Jason LaPadura

The Jonas Brothers star in this Disney Channel Original Movie about a working class girl determined to refine her musical talent at an acclaimed summer workshop, and the newfound sense of confidence she gains after meeting the singer of a popular musical act. Camp Rock is the place where young musicians go to grow into talented musicians. Mitchie Torres has always dreamt of spending a summer at Camp Rock, but her family can't afford the tuition costs. When Mitchie's mother announces that she got her daughter a discount on tuition by agreeing to work as the camp cook, the young musician is overjoyed at the prospect of actually attending Camp Rock. Though at first intimidated by the more privileged campers, Mitchie soon strikes up a friendship with the decidedly down-to-earth Caitlyn, who dreams of some day becoming a music producer. Later, Mitchie tries to impress popular girls Tess, Peggy, and Ella by claiming that her mother is a powerful executive at Hot Tunes TV, a tall tale that ultimately gets her invited to sing back up for the catty clique. Meanwhile, Connect 3's summer tour has been cancelled, and lead singer Shane Gray seems to have lost his passion for music. His bandmates Jason and Nate think that a stint in Camp Rock would be the perfect thing to help the singer get his ego back in check, and soon after arriving Shane is captivated by Mitchie's voice. Unlike the other campers, Mitchie seems to genuinely appreciate Shane's creativity rather than simply fawning over his stardom, and it before long the pair has become fast friends. But Tess is jealous of Mitchie and Shane's budding friendship, and upon discovering the truth about the humble singer's mother, the scheming mean girl makes it her mission to get ensure that neither Mitchie nor Caitlyn perform at the upcoming Final Jam competition. Later, as Shane, Nate, and Jason take their seats on the judge's panel for the Final Jam, Mitchie attempts to overcome her fear, step into the spotlight, and show everyone her true talent. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

High School Musical 3: Senior Year continues the ongoing tune-filled love story between basketball player Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and brainy beauty Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Anne Hudgens). As they head toward high-school graduation, the couple realizes that they'll be separated when they head to different colleges in the fall, so they join with their friends to produce a spring musical that will help them express their hopes and fears about the future. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Created by J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost) and Dana Stevens (For Love of the Game), the weekly, 60-minute dramedy What About Brian covered reliable territory previously staked out in the 1969 Broadway musical Company. Set in Los Angeles, the series starred Barry Watson as Brian O'Hara, who at age 34 was the only one in his circle of friends, six in all, who was neither married nor engaged -- and, of course, all of Brian's friends were anxious that he "join the club" and find the right girl. Actually, no one was more anxious for this than Brian himself, who was tired of feeling like a "seventh wheel." Brian ran a video business called Zap Monkey with Dave Greco (Rick Gomez), who had been married to wife Deena (Amanda Detmer) for 13 years. After having three children and pretty much wearing out each other's welcome, Dave and Deena were seriously considering experimenting with an "open" marriage, even while trying to convince Brian of the joys of matrimony. Elsewhere, Brian's best friend, Adam (Matthew Davis), had just become engaged to "perfect in every way" pediatric surgeon Marjorie (Sarah Lancaster) -- good news for Adam, but bad for Brian, who hadn't yet gotten over his own adoration of Marjorie. Finally, there was Brian's older sister, Nic (Rosanna Arquette), recently wed to much-younger hunk Angelo (Raoul Bova), and desperate to have children before her biological clock ceased ticking. What About Brian inaugurated its ABC network run on April 16, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The captain of the East High basketball team and the key member of the academic club shock the student body by teaming to audition for the upcoming school musical in a Disney Channel Original Movie that's all about being yourself and following your dreams. Troy (Zac Efron) is best known as the player who keeps the East High basketball team on the scoreboard. Of course, life isn't always about athletics, though, and as Troy slam-dunks on the boards, beautiful and brainy Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens) is raising the reputation of East High as the key member of the school's successful academic team. Despite their outgoing natures, no one would ever peg Troy and Gabriella as theater types. When word gets out that this popular pair has secretly chosen to reach for the stars and try their luck on the stage, the students of East High are about to learn an important lesson in teamwork while gearing up for a musical performance that will have their audience dancing in the aisles. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Set in Philadelphia during the early '60s, the NBC drama series American Dreams concentrated on the Pryors, an Irish-Catholic family struggling to make sense of the great sociological changes being wrought upon the world -- and themselves. The first episode, ostensibly built around the determination of 15-year-old Meg Pryor (Brittany Snow) to appear on the locally produced TV dance show American Bandstand (whose host, Dick Clark, was one of American Dreams' executive producers), veered sharply into an entirely different direction with the announcement that President Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas, an event that would inexorably shape the future of the entire family. Other characters included family patriarch Jack Pryor (Tom Verica), the traditionalist owner of a TV sales shop; Jack's wife Helen (Gail O'Grady), an incipient feminist who had begun to realize that a whole new world existed outside of her home and family; son J.J. (Will Estes), whose plans to attend Notre Dame on a football scholarship were sidetracked by his blossoming radicalism; the two younger Pryor children, Will (Ethan Dampf) and Patty (Sarah Ramos); Meg's best friend Roxanne (Vanessa Lengies); and the family's African-American friends, Henry and Sam Walker (Jonathan Adams, Arlen Escarpeta). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Henry John Deutchendorf started his career in music as a guitar-strumming folkie who got his first big break as a member of the Chad Mitchell Trio in the early 1960s; with the dawn of the 1970s, as John Denver he became one of the biggest and most recognizable figures in popular music, and this made-for-TV drama examines his life and career both on and off-stage. Born the son of an Air Force pilot (Gerald McRaney), John Denver (Chad Lowe) sought the approval of his father, who didn't think much of his son's desire to become a musician. But once Denver heard his calling, he hit the road, first with the Chad Mitchell Trio and later as a solo act. Along the way, Denver met Annie (Kristin Davis), whom he would later marry and who would inspire one of his best-known songs. After several years of struggle (buoyed by Peter, Paul, and Mary's hit recording of his song {&"Leavin' On a Jet Plane"), Denver finally found commercial success with the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads" in 1972. But Denver's new success did not win him the love of his father, and his busy touring schedule took a toll on his marriage; when Denver's career fell into a slump in the '80s, he found himself alone without a wife, and began developing a serious problem with depression and alcohol. Based on John Denver's autobiography, Take Me Home: The John Denver Story features 15 of his original recordings on the soundtrack; originally produced for CBS, the film was first aired April 30, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this TV drama-comedy, Julie Barber (Allison Smith) hires detective wannabe Bob Jones (Frank Whaley) to track down the legendary private eye Buddy Faro (Dennis Farina), who was once such a name that he was portrayed by an actor (George Hamilton) in a TV series. Now nearly forgotten, Faro has inherited a small fortune, but no one knows where he went. Traveling to the dusty streets of a little town in Mexico, Jones manages to find the booze-soaked Faro lying in the gutter. Rescued by Jones and Julie, Faro returns to Hollywood, where he made his mark 20 years earlier. Things have changed, but the stylish Faro is soon back in business in a big way, confronting criminals in his ultra-cool style, while the Joel McNeely soundtrack provides a jazzy accompaniment. Premiered September 25, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Bernard Rose followed his moody fantasy-thriller Paperhouse (1988) with this modern horror tale, based on Clive Barker's short story "The Forbidden". Compiling a thesis on urban legends, University of Illinois in Chicago graduate student Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) becomes aware of the prevalent superstition surrounding the legend of "Candyman" (Tony Todd)--a hook-wielding phantom who will appear if his name is recited five times into a mirror--among the tenants of Chicago's Cabrini Green project. A senior professor, hearing of Helen's research, explains the historical basis for the legend, detailing how Candyman is believed to be the vengeful spirit of a former slave who, though initially respected in academia, was set upon and mutilated by an angry mob when accused of taking a white mistress. When the clinically-detached Helen flaunts her intellectual confidence by reciting Candyman's name five times, she sets in motion an inevitable series of supernatural events -- culminating in a series of grisly killings, after which Helen is invariably found holding the bloody murder weapon. Though she is captured by the police, it becomes evident to Helen that Candyman is guiding her fate every step of the way. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide