Christian Oliver Movies

A sequel to the popular NBC weekend seriocomic series Saved by the Bell, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which first aired September 11, 1993, was set not long after the familiar regulars from the original series had graduated from Bayside High School. During the sequel's first season, only the character of Principal Richard Belding (Dennis Haskins) was carried over from the first Saved by the Bell. The sequel's initial episodes introduced Bayside's incoming sophomore class: Scott Erickson (Robert Sutherland Telfer), Barton "Weasel" Wyzell (Isaac Lidsky), "Tommy D." DeLuca (Jonathan Angel), Megan Jones (Bianca Lawson), Lindsay Warner (Natalia Cigiluti), and Vicki Needleman (Bonnie Russavage). Fans of the earlier series could not help but notice that the new cast bore many of the character traits associated with the Saved by the Bell regulars -- notably Scott, who came off as the new incarnation of the earlier show's inimitable Samuel "Screech" Powers (Dustin Diamond). This may be why Scott was among the characters eliminated during The New Class' second season, when, in a ratings-boosting move, "Screech" returned, this time as a college student working on a trial basis as Mr. Belding's administrative assistant. (Other Saved by the Bell favorites would pop up as guest stars in later New Class episodes.)

Each successive season of Saved By the Bell: The New Class found a handful of new students either joining the existing cast members or replacing departing regulars. Newcomers in season two included Rachel Myers (Sarah Lancaster, who'd played the role on a sporadic basis in the previous season), Brian Keller (Christian Oliver), and Bobby Wilson (Spankee Rogers). Season three brought forth R.J. Collins (Salim Grant), Maria Lopez (Samantha Becker), and Ryan Parker (Richard Lee Jackson). In season four we met Nicky Farina (Ben Gould), Katie Peterson (Lindsey McKeon), and Eric Little (Anthony Harrell). New to the cast in season five was Liz Miller (Ashley Lyn Cafagna). And in season six, Tony Dillon (Tom Wade Huntington) joined the student body. Plot-wise, Saved by the Bell: The New Class followed the formula established by its predecessor: zany comedy set pieces, intramural romances, seemingly insurmountable crises, brushes with such social problems as drunk driving, smoking, drug use, and premarital sex, impromptu musical numbers, and exotic "field trips" to faraway locales. Although only six seasons of The New Class episodes were produced, the series lasted seven first-run years on NBC, its final season split into two 13-episode segments and spread out over a two-year period. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Christian Oliver, Pamela Segall and Laura San Giacomo star in this story about how success can drive a wedge between friendships. Daniel is a chef who shares an apartment with two of his best friends, Samantha and Peter. When Daniel gets a job on a TV cooking show, he's an overnight success, but he also has less and less time for his friends. When Daniel moves out of the apartment to move in with his new agent, Jacqueline, Samantha and Peter feel betrayed, and it takes a while for Daniel to realize the perks of his new fame are costing him his true friends. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Sleeping with your boss's wife could get you fired, but one man discovers that's the least of his worries in this tense erotic thriller. Kyle Griffin (Christian Oliver) is a college student pursuing a degree in architecture. Kyle thinks he's landed on his feet when he scores a job at a large and prestigious firm, but he soon discovers there's more to the job than he imagined when he's drawn into a kinky affair with Barbara (Michelle von Flotow), his boss's wife. Kyle becomes uncomfortable with his relationship with Barbara, however, when he discovers she has a voracious appetite for bondage and S&M; but his attitude goes from uneasy to frantic when he learns that Barbara has a few very dark secrets in her past. And he's in the wrong place at the wrong time when a dead body appears that may somehow be tied to his affair with Barbara. Ice-T and Yvette Nipar co-star as a pair of police detectives assigned to investigate the murder. P.J. Soles also appears in a cameo. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Far From Bismark director Phillip Chidel takes a psychological approach to death and resurrection with a modern update on the Frankenstein legend concerning a doctor who claims to have found the key to immortality and the subject who ventures to his remote cabin for a series of chilling experiments. Deep within the snowbound monoliths of the Rocky Mountains, Dr. Franklin Vick is struggling to perfect the fine art of resurrection. Bringing the dead back to life is a tricky game though, and in order to truly carry out his research Dr. Franklin is going to need an assistant. Despite the highly controversial and blatantly unethical nature of Dr. Franklin's research, troubled medical student Adam Schmidt casts aside his doubts and hastily makes way for the doctor's snowbound laboratory to help take part in the potentially historic discovery. As the pair work feverishly to perfect their resurrection methods, they quickly find out that although death may not be as permanent as medical science presently dictates, it most certainly has some troubling side effects. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Matrix masterminds Andy and Larry Wachowski usher anime icon Tatsuo Yoshida's classic 1960s-era hit into the new millennium with this family-friendly story of a young racecar driver who takes on the mysterious Racer X in a custom-made, gadget-loaded speed machine named the Mach 5. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is the kind of driver that every wheelman wishes he could be: a born winner whose unbeatable combination of aggression, instinct, and fearlessness always finds him crossing the checkered flag with a comfortable lead. In Speed Racer's mind, the only driver who could present him with any real challenge is his late brother -- the legendary Rex Racer. Rex died in a heated cross-country rally known as The Crucible many years ago, and now his younger sibling is driven to fulfill the legacy that Rex left behind. To this day, Speed Racer is fiercely loyal to family. It was Speed Racer's father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the unbeatable Mach 5, and even a lucrative offer from racing giants Royalton Industries isn't enough to get the young ace to break his family ties.

Upon turning down Royalton's (Roger Allam) astronomical offer, Speed Racer makes the shocking discovery that the outcomes of the biggest races are being predetermined by a handful of powerful moguls who pad their profits by manipulating the drivers. Realizing that his career would be ruined if word of the fix gets out, Royalton vows that the Mach 5 will never make it to another finish line. Now, the only way for Speed Racer to save the family business and beat Royalton at his own game will be to win the very same race that claimed his brother's life so many years ago. In order to accomplish that formidable feat, however, Speed Racer will not only have to rely on his family and the aid of his longtime girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), but form a tenuous alliance with his longtime rival -- the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox) -- as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

At the absolute height of World War II, German generals hatch a daring plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler and effectively render the German war machine impotent. Directed by Bryan Singer, Valkyrie stars Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the real-life mastermind behind the elaborate plot known as Project Valkyrie: a plan to assassinate Hitler and overthrow his government from the inside. Stauffenberg has been a loyal soldier and an asset to the Reich for his entire military career, but after losing an eye, a hand, and three fingers in an Allied bombing, he reaches a breaking point. The destructive madness that his country is unleashing on the world has become too terrible for the colonel to stand silent. He joins the resistance movement -- a treasonous act, punishable by death -- and risks his life and the life of his family for the chance to change history. Comprised of high-ranking officials working in secret, the German Resistance has access to the inner workings of the government and military, putting them in the perfect position to dispatch the dictator and then use his own official contingency plan to seize power -- before the army, the S.S., and loyal party members can put someone just as diabolical in the Führer's place. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide