Alan Oppenheimer Movies

Academy Award-nominated for his groundbreaking animated short of the same name, filmmaker Shane Acker makes his feature directorial debut with this expanded version of his acclaimed post-apocalyptic fable. In a world parallel to our own, the worst has happened, and humanity is in danger of extinction. From the ashes of destruction emerges a courageous rag doll named 9 (voice of Elijah Wood) whose unique leadership skills could prove the key to survival for those who have not yet perished. Perhaps with a little help from his friends, who include domineering war veteran 1 (voice of Christopher Plummer), aging inventor 2 (voice of Martin Landau), stout mechanic 5 (voice of John C. Reilly), visionary artist 6 (voice of Crispin Glover), and fearless warrior 7 (voice of Jennifer Connelly), 9 will prove capable of salvaging what still remains of this world, and laying the groundwork for a hopeful future. Produced by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov (Wanted, Night Watch), and Jim Lemley (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), 9 takes viewers on a surrealistic journey into a world where anything is possible. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Having witnessed a hate crime committed by a gang of white supremacists against a black law student, baker Matt Colletti (a pre-The ShieldMichael Chilkis) is too frightened to come forward and tell the authorities. It is up to Monica and Tess--disguised respectively as an assistant baker and a visiting preacher--to convince Matt to do the right thing. It takes some doing, but Matt finally takes a stand and provides testimony against the thugs. Alas, when Matt claims to have recognized one of the student's assailants as Satan in disguise, no one (except the angels) believes him! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When the nefarious Lord Caliban and his wicked henchman start acting up again, its up to future cop Jack Deth and his intrepid Tunnel Rats to try to stop him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Kit Walker is the 21st Century Phantom, one of a long line of superheroes who have lived in the jungles and dutifully defended mankind's precious natural resources. After the cataclysmic Resource War, Kit moves to the urban jungles of Metropia, looking to thwart the baddies. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Trancers 4: Jack of Swords follows the time-traveling policeman Jack Deth into another dimension, where aliens called the Trancers are keeping the natives as food. Deth's mission is to save the population from the Trancers. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Jonathan Kaplan directs this drama which grafts a nostalgic mood piece with a race-to-the-finish road movie. Lurene Hallett (Michelle Pfeiffer) is an insulated middle-class wife living in Texas in the early 1960s who adores the Kennedys, particularly Jackie, whom she feels is a kindred soul. When she finds out the President and First Lady will be in Dallas on November 22, 1963, she races to the airport to greet the couple. Just missing them, she drives through the Dallas streets and notices a quiet chaos developing. When she finds out John Kennedy has been assassinated, Lureen is determined to get to Washington to be with Jackie for the funeral. When her redneck husband Ray (Brian Kerwin) refuses to give her the car, she gets on a bus, where she meets a black man named Johnson (Dennis Haysbert), with his five-year-old daughter Jonell (Stephanie McFadden). Lureen speaks continually about Kennedy and the rest of the black occupants of the bus roll their eyes. But after an accident with the bus, Lureen uncovers the fact that Mr. Johnson's real name is Cater, and he has kidnapped his daughter from an orphanage and is heading to Philadelphia. With the cops on their tail, the trio steals a car and race northward with the police in pursuit, Lureen hoping to make to Washington in time for Kennedy's funeral. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Ever the rebel, Murphy (Candice Bergen) is outraged by the "appearance clause" in her contract, allowing the network to dictate exactly how she should look on the air. In protest, Murphy makes her next "FYI" appearance with a new, hacked-to-the-bone hairstyle in place of her familiar flowing tresses. The result: Not only is Murphy angry, but so is the network--not to mention virtually every "FYI" fan in America. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After the sudden death of the network's Sunday night anchorman, both Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Jim (Charles Kimbrought) vie to fill in for the unfortunate man until a permanent replacement is chosen. The rivalry between the two coworkers spills over into their weekly "FYI" duties, resulting in a "Battle of the Divas" than no opera house could ever boast! While this may be funny to the viewer, it's anything but amusing to network executive Kinsella (Alan Oppenheimer), who may be forced to take drastic action. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In 1988, Nancy Klein, the pregnant wife of Long Island accountant Marty Klein, was involved in a car accident that left her comatose. Convinced that Nancy would never recover if she went to full term with the baby, Marty asked the doctors to perform an abortion. Almost immediately, Nancy Klein became a cause celebre for pro-life and pro-choice activists alike. Made for television, Absolute Strangers recreates this traumatic event and the drawn-out courtroom litigation that followed. Henry Winkler, who produced the film, returned to acting after a long absence to play Klein; others in the cast include Jennifer Hetrick as Nancy, Richard Kiley as Dr. R. J. Cannon, Karl Malden and Audra Lindley as Nancy's parents, and Patty Duke as a lower-court judge. Though it is clear that the filmmaker's sympathies are clearly on Marty Klein's side, the script remains even-handed throughout, observing that the pro-choicers can be just as narrow-minded and contentious as the "absolute strangers" who wish to usurp Marty Klein's rights concerning his wife's wellbeing. Written by playwright Robert Anderson (Tea and Sympathy, I Never Sang For My Father), Absolute Strangers premiered April 14, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This effective made-for-TV supernatural thriller (based on the novel Virgin by James Patterson) involves the travails of a Catholic priest (Anthony John Denison) who is ordered by his superiors to investigate the prospect of two separate virgin births -- one of which will bring the Son of God into the world, the other the Son of Satan. Unfortunately, there is no overt indication as to which child is which. Omen-style apocalyptic portents abound as the forces of Evil throw a variety of obstacles in Denison's path, even possessing the soul of the nun (Sela Ward) who is assisting him. Potent, gripping stuff -- and very intense for a TV movie -- this retains much of the metaphysical punch of its source material. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Wings Hauser appears as Wallace Evans, a policeman turned professor who use to teach the Manhattan College criminology course now helmed by Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). In the spirit of friendly rivalry, Evans challenges Jessica to find the person responsible for a series of recent campus muggings before he himself fingers the culprit. The stakes in this "race" are raised considerably when murder enters the picture. This time out, the suspect list ranges from a suspicious-looking busboy to Professor Evans himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although the network has given the okay to Murphy's unwed pregnancy and allows her to remain on "FYI", Miles (Grant Shaud) worries that Murphy (Candice Bergen) will soon be physically incapable of maintaining her usual exhausting pace. Her first big challenge is to secure an interview with President Bush, who agrees to talk with her only while he's jogging. Once she realizes that being on foot with the Prez is out of the question, Murphy tries to keep up with the Chief Executive on a bicycle--yet another in a long line of blunders! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

During an intense practical-joke war between Murphy (Candice Bergen) and Frank (Joe Regalbuto), Murphy puckishly hires a man to present himself to Frank, claiming to be "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame. It would have been amusing if the man hired was the genuine "Deep Throat", former FBI deputy chief Mark Felt, but his identity was still under wraps back in 1990. At any rate, Frank falls for the impostor hook, line and sinker--and as a result he all but destroys his journalistic career! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide