Michael Taylor Movies
- 2009
A spaceship from Earth is equipped with a virtual-reality device to help those aboard cope with their 10-year mission. But when the system malfunctions, it puts the Phaeton's crew -- and the fate of their planet -- in jeopardy. ~ Joe Friedrich, All Movie Guide
The untold story of the Battlestar Pegasus comes to the screen in this special, two-hour episode of Battlestar Galactica detailing the transformation of Major Kendra Shaw into a fearless tool of war known as a "razor." As the Cylons prepare to launch a genocidal attack on the Twelve Colonies, Major Kendra Shaw (Stephanie Jacobsen) arrives on the Battleship Pegasus reporting for duty. In the aftermath of the devastating attack, Major Shaw is trained by Admiral Helena Cain to employ suicidal fighting tactics and commit atrocious war crimes against her own people. Any sense of hesitation or doubt is methodically stripped away from Major Shaw, rendering her a living weapon driven by murderous instinct. But such a weapon can ultimately do as much damage as it does good, and it isn't long before this severe form of warfare takes a heavy psychological tool on the tormented Major Shaw. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Set against the anti-war protests, rock & roll revolution, and mind-expanding psychedelia of the 1960s, Julie Taymor's hallucinogenic musical follows the arduous journey of star-crossed lovers Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) as they and a small group of musicians are swept up in the raging waters of the volatile counterculture movement. Guided through their journey by a pair known only as Dr. Robert (Bono) and Mr. Kite (Eddie Izzard), Jude and Lucy are eventually forced to find their way back to one another after being split apart by powerful forces beyond their control. The music in the film consists exclusively of songs made popular by the Beatles during the time period depicted in the movie. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, (more)
A man struggling to save the life of another finds himself drawn into a strange netherworld he didn't know existed in this stylish thriller. Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) is a psychiatrist living in New York City with his girlfriend, Lila Culpepper (Naomi Watts), who was once one of his patients. However, it's another one of his patients who becomes the focus of his obsessions when Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling), a disturbed young man whom Foster took over from a colleague, announces during a session that he intends to commit suicide in three days, on his 21st birthday. Sam takes the threat quite seriously and tries to track down Henry, who seems to have disappeared. Sam speaks to a number of Henry's friends and acquaintances -- his mother (Kate Burton), the man he claimed was his father, Dr. Leon Patterson (Bob Hoskins), a waitress who regularly served Henry at the coffee shop where she works (Elizabeth Reaser), and his former therapist Dr. Beth Levy (Janeane Garofalo). As Sam talks to people in Henry's circle, he finds he's learning more about himself than the man he's supposed to save, and he begins to drift into an emotional netherworld where the supposedly dead and the living cross paths. Stay was directed by Marc Forster, who had previously enjoyed breakthrough hits with two very different films, Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, (more)
The Christmas season just got a lot less joyous in this very dark comedy. Willie T. Stokes (Billy Bob Thornton) is a con man and a thief who teams up with his friend Marcus (Tony Cox), a midget, for a very special scam each year during the holiday season. Willie gets a job as Santa Claus at a shopping mall, his pal tags along as an elf, and they use their employee status to crack mall security and rob stores blind just before Christmas. However, there's one flaw to this plan -- Willie is a bitter, foul-mouthed and perpetually grouchy alcoholic who doesn't care for kids, and it's all he can do to keep himself from getting fired while on the job. The mall's manager (John Ritter, in his last film appearance) is certain something's wrong with the Santa he's hired, so he asks the mall's chief of security (Bernie Mac) to do some research on Willie. Meanwhile, one of the kids Willie is forced to talk to becomes a regular customer; overweight, awkward, and the frequent target of bullies, the boy manages to arouse something like sympathy from Willie, who tries to give him some advice and develops something vaguely resembling Christmas sprit along the way. Bad Santa was directed by Terry Zwigoff, who enjoyed previous success with Crumb and Ghost World. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, (more)
- 2003
Filmed under the title "The Hunt for Osama," this episode finds Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) joining the ranks of other psychics like himself in a covert U.S. counter-terrorist organization. For his first assignment, Johnny joins a "remote-viewing" operation to track down a dangerous fugitive terrorist, who though not identified by name bears a striking resemblance to a certain Afghanistan-based Muslim extremist leader. Originally scheduled to air on March 30, 2003, "The Hunt" was bumped back to July 27, presumably (and ironically) by cable TV's round-the-clock coverage of the Iraq war. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2003
Envisioning the death of his prizefighter friend Danny Avila (Greg Serano) during an upcoming heavyweight title bout, Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) goes public with his psychic premonitions. Alas, Johnny's announcement does not cancel the match as he had hoped; instead, the value of the fight has been enhanced as a big-time, pay-per-view attraction, and even the boxing commission has succumbed to the greedy excitement. Desperately, Johnny tries to figure out a way to allow Danny to go through with the fight and survive -- and to do this, he needs the unwitting assistance of Danny's opponent (Jay Winston Kramer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2002
This weekly, 60-minute sci-fi/fantasy series was based on a novel by Stephen King, previously filmed in 1983 with Christopher Walken in the lead. Anthony Michael Hall, who (in this instance, at least) bore a remarkable resemblance to Walken, starred as schoolteacher Johnny Smith, who spent several years in a coma after surviving a terrible auto accident. Upon awakening, Johnny realized that his ESP abilities, which had been mild at best before the accident, have been amplified to an astonishing degree. In fact, Johnny now possessed the ability to read a person's mind -- and that person's future -- simply by touching hands. Naturally, this gift turned out to be both blessing and curse, depending upon the touchee. As reconceived by series creator Michael Piller, the TV version of The Dead Zone had a somewhat lighter touch than the original novel and earlier theatrical film. The series debuted June 16, 2002, over the USA cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Take a terrifying trip back to the beginning of one man's waking nightmare as Stephen King's best-selling book comes to life in this made-for-television feature starring Anthony Michael Hall. Following a near-fatal car accident, Johnny Smith (Hall) lies motionless in a deep coma for six years. When he awakens from his deep sleep, Johnny is haunted by psychic visions that allow him to look into the future of anyone he touches. Realizing that he can use his unique powers for the good of humankind, Johnny sets out on an tireless quest for justice that's plagued by danger at every turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Commander Chakotay (Robert Beltran) is rendered unconscious by a temporal energy blast from the warp core. Upon awakening, Chakotay finds that the Voyager has been "time-zoned," half of the ship is in the past, and half is in the future. In addition to offering a fascinating crash course in Voyager's history (with the help of a few judicious chosen clips from earlier episodes), this episode also marks a return appearance by Dr. Chaotica (Martin Rayner), the central character in the Doctor's (Robert Picardo) holographic novel. "Shattered" was first telecast on January 17, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2001
In the conclusion of the two-part "Workforce," Chakotay (Robert Beltram) tries to disable the Quarran energy shield, which is holding the Voyager crew in mind-controlled subjugation. Though Chakotay manages to rescue B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson, who also directed the episode), he has trouble convincing her that she has had any life outside her servitude on Quarra. Meanwhile, the brainwashed Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) is prepared to carry off an assassination -- and her target is Chakotay! The supporting cast includes former Happy Days regular Don Most and John Aniston, father of Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston. "Workforce, Part II" originally aired on February 28, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2001
Now that a live transmission system has been set up between Voyager and Earth, the crew receives its first Starfleet order in years. Their mission: To search for Friendship One, an Earth probe that has been missing since the year 2067 A.D. Tracing the probe to a planet held in the grip of nuclear-winter radiation, the Away Team is captured by a band of hostile aliens, who hold all humans responsible for their dismal existence. Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) only hope to rescue her colleagues is to find a new home planet for the aliens -- but this may not be possible for several years to come. As originally conceived, this episode was to have featured James Cromwell in his Star Trek: First Contact role of Zephram Cochran, but Cromwell was unavailable. "Friendship One" initially aired on April 25, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
Former series regular Jennifer Lien returns to her role of Kes in this tense episode. It is an angry, futuristic version of Kes who arrives on the deck of Voyager, intending to get even with Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), whom she holds responsible for her current misfortunes (even though Kes had left the crew on her own accord, when she found herself unable to control her telekinetic abilities). Harnessing her newly acquired Ocampian powers, which have enhanced her mental skills, Kes sets in motion a plan to extract vital body parts from Janeway and the Voyager crew on behalf of the parasitic Vidiians (who likewise haven't been seen on the series for awhile!). "Fury" first aired on May 3, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
The Voyager crew finds itself locked in an orbit around a primitive planet. Though time passes normally on the ship, several centuries go by on the planet's surface -- during which period a tribal society develops, worshipping the orbiting "star" as the manifestation of an omnipotent Greater Power. The dilemma: If the crew does not break free of the planet's gravitational pull, they will be doomed; and if they do escape, that aforementioned society may collapse in ruins. A fascinating exercise in relativity and reverence, "Blink of an Eye" was first telecast on January 19, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
This episode introduces a new group of semi-regulars: four partially assimilated Borg children, rejected as unworthy drones by the Borg collective. Capturing the Delta Flyer, children Icheb (Manu Intiraymi), Mezoti (Marley S. McClean), Azan (Kurt Wetherill), and Rebi (Cody Wetherill) kidnap Chakotay (Robert Beltran), Kim (Garrett Wang), Neelix (Ethan Phillips), and Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), hoping to use them as shields while making their escape. As Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) negotiates for the release of her crew members, the Doctor (Robert Picardo) reluctantly considers several measures that will save his colleagues -- but possibly destroy the children. "Collective" first aired on February 16, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 2000
A new regional alliance between four formerly warring races is celebrated by an intergalactic starship rally, the brainchild of alien pilot Irina (Cyia Batten). Entering the rally, B'Elanna (Roxann Dawson) also hopes to patch up her relationship with Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) by selecting him as her co-pilot. What she doesn't realize until it is too late is that Irina also has ulterior motives -- and hers are anything but romantic! "Drive" originally aired on October 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
An artist with Tourette's syndrome and an aversion to romance falls for his best friend's girl in this sometimes comic drama. Lyle Maze (Rob Morrow), a successful painter who's also starting to explore sculpture, relies on emotional armor a foot thick to protect him from other people. In addition to suffering from uncontrollable physical tics and loud outbursts, Lyle is also prone to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Afraid that his artistic gifts and his disease spring from the same well, he eschews the well-meaning advice of his doctor pal, Mike (Craig Sheffer), and refuses to try the new drug therapies available. He also rejects any attempt to fix him up with women. But when rebel-without-a-cause Mike decides to tilt at windmills in Africa for seven months as a member of Doctors Without Borders, Lyle finds himself in a precarious position. Callie (Laura Linney), Mike's acerbic ad-exec girlfriend, has confided to him that she's pregnant but unwilling to use her condition as leverage to shore up her troubled relationship. Soon, Lyle is coaching Callie through natural childbirth classes, playing surrogate father-to-be, and falling in love. Inspired by the documentary Twitch and Shout, Maze marked the first trip behind the camera for actor Rob Morrow, who played another man with Tourette's in the film Other Voices. In addition to directing and starring in Maze, the Northern Exposure star co-wrote and co-produced. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Morrow, Laura Linney, (more)
In his second directorial effort, writer/director Harmony Korine embraces the hyper-realist aesthetic of Lars Von Trier's Dogma 95 film movement, which mandates handheld photography using only available lighting, among other restrictions. As in the controversial Gummo (1997), Korine abandons traditional narrative for a series of vignettes about bizarre characters, in this case centered on Julien (Ewen Bremner), a schizophrenic who works in a school for the blind. Julien lives at home with his pregnant sister Pearl (Chloe Sevigny); his brother Chris (Evan Neumann), who wrestles in his spare time; and their violent father (Werner Herzog), who slaps his children around, hoses them down with water, and offers to pay Chris ten dollars to dress up in his late mother's clothes and dance. Eventually Julien escapes from his home and interacts with people on the street (some of whom, reportedly, were not professional actors and had no idea that Bremmer was an actor playing a scene). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ewen Bremner, Chloë Sevigny, (more)
- 1999
In a huge rolling energy ball called the Graviton Ellipse, Janeway and the crew try to rescue a trapped U.S. spacecraft. Originally the vanguard of the first manned mission to Mars, the American vessel -- and its skipper, Lt. John Kelly (Phil Morris) -- has been in a state of suspended animation since the year 2032. Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) efforts to shepherd Kelly to safety end up having disastrous effects on her crew -- especially Chakotay (Robert Beltran). Written by Mike Wollaeger, Jessica Scott, Bryan Fuller, and Michael Taylor from a story by Wollaeger and Scott, "One Small Step" made its network TV bow on November 17, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
- 1999
Under attack from the hostile Turei race, Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the crew take refuge on a war-ravaged planet. Here they find the ruins of the Vaadwar civilization, whose surviving warriors slumber in biopods, awaiting reanimation so that they may wreak vengeance upon their enemies. Electing to align herself with the awakened Vaadwar, Janeway soon has cause to regret her decision. First telecast November 10, 1999, "Dragon's Teeth" was written by Michael Taylor, Brannon Braga, and Joe Menosky, from a story by Taylor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roxann Dawson
