Beau Starr Movies
Daryl Hannah, Campbell Scott, and Gil Bellows star in an end-of-days sci-fi thriller about a rogue archeologist who stumbles onto a terrifying alien conspiracy. Lloyd Walker scours the globe in search of answers to mankind's greatest mysterious, and what he's about to discover with forever change the fate of the human race. A series of strange events have been occurring all over San Francisco, and the only one who can make sense of these seemingly unrelated incidents is the archeologist with a bad reputation. Deep within the doomed Pericles space mission, in the enigmatic Room 86, dwells a secret that will illuminate a diabolical plan. A race of alien insects is preparing to enslave all of mankind, and the only one with the power to stop their nefarious mission of the man known as the "keeper of dead civilizations." But will Walker be able to act in time, or is it already too late for the citizens of the third rock from the sun? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daryl Hannah, Gil Bellows, (more)
Dario Argento's contribution to the first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror, Jenifer is based on a story by Bruce Jones which appeared in Creepy Magazine and illustrated by the legendary Berni Wrightson. Steven Weber, who wrote the script, also stars in the episode as Frank, a depressive cop who has a life-changing encounter one fateful afternoon. He comes upon a man (Kevin Crofton) brandishing a meat cleaver, who looks like he is about to murder a young woman. When Frank draws his gun and orders the man to stop, the man refuses. "You don't know what she is," he tells Frank, pleadingly. "You have no idea." Frank is forced to shoot the man to save the young woman (Carrie Fleming), who turns out to be hideously deformed from the neck up. She also can't speak, but appears very grateful to Frank. Frank goes home to his wife, Ruby (Brenda James), and his son, Pete (Harris Allan), but he can't get the deformed woman off his mind. The next morning, he finds out that the dead man's family won't claim him, and that he had a note that read "Jenifer" in his pocket. He finds out the woman was brought to the mental hospital at Watkins Island. He goes to visit her, and when she sees him, she races out of the shower to tearfully embrace him. Unable to leave her in such a place, he brings her home. Ruby is horrified, and Pete is inappropriately amused. "She's awesome," he exults. "She's got a great rack...for a Morlock." Threatened, Jenifer bites Ruby and runs out of the house. Still, Frank cannot get past his obsession with her, and things only get worse when she eats the family cat. But Frank strangely finds himself willing to sacrifice everything to protect the strange girl. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Weber, Carrie Anne Fleming, (more)
A reporter unexpectedly gets a personal perspective on a legendary show-business story in this adaptation of Rupert Holmes' novel, scripted and directed by noted Canadian independent filmmaker Atom Egoyan. In the mid-'50s, Lanny Morris (Kevin Bacon) and Vince Collins (Colin Firth) were a wildly popular comedy team who suddenly and unexpectedly broke up at the peak of their popularity. Fifteen years after Morris and Collins called it quits, journalist Karen O'Connor (Alison Lohman), who has earned a reputation for her celebrity exposés, wants to write about the true story of what happened with Morris and Collins -- and to her surprise, her publisher tells her Collins has agreed to co-author the book for a cool million dollars. The only catch is that Collins has to tell the full truth about a very large skeleton in the team's closet -- a beautiful naked woman was found drowned in the bathtub of Morris and Collins' hotel suite shortly before they broke up the act, and while the comics were cleared of any wrongdoing, rumors about the incident followed them for years. As O'Connor and Collins complete their book, they learn to their surprise that Morris has opted to write a book of his own about the team's career; eager to learn what Morris has to say, O'Connor meets him posing as a schoolteacher, and soon falls into an unexpected romantic relationship with him. O'Connor soon finds herself playing two sides against one another as she tried to learn the truth about two men with dark and scandalous pasts. Where the Truth Lies became the subject of unexpected controversy when the MPAA gave the film an NC-17 rating due to a brief scene involving a ménage à trois; the film earned significantly more lenient rating in other countries. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Bacon, Colin Firth, (more)
- 2002
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The first of the PAX Network's several TV-movie adaptations of the novels of Mary Higgins Clark, Pretend You Don't See Her begins when real estate agent Lacey Farrell (Emma Samms) witnesses a murder. Not long afterward, Lacey is placed in the Federal Witness Protection program, along with her spunky young niece Bonnie (Kim Poirier). Danger rears its ugly head when professional hit man Curtis Caldwell Blake (Hannes Jaenicke) gloms onto Lacey's new identity. Will detective Ed Sloan (Beau Starr) be able to rescue her in time, or is it up to Lacey to extricate herself from this perilous dilemma? Former police officer Sonny Grosso of The French Connection fame functioned as the film's co-executive producer and research consultant. A British/German/Canadian co-production, the Toronto-filmed Pretend You Don't See Her made its American TV bow on January 12, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emma Samms
- 2001
A young, clue-free Italian finds and eludes trouble on numerous occasions as he journeys to and through America in director Paolo Virzi's 2001 comedy My Name Is Tanino. Naïve optimist Tanino (Corrado Fortuna) gets romantically involved with an American tourist named Sally (Rachel McAdams), who happens to visit his hometown one fateful summer. After Sally's vacation ends, Tanino decides to follow her to the U.S. -- not realizing that Sally's interest in him ended when her vacation ended. Upon arriving in America, Tanino learns the truth about Sally -- while being mistaken by Sally's father for his wife's lover. Beating a hasty retreat, Tanino takes refuge with an Italian-American family he encountered on his trip to the U.S., only to just as quickly find himself affianced to a corrupt politician's daughter. Forced to escape once more, Tanino heads to New York City, which prompts the young man to follow his dream of meeting film director Chinawsky (Don Franks) and maybe study with him if the reclusive filmmaker will allow it. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Corrado Fortuna, Rachel McAdams, (more)
Rob Morrow stars as investigating journalist Jonathan Neumann in this drama about police corruption in 1970s Philadelphia. When Neumann takes over the court beat for the Philadelphia Examiner, he quickly discovers wrongdoing at every turn, with cops beating suspects into often blatantly false confessions. As Neumann pieces together his story, he finds himself increasingly threatened by a posse of "goon squad" cops who tap his phone, break into his apartment, and even resort to physical assault. The Thin Blue Lie was originally screened on Showtime on August 13, 2000. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Morrow, Randy Quaid, (more)
Damian Harris directs this sleazy erotic thriller about lipstick lesbians, naked corpses, and S&M covens, starring Julian Sands. Catherine Palmer (Ellen Barkin) is a hard-driving homicide cop who drinks like a fish and curses like a sailor, investigating a series of murders which leave the (inevitably female) victims bound, naked, and eyelid-less. Tall drink of water Vickie Kittrie (Peta Wilson), who was last seen with the latest victim, eventually admits involvement with a tribalistic S&M society. Palmer dutifully accompanies Kittrie on one such outing, featuring pouting models in designer corsets and lots of heavy breathing. When the serious girl-on-girl action kicks off though, Palmer makes a beeline for the door, only to be seduced by Kittrie against her kitchen sink (a la Fatal Attraction). Meanwhile, lead suspect psychologist Dr. Boussard (Sands) continues to snivel and cross-dress as the bodies start piling up. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, (more)
- 2000
Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) is the world's greatest detective, and like any genius, he has his share of idiosyncrasies -- he loves orchids with an unnatural passion, he weighs a seventh of a ton, and--oh yeah--he never leaves his New York brownstone. Instead, he is aided by an army of foot soldiers headed by Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton). The film opens when Pete, a young windshield washer, is begged by a woman to call the police. She is then ushered into a car and whisked away. Thinking that she has been kidnapped, Pete gives Nero the scoop in exchange for half the reward money. When Pete later turns up dead, Nero kicks his investigation into high gear. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, (more)
- 2000
Robert Mantegna stars as tough Boston private eye Spencer in this made-for-cable adaptation of the Robert B. Parker novel Thin Air. It all begins when Lila St. Claire (Yancy Butler, the new bride of police detective Frank Belson (David Ferry), is kidnapped by Latino ganglord Luis DeLeon (Jon Seda). As a personal favor to Belson, Spencer agrees to burrow into the barrio in hopes of rescuing Lila. In so doing, Spencer is made privy to more unsavory aspects of Beantown's Latino subculture--and also learns more than he cares to know about Lila's clouded past. Thin Air was originally telecast by the A&E network on September 12, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Marcia Gay Harden, (more)
Based on the "Oprah Book Club" selection by Anna Quindlen, Black and Blue stars Mary Stuart Masterson as New York City housewife Fran Benedetto. Outwardly living an ideal existence, Fran harbors a painful secret: She is regularly abused, both verbally and physically, by her husband Bobby (Anthony LaPaglia). But why does not Fran go to the police? The answer is tragically simple: Bobby is a cop himself. Ultimately, Fran goes into hiding in Florida -- whereupon Bobby grimly applies the skills gleaned from years of detective work to track his hapless spouse down. Benefiting from believable characterizations and logical plot twists, the made-for-TV Black and Blue originally aired November 14, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mary Stuart Masterson, Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
A woman who enjoys playing the field begins to ponder the relative merits of long-term commitment in this witty look at love, sex, and relationships. Stella James (Sean Young) lives in New York and wants two things out of life: a career as a gourmet chef and a satisfying relationship with a man. Stella shares a flat with her wealthy friend Teo (Dylan Walsh), but while they're close, their relationship is more platonic than romantic -- thanks in part to Stella's willingness to take up with any man that strikes her fancy -- and neither Stella nor Teo is entirely happy. In hopes of prodding her into doing something with herself, Teo gives Stella a gift -- an airline ticket to Los Angeles. In California, Stella finds a job in an upscale restaurant and soon begins making her way through a new batch of men; while she still enjoys picking and choosing from the many romantic prospects who cross her path, Stella finds herself becoming emotionally involved with George (John Heard), the owner of the dining room where she works. But is she willing to settle into the same sort of consistency in her love life that she's enjoying in her professional life? The supporting cast includes Karen Black, who also contributed to the screenplay; Mark Mothersbaugh composed the original score. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The white-run Mafia and the black-run numbers game meet head on with explosive impact in this period crime thriller. Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson (Laurence Fishburne) is an African-American ex-con who, after a stay in prison, returns to Harlem at the height of its renaissance before World War II. Looking for work, Bumpy becomes a lieutenant for Stephanie St. Clair (Cicely Tyson), the queen of Harlem's numbers racket. Bumpy's old friend Illinois Gordon (Chi McBride) gently expresses his concern about Bumpy's life of crime, and social worker Francine Hughes (Vanessa L. Williams), who is attracted to Bumpy (and vice versa), suggests he should be doing something more positive with his life. But Bumpy contends that the numbers game is the only business in the community that blacks are able to control themselves. The numbers game is very profitable -- enough so that mob boss "Lucky" Luciano (Andy Garcia) wants in on the action. He assigns one of his key men, "Dutch" Schultz (Tim Roth), to try to strike a deal with Stephanie, but negotiation isn't Dutch's strong suit -- he finds that murder is a far more effective tactic in taking control of a business, and Dutch is not the sort of person who's bothered by violence. Hoodlum was director Bill Duke's second film set in the milieu of the Gangster days of the 1920s and 1930s, after his breakthrough picture A Rage in Harlem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Tim Roth, (more)
- 1997
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When the world of high fashion collides with that of the Mafia, the results can be murder. This mystery-thriller follows the struggles of a devoted father to save his daughter after he discovers that a local crime lord has ordered the assassination of his wife. Unfortunately for the daughter, things are not as clear-cut as they seem. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Connie Sellecca, Beau Starr, (more)
- 1996
Despite Ray's best efforts, killer Charles Carver (Colm Feore) is paroled for good behavior. Although the authorities believe that the soft-spoken, intellectual Carver has mended his ways, Ray (David Marciano) is convinced that the parolee intends to knock off everyone responsible for his arrest--and Carver confirms this by tauntingly leaving clues for Ray to uncover. As if this wasn't bad enough, Carver manages to persuade the public that he was wrongly imprisoned in the first place--and that Ray had framed him on a phony charge. Originally broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on May 3, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1996
When Simone (Jimmy Smits) and Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) reopen a old case in which a man may have wrongly been sent to prison, the detective who originally worked the case isn't too happy. Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) runs against Gotelli (Carmine Caridi) in the union-delegate election. Simone probes further into the murder committed in the building he inherited, and again contends with the resentment of Henry Coffield (Willie Garson). And it looks like Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) has a slight edge over Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) in the "battle of the bulge." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Denzel Washington stars in this adaptation of the novel by African-American crime author Walter Mosley, the first of his stories to reach the screen. Ezekiel Rawlins (Washington), known to his friends as "Easy," has just lost his job at an aircraft plant in post-WW II Los Angeles, a time when good-paying jobs for black men are hard to come by. He's wondering how to make his mortgage payment when he's approached by De Witt Albright (Tom Sizemore), who describes his job as "doing favors for friends." It seems that a woman named Daphne Monet (Jennifer Beals) has gone missing; Daphne is the former girlfriend of wealthy mayoral candidate Todd Carter (Terry Kinney) and a known habitué of the black jazz clubs and night spots on L.A.'s Central Avenue. Albright offers Easy $100 to help him find Daphne, and while he doesn't have any detective experience, the price is right, so Easy agrees. After a passionate affair with a friend of Daphne's, Coretta James (Lisa Nicole Carson), leads to that woman's murder, Easy enlists the help of his friend Mouse (Don Cheadle), who seems to know just a bit too well how to use a gun, which gives Easy all too clear a look at the lower depths of L.A.'s upper crust. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, (more)
- 1995
While pursuing a gang of diamond thieves and kidnappers, Fraser (Paul Gross) is thrown from a van and rendered unconscious. When he awakens, he realizes that his memory has been erased. As Fraser laboriously picks through his past (courtesy of filmclips from previous Due South episodes), hopes to rescue the crooks' hostage grow dimmer and dimmer. Filmed as the final episode of Due South's second season, this episode was slated to premiere over the American CBS network on May 31, 1996, but was yanked at the last minute. As a result, the episode debuted September 19, 1996 on Canadian television--and was not seen in the US until it was picked up by the TNT cable service on November 4, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1995
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Fraser's (Paul Gross) former lover Victoria (Melina Kanakeredes reveals her true colors when she kills her former partner Jolly (Denis Forest) and frames Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) on a charge of passing stolen money. But is it truly her scheme to destroy Fraser, or does she have something entirely different in mind. A shocking denoument may spell the end of Fraser and Ray's careers--not to mention their friendship. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on June 2, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1995
A valuable collection of masks from the aboriginal Tsimshian tribe has been stolen from the Museum of National History. Hoping to prevent an international crisis between the museum and the French owners of the collection, Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) inaugurate a search for the thief. They are assisted by Fraser's old friend, Tsimshian tribal leader Eric (Rodney A. Grant)--who may know more about the heist, and the crook's identity, than he is letting on. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on January 19, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
A beautiful but reserved criminal psychiatrist must deal with the obsessive stalking of a dangerous killer in this erotically charged thriller. The film's central tension emerges from the relationship between Dr. Sarah Taylor (Rebecca DeMornay), a highly professional psychologist, and a handsome stranger, Tony Ramirez (Antonio Banderas). After randomly encountering Tony in a supermarket, the normally aloof Sarah lets her guard down and embarks on a passionate sexual affair with the Latino charmer. Soon afterward, however, Sarah receives a series of disturbing threats from an unknown stalker. Her suspicions immediately fall on Tony, as she realizes how little she knows about her new lover. Her fear throws a shadow over their relationship, and her doubts increase as she learns more about Tony's dangerous past. Director Peter J. Hall maintains a fast pace and attempts to keep audiences guessing, introducing additional suspects from an imprisoned serial killer (Harry Dean Stanton) to the next-door neighbor (Dennis Miller). The characters rarely transcend standard thriller types, and the uneven screenplay does not have a satisfying ending, but the chemistry between DeMornay and Banderas may keep their fans interested along the way. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca De Mornay, Antonio Banderas, (more)
- 1995
A teenage girl named Andy (Amy Stewart) filches a brooch belonging to Fraser's boss Thatcher (Camilla Scott). Even worse, the young pickpocket has also made off with an electronic appointment book belonging to a murdered madam, containing information that could destroy the career of a prominent senator. Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) attempt to retrieve the book (and of course the brooch), all the while protecting the fugitive Andy and her partner-brother Sid (Shawn Mathieson) from the senator's murderous minions. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on January 12, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1995
Outraged by the actions of his new landlord John Taylor (Karl Pruner), Fraser (Paul Gross) organizes a tenants' protest--and succeeds only in getting practically everyone evicted. Refusing to give up the fight, Fraser takes his case all the way to the Chicago city council, whereupon Taylor takes violent revenge upon the remaining tenants. Fraser's climactic filibuster is reminiscent of the 1939 film classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which may explain why this episode's alternate title is "Thank You Kindly, Mr. Capra." Katayoun Amini, real-life wife of series regular David Marciano (Ray), is here cast as Ray's ex-wife Angela. First broadcast on Canadian television, "One Good Man" made its US debut on February 9, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
- 1995
Due South regular Daniel Kash exits the series in spectacular fashion when his character, Chicago detective Louis Gardino, is killed by a bomb intended for Ray (David Marciano). His grief exacerbated by a thirst for vengeance, Ray goes after the man whom he thinks is responsible for Gardino's death: Mafia boss Frank Zuko (Jim Bracchita), who grew up in Ray's neighborhood. Complicating matters is the growing romantic relationship between Ray and Zuko's sister Irene (Carrie-Ann Moss)--a relationship that leads inexorably to another tragedy. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on February 2, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
