Michael Dorn Movies

As Earth literally begins falling to pieces, it's up to a team of crack scientists to dive deep into the mantle and patch up the planet in this sci-fi-adventure starring Star Trek: The Next Generation's Michael Dorn and Beverly Hills 90210's Luke Perry. Vast crevices large enough to engulf entire cities have begun appearing on the surface of the planet, and if something isn't done fast, the population faces an unprecedented catastrophe. With rumors of a government conspiracy swirling among the population, a group of fearless scientists agree to descend to the deepest depths of the Earth to find out what's causing the apocalyptic planetary shifts. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The title of this episode refers to actor James Woods, whom Peter Griffin befriends under unusual circumstances (what, exactly, would the USUAL circumstances be?). Before long, however, Peter regrets making the acquaintance of Woods, who refuses to leave the Griffin home despite all manner of provocation. Elsewhere, Brian the dog attends a PTA meeting, where he falls in love with a teacher named Shauna (voiced by Gabrielle Union). For reasons best known to producer Seth MacFarlane, this episode also features caricatured cameos by three actors in the Star Trek franchise: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn. And if nothing else, "Peter's Got Woods" proves that James Woods is a sucker for Reese's Pieces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Heart of the Beholder tells the harrowing true-life tale of an entrepreneurial young couple who owned an operated St. Louis' first videocassette rental store, and the challenges faced by their growing family when religious zealots from Rev. Donald Wildmon's National Federation for Decency (later renamed the American Family Association) launched a frightening campaign designed to intimidate them into removing movies deemed by the group to be ". . .obscene or a detriment to the community and its children." When Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ was originally released on home video, the majority of St. Louis video stores buckled to pressures by religious groups not to offer the film for rental. Ken and Carol Tipton - owners of a videocassette rental store known as the Video Library - refused to give in to the demands of the group they saw as modern day book burners, and as a result their store was picketed, and the life of their young daughter threatened. When the Tiptons refused to give in to the demands of the NFD, the case went to court. Unfortunately for the Tiptons, the NFD used scandalous information about the Prosecuting Attorney's secret sex life to blackmail the prosecutor. Later, due to the misuse of RICO racketeering laws, multiple movies from the Tiptons' store were confiscated before the jury found even a single video obscene. After the prosecutor made vague and damning references indicating that the Tiptons had ties to organized crime, the family was shunned by the community. Yet while the Tiptons subsequently emerged victorious in two court cases, the damage had already been done: Negative publicity had caused the family to become fragmented, and mounting court fees forced their business to go bankrupt. Later divorced from his wife and stuck in a suicidal depression, Ken ultimately made an accidental discovery that would not only turn his life around, but also expose the corruption and hypocrisy that nearly destroyed him. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In this hit thriller, a prosecuting attorney-turned-defense lawyer falls in love with a rich, charming client who's been accused of murdering his wife and her maid with a hunting knife. When an unknown assailant gruesomely slays San Francisco newspaper heiress Paige Forrester (Maria Mayenzet), her husband and business partner, Jack Forrester (Jeff Bridges), turns to corporate attorney Teddy Barnes (Glenn Close) for counsel. Teddy, who quit her job with the district attorney's office four years earlier over an ethical dilemma, has reservations about returning to criminal work; nevertheless, she accepts the assignment, convinced of Jack's innocence and eager to face off in court against her old boss, DA Thomas Krasny (Peter Coyote), who's about run for attorney general. With the help of investigator Sam Ransom (Robert Loggia), the recently divorced Teddy builds a strong defense for her client, though the work -- and her incipient romance with Jack -- cause strain in her relationship with her children. When Jack's innocence and his romantic intentions come into question, Teddy feels her life slipping back into a moral quagmire until a series of courtroom denouements set the stage for even bigger surprises. Big-name screenwriter Joe Eszterhas' follow-up to Flashdance, Jagged Edge was directed by Richard Marquand, who had previously lensed Return of the Jedi. Parts of Jagged Edge were shot on-location in San Francisco, whose City Hall provides the film's courtroom exteriors. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Superman apparently sacrifices himself for the sake of his fellow Justice Leaguers. Can it be that The Man of Steel is gone from the scene for good? And how will mankind be able to survive without Superman's benevolent protection? Originally intended to be telecast near the end of Justice League's second season, "Hereafter" was bumped forward to an earlier playdate due to its high suspense quotient. ~ All Movie Guide

Season two of the animated Justice League begins with a two-part story set in space and features two of Superman's longtime nemeses, the enigmatic Darkseid and the wholly villainous Krypton refugee Brainiac. While Darkseid endeavors to break a longstanding extraterrestrial treaty between the New Gods and New Genesis, Brainiac foments chaos on the planet Apokolips. Superman's fellow Justice League members combine their talents to find a common solution for both problems, but their efforts are complicated by the questionable motives of Darkseid and the resourcefully sinister Brainiac. ~ All Movie Guide

One of America's bravest military men finds himself pushing the limits of his abilities in this action-thriller. Senator Stuart Davis (David Hedison), a U.S. Congressman running for president, is travelling to the Balkins, hoping to speak with political leaders there to stop a civil war that threatens to become a major conflict. While on board, Davis decides to check out a computer disc which was handed to him shortly before his flight took off, and to his surprise, he discovers it contains damning evidence which proves Vice President Pike (Cliff Robertson), who is facing off against Davis in the upcoming election, is the leader of a secret plan to encourage the war in the Balkans so that American arms dealers will be able to sell weapons to both sides. It isn't long before Pike learns that Davis knows his secret and he's willing to use his power and his agents to bring down Davis' flight (and the innocent civilians on board) to cover his tracks. One of Davis' passengers is Capt. Jack Tyree (Brian Bosworth), an Air Force anti-terrorism expert, and it becomes obvious it's up to him to fight off Pike's goons and bring the jetliner safely to the ground. However, there's a catch -- despite his daring, skill, and military training, Tyree has never learned how to fly a plane. Mach 2 also stars Shannon Whirry, Michael Dorn, and Bruce Weitz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A dream takes flight in this documentary detailing the heroism of the Tuskegee Airmen - the first African-American fighter pilots of World War II. Originally commissioned in 1941, it was the Tuskegee Airmen's duty to help defend distressed allied bombers in the European theater. And they did so with unrivaled passion and precision; under their watchful eyes, few if any bombers were subsequently lost to Axis fighters. Realizing that some Americans were completely unaware of the incredible contributions made by the Tuskegee Airmen, the founders of The Red Tail Project made it their mission to ensure that these heroic pilots became a household name. When project leader Don Hinz was killed while flying a plane built as a homage to the Airmen, his former team members vowed not to let his boundless enthusiasm perish with him. This is the story of the brave African-American pilots who risked their lives in order to ensure that peace prevailed, and the people who have dedicated their lives to ensure that they are not forgotten. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Shade, the first feature film from real-life card shark Damian Nieman, who wrote and directed the picture, stars Gabriel Byrne and Thandie Newton as a duo of con artists looking to beat the "Dean" (Sylvester Stallone), a legendary card shark, in a high-stakes poker game. Their first step is hiring two fellow tricksters -- Jamie Foxx and Stuart Townsend -- to provide the smooth talking and to procure the necessary funds. Unfortunately, Larry (Foxx) blows his hand and finds himself with 85,000 dollars worth of debt owed to a local crime boss. Shade premiered at the 2003 CineVegas film festival and also features Dina Merrill and Melanie Griffith. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

The wildly prolific cult exploitation director and Roger Corman vet Jim Wynorski (Big Bad Mama 2, Not of This Earth) returns to the thematic territory of his 1986 Chopping Mall with the direct-to-video sci-fi actioner Shockwave (2005). The premise concerns a series of top-grade, covert "Shock Wave" robots. Originally designed as Mars Rovers, these machines - shielded with thick armor and laden with state-of-the-art lasers, weapons and tracking systems - ultimately proved themselves so ubiquitous that the armed forces opted to use them in routine military operations, to root out terrorists when attempting to suppress hostile lands. As the story opens, however, a plane transporting the machines crash lands on an abandoned Pacific island. The robots then go on a rampage, and a group of hotshot Navy SEALS is assigned to bring them down, via cutting edge particle cannons. The men are hindered by one small detail: as time rolls on, the intelligence of the robots builds rapidly, enabling the machines to dismantle all of the guns. As the power of the aggressors builds, the soldiers must find an innovative way to stop the madness, before the robots gain enough force and power to wipe out the entire human race. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide