Antonio Sabato, Jr.

Director/screenwriter Stewart Raffill interweaves the modern world tales of ancient mystical cults by detailing the mysterious relationship between a wealthy film producer and the hypnotically beautiful siren who seems to drift between his dreams and his waking consciousness. Startled to find an ethereal beauty pushed onto the shore of his vast beach estate by a friendly dolphin, film producer Michael Pace brings the girl to safety before phoning the local doctor and police. Later, after all involved determine that the unidentified woman is in good health, she awakens without any knowledge of either her past or identity. That night, after Michael and his strange visitor engage in a rapturous night of sensual bliss, the enamored producer invites the girl to join him for brunch on his friend's yacht. The heated relationship between the passionate pair quickly takes an unexpected turn, however, when Michael's wife shows up at the brunch and the producer is forced to leave the girl in the care of his salacious friend Harry Sugar. Upon awakening the following morning, it appears to Michael as if the events of the previous day had been nothing but a vivid dream. Though he begins to suspect that his encounter with the girl was all a figment of his imagination, Michael is troubled to learn that Harry's yacht has been discovered drifting far into the ocean waters - it's missing captain nowhere to be found. When Michael discovers a video of Harry making out with the woman on the boat, a quick investigation reveals that there has recently been a series of unexplained disappearances involving beautiful women. A film producer who is constantly on the lookout for inspiration, Michael is subsequently inspired to turn his bizarre, seemingly supernatural experience into a movie. As the auditions get underway, an actress who is the spitting image of the disappearing beauty tries out for the role and Michael quickly finds the film reaching deep into his family past, and far into an unknown future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a keen-eyed scientist discovers that a large asteroid is currently on a deadly collision course with the planet Earth, she must seek the help of a military outcast to jump into action and save humanity from annihilation in a tense, end-of-the-world thriller starring Rae Dawn Chong, Antonio Sabato, Jr., and Michael Moriarty. Dr. Madison Kelsey (Chong) has made a terrifying discovery, but time isn't on her side and in order to prevent the largest disaster ever known to man she is going to have to act fast. Though ex-military scientist Richard Donovan (Sabato, Jr) may be able to help, he is still reeling after being ejected from the armed forces due to his homosexuality. There's little time for old grudges in these final days, however, and when Dr. Kelsey and Donovan agree to work together for the good of mankind, the rest of the world waits with baited breath to receive word of their ultimate fate. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Perhaps inspired by the finale of the 1954 horror film Them!, the made-for-cable chiller Bugs explores the consequences stemming from a swarm of giant insects gathering in a major metropolitan subway systems. These bugs not only eat human beings, but tear their bodies apart and leave the fragments scattered to and fro. It is up to entomologist Emily Foster (Angie Everhart) and civil engineer Matt Pollock (Antonio Sabato, Jr.) to save humanity from the oversized scourges. Bugs made its Sci-Fi Channel debut September 4, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A couple risks their lives in the name of all things fabulous in this comedy of errors, set against the backdrop of West Hollywood's annual Halloween Parade. Wasabi Tuna's title refers to the ho-hum sushi costumes that boyfriends Harvey (Barney Cheng) and Evan (Jason London) have dreamed up for themselves and their friends to wear to the big bash. But when their sassy pall Emme (Alanna Ubach) offers up another suggestion -- that they dress as hardcore East L.A. gangstas -- the couple jumps at the chance. However, when the boutiques on Rodeo Drive don't yield the authentic ghetto fashions they need, the friends hit the streets to beg, steal, or borrow what it takes to "look the part," and end up the unwitting carriers of an illegal cache of gang weaponry. Co-starring Antonio Sabato Jr., SNL funnyman Tim Meadows, and reality-TV widow Anna Nicole Smith (playing herself), Wasabi Tuna received a limited West Coast release in the spring of 2004. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

The legacy of a deceased high school misfit lives on as his tormentors slowly falls prey to a vengeful spirit from beyond the grave in this fright feature from veteran television director Chuck Bowman. Jeff Lucas (Josh Hammond) is already an outcast, but when he makes a horror film instead of a documentary for a class project, the ridicule his classmates inflict upon him soon turns to outright abuse. After being forced into an auto race with one of his more sadistic classmates, Jeff's car careens over a cliff and the troubled student is presumed to be dead. When a new family moves into the home previously inhabited by Jeff and his family, a series of bizarre occurrences lead the family's high-school-age son to believe that Jeff has returned to inflict revenge upon those who wronged him in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Spencer Northcut (Antonio Sabato, Jr.) quite reasonably never forgot the day he witnessed his family being mauled and eventually killed by a prehistoric shark on what was meant to be an innocent boat trip. Obsessed, Spencer builds himself a submarine in hopes of setting out to find and kill the bloodthirsty shark. At first, it looks as if he'll never have the chance--the research group in charge of the sub refuses to let him board his own creation, until they themselves are killed by the same shark responsible for the death of Spencer's parents. Unhindered, Spencer leaves in anticipation of finding the shark and ending a very personal grudge. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

The titular "final ascent" in this made-for-cable thriller begins as a group of inexperienced backpackers are shepherded through a particular treacherous stretch of the Rockies by an experienced pair of guides. Among the "greenhorns" is a pack of thieves who are searching for money they had stolen and lost. Once the villains are revealed, it becomes obvious that they aren't about to allow the guides or the other tourists to return from the mountain alive, and thus a deadly cat-and-mouse game develops between two of the main characters, played by Antonio Sabato Jr. and Patrick Muldoon. The striking similarities between this film and the Sylvester Stallone theatrical feature Cliffhanger are underlined by a subplot involving a climber who cannot get over the fact that he caused the death of his daughter in previous ascent. Hampered by too much dialogue and too many blatantly obvious studio "exteriors", Final Ascent was first telecast November 11, 2000 on the Lifetime network, where it has since been rerun under the all-purpose title Final Descent. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this tense military thriller, intelligence officer Jack Poynt (Antonio Sabato Jr.) discovers evidence of a CIA-backed raid on a medical facility in Cambodia in 1972, which led to the torture and slaughter of a number of innocent civilians. Poynt decides it's high time that the men responsible were exposed and brought to justice, but the deeper he digs in search of the truth, the more he finds himself in danger. The Chaos Factor also stars Fred Ward, R. Lee Ermey, and Kelly Rutherford. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

When a desperate convict determines to break out of prison at any cost, his cunning escape plan finds him taking one of his best friends as a hostage and authorities mistakenly assuming that his pal is a willing participant as director Armand Mastroianni recounts one of the most daring prison escapes ever attempted. Randy Savino (Antonio Sabato Jr.) can't take life behind bars another day, but in order to escape from his fortress-like prison he'll have to take to the sky. The only way out is to hijack the helicopter of his life-long friend Colt Erikson (Adrian Pasdar) and take his old pal hostage. As authorities close in and the friendship between the pair is put to the ultimate test, Randy is about to find out there's a high price to pay for being a free man when you've wronged society in the eyes of the law. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Kirk Wong directed this comedy actioner about mild-mannered, beleaguered hitman Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg), who very much wants to be liked. However, the naive Mel is being taken advantage of by both his girlfriends and associates (who cheat him out of his bonuses). Mel and his "Odd Squad" -- Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.), and Gump (Robin Dunne) -- work for Paris (Avery Brooks), head of an international crime cartel and a contractor for hit jobs. Mel's mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon), who views him as a meal ticket, lives rent-free in his house, misspends his money, and is continually thinking of ways to get more from him. Her latest scheme is concocting tales about overdue mortgage and car payments, but she really wants the money to run away with her lover Sergio. Mel and his team head into a big shootout to waste some rival mobsters. One person kills the electricity; the others don night-vision goggles. Melvin handles most of the action, including shooting while bungee-bouncing near a staircase, finally making a spectacular bungee-exit from the top floors of the building just as it explodes in flames. A quick and easy weekend job backfires when their kidnap victim, a rich industrialist's teenage daughter Keiko Nishi (China Chow), turns out to be the godchild of their boss, crime czar Paris. When Cisco, mastermind of the plan, is summoned by Paris, he manages to shift blame to Mel. Meanwhile, Chantel absconds with Mel's earnings just as the disapproving parents (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) of Mel's fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) are due for a visit. Since Pam gave her parents $50,000 from Mel's bank account, they're on their way to thank him and hopefully benefit from another financial windfall. As his professional and domestic woes collide, Mel finds himself dodging bullets while trying to impress his potential in-laws. Throw in an overzealous video-store clerk demanding the return of an overdue tape (King Kong Returns), and it's not long before Mel's life starts to unravel. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide