James Avery Movies

When a high-profile hip-hop star is denied membership into an exclusive country club in the Hamptons, he comes up with a cunning plan to subvert the questionable ruling in this comedy of manners starring OutKast's Antwan Andre Patton. By purchasing property directly adjacent to the 18th hole, popular rapper C-Note (Patton) is subsequently granted membership into the haughty club by default. As the curmudgeonly club members make it their mission in life to get him kicked out, the clever rapper infuses the stodgy old club with new life. Andy Milonakis, Jeffrey Jones, and Faizon Love co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a successful young attorney becomes involved in the deteriorating marriage of a longtime friend, the repercussions of his actions could spell disaster for all involved in this tense martial thriller from director Reggie Gaskins. Dontae McNeil loves his wife Diane deeply and strives to be the best husband he can, but Diane simply isn't happy in the marriage. Russell Jenkins is a powerful defense attorney with a beautiful wife and a sprawling home. An old friend of Diane's, Russell has everything she has ever wanted in life. When Diane comes seeking Russell's advice on how to handle her marital problems and the pair grows increasingly close, Dante soon begins to suspect that Diane and Russell may be having an affair. Upon confronting Diane, Dante's erratic behavior causes his frightened wife to seek a restraining order against her husband. Infuriated that the woman he loves so deeply could take such drastic measures, Dante becomes consumed by his anger. When Diane makes the fatal mistake of asking Russell to discuss the matter with the increasingly irrational Dante, the fury of being confronted by the very man he suspects his wife of sleeping with drives Dante over the edge of sanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The new owner of a dilapidated apartment building becomes the prime suspect in a series of brutal murders in this thriller starring Judd Nelson, Jennifer Carpenter, and Stacey Dash. Amanda Winters has just purchased the Grayson Arms, a crumbling apartment complex filled with rent-controlled tenants who all plan to remain precisely where they are. Unfortunately for all involved, Amanda has other plans for the property. Later, as the tenants begin to die in a series of gruesome accidents, Amanda is singled out as the prime suspect in the deaths. But Amanda isn't the only one with a reason to kill, because from the mysterious twins to the neurotic therapist who dwells in Grayson Arms, it seems that everyone has some kind of dark secret to protect. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Blood may be thicker than water, but it doesn't hold a candle to hairspray, as we learn in this urban comedy. Angela (Kellita Smith) is a successful hairdresser who operates her own salon based in Los Angeles. One day, Angela gets an unexpected visit from her sister Peaches (Mo'Nique), who runs a beauty shop of her own in Baltimore. The family reunion turns out to not be as happy as Angela may have hoped -- Peaches is trying to stay a step ahead of IRS agents who want to collect 50,000 dollars in back taxes, while also avoiding Marcella (Gina Torres), a fellow hair stylist who wants to take over Peaches' shop. Despite their differences, Angela and Peaches join forces in hopes of finding a way to get the bill paid and take Marcella out of the picture. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The producers of Napoleon Dynamite return with this comedy about four geeky friends determined to save their favorite local hangout by reinventing the game of pool. Having already achieved some level of notoriety for their first invention, four ambitious inventors form an exclusive club of MENSA wannabes knows as the "Think Tank." The hangout of choice for these big-brained innovators is Jon's Pool Hall, a modest local gaming facility that is likely to be put out of business when the monolithic "Palace of Pool" opens its doors. Perhaps if these brainstorming geniuses can finally perfect the game of "frictionless pool" there may be a glimmer of hope for Jon's Pool Hall after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Previously portrayed in films and on TV by the likes of Bonita Granville, Janet Julian, Pamela Sue Martin, and Tracy Ryan, author Carolyn Keene's intrepid, teenaged sleuth Nancy Drew is again brought to life in the person of Maggie Lawson. Now enrolled at River Heights University with her longtime friends and fellow "detectives" Bess (Jill Ritchie) and George (Lauren Birkell), the level-headed, no-nonsense Nancy hopes to achieve academic nirvana by being accepted to the prestigious Tri Pi fraternity. Things take a sinister turn when Tri Pi's reigning "queen" Allison Price (Sabine Singh) is accused of causing the drug overdose that has put her football-hero boyfriend in a coma. As usual, Nancy suspects that the case isn't quite as cut-and-dried as it seems, and with the assistance of her aforementioned girl friends -- not to mention her erstwhile beau Ned Nickerson (Nick Stabile) -- our heroine snoops around long enough to uncover a sinister campus-wide conspiracy. Adult authority is represented in the form of Nancy's long-suffering attorney dad Carson Drew (Brett Cullen) and her overbearing, condescending journalism teacher Professor Shifflin (James Avery). First broadcast as an episode of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney on December 15, 2002, Nancy Drew was rather blatantly designed as the pilot for a potential weekly series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This edition of the PBS television series explores New York City -- "the city that never sleeps" -- to sample its cultural and ethnic diversity. It features the bright lights of Broadway with actor Joel Grey and an inspirational gospel service in Harlem, as well as bird watching, rollerblading and bicycling in Central Park, and a jolting ride on the Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island. This travel video also shows the vast variety of ethnic cuisine available, from Little Italy to Chinatown. A quick-moving tour of New York City, this video whets the appetite for more.
~ Linda J. Shriver, All Movie Guide

Join host James Avery for a close-up look at one of America's most picturesque parks in the documentary Going Places: Yellowstone in Winter. Part of the PBS travel series, the film takes vacation planners and travel buffs on a winter journey--without the tourists--to Yellowstone, Wyoming. You'll see a winter wonderland of steaming geysers, snow-crusted trees, and icy waterfalls. Bison and elk forage the landscape, skiers and snowboarders traverse the Teton slopes, and dogsledders maneuver the slippery roads of Jackson Hole in this stunning 58-minute video. Special highlights include a segment on the history of Yellowstone Park and a trip to Bubba's Restaurant, a local favorite for ribs. A promotional pamphlet accompanies the video. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide

The diverse quilt known as the United States of America is explored in great detail with this trip to the New Mexico cities of Santa Fe and Taos. Santa Fe, one of North America's oldest cities, is rich with Indian culture, and dates back many hundreds of years. This travelogue mixes a few history lessons in with its panoramic view of these two fascinating cities. To help do this, it follows a Native American family's trip from Santa Fe to Taos in order to bring to light their unique ethnic perspective. Their journey includes a stop to collect sacred dirt -- which is believed to contain healing power -- as well as visits to Indian pueblos. ~ Dan Macintosh, All Movie Guide

Science must confront a power greater than our own in this unusual sci-fi-thriller. As seismic activities around the world begin going haywire, causing untold damages in major cities and claiming thousands of lives, the President of the United States orders Kasia Czaban, one of his top scientific advisers, and Mason Rand, a leading weapons expert, to investigate the phenomenon and see if it can be stopped. Kasia and Mason's investigation leads them to the Himalayas, where they discover a strange object of otherworldly origin that can generate its own power and water, spawn and support its own life forms, and either extend or extinguish human lives at will. What is this strange item? What is its role in the history of our universe? And can Mason and Kasia unlock its secrets without falling prey to its dangers? Epoch stars David Keith, Stephanie Niznik, Ryan O'Neal, and Shannon Lee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A millionaire's death leaves a dog and a pet psychic rolling in dough while the deceased's relatives are left to figure out how to get the money for themselves. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi thriller, Harper (Isabella Hoffman) is a reconnaissance agent from an alien civilization sent to Earth to study the planet and its inhabitants. Harper has taken over the body of a human being in order to not seem conspicuous, and has been performing tests to see if her mind control techniques will make it possible for her people to enslave the human race. But Harper has learned that most of the earthlings do not respond to her methods, and another three alien scouts -- Alpha, Bravo, and Charley -- are sent to see if the path can be cleared for a massive invasion of the planet three days hence. While Harper's new comrades show little concern or compassion for human beings, she has developed an understanding of humans during her six months on the planet and is no longer certain that taking over the planet is a good idea. The Advanced Guard also stars James Avery, Michael Weatherly, and Jeff Kober. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The Brady Bunch Movie pays tribute to the 1970s TV show while poking gentle fun at it. The Brady family, led by father Mike (Gary Cole), still live in their suburban, split-level home and are still throwbacks to the era that spawned them. Eternally perky wife Carol (Shelley Long) is the perfect homemaker, while the kids' behavior is as wholesome as their loud, time-warp pastel clothes. Meanwhile, the greedy, selfish modern era swirls dangerously around them, embodied in next-door neighbor and real estate agent Ditmeyer (Michael McKean), who wants to buy the Bradys' property and turn the neighborhood into a giant mall. But no amount of money or prodding can persuade the Bradys to give up their home. Director Betty Thomas contrasts the overlit sitcom look of the Brady house interiors (faithfully recreated from the series) with real locations and natural grit for the modern L.A. scenes. The result is a satire that deftly spoofs the idea of staying true to old-fashioned values without ever passing judgment on those values. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide