Barbara Tyson Movies
Adam Beach, Graham Greene, and Jason Priestly star in director Don McBrearty's fictionalized account of the events that took place in the harbor of a Vancouver Island village and shocked animal lovers around the world. When a government representative (Priestly) announces that he intends to reunite an orphaned orca with his pod by transporting him hundreds of miles over dry land, the Mowachaht-Muchalaht First Nations Band, which believes that the spirit of their late chief resides in the majestic ocean mammal, does everything within their power to thwart the controversial plan. As the community grows increasingly divided over how to handle the situation, a young aboriginal boy wrestles with his own identity and new Band chief Mike Maquinna (Beach) prepares for the trial by fire that could shape his entire future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Beach, Tantoo Cardinal, (more)
Co-director of the controversial 1998 documentary Frat House, Andrew Gurland attempts to follow in the teen-comedy footsteps of his partner on that film, Todd Phillips (Road Trip), with Cheats. The film centers on Handsome (Trevor Fehrman) and Sammy (Elden Henson), a scheming pair of best pals who cheat their ways through elementary school and junior high. Once in high school, the duo meets Victor (Matthew Lawrence) and Applebee (Martin Starr) and prove that in cheating, four heads are better than two. But when their principal catches them, they are put on probation. With that in mind, the gang must decide whether to pull off one final, grandiose cheat at the risk of being caught and having their college dreams squelched. Although intended for a theatrical release, Cheats had its premiere on Cinemax before being released on home video and DVD. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trevor Fehrman, Elden Henson, (more)
Dooley and Jerry Lee are at it again. The day after Dooley (James Belushi) retires as a detective from the police force, he finds himself -- and his faithful canine companion Jerry Lee -- chasing high-tech burglars who have stolen a valuable prototype computer chip. Trouble is, Jerry Lee has eaten one of the chips, and the other three won't work without it. Meanwhile, Dooley is convinced to breed Jerry Lee and winds up with a crush on the female dog's owner (Barbara Tyson), however, a mysterious and beautiful client looking for her missing boyfriend has breeding ideas about Dooley of her own. Once again, Dooley needs Jerry Lee to rescue him from danger and straighten out his love life. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Belushi
In this made-for-cable action-drama, Oliver Sloan (Parker Stevenson) is the son of a Las Vegas resort magnate whose showplace hotel has just been given its grand re-opening. However, Sloan's board of directors is not happy with the hotel's profitability, and he knows he's about to be replaced. One evening, a fire breaks out on the 20th floor of the hotel; it soon becomes evident that the sprinkler systems in the hotel are not working, and Sloan begins to suspect that the fire did not happen by accident. Meanwhile, a number of guests are trapped as the fire rages out of control, including Jim (Meat Loaf), an engineer working for the hotel who tries to figure out a route to safety for himself and the guests, and Evans (William McNamara), a TV reporter who begins broadcasting live from the burning building. Trapped also features Callum Keith Rennie and Suki Kaiser. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Parker Stevenson, Meat Loaf, (more)
In this teenage horror film, a young man avoids the hand of death, only to find that he can't get away from it so easily. On the way to Paris with his high-school French club, Alex Browning (Devon Sawa) has a vivid premonition of the plane crashing and killing all its passengers. After Alex and some other passengers demand to be let off the flight, his premonition turns out to be true, and the jet explodes during takeoff. While the FBI is convinced that Alex was involved in some kind of foul play, the passengers who got off the flight are all dying in horrible ways, as if whoever determined that the passengers would perish is punishing those who cheated death. Final Destination marked the feature directorial debut of James Wong, a producer and director for the TV series The X Files. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Devon Sawa, Amanda Detmer, (more)
In this comic fantasy for the family, Doris (Kathy Baker), a woman who runs a secondhand store, buys a ring that turns out to have magical powers. Before she knows what's happened, the ring has turned her into one of her favorite television stars, and the talisman allows her to transform a pair of rats into good-looking boys for a couple of teenage girls with whom she's become friendly. But no one knows just how long the spell will remain in effect -- least of all Doris. Ratz also stars Caroline Elliott and Vanessa Lengies. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vanessa Lengies, Caroline Elliott, (more)
Christopher Lambert stars in this thriller about a psychotic serial killer whose M.O. is unusual even by the standards of his deadly trade. Beginning shortly before Easter, he begins accumulating body parts for a bizarre, grisly religious ritual -- he intends to reassemble the body of Christ in time for his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Directed by Russell Mulcahy, who previously worked with Lambert on the original Highlander. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, James Kidnie, (more)
Carol and Matt Whitson have hired Anne (Josie Bissett) to take care of their son Peter, unaware that their decision will soon lead to danger. Anne is very attractive, and Carol Whitson has alienated her husband because of her cold-hearted behavior -- the result being that Anne and Matt begin a torrid affair. Once Carol finds out what is going on behind her back, her pent-up anger explodes, putting both Anne and little Peter in danger. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josie Bissett, Jason Beghe, (more)
Yuppie couple Denise Harris (Alyssa Milano) and Roger Lewis (Cameron Bancroft) get it in their wee little heads to head off to Alaska, there to work a gold mine some 75 miles away from civilization, At first, Denise and Roger revel in their exotic new surroundings, but before long the weather goes from cold to really cold, the supplies run out, and all contact with the outside world is cut off. Are the two city-dwellers prepared to endure the ordeal of making their way back to town or will they end up a pair of frozen Yuppie-sickles? In one of the big dramatic moments, the starving Denise and Roger seriously consider eating their pet dog; one suspects that this idea is borne of jealousy, since the dog gives the film's best performance. Lensed on location in British Columbia, the made-for-TV To Brave Alaska originally aired November 3, 1996, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alyssa Milano, Cameron Bancroft, (more)
Rushing to Milwaukee after his wife, Jenn (Christine Harnos), and daughter, Rachel (Yvonne Zima), are injured in a car accident, Greene (Anthony Edwards) is relieved to learn that they're all right -- but none too happy with the news that Jenn has been withholding from him. Back in Chicago, Carol (Julianna Margulies) is given advice about her new house by Josh Shern (Adam Goldberg), a paranoid schizophrenic with an innate talent for architecture. And Dr. Morganstern (William H. Macy) and Susan Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) clash when he suggests that her personal problems vis-à-vis little Suzy are negatively affecting her job performance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

- 1995
- Add Danielle Steel's 'Mixed Blessings' to QueueAdd Danielle Steel's 'Mixed Blessings' to top of Queue
The happiness and heartbreaks of first-time parenting are lavishly visualized in this TV adaptation of Danielle Steel's novel Mixed Blessings. The teleplay by Virginia L. Browne and Rebecca Soladay evenly divides its time among three newly married couples, each one seriously contemplating parenthood. Though Brad Coleman (James Naughton) has a touchy relationship with his grown daughter from a previous marriage, his younger bride Pilar (Bess Armstrong) wants to experience motherhood firsthand. The relationship between Andy and Diana Douglas (Bruce Greenwood, Gabrielle Carteris) is imperiled when Diana has trouble conceiving. And while Charlie Winwood (Scott Baio) wants a baby in his life, his spouse Beth (Alexandra Paul) is not so easily persuaded. Add to this mixture a heavy dollop of "outside" emotional baggage and a few picture-book happy endings, and you have a typical (and typically well-received) Danielle Steel soufflé. The film initially aired December 11, 1995, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabrielle Carteris, Scott Baio, (more)


















