a giant alien child’s balloon and pop it, much to the consternation of the child.” — was written by Al Feldstein and William Gaines and drawn by Al Williamson. This episode is not close to that story.

You can download all of the episodes here or watch this episode on YouTube.