John Fawcett Movies
Hollywood success d'estimes Maria Bello (Payback, Duets) and Sean Bean (Troy) team up for the 2006 direct-to-video horror opus The Dark - a gothic tale of supernatural terror with echoes of Orpheus and Eurydice. When Manhattanite divorcee Adelle (Bello) and her young daughter, Sarah (Sophie Stuckey) sojourn to a farm newly purchased by Sarah's dad, James (Bean) on the Welsh coast, an unspeakable tragedy befalls everyone: Sarah drowns. Or, so it appears. For soon, Adelle uncovers a strange history behind the property, entrenched in Welsh mythology. A half-century prior, a gaggle of schoolgirls committed mass hara-kiri on the Welsh cliff behind the farm. One of the victims, Ebril (Abigail Stone) makes a startling reappearance and warns Adelle that Sarah has been abducted and dragged to Annwyn, the Welsh Hades. Now, Adelle and James must team up to rescue the young girl - before she is completely extinguished. John Fawcett (Ginger Snaps) directs. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Bello, Sean Bean, (more)
The feminist horror film genre might not have very many prominent entries, but the critically acclaimed 2000 film Ginger Snaps was just that. A darkly humorous chiller that drew parallels between menstruation and a werewolf curse, the John Fawcett picture garnered several Canadian Genie Award nominations and a loyal cult following. Four years later, Brett Sullivan, the film's editor, made his feature directorial debut with this sequel, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed. Katharine Isabelle and Emily Perkins reprise their roles from the first film as sisters Ginger and Brigitte, respectively. This time around, Brigitte is found by the police after being attacked and taken to rehab when it's assumed that the wolfbane serum that keeps her from turning into a monster is a narcotic. Once inside the facility and denied the substance, Brigitte must strike deals with one of the orderlies to obtain it; meanwhile, she is pursued by another werewolf, and escapes with Ghost, another female patient, to that girl's vacant old house, which sets the stage for a brutal showdown -- made even nastier when the orderly, a hospital doctor, and the elderly Barbara show up and decide to intervene. Also starring Tatiana Maslany, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed was followed only a few months later by Ginger Snaps Back. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, (more)
Executive-produced by Steven Spielberg, the ten-episode, 20-hour miniseries Taken was one of the most ambitious projects undertaken by cable TV's Sci-Fi Network, ultimately costing 40 million dollars -- a price that proved well worth it, inasmuch as the series posted the network's highest-ever ratings. Covering a period from 1947 to the present, the story focused on three different families, each of whom was profoundly affected by extraterrestrial visitation. The Keys family was headed by WWII bomber pilot Russell Keys (Steve Burton), who spent virtually his entire adult life haunted by his "close encounter" with aliens. The Clarkes were originally represented by lonely Texas waitress Sally Clarke (Catherine Dent), who was impregnated by a charming stranger (Eric Close) who turned out to be an alien survivor of the Roswell crash. And the lives of the Crawfords were dictated by ruthless Army officer Owen Crawford (Joel Gretsch), who was determined to prove that the government had covered up the truth about Roswell by dedicating his life to tracking down all space aliens and their half-human descendants. The story was narrated by Allie Keys (Dakota Fanning), a "hybrid" child of the present day, whose story determined the outcome of the final episodes. Boasting impressive computer-generated special effects and eye-popping facial makeup, Taken was seen over a two-week period, beginning December 2, 2002, and ending on December 13. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dakota Fanning, Alonso Oyarzun, (more)
- 2002
Everyone knows that Justin (Randy Harrison) exchanged sexual favors with Gary (Tom Barnett) to get his prime spot dancing on the bar at Babylon, but that doesn't deter the young man. He's making a lot of money, and a concerned Brian (Gale Harold) also notices Gary giving Justin drugs to keep him dancing through the night. Despite Brian's warnings, Justin agrees to serve as "eye candy" at one of Gary's private parties. George (Bruce Gray) takes Emmett (Peter Paige) horseback riding for the first time and offers to take him on a lavish trip around the world. Emmett takes him up on the offer and retires from internet porn, but their voyage is tragically cut short. Detective Horvath (Peter MacNeill) shows up at the diner again, but this time, it's to ask Debbie (Sharon Gless) out on a date. She turns him down, but then reconsiders. Michael (Hal Sparks) is already upset with Debbie for her refusal to accept Ben (Robert Gant). When he hears that she's dating Horvath, whom she previously accused of being a homophobe, Michael loses it. Later, when he, Brian, and Ted (Scott Lowell) are stopped for a traffic violation, Michael mouths off to the cop who stopped them, and the three end up in a cell. This episode was directed by John Fawcett, who directed the well-received indie horror flick, Ginger Snaps. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Escaping from Hades, Julius Caesar (Karl Urban) waylays the Three Fates so that he may alter the Threads of Destiny. As a result, the events leading up to Caesar's death are radically altered, and apparently for the good. Xena (Lucy Lawless) is now Caesar's empress, and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) has become Rome's most successful playwright. Alas, the evil shamaness Alti (Claire Stansfield), now the high priestess of Rome, fouls things up with her usual lust for power and wealth. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 2000
In the concluding episode of Xena: Warrior Princess' own "Ring Trilogy," the battle pitting Xena (Lucy Lawless) against Norse god Odin and the Valkyries is over -- at least for the moment. Having lost her memory, Xena believes that she is Wealthea, bride of Norseman Hrothgar (John Leigh). Alas, if Xena doesn't recover soon, Gabrielle will remain in eternal sleep, surrounded by an impenetrable circle of fire with the sacred Rheingold ring by her side. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
In the generic Canadian suburb of Bailey Downs live Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), 15-year-old sisters committed to introversion, menstruation anxiety, and terminal misanthropy. Three years late for their first period, they spend their time staging gruesome death scenes for their own amusement, amidst the willful ignorance of their relentlessly perky mother (Mimi Rogers). On the night Ginger finally gets her period, the sisters are attacked in the woods by a ferocious creature that may have some connection to "The Beast of Bailey Downs," a predator currently disemboweling its way through the local dog population. The girls survive the attack, and Ginger's wounds heal quickly, but her attitude grows even more bizarre, as hair sprouts from her scars and a tail grows from her spine. Adding to the terror, she starts dating boys. A panicked Brigitte forces herself to befriend Sam (Kris Lemche), the high school pot supplier, whose brand of ganja may be the only cure for Ginger's troubling ailment. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, (more)
- 2000
In the first episode of Xena: Warrior Princess' own "Ring Trilogy," Xena (Lucy Lawless) heads to the land of Norse, there to destroy the beast Grinhilda, whom she inadvertently created during her warrior-princess days. The lovely, enigmatic Brunnhilda (Brittney Powell) explains to Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) how Xena's past misdeeds -- including a torrid affair with Norse God Odin (Alexander Petersons) -- has wrought terror upon the land. Gabrielle also learns of Xena's role in forging the all-powerful Rheingold ring. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Xena (Lucy Lawless) seeks out the shamaness Yakut (Kate Elliot) to explain why she's having nightmares about her unborn baby. Yakut explains that the spirit of the evil Alti (Claire Stansfield) is systemically sapping the life force of Xena's child so that she, Alti, can return to the land of the living. It is up to Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) to rescue both Xena and baby -- but she might have to sacrifice her own life in the process. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
Season five of Xena: Warrior Princess begins on a bleak note, inasmuch as both the titular Xena (Lucy Lawless) and her traveling companion, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), had been crucified by the Romans at the end of season four -- thereby fulfilling the prophecy of the evil shamaness Alti. As Xena and Gabrielle's friends Joxer (Ted Raimi), Amarice (Jennifer Sky), and Eli (Timothy Omundson) mournfully set about the task of recovering their bodies, a full-scale war rages between Heaven and Hell to claim the ladies' souls. And thanks to the perfidy of Xena's old enemy Callisto (Hudson Leick), the spirit of Gabrielle is veering dangerously toward the Demonic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
- 1999
On the last leg of her journey through India, Xena (Lucy Lawless) elicits the aid of Krishna (Rajiv Varma) to rescue Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) and Gabrielle's spiritual shaman, Eli (Timothy Omundson), from the King of the Demons. In the process, Xena learns of "The Way" -- that is, the manner in which the lives of humans are predestined to go along certain paths, even when those humans have no idea what those paths are. After complaints from a splinter religious group, this episode was withdrawn from Xena: Warrior Princess' U.S. syndicated package, and was never shown at all in the U.K. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, (more)
Bored small-town teens anxious for excitement get in over their heads when they believe the wild tales of a wounded stranger in this absorbing and taut Canadian drama. Kyle, Eric and Brad are fourteen years old and already feel trapped by the boring routines of their small-town lives. Their only refuge from their adolescent angst is an abandoned cabin located in the woods. One day they got to their sanctuary and find themselves staring at a heavily bleeding wounded wild man with a gun pointed right at them. He calls himself Luke Cooper and tells them that he is a good cop who must escape from some bad ones. The three boys totally believe the tale and so begin helping Luke. The adventure is great fun until suspicions rise and they discover the awful truth: Luke is a real criminal wanted for killing a cop. Luke then turns violent on them taking Eric hostage after beating him. The tension increases as the inevitable blood soaked final confrontation approaches. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Penn, Dominic Zamprogna, (more)
