David Franklin Movies
- 2005
- R
- Add Conversations With Other Women to QueueAdd Conversations With Other Women to top of Queue
An encounter between two people with a shared past and conflicting futures is played out on a split-image screen in this offbeat drama. An unnamed man (Aaron Eckhart) and woman (Helena Bonham Carter) are enjoying drinks and cigarettes in a hotel room after attending a wedding reception. At first, the two seem to be playing a flirtatious game, as he cheerfully but confidently advances toward her, and she seems at once attracted and put off by his bravado. Their pas de deux is shot and edited in split screen, with his image appearing in one half of the divided frame and hers appearing in the other. As time wears on, the man and woman begin crossing their appointed boundaries, and in some sequences one half of the frame represents the present while the other shows us events in the past. We learn that the man and woman had a tempestuous affair when they were in their late teens, and both are now committed to other people -- she has a husband, while he has a steady girl. How will the experiences of their past affect their present, and are they willing to betray their lovers for an evening's pleasure? Conversations With Other Women was the first feature film from director Hans Canosa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helena Bonham Carter, Aaron Eckhart, (more)
- 2003
In the now-famous final episode of Farscape, a chance remark by John Crichton (Ben Browder) precipitates a full-scale Scarran invasion of Earth. The only hope for salvation is the utter destruction of the wormhole, a drastic action which John is not all that keen on undertaking. Meanwhile, the duplicitous Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) exploits John's uncertainties in order to forge yet one more unholy alliance. Will the Earth be rendered vulnerable and helpless? And what of the relationship between John and Aeryn (Claudia Black)? Yes, the well-publicized denouement is a shocker -- but remember, nothing is "final" in the wondrous world of TV series spin-offs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the second episode of a three-part story, John Crichton (Ben Browder) has managed to rescue Aeryn (Claudia Black) and is heading for Katratzi, the secret and hitherto elusive Scarran base. A message from "beyond" informs John that the duplicitous Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) is in full possession of the precious wormhole secrets. Now John must rescue Scorpius from his Scarran torturers -- or die in the process, the inevitable result of the nuclear bomb rigged to explode if John should meet with harm. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
In the conclusion of a three-part story, the Moya crew must improvise a new strategy a minute to escape from the Scarran base Katratzi. To keep the unreliable Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) from revealing the secrets of wormhole technology, John Crichton (Ben Browder) may have to cater to Scorpius' every whim -- and right now, that whim involves harvesting Scarran flora. As the episode progresses, the viewer is faced with two disturbing questions: Are the Moya crew members liberators or terrorists -- and will Crichton be forced to detonate his nuclear device? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The women of Moya head to a black-market trading post on a derelict Leviathan. Their purpose is to buy an appropriate disguise for Moya in anticipation of enemy attack. Instead, the ladies stumble onto a secret meeting between the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans. Treachery abounds at this conclave, resulting in a violent schism in the relationship between Aeryn (Claudia Black) and Crichton (Ben Browder). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
After creating an international sensation with the visually dazzling and intellectually challenging sci-fi blockbuster The Matrix, the Wachowski brothers returned with the first of two projected sequels that pick up where the first film left off. Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) have been summoned by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) to join him on a voyage to Zion, the last outpost of free human beings on Earth. Neo and Trinity's work together has been complicated by the fact the two are involved in a serious romantic relationship. Upon their arrival in Zion, Morpheus locks horns with rival Commander Lock (Harry J. Lennix) and encounters his old flame Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith). Meanwhile, Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) has returned with some surprises for Neo, most notably the ability to replicate himself as many times as he pleases. Neo makes his way to The Oracle (Gloria Foster), who informs him that if he wishes to save humankind, he must unlock "The Source," which means having to release The Key Maker (Randall Duk Kim) from the clutches of Merovingian (Lambert Wilson). While Merovingian refuses to cooperate, his wife, Persephone (Monica Bellucci), angry at her husband's dalliances with other women, offers to help, but only in exchange for a taste of Neo's affections. With The Keymaker in tow, Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are chased by Merovingian's henchmen: a pair of deadly albino twins (Neil Rayment and Adrian Rayment). Filmed primarily in Australia and California (the extended chase scene was shot on a stretch of highway build specifically for the production outside of San Francisco), The Matrix Reloaded was produced in tandem with the third film in the series, The Matrix Revolutions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, (more)
- 2002
While spacewalking, Crichton (Ben Browder) is sucked into a small wormhole, ending up on what seems to be a floating iceberg occupied by an oddly garbed old man (John Bach). It turns out that the stranger, whom Crichton joshingly nicknames "Einstein," is from a race known as the Ancients, who centuries before had discovered that the universe was connected by a sort of "wormhole highway" and had dedicated themselves to keep the millions of realms thus connected safe from harm. Crichton is told that his own accumulated wormhole knowledge has the potential to disrupt or destroy all the alternate realities in space -- and thus, Einstein has no choice but to execute him. Several former Farscape regulars make cameo appearances via highlights from earlier episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Browder, Claudia Black, (more)
- 2002
After journeying back to 1986 and saving his father, Jack (Kent McCord), from certain death, John lands on Earth, where he is reunited with his terrestrial sweetheart, Caroline (Erica Heynatz). The alien Moya crew members are also kept busy, meeting with the understandably nervous Dignitaries of Earth. Naturally, things do not continue to flow along smoothly, placing John in the unenviable position of rescuing his home planet (which he no longer regards as his true home) from destruction. Several plot strands are tragically knotted together around D.K. (Murray Bartlett), the crew's new-found friend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
After a hiatus of over five months, Farscape resumed its fourth and final season with a foray into the distant past. Rescued by D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and the Moya crew from his wormhole odyssey, John Crichton (Ben Browder) discovers that he has inadvertently upset the Timestream. As a result, Crichton and his cohorts end up on Earth in 1986, just before John's father, Jack (Kent McCord), is about to serve as commander on the ill-fated Challenger shuttle flight. With virtually no time to spare, John tries to save his father's life, an action that will prevent the entire Farscape project from slipping into limbo. Elsewhere, the Moya crew encounter that curious native custom known as Halloween, and also attempt to steer clear of a nosy interloper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
- PG
- Add The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course to QueueAdd The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course to top of Queue
Crikey! Following a brief cameo in Dr. Dolittle 2 (2001), hyperactive, high-energy cable television star and native Australian naturalist Steve Irwin parlays his success as a confronter of all things scaly, fanged, and venomous into this feature-film adventure. Irwin and his wife Terri Irwin play themselves as animal activists who rescue an endangered crocodile, not realizing that the critter has swallowed a downed top-secret satellite beacon that's the subject of an intense search by CIA personnel. Believing that the spies are poachers out to steal the animal's precious hide, the Irwins evade their pursuers while attempting to get the crocodile to safety in a remote area of the Outback, adopting an orphaned joey (a baby kangaroo), and grappling with bird-eating spiders and poisonous snakes along the way. In the meantime, the secret agents mistakenly believe the Irwins are enemy operatives trying to steal their highly valuable technology. The real-life Irwins donated all of their fees from The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course (2002) to wildlife conservation efforts. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Irwin, Terri Irwin, (more)
- 2001
Escaping from Hades, Julius Caesar (Karl Urban) waylays the Three Fates so that he may alter the Threads of Destiny. As a result, the events leading up to Caesar's death are radically altered, and apparently for the good. Xena (Lucy Lawless) is now Caesar's empress, and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) has become Rome's most successful playwright. Alas, the evil shamaness Alti (Claire Stansfield), now the high priestess of Rome, fouls things up with her usual lust for power and wealth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 2000
In this second episode of the three-part story "Look at the Princess," Crichton (Ben Browder) is still slated to wed Katralla (Felicity Price) of the Royal Planet. If he doesn't go through with the wedding, the consequences will be fatal for Moya and the crew -- and if he does, he faces the prospect of being transformed into a statue for the next 80 cycles. Meanwhile, Jena (Bianca Chiminello), fiancée of Katralla's brother Prince Klavor (Felix Williamson), reveals herself to be a PeaceKeeper assassin. "I Do, I Think" first aired on July 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Answering a distress call from a volatile asteroid field, Moya and her crew land on an unusually fertile world. Here they come across two residents with radically contradicting stories: M'Lee (Francesca Buller), who had sent the distress signal, claiming to have witnessed the massacre of her family, and botanist Br'nee (Marton Csokas), who insists that M'lee herself was responsible for the slaughter. Meanwhile, Aeryn bonds with Moya's "baby," an infant starship which may or may not align itself with the dreaded PeaceKeepers. "Bone to Be Wild" first aired on January 21, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A con man discovers there is something he can't sell -- namely, a sour-voiced singer he's trying to mold into a star -- in this bittersweet comedy about the outer fringes of show business. Joey Grasso (Salvatore Coco) is an almost pathologically confident man who has just been released from prison after doing time for selling a phony cure for cellulite. Joey lives with his current girlfriend, Bonita (Sacha Horler), who is confined to a wheelchair due to an auto accident, though her father is convinced Joey is only interested in her for the $1 million settlement Bonita is due to receive. One day, at a motivational seminar, Joey makes the acquaintance of Nikki (Nikki Bennett), the daughter of popular nightclub performer Marty Raye (Carter Edwards). Nikki confesses to Joey that she wants more than anything to make it big as a singer, and Joey signs on as her manager, fast-talking a reluctant Bonita into bankrolling Nikki's bid for stardom. However, Nikki isn't a terribly good singer, and is a bit unstable to boot; after an audition for record producer Phil Wehner (Jon English) ends in disaster, Joey discovers just how steep an uphill climb he has in selling Nikki to the public. Walk the Talk was the second feature written and directed by Shirley Barrett, whose debut, Love Serenade, earned her the Camera d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Salvatore Coco, Sacha Horler, (more)
- 2000
Season two of Farscape was launched with a recap of the unresolved situation which climaxed season one. Only four passengers have managed to stay on board the besieged living starship Moya, with the rest all lost somewhere in an asteroid field. The crew members are forced into an uneasy alliance with recently deposed PeaceKeeper captain Crais (Lani Tupu), who is now himself a fugitive from the relentless PKs. Meanwhile, the newly named infant starship Talyn prepares to nominate his own captain -- making what may be the worst possible choice under the present circumstances. "Mind the Baby" first aired on March 17, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Someone has murdered Queen Cleopatra (Josephine Davison), and it is up to Xena (Lucy Lawless) to find the killer. Thus it is that, when a rolled-up carpet is delivered to Marc Antony (Jon Bennett), out pops Xena, alluringly disguised as the Queen of Egypt. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) must tangle with Antony's mortal enemy Brutus (David Franklin) -- who knows only too well that the real Cleopatra is dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Recalling Peter Weir's Last Wave (1997), Manuela Alberti directs this thriller about Monsignor Tommaso (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), who dreams that an Australian aborigine is trying to tell him something. When he learns that his daughter is missing and that the part of the country in which she lives is terrorized by a serial killer, Tommaso hops on the first plane. He soon encounters Willie (David Ngoombujarra), the aborigine of his dreams. The duo search the outback looking for the missing girl before running into city-born aborigine cop Sutherland (John Moore). ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fabrizio Bentivoglio, David Ngoombujarra, (more)
- 1999
Callisto (Hudson Leick), the mortal enemy of warrior princess Xena (Lucy Lawless), has come back from Hades with a lot of mischief in mind. Callisto's plan involves placing the duplicitous Caesar (Karl Urban) on the emperor's throne and corrupting Xena. Not everything goes according to plan, but the dire predictions made by evil shamaness Atra in an earlier episode come to pass as the Roman legions prepare to crucify Xena and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor). Originally intending as the final episode of Xena: Warrior Princess' fourth season, "The Ides of March" ended up as next-to-last. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
When Ephiny (Danielle Cormack) is killed by Brutus (David Franklin), Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is crowned the Queen of the Amazons. Meanwhile, Xena (Lucy Lawless) tussles with both Brutus' comrade in arms, Caesar (Karl Urban), and their mutual enemy, Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). And a rebellious teenaged Amazon named Amarice (Jennifer Sky, in her first series appearance) attaches herself to the nonplussed Gabrielle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Season five of Xena: Warrior Princess begins on a bleak note, inasmuch as both the titular Xena (Lucy Lawless) and her traveling companion, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), had been crucified by the Romans at the end of season four -- thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the evil shamaness Alti. As Xena and Gabrielle's friends Joxer (Ted Raimi), Amarice (Jennifer Sky), and Eli (Timothy Omundson) mournfully set about the task of recovering their bodies, a full-scale war rages between Heaven and Hell to claim the ladies' souls. And thanks to the perfidy of Xena's old enemy Callisto (Hudson Leick), the spirit of Gabrielle is veering dangerously toward the Demonic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
Alec and his lover Pete find themselves thrust into the role of fatherhood when Alec's 15-year-old estranged daughter Violet suddenly shows up at their door. She has come to get to know Alec and to escape her shrewish mother's endless stream of deadbeat boyfriends. Pete answers the door and Violet mistakes him for Alec. For Pete, the situation is made more awkward because he didn't know about her. Still, they allow her to stay and much of this drama centers on the trio's struggle to form a family. Their endeavors become complicated when Violet develops a crush on Wayne, a friend of Pete and Alec. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rebecca Smart, Graham Harvey, (more)
- 1992
When a family's boat is capsized by a school of whales, they are left adrift in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean in this true survival story. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this odd-ball rock & roll narrative from Australia, busy Mickey, a sound engineer for a futuristic heavy metal band, dreams of singing his own tender love songs someday. It looks as if his dreams just may come true when he encounters the enigmatic devil's-advocate Damien Shard who has invented the Psychotronic Alpha Sampler, a machine that scrambles brainwaves and basically makes dreams reality. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1988
- PG
After his mother's death, Fred P. Cheney (Bob Goldthwaith) must share the family financial business with his scheming stepfather Walter Sawyer (Dabney Coleman) in this misfired comedy. Fred also inherits Don, a talking horse who provides him with hot tips on the stock market. Don's voice is provided by John Candy, and Virginia Madsen plays Fred's romantic interest Allison Rowe. Mr. Ed and Francis the Talking Mule must be rolling over in their graves over this uneven comedy attempt. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobcat Goldthwait, Dabney Coleman, (more)
- 1987
- R
When her bike breaks down on a cross-country motorcycling holiday, lawyer Asta Cadell (Deborra-Lee Furness) stops off in a small Australian town to find a mechanic. Once there, she discovers that the women in the town are being raped and terrorized by a group of local thugs. While the townsfolk turn a blind eye on the boys' misbehavior, Asta vows to help young rape victim Lizzie Curtis (Simone Buchanan) seek justice. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Deborra-Lee Furness, Tony Barry, (more)
