Bertila Damas Movies

The family that tracks down bail-jumping bad guys together stays together, in this action-oriented drama series. Dottie Thorson (Annette O'Toole) hasn't quite gotten over the recent death of her husband when the realities of life on her own sink in -- she's deep in debt, and needs to come up with a dependable source of income -- fast. With the help of her 19-year-old daughter Brandi (Jordana Spiro), Dottie decides to reopen her late husband's business as a bounty hunter who collects rewards for capturing criminals who jumped bail rather than stand trial. With the help of Tiny Bellows (James Remar), a convicted murderer and a superb source of information on what's going on behind bars, Dottie and Brandi flag down different crooks each week, working alongside skeptical bail bondsman Ricky Guzman (Luis Antonio Ramos) and trying to avoid mean-spirited fellow bounty agent Claude St. Clair (Granville Ames). The Huntress debuted on the USA cable network on July 26, 2000; it was preceded by a two-hour pilot film, in which the role of Brandi was played by Aleska Palladino. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Part one of this episode introduces the titular Federation rebel group, whose activities would later spill over into Deep Space Nine's sister series Next Generation and Voyager. On this occasion, Sisko learns of the existence of the Maquis and of their scheme to spread terror in the Demilitarized Zone. Sisko must act upon this information before the group is able to spark another war between the Federation and the Cardassians. Scripted by James Crocker from a story by Crocker, Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor, and Ira Steven Behr, part one of "The Maquis" originally aired April 23, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Neighborhood pride runs deep in Echo Park, so when two lifelong friends join the local gang as a matter of course, they're handed down gang names from the previous generation of homegirls. Unfortunately, Sad Girl (Angel Aviles) and Mousie (Seidy Lopez) don't remain friends for long. When Mousie withdraws into herself to cope with the responsibilities of young motherhood after bearing the child of her one true love, Ernesto (Jacob Vargas), Sad Girl and Ernesto turn to each other for comfort. Soon, Sad Girl herself ends up pregnant, and warm sisterhood cools to an icy feud. Ernesto starts dealing drugs to support his two young families -- and to outfit the gussied-up low rider that he hides from both of his unsuspecting girlfriends. The economic and romantic entanglements of these three characters serve as the entry point into this multifaceted exploration of L.A. street life, but Mi Vida Loca rapidly expands in scope to take in other characters, most of them female. Bleach-blond Whisper (Nelida Lopez), for instance, learns the drug-dealing ropes from Ernesto and considers crossing gender lines to open her own operation. The slightly older Giggles (Marlo Marron), however, refuses to fall into old dependencies and habits after being imprisoned for four years for a crime her boyfriend committed. Sad Girl's sister, La Blue Eyes (Magali Alvarado), the only character to choose college over gang life, chances upon a poem written by a prison inmate and becomes hopelessly smitten, abandoning her books for a passionate jailhouse correspondence. The focus of Mi Vida Loca shifts freely between these and several other characters, many of whom take turns providing narration and context. The director's daughter, Tiffany Anders, has a small role in the film alongside many real-life Echo Park denizens; several musicians and film directors also make cameos, among them Spike Jonze, Kurt Voss, Kid Frost, and the members of Los Lobos. Salma Hayek got her SAG card by playing a tiny role. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

Richard Crenna makes his fifth appearances NYPD detective Frank Janek in Terror on Track 9. The villain this time is a serial killer who preys upon women at Grand Central Station. The murderer's modus operandi is to inject his victims with poison. Janek suspects that the perpetrator is a man with a extensive background in chemistry-but he's still whistling in the dark, inasmuch as he has millions of suspects to choose from. Joan Van Ark and Swoosie Kurtz costar. Made for television, Terror on Track 9 debuted September 20, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A Cuban woman who escapes to America finds herself in political, financial, and romantic jeopardy in this taut drama. Cuban refugee Isabel (Greta Scacchi) flees her country and makes her way to Miami after her husband, Nestor (Jimmy Smits), a political activist, is sentenced to a long stay in a Cuban jail. In their dangerous voyage to the United States, Isabel and her daughter are rescued by Sam (Vincent D'Onofrio), a fisherman from Miami; Sam helped Isabel find her way in her new home, and a romance blossoms between the two. However, when Nestor is finally released from prison eight years later and escapes to Miami to be with his wife, he discovers that Isabel's affections are now divided between himself and Sam, while his daughter barely remembers or recognizes him. Danger faces all three sides of this romantic triangle; Sam is asked to use his boat to smuggle Cuban dissidents into Miami, Nestor falls in with a radical fringe group hoping to stage an armed invasion of Cuba, and Isabel, who has become involved with a numbers racket, is in deep trouble after several massive payments were made to someone who never placed a bet. Fires Within was also shown under the title Little Havana; it premiered in Miami, appropriately enough, in its short-lived theatrical release. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide