Thom Barry Movies

Per its title, this Fox network TV movie is one of several followups to the shortlived science fiction series AlienNation, which ran on Fox from 1989 to 1991 and was based on the 1988 theatrical feature of the same name. The original series was set in a futuristic Los Angeles wherein human earthlings coexisted more or less peacefully with the Newcomers, a race of aliens from the planet Tencton who had settled in LA after escaping a slave-transport ship, and who, despite the prejudices harbored by the "Purists" and other such xenophobes, had assimilated to the point of were holding down traditionally "human" jobs and living in the 'burbs with their families. Repeating their series roles are Gray Graham as LAPD detective Matthew Sikes and Eric Pierpoint as his Newcomer partner, Detective George Francisco (George is the one with the huge bald cranium and the vestigal ears). The story gets under way when a group of "kamikaze" Newcomers invades Los Angeles, apparently with homicidal intentions towards the humans--but only because they've been brainwashed by a higher power. Tied in with this alien influx is the Udara, the radicalized Newcomer guerillas who had fomented the rebellion on the Tectonese slave ship, and who remain dedicated in their mission to kill off all "Overseers"--including those of the human variety. Much to George's surprise, his own wife Susan (Michele Scarabelli) is part of the Udara movement, resulting in a major conflict of interest. One of the fim's many subplots involves the efforts by George and Susan's son Buck (Sean Six) to follow in dad's footsteps and join the police force; elsewhere, a few unresolved plot strands from the earlier series and its previous TV-movie sequels are tied up. AlienNation: The Udara Legacy originally aired July 29, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Having agreed to take charge of the Rangers, Delenn risks death at the hands of a unknown adversary. And while exploring the inner regions of B5, Garibaldi stumbles across a secret level that has been sealed off for years. Robert Englund of "Freddy Kruger" fame is cast as cult leader Jeremiah. Written by J. Michael Straczynski, "Grey 17 is Missing" made its TV debut in the United Kingdom on August 26, 1996. The episode's American release was held up until October 7 of that same year. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A group of intrepid humans attempts to save the Earth from vicious extraterrestrials in this extremely popular science-fiction adventure. Borrowing liberally from War of the Worlds, Aliens, and every sci-fi invasion film inbetween, director Roland Emmerich and producer and co-writer Dean Devlin present a visually slick, fast-paced adventure filled with expensive special effects and large-scale action sequences. The story begins with the approach of a series of massive spaceships, which many on Earth greet with open arms, looking forward to the first contact with alien life. Unfortunately, these extraterrestrials have not come in peace, and they unleash powerful weapons that destroy most of the world's major cities. Thrown into chaos, the survivors struggle to band together and put up a last-ditch resistance in order to save the human race. As this is a Hollywood film, this effort is led by a group of scrappy Americans, including a computer genius who had foreseen the alien's evil intent (Jeff Goldblum), a hot-shot jet pilot (Will Smith), and the President of the United States (Bill Pullman). While some critics objected to the film's lack of originality and lapses in logic, the combination of grand visual spectacle and crowd-pleasing storytelling proved irresistible to audiences, resulting in an international smash hit. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

In this drama, a woman attempts to recover following a bout of schizophrenia. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Terror comes ripping right through the silver screen in this sequel that picks up exactly where Tobe Hooper's shocking 1974 classic left off. For decades, people in Newt, Texas, had been vanishing into thin air. When a horrified young girl escaped from the Sawyer house after seeing her friends butchered like cattle, the townspeople's worst fears about the reclusive clan were confirmed. Enraged, the locals formed a mob, burned down the blood-soaked abattoir, and methodically killed every member of the family. But in the blazing chaos of that fateful night, one of the Sawyers slipped away into the darkness. For decades it seemed as if the nightmare had ended. But when a young woman named Heather Miller (Alexandra Daddario) receives word that her distant grandmother has passed away, willing her a secluded Victorian mansion in the Texas desert, the discovery of a dark secret hidden deep in the cellar reveals the Sawyer's legacy of evil lives on. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A magazine article about real-life car racing gangs for Vibe becomes this fast-paced automotive thriller from director Rob Cohen. Paul Walker stars as Brian O'Conner, a youthful FBI agent investigating a series of hijackings by going undercover with a street gang led by charismatic Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel). Caught up in Toretto's world of gang conflict that is resolved in late-night car races, Spindler starts to sympathize with his chief suspect and falls in love with Toretto's younger sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). In the meantime, Spindler initially suspects the wrong gang of complicity in the crimes he's probing, while Toretto remains involved in a forbidden romance, à la Romeo and Juliet, with his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez). The Fast and the Furious co-stars Ted Levine, Rick Yune, and Matt Schulze. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi