Michael Yama

This animated feature brings to life the bestselling Dr. Strange series of Marvel comic books. The film -- like the original works -- plunges viewers into an otherworldly, mystical realm, rife with strange and mysterious creatures, of centuries-old spells and barrel-chested heroes. As the story opens, a surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange, must first travel to the Tibetan Mountains to seek out healing from the Ancient One. After letting go of long-buried wounds from his past, he begins to tap into an inner aptitude for magic and sorcery that will enable him to take on a host of monsters that threaten the sanctity and very existence of humankind. Marvel guru Stan Lee co-executive produced; Bryce Johnson, Paul Nakauchi, Michael Yama, and others provide voices. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A workaholic architect, frustrated in his job but determined to make a better life for his family, is bestowed with a powerful universal remote that allows him more control over his life than he ever knew possible in director Frank Coraci's high-concept fantasy comedy. On the surface, Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) seems to have it all, yet with all the demands forced upon him by his ungrateful boss (David Hasselhoff), Michael finds that setting aside time to spend with his loving wife, Donna (Kate Beckinsale), and two picture-perfect children, Ben (Joseph Castanon) and Samantha (Tatum McCann), has grown increasingly difficult. When a frustrating bout with the television remote leads the overworked husband and father to a nearby Bed, Bath & Beyond in search of a universal remote with the power to control all of his electronic devices, a curious peek into the back room leads Michael into the company of eccentric employee and talented inventor Morty (Christopher Walken). It seems that Morty has created a device that will not only allow Michael complete control over his television and stereo, but his entire life as well. As Michael discovers that the remarkable device has the power to muffle the barks of the family dog, zoom himself past an irritating quarrel with his wife, and even allow him to travel back and forth through time to different points in his life, the rush of being able to skip straight to the good parts in life soon leaves him feeling as if he's missing out on the total experience. Only when Michael begins to realize that the he has lost control of his life and the remote is now programming him does he finally learn that life is as much about the moments he'd rather forget as it is the moments he will always remember. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) manages to clear Will (Bradley Cooper) of espionage charges, but she must still deal with the fact that her mother, Irina (Lena Olin), has betrayed her. The situation changes radically when Irina shows up, claiming that she was only pretending to conspire with Sloane (Ron Rifkin) to make sure that all portions of the deadly Rambaldi device would be turned over to the CIA. But can this "explanation" merely be Irina's way of luring Sydney into another trap? Whatever the case, this final episode of Alias' second season provides a whopper of a cliffhanger finale, with Sydney, emerging from unconsciousness after a fight with Francie's evil double (Merrin Dungey), discovering to her astonishment that she has been "out" for two whole years -- and that's only for starters! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Wesley (Alexis Denisof) pretends to be Angel (David Boreanaz) while Angel consults with a shaman who turns out to be an impostor in this tale of mistaken identities. Despondent over the return of Darla (see "Dear Boy"), Angel heads to the demon karaoke bar Caritas for advice from the Host (Andy Hallett), who sends him on a weekend retreat with no-nonsense guru T'ish Magev (Art LeFleur). Meanwhile, back at headquarters, Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) and Wesley are hassled by the henchmen of Magnus Bryce (Todd Susman), a businessman who made his fortune selling spells to the rich and famous. Bryce wants protection for his comely daughter, Virginia (Brigid Brannah), whom he claims is in danger of being assassinated by his business rivals. Bryce wants Angel and only Angel to take the job, so Wes poses as his employer (even drinking a vial of blood) and begins faking his way through bodyguard duty. Along the way, he and Virginia have a tumble in the hay. Meanwhile, Angel learns that the T'ish Magev, despite having given him some real insights into his own character, is actually an impostor in the employ of one of Bryce's rivals. It turns out that, far from desiring to protect his daughter, Bryce wants to sacrifice Virginia to the demon goddess Yeska in exchange for greater power; the fake T'ish's job was to keep Angel from protecting the young woman. Eventually, Wes, Angel, and the crew save Virginia from her father. The young heiress begins a romance the man she now realizes is not Angel but Wesley, and Wes ends up in the society pages. Originally broadcast November 7, 2000, on the WB network, "Guise Will Be Guise" marked season two, episode six of the supernatural comedy drama. Guest star Todd Susman previously played the obnoxious PA voice on the long-running television comedy M*A*S*H. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Ira Buchman (John Pankow), the ex-gambler cousin of Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser), falls off the wagon and returns to the racetracks and gaming tables. Before long, Ira is lavishing expensive gifts on Paul and Jamie (Helen Hunt) -- but there's a hidden price tag. Of course, none of this intrigue does the Buchmans' shaky sex life any good. And what about the 4,000-dollar bath? ~ All Movie Guide

Originally prepared for European release under the title Catchfire, Backtrack wasn't given a wide distribution until 1991, and then only to capitalize on the Oscar win of Silence of the Lambs star Jodie Foster. In Backtrack, Foster plays a youngish innocent who witnesses a mob hit. Professional assassin Dennis Hopper is contracted to silence Foster for keeps. Instead, he falls in love with her. Directed by star Hopper, Backtrack has some of the feel of his earlier, better Easy Rider: the cast is populated by such old Hopper chums as Dean Stockwell, Charlie Sheen, Joe Pesci, Bob Dylan, Vincent Price and Julie Adams; and, like Easy Rider, it looks as though the story was improvised during filming. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Edward James Olmos portrays the real-life Jaime Escalante, a no-nonsense mathematic teacher in a tough East LA high school. Handed a classroom full of "losers" and "unteachables," Escalante is determined to turn his young charges' lives around. Drawing from his own cultural heritage, Escalante forms a bond with his largely Hispanic student body, evoking the names of famous Spaniards and Latin Americans whose great accomplishments were predicated on their ability to learn. The students gradually come to realize that the only way they'll escape their own poverty-stricken barrio is to improve themselves intellectually. As a result, the class' academic achievements soar dramatically -- too dramatically for the Educational Testing Service, which is convinced that the class' high test scores are the results of cheating. The triumphant exoneration of Escalante's students provides Stand and Deliver with its rousingly upbeat conclusion. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Detective Berzak (Robert Carradine) and his suave partner Hazeltine (Billy Dee Williams) combine forces to track down a notorious drug lord in this routine action feature. Captain Ferris (Peter Graves) monitors the progress of the decidedly different detectives. The trail leads to Dacosta (Barry Sattels) a respected member of the social elite and the community. Valerie Bertanelli plays Berzak's daughter Teresa, who is pumped for information by her father about his ex-wife (Doris Roberts). ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Down and Out in Beverly Hills is an updated remake of the 1932 Jean Renoir film Boudu Saved By Drowning. Philandering businessman Dave Whiteman (Richard Dreyfuss) rescues scraggly tramp Jerry Baskin (Nick Nolte) from drowning himself in Dave's swimming pool. Much against his will, Jerry is invited to enjoy the hospitality of Dave, his social-climbing wife Barbara Bette Midler, and their sexually ambivalent son Max (Evan Richards). The hapless hobo bonds only with the family dog Matisse, which fascinates Barbara to the point that she's willing to share her bed (and a few other things) with him. Dave is twice cuckolded when Jerry makes out with the maid (Elizabeth Pena), with whom he has been carrying on a torrid--and noisy--affair. He plans to wreak revenge on the tramp, but several plot twists result in Dave and Jerry becoming bosom companions. Little Richard appears as the family's easily irritated next door neighbor. Down and Out in Beverly Hills was the R-rated film which compelled the Disney Company to create its adult-oriented Touchstone Films division. The property was later cleaned up for TV consumption and converted into a short-lived Fox Network sitcom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The second of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg Indiana Jones epics is set a year or so before the events in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1984). After a brief brouhaha involving a precious vial and a wild ride down a raging Himalyan river, Indy (Harrison Ford) gets down to the problem at hand: retrieving a precious gem and several kidnapped young boys on behalf of a remote East Indian village. His companions this time around include a dimbulbed, easily frightened nightclub chanteuse (Kate Capshaw), and a feisty 12-year-old kid named Short Round (Quan Ke Huy). Throughout, the plot takes second place to the thrills, which include a harrowing rollercoaster ride in an abandoned mineshaft and Indy's rescue of the heroine from a ritual sacrifice. There are also a couple of cute references to Raiders of the Lost Ark, notably a funny variation of Indy's shooting of the Sherpa warrior. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Acknowledging the excellent response to the syndicated 1983 cartoon miniseries G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, Hasbro Toys commissioned a sequel, G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra, which aired the following year. The plot is set in motion when the evil organization Cobra steals the laser core from the cannon of the G.I. Joe team. With this element, Cobra creates the Weather Dominator, wreaking havoc upon the earth's atmospheric and ecological balance. The Joes manage to neutralize the Dominator with an energy feedback, whereupon the machine's three most vital components are scattered to various parts of the world. For the balance of the story, both the Joes and the Cobras struggle to recover those precious components. Several new characters (and potentially marketable action figures) were introduced in the course of the story, notably the villainous Zartan and the Drednoks. As with the first G.I. Joe cartoon project, this one was offered as either a two-hour "movie" or as a five-part miniseries, its individual episodes bearing the titles "In the Cobra's Pit," "The Vines of Evil," "The Palace of Doom," "Battle on the Roof of the World," and "Amusement Park of Terror." Written by Ron Friedman, G.I. Joe: The Revenge of Cobra first aired in the United States from September 10 through 14, 1984. One year later, the daily G.I. Joe series proper was entered in syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The humor in this Chevy Chase comedy lies solely in the eyes of the beholder. The comic plays Eddie Muntz, an arms dealer looking to make a big sale of war planes to a South American dictator. In order to do so, his girlfriend (Sigourney Weaver) has to sleep with the dictator and his friend (Gregory Hines) has to be convinced to do one more killing. Eddie's archenemy is Stryker (Vince Edwards) who wants to make that deal himself and will stop at nothing to obtain his ends. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A full-length pilot which was turned into the series A Man Called Sloane, this movie concerns super-agent T.R. Sloane (Robert Logan, but played by Robert Conrad in the TV series) and his mission: to locate and return a powerful machine capable of turning the world into rubble. To complicate matters, the film was later titled T.R. Sloane. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide