Mike Barker Movies

A sociopathic kidnapper methodically pushes a desperate pair of parents to their absolute breaking point in this thriller starring Piece Brosnan, Gerard Butler, and Maria Bello. Life has been good to happily married Chicago couple Neil (Butler) and Abby (Bello); their flames in their relationship are still burning bright, Neil has a great job, and with the birth of their beautiful daughter Sophie the loving couple has grown into a budding family. So much can change in an instant though, and the moment that sadistic kidnapper Ryan (Brosnan) appears the fibers of this happy family are torn violently apart. Ryan knows everything there is to know about Neil, Abby, and Sophie, and now he's ready to use that information to put the two parents through the most excruciating experience of their entire lives. Should Neil and Abby not comply with Ryan's every demand over the course of the next twenty-four hours, he will kill young Sophie without a second thought. While at first the demands seem typical of your average kidnapper, they gradually begin to grow increasingly outlandish until it becomes obvious that Ryan doesn't want money, but simply enjoys the power that comes along with systematically dismantling their idyllic lives until there's nothing left for Neil and Abby to live for. Now left with nothing to lose, the monstrous Ryan finds out just how far a parent is willing to go in order to save their child when he commands Neil to commit one final act of annihilation that goes against everything the loving father and husband stands for. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

It is not generally known that the CGI-animated NBC sitcom Father of the Pride was the second cartoon program inspired by the spectacular career of Vegas-based illusionists Siegfried and Roy. The first, a four-part miniseries titled Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible, was seen in off-network syndication in 1996. Ironically, the title of the earlier series provides the acronymic name "Sarmoti" for one of the principal characters on Father of the Pride! The NBC series took us backstage and into the private lives of two of the white lions employed in Siegfried and Roy's act: Larry (voiced by John Goodman) and his wife Kate (voiced by Cheryl Hines). Despite their fame and fortune, the two lions had to endure the usual trials and tribulations of sitcom-style domesticity. Kate's father Sarmoti (voiced by Carl Reiner) was a loudmouth who insisted upon arguing with Larry over anything and everything, while Larry's best pal, a gopher named Snack (voiced by Orlando Jones), was forever hatching idiotic schemes that got everyone in big trouble. Add to this several dashes of toilet and sex humor, and you had an animated "funny animal" series that was far better suited for grown-ups than for kids. Produced by DreamWorks SKG Animation as NBC's answer to such popular cutting-edge cartoon efforts as Fox's The Simpsons and Comedy Central's South Park, Father of the Pride was in production in late 2003 when magician Roy (aka Roy Horn) was seriously injured when he was mauled on the stage of the Mirage Inn by one of his trained lions. For a while, the network balked at introducing the CGI series, worried that it might suffer from the publicity surrounding Roy's injuries. Once the magician was off the critical list, however, Father of the Pride began its 11-week NBC run on August 31, 2004 (two of the thirteen episodes would not be seen until the series was released on DVD). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Filmed in London and Wales, this two-part adaptation of the oft-dramatized R.D. Blackmore novel Lorna Doone was praised for its realism, though one or two nitpickers pointed out that the costumes were not all "in period" for 17th century Scotland. This time around, Amelia Warner starred as the titular Lorna, whose romance with young John Ridd (Richard Coyle) was imperiled by the bloody, long-standing feud between the Doones and the Ridds. The show was stolen by Martin Clunes in the flashy role of the redoubtable Jeremy Stickles. Lorna Doone aired over BBC1 on December 24 and 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The family that steals together stays together in this satiric British comedy. After a fire destroys her home, Bernadette James (Helen McCrory) gathers up her four children and leaves Edinburgh for London, hoping to locate her not-especially-responsible and currently-absent husband, Spendlove (John Hannah). Spendlove, as usual, turns out to be in no position to help them and is prepared to give up the marriage when Bernadette, in a fit of pique, robs a jewelry store, using her children as decoys. While the James family is now on the run, Bernadette has finally discovered a skill that can be used to support her children; she soon moves up to stealing cars and pulling daring (and lucrative) robberies in broad daylight, with hubby and the kids helping out. However, Spendlove doesn't have the stomach for a life of crime and wants to bail out, while police detective Julia Armstrong (Toni Collette) is determined to put the criminal family behind bars. Spendlove's brother (Jason Flemyng) soon joins in the James family's life of crime as the police's web tightens around them. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

One of several British crime series of the 1990s to enjoy popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, Silent Witness starred Amanda Burton as Professor Sam Ryan, a police pathologist based at London University. Disdaining the assistance of the Law, Sam preferred to solve perplexing murder cases all by herself, using the evidence at hand in her well-stocked forensic laboratory. Like the American series Law & Order, the characters were defined by their professional lives, with precious few glimpses into their off-hours activities. Sarah Leonard was heard during the opening credits singing the memorable title song. Created by Nigel McCrery, the series debuted over BBC1 on February 21, 1996, yielding 18 50-minute episodes (many of them two-parters) and one 95-minute TV movie. Silent Witness subsequently aired in the United States over the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide