Lou Diamond Phillips

Part 1 of Steven Soderbergh's Che Guevara saga stars Benicio Del Toro as the legendary Argentine revolutionary. The film opens with Che as one of the important figures in the growing Cuban rebellion led by Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir). The movie charts how the two successfully built an underground army large enough to successfully overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Nearly 40 years after Che Guevara's execution in Bolivia, director Steven Soderbergh retraces the life of the iconic Cuban revolutionary in this nearly four-and-a-half-hour saga. Part 1 begins on November 26, 1956, as Fidel Castro (Demián Bichir) sails into Cuban waters with 80 rebels in tow. Among those rebels is Argentine doctor Ernesto "Che" Guevara (Benicio Del Toro), a man who shares Castro's dream of overthrowing corrupt dictator Fulgencio Batista. As the struggle gets under way, Guevara proves an indispensable part of the revolution due to his firm grasp on the concepts of guerilla warfare. Guevara is heartily embraced by both his comrades and the Cuban people, and quickly rises through the ranks to become first a commander, and ultimately a revolutionary hero. Part 2 of the saga begins with Guevara at the absolute peak of his fame and power. Disappearing suddenly, Guevara subsequently resurfaces in Bolivia to organize a modest group of Cuban comrades and Bolivian recruits in preparation for the Latin American Revolution. But while the Bolivian campaign would ultimately fail, the tenacity, sacrifice, and idealism displayed by Guevara during this period would make him a symbol of heroism to followers around the world. Part 1 and Part 2 were screened together as Che at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and also received a limited theatrical release under that same title in U.S. theaters later that same year. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Awakening drenched in blood and alone in the woods, a man accused of murder goes on the run in order to recover his memory and piece together the mystery behind a deadly conspiracy. Steven (Lou Diamond Phillips) has absolutely no memory of the crime he has been accused of committing, and as the authorities close in his time starts to run short. When even your best friend has accused you of murder, who can you turn to in your most desperate hour? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a series of cargo ships vanish into the open waters of the Bermuda Triangle, a team of determined specialists attempt to uncover the mystery of the planet's most perplexing phenomenon in Storm of the Century and Rose Red director Craig R. Baxley's spooky sci-fi miniseries. Billionaire Eric Benirall's (Sam Neill) ships have gone missing at an alarming rate, and it's high time to find out if there's a human factor behind the strange disappearances. With each surprising revelation the plot surrounding the Bermuda Triangle only seems to deepen, though, and as the bizarre stories about the cursed waters slowly begin adding up to a bigger picture, Benirall and his fearless crew are about to discover that the truth is most certainly always stranger than any work of fiction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

An autistic ex-con attempting to readjust to life on the outside finds that the past isn't so easy to escape as he becomes caught in the middle of a deadly triple-cross in director Stephen Purvis' labyrinthine thriller. For five long years Manny (Lou Diamond Phillips) has repaid his debt to society by serving time in a prison for the criminally insane. Now the day of his parole has finally arrived, and after returning to Reno Manny takes up residence at a local motel and soon finds employment as a clerk at the Hotel El Cortez. Upon striking up an amiable friendship with crippled prospector Popcorn (Bruce Weitz), Manny is quickly recruited to help his new friend convince wealthy gambler Russo (Peter Onorati) to invest in the struggling gold-hunter's potentially prosperous mine. Complications soon arise, however, when Arnie (James McDaniel), the vengeful cop who had arrested Manny, pressures the mentally handicapped ex-con to keep an eye on local drug dealer Jack (Glenn Plummer) - who is currently staying in the same hotel as Manny. When Jack's scheming girlfriend Theda (Tracy Middendorf) learns about Popcorn's goldmine and subsequently attempts to seduce Manny in hopes of learning more, shifting alliances and deadly secrets thrust all involved into a murderous game of betrayal and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A military detective uncovers some disturbing truths while investigating a shocking murder in this made-for-cable mystery, based on a true story. James Chandler (Lou Diamond Phillips is a criminal investigator attached to the Army who has a reputation as a hothead who is quick to use his fists, a reputation that precedes him when he's assigned to the prestigious military base in San Francisco. Chandler soon gets an opportunity to show his mettle when the wife of Sgt. Barry Atkins (Martin Cummins) has been killed -- the first time someone has been murdered at the Presidio. While Chandler's superiors believe the killing was part of a burglary gone wrong, Chandler isn't so certain, and with the help of MP Cpl. Tara Jeffries (Victoria Pratt), he digs deep into the case and makes some startling discoveries. Murder at the Presidio also stars Jason Priestley, Eugene Clark, and Daniel Roebuck. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An epic-Western in the grand tradition, the made-for-cable The Trail to Hope Rose stars Lou Diamond Phillips as Keenan Deerfield, a half-Indian outlaw just released from prison. Determined to start life anew, Keenan takes a grueling rock-mining job in a town controlled by the odious Driggers family, headed by flint-eyed patriarch Samuel Drigger (Warren Stevens), with the coldblooded Gerald Rutledge (Richard Tyson) as the family's chief henchman. Keenan's fellow workers are treated like slaves and forced to live in squalor, but none dare complain lest they meet with one of the many convient "accidents" that have befallen anyone who dares stand up to the Driggers. With stoic fortitude, Keenan waits for the right moment to strike a blow for justice, benefiting from the moral support of the town's honest but ineffectual Marshal Toll (Lee Majors) and good-natured farmer Eugene Lawson (Ernest Borgnine). The plot thickens when Keenan falls in love with Gerald's "woman," the pregnant Christine Beckford (Marina Black), and when one of Keenan's past associates, A.J. Foster (David Shackelford), rides into town intent upon stealing the Drigger mine's payroll. The rather endearing old-fashioned quality of the film is enhanced by the location-shooting at the Paramount Ranch, a reconstructed western town in Agoura, CA. The Trail to Hope Rose first aired July 4, 2004, on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Further cementing 2003 as the year of Ron Shelton cop movies, the director continued his vacation from the sports genre with Hollywood Homicide, a police comedy that comes right on the heels of Shelton's Dark Blue, a decidedly grittier cop thriller. The film stars Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as LAPD homicide detectives Joe Gavilan and K.C. Calden, two cops with bigger dreams. Gavilan moonlights as a real estate agent, while Calden teaches yoga and yearns for a career on the big screen. When an entire hip-hop group is murdered on-stage, Gavilan and Calden are called in to handle the case. As their investigation progresses, they begin to suspect that the rappers were offed for attempting to get out of their recording contract with label head Sartain (Isaiah Washington). Along with Bruce Greenwood and Keith David, the supporting cast boasts a plethora of real-life musicians, including Dr. Dre, Gladys Knight, Dwight Yoakam, Master P, and Ronald DeVoe of New Edition and Bell Biv DeVoe. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Storyboard artist David Barto directs the sci-fi action thriller Absolon, released straight-to-video following a very brief television premiere. In the near future, a virus has killed billions of people. The remaining humans rely on a drug called "Absolon" in order to survive. Norman Scott (Christopher Lambert) is a police detective investigating the death of a doctor who may have found the cure. Inevitably, Norman discovers an evil conspiracy. Ron Perlman plays the evil villain leader Murchison, Lou Diamond Phillips plays the evil thug Walters, and Kelly Brook plays the pretty girl Claire. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

A let's-pretend villain becomes a real-life hero in this action drama. John (Sean Patrick Flanery) is a down-on-his-luck actor who is playing a black-hatted cowboy in an "Old West" show at an Arizona tourist trap. When a gang of violent bikers roars through the town, John is one of the few people willing to stand up to the invaders, and after the motorcycle gang decides to stick around for a while, John and a handful of his fellow cowboys find themselves joining forces with the police to protect the town after many of the locals turn tail and flee. Lone Hero also features Lou Diamond Phillips, Robert Forster, and Mark Metcalf. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

John Terlesky directs Lou Diamond Phillips in the action thriller Malevolent. Police officer Jack (Phillips) has been under investigation since he was forced to shoot a man in the line of duty. His problems are exacerbated when someone begins making it appear that he is responsible for a series of murders. The only person he can trust to help him clear his name is a stripper (Kari Wuhrer). ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide