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Two kids with nothing in common are brought together in a very unexpected way in this comedy. Nell (Samaire Armstrong) is a pretty but hopelessly geeky teenage girl who loves Shakespeare and wants little more than to study literature at Yale when she graduates from high school in a few months Woody (Kevin Zegers), who lives next door, is the quarterback on the school's football team, and seems like a sure bet to land a lucrative football scholarship despite the fact he isn't especially bright. Nell and Woody are not at all friendly and normally have nothing to say to one another, but one day during a class field trip to a historical museum, the two fall under the spell of an Incan icon and when they awake the next morning, Woody's mind is in Nell's body, and vice versa. Neither is comfortable with their sudden gender switch or having to assume the other's personalities, but they quickly realize that until they can find a way to reverse the spell, they have to work together if Nell is to go to Yale and Woody is to get his scholarship and move away from this loutish parents (Sharon Osborne and Maury Chaykin. Elton John was an executive producer on It's A Boy Girl Thing, and songs from his back catalog appear on the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Zegers, Samaire Armstrong, (more)
Although the made-for-cable drama Widow on the Hill was based on a true story, the film bears a strong resemblance to the 1947 Joan Crawford theatrical feature Possessed. Natasha Henstridge stars as Linda Dupree, an ambitious hospice nurse who marries Hank Cavanaugh (James Brolin), the very wealthy widower of one of Linda's former patients. Hank enrages his grown daughters by quickly installing Linda in the family's luxurious Virginia mansion, and even more so when he gives his new wife the most precious possessions of his former spouse. Not long afterward, Hank himself falls seriously ill and dies, leaving Linda one of the richest women in Virginia -- and also arousing suspicions that she not only knocked off Hank, but his first wife as well! More questions than answers are offered in this heavy-breathing melodrama, which made its Lifetime network debut on January 24, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Natasha Henstridge, James Brolin, (more)
Produced for the Lifetime channel, the made-for-cable Murder in the Hamptons uses the titular 2001 murder, that of multimillionaire investment banker Ted Ammon (David Sutcliffe), as the starting point for a lengthy flashback beginning in 1995. It was during that year that Ammon met and married Generosa Rand (Poppy Montgomery), a talented and temperamental artist. As Ammon's fortune grew, so did the couple's conspicuous consumption, as manifested in a huge, castle-like estate in Long Island; the family itself also expanded, with Ted and Generosa adopting two children. Unfortunately, with each passing year, this "ideal" marriage became less so, with Generosa exhibiting some mighty peculiar behavior, her neuroses and insecurities causing her to fly off the handle at the least provocation. During the inevitable divorce proceedings, Generosa demands that Ted relinquish both the mansion and their children -- and she also launches into an affair with electrician Danny Pelosi (Shawn Christian), who has a criminal record. When Ted is found murdered, suspicion immediately falls upon Danny, though no tangible evidence is available. Ultimately, Generosa marries Danny -- only to leave him as well when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Evidently undergoing numerous epiphanies in her final months, Generosa begins to let go of the many things she held dear during and after her marriage -- but if she knows anything about Ted's death, it is a secret she will carry to the grave. How justice is ultimately served figures into the climax of Murder in the Hamptons, which first aired on July 11, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Poppy Montgomery, David Sutcliffe, (more)
This action-packed remake of the John Carpenter classic tells the tale of an under-manned Detroit police precinct on its last day of operation that finds itself under siege by a ruthless force that will not stop. This time, a notorious cop-killer and mobster Marion Bishop (Laurence Fishbourne) is unexpectedly brought into the precinct during a blizzard on New Year's Eve, much to the dismay of police sergeant Jake Roenick (Ethan Hawke). By nightfall, the remaining cops and prisoners find themselves fighting for their lives against a group of rogue cops intent on taking down Bishop before he testifies against them in the courtroom. Now it's up to the officers, secretaries, and inmates on the inside to band together just to survive this one night. Also starring Gabriel Byrne, John Leguizamo, Drea de Matteo, and Brian Dennehy. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
One of the only survivors of a man-made plague joins forces with a team of private warriors in a bid to save what's left of the Earth in this sequel to Resident Evil, the big-screen adaptation of the popular video game. Picking up where the first film left off, Resident Evil: Apocalypse finds Alice (Milla Jovovich) still battling the living dead who are overtaking Raccoon City, inoculated with an anti-virus by the nefarious and all-powerful Umbrella Corporation (in addition to the virus itself). Alice encounters Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory), a former member of Umbrella's internal defense team. Forming an alliance with mercenary-for-hire Carlos Olivera (Oded Fehr) and his cohorts, this tiny band of survivors seeks out Dr. Charles Ashford (Jared Harris), Umbrella's top scientist and one of the only men with the know-how to find a solution to the zombie menace; however, they discover that Ashford's cooperation comes with a price -- the scientist's daughter Angie (Sophie Vavasseur) is missing, and he'll help Alice and her partners only if Angie is returned to him safe and sound. Resident Evil: Apocalypse was the first solo directorial credit for Alexander Witt, who previously distinguished himself as a cinematographer and second-unit director. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, (more)
A priest caught in the middle of a deadly murder investigation must risk his life to prove the innocence of a fellow clergyman in a tense, religious-themed thriller directed by Lewin Webb and starring Christian Slater. Daniel Clemens (Slater) is a fallen priest who has lost his faith. Now a loyal but troubled public-relations representative for the Catholic Church, Clemens is disturbed to learn that a man he knows does not possess capacity for murder has been accused of a crime beyond comprehension. Despite direct orders from the church to cease his investigation, Clemens enlists the aid of a dedicated reporter (Molly Parker) and a truth-seeking church lawyer (Stephen Rea) in uncovering a scandal with the power to shake his faith to the very core. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Slater, Molly Parker, (more)
An upscale shopping mall is targeted by ruthless master thief Scalzetti (Eric Roberts). With a small but well-armed band of henchmen, Scalzetti storms the mall and takes all the Yuletide shoppers hostage. It is up to police lieutenant Cornelius Morgan (Dean Cain), recently suspended from the force, to outwit the villains and rescue the captives. A fleet of hyperactive go-karts figure into the finale of this made-for-cable thriller, which made its TBS network debut on December 1, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Charles Robert Carner's action thriller Breakaway stars Dean Cain as a disgraced police officer who must stop thief Jimmy Scalzetti (Eric Roberts) after the baddie hijacks a mall in Chicago. The police officer's wife is being held hostage while Scalzetti is busy trying to crack a vault in the mall with millions of dollars in it. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
A starry-eyed would-be star discovers just how far the notion that "there's no such thing as bad publicity" can go in this screen adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Chicago, originally directed and choreographed by Bob Fosse. In the mid-'20s, Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is a small-time chorus dancer married to a well-meaning dunderhead named Amos (John C. Reilly). Roxie is having an affair on the side with Fred Casley (Dominic West), a smooth talker who insists he can make her a star. However, Fred strings Roxie along a bit too far for his own good, and when she realizes that his promises are empty, she becomes enraged and murders Fred in cold blood. Roxie soon finds herself behind bars alongside Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a sexy vaudeville star who used to perform with her sister until Velma discovered that her sister had been sleeping with her husband. Velma shot them both dead, and, after scheming prison matron "Mama" Morton hooks Velma up with hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), Velma becomes the new Queen of the scandal sheets. Roxie is just shrewd enough to realize that her poor fortune could also bring her fame, so she convinces Amos to also hire Flynn. Soon Flynn is splashing Roxie's story -- or, more accurately, a highly melodramatic revision of Roxie's story -- all over the gutter press, and Roxy and Velma are soon battling neck-to-neck over who can win greater fame through the headlines. A project that had been moving from studio to studio since the musical opened on Broadway in 1973, Chicago also features guest appearances by Lucy Liu and Christine Baranski. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, (more)
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by E. Annie Proulx becomes this drama from director Lasse Hallström. Kevin Spacey stars as Quoyle, a struggling, emotionally drained newspaper reporter suffering through a wretched marriage with the abusive Petal (Cate Blanchett), a promiscuous wild woman who tries to sell their daughter, Bunny, into adoption before she's killed in a car wreck. Retrieving his daughter, Quoyle sets out for Newfoundland, his ancestral home, with his long-lost Aunt Agnis (Judi Dench). Although he initially finds life on the island to be as forbidding and severe as Agnis herself, Quoyle gets work as a shipping columnist for the local newspaper "The Gammy Bird," owned by eccentric fisherman Jack Buggit (Scott Glenn). Quoyle's work soon finds an appreciative audience and he begins to rebuild his life, dating local single mother Wavey (Julianne Moore), learning some sea craft, discovering his family's dark history, and finally earning some self-respect. Agnis, in the meantime, starts her own successful business and faces a traumatic incident from her childhood involving Quoyle's late father. The Shipping News (2001) co-stars Rhys Ifans and Pete Postlethwaite. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Spacey, Julianne Moore, (more)
It is a strange conglomeration of humanity that is trapped together during a power outage in a suburban shopping mall. Among the "prisoners" are single mom/law student Kathy Robbins (Jane Seymour), her son Eric (Corin Nemec), and her daughter Blair (Alexandra Picatto). Fifteen-year-old Blair in particular has a lot to worry about when she is stalked by an unidentified psycho, who has armed himself in an abandoned sporting-goods store. By the time the audience is apprised of the identity of the would-be murderer, it is painfully obvious that Blackout can hardly be construed as "Family Fare." Directed by star Seymour's husband James Keach, this made-for-TV film first aired over CBS on January 24, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Seymour, Corin Nemec, (more)
The blurry line between a rumor and the truth is stretched to the breaking point in this drama. Three arrogant and self-centered college students, Jones (Lena Headey), Derek (James Marsden), and Travis (Norman Reedus), are brought together for a class project, in which they decide to start a rumor and keep track of how it spreads. Looking for possible gossip material, they see Naomi (Kate Hudson), a girl known for her high-minded views on saving sex for marriage, drunkenly making out with Bo (Joshua Jackson) at a party. The three students begin passing around the rumor that Naomi became a victim of date rape later that evening, embroidering the truth with allegations that Bo forcibly seduced Naomi after she was too inebriated to put up a fight. Before long, the rumor makes its way back to Naomi herself, who suffered a black-out on the night in question after too much alcohol. Naomi panics, and convinced that the rumor is true, contacts the police, who assign Detective Kelly (Sharon Lawrence) to investigate the charges of rape filed against Bo. Featuring a cast of young actors best known for their work on television, Gossip was an appropriate first feature film for director Davis Guggenheim, who previously distinguished himself on such TV series as ER, NYPD Blue, and Party of Five. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Bogosian, Marisa Coughlan, (more)
Gene Wilder wrote and starred in this detective story produced for the A&E cable television network. Set in 1938, Wilder plays Larry "Cash" Carter, a one-time Broadway theatrical director who has moved to a quiet Connecticut town, where he oversees a community theater group and works as a private investigator. When a local philanthropist with strong anti-Nazi sentiments is murdered, the police ask Cash to help them track down the killer. Cash discovers his little town isn't as quiet as he imagined, with nefarious servants, devious relatives, and an Axis agent all figuring into the deadly puzzle before he can determine the killer's identity. The Lady in Question was the second in a projected series of made-for-cable "Cash" Carter mysteries written by Wilder; the character was introduced in the first film, 1999's Murder in a Small Town. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gene Wilder, Mike Starr, (more)
Not to be confused with the cable-television movie Strange Justice, which aired the same evening on August 29, 1999, the NBC TV movie Cruel Justice stars A. Martinez as Jerry Metcalf, the intensely protective single father of 16-year-old Amy Metcalf (Nicki Lynn Aycox). Already distraught over the fact that Amy has been raped, Jerry goes completely over the edge when his daughter's attacker beats the rap in court. Taking the law into his own hands, Jerry dedicates his life to wreaking vengeance against the smirking perpetrator. The fact that Cruel Justice was run at the tail end of the 1998-1999 TV season, a time when few people were watching, is indicative of NBC's nervous feelings about the film. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Roger Moore stars as a writer whose art imitates life in this made-for-TV thriller. Moore stars as Ken Brown, a mystery writer who's central character is based on the profile of a real-life criminal. When the criminal (Malcolm McDowell) escapes from prison by faking his death, he sets out to bring Brown's stories to life and begins a murder spree. Nancy Allen co-stars as a psychic who teams up with Brown to catch the killer. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
A Canadian production shot along the British Columbia coast, this is the story of a washed-up rock star who finds redemption. It was adapted for the screen by Paul Quarrington from his own award-winning novel. Desmond Howl (Maury Chaykin) is a faded music superstar who now lives a hermit's life in an out-of-the-way oceanside mansion. Living off residuals from previous hits, Howl spends all his time and energy in his state-of-the-art home recording studio trying to compose whale music. He hopes to write a symphonic piece, using the whales' own sounds, that will have the power to summon the marine mammals from the depths. Howl is haunted by hallucinations and nightmares involving his brother Paul, who recently died, apparently by his own hand. Howl also has to deal with his ex-wife, who meddles in his affairs. He manages to shut out these interferences until a young runaway arrives at his doorstep. Claire Lowe (Cyndy Preston) gradually captures the jaded musician's heart with her need for caring, and their relationship becomes a metaphor for the tender music Howl is trying to create. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maury Chaykin, Cyndy Preston, (more)
The man who stole the car belonging to Charlie DeSalvo (Philip Akin) is Carl Robinson (Bruce A. Young), an African American Immortal. Once upon a time, Carl had high hopes and lofty ambitions, but these have been beaten out of him by years of relentless racial prejudice. Duncan (Adrian Paul), who, back in 1926, saved Carl from a KKK mob, tries to restore his old friend's sense of self-worth. Alas, it looks as though the old story will repeat itself again when Carl is apparently targeted for persecution -- and death -- by a white cop. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Paul, Stan Kirsch, (more)
A community is quick to condemn a father after his 11-year-old daughter claims he molested her, but during the ensuing courtroom trial, serious questions about the child's story and her motivation for telling it arise. This drama is based on a famous Canadian trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Art Hindle, Rosemary Dunsmore, (more)
This direct-to-video item puts an interesting sci-fi/horror spin on the "erotic thriller" genre. Richard Grieco plays Tom, a man suffering from a rare DNA disorder, who becomes the subject of a bizarre experiment by repressed geneticist Jacki ($Maryam D'Abo}). Injected with a serum containing the genetic traits of a cat, Tom is restored to health and transformed into a sinewy hunk with superhuman agility and a decidedly feline demeanor -- complete with a savage, murderous sex drive. Though this added trait makes him doubly attractive to his doctor, it also compels him to destroy every woman with whom he mates. Though the majority of the film's tension is of the sexual kind (and quite steamy at that), the more horrific plot elements are well-driven by Grieco's manic intensity -- until the disappointing climax, which shows the earmarks of a writer in over his head. Also known as Dangerous Desires. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
Based on the 1989 earthquake that rocked San Francisco, this is the true story of the rescue workers who at their own peril tried to free the people trapped under a collapsed highway. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
After getting booted out of his latest managerial position, a has-been major league baseball player/coach goes to Russia and becomes the coach for their Olympic baseball team. This good-natured made-for-cable television comedy chronicles his endeavors to turn the bumbling, inexperienced team into winners. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
A boy saves and befriends a mangy ex-circus dog and adopts him as a pet--without his father's knowledge. As the family moves across the country, the dog attempts to follow, getting into close calls and lots of adventures along the way. Will Bingo end up in the arms of his favorite boy? This spoof/adventure/comedy contains some violence and profanity. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cindy Williams, David Rasche, (more)
Hume Cronyn steals what there is to steal of Christmas on Division Street. Cronyn plays a smooth-talking skid row derelict who befriends wealthy Philadelphia "mainline" kid Fred Savage. Both the old bum and the young preppie have lost faith in themselves and the world. Both are redeemed by the spirit of Christmas and by the bonds of friendship. Made for TV, Christmas on Division Street is saved from being a heaping bowl of Yuletide mush by the ever-iconoclastic Cronyn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The Fourth War finds director John Frankenheimer delving into the same Cold-war territory he'd previously cultivated in films like The Manchurian Candidate. Col. Jack Knowles (Roy Scheider), serving at a faraway post on the German-Czech border, carries on a personal war with his Soviet counterpart, Colonel Valachev (Jurgen Prochnow). Both have been hardened by past combat experiences, and both have been embittered by the exigencies of red tape, bureaucracy, and diplomatic deal-making. Their friendly rivalry snowballs (literally so!) into a guerilla-like combat situation, culminating in a one-on-one showdown. It's essentially a shaggy dog story, but a compelling one. Based on a novel by Stephen Peters, The Fourth War was given surprisingly short shrift by Cannon Films' distribution channels. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roy Scheider, Jürgen Prochnow, (more)
In this made-for-TV thriller, a quartet of female friends hire a boozy wilderness guide and head into the mountains for a little backpacking fun that is spoiled when they become the target of a militant survivalist group's war games. The film is also known as Bitter Creek. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide



















