Scott Bellis Movies
- 2002
Dark Angel was shifted to a more adult-friendly 9:00 p.m. time slot with this episode, in which Max (Jessica Alba) has the opportunity to renew her relationship with Logan (Michael Weatherly). It all hinges on a temporary cure for the virus implanted in Max, a virus that would otherwise prove fatal to Logan should he contact it as well. Alas, the 12-hour reprieve from illness is rudely interrupted by Max's fellow Manticore refugee Joshua (Kevin Durand), who bears news of a hideous, Manticore-generated creature called Gossamer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum) is outraged when his billionaire father, Lionel (John Glover), closes down the Smallville branch of LutherCorp, thereby throwing hundreds out of work. Elsewhere, Clark (Tom Welling) and Chloe (Allison Mack) are about to share their first kiss -- a tender moment rudely interrupted when Clark must dash off to save Lana (Kristin Kreuk) from an approaching tornado. This final episode of Smallville's first season culminates in a cliffhanger climax wherein one of the key characters must make a fateful decision...while another character may be lost to the world forever. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Just how far should one man go to stay ahead of his competition? Milo Hoffmann (Ryan Phillippe) is a young and gifted computer software designer who with his close friend Teddy is about to launch a high-tech start-up firm based on Milo's inventive ideas in convergence, in which he's helping to create new ways for different forms of digital technology to work in harmony. However, before Milo and Teddy can get their company off the ground, Milo receives a very tempting offer from Gary Winston (Tim Robbins), a trailblazing genius in the digital world who has turned his company N.U.R.V. (which stands for "Never Underestimate Radical Vision") into one of the richest and most powerful computer firms on Earth. While Milo is sympathetic to Teddy's beliefs that computer technology should belong to the people and that open source software is the most promising future lies, Winston has long been Milo's role model in design and research, and Milo feels Winston's offer is too good to pass up. Milo and his girlfriend Alice Poulson (Claire Forlani) move out to Silicon Valley, and at first Milo thrives on the challenges of his new position, and develops a close working relationship with fellow designer Lisa Calighan (Rachael Leigh Cook). But Milo underestimates the ruthlessness of the leading-edge software industry, and he soon learns there's a sinister undercurrent to Winston's drive to stay on top. Antitrust earned rising star Ryan Phillippe his first million-dollar paycheck after well-regarded roles in 54 and Cruel Intentions. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Phillippe, Rachael Leigh Cook, (more)
- 1996
Not to be confused with the 1954 giant-insect film of the same name, the made-for-TV Them is more closely akin to the late-1960s television series The Invaders--and in fact, was produced as the pilot for an unsold sci-fi series of the 1990s. In order to save their own dying race, a band of aliens travels to earth, their to infiltrate and ultimate take over the planet by assuming human form. The viewer can be sure that the film's top-billed actors aren't aliens in disguise, but beyond that it is anybody's guess. If nothing else, Them can boast of better than average special effects, with the extraterrestrials moving with the speed of lighting (actually, they move with the lightning in a piggy-back fashion!) The film was originally aired on October 8, 1996, by the UPN network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Roger Moore stars as a writer whose art imitates life in this made-for-TV thriller. Moore stars as Ken Brown, a mystery writer who's central character is based on the profile of a real-life criminal. When the criminal (Malcolm McDowell) escapes from prison by faking his death, he sets out to bring Brown's stories to life and begins a murder spree. Nancy Allen co-stars as a psychic who teams up with Brown to catch the killer. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Based on a true story, the made-for-cable When the Vows Break is a remnant of those dark days not long ago when many women were at the mercy of a chauvinistic legal system presided over by misogynistic judges. Having endured much mental anguish through her marriage, affluent Barbara Parker (Patty Duke) finally divorces her husband Art (Art Hindle) when he coldly changes his life insurance policy to make their daughter Susan his sole beneficiary. When the case comes before Oakland County judge Wendell Adams (Robin Gammell), he presumptively concludes that Barbara was responsible for all the friction in her marriage and rules that she is allowed only a pittance of a settlement and an insultingly low alimony allotment. Thus, despite her divorce, the all-but-impoverished Barbara is still at the mercy of her vindictive ex-husband. Refusing to accept this state of affairs, she launches a legal counterstrike, representing herself in court as she charges Judge Adams with anti-female bias. Produced for the Lifetime cable network, When the Vows Break premiered November 1, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Louisa May Alcott's classic novel about a family of women in Civil War-era New England is again brought to the screen in this adaptation. The focus is on the March sisters, four young girls raised by their mother (Susan Sarandon) after their father leaves for battle as part of the Union Army. At the center is Jo March (Winona Ryder), an idiosyncratic would-be writer said to be based on Alcott herself, but the film also focuses on the stories of her sisters -- the more conventional Meg (Trini Alvarado), the innocent Beth (Claire Danes), and the precocious Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, who represent Amy at different ages.) The film spans years, following the girls' struggles with life's challenges and illustrating how their family connection remains strong in the face of tragedies large and small. Australian director Gillian Armstrong emphasizes the story's feminist elements, particularly in Jo's journey to independence. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Winona Ryder, Gabriel Byrne, (more)
A man who may be on the verge of death quickly takes a thorough look at his life in this drama. Vincent Eastman (Richard Gere) is speeding along a mountain road in Canada when, while swerving to avoid a stalled van, he discovers that he's about to run headfirst into a trailer truck. As he's about to suffer a potentially fatal accident, Vincent finds himself flashing back on the events of his life -- most notably his relationships with his wife Sally (Sharon Stone), his mistress Olivia (Lolita Davidovich), and his daughter Meaghan (Jenny Morrison). While Vincent genuinely cares for Sally, he finds her cold and unemotional, but while the free-spirited Olivia has a passion for life that Sally lacks, Vincent can't bring himself to leave his wife for her. All parties involved feel that Vincent is hurting Meaghan with his inability to commit himself one way or the other, and his friend Neal (Martin Landau), a partner in his architectural firm, warns him that it is wrong for a man to live under two roofs at once. Intersection was an American adaptation of the 1970 French drama Les Choses de la Vie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Sharon Stone, (more)
Based on a comic book story, this futuristic film follows the time-travel exploits of policeman Max Walker (Claude Van Damme). In 1994, Walker's wife Melissa (Mia Sara) is about to tell him that she is expecting their first child when they are attacked by a group of criminals. Walker is shot and beaten and lies helplessly on his lawn while he sees their home and his wife blown up by the killers. Ten years later, Walker remains an employee of the Time Enforcement Commission, a federal agency which was set up in 1994 after the U.S. government learned that time travel technology is feasible. The commission's role is to prevent time travel to protect U.S. economic interests. Walker learns that the corrupt Senator McComb (Ron Silver), who helped establish the agency, is exploiting it for personal gain, trying to establish a monopoly on time travel so that he can enrich himself in the stock market. Walker travels back in time to stop McComb from murdering his former partner. At the same time, Walker hopes to rescue his wife, and he learns that the attack on his home was ordered by McComb to stop Walker from foiling his plans. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mia Sara, (more)
