Teryl Rothery Movies

Chappelle's Show writer/producer/director Neal Brennan makes his feature directorial debut with this retro-minded comedy purported to have been produced in the 1980s but never released until 2006. As the Gunderson family sets out on a cross-country road trip to their new home, boyishly handsome Charlie (Mikey Day), blossoming dancer Lori (Dominique Swain), and highly intelligent Max (Trevor Heins) all have their own ideas of what life will be like in their new town. When Charlie is singled out as the least popular senior on the very first day of school, kindly outcast Billie (Nicki Clyne) amiably agrees to show him the ropes and provide him with an illuminating crash course in the clique system. Meanwhile, Lori is shocked to discover that dancing has been banned in her new town and the only place to cut loose is at the clandestine dance sessions held in the garage of current janitor and former dance instructor Gabriel (Chris Kattan). Immediately forbidden from attending the highly secretive shindigs, Lori stealthily sneaks out to be with the kindly Gabriel as her feelings for the dance instructor grow and the pair set into motion a clever plan to usher in a new era of dancing around town. When Charlie vows to win the heart of popular girl Kimberly (Brittany Daniel) by competing against her athletic boyfriend, Kipp (Joey Kern), in the upcoming school decathlon, lovelorn Billie quietly pines for the clueless newcomer from afar as he begins a rigorous training regiment with Japanese gardener Yamagashi (James Hong). As his family struggles to adjust to their new life, reclusive genius Max continues working on a highly advanced home computer that soon draws the attention of the CIA. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Produced for French television, the half-hour animated series Martin Mystery detailed the adventures of teenagers Martin and Diana, both students at Torrington academy. Although they didn't get along too well, Martin and Diana managed to forget their differences long enough to solve paranormal mysteries on behalf of the secret organization THE CENTER. In this pursuit, the two protagonists were aided by Java, a caveman who'd been "lost in time." Since most of the episodes found the characters drenched in slime, it is harldy surprising that the series made its American debut on Nickelodeon, the "sliming" capital of the cable-TV world. Martin Mystery was based on the comic book by Alfredo Castelli. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Evidently inspired by the 1958 theatrical feature It! The Terror From Beyond Space (which, of course, was also the basis for the 1979 thriller Alien), this made-for-cable melodrama begins as the crew of the space shuttle Oklahoma returns to earth after a routine mission. Unbeknownst to them, they have also brought back an alien "guest" in the form of seeds which blossom into insectoid life-forms, infiltrating human bodies to complete their evolution. At first, the victims of these aliens think they've merely broken out in blisters, but they soon learn differently -- to their unutterable horror. Racing against the clock, the Oklahoma's chief medical officer "Geronimo" Horne (Nicholas Lea) works in concert with his colleague Thaddeus Owens (Anthony Sherwood) and entimologist Savannah Bailey (Jamie Luner) to stem the alien invasion before the rapidly proliferating creatures reach the "threshold" amount -- at which point they will be impossible to control. Threshold debuted April 19, 2003, on the Sci-Fi Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Stargate SG-1 had only been contracted to run four seasons on Showtime,the series' vast popularity dictated a fifth season--and of course a satisfactory resolution for the "cliffhanger" that had closed out the action the year before. Well, what could be more satisfactory than the death of despotic warrior king Apophis--and with Jacob Carter (Carmen Argenziano), the newly regenerated father of SG-1 crewperson Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), leading the final assault against Apophis and his minions? In fact, the producers of the series were so juiced on this season opener that they allowed to it spread over two hour-long episodes! But though Apophis is gone, the parasitic Goa'uld race is still a menace to those alternate-universe planets on the other side of the Stargate portals throughout the universe, and thus the mission of SG-1 leader Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and his crew is far from over. Subsequent adventures include one which casts the spotlight on longtime series featured player Teryl Rothery), who in her role as Dr. Frasier, aide to Stargate Project head Gen. Hammond (Don S. Davis), must save a modern-day Cassandra (named Cassandra!) from being killed by her own visions of doom. Later, an episode titled "2001 hasn't got much to do with Stanley Kubrick), but instead is concerned with a strange and possibly universe-altering bargain from the hitherto unknown Ashen Confederacy. And in a fascinating, Pirandellian episode, O'Neill must prevent the filming of a TV show about Stargate SG-1. The most significant development of Season Five occurs during the 2-part cliffhanger finale, in which the crew comes to the aid of the planet Kelowna to forestall its destruction. In the course of the action, O'Neill's comrade in arms Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) sacrificially absorbs a fatal dose of radiation--which causes Kelownan diplomat Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec) to offer his services as an SG-1 team member to compensate for his guilt over indirectly causing Jackson's demise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This two-part, four-hour miniseries adaptation of Dean Koontz' best-seller Sole Survivor begins with a plane crash that takes the lives of the wife and daughter of reporter Joe Carpenter. No sooner has Carpenter absorbed this tragedy than he begins receiving evidence that the air tragedy may not have been the accident it first seemed to be. At least, that is the story of Rose (Gloria Reuben), the only survivor of the crash. Following up on Rose's firsthand account of the events, Joe is led to the mysterious Quartermass Organization, where secret experiments are being conducted to imbue innocent youngsters with the power to heal, perform mind-transference feats over thousand of miles, move objects through sheer will power -- and, from time to time, to commit murder. Although John C. McGinley is cast as the nominal villain, hero Joe Carpenter would be well advised to watch his back whenever "heroine" Rose is around. Dean Koontz' Sole Survivor was originally telecast on September 13 and 14, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

As Season Three of Stargate SG-1 gets under way, Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and the SG-1 team manages to wriggle out of the trap set at the end of season two, and to save the world from being overtaken by Replicator bugs -- but they still may have to destroy a bug-infested Russian submarine, which act could forever damage US-Soviet relations. In a later episode, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine regular René Auberjonois shows up as the self-proclaimed leader of an advance race who offers to share his technology with the Earth -- but at what price? Later still, the SG-1 crew briefly takes on superhuman powers and finds that they're far beyond their capabilities...but then they can't shake those troublesome powers to save their lives. And even later than that, Jaffan crew member Teal'c (Christopher Judge) has a less than fond reunion with his lost love. Also: another of those pesky time loops in space forces O'Neill and Teal'c to continue reliving the same ten hours over and over again; the SG-1 tries to intervene in a planetary war that is destined to totally annihilate both sides of the conflict; and a mass attack of amnesia has O'Neill, Teal'c, Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) convinced that they are lifelong slave laborers in an underground alien power plant. Plus: Stargate Project leader Gen. Hammon (Don S. Davis) is replaced by warhawk Gen. Bauer (Lawrence Dane), who has no patience with SG-1 peaceful mission and is determined to destroy all "unfriendly" planets, real or imagined; and in a story set ten years in the future, SG-1 is deactivated when the "benign" Aschen race established universal peace -- but of course, someone in these parts has an ulterior motive. In Season Four's two-part cliffhanger finale, SG-1 undertakes the secret evacuation of the Tok'ra, a Goa'uld resistance group. But evil Goa'uld chieftan Apophis (Peter Williams) tumbles to the secret -- and to prevent Apophis from wiping out the Tok'ra, the crew must take action so drastic that it could result in an apocalyptic chain reaction! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Resolving the cliffhanger ending established at the end of season two, season three of Stargate SG-1 finds evil Goa'uld queen Hathor (Suanne Braun) still trying to win SG-1 teammates Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), and Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) over to her side -- while the team's Jaffan ally Teal'c (Christopher Judge). In the midst of this tense situation comes some good news; Carter's father Jacob (Carmen Argenziano) -- saved from the brink of death when his body became host for Selmak, a leader of the Goa'uld resistance movement Tok'ra -- has now joined his daughter and her comrades in the ongoing battle to protect Earth from hostile aliens who've penetrated the many Stargate portals throughout the galaxy. In later episodes, a killer parasite plunges Jackson into madness and threatens the sanity of the other team members, which may force General Hammond (Don S. Davis) to kill them all "for the greater good"; Hammond himself later becomes a liability to the Stargate Project thanks to a race of "morphing" aliens; the Quantum Mirror, a device introduced during the series' first season, once again causes profound personality changes in the protagonists when they pass into an alternate-reality Earth; and in a plot right out of a WWII spy picture, O'Neill and his crew come face to face with young alien warriors who've been trained to impersonate Stargate personnel for the purposes of infiltration and ultimate domination. Also, Jackson must make a crucial decision about his future after Teal'c is forced to kill Jackson's alien wife Sha're (Vaitaire Bandera). A "necessary" bit of thievery results in O'Neill's resignation in disgrace from the Stargate program -- and into the greedy clutches of con artist supreme Col. Maybourne (Tom McBeath). And in the two-part "Jolinar's Memories," the fate of the crew as they attempt to infiltrate the (literally) Hellish prison moon Sokar is in the hands -- and the mind -- of Samantha Carter. Likewise offered as a two-parter is the season's cliffhanger finale, in which the Earth is once again threatened with invasion -- this time by metallic Replicator bugs. In order to save mankind, O'Neill and the team may be forced into an act of mass suicide! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Part of ABC's sporadic TV-movie series "Crimes of Passion", I Know What You Did stars Rosanna Arquette as Stacey Keane, a high-profile lawyer who specializes in defending accused rapist. In a prime example of grim irony, Stacey is attacked and sexually assaulted in her own home. Freeing herself from her assailant, Stacey accidentally kills the man, then hides his body. Unfortunately, there was a witness (Lawrence Monoson) to Stacey's desperate act of self-defense. . .and he will remain silent only for a price. The fact that the heroine's fiancé (Steven Eckholdt) is one of the investigating officers only serves to underscore the marked resemblance between this film and Alfred Hitchcock's early talkie Blackmail. I Know What You Did was originally telecast on January 11, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Another in a series of NBC TV movies originally telecast under the umbrella title "Moment of Truth", Playing to Win stars Lisa Dean Ryan as 17-year-old Dana Erikson, whose new boyfriend Marshall (David Lascher) is a compulsive gambler. Drawn in to Marshall's "special" world, Dana finds that she herself is unable to stop gambling--in fact, she is even more obsessive and self-destructive in he. In short order, Dana loses her money, her job and her reputation, and is reduced to cheating and stealing to feed her habit. Clearly, a visit to Gamblers Anonymous is called for--but is it too late for Dana to save herself? Playing to Win: A Moment of Truth Movie was first broadcast on February 11, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This fact-based TV movie stars John Ritter as Ed Chandler, whose life is torn asunder when his daughter Missy (Anna Chlumsky) is diagnosed with cancer. The nature of Missy's illness obliges Ed to spend many hours away from his job as a car salesman to commiserate with her daughter's doctors at the hospital. Then one day, Ed shows up at work to be coldly informed that he has been fired--and there is no one to whom he can go to plead his case. The plight of the Chandler family ultimately leads to the creation of the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which allows persons up to six weeks' leave from their jobs when their family members are suffering from serious illnesses. Telecast by CBS on January 21, 1997, Child's Wish (cable title: Fighting for Justice made headlines when it first aired because of the appearance of President Bill Clinton in the final scene--the first time that a sitting President ever starred as "himself" in a dramatic film (as well as the first such scene to be lensed on location in the Oval Office!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Called back to active duty by Gen. George Hammond (Don S. Davis), Col. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) emerges from the retirement he'd imposed on himself after vanquishing Ra, despotic leader of the hideous Goa'uld race, in the "alternate universe" planet Abydos. Word has reached Hammond, head of the top-secret Stargate project, that O'Neill's former associate Dr. David Jackson (Michael Shanks), who'd discovered that the universe is festooned with Stargate "portals" enabling alien civilizations to pass from one plane of reality to another and back again, and who'd evidently perished during the battle with Ra, may still be alive. Blasting off from Stargate Command's headquarters in the Air Force's Cheyenne Mountain Complex, where the Earth's Stargate is located and carefully guarded, O'Neill and his Stargate 1 team, including scientist Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) manage to cross over into Abydos and rescue Jackson from Ra's vicious successor Apophis (Peter Williams). Armed with a map drawn up by Jackson, the SG-1 personnel dedicate themselves to journeying to as many Stargates in the galaxy as possible, the better to protect a variety of alien races from hostile invasion. And thus begins the first season of the enormously popular cable sci-fi series Stargate SG-1. Before long, O'Neill et al. have taken on a new ally, Jaffa soldier Teal'c (Christopher Judge), who refuses to fall in line with his people and blindly accept the Goa'uld as gods. Though Teal'c seems to be trustworthy, the rest of the crew cannot forget that he, like all Jaffan males, carries a larval Goa'uld in his stomach. The SG-1's intergalactic perambulations brings the team in contact with the Shavadi warriors on the planet Simarka; with planet P3X797, where a strict caste system is determined by who lives on the "dark" and "light" side of the plane; and with Samantha Carter's former lover (played by William Russ), who rules Kurtzlike as a god on a faraway planet. In one startling episode the entire crew is actually killed by the predatory Apophis, only to be brought back to life by the invisible Fenri race. Elsewhere, O'Neill undergoes an accelerated aging process on the planet Argos; the crew uncovers disturbing evidence of Stargate activation as far back as 1945 -- but they may never live to tell about it; SG-1 takes the first of many trips to the Planet Cimmeria, ruled by Holographic Norse deities; Teal'c tries to save his son Rya'c (Neil Denis) from being inseminated with a Goa'uld larva; Samantha bonds with a little girl who may have to be killed before she can destroy all humankind, and later Sam and O'Neill are marooned on a frozen planet where she is forced to assume command; and Dr. Jackson is whisked into an alternate reality where all the familiar characters undergo radical changes of personality. Season one ends as all subsequent seasons will, with a cliffhanger that will remain unresolved until the beginning of the next season. In this case, Jackson must alert the team of his foreknowledge that Earth is due for an attack by the Goa'uld -- just as the Stargate Project's funding is slashed to the bone by an anti-military politician. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Teenager Carly Astin (Chandra West) is terrified of the new boyfriend brought home by her single mom Diana (Morgan Fairchild) -- so much so that she runs away from her Salt Lake City home and into the clutches of seductive, smooth-talking Brad Winters (Ricky Paull Goldin). Unfortunately, Winters is a "recruiter" for various houses of prostitution, some of them disguised as strip joints. Thus, Carly ends up taking her clothes off for libidinous strangers in a seedy Seattle nightspot, where she manages to remain more or less unsullied thanks to the maternal ministrations of older stripper Adrian (Venus Terzo) -- who is murdered for her troubles! It falls to Carly's mother Diana to come to her senses, shed her slimy beau, and rescue Carly from what used to be labeled "the fate worse than death." Based on a true story, the made-for-TV Into the Arms of Danger: A Moment of Truth Movie debuted February 3, 1997, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide