John Ross Bowie Movies

Tim Allen returns as a regular guy-turned-Jolly Old Elf in the second sequel to the 1994 hit The Santa Clause. Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), who doubles as Santa Claus, has settled into his home at the North Pole with his new wife, Carol (Elizabeth Mitchell), and is preparing for another Christmas when he receives a visitor -- Jack Frost (Martin Short), the cold-weather sprite who has been sent to help out St. Nick by Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler) and Father Time (Peter Boyle) after making a scene at a meeting of the Council of Legendary Figures. However, while Jack is supposed to acting as an assistant to Santa, he has a habit of making things go haywire, and as it happens this is no mistake -- Jack is hoping that an exasperated Santa will quit his position so Jack can take over and finally have a holiday he can bend to his will. Meanwhile, Scott has invited Carol's parents, Bud (Alan Arkin) and Sylvia (Ann-Margaret), over for a long-promised visit, but since he needs to keep his other identity a secret, he and his elves are forced to go to great lengths to convince them that they're actually in Northern Canada. Wendy Crewson, Judge Reinhold, and Spencer Breslin also reprise their roles from the first two Santa Clause films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A former high-school track star who has taken to staving off reality with the all-too-occasional cocktail must summon the strength to save his marriage and pull back from the abyss when his friends and family stage an intervention that goes horribly awry. Michael Elgin (Eion Bailey) may have been a master of the track back in high school, but now he's hit his thirties and his once-perfect form has devolved into a depressing drunken stumble. Life after high school just wasn't what he expected, and when his wife (Ellen Pompeo) threatens to walk out while his career hangs by a thread Michael simply drinks away the pain. Michael isn't alone in life though, and when he crashes his best friend's car and emerges miraculously unscathed the people who care for him most plan an emergency intervention. When Michael arrives home one day to find his friends and family waiting for him it appears as if the jig is up, but the psychiatrist who was supposed to lead the intervention proves a no-show and crafty Michael skillfully convinces his guests to stay and party. Some things just aren't a laughing matter though, and as tensions flare and bottled-up secrets spill Michael finally begins to realize just how dire his situation has truly become. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Part narrative, part documentary, and part animation, What the #$*! Do We Know?! was filmed with the intent of expressing the neurological processes and so called "quantum uncertainty" of life. With the help of a directorial triumvirate consisting of Betsy Chasse, William Arntz, and Mark Vicente, Marlee Matlin stars as Amanda, whose uninspired daily routine is abruptly altered into a chaotic, Alice in Wonderland-style reality, complete with quirky characters and wildly different perspectives on life. As Amanda falls deeper into the experience, she's forced to drastically reconsider her perceptions of interpersonal relationships, men, and the fundamental principles of life. What the #$*! Do We Know?! is supplemented by a host of mystics and scientists, who are interviewed intermittently throughout the film for their wisdom and knowledge concerning religion, science, the thin line between them, and the consequences of blurring that line. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide