James Wilder Movies

The brain-child of director and executive producer Straw Weisman, Man of the Year is billed as a reality/surveillance/improv/drama. In fact, the film was shot in one night, with no script and a cast of about 20 being followed around by an equal number of cameras. The story centers on Bill, a successful oil company executive played by John Ritter. At a party in honor of Bill, the audience is introduced to a number of people in Bill's life, including his wife, Carol (Heidi Mark); his bookie, Mickey (Dan Ponce); and his mistress, Vanessa (Khrystyne Haje). As the evening progresses, the mood of the party goes from festive to angry as all of the secrets in Bill's life become exposed, and his life begins to crumble around him. Suddenly, a gunshot is heard, someone is dead, and no one knows who the killer is. Completely improvised based on a loose story outline and a set of predetermined motivations for each character, Man of the Year premiered at the 2002 Method Film Festival in Pasadena, CA. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

A would-be movie mogul has to decide just how low he's willing to sink to get his next picture made in this black comedy about life in Hollywood. Jake Seiling (John Savage) is a filmmaker who wants to adapt a recent novel by author Arthur Kranson (William Atherton) for the screen, convinced it has major box-office potential. However, the book in question has already been optioned by veteran filmmaker Sy (Orson Bean). When Sy dies unexpectedly, Jake is convinced that his chance has arrived, and he's able to persuade a French producer (René Auberjonois) to put up seed money for the project. It doesn't take long, though, for Jake to go through the producer's initial stake, and as he struggles to raise more money to put the film before the cameras, Jake's business partner Arnie (James Wilder) comes up with what he's certain is the perfect plan -- burn down Jake's house, and use the insurance money to finance the movie. Based on the play High Tension in the Tropics by Michael Cole Dinelli, Burning Down the House was shot in 1998, but went unreleased until 2004. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This four-hour miniseries is a sequel to 1997's top-rated miniseries, The Last Don,based on the novel by Mario Puzo of The Godfather fame, but several critics noted that The Last Don II is unintentionally funny. After Don Clericuzio (Danny Aiello, the pivotal figure in the first series) dies from old age, Clericuzio's enemies come out of the woodwork with bullets and bombs. Clericuzio's nephew Cross De Lena (Jason Gedrick) is peacefully enjoying life in Paris with his attractive wife and his autistic stepdaughter; when the wife has a mail bomb go off in her face, it marks the unleashing of a new wave of violence. Rose Marie Clericuzio (Kirstie Alley), who still bemoans the killing of her son (during the first series), encounters romantic problems with Father Luca Tonarini (Jason Isaacs). With teacher and nanny Josie Cirolia (Patsy Kensit) caring for Cross' autistic stepdaughter, it's not long before the widower and the nanny take an interest in each other. But when will he figure out that she's an FBI agent? Cross's sister is Hollywood studio exec Claudia (Michelle Rene Thomas); she's married to muscular, Austrian-accented actor Dirk (Andrew Jackson), star of an action movie titled The Fumigator. Premiered May 3, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Anne Scripps (Roxanne Hart) is the divorced mother of two teenage girls and the heir to the Scripps family fortune. Daughters Alex (Holly Marie Combs) and younger sister Annie (Sarah Chalke) are very close to their mother. When their mom becomes involved with Scott Douglas (James Wilder) the sisters question the relationship between their refined, elegant and educated mother to the surly blue-collar worker nine years her junior. After the couple marries, younger sister Victoria is born. Now having a heir to the family fortune, Scott becomes outwardly hostile towards the girls and abusive towards his wife. Alex does everything she can to help her mother, who is in denial over her abusive treatment. Anne talks to a therapist in an effort to save the troubled marriage. Annie and Alex contact the police when their mother's dead body is found in a running car on the Tapping Zee Bridge, the victim of a crushed skull. The search immediately goes out for the main suspect, her husband Scott. This made-for-TV movie debuted on July 16, 1997 on the USA Network. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Sydney Carpenter (Vanessa Marcil) has just learned that her husband is a low-down crook. Not long afterward, both Sydney's husband and her son are lost at sea. Though she grieves for her son, there is clearly an air of relief about Sydney whenever she discusses her hubby. Even so, when evidence surfaces that the deaths have been faked and that at least one of the two "victims" may still be alive, Sydney engages the services of a police detective, Jim Sanders (James Wilder), to uncover the truth--this despite the fact that the FBI has ordered Sanders and his department to steer clear of the case. To Love, Honor and Deceive first aired December 15, 1996 on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this quirky drama a trio involved in a self-contained world revolving around a remote tollbooth in the Florida Keys. Jack, an aspiring policeman, works in the tollbooth. There he dreams of his new career and of starting a new life in Miami with his high school sweetie Doris. She works at the Gator Gas fuel depot down the road. She daydreams about her estranged father Leon and takes care of her mother Lillian who suffers from chronic depression. When not caring for her mom, Doris sees Dash, a bait salesman. Leon suddenly returns. A new toll collector, Vic, comes to the booth. He is a suspicious character and soon the state police are carefully watching him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A radio talk-show host's voice appears to lead listeners to commit suicide in this 1993 mystery thriller from director Matthew Patrick. Jennifer Beals (Flashdance) stars as Julia a woman who notices the deaths and suspects they're somehow tied to the radio program. She soon fears that if her intuitions are accurate, her husbnd might be the next to succumb. James Wilder and Justin Louis also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Scorchers is set way down in steamy Louisiana, deep in bayou country where the women get hot and hotter--or not hot at all. This movie delves into the sex lives of three ladies: one is an unfulfilled prostitute, one can't get her husband's attentions (he'd rather be with the whore), and one's a newlywed who can't get over her fear of having sex with her new fella. ~ All Movie Guide

Two men fall in love with a radio psychologist during her Christmas break with friends. ~ All Movie Guide

In this horror film, young Andrea (Virginia Madsen) discovers that the students at her new boarding school seem to be a little unusual. However, when she discovers that they are being preyed upon by a group of administrators in search of eternal youth, she must struggle to avoid meeting the same fate. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide