Matthew O'Connor Movies

Not to be confused with Journey to the Center of the Earth 3D, the Brendan Fraser adventure that was released into theaters the same year, this made-for-cable take on Jules Verne's classic tale stars Golden Globe winner Rick Schroder as the leader of a treacherous mission miles below the Earth's surface. Famed anthropologist Jonathan Brock (Schroder) has just accepted the most dangerous -- and exciting -- assignment of his entire career. Four years ago, Edward Dennison (Peter Fonda) -- husband of wealthy Martha Dennison (Victoria Pratt) -- mysteriously vanished while embarking on an expedition to the planet's core. Martha has never gotten over her husband's disappearance, and she's willing to pay Jonathan whatever it takes to locate the missing Edward. Now, in order to retrace Edward's footsteps and find the answer to Martha's biggest question, Jonathan enlists the aid of his nephew Abel (Steve Grayhm) and Edward's former partner Sergei (Mike Dopud) and sets off to Alaska in hopes of locating the secret gateway to the center of the Earth.

With Martha in tow, Jonathan, Abel, and Sergei make their way into the great unknown and discover something truly spectacular. Miles beneath the Earth's surface is a world teeming with undiscovered life, a place where prehistoric birds soar overhead and man-eating megalodons rule the underworld oceans. The most surprising discovery of all, however, is a primitive race of warriors who have never seen the sun. Edward has become the leader of these men, the God-like ruler of a secret kingdom. But while Edward is indeed considered a god among the people, there is a devil in this world as well. As a rival tribe prepares to launch an attack that could destroy all of civilization, Jonathan and the rest of his crew stage the most daring escape ever attempted. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Kill Bill stars David Carradine and Daryl Hannah reunite for this two-part television mini-series set in late 1920s China, and following a Wudang monk and a vengeful lounge singer on their violent quest to assassinate the man responsible for killing their loved ones and destroying their lives. The orphaned son of Western missionaries, White Crane (Carradine) was trained by Wudang monks to become a spiritual leader and martial arts master. When Kahn Xin (Lim Kay Tong) and his murderous henchmen kill White Crane's mentor during a brutal raid on the Wudang temple, Crane infiltrates the Shainghai underworld on a mission to track Kahn down and ensure that justice is served. But during the course of his quest, Crane crosses paths with Jane Marshall (Hannah), a nightclub singer from Manhattan who also has a score to settle with Kahn. Kahn has kidnapped Jane's brother and the time to rescue him is fast running out. When Crane and Jane realize Kahn's diabolical plans are in fact much more ambitious and malevolent than previously suspected, they hatch a daring plan to enter his inner circle and destroy his gang from the inside out. Later, just as everything begins to fall into place and Kahn's empire quickly begins to crumble, Crane suddenly faces a serious moral dilemma - how can he reconcile his all-consuming hunger for revenge with the peaceful teachings of his Wudang mentors? Later, as Crane returns to help rebuild the fallen Wudang temple, he receives word that his old nemesis Bai Tang has kidnapped Jane back in Shanghai. Now, in order to prevent Jane from being forced into a life of sexual slavery, Crane and his faithful protégé Bingo (Osric Chau) set out to rescue her before all hope is lost. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A small time con artist and his loyal companion must fight to prove their innocent when they are accused of attempting to poison a princess in this adventure mini-series directed by David Wu (The Bride with White Hair) and starring David Carradine. D.B. (John Reardon) was abandoned at birth on the docks of Shanghai, but while most children never would have survived that traumatic start David was rescued from certain death and soon forged a close bond with the resourceful Bird (Carradine). As D.B. grew into a young man, Bird became his constant companion. It always seemed like there was no jam that D.B. and Bird couldn't eventually work their way out of, and when it came to swindling this cunning pair were always at the top of their game. Neither D.B. nor Bird would have ever imagined that one of their brash schemes that would ultimately change the course of their entire lives, yet a daring mission to steal the royal court's jewels did precisely that. Upon carrying out the potentially profitable but highly dangerous mission, D.B. fell desperately in love with the stunning princess Li Wei (Desiree Siahaan). Though his affections were indeed reciprocated, it began to look like their love was doomed as the princess' father attempted to find her a more suitable husband. The princess, however, thwarted this plan by challenging her suitors to a series of arduous and impossible tests ostensibly staged to prove their love for her. When the nefarious Prince of the North (Rupert Graves) frames D.B. and Bird for attempting to murder the princess and sentences them to death, the wily companions rightly begin to surmise that they may have finally gotten themselves into a jam from which there is no escape. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Directed, acted, and produced in the same mold -- and on the same level -- as its many other family friendly, critically-acclaimed television specials, Hallmark Entertainment presents Merlin's Apprentice: Search for the Holy Grail. Starring screen legend Sam Neill (Dead Calm, A Cry in the Dark) in the title role and one of Britain's most accomplished thespians, Miranda Richardson (Damage) as The Lady of the Lake, the miniseries opens with the great wizard returning to Camelot, only to find the entire mythical community in ruins from the theft of its most revered Holy Grail. Accompanied by a rambunctious young pickpocket named Jack (John Henry Reardon), Merlin undertakes a quest to retrieve the Grail and restore Camelot to its original glory. Merlin's Apprentice: Search for the Holy Grail co-stars Tegan Moss as Yvonne, Christopher Jacot as Graham, Meghan Ory as Brianna, and Woody Jeffreys as Arthur. Veteran Hong Kong Kung-fu filmmaker and John Woo-apprentice David Wu directs. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The Hallmark Hall of Fame production Dreamkeeper is a four-hour television miniseries. Teenager Shane Chasing Horse (Eddie Spears) is a member of the Dog Soldiers gang on the Pine Ridge Reservation. His mom (Sheila Tousey) asks him to take his grandpa Old Pete Chasing Horse (August Schellenberg) to the All Nations Storytelling Powwow in Santa Fe, NM. Shane owes money to some gangsters, so he agrees in order to get out of town. As they drive across South Dakota in a beat-up old Ford, Grandpa tells stories about magical Lakota legends. The stories are re-enacted with the help of computer-generated images. Dreamkeeper was broadcast on ABC in 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Originally conceived as a TV miniseries (but generally shown in a single three-hour installment), this lavish adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen stars Bridget Fonda as the icy-hearted title character. Arriving incognito at the alpine inn run by a man named Wolfgang (Robert Wisden), the embittered Snow Queen makes it her mission in life to ruin all chances of romance for Wolfgang's beautiful daughter, Gerda (Chelsea Hobbs). To this end, the Queen exercises her magic over Gerda's bellhop boyfriend Kai (Jeremy Guilbaut), literally freezing the boy in his tracks. In order to save her beloved, Gerda must undertake a grueling odyssey through the Four Seasons (each of them briefly appearing in human form), culminating in a final, frigid showdown with the spiteful Snow Queen. After its December 7, 2002 debut on the Hallmark cable network, The Snow Queen was almost immediately released in a deluxe DVD edition. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A major earthquake brings the City That Never Sleeps to a screeching halt in this made-for-TV suspense drama. New York City Mayor Lincoln (Charles S. Dutton) and Fire Chief Ahearn (Tom Skerritt) are contentious political rivals forced to set aside their differences and work together when a catastrophic earthquake rips into the city. Lincoln's urgency to dig the city out of the rubble becomes personal when he learns that his daughter Evie (Lisa Nicole Carson) is trapped in a buried subway car -- what's more, one of her fellow passengers is a murder suspect who has just won acquittal, but whom the mayor believes may have been guilty. Elsewhere, Dori (Sharon Lawrence) is a mother who, after accidentally injuring her child in an auto accident, becomes all the more panicked when she learns that her boy is trapped inside a damaged school building that could turn deadly in the event of an aftershock. Originally aired in November 1999, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York also features Cicely Tyson, Erika Eleniak, Jennifer Garner, and Fred Weller. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

For this TV movie, writer-director Jane Anderson adapted her own play contrasting biological and adoptive mothers. Impoverished and pregnant Wanda LeFauve (Laura Dern) lives in a trailer outside Shreveport with her four children and her unemployed husband Al LeFauve (Richard Lineback). When Wanda spots the classified ad of a couple who want to adopt a newborn baby, she responds with a phone call that puts her in touch with a wealthy Los Angeles Jewish couple -- Rachel (Stockard Channing) and Richard Luckman (Peter Riegert). The Luckmans arrive in Louisiana to meet the donors, and both couples deal with the legalistics, while also overcoming their fears and transcending the inevitable cultural and class barriers. Filmed in Vancouver, the film preemed August 23, 1998 on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Rudyard Kipling's classic novel is re-told in this made-for-television adaptation. Robert Urich stars as Troop, the captain of a schooner who rescues a child (Kenny Vadas) after he falls overboard from a passing ship. The boy -- a spoiled, orphaned, rich kid -- learns valuable lessons about life and the sea as Captain Troop and his son make him earn his passage on their vessel. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Set in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, this magical family tale centers on a divorced radio talk show psychiatrist who has been so immersed in his career that he has neglected his two kids, Ashley and Josh. To rectify the situation, he takes them to a beautiful lakeside cabin in Glenorky, BC, the supposed home of a giant mythological reptilian monster. Though he has ostensibly come to spend time with the kids, the lure of working on his book is too strong and soon he is locked away in the cabin amidst papers, a cellular phone and a lap-top, busily clacking away while the children head out to explore. It is Ashley who first sees the mythical monster. She tells her dad, and of course, he initially disbelieves her, but the girl seems so earnest that he begins to wonder. His investigation of the matter leads him down a magical road to reconciliation with his children and the rediscovery that there is a wonderful life outside of his career. He even manages to find a little love along the way. This film is also known as Glenorky. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV action adventure, some criminals terrorize a Seattle-bound bus filled with innocent passengers after a kidnapping goes awry. Michael O'Keefe stars as Jack Boulder, a just-released ex-con who, along with some resourceful characters, helps his fellow bus passengers defend themselves against kidnappers who have been duped out of their ransom money. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

Laughter and chills are served up in equal measure in this made-for-TV movie for the whole family. Kelly and Lynn Farmer (Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen) are twin sisters, who, one Halloween, make a surprising discovery about their Aunt Agatha (Cloris Leachman) -- she's a witch! It seems Agatha isn't an especially nice witch, either -- she has a grudge against Kelly and Lynn's father and wants to ruin him financially, and the twins have to step in to stop her. However, along the way they also have to help Agatha's twin sister Sophia (also played by Leachman), who has been trapped by one of Agatha's spells. Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen: Double, Double, Toil & Trouble also features Meshach Taylor and Eric McCormack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide