Edward Hibbert Movies

A haunted New York City detective must delve into his dark past in order to stop a serial killer whose highly artistic modus operandi seems uncannily similar to that of a madman who stalked the city streets five years prior. When reclusive detective Stan Aubray (Willem Dafoe) gunned down the man suspected of being the "Uncle Eddie" murderer, he thought his nightmare had come to an end. But now a new crop of victims has begun to turn up, each bearing the distinctive mark of the maniac whom everyone had presumed to be dead. Much like the unfortunate victims of "Uncle Eddie," the bodies in this latest batch have been carefully arranged in a manner that reflects the artistic style known as anamorphosis -- where hidden meanings can be revealed by viewing the crime scenes from different perspectives. Could this be the work of a copycat killer, or is it possible that Detective Aubray and his men killed the wrong man on that fateful day five years ago? All signs indicate that the latest killings were carried out with Detective Aubray specifically in mind, prompting him to reexamine the painful questions that he had struggled all these years to suppress. On one side, Detective Aubray faces the scrutiny of a bright young detective (Scott Speedman) who has his own unique ideas about the killings, and on the other, a disturbed young woman (Clea Duvall) who proves a dangerous link to Detective Aubray's mystery-shrouded past. Only by confronting the possibility that he fears most will Detective Aubray finally be able to overcome his own stifling sense of guilt and finally uncover the truth about the most gruesome crimes ever committed in New York City. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

It's hardly a holly-jolly Christmas for Christopher (David Sutcliffe), now more convinced than ever that Lorelai (Lauren Graham) married him only to get over her relationship with Luke (Scott Patterson). Thus, when Emily (Kelly Bishop) plans to have the couple repeat their vows at a lavish party, chances are that neither Lorelai nor Christopher will even show up. Elsewhere, Luke begins legal action to claim partial custody of daughter April, then has a public confrontation with Christopher which does a neat job of shattering the town's Yuletide cheer (to say nothing of the Town Square decorations!) And Lucy (Krysten Ritter) finally finds out about the "history" between Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Marty (Wayne Wilcox). This episode was directed by series regular Jackson Douglas (Jackson Melville). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ten years after The Lion King shot to the top at the box office and first introduced the characters of Simba (Matthew Broderick) and his pals Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Disney presented this retelling of the Academy Award-winning animated musical. Switching the perspective to that of meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, The Lion King 1 1/2 puts a new spin on the events of the original film. This time around, the comic duo are conveniently at the center of much of the story. Along with returning cast members Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin, The Simpsons' Julie Kavner and Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller lend their voices to newcomer characters Timon's Mom and Timon's Uncle Max, respectively. The straight-to-video film also features the never-before-heard song "That's All I Need." ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

The sophomore effort from writer and director Greg Pritikin, who previously co-directed and acted in 1998's Totally Confused, Dummy stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody (The Pianist, Summer of Sam) as Steven, a recently unemployed ne'er-do-well who has difficulty expressing himself. Steven's best friend is Fanny, an aspiring singer played by Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element, Resident Evil) who, along with Steven, is just looking for her niche. Eventually Fanny takes a shine to Yiddish music and Steven finds he has a knack for ventriloquism. Through his newfound talent, Steven discovers that he is able to overcome his social problems through his dummy and decides to try impressing and winning the heart of Lorena, played by Vera Farmiga (Autumn in New York, 15 Minutes). The winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Santa Barbara Film Festival, Dummy also stars Illeana Douglas and Jared Harris. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Saddled with a £50,000 which he has only four days to pay off before suffering grievous bodily harm, a petty London criminal attempts to carry out an ingenious art scam in director Richard Janes' spirited caper comedy. Nick Blake (Matthew Rhys) owes smooth-operating crime lord Foster Wright (Art Malik) a sizable dept, and if he doesn't cough up the cash in four days the situation promises to turn nasty. Desperate to find a means of raising the cash but unable to carry out the kind of heist that could get him out of his peculiar jam, Nick believes that he has found a solution to his problem when he discovers a lost sketch by revered Italian artist Antonio Fraccini. Nick's plan hits a hitch, however, when he discovers that the sketch is only worth £15,000. Now, with the clock ticking down and mere hours to go before Art sends his thugs out to collect, desperate Nick will enlist the aid of his cynical friend Eve and her talented artist brother Tony in forging the sketch and selling copies to five different Mayfair galleries in the short span of one hour. Should Tony and his partners in crime successfully execute their carefully planned ruse, the galleries won't even realize they've been swindled until it's too late. If the plan goes awry, on the other hand, Tony will be a wanted man on both sides of the law. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Just before he is to receive a lifetime achievement award, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) receives a congratulatory gift from his mentor, Prof. Tewksbury (René Auberjonois) along with an unsettling written note. Disturbed by the sentiments in the notes, Frasier is plunged into an intense, near-existentialist flurry of self-analysis, highlighted (or lowlighted!) by flashbacks from the past. Meanwhile, Martin (John Mahoney) tries to mollify Niles (David Hyde Pierce) who is envious of the attention being showered upon Frasier. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Niles (David Hyde Pierce) succeeds Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) as president of their wine club when Frasier finds himself swamped with work as resident wine expert on Gil Chesterton's (Edward Hibbert) gourmet talk show. Unfortunately, in the course of one broadcast, Frasier breaks the club's bylaws by imparting "delicate" information -- whereupon Niles retaliates by ordering the other club members to boycott Gil's program. As the feud escalates, Martin (John Mahoney) is having problems of his own keeping up with his health-nut lady friend. Jane Leeves was on maternity leave during filming of this episode, and does not appear. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

It has been quite a while since one of Frasier's old pals from the Cheers gang has paid a visit to Seattle. This episode makes up for lost time as Woody Harrelson returns in his old sitcom role as hayseed bartender-turned-politician Woody Boyd. Arriving in town to attend a wedding, Woody regales a delighted Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) with updates about his friends back in Boston (the news about Cliff is particularly intriguing). But once conversation flags, Frasier realizes that he and Woody just don't have all that much in common any more. And there's one more thing: Woody evidently hasn't the slightest intention of leaving. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Christmas Season is also a time of contemplation for Daphne (Jane Leeves). As she prepares for her marriage to Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), Daphne wonders if the time has come to clear the air concerning Niles' pent-up feelings for her. As for Niles (David Hyde Pierce), it may be a bleak holiday indeed when his current "significant other" Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) tumbles to a lie he has handed her. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tom McGowan makes his first series appearance as Kenny Daly, new manager of radio station KACL. It is bad enough that Kenny irreverently refers to radio shrink Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) as "Doc." But when Kenny insists that all his on-the-air talent perform live commercials for questionable products, it is too much. Outraged, Frasier rallies his co-workers to take a firm stand against the new station policies: After all, Kenny can't fire everyone, can he? Alas, inasmuch as this is the cliffhanger finale of Frasier's fifth season, it looks as if things may not turn out the way Frasier hopes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bill Campbell guest stars as Dr. Clint Webber, a new "call-in" radio personality hired by station KACL. Dr. Webber's slick, smooth delivery and flawless dispensation of advice pleases everyone at the station -- everyone, of course, but rival radio shrink Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer), who worries that the "perfect" Webber will end up as his permanent replacement. Elsewhere, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) must straighten things out when his dad Martin (John Mahoney) is ejected from a gourmet pet-food shop. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the first episode of a two-part story, the Frasier gang gears up for an elaborate Halloween costume party. Inasmuch as his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) has declared that the theme will be "literary" characters, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) dons the nose and assumes the mantle (and much of flowery speechifying) of Cyrano de Bergerac. Ultimately, the party becomes one of the "surprise" variety when Frasier's producer Roz (Peri Gilpin) -- she with an extremely active sex life -- makes a shocking announcement. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi