Michael Copeman Movies

Brad Pitt stars as legendary Wild West outlaw Jesse James in Chopper director Andrew Dominik's cinematic rendering of the events that would eventually bring about the death of the man rumored be the "fastest gun in the West." An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous of the famed outlaw. When Robert and his brother Charlie sense an opportunity to kill James, their murderous action elevates their target to near mythical status. Casey Affleck stars as Robert Ford and Sam Shepard co-stars as Frank James -- Jesse's devoted sibling and partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Danny DeVito steps behind the camera for this darkly funny satire that combines elements of Barney and Friends with the real-life Pee-Wee Herman scandal while recalling the director's previously twisted black comedies Throw Momma From the Train (1987) and The War of the Roses (1989). Robin Williams stars as Randolph Smiley, a popular children's show host known professionally as "Rainbow Randolph." Dismissed from his beloved job when he's caught taking payola, Randolph becomes increasingly mentally unhinged and the target of his delusional revenge fantasies is Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton), otherwise known as Smoochy, the fuchsia rhino character that has replaced him and soared to national popularity. Randolph soon learns that his ex-girlfriend and network executive Nora Wells (Catherine Keener) is sleeping with Sheldon, so he sets out to kill Smoochy, egged on by an unexpected ally: corporate president Marion Frank Stokes (Jon Stewart), who should be profiting from Smoochy's rise to fame, except for the fact that he and his cronies are unable to control the idealistic Sheldon's on-air agenda. Death to Smoochy (2002) co-stars Harvey Fierstein, Vincent Shiavelli, and Michael Rispoli. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Rob Morrow stars as investigating journalist Jonathan Neumann in this drama about police corruption in 1970s Philadelphia. When Neumann takes over the court beat for the Philadelphia Examiner, he quickly discovers wrongdoing at every turn, with cops beating suspects into often blatantly false confessions. As Neumann pieces together his story, he finds himself increasingly threatened by a posse of "goon squad" cops who tap his phone, break into his apartment, and even resort to physical assault. The Thin Blue Lie was originally screened on Showtime on August 13, 2000. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide

Although Highlander: The Raven was a spin-off of the long-running sci-fi adventure series Highlander, it actually bore scant resemblance to its "parent" show. Top-billed Elizabeth Gracen, a former Miss America, reprised her Highlander role as the beautiful Amanda Darieux, a reformed cat burglar, who like her ex-lover Duncan MacLeod (played in the original series by Adrian Paul), was an "Immortal" -- though she certainly didn't look like she was 1,200 years old! Foresworn to uphold Duncan's values and fight against evil and injustice throughout the world (provided she could avoid being beheaded, the only way that an Immortal could be permanently killed), Amanda was teamed with detective Nick Wolfe (Paul Johanssen), whom she had met after being "reborn" when Nick shot down his crooked partner. Quitting the force due to ethical disagreements with his superiors, Nick became a private detective, circumventing proper legal procedure whenever it suited his purposes. He also carried a torch for his partner Amanda, and shared the secret of her immortality, as did Amanda's middle-aged companion, a con artist named Lucy Becker (Patricia Gage). As often as possible, Nick and Amanda did leg work for ex-federal agent Bert Myers (Hannes Jaenecke), who ran a security organization. In the tradition of Highlander, Highlander: The Raven filmed the first half of its debut season in Canada, and its final episodes in Paris, where Amanda and Bert had relocated to set up a new private-eye agency, with Nick handling exclusively European cases. Added to the cast at this time was Robert Cavanah as Amanda's platonic roommate and confidante, Father Liam Riley. Debuting in American syndication on September 26, 1998, Highlander: The Raven lasted 22 hour-long episodes, the last of which was "open-ended" enough to warrant a revival somewhere down the line (Nick discovered that he himself was an Immortal, and was a bit uncomfortable about his new status!). ~ All Movie Guide

Produced in Canada for a Canadian and U.S. viewership, the weekly, hour-long drama series Fast Track starred Keith Carradine as Richard Beckett. A former racecar driver, Beckett had become a doctor, working almost exclusively along the speedway circuit and tending to the injuries of his fellow motorists. Naturally, Beckett also got involved with various domestic crises, and occasionally put in time as an amateur detective. The impressive supporting cast included Duncan Regehr as Christian Chandler Jr., Tristan Rogers as Harry, Fred Williamson as Lowell Carter, and Sebastian Spence as Stevie Servine. Produced by Alliance Atlantis, Fast Track unveiled the first of its 23 episodes on August 3, 1997, telecast simultaneously on Canadian and American cable TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In Michael Moore's political satire, the U.S. president (Alan Alda) decides to wage a cold war against Canada in an attempt to reverse his slipping popularity, and, as a result, he drives a small group of incensed Canadians to take matters into their own hands. Alda is the first president in years not to lead his country into war, which naturally means that his approval rating is dangerously low. The sure-fire way to boost his popularity is to start a war and demonstrate American superiority. Unfortunately, as his advisors point out, the U.S. has run out of enemies. That is, until Alda's National Security Advisor Stuart Smiley (Kevin Pollak) happens to catch a segment on the news about a brawl at a Canadian hockey game that began when local American sheriff Bud Boomer (John Candy) made a remark about Canadian beer. This incident gives Smiley the notion to make the public believe that Canada is their new enemy. Determined to demonstrate the mighty power of America to the Canadians, Boomer gets a group of equally angry fellow Americans together to cross the border and perform the most serious of all Canadian crimes -- littering. However, the invasion is foiled and Boomer's numerous blunders threaten to turn a fabricated war into a real one. Written, directed, and produced by Michael Moore, Canadian Bacon takes lighthearted jabs at the differences between the U.S. and Canada, while also satirizing America's obsession with its military strength. The film features John Candy in his last complete screen performance. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

John Wayne Gacy was a respected member of his suburban Illinois community -- he was an active member of several service organizations, ran his own business, and entertained children as Pogo the Clown in his spare time. But Gacy had a terrible secret, and before he was finally brought in by the police, he had raped and killed over 30 young men and buried them beneath his house. To Catch a Killer is a made-for-TV movie that examines Gacy's life and crimes, and Joe Kozenczak (Michael Riley), the cop who finally brought John Wayne Gacy (Brian Dennehy) to justice. The supporting cast includes Margot Kidder and Meg Foster. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

After misplacing their stolen loot, thieves focus on an innocent woman whom they believe knows where it is. ~ All Movie Guide

This is the third in the Scanners series of films, where people have acquired telepathic powers (due to drugs taken by their mothers during pregnancy). This time a brother combats his adopted sister in a telepathic show-down when the sister takes an experimental drug that turns her toward evil. She schemes a plan to take over the world using her psychic powers and must be stopped. ~ All Movie Guide

Goldie Hawn delivers a surprisingly understated performance (allowing the audience to shift their laughter from the usually comic Hawn to the unbelievable storyline) in the unsuccessful thriller Deceived. Hawn plays Adrienne Saunders, a successful art restorer who is married to Jack (John Heard), a devoted husband who is also an expert in the antiques business. Married for six years and parents of a charming 5-year-old daughter Mary (Ashley Peldon), the Saunders appear to have everything going for them. But after a series of odd occurrences that even an idiot would notice, Adrienne finally comes the conclusion that her husband is not the man she thought he was when she married him. After Jack tells Mary that he was in Boston but Adrienne's friend tells her she saw him in New York, the mysterious clues begin piling up and are too numerous to ignore: there's a call from a department store concerning some sexy lingerie that Jack purchased; a friend is found murdered after checking on the authenticity of an Egyptian necklace; and there are indications that Jack was involved with a scheme to steal artifacts from a museum. Adrienne is finally convinced that something is fishy about her husband when he mysteriously dies is an auto wreck, and she discovers that Jack has been using the name of a man who had died 16 years earlier. Adrienne proceeds to polish her magnifying glass and conducts some detective work on her own to find out who her husband really was. This is when the danger really begins. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

This average Canadian sci-fi actioner concerns the exploits of an intergalactic policeman named Abraxas (Jesse "The Body" Ventura). The space cop comes to Earth to track a rogue alien, Secundus (Sven-Ole Thorsen), who is looking for a woman to bear his child -- a "Comator" with the power to destroy the universe. The sole point of interest may be the method of impregnation -- a single touch. The supporting players include Marjorie Bransfield and James Belushi, cast once again as a school principal. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Though this police and courtroom drama did not do well at the box-office, some reviewers thought that the lead performances by Burt Reynolds and Theresa Russell were first-rate. Joe Paris (Reynolds) is a policeman suspended from active duty. He awakens from an alcoholic binge to discover that he is being charged for a murder he has no memory of. Jenny Hudson (Russell) is his court-appointed defense lawyer, a young feminist eager to prove herself in the courtroom. After some initial difficulties, the two cooperate to unravel the tangled circumstances behind the murder. Michael Crichton directed but did not collaborate on the story or screenplay. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Despite its relative failure at the box office, this is a worthwhile thriller from the director of Bonnie and Clyde. Mary Steenburgen stars as an actress, Katie McGovern, lured to the upstate New York cabin of crazy Dr. Joseph Lewis (Jan Rubes), a diabolical crippled shrink playing a blackmail game with the ruthless sister of a recently murdered woman, who happened to be a dead ringer for Katie. Lewis and his creepy assistant (Roddy McDowall) keep Katie captive, videotaping her and cutting off her finger to further their sordid plot, while she tries desperately to get away. As the title implies, Arthur Penn gets a lot of atmosphere out of the remote cabin and a raging blizzard, and the cast is terrific. It all falls apart eventually, but is quite gripping until the required histrionics in the silly final reel. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide