James Mathers Movies

A woman fights to reclaim her life from a man who threatens to take everything in this suspenseful thriller featuring Ed Begley, Jr., Ernie Hudson, Tess Harper, and Lea Thompson. When an outwardly charming stranger pushes a vulnerable woman the brink of insanity, she calls on her two best friends to help turn the tables on her tormentor. Later, when her vicious attacker refuses to relent, the situation spirals toward disaster for all involved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A desperate woman enlists the aid of two close friends in contending with a volatile situation that is fast threatening to spiral out of control. Julia (Dina Meyer) is a successful, independent woman. The only thing missing from her life is the right man. Though Julia is currently sleeping with Scott (Vincent Spano), she keeps their affair a secret from her two best friends (Lea Thompson and Lela Rochon). Scott may be a charmer, but just beneath the surface lurks a malevolent secret. When Scott makes a threat that pushes Julie to the breaking point, she recruits her friends to help rectify the matter. But these three friends have underestimated the consequences of their actions, and now Scott is about to force them into a situation that could spell disaster for all involved. Ernie Hudson, Ed Begley, Jr., and Tess Harper co-star in a character-driven suspense drama from first time writer/director Meir Sharony. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The place of gay and lesbian congregation and clergy within various Christian denominations has become an increasingly controversial issue in recent decades, and many conservative Christian leaders have justified church polices which limit the participation of homosexuals in the church (as well as support of legislation against gay marriage or civil rights for gays) by citing certain passages of the Holy Bible. But what do these passages really mean? How accurate is their translation from the original holy texts? And have they been used outside of proper context to justify a political agenda that runs counter to Christian ideals of acceptance and forgiveness? For The Bible Tells Me So is a documentary which looks at the ongoing battle of gays and lesbians to celebrate their faith without denying their sexual preferences. The film includes interviews with a number of conservative Christian families as well as V. Gene Robinson, who became the first officially ordained Anglican bishop; political activist and spiritual leader Bishop Desmond Tutu; and Chrissy Gephardt, the openly lesbian daughter of Congressman Dick Gephardt. For The Bible Tells Me So was directed by Daniel Karslake, longtime producer of the PBS news and public affairs series In The Life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Filmmakers David Leaf and John Scheinfeld offer a compelling look at the efforts of the United States government to silence one of rock & roll's most outspoken war critics in this documentary detailing the Vietnam-era struggle between the Richard Nixon administration and iconic peace activist John Lennon. The Vietnam War was raging and the nightly news was filled with stories of failed offensives and massacred U.S. troops. As anti-war protests back home gained momentum, it was the hopeful voice of former Beatle Lennon that served to perfectly encapsulate the frustrations felt by many citizens that the U.S. had gotten caught up in an quagmire from which there was seemingly no end in sight. There's a high price to be paid for standing strong in your beliefs and openly criticizing the ruling elite, though, and now, through interviews with those who knew him best and revealing glimpses into an era where all hope seemed lost, filmmakers finally uncover the truth behind the Nixon administration's highly classified efforts to isolate and eventually deport the man whose powerful words threatened to actually make sense in a world slowly suffocated by the grip of insanity. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

For a couple of years during the mid '90s, the Menendez Brothers, Lyle and Erik, held the country's interest after they stood trial for cold-bloodedly killing their parents. The murders took place in L.A., where both victims had successful Hollywood careers. What shocked the nation was that the nicely dressed, soft-spoken defendants claimed their parents abused them all their life. This sensationalistic dramatization is the first of several TV movies that exploited the brothers and their trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

This erotic psychological thriller marks the feature film debut of popular actress Pamela Anderson in a leading role. After two johns were murdered while having sex with a prostitute, Sergeant Peg Peckham (Chelsea Field) is transferred from the vice squad to homicide and assigned to investigate. Peg's determined to catch the killer, who could be a female serial killer, and asks her police psychologist boyfriend David Stratton (Steven Bauer) for a profile. In the meantime, David has become attracted to a new patient, Felicity (Anderson), an amnesia sufferer who is having violent recurring dreams in which she murders her lovers. Although the connection to Peg's case seems obvious, Felicity doesn't fit the psychological profile, and her bombshell beauty is having an intoxicating effect on David. Snapdragon (1993) was co-written by actress Terri Treas of the Alien Nation TV series and telefilms. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

The man with the granite mug (Ray Sharkey) appears as Stoneface, a crook who has stashed his ill-gotten loot in the trunk of a Rolls-Royce which two unsuspecting guys have "borrowed" from one of their uncles. The fellows, of course, are unaware that there is loot in their car trunk; they're on their way to a modeling contest where one guy's girlfriend is a hot model. The two bozos soon get involved in an all-out chase when Stoneface wants his dough back. ~ Rovi

A movie star (Wendy McDonald) and her body double (Kathy Shower) square off for the affections of an oblivious Hollywood executive (David Heavener). ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

A new principal is imported to Rock 'n' Roll High to put the clamps on the rock-inspired rebelliousness that has the local school board quite concerned. The lady principal is a terse-lipped brute who's up against the predictable shenanigans concocted by school rebels. Will it be rock and roll forever, or will the Muses be forever squelched? ~ Rovi

A multinational corporation specializing in military defense technology creates an indestructible killing machine for use on the battlefield, only to find out just how effective their monstrous invention truly is after the prototype malfunctions and embarks on a bloody killing spree. Syngenor is a Synthesized Genetic Organism, a scientifically created "Super Soldier" designed by Norton Cyberdyne and possessing powers far beyond that of mortal man. When Syngenor breaks loose from the lab and unleashes hell on the employees of Norton Cyberdyne, scheming executive Paula Gorski (Riva Spier) purposefully allows the killing to continue in order to humiliate Carter Brown (David Gale), the company's powerful CEO. But Paula's plan is about to backfire, because somewhere deep in the bowels of the building, a horde of newly spawned Syngenors are growing more powerful by the minute. If the creatures escape, the city streets will surely run red with blood. Now, the only hope for humanity is for the people trapped in the building to ensure that not one Syngenor manages to escape from the building. Unfortunately, outsmarting the perfect killing machine is no simple task, and it's beginning to feel as if the nightmare has only just begun. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

After a business deal with the mob goes down in flames, a Realtor (William Katt) enlists his sexpot girlfriend (Shannon Tweed) to help him get revenge. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

Set amidst the furor of an election, a campaign manager uses shady means to see that his candidate for New York Mayor is elected in this grim political drama. African-American executive Leon Hunter is the campaign manager, and handsome, white, and shallow Carl Rydell, is the candidate he has been hired to promote. Though Rydell is a real smooth talker, it doesn't take Hunter long to realize that the man is only capable of spouting useless rhetoric and is clueless as to the real issues facing the city. This is not true of Rydell's competitor, the dynamic, earnest and honest Bill Arrington, who could easily be the city's first black mayor. Knowing that Arrington really knows his stuff and has a strong platform, Hunter decides to look for a publicity issue to boost his client's status. He finds it when he learns that a bigoted white cop has shot a black, unarmed bicycle courier during a suspected robbery. The downed courier was sent to the hospital, and due to paperwork errors was listed as dead. Hunter uses down-and-dirty tactics to help Rydell exploit the situation to its fullest. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi