Dana Davis Movies
A frequent small-screen presence during the mid- to late 2000s -- in a variety of blockbuster prime-time programs -- Iowa-born actress Dana Davis built her reputation as a sturdy and reliable guest actor in such series outings as Boston Public, Gilmore Girls, and Veronica Mars. She scored a regular role on fall 2006's much-hyped dramatic series The Nine, playing Felicia Jones, but the show failed to sustain viewers and didn't last a full season. Nonetheless, Davis bounced back the next season with a coveted part on the hit sci-fi drama series Heroes, playing a character named Monica. In late 2007, Davis signed on to appear in the remake of the slasher movie classic Prom Night (to be released the following year), directed by Nelson McCormick. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
One of the most notorious slasher films of the 1980s returns to terrorize filmgoers with this blood-soaked remake that proves just how horrifying high school dances can truly be. Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) has survived a terrible tragedy, but now the time has come to leave the past behind and celebrate her senior prom in style. When the big night finally arrives, Donna and her best friends prepare to enjoy their last big high-school blowout by living it up and partying till dawn. But while Donna is willing to look past her nightmares and into a brighter future, the man she thought she had escaped forever has returned for one last dance. An obsessed killer is on the loose, and he'll slay anyone who attempts to prevent him from reaching his one and only Donna. Who will survive to see graduation day, and what will Donna do when she's forced to confront her greatest fear? Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, and Dana Davis co-star in the slasher remake that will have tuxedo-clad teens everywhere nervously looking over their shoulders as they file out onto the dance floor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, (more)
In Season 2 of the superhero saga, the nascent heroes learn more about their similarly superpowered families and ancestors. Indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere) and her family are forced to go into hiding in California in order to escape the clutches of the Company, an organization that tracks and captures superheroes. While her father, Noah (Jack Coleman), a former employee of the Company, insists she not do anything to attract attention, Claire finds herself attracted to a fellow student (Nicholas D'Agosto) with a superpowered secret of his own. After barely managing to avert a nuclear explosion in Season 1's finale, Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) is presumed dead by his grieving family, only to awaken in Ireland with no idea who he is or how he got there. Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) accidentally time travels to 17th-century feudal Japan, where he encounters his childhood hero, the legendary swordsman Takezo Kensei. But Hiro's joy is short-lived: He discovers that not only is Kensei a white foreigner (David Anders) living in Japan, but he's also a drunken coward who needs Hiro's help in order to achieve his destiny. Hiro eventually returns to the present and learns his father (George Takei) has been killed, the first in a series of murders of superheroes who had been active a generation ago. As the murders continue, it becomes clear that this killing spree is an act of revenge connected to a deadly virus that could spell disaster for humanity. In addition to this threat, the heroes must also deal with the return of superpowered serial killer Sylar (Zachary Quinto) and the arrival of a new villain (Kristen Bell), a mentally unstable agent of the Company with the ability to control lightning and electricity. ~ Jack Rodgers, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Masi Oka, Milo Ventimiglia, (more)
- 2006
Arguably the most talked-about serialized drama of the 2006-2007 TV season, The Nine made its ABC debut on October 4, 2006 with a bank robbery perpetrated by a pair of low-life siblings on LA's Fidelity Republic Bank. The robbery and the ensuing hostage standoff would last 52 minutes, and two people would die; the series focused on the aftermath, and the profound and disturbing changes in the lives of nine of the people in the bank. The huge ensemble cast included Timothy Daly as Nick Cavanaugh, a cop with a gambling problem; Chi McBride as Malcolm Jones, the seemingly kindly, level-headed bank manager; Kim Raver as ambitious Assistant DA Kathryn Hale; Scott Wolf as Jeremy Kates, arrogant young surgeon; Jessica Collins as Jeremy's girlfriend Lizzie Miller, a hospital social worker; John Billingsley as Egan Foote, a suicidal office drone who unexpectedly turns hero during the standoff; Lourdes Benedicto as Eva Rios, a single-mom bank teller who is linked to Nick Cavanaugh; Camille Guaty as Eva's party-girl sister Franny, who got Eva her job at the bank; Dane Davis as Felicity Jones, daughter of the bank manager, whose sheltered existence was irrevocably shattered by the robbery; and Owain Davis as Lucas Dalton, one of the two thieves. Each episode began with a 10-minute flashback to the robbery, exposing hitherto unrevealed facts about what actually went down during those 52 minutes, and dropping hints as to the interrelationships between the characters before the incident. These flashbacks sometimes answered such nagging questions as "Why does Nick Cavanaugh punch out one of the hostage negotiators?", "Why has Kathryn Hale's hair been cut so short?", and "Why are several of the former hostages making regular prison visits to Lucas Dalton?"; generally, however, more questions were raised than answered. The Nine was cocreated by executive producer Hank Steinberg (Without a Trace and his sister K.J. Steinberg. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
The day after the big wedding fracas, Lorelai (Lauren Graham) desperately searches for Luke (Scott Patterson), hoping to make things up with him -- but he isn't buying, at least not just yet. Meanwhile, the troublesome Taylor (Michael Winters) has divided the town into two camps, one pro-Lorelai, one pro-Luke. And back at Yale, Rory (Alexis Bledel) seeks out Logan (Matt Czuchry) in hopes of giving their budding relationship a boost; unfortunately, Rory may be unable to maintain a proper poker face during Logan's card game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Fresh from her first community service stint, Rory (Alexis Bledel) is "hired" by her grandmother Emily (Kelly Bishop) to work for the local DAR chapter. Logan (Matt Czuchry) returns from Europe, prompting Rory to reconsider her vow to drop out of Yale. Lane (Keiko Agena) likewise comes back to town, hot off her band's successful tour. Luke (Scott Patterson) is driven to near insanity while Lorelai's house is renovated. And Sookie (Melissa McCarthy) frets over the fact that Luke and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) have not yet set a wedding date (she wants to cater the occasion, of course). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The true-life story of a coach who tries to teach his players that there's more to life than basketball is brought to the screen in this sports drama. Ken Carter (Samuel L. Jackson) was once a star player on the Richmond High School basketball team in Richmond, CA, and years later, after establishing himself in publishing and marketing, he returns to the school and to the team as the new basketball coach. Carter quickly sees that his work is cut out for him -- the team is having an awful season, and their fights off the court are more decisive than their play on the court. While Carter wants to make the Richmond cagers into a winning team, he also wants a lot more -- to teach the boys to respect themselves and one another, and that they must excel in the classroom as well as in the gymnasium. Under Carter's guidance, the team turns their losing season around, with the state title a genuine possibility. However, when Carter learns that a number of his players have let their grade point averages slip below 2.3, as mandated in a contract he entered into with the students, he decides to lock the team out of the gym and send them into study hall until their marks improve. Carter's plan quickly becomes a subject of controversy among parents and team boosters, and their objections are soon picked up by the local news media, many of whom are not sympathetic to Carter's belief that his players must have goals beyond college ball or the NBA. Coach Carter also features Rob Brown and Rick Gonzalez as members of the team, and R&B diva Ashanti in her film debut as the girlfriend of one of Carter's players. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Ri'chard, (more)
A teenage girl learns that reaching for your dreams isn't always easy in this heartfelt drama with music. Terri Fletcher (Hilary Duff) is a small-town girl with a great love of music and a fine singing voice. Already one of the lead vocalists in her church choir, Terri has also appeared at local nightspots with some help from her older brother. When he tragically dies in an auto accident, Terri becomes all the more determined to make the most of her talent, and she's elated when she's accepted as part of a summer study program at one of California's most prestigious music schools; however, Terri attends over the stern objections of her father. As she tries to hold together her relationship with her family, she finds herself falling for one of her fellow students, Jay (Oliver James), and competing for attention against dozens of kids whose talent rivals her own. Raise Your Voice also features Jason Ritter, Rebecca De Mornay, Rita Wilson, David Keith, and John Corbett. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hilary Duff, Oliver James, (more)
