Mark Bacino Movies

Cassie Broadbeck (Melissa Gilbert) is the matriarch of a highly dysfunctional family whose home is invaded by an escaped convict (Thomas Cavanaugh) and his two henchmen. Painfully aware that her husband Wayne (Brian Wimmer) will be of no help whatsoever, the desperate Cassie is willing to do anything--anything--to save the lives of her two daughters. Making a bad situation even worse is the fact that a hurricane is rapidly approaching! Somewhat prophetically set in New Orleans, Heart of the Storm was first screened at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival on November 5, 2004, then made its cable-TV debut over the Lifetime channel seventeen days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Not long after the death of her mother in a car accident, Kelly (Elisabeth Moss) and her father Jesse (Greg Evigan) move to New Orleans. Their new house is reportedly haunted--and Kelly is convinced that the ghost is begging for her help. Jesse, however, is more skeptical, and with the assistance of Kelly's troublesome friend Cole (Austin O'Brien) he tries to prove that the "haunting" is actually a manifestation of Kelly's own guilt feelings. As it turns out, however, both Kelly and Jesse are right! Evidently intended for theatrical release, Spirit was first seen in the US as a cable-TV offering on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although actor-director-producer Michael Landon died of pancreatic cancer in 1991, his life and career remained indelibly etched on the collective consciousness of America for many years afterward, as witness this warts-and-all TV biopic written and directed by Michael Landon Jr. Although it is clear throughout that the younger Landon loved and adored his father, the film is unstinting in its depiction of the emotional damage wrought upon the boy when, at age 15, his parents were divorced. In fact, it is the elder Landon's infidelities (and his almost casual selfishness) that galvanize the storyline, creating a schism between father and son that would not be repaired until the two Landons came to terms during Michael Sr.'s long and painful terminal illness. To be fair, the film allows Michael Sr. to score points vis-à-vis his tireless dedication to his work and his sincere efforts to be a loving and protective father to his enormous family. John Schneider is cast as the elder Landon, with Joel Berti as the adult Michael Jr., Cheryl Ladd as his mother (and his dad's second wife) Lynn, and Julie Condra as Michael Sr's third wife Cindy, a makeup artist whom the actor had met on the set of Little House on the Prairie (is it any surprise that Lynn comes off far more sympathetically than Cindy in the context of the film?) Michael Landon, the Father I Knew premiered May 23, 1999 on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The real-life story of Olympic diver Greg Louganis is chronicled in this made-for-television drama. Mario Lopez stars as Louganis, an adopted child who went through a difficult adolescence, only to emerge as a world-class diver in the 1988 Olympics. After a notorious diving injury during those games, Louganis went on to win two gold medals. After the games ended though, Louganis was forced to face an even more challenging period and go public with his homosexuality and deal with his HIV-positive status. The film is based on the book of the same name. ~ 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

In this crime drama, a sequel to "Deadly Intentions," the protagonist, Dr. Charles Raynor, who was convicted of attempted murder, has been paroled. He goes home to his second wife. He is determined to get revenge upon those who had him convicted for trying to kill his first wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide