Steve Ruge Movies
The mythical, urban-legendary "men in black" make a lower-rent appearance here than in the movie of the same name. Jack Scalia stars as Rafferty, a secret service agent whose impressive marksmanship and survival skills are not enough to save a California senator from an assassination at the hands of some mysterious, otherworldly men clad in black. The killers are aliens disguised as human beings, working as an advanced force for their race, which intends to conquer Earth. A handful of humans knows about the aliens' invasion plot and that the killers have been sent to eliminate those who know -- and silence those who suspect -- the truth. Enter Comdor (Dennis Christopher), an eccentric, New Age sort of alien from a different intergalactic species, sent to Earth in an effort to help the humans defeat the space menace. Comdor teams up with Rafferty, who discovers that his new partner has a purpose in pursuing the villains that goes deeper than a simple quest for justice -- they are responsible for the death of his family. The duo's quest takes them into blazing gun battles, a freeway chase, and a goofy UFO convention, leading up to a brutal final confrontation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Scalia, Dennis Christopher, (more)
"Houston, we have a problem." Those words were immortalized during the tense days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis, and the suspense, fear, and excitement of those days are captured in Ron Howard's epic recreation of the 1970 crisis. When the commander of the original mission Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), bows out due to possible exposure to measles, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. As the courageous astronauts face the dilemma of either suffocating or freezing to death, Mattingly and Mission Control leader Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) struggle to find a way to bring the crew back home, all the while knowing that the spacemen face probable death once the battered ship reenters the Earth's atmosphere. Even though the outcome, in which all three astronauts miraculously survived, is historical fact, the film derives suspense from the situation itself and from the actions of the heroic astronauts and the men on the ground. Howard's taut direction, a solid ensemble of players, and eye-opening special effects all add to the overall impact of the film, which has been hailed as one of Hollywood's best historical dramas. In 2002, the movie was released in IMAX theaters as Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience, with a pared-down running time of 116 minutes in order to meet the technical requirements of the large-screen format. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, (more)
An attempt to overthrow the President of the United States is the subject of this made-for-cable conspiracy-thriller. Forest Whitaker stars as Colonel Mackenzie Casey, a loyal member of President Foster's (Sam Waterston) inner circle. When Casey discovers a plot by his superior (Jason Robards) to stage a coup during military exercises, he teams up with Foster to thwart the plans before it's too late. The story was based on a novel by Charles W. Bailey and Fletcher Knebel, and Whitaker was nominated for a SAG Award for his lead performance. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Sam Waterston, (more)
- 1994
In Hawaii, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is the guest of Matt Kinkaid (Ken Howard), patriarch of a powerful and influential island family. At present, Kinkaid is supervising the political campaign of his son Jeff (Ted W. Henning) in an upcoming senatorial election. The younger Kinkaid's opponent obviously revels in "playing dirty"--and he's harboring a secret that threatens to tear the Kinkaid clan apart. Needless to say, murder is the logical extension of politics in this case. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
In the made-for-cable film Without Warning: The James Brady Story, Beau Bridges stars in the true-life story of the Ronald Reagan press secretary who was critically wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan by John Hinckley. Brady was left crippled by the shooting, and the film follows his recuperation process, as well as his fight for more stringent gun control. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beau Bridges, Joan Allen, (more)
Dakota (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a troubled teen on the run. He takes a job on a Texas ranch to work off his debts. While Dakota works on restoring an antique car and other chores, he becomes a surrogate big brother for Casey (Jordan Burton), the young rancher's son who lost a leg to bone cancer. He also starts to fall for the rancher's pretty daughter Molly (Dee Dee Norton). Eli Cummins plays Walt Lechner, the kindly rancher who not only gave Dakota a job but a home with a loving family. Dakota weighs his past against his future in this family drama with a moral message. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Eli Cummins, (more)
