Richard Christian Matheson Movies

An innocent young woman is lured to the dark side, and discovers the wholesome, sheltered life she led before was rooted in betrayal and deceit in Tobe Hooper's installment of Showtime's Masters of Horror series, Dance of the Dead. In the not-so-distant future, a potent terrorist weapon called "Bliss" has destroyed America's major cities. Peggy (Jessica Lowndes) lives in a small town outside the corrupted metropolis of Muskeet, where she helps her mother, Celia (Lucie Guest), run a diner. Business is slow, but Celia says their father left some money for them when he died. The terrorist wars also claimed Peggy's older sister. Jak (Jonathan Tucker, from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake) and his buddy Boxx (Ryan McDonald) do what they can to get by. They've forcibly taken blood from an elderly couple, with plans to transport it to the city, where the MC (Robert Englund) at the Doom Room waits to use it for some nefarious purpose. They stop in the diner to get some ice. Celia can tell they're from Muskeet, and is immediately on her guard, but Peggy is intrigued, and strikes up a conversation with Jak. Jak tells her, "You are something I haven't seen in a long time," and invites her to "see the world" with him. Later that night, she sneaks out of the house and goes back to the diner, where Jak picks her up, as planned, and they head into town. "I'm not gonna let anything happen to you," Jak assures her, "except what you want." Dance of the Dead was scripted by Richard Christian Matheson, adapted from a short story by his father, Richard Matheson. ~ Josh Ralske, 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

The first feature film from director Phil Joanou (State of Grace), Three O' Clock High chronicles a high school nerd's much hyped after-school bout with the infamous class bully. When the impish Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is assigned to interview the new transfer student with a supposedly violent past, Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson), he makes the fatal mistake of touching his subject. Revell, who hates being touched, responds by challenging the unwilling Mitchell to a fight at three o'clock in the parking lot. Spanning the course of the school day, the film follows the disaster-bound Mitchell as he soils his good-boy image through various misguided attempts at averting the fight. Also making noteworthy appearances in the film are Jeffrey Tambor and Philip Baker Hall. ~ Rachel Deahl, All Movie Guide

Gas-station owner Zack (Noble Willingham) is being pressured to sell out by a gang of crooks. Coming to Zack's aid, the members of the A-Team are surprised to learn that the man behind the skullduggery is infamous mob boss Sam Marlini (Marc Lawrence)--who was supposed to have been killed years earlier! Episode highlights include a flashback of sorts to Murdock's (Dwight Schultz) triumph on Wheel of Fortune, Hannibal's (George Peppard) female drag as a cleaning lady, and the climactic chase, involving an antique car that has been "borrowed" from the elusive Marlini. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A TV news crew manages to videotape a vicious arsonist in the act. Hunter (Fred Dryer) and McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) do their best to bring the firebug to justice, but are stymied at every turn by the well-meaning interference of the TV people. Ultimately, howver,. Hunter squares off against the murderous "torch"--who turns out to be a demented Rambo wannabe, armed with a gigantic flame thrower! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Female army corporal Charlotte Brown (Lauren Chase) hires the A-Team to investigate the murder of her brother Paul at the hands of illegal arms dealers. Imagine the team's surprise when Charlotte betrays them to their nemesis, Col. Decker (Lance LeGault). When it turns out that Charlotte had done this because Decker had promised to catch her brother's murderer, the Team decides to ( a ) rescue Charlotte and solve the mystery themselves, and ( b ) play Decker for a sucker by staging a fake attack on a National Guard outpost, using little more than a record of movie sound effects. And as a bonus, Murdock (Dwight Schultz) imagines that he is a TV set, spewing out ersatz sitcoms! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

B.A. (Mr. T) comes to the aid of little Maria (Edie Marie Rubio), who along with her ailing mother has been illegally smuggled into the States by a criminal gang. The lead crook is a lout named Presley (Dennis Lipscomb), whose chief henchman is corrupt border patrol officer Taggart (played by Jack Ging, long before becoming an A-Team regular as General Fullbright). Following a plan purportedly hatched by Murdock's pet cockroach Herman (!), the team sets about to rescue the hapless aliens--but first they must rescue their own leader Hannibal (George Peppard). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This time the A-Team takes up the cause of migrant workers who are being treated as slaves--and cheated out of their meager salaries in the bargain--by evil landowner Ted Jarrett (played by prison-movie perennial John Vernon). Once on the scene, the Team sets about to organize the beleagured workers into a union, a task that necessitates the conversion of a huge cabbage-bailing machine into an armored vehicle. Meanwhile, the Team's perennial nemesis Col. Decker (Lance LeGault) continues to breathe down the Good Guys' necks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Incredible Hulk, the live-action TV series based on the popular Marvel Comics character, was preceded by a 2-hour TV-movie pilot. Bill Bixby stars as Dr. David Banner (Bruce Banner in the original comic books), a scientist whose experimentation with gamma rays has a most dramatic effect. Whenever his anger is aroused, Dr. Banner turns into a huge, green, rampaging monstrosity called the Hulk (played by bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno). Unjustly accused of being a criminal in his "Hulk" guise, Dr. Banner is forced to take it on the lam. In Fugitive fashion, the subsequent series found Dr. Banner and his alter-ego Hulk helping people in distress. Written, produced and directed by Kenneth Johnson, the Incredible Hulk pilot was first broadcast November 4, 1977. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide