Donald Gee Movies

The director of such highly regarded films as Yellow Earth (1984) and Farewell, My Concubine (1993), Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige makes his English-language debut with this erotic thriller adapted from the novel by Nicci French. Alice (Heather Graham) is an American Web designer living in Illinois who falls for a ruggedly handsome mountain climber named Adam (Joseph Fiennes). Bored with her dull love live, sparks begin to fly when Alice and Adam have a chance meeting at a stoplight, and it isn't long before the couple are living together and Adam proposes. With their heated romance taking on hints of mild S & M following their wedding, Alice's realization that she knows very little about her new spouse begins to take on ominous undertones when she discovers that his former fiancée died under mysterious circumstances. Allegations of rape and more missing lovers soon prompt Alice to continue her increasingly disturbing investigation toward answers she may not be ready to accept. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The six-part Doctor Who adventure "The Monster of Peladon" takes place some 50 years after the events depicted in the ninth-season story arc "Curse of the Peladon." The Doctor (Jon Pertwee) makes a return visit to the troubled planet Pelodon, where he ends up in the middle of a war between hostile factions of the the Galactic Federation, and also a labor-management mining dispute which likewise threatens to tear the the planet apart. And that's not all: A former adversary of the Doctor may again be at large -- in the form of a hostile ghost. Like its "prequel," "The Monster of Peladon" was written by Brian Hayles. Episode one originally aired on March 23, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the third episode of the six-part story "The Monster of Peladon," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) discovers that the "ghost" of sacred Pel warrior Aggedor is actually an illusion, created by a matter projector. The real source of unrest and dissension on the planet Peladon is a a subversive named Eckersley (Donald Gee). Even worse: Eckersley is in league with the Doctor's old enemies, the Ice Warriors. Originally telecast April 7, 1974, "The Monster of Peladon, Episode 3" was written by Brian Hayles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fifth episode of the six-part story "The Monster of Peladon," the Doctor (Jon Pertwee) has learned that the Ice Warrior Azaxyr (Alan Bennion) intends to strip the planet Pelidon of the precious mineral trisilicate, the better to help Galaxy 5 win its war against the Galactic Federation. Though the Doctor is able to get rid of most of the Ice Warriors, the subversive Eckersley (Donald Gee) manages to escape, taking the Queen of Peladon (Nina Thomas) along as hostage. Originally telecast April 21, 1974, "The Monster of Peladon, Episode 5" was written by Brian Hayles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Writer Giles Cooper's Unman, Wittering and Zigo was first presented as a BBC TV drama in the 1960s, which later was telecast in the US on NET Playhouse. David Hemmings plays the new teacher in a macabre classroom where the boys seem demonically recalcitrant. Just after calling roll (Unman, Wittering and Zigo are the last names on the tally), Hemmings is advised by his class that he'd better leave them alone to do as they wish. Hemmings' predecessor had not heeded this warning, and ended up dying a rather nasty death. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of the six-part story "The Space Pirates," Argonite pirate chieftain Craven (Dudley Foster) draws up plans to destroy the Space Corps -- and the entire planet Ta -- with a super bomb. It is up to the Doctor (Patrick Troughton), his friends Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), eccentric miner Milo Clancey (Gordon Gostelow), and reformed pirate-girl Madeleine (Lisa Danniely) to prevent this catastrophe. Written by Robert Holmes, "The Space Pirates, Part 6" originally aired on April 12, 1969. This episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the fourth episode of the six-part story "The Space Pirates," the Doctor (Patrick Troughton) and his companions have become enmeshed in a series of intrigues involving the Instellar Mining Corps, a band of renegade Argonite pirates, and eccentric mining expert Milo Clancey (Gordon Gostelow). Captured by the pirates, the Doctor, Jamie (Frazer Hines), and Zoe (Wendy Padbury) are aided in their escape by the enigmatic Clancey. Unfortunately, the foursome runs right into a trap set by pirate chieftain Craven (Dudley Foster). Written by Robert Holmes, "The Space Pirates, Part 4" originally aired on March 29, 1969. This episode apparently no longer exists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the second episode of the six-part story "The Space Pirates," the renegade Argonites have captured the TARDIS and abandoned the Doctor (Patrick Troughton), Jamie (Frazier Hines), and Zoe (Wendy Padbury) in Deep Space. Though without a ship to his name, the Doctor concocts a scheme to save himself and his marooned companions. Meanwhile, a second plot line develops, involving a long-standing conflict between the Interstellar Mining Corps and eccentric engineer Milo Clancey (Gordon Gostelow). Written by Robert Holmes, "The Space Pirates, Part 2" originally aired on March 15, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

John McGrath's television play The Bofors Gun was expanded (if not improved) by this film adaptation. The time is 1954: a weak-willed British corporal (David Warner) desperately wants to improve his lot in the National Service by taking the officer's entrance course. A rebellious, sociopathic Irish private (Nicol Williamson) takes a dislike to the corporal. He hopes to humiliate the would-be officer and to this end commits suicide while the corporal is guarding him. The character motivations in The Bofors Gun might be lost on anyone who lacks intimate knowledge of the turbulent Irish/British relationships of the era, but the characters themselves are easily recognizable types. One problem: Who is there to root for in this squalid tale? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The incredibly durable cop show Z Cars (pronounced "Zed Cars") was one of the great guilty pleasures of British television -- a program which everyone watched, but no one would admit to watching. Created by Troy Kennedy Martin, the series focused on a "typical" crime-ridden Liverpool police precinct. The cars driven by the law-enforcement officers were all Ford Zephyrs, hence the series' title. Understandably, there was a huge cast turnover during the series' 16 years on the air, with some of the original regulars leaving early on to star in the spin-off show Softly Softly. Debuting in a weekly 25-minute slot in 1962, Z Cars had expanded to 50 minutes weekly by the time its run ended in 1978; 667 episodes were filmed in all -- an astronomical figure by anybody's standards, even American television. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide