Lance E. Nichols Movies
Character actor Lance E. Nichols spent the first two decades of his career (from the late '80s through the early 2000s) appearing as a number of standard urban professional types, including cops, taxi drivers, and physicians, with small guest appearances in such series programs as Cheers, Murder, She Wrote, Matlock, and NYPD Blue. Nichols took on a rare lead role in 2008, in Leslie Small's drama A Good Man Is Hard to Find, as Deacon Smith; as adapted from the popular gospel-themed stage production, the work dramatizes the stories of three African-American women battling personal and professional crises. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Abel Ferrara's cult crime drama Bad Lieutenant is given a sister film with this Werner Herzog-helmed production that takes its inspiration from the original, but focuses on new characters and plotlines. Nicolas Cage steps into Harvey Keitel's mold of a corrupt and drug-addled police officer, with the scummy setting moving from New York City to New Orleans. Eva Mendes, Val Kilmer, and Xzibit co-star in the Nu Image/Millennium Films picture. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Eva Mendes, (more)
Amidst claims that the African-American family unit is slowly deteriorating, filmmaker Leslie Small sets out to explore how the role of black women in the family has evolved as the population of black males continues to diminish. Inspired by the musical stage play of the same name, Small's film follows three women as they battle temptation and contend with their personal demons while waging a valiant battle to maintain happy, healthy relationships. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Golden Brooks, Darrin Dewitt Henson, (more)
- 2008
- PG13
- Add The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to QueueAdd The Curious Case of Benjamin Button to top of Queue
David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story, re-teams the director with Brad Pitt, who takes on the title role. What makes Button such a curious case is that when he is born in New Orleans just after World War I, he is already in his eighties, and proceeds to live his life aging in reverse. This sweeping film follows the character's unusual life into the 21st century as he experiences joy and sadness, loves lost and found, and the meaning of timelessness. Cate Blanchett co-stars along with Tilda Swinton, Elias Koteas, and Julia Ormond. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, (more)
- 2003
As a broken-down Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) searches for someplace to sleep, Faith (Eliza Dushku) struggles to find her voice as leader of the potentials. Eventually, she assumes the mantle of command and settles on a scheme to kidnap one of The First's weakest breed of minions: the blind, mute acolytes known as Bringers. Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) locates a spell to communicate with the captive enemy, who reveals the location of this brethren. Meanwhile, Spike (James Marsters), having learned of Buffy's ouster, locates the distraught Slayer and soothes her wounded psyche. Buffy confesses doubts in her ability to lead, but Spike professes his admiration for her power -- and his undying love. With Sunnydale nearly deserted and the electricity no longer running, the two hole up and share a chaste but tender night together. Back at the house, Kennedy (Iyari Limon) convinces a skittish Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to share an altogether racier evening with her. Faith, too, finds sexual solace -- in the arms of Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside); even exes Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Anya (Emma Caulfield) get in on the act. The next morning, Faith leads a team to the catacombs where the Bringers have sequestered themselves, unaware that a time bomb ticks away at their destination. Meanwhile, Buffy completes the mission the others wouldn't support, but she does so with agility and grace rather than brute strength. Instead of engaging in a slug-fest with Caleb (Nathan Fillion) at his winery, she dances out of his reach and discovers the secret entrance to a chamber where a powerful weapon lies hidden. Originally broadcast May 6, 2003, on UPN, "Touched" marked episode 142 of the cult-favorite series. Fans of the various Buffy comic-book series will recognize the mysterious weapon the Slayer unearths: it is a Scythe, first introduced in a comic called Fray about the adventures of a future vampire slayer. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
Actor Bill Paxton made his directorial debut with Frailty. The bulk of the story is told through flashbacks, as a mysterious man (Matthew McConaughey) tells a terrible tale to an FBI agent (Powers Boothe) investigating the "God's Hand" serial killer case. The man grew up in a small town in Texas, where he and his brother lived a bucolic life with their kindhearted widower father (Paxton). One night, the father awakens the two boys, Fenton (Matthew O'Leary) and Adam (Jeremy Sumpter), and tells them he's had a vision, and God has chosen him and his sons to help Him slay demons who walk the earth in human form. He tells the boys they can never tell anyone about this task. Before long, he comes home from work with a list of names that he claims an angel has given to him. He then begins abducting people, bringing them home, one by one, and having the boys watch while he lays his hands on them. After having proven, to his mind, that they are demons and not human, he chops them up with an axe while the boys look on. Young Adam is eager to participate, seeing his family as "kind of like superheroes," while the older Fenton is distraught, believing that his father has lost his mind. He contemplates running away, but is reluctant to leave his little brother behind. Eventually, he goes to the authorities, which results in disaster. As he tells the story, McConaughey takes Boothe out to the public rose garden near his old home, where he claims his brother, the "God's Hand" killer, buried the bodies. Paxton dramatizes the mayhem while leaving almost all of the gore offscreen, and Brent Hanley's script leaves the true motives of several characters unclear until the very end. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, (more)
- 2002
Recently widowed Tevis Lockwood (Mykelti Williamson) has moved from Los Angeles to Seattle in order to start a new life for himself and his daughters Ashley (Arreale Davis) and Jasmine (Aysia Polk). The girls are none too happy about being uprooted, but Tevis turns a deaf ear to their complaints, choosing to bury himself in his new job at a shipping company. But if Tevis had hoped that by burying the past he could assure himself a happy future, he is wrong: Before long, both of his daughters have been diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia, and one of them dies. Tevis' outrage and loss of faith over this tragedy all but pushes the surviving daughter into a life-threatening act of despair--and it is up to Tess (Della Reese) to set things right in both Seattle and Heaven. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Wanda Sykes makes her first apperance as Christine Watson, the store's new, no-nonsense efficiency expert. Though she runs everyone else ragged, Christine treats Drew (Drew Carey) with kid gloves, inasmuch as she has a crush on him. Taking advantage of this, the employees offer Drew $500 to date Christine and persuade her to lighten up. It turns out that Christine is being so tough because she doesn't want to fire anyone--but when she suspects that Drew has been bribed to take her out, it's a different story! Elsewhere, a circus troupe helps Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) build their dream house in the park. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Bobby (Jimmy Smits) and Diane (Kim Delaney) are definitely in love, but are they ready to make their commitment permanent? As for Andy (Dennis Franz), though his surgery was successful, he still isn't quite 100 percent -- but try getting him to tell that to Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence). Back on the job, when the semen-drenched bodies of a used car salesman and prostitute are found, the detectives split up to investigate each individual homicide. One of the suspects seems to be guilty, but Bobby and Andy think that there's a flaw in this theory, so they help the suspect prepare for his grand-jury appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
After innumerable false alarms, it looks as though Jamie (Helen Hunt) is going to have her baby. This expected blessed event coincides with the unexpected film-festival triumph of Jamie's husband, Paul (Paul Reiser) -- who'da thunk that "Buchman" would win an award over a Michael Moore project? Originally telecast as the hour-long finale of Mad About You's fifth season, this episode has since been divided into two half-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
After innumerable false alarms, it looks as though Jamie (Helen Hunt) is going to have her baby. But before this blessed event can take place, Jamie is unexpectedly reunited with old flame Alan (Eric Stoltz), while her husband, Paul (Paul Reiser), is given a guided hospital tour by a very big movie star. Originally telecast as the hour-long finale of Mad About You's fifth season, this episode has since been divided into two half-hour installments for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
The main attraction of this otherwise undistinguished Silence of the Lambs rip-off is former '70s exploitation star Pam Grier playing a police chief. The plot involves a murderous psychotic who volunteers for a medical experiment in order to escape his confinement. Teaming up to catch him are a retired "mindwalker" who can place herself inside the killer's head, and the cop who arrested him and regrets not killing him when he had the chance. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Produced for the USA cable service, Accidental Meeting stars Linda Purl as Maryanne and Linda Gray as Jennifer. Meeting by chance, the two women begin discussing the men in their life. Maryanne expresses a wish to see her boss dead, while Jennifer would sooner see an odious male of her acquaintance drop dead. When Maryanne's hateful employer is killed, Jennifer re-enters her life, admitting to the murder and demanding equal reciprocation. While Accidental Meeting's 1951 role model Strangers on a Train is virtually suitable for the whole family, the later film is laden with "parental guidance suggested" violence and sex. Accidental Meeting premiered March 17, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Purl, Linda Gray, (more)
- 1992
In this feature-length episode, the gentlemanly Southern lawyer tries to prove a television news journalist innocent of killing his producer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Winkler, Leon Russom, (more)
When Milwaukee college student Monroe Clark (C. Thomas Howell) takes a summer job evicting his wealthy uncle's Los Angeles tenants, he ends up befriending one of the deadbeats, ex-volleyball pro Zack Barnes (Peter Horton), and the two join up together to compete in an important volleyball match. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Peter Horton, (more)
- 1990
Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) finds herself facing a lawsuit--and a possible prison term--as Murder She Wrote launches its seventh season. The litigant is the daughter of a man whom Jessica sent to prison, and who subsequently died in a botched escape attempt. As out heroine fends off charges of perjury and bribery, the plot thickens with the murder of an eyewitness to the original crime. The suspects are certainly a motley crew this time, ranging from a sleazy lawyer to the wife of a temperamental chef! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- Add Full Exposure: The Sex Tape Scandal to QueueAdd Full Exposure: The Sex Tape Scandal to top of Queue
Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal was advertised as being inspired by "today's headlines", though most of those headlines were generated by TV tabloid shows. In her first TV movie, dethroned Miss America Vanessa Williams plays a hooker who specializes in S & M. She videotapes her kinky sexual liaisons, then blackmails the participants. When a mystery killer begins bumping off some of Williams' female compatriots, assistant D.A. Lisa Hartman (we missed that election) is called in on the case. Full Exposure: The Sex Tapes Scandal was mercifully buried in the ratings by its powerhouse competition: the premiere telecast of Lonesome Dove. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A cop is determined to avenge his father's death in this action-drama. Brad Davis stars as Johnny Modine, a Los Angeles cop whose father is murdered on Christmas Eve. The investigation leads to a bitter and disfigured killer known as Iceman (Jonathan Banks), who has links to Johnny's past as a police cadet. Rocker Adam Ant co-stars and Dorothy Ann Puzo, daughter of famed author Mario Puzo, directed. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Davis, Sharon Stone, (more)
Project X is a top-secret government undertaking involving trained chimpanzees. Grounded pilot Matthew Broderick, assigned to teach the chimps how to operate a flight simulator, discovers that his charges are to be subjected to high levels of radiation to test potential human endurance. Risking a court martial, Broderick links up with Helen Hunt, the researcher who has taught the chimps sign language, to save the simians from destruction. The serious subtext of Project X is forgotten during a Disneyesque comic finale, wherein the lovable chimps nearly trigger a nuclear meltdown! Without taking anything away from human stars Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt, we must note that the most engaging performance in Project X is delivered by Willie the Chimp, who essays the challenging role of Virgil the Chimp. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Broderick, Helen Hunt, (more)
- 1987
Diane (Shelley Long) uses the old "feminine intuition" ploy to wrangle yet another marriage proposal out of Sam (Ted Danson). In a rash moment, Sam pops the question -- only to be rejected again by the mercurial Diane. One thing leads to another (as things often do), and Sam finds himself standing before a judge, facing assault and battery charges brought against him by Diane, her neck in an unfashionable brace. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
