Michael D. Weiss Movies
- 2008
- PG
- Add Journey to the Center of the Earth to QueueAdd Journey to the Center of the Earth to top of Queue
Academy Award-winning visual effects artist Eric Brevig makes his feature directorial debut with this adaptation of the classic Jules Verne fantasy starring Brendan Fraser. When an ambitious science professor (Fraser) develops a decidedly unconventional hypothesis, the mere mention of his name is enough to elicit laughter within the academic community. However, during a subsequent excursion to Iceland, the professor and his nephew make a major scientific discovery that sends them miles beneath the surface of the Earth, where they discover not only strange new worlds, but also encounter creatures so alien they appear to be from another world entirely. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brendan Fraser, Anita Briem, (more)
A fearsome samurai hungering for the ultimate challenge is forced to do battle with a powerful temple monk intent on preventing ultimate destruction in an action-packed swordplay adventure in which the fate of the world lies in a mysterious coffin. Grave (Tak Sakaguchi) is a samurai whose power is unequaled by mortal man. In his desperate quest to find a suitable foe with whom to do battle, Grave steals an ancient coffin from the Tougan Temple said to contain the mythical Goddess of Destruction. Now, as Grave drags the coffin across the countryside in search of a way to pry it open and unleash the power contained inside, a temple monk charged with the task of ensuring the safety of mankind sets out to stop Grave from freeing the Goddess of Destruction even if it means sacrificing his own life in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tak Sakaguchi
The owners of Miami's trendy McNamara-Troy cosmetic surgery clinic face multiple midlife (and other) crises as the FX comedy drama series Nip/Tuck enters its second season. Now that they have both reached the age of 40, longtime business partners Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) must make some crucial decisions that will affect their future lives, to say nothing of their professional futures as expert surgical face-lifters. For Sean, the big four-oh means that he will no longer allow himself to be bullied and cowed by his demanding wife Julia (Joely Richardson) and his insolent teenage son Matt (John Hensley) -- at least not as much as he used to be. One aspect of Sean's newer, bolder outlook on life is his brief romantic fling with a self-reliant blind woman, played by guest star Rebecca Gayheart.
As for Christian, he remains as avaricious as ever when it comes to money and creature comforts, but he is also beginning to exhibit a hitherto well-hidden streak of responsibility, as manifested in his desire to adopt the son of his girlfriend Gina (Jessalyn Gilsig). Major developments this season include the revelation of a devastating secret about Sean's son Matt, one that not only threatens to destroy his marriage, but also to permanently split up the firm of McNamara-Troy. Also, Sean invites New Age life coach Ava Moore (Famke Janssen) into his home to help deal with the personal travails of his wife Julia, only to stand by in shock and awe as Ava inaugurates a romance with Matt. Figuring into this delicate situation is Ava's own son Adrian (Seth Gabel), who has some serious issues of his own. And weaving throughout the proceedings is an elusive serial rapist known only as The Carver, who disfigures the faces of his victims -- and who is willing to slash up both women and men, as both Sean and Christian discover to their horror. Among the more fascinating clients passing through the doors of McNamara-Troy during season two are Julia's mother, played by Joely Richardson's real-life mom Vanessa Redgrave; Jill Clayburgh as a dissatisfied customer who is willing to make a public spectacle of herself to ruin Sean and Chris; Lori and Reba Schappell as a pair of conjoined twins who wish to be separated; and in the season finale, Joan Rivers as herself, insisting upon having her multitudinous face lifts "revoked" for the sake of her grandson! ~ All Movie Guide
As for Christian, he remains as avaricious as ever when it comes to money and creature comforts, but he is also beginning to exhibit a hitherto well-hidden streak of responsibility, as manifested in his desire to adopt the son of his girlfriend Gina (Jessalyn Gilsig). Major developments this season include the revelation of a devastating secret about Sean's son Matt, one that not only threatens to destroy his marriage, but also to permanently split up the firm of McNamara-Troy. Also, Sean invites New Age life coach Ava Moore (Famke Janssen) into his home to help deal with the personal travails of his wife Julia, only to stand by in shock and awe as Ava inaugurates a romance with Matt. Figuring into this delicate situation is Ava's own son Adrian (Seth Gabel), who has some serious issues of his own. And weaving throughout the proceedings is an elusive serial rapist known only as The Carver, who disfigures the faces of his victims -- and who is willing to slash up both women and men, as both Sean and Christian discover to their horror. Among the more fascinating clients passing through the doors of McNamara-Troy during season two are Julia's mother, played by Joely Richardson's real-life mom Vanessa Redgrave; Jill Clayburgh as a dissatisfied customer who is willing to make a public spectacle of herself to ruin Sean and Chris; Lori and Reba Schappell as a pair of conjoined twins who wish to be separated; and in the season finale, Joan Rivers as herself, insisting upon having her multitudinous face lifts "revoked" for the sake of her grandson! ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dylan Walsh, Julian McMahon, (more)
Jules Verne's famous novel of a daring man of science who takes on the greatest voyage in history is once again adapted for the big screen in this adventure comedy. In 1872, eccentric British inventor Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan) has come up with any number of gadgets to help people travel with greater speed and ease, and is working on plans for a flying machine. In a lively discussion with Lord Kelvin (Jim Broadbent), the head of the Royal Academy of Science, Fogg states his belief that it's possible for someone to travel around the globe in a mere 80 days. Kelvin, who makes no secret of his belief that Fogg is a crackpot, challenges him to do just that, and adds a wager to the bargain to make things interesting: if Fogg can't circumnavigate the globe in 80 days, he'll give up inventing forever. Fogg takes the challenge, and teams up with his manservant, a former acrobat named Passepartout (Jackie Chan), and lovely navigator Monique (Cécile De France) to make the epic voyage -- traveling by train, boat, balloon, horseback, or any other means at their disposal. However, Fogg and his companions are dogged along the way by the false accusation that the inventor took part in a bank robbery, forcing him to not only complete the journey but clear his name as well. Like the blockbuster 1956 adaptation of Around the World in 80 Days, this film features a number of major stars in cameo appearances and supporting roles as Fogg makes his way around the globe, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cleese, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Kathy Bates, Sammo Hung, Rob Schneider, Richard Branson, Mark Addy, and more. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, (more)
- 2003
Billed as "a disturbingly perfect drama," Nip/Tuck is set in south Florida, where doctors Sean McNamara (Dylan Walsh) and Christian Troy (Julian McMahon) have built their own medical practice and are enjoying great success as the premier plastic surgeons of the area. Though physical perfection is their business, their private lives are far from flawless. Christian is an unabashed womanizer and uses sex to fill the void left by his abusive father, while Sean continuously tries to live up to the morally righteous standard he has set for himself only to fall repeatedly into personal hypocrisy and guilt. He certainly does so with Julia (Joely Richardson), his wife -- their seemingly ideal marriage is perilously close to crumbling beneath their feet and both constantly look outside of one another for what is missing from their lives. Though Christian catches a lot of flack from the McNamaras for his playboy ways -- which are, to be sure, emotionally abusive -- Sean and Julia are hardly innocent. Sean flirted with the idea of an affair when Dr. Grace Santiago (Valerie Cruz) joined McNamara-Troy and actually realized one with a patient of his; Julia, meanwhile, is harboring the secret of Matt's paternity. Matt, the McNamara's teenaged son, is carrying a burden of his own -- in addition to dealing with the trials and tribulations of adolescence, Matt was involved in a hit-and-run car accident and has been hiding his role in it ever since. Tying everything together is the string of patients filing into McNamara-Troy each day, whose physical imperfections more often than not force Sean and Christian to take a hard look at their internal ugliness. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
A runaway train barrels through the Mexican countryside, and the only hope for its passengers is a special agent with one gun and a whole bag of tricks in this pulse-pounding effort from low-budget action king Yossi Wein. A band of escaped prisoners have armed themselves and boarded a train, and it's only a matter of time before they begin to execute the frightened passengers. As the high-speed train thunders across the countryside, the safety of everyone on board lies in the hands on one man -- Special Agent Ryan (Bryan Genesse). ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Sailors in the course of a dangerous mission are confronted with a new kind of terror in this monstrous thriller. A terrorist wanted in several nations is captured by authorities and sent to America to stand trial. The criminal is being transported aboard a heavily guarded submarine, in hopes of foiling any escape attempts, but the sub is forced to pass through "the Devil's Eye," a region at sea where a number of ships have been lost. The submarine's crew soon learns the secret of "the Devil's Eye" when the ship is attacked by a giant, prehistoric octopus. In the confusion, the terrorist escapes to a passenger ship, and the crew must find the fugitive as they fend of the vicious sea creature. Octopus stars Jay Harrington, David Beecroft, and Carolyn Lowery. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Harrington, David Beecroft, (more)
A soldier comes out of retirement to confront a former friend who betrayed his loyalties in this action thriller. Casey Sheppard (Michael Worth) and Frank Ratliff (Damian Chapa) were once members of an elite Navy SEALs squadron; while close friends, Sheppard is a disciplined, by-the-book warrior, while Ratliff has an emotional hair trigger and a strong reckless streak. One night, Ratliff snaps and after a violent incident he disappears, eventually surfacing as a rogue agent for hire; the shock of the incident causes Sheppard to leave the Navy. Years later, it's discovered that Ratliff has joined the payroll of an international terrorist network after he kidnaps Dr. Jane Burrows (Kate Connor), a renowned nuclear physicist who has been working with U.S. defense projects. Ratliff is demanding a billion dollars for Burrows' safe return, but while she's in his custody, Ratliff forces Burrows to create nuclear warheads to arm several missiles he's purchased on the black market. As Ratliff plays both sides against one other in a bid for untold wealth and power, Sheppard is persuaded to come out of retirement to rescue Burrows and bring Ratliff to justice. However, Sheppard discovers that Ratliff's base of operations is a former Russian missile base that's also the site of a methane gas leak; the use of guns or bombs could cause the entire compound to explode, so Sheppard assembles a team skilled in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, including Kamiko (Karen Kim), Sheppard's former love whose father and twin sister were brutally murdered by Ratliff. An in-name-only sequel to U.S. Seals, U.S. Seals 2 also features Marshall Teague, Sophia Crawford, and Hakim Alston. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
