A.L. Katz Movies
- 2002
The Showtime cable series Jeremiah was set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, 15 years after a mysterious virus had killed off everyone past puberty. The only survivors of the holocaust were teenagers and twentysomethings, with the eponymous Jeremiah (Luke Perry) falling into the latter category. Following fragmentary clues left by his father, Jeremiah navigated the dismal, ravaged countryside in search of the "Valhalla Sector," an idyllic locale which may or may not have held the key to a brighter future. He was joined in his quest by the glib, supremely untrustowrthy Kurdy (Malcolm-Jamal Warner), and, on occasion, by other youthful remnants of the human race, both friendly and antagonistic. Co-executive produced by horror film specialist Joe Dante and Babylon 5 maven J. Michael Straczynski, the weekly, 60-minute Jeremiah was launched with a 100-minute pilot episode on March 30, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
In desperate need of money, starving artist Claire Linkwood (Heather Donahue) joins a surrogate birth program at the Deanston Clinic. At first, Claire has no qualms about being artificially impregnated by another woman's husband. But she gradually changes her mind when she realizes that there is something terribly amiss about the fetus growing in her womb -- else why would she be experiencing such horrible nightmares? And what has happened to all the other babies born at Deanston? "The Surrogate" first aired on April 6, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
The annual North American UFO Convention degenerates into a series of heated arguments between various factions of "true believers." One of the donnybrooks is instigated by Max Buford (Don Thompson), who claims he has come into possession of a fragment from an alien spaceship. This sparks a power struggle between mild-mannered Boo Weston (Mackenzie Phillips) and the imperious Gunther Van Owen (Jerry Wasserman) -- which may be part of a master plan by the Government to discredit the entire convention. "Down to Earth" first aired on April 21, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Season Six of The Outer Limits was launched with this piquant peek into the future of cable television. The most popular show on the Judgment Channel is "Judgment Day," in which the families of murder victims are allowed to carry out the executions of the killers before an audience of millions. But as the grieving Allison Channing (Molly Ringwald) hunts down Declan McMahon (Ian Tracey), the two-bit crook accused of killing Allison's sister, Declan's brother Dooley (Vincent Gale) discovers that the producers of "Judgment Day" have been tampering with evidence to improve the show's ratings. "Judgment Day" (the episode, not the "series") first aired on January, 12 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
The fanatical anti-technology group Syndrome hopes to blow up all the computers in the Department of Information Technology. But in their efforts to plant the bombs, most of the group's members are killed by the Department's armed guards. Surviving Syndrome member Cliff Unger (Frank Whaley) manages to get his hands on a detonator, while negotiator Pete Yastremski (John Amos) tries to persuade Cliff to give up his apocalyptic scheme. A series of flashbacks reveals how this crisis came about -- and also casts several doubts as to who are the actual heroes and villains in the piece. "Zig Zag" was originally telecast on August 11, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
For well over a century, North America has been controlled by a technological corporation known as the Company. The Pequod, an interplanetary vehicle owned by the company, is in its tenth year of a deep-space reclamation project. Awakened from hypersleep, the crew of the Pequod comes across a derelict space pod, containing the body of Virgil Nygard, a militia leader supposedly executed years earlier for mass murder. It turns out, however, that Nygard is alive -- and he hopes to enlist the crew in his efforts to restore freedom to the earth. The question: Is Nygard a liar and a homicidal maniac, or is the Company somewhat less benign than it claims to be? "Abaddon" first aired on July 7, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Joe Pantoliano stars as obnoxious radio "shock jock" Stan Harbinger, a firm non-believer of paranormal phenomena. Outraged at being a target of Harbinger's ridicule, Eldon DeVries (Alan Zinyk), a man who is convinced that aliens have taken over his body, commits suicide in a rather horrible fashion. Thereafter, things go from bad to worse for the hapless Harbinger, culminating in some truly disturbing "close encounters" of his own. Alternately titled "Alien Radio," "Dead Air" was first telecast on January 22, 1999, as the opening volley in The Outer Limits' fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
While opening a wormhole in the space-time continuum, scientist Mark Crest (Kevin Nealon) is suddenly trapped in a time loop. He keeps returning to the day before his exploration of the wormhole, and in each case the same thing happens and he is thrust back in time. Gradually, Crest comes to the conclusion that there's a saboteur in the works -- but even knowing this, will he ever be able to get the continuum back on track again? "Déjà vu" originally aired on July 9, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Having placed his father Joe (Bill Cobbs) in the Golden Sunset retirement home, Hank Dell (Anthony Sherwood) is disturbed that Joe is showing signs of senility. Even more disturbing is the fact that Joe has apparently developed Alzheimer's disease in the space of 24 hours. Just what exactly is Benton Adler (Bob Morrisey), the director of Golden Sunset, up to? And what does he keep hidden in that locked warehouse? "Fathers & Sons" was originally telecast on August 6, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Hypochondriac Mona Bailey (Jane Adams) suddenly develops the ability to read her neighbors' minds. Rather than misuse her miraculous new gifts, Mona decides to use them to unite her neighbors against the mysterious corporation that is slowly pushing all of the tenants out of her apartment building. Instead, she succeeds only in turning her neighbors against her -- in fact, they'd like nothing better than to kill the well-meaning Mona. "What Will the Neighbors Think?" first aired on April 23, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
- Add Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood to QueueAdd Tales From the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood to top of Queue
In this satirical horror-comedy, a gumshoe investigates a combination TV ministry/whorehouse/vampire infestation. After bounty hunter Vincent (Phil Fondacaro) unearths the remains of Lilith, queen of the vampires, he restores the alluring creature to life and lords over her using a magical talisman. Later, rowdy youngster Caleb Verdoux (Corey Feldman) convinces one of his dim-witted buddies to accompany him to a combination mortuary/house of ill repute where both young men fall prey to Lilith's charms. Rather than merely drinking her victims' blood, this vampire has a tendency to rip out their hearts with her projectile tongue. Caleb's sister, Katherine (Erika Eleniak), who works for a large televangelism operation run by the shady Reverend Current (Chris Sarandon), hires private dick Rafe Guttman (Dennis Miller) to track down the errant Caleb. Rafe's wise-guy antics soon get him in trouble with Lilith and the law, but not before he uncovers the ties between Lilith's organization and Current's ministry; it seems Vincent, and therefore Lilith, are working for the reverend. Soon, Rafe finds himself in the boudoir of Lilith's bordello, armed with a holy-water squirt gun and fighting to save Erika from the glamorous but deadly vampire. Like Tales From the Crypt Presents Demon Knight, the previous film spin-off from HBO's EC Comics-inspired Tales From the Crypt series, Bordello of Blood features interludes hosted by the puppet skeleton known as the Crypt Keeper (voice of John Kassir). Director Gilbert Adler, who previously helmed Demon Knight, would go on to produce 13 Ghosts and The House on Haunted Hill. Whoopi Goldberg makes an uncredited cameo as a hospital patient. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Miller, Erika Eleniak, (more)
This first theatrical feature spun off from the television series Tales from the Crypt (which was in turn inspired by the infamous EC horror comics of the 1950s) concerns a mysterious man named Brayker (Bill Sadler), who arrives at a church-turned-rooming house in a small town in New Mexico. Hot on his trail is an equally mysterious and very menacing figure known as the Collector (Billy Zane), who arrives with policemen in tow; he claims that Brayker stole some keys from him, and he wants the cops to help him reclaim them. It turns out, however, that the "keys" are actually several amulets that contain drops of the blood of Christ; they can be used to ward off evil in the right hands, but they can lead the world to doom if used improperly. The Collector and his forces lay siege to the house with the other residents caught in the middle between Brayker and the Collector, including alcoholic Uncle Willy (Dick Miller), prostitute Cordelia (Brenda Bakke), sleazy Southerner Roach (Thomas Haden Church), postal employee Wally (Charles Fleischer), sensible Jeryline (Jada Pinkett), and landlady Irene (CCH Pounder). Bordello of Blood, the second Tales from the Crypt feature, hit theaters the following year. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Bill Sadler, (more)
- 1993
A phony tombstone salesmen discovers that his latest mark could be his most profitable ever in this Tales from the Crypt episode starring Tim Curry and Ed Begley, Jr. After making a killing by selling phony tombstones, a murderous conman learns of a family rumored to have a virtual fortune ferreted away in their basement. In order to get to the fortune, however, he will have to marry the daughter and murder the parents. Unfortunately for this malevolent lothario, the surprise awaiting him in the basement isn't quite the hidden fortune he expected. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ed Begley, Jr.
- 1992
- R
The once-homicidal youths of Gatlin, Nebraska are back, transported to a nearby town to be re-integrated into society (they have no recollection of the massacre from the previous film). In no time at all they succumb once again to the devilish influence of a young leader (Ryan Bollman), who organizes them to take murderous action against suspicious adults; those who stumble too close to their secret become blood sacrifices to "He Who Walks Behind The Rows." The scenario of the first film is recreated here -- albeit with slight variations and more imaginative death scenes -- with little explanation given regarding the true source of the kids' demonic power. Followed by even more sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terence Knox, Paul Scherrer, (more)
