Ben Edlund Movies
- 2003
After failing to inoculate Connor (Vincent Kartheiser) against the profane influence of Jasmine (Gina Torres), Angel (David Boreanaz) beats the boy senseless and stages a daring escape from the hotel. Fred (Amy Acker) feels just sick about leaving Connor and the comatose Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) behind, but Angel advises her and the others to deaden their hearts if they want to survive. Taking to the sewers, the fang gang soon encounter a group of feral teen demon-hunters. Skulking underground ever since The Beast extinguished the sun (see "Long Day's Journey"), the kids have escaped Jasmine's influence, but are being picked off slowly by an unseen creature. Wesley (Alexis Denisof) soon encounters the skittery, spider-like creature (Jeff Ricketts) and learns that it's part of an ancient, otherdimensional demon race who have worshipped Jasmine for millennia. Held prisoner as the demon performs a blood ritual in Jasmine's honor, Wes ferrets out some intriguing information about the sinister higher being. Meanwhile, Jasmine herself continues "eating" her followers, including Cordelia -- or so it seems. Connor isn't too happy about this turn of events, but Jasmine uses it to draw him even closer. She also manages to seize control of one of the sewer-dwelling teens, who leads Connor and an army of followers straight to Angel, who is in the process of rescuing Wes from the spider-demon. Surrounded and outnumbered, the gang steel themselves for one last stand -- until Wes opens a portal to the spider-demon's home dimension. Determined that at least one person survive to fight Jasmine another day, Angel crosses through -- and into a hellish landscape full of countless additional skittering demons. Originally broadcast April 23, 2003, on the WB network, "Sacrifice" marked season four, episode 20 of the supernatural soap opera. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2002
Simon (Sean Maher) is trying to explain to Kaylee (Jewel Staite), who's obviously smitten with him, that he does indeed use swear words, when it's "appropriate." They're interrupted by a commotion, which turns out to be Jayne (Adam Baldwin) trashing the infirmary, looking for some tape, so he can strap a gun to his belly. Turns out their next job is in Canton, where guns are forbidden. Mal (Nathan Fillion) insists that they obey this rule, despite Jayne's worries. Jayne has been to Canton before, and thinks he may have an enemy or two waiting there for him. Kaylee suggests that Simon come along on the trip, leaving Book (Ron Glass) to look after River (Summer Glau). Mal knows the only way they'll be able to pick up the goods they're supposed to deliver is by posing as buyers of the planet's clay, and since Simon is the only one on Serenity who looks moneyed, Mal agrees to bring him along. Canton turns out to be a smelly, dirty, impoverished place, where the clay workers, mostly indentured servants, are treated like chattel. The local magistrate, Higgins (Gregory Itzin), has contracted the services of Inara (Morena Baccarin) to deflower his 26-year-old son. To the shock of the Serenity crew, including the man himself, there's a statue of Jayne in the middle of Canton, and the workers sing his praises in the tavern -- all because on his last visit, Jayne was forced to dump the loot he stole from Higgins over the town as he made his escape. While Jayne confusedly basks in his misguided glory, Higgins plots revenge. Meanwhile back on the ship, River tells Book that his Bible is "broken," -- filled with "contradictions" and "false statistics," -- and she's taken the liberty of "fixing" it. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2002
This episode of Firefly -- one of three that Fox never aired, but which were included in the DVD set -- opens with Mal (Nathan Fillion) sitting in the middle of a desert, very alone and very naked. Flashing back to a few days earlier, Mal is doing business with an old war buddy, Monte (Franc Ross), who tells Mal that he's recently been married, and introduces his bride, "Bridget." When his new bride and old pal immediately draw guns on each other, Monte suspects that they've met before. "She's my wife," Mal explains. "Marriage is hard work, Mal," Saffron (Christina Hendricks) responds. "That doesn't mean we should just give up." After Saffron (last seen in the episode "Our Mrs. Reynolds," trying to steal Serenity) screws up Mal's business dealings, she convinces him not to leave her stranded planetside, claiming to have a big easy score lined up that she's willing to cut Mal and his crew in on. When Inara (Morena Baccarin), who suspects that Mal is intentionally keeping her from getting work, calls him a "petty thief," Mal decides to give Saffron's plan a shot, much to the consternation of the crew. Saffron wants to steal a priceless early laser pistol, the Lasseter, from Durran Haymer (Dwier Brown), who lives in Bellerophon Estates, a kind of gated community of the future, where the "rich and paranoid" live in high-security castles floating in the sky. Saffron has all the access codes. She just needs a way to get the gun out of Haymer's house, and the Serenity crew comes up with a plan. Of course, Saffron being Saffron, there are a few unwelcome surprises in store. Meanwhile, Simon (Sean Maher), tipped off by River (Summer Glau), confronts Jayne (Adam Baldwin) about his betrayal back on "Ariel." ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Based on the FOX animated series The Tick created by Ben Edlund and first aired in 1994, this live-action superhero sitcom premiered on FOX in November of 2001. Patrick Warburton dons the blue suit to play lovable hyperbolic superhero The Tick and David Burke plays his winged weakling sidekick, Arthur. Nestor Carbonell is the charismatic Batmanuel (based on Die Fledermaus) while Liz Vassey is Captain Liberty (based on American Maid). The show was canceled after only one season of nine episodes, one of which remains unaired. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Titan A.E. combines cel and CG imagery in this science fiction saga. In 3028, after the Earth is destroyed by an invading alien race, a tiny number of surviving humans roam the universe in ragtag spaceships, trying to find each other and maintain some sense of community. Shortly before the final destruction of the planet, Cale (voice of Matt Damon) was given a map that would guide him to a space station called Titan, secretly constructed as a last hope in the event of alien Armageddon. Cale sets out in search of Titan and the fabled Ice Planet with the help of his friend Korso (voice of Bill Pullman), the beautiful Akima (voice of Drew Barrymore), and a crew of friendly aliens. Titan A.E. was directed by noted animators Don Bluth and Gary Goldman and scripted by Ben Edlund, creator of the comic book series The Tick. Other members of the voice cast include Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, John Leguizamo, and Tone Loc. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, (more)
- 1997
Three women living in New York City find their lives coming together as they try to resolve personal issues and (just as important) find an apartment. Colleen (Lucy Knight) is a single mother trying to support her daughter while getting her career as a photographer off the ground. Kacey (Erin Norris) is a teenage bisexual who lost both her girlfriend and her dog. And Kate (Sara Paul) has decided to break free from her boyfriend so she can devote more time to her music. All three women are apartment hunting, and by the end of the story they are sharing a flat together. A, B, C ... Manhattan was the second film in director Amir Naderi's proposed trilogy of stories about New York City, preceded by Manhattan by Numbers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
