Brenda James Movies
A mysterious meteor infected with a deadly alien plague brings chaos to a small hunting town in the feature-length directorial debut of screenwriter James Gunn (Scooby-Doo, Dawn of the Dead). Booted out of bed by his young, trophy-wife Starla (Elizabeth Banks), and in desperate need of some female companionship, wealthy Grant Grant (Michael Rooker) picks up bar local floozy Brenda (Brenda James) and heads into the woods for a hedonistic night of extramarital excitement. When a flaming meteor lights up the sky before crashing to the ground nearby, Grant's curiosity gets the best of him and he sets out to find the space rock. Subsequently infected with a rampaging space virus, which he passes along to Brenda, Grant transforms into a horrific, cow-munching monster and begins terrorizing the town. As thousands of squirmy space slugs burrow into the brains of the unsuspecting Wheelsy denizens creating an ever-amassing horde of mindless space zombies, panic grips the small town and it's up to Starla, Sheriff Bill Pardy (Nathan Fillion), and gung-ho mayor Jack MacReady (Gregg Henry) to put an end to the infection and save the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
- 2005
Based on the autobiographical book by political journalist Mort Kondracke (here played by Bruce Greenwood, the made-for-TV Saving Milly lovingly chronicles the marriage of Kondracke and his wife Milly (Madeline Stowe)--a union that ended on a note of tragedy. The story begins in Chicago in 1966, when Mort, a cub newspaper reporter, falls for Milly Martinez, a Vassar-bred political activist. The two lose track of one another when Kondracke is transferred to Washington, but a chance meeting years later results in marriage. During the period in which Mort establishes himself as a political pundit and Milly pursues her own successful career as a therapist, Mrs. Kondracke diligently helps Mr. Kondracke overcome his alcoholism. And when in 1987 Milly is diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it is Mort's turn to repay her love and devotion, nursing her through her long illness, helping her come to grips with reluctantly rely on the help of others for the first time in her life, and laboring tirelessly to stir up public awareness of his wife's affliction. Adding an extra layer of depth to the drama is the subplot involving the learning disabilities of the Kondrackes' daughters. Actor Michael J. Fox, himself a Parkinson's victim, makes a significant cameo appearance film, which though it ends with Milly's death is nonetheless optimistic and inspirational in tone. And before you ask, Robert Wisden is seen as Fred Barnes, Kondracke's genial cohost on the Fox News Channel's The Beltway Boys. Saving Milly mades its CBS network debut on March 13, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2003
Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) is reunited with two of his high-school friends, Jason Moore (Lochlyn Munro) and Jason's sister Kate (Ally Sheedy, with whom series star Hall appeared in the 1982 theatrical feature The Breakfast Club). Upon making physical contact with both Jason and Kate, Johnny experiences a disturbing psychic vision, indicating that one of the siblings needs a heart transplant -- and the other is fated to be the donor. Thus, if Johnny tries to save one of his friends, the other will die, and vice versa...and the more he tries to avoid making the inevitable choice, the more that choice is cruelly thrust upon him. "Playing God" was originally slated to air as The Dead Zone's second-season finale, but the USA network decided to extend the season for several additional episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
Paul Johansson's The Incredible Mrs. Richie stars Gena Rowlands as the title character. The film stars Kevin Zegers as Charlie Proud, a young man on the path to juvenile delinquency. Having had enough of Charlie's troublemaking, school principal Mr. Dewitt issues the boy an ultimatum. Charlie must begin working for Mrs. Richie or be expelled from the school. She puts him to work in her garden, a place she believes is home to the spirit of her late husband. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gena Rowlands, Kevin Zegers, (more)
When the perfect murder is foiled by an unexpected twist and darkness descends on a small Alaskan town, a madman's hunger for blood grows in this thriller from director Michael Bafaro. As a blanket of darkness settles over Revelstoke, AK, for a period of 24 hours, local barber Dexter Miles and the rest of the citizens realize that winter's chill is soon to follow. No one would suspect a man like Dexter Miles to be a cold-blooded killer, but when Dexter overhears the sheriff mention that the body of Lucy Waters has been discovered, he quickly realizes that his dark secret is about to break wide open. Having only murdered Lucy a few days prior, Dexter had hoped that authorities wouldn't discover her body until the spring thaw. Now, as the big-city detectives cloaked in the darkness of the Alaskan winter arrive to investigate the murder, Dexter once again feels the thrill of the kill -- and he's starting to like it. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malcolm McDowell, Jeremy Ratchford, (more)
Gregg Champion's heartwarming drama Dodson's Journey stars David James Elliott as James Dodson, a man attempting to salvage his relationship with his young daughter (Alicia Morton). James has been thrown off kilter when in quick succession his father dies and his marriage ends. He goes on a fishing trip with his daughter, attempting to bridge the substantial gap that has grown between them. The supporting cast includes Ellen Burstyn and Penelope Ann Miller. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- David James Elliott, Brenda James, (more)
- 2000
Vogelsang (Stephen Lee) unearths information enabling Max (Jessica Alba) to reach out to her Manticore siblings -- but for a hefty price. At the same time, Logan (Michael Weatherly) is visited by his alcoholic ex-wife, Valerie (Brenda James), who insists that she has cleaned up her act and wants to come back into his life. Jealousy, betrayal, and a hidden wire figure prominently in the climax of this episode, which also introduces William Gregory Lee in the role of Zack. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Are women more attracted to big creepy thugs than to nice guys? Carter (Sean O'Bryan) seems to think so; as a hopelessly nice guy, he's had a long string of unsuccessful relationships with women who thought he was a sweet person and a good friend ... and then left him to get involved with an obnoxious macho side of beef. At 31, he's tired of being a loser in love, so when he becomes infatuated with a woman named Maggie, Carter tries a new approach -- he tries to spark her interest by acting like a slug who couldn't care less about her. The trouble is, for once Carter is chasing a woman who really is looking for a nice guy; more than anything, Maggie wants to meet a man who will treat her right and bring her flowers. A bittersweet romantic comedy, Nice Guys Sleep Alone features a supporting performance from Morgan Fairchild and was screened at the 1999 Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean O'Bryan, Sybil Temchen, (more)
