S.S. Wilson Movies

Based on the cult-favorite "giant worm" film of the same name, the weekly, hour-long Tremors: The Series found Michael Gross repeating his screen role as neurotic worm-buster Burt Gummer. The series took place in the ironically yclept community of Perfection Valley, NV, where all manner of huge and slimy creatures have wrought havoc from beneath the ground. In the tradition of Roswell, NM, Perfection Valley has profited mightily from its disastrous past experiences with such slithery species as the Graboids, the Shriekers, and the AssBlasters, with ex-hippie Nancy Sterngood (Marcia Strassman) growing wealthy by selling ceramic statues of the aforementioned creatures over the Internet, and hot rodder-cum-pilot Tyler Reed (Victor Browne) managing the lucrative "Desert Jack's Graboid Tours." Also on the premises was Department of the Interior agent W.D. Twitchell (Dean Norris), whose job it was to put up bureaucratic barriers against killing off the various and sundry super-worms because of their "endangered species" status. Meanwhile, Burt Gummer, often working in concert with grocer Jodi Chang (Lela Lee) and rancher Rosalita Sanchez (Gladys Jimenez), did his best to protect Perfection Valley from any and all future creepy-crawly invaders -- and when the worms came out anyway (as they always did), Burt utilized a veritable arsenal of jerry-built weaponry to thwart the yucky scourges. Tremors: The Series debuted over cable's Sci-Fi Channel (surprise, surprise!) on March 28, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A chimp helps bring together a boy and his father -- as well as putting America in the lead of the space race -- in this drama, which was inspired by the true story of the Mercury-Redstone 2 mission in 1961. Dr. Wilhelm von Huber (James Woods) is a German expatriate scientist living in the United States in the early '60s who has been hired by the fledging National Aeronautics and Space Administration to help America launch its newly formed space program. Von Huber is recently widowed, and his son, Wilhelm II (Alex D. Linz) -- known as Billy to most of his friends -- is still dealing with the loss of his mother. The often cold and exacting Dr. von Huber is having trouble reaching out to his son, and Billy is having a hard time making friends at his new school in Florida. One day, while dropping by NASA's labs to visit his father, Billy discovers a secret: NASA has previously been using unmanned missiles in their tests, but before taking the giant step of sending a man into space, they're going to try an experimental mission with a chimpanzee on board to get a better idea of how people might be affected by space travel. Dr. Donni McGuinness (Annabeth Gish), NASA's head veterinarian, makes a deal with Billy: If he promises not to tell anyone about NASA's secret project, she'll give him a part-time job helping to train Mac the Chimp for his big flight. Billy soon becomes quite attached to his new friend Mac, and discovers it's harder than he imagined to send him into space without knowing if he'll come back safely. Race to Space also features William Atherton and William Devane, while Tyler the chimp appears as Mac. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The Graboids are back in this sequel to the campy comedy horror hit that finds luckless Earl Basset (Fred Ward) and survivalist Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) teaming up to destroy the monsters that are wrecking havoc in the Mexican oil fields. It's been a good few years since Earl and Burt saved the town of Perfection, Nevada from the strange pre-Cambrian predators, and these days Earl is doing his best to find success as an ostrich farmer. Trouble is, none of Earl's birds want to breed, and it looks as if the farm is about to go under. Just when it seems that things couldn't get any worse for this monster-slaying cowboy, a pair of visitors arrives with a rather unusual proposition. According to the strangers, the Graboids have recently resurfaced in Sonora, Mexico, and they're currently getting fat on a steady diet of frightened oil field workers. Local businessman Carlos Ortega is willing to pay $50,000 a head for each worm killed, but Earl isn't so sure he wants to put himself in harm's way like that again. Still, Earl knows that he's the right man for the job, and after a bit of goading from ambitious cabbie Grady Hoover (Christopher Gartin) the pair are loading up their weapons and heading for the border. Upon arriving in Sonora, Earl quickly warms up to beautiful geologist Kate White (Helen Shaver), but the Graboid population has grown faster than suspected so in order to be successful this group will need the kind of firepower that only Burt Gummer can supply. Ever since Burt's wife walked out on him and the threat of World War III went away, the lonely survivalist has lost all direction in life. This is Burt's chance to prove that he's not just a useless middle aged man. But what the humans have failed to realize is that the Graboids have evolved to become deadlier than ever before, and they're not staying underground anymore. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Bill Cosby mugs so uncontrollably that it looks as if he may be the victim of a muscular disorder in the inane and unfunny Ghost Dad. Cosby plays Elliot, a workaholic widower with three children -- Danny (Salim Grant), Amanda (Brooke Fontainbe), and the teenage Diane (Kimberly Russell). Elliot is hoping to close a big deal that will mean a promotion, more money, and lots of perks, but a cab ride with a freaked-out cab driver causes his untimely demise. Elliot discovers that he is now a ghost and has to learn to spend more time with his kids rather than worry about money and career. Otherwise, after three days, he'll be whisked away into the great beyond. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Fisher Stevens reprises his role of Ben Jahrvi, the co-inventor of the cute robot Number Five, in this sequel to Short Circuit. Since the last film, Ben has moved to the city, where he lives in a truck and sells toy Number Fives as a street vendor. Ben plies his trade until one day luck strikes in the form of Sandy (Cynthia Gibb), a toy buyer in dire straits who offers Ben $50,000 if he can quickly churn out a thousand toy robots. Offering to help the naive Ben is street con man Fred (Michael McKean), who becomes Ben's partner and finances the burgeoning enterprise through a loan shark. Ben and Fred begin to manufacture the toys in a warehouse; unfortunately, they soon find the building also houses the entrance of a tunnel dug by thieves, preparing to rob the bank across the street. With things appearing their bleakest, a crate arrives from Montana. Inside is the new and improved Number Five, who now insists on being called Johnny Five. Johnny Five has even learned to talk in a litany of phrases gleaned from television shows, and now helps Ben get started in the toy business. In the process, Ben and Johnny Five contend with the temptations and corrupt business practices of a big city environment. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy are among the impoverished residents of a slum tenement threatened with demolition by evil land developers. Only a miracle can save Cronyn, Tandy, and their friends -- and that miracle manifests itself in the form of a "family" of extraterrestrial flying saucers, who need the electricity provided by the tenement to survive. The grateful humanized spaceships repay their earthbound hosts by doing battle with the villains' henchmen. When the building is engulfed in flames, all seems lost, but the aliens have a few more tricks up their metallic sleeves. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi