Casper Van Dien Movies
An action specialist whose impossibly chiseled jaw makes him the ideal candidate to portray heroes who favor plenty of action over useless small talk, Casper Van Dien first made an impression on viewers with a recurring role on the teen soap Beverly Hills 90210 before taking a turn as James Dean (James Dean: Race with Destiny) and battling giant killer bugs on faraway planets (Starship Troopers).Raised in Ridgewood, NJ, on a street that was named after his great-great-grandfather, Van Dien enrolled in Admiral Farragut Academy when his family relocated to Florida, eventually graduating third in command. After finishing his education at Florida State University, it was off to Los Angeles to purse success on screens both big and small. While success doesn't always come fast in L.A., Van Dien's photogenic visage gave him something of an edge at auditions, and it wasn't long before the occasional television role blossomed into a full-on feature career. After taking the lead as the heroic Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers and as the Lord of the Jungle himself in Tarzan and the Lost City, Van Dien expanded his resumé to include the role of producer with the release of Richard Elfman's Modern Vampires in 1998. While subsequent years found Van Dien largely relegated to made-for-television features and straight-to-video B-movie fare, occasional roles in such wide releases as Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow showed that there was indeed a sense of humor behind the stone-faced veneer.
Following Van Dien's wedding to second wife Catherine Oxenberg in 1999, the pair worked together on numerous projects in addition to co-founding a production company dedicated entirely to socially responsible, family-friendly entertainment. In 2005, Van Dien and Oxenberg made the production of the PC shooter Starship Troopers something of a family affair by enlisting aid of three of their five children in recording voice-overs for the video game. Subsequent roles in Slayer, The Curse of King Tut's Tomb, and Starship Troopers: Marauder proved without question that Van Dien wasn't looking to hang up his guns anytime in the near future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner and Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine star in this action-packed western about a town of old west settlers beset by a ruthless group of trigger-happy gunmen. They knew they were taking a risk by settling in uncharted territory, but the land was bountiful and the future looked bright. The one thing that these settlers didn't count on was the railroad. When the bullets start flying and the locals start dying, there's no sheriff to maintain the peace within a hundred miles. With no one to defend the peaceful pioneers but a retired gunslinger and an ageing rancher, this unlikely duo loads their pistols and prepares to become the only law this town has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
- 2005
A fledgling detective on the trail of a notorious serial killer finds that sometimes your prime suspect is the last person you would ever expect in a tense police thriller starring Sherilyn Fenn and Casper Van Dien, and directed by Christopher Miller. When the most notorious criminals on the street are systematically stalked and murdered by a killer who seems to know police procedure all-too-well, it appears as if a renegade cop has decided to toss aside due process and personally play the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
One of several fictional films produced for the Animal Planet cable network, Big Spender was inspired by a real-life rehabilitation program sponsored by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Having spent most of his adult life behind bars, embittered petty criminal Eddie Burton (Casper Van Dien) is afforded the opportunity to turn his life around by participating in a work-release project caring for retired thoroughbred horses on a minimum-security farm. Although there's little love lost between the cynical Eddie and crusty, crippled farm hand Jake (Graham Greene), Eddie manages to connect with Big Spender, a worn-out race horse who has obviously endured a life of abuse. Through his efforts to save Big Spender from being destroyed, Eddie comes face to face with his own humanity for the first time. But will this new lease on life be enough for Eddie to earn the friendship of Jake and the love of pert female jockey Melinda (Tara Spencer-Nairn)? And what about Eddie's long-estranged seven-year-old son (Matthew Knight)? Filmed in and around Cambridge, Ontario, Big Spender debuted March 25, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Graham Greene, (more)
Vic Cooper (Stephen Baldwin) is an undercover agent with U.S. Customs who is dedicated to his job, but has a bad habit of getting too close to his adversaries for his own good. Back on the force after a suspension, Cooper is assigned to infiltrate a group of nomadic sky-diving enthusiasts led by Red Line (Tom Berenger), who are believed to be smuggling drugs to support their lifestyle. Red Line and the other members of his group call themselves "cut aways" -- people who have cut their ties with conventional society to feed their appetite for the adrenaline rush of sky-diving full time. Cooper impresses Red Line and his second-in-command, Turbo (Dennis Rodman), with his sky-diving skills, and he's soon invited to join the group. But true to form, as Cooper develops a closer friendship with Red Line, he finds it harder to report his wrongdoings, and Cooper doesn't do himself any more favors when he becomes romantically involved with Star (Maxine Bahns), a beautiful female diver. Cutaway also features Casper Van Dien as Red Line's nemesis Delmira. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
Young U.S. Navy Commander Sheffield (Casper Van Dien) has his nuclear-armed fast-attack submarine taken over by renegade sailors who are certain there has been a devastating exchange of nuclear bombs while they were without radio contact. It doesn't help that one of them was snubbed for Sheffield's promotion. They have the ship's doctor drug Sheffield to keep him in his quarters, giving them opportunities to load and launch the sub's nuclear warheads at targets in Russia in retaliation for their perceived war. Meanwhile, steely Admiral Justice (Gerald McRaney) works topside to have the sub torpedoed before it can start a real nuclear war. Can Sheffield regain command in time to save the world? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
The undead discover a new home in the far reaches of space in this blend of science fiction, action, and horror. In the year 3000 A.D., the crew of a commercial space freighter happens upon the wreckage of the Demeter, a massive space ship that has been missing for nearly a century. Aware that there's a substantial bounty being offered for the return of the ship's cargo, the freighter's crew begin exploring the Demeter to see what remains, and they discover that the ship's hold includes a large cache of black coffins. However, the real surprise lurks inside the coffins -- a gang of vampires, taking advantage of the darkness of deep space, have taken refuge in the Demeter's payload, and they soon begin attacking those who have discovered them. Can the freighter's crew keep the menace at bay until the ship's orbit takes them into the path of the sun? Dracula.3000 includes a stellar exploitation cast, including Casper Van Dien, Erika Eleniak, Coolio, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., and a special guest appearance from Udo Kier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- PG13
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Toluca Lake newspaper owner Mardi Rustam is the producer of this biographical drama about James Dean (Casper Van Dien), re-creating Dean's romance with Pier Angeli (Carrie Mitchum, granddaughter of Robert Mitchum) and depicting other '50s Hollywood personalities -- from Ursula Andress (Monique Parent) to director George Stevens (Robert Mitchum). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Carrie Mitchum, (more)
- 1995
Attending their five-year high school reunion, Kelly (Christina Applegate) and her best friend Jessica (Sarah Ann Morris) are shocked to discover that onetime classroom nerd Eric (Casper Van Dien) is now a handsome hunk--and a millionaire to boot. Once the girls have recovered, they fall over themselves trying to win Eric's heart. . .while Kelly does everything in her power to make Eric forget that she once stood him up on New Year's Eve. Meanwhile, the Bundys don't quite understand the purpose of Marcy's "guns for toys" drive. Seen in this episode as Bud's girlfriend Ashley is former Playboy centerfold Heidi Mark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A Los Angeles detective takes on the deadliest order of assassins ever assembled while attempting to prevent a biological weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Detective Jack Barrett (Casper Van Dien) has taken down some of the most notorious criminals on Los Angeles, but he's about to face his biggest challenge to date. Plunged into a treacherous world of shadows while investigating a high profile murder case, Detective Barrett learns of a biological weapon that could threaten the very future of mankind. Only the mysterious Miko (Kristy Wu) holds the key to solving this apocalyptic mystery, and in order to protect her Detective Barrett must do battle with an army of invisible enemies schooled in the art of silent killing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Kristy Wu, (more)
Casper Van Dien stars in Meltdown: Days of Destruction as a Los Angeles cop who leads a team of science experts in an effort to save the Earth after an asteroid knocks the planet out of its regular orbit, causing a number of meteorological disasters. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Venus Terzo, (more)
A vampire hunter in southern California discovers that his son has been murdered by a gang of the undead and thus goes on a quest for revenge. ~ All Movie Guide
In this made-for-TV movie, a young woman (Candace Cameron Bure) moves to a small town that was rocked by a shocking murder a year before, in which a teenage girl was killed. The woman is told that she bears a striking resemblance to the victim, and as coincidence would have it, she begins having strange and troubling dreams about a violent attack that closely parallels the previous crime. As the girl begins sharing the details of her dreams with the police, the killers plot to kill her, fearful that she will be able to expose them as the killers. Nightscream also features Terri Garr, Ned Vaughn, and Casper Van Dien.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Teri Garr, (more)
The son of a powerful police commissioner, uniformed officer Philip Gammon (Casper Van Dien) is secretly in charge of the Vigilantes, an illegal band of fellow cops whose mission in life is to track down and kill all known drug dealers. Inevitably, the Vigilantes become drunk with their own power, using their vendetta as an excuse to extort money from innocent bystanders, and to knock off anyone who learns too much about their covert operation. Rookie cop Kathryn Shaunessy (Sherilyn Fenn), herself the daughter of a legendary lawkeeper, gets wind of Gammon's activities and publicly exposes him and his cronies. Inevitably, the Vigilantes swear vengeance against Kathryn and her family -- and with so many corrupt cops on the force (not to mention a hostile public who thinks of the Vigilantes as folk heroes!), to whom can she turn for protection? Made for cable's Lifetime network, Officer Down was originally telecast on August 1, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Casper Van Dien, (more)
- 1999
- R
A corrupt security guard finds his already shaky loyalties stretched to the breaking point in this action drama. Jake Barnes (Casper Van Dien) is hired to guard a bank in a small town near the Texas/Mexico border. Jake's boss wants him to keep an eye on his wife, whom he believes is being unfaithful to him; unfortunately, while keeping tabs on her, Jake falls into a sexual relationship with the woman. Jake is also involved with Kristen (Camilla Overbye Roos), who is urging him into another betrayal of his boss's trust -- a group of drug dealers are laundering $7,000,000 through the bank, and Kristen is in cahoots with a group of thieves eager to steal the fortune. Kristen and his partners want Jake's help, and they will do whatever they have to do to get it. On the Border also stars Bryan Brown, Daniel Baldwin, and Bentley Mitchum. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
- Add P.C.H. to Queue
The lives of college students attending a beachfront university in California become mingled -- and mangled -- when the deranged former husband (Jack Scalia) of the beautiful former fashion model/pro volleyball player Stacey (Jacqueline Collen) finds her living on the campus. Meanwhile, Randy (Casper Van Dien), whose grades are suffering from his fixation on several lovely co-eds (Denise Richards among them), has been caught cheating on a test by his professor (Sally Kellerman) who threatens him with expulsion, despite the fact that Randy's father (Elliot Gould) is a major contributor to the school. What's worse, the big beach volleyball tournament hosted by the on-campus bar is threatened when a sponsor pulls out, unless something can be done to draw attention to the event... Perhaps having an assassin in the bleachers will do it. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Jacqueline Collen, (more)
A white-collar criminal meets a blue-collar small-time crook who thinks he's stumbled into a major score in this crime comedy. Bob (David Paymer) is a slightly geeky computer programmer who decides to turn on his boss and make a big killing. He steals a highly valuable set of computer codes from his workplace and offers to sell them to their competitors. Bob's plan seems to be working out fine, until he makes the mistake of discussing his plan on a bus within earshot of a drifter (Casper Van Dien) who overhears that Bob expects a seven-figure payday for the data. The drifter lifts the briefcase with Bob's stolen goods, and Bob discovers he now has a partner in crime. Bob has little choice but to play along, though his lack of enthusiasm becomes acute when the drifter's former girlfriend, a pair of Japanese agents, a detective, and several other hangers-on are all hot on their trail. Partners also features Vanessa Angel, Seiko Matsuda, Jennifer Lewis, and Donna Pescow. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Vanessa Angel, (more)
- 2005
Multi-tasking attorney Bonnie Locke (Penelope Ann Miller) definitely gets more than she bargained for in this Canadian made-for-cable movie. While trying to locate her brother Chris (Casper Van Dien), who has mysteriously vanished, Bonnie also finds time to help her best friend Nicole (Laura Mennell) keep a stalker at bay. By the time Bonnie figures out that her brother's disappearance and her friend's plight are inextricably linked, her own life is on the line! Personal Effects made its US cable bow via the Lifetime channel on April 18, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Casper Van Dien, (more)
One seriously large snake makes for a staggering body count in this horror thriller. Dr. Anton Rudolph (Robert Englund) is a scientist who has spent years breeding and perfecting the ideal living weapon -- a gigantic python that's 60 feet long and can swallow nearly anything in its path. Rudolph is transporting his new creation by air when their plane crashes near a small town and the mutant snake escapes. Rudolph is forced to team up with Bart Parker (Casper Van Dien), a military security expert, to round up the snake, but in the meantime, more than a few locals are pointing fingers at eccentric John Cooper (Frayne Rosenoff), who has a fondness for snakes and a bad reputation with the local cops. Python also features supporting performances from Jenny McCarthy and Wil Wheaton. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
They say you shouldn't take rides from strangers, and a young woman gets an especially vivid reminder of why in this thriller. Sonia (Danielle Brett) is a college student whose relationship with her fiancé has begun falling apart; after an especially ugly argument with her boyfriend, Sonia hitches a ride home with Jim (Casper Van Dien), a truck driver. At first, Sonia thinks of Jim as her knight in shining armor, but before long it becomes obvious that Jim is not the good Samaritan he seems to be, and when he becomes involved in a dangerous game of tag with another motorist, Sonia realizes her situation has gone from unpleasant to potentially deadly. Also shown as A Friday Night Date, Road Rage also stars Chuck Byrn, Joseph Griffin, and Catherine Oxenberg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Danielle Brett, (more)
Eric Roberts is at it again in this serial killer thriller from Uwe Boll, a director best known for his 1991 film German Fried Movie. In an anonymous American town (actually Vancouver) a serial nutcase is taking the proverb "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," a little too seriously, robbing victims of their eyes, ears, and tongues. Detectives Jim Renart (Michael Pare) and Dorothy Smith (Jennifer Rubin) are under pressure from their superior (Roberts) to capture the killer, and they finally get a break when alpha-yuppie stockbroker Tom Gerrick (Casper Van Dien) offers himself for questioning. However, actually nailing Gerrick proves to be a difficult matter, especially with the feds set to take over the case in mere hours, and Gerrick's impending appearance on a TV talkshow. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Millbern, Catherine Oxenberg, (more)
Casper Van Dien, Ernie Hudson, Jenny McShane and Bentley Mitchum star in this thriller about a marine biologist doing research at a facility off the coast of Africa. Hammerhead sharks have long been a presence to be respected in local waters, but now they've started attacking people without reason -- apparently for fun. While superstitious locals fear demonic possession is to blame, the biologist thinks this may be the results of experiments performed by a former colleague turned rival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Ernie Hudson, (more)
An ancient Native American spirit in the form of a cloaked skeleton on horseback is hunted by a group of soldiers in this made-for-cable Predator knock-off. Michael Rooker stars as the captain of an elite squad of government assassins that are sent to bring down a deadly and mysterious force that has been decapitating oil refinery workers throughout a nearby chunk of wilderness. Needless to say, when they are faced with the teleporting skills of thier opponent, they soon find that all the training and firepower are nothing when compared to the sword-wielding fury of the Skeleton Man! ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker, Casper Van Dien, (more)
A secret U.S. military strike force battles a vampire infestation in the South American jungle in this action/horror film commissioned for the SciFi cable network. The top brass can't officially admit that vampires exist, but that doesn't stop Col. Jessica Weaver (Lynda Carter) from sending army commando Hawk (Casper Van Dien) and his team to the rain forest, where entire villages are being overrun by bloodsucking fiends. Things get even trickier when Hawk finds out that his ex-wife, Laurie (Jennifer O'Dell) -- who is also Col. Weaver's niece -- is in the same region conducting scientific research. Grieves (Kevin Grevioux), Hawk's right-hand man, soon gets enlisted into the ranks of the undead. But it's Laurie who unwittingly stumbles on the king of all vampires: Javier (Tony Plana), a seemingly mild-mannered nobleman whose secret history begins with the conquistadors and their quest for the fountain of youth. Slayer premiered July 8, 2006, on SciFi. Star Van Dien and writer/director Kevin VanHook previously teamed up for the 2005 horror film The Fallen Ones, while Van Dien and Grevioux are both veterans of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Kevin Grevioux, (more)
Washington Irving's tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman gets a few new twists in a screen adaptation directed by Tim Burton. In this version, Ichabod (Johnny Depp) is a New York City detective whose unorthodox techniques and penchant for gadgets make him unpopular with is colleagues. He is sent to the remote town of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of people have been found dead in the woods, with their heads cut off. Local legend has it that a Hessian ghost rides through the woods on horseback, lopping off the heads of the unsuspecting and unbelieving. Ichabod refuses to believe in this legend, convinced that there must be a logical explanation for the murders. In time, Ichabod becomes smitten with a local lass, Katrina Van Tassel (Christina Ricci), who is the sweetheart of the burly Brom Bones (Casper Van Dien), and he becomes determined to capture the murderer to prove his bravery and win her heart. Christopher Walken, Jeffrey Jones, and Christopher Lee highlight the supporting cast; Lee's appearance is particularly apt, since Burton has cited the Hammer films of the 1960s as a major influence in making this film. Andrew Kevin Walker and Tom Stoppard contributed to the screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, (more)
Director Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal service -- but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot. Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits -- Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified, he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a ruthless enemy with only one goal -- survival of their species no matter what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures -- from breeder bugs to armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500 visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained). At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future -- complete with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course, and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls). Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, (more)
