Carl Lumbly Movies

Cunningly presaged by the cliffhanger at the end of season one, the first episode of Alias' second season confirmed what heroine Sydney A. Bristow (Jennifer Garner) -- college student by day, counterespionage agent the rest of the time -- had feared most: that "The Man," the evil leader of a vast criminal cartel, was no man at all, but instead Sydney's supposedly dead mother, former KGB agent Irina Derevko (played by new series regular Lena Olin). Though Irina would eventually claim to have reformed and insisted that she was looking out for Sydney's best interests, her actions -- which included innumerable double-crosses, sellouts, and betrayals -- would seem to indicate otherwise. Even so, nothing that was ever "indicated" on Alias was ever quite what it appeared on the surface. Meanwhile, both of the spy organizations for which Sydney worked, the CIA and the more sinister SD-6, were dedicated to destroying the cartel formerly run by Irina and now in the hands of her mercurial lieutenant, Sark (played by another new series regular, David Anders). The two rival agencies also continued their search for the missing Rambaldi fragments, which when assembled would become a terrifying weapon of mass destruction, as well as "The Bible," the operations manual used by Irina's old criminal empire.

Still embittered by the knowledge that she had been used all her life by SD-6, Syd persisted in covertly working against the organization by throwing in with the CIA, under the supervision of agent Michael C. Vaughn (Michael Vartan), who by the time season two rolled around, was making no secret of his love for Syd. Two other SD-6 operatives, computer genius Marshall Flinkman (Kevin Weisman) and agent Marcus Dixon (Carl Lumbly), likewise crossed over to the CIA, with tragic results for at least one of them. Syd was given even more reason to despise the espionage business when she learned that, as a child, she had been a guinea pig for a program designed to indoctrinate spies at an early age -- a program developed by her own father, Jack Bristow (Victor Garber). There was another "father figure" in Syd's life in the form of her SD-6 boss, Arvin Sloane (Ron Rifkin), who despite his cruel cunning and ruthlessness was genuinely fond of both Bristows. Sloane would launch a second career as a solo villain when, disillusioned by the SD-6, he bolted the organization and set about to harness the awesome power of the Rambaldi device for his own purposes. His replacement at SD-6 was the no-nonsense Geiger (Rutger Hauer), who, shall we say, harbored no great love for either Syd or Jack. In addition to Rutger Hauer, season two of Alias would feature guest-star turns by Faye Dunaway as the duplicitous head of SD-6 counterintelligence; Richard Lewis as a CIA counterintelligence analyst investigating Vaughn; and Christian Slater as a scientist who was kidnapped by the renegade Sloane -- and whose past life experiences bore striking resemblances to those of the Bristow family.

Elsewhere, it was business as usual for crusading journalist Will Tippin (Bradley Cooper), who doggedly continued his crusade to expose and destroy SD-6 and all the other agencies in the Alliance of Twelve. The basic through line of Alias took off on a radical and wholly unanticipated new direction with its January 26, 2003, episode "Phase One." In this truly shocking entry, Syd's roommate, Francie (Merrin Dungey), was murdered and replaced by an exact double, thereby further blurring the series' distinction between its heroes and its villains. Also in that episode, the CIA put an end to SD-6, thus freeing Sydney from her double-agent balancing act and allowing her and Vaughn to finally express their feelings for each other. But even those developments paled in comparison with Alias' second-season cliffhanger finale, in which after being rendered unconscious in a fight with the "bad" Francie, Syd awoke to discover that two whole years had passed -- and her erstwhile lover Michael Vaughn was now beyond her reach! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Despite its late start in January of 2005 after a hiatus of eight months, the fourth season of Alias more than made up for lost time with a plethora of trials, tribulations, jaw-dropping revelations, big-time betrayals, and near-death experiences for the series' secret-agent heroine, Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner). Reeling from the disillusionment and embarrassment of her demotion, Sydney quits the CIA flat; however, it turns out that this is part of a master plan hatched by new CIA director Hayden Chase (Angela Bassett) to arrange Sydney's membership in Authorized Personnel Only (APO), a top-top secret black-ops organization. Sydney's co-workers at APO include several longtime associates: her father, Jack (Victor Garber); her partner and sometime lover, Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan); her steadfast previous partner Dixon (Carl Lumbly) -- and, much to our heroine's surprise, her duplicitous ex-chief, Sloane (Ron Rifkin), who has proven time and again that he can't be trusted. For her first APO assignment, Sydney is sent to Rio, where she has a fateful encounter with her latest adversary, Tamasaki (Rick Yune), a self-styled 21st century samurai. Previously a recurring character, Sydney's half-sister, Nadia Santos (Mía Maestro), becomes a full regular this season, the better to throw a monkey wrench into Sydney's volatile relationship with her father, Jack -- and to share with Jack a startling secret about Sydney's supposedly dead, supposedly traitorous mother. At the same time, Vaughn has a great deal of difficulty overcoming the treachery of his former wife, Lauren, and an equal amount of difficulty assimilating new and disturbing information about his own father. Major developments this season include a huge revival of interest in the Rambaldi code, which when broken may spell the doom of humankind; the surprising temporary recruitment of another of Sydney's longtime enemies, Julian Sark (David Anders), for a special APO mission; a grim prognostication that Sydney and Nadia are destined to duke it out to the death; and the resurrection of a long-presumed-dead central character, who will reveal anew to Sydney that she can never completely rely upon anyone or believe in anything, not even the evidence of her own eyes. Though the season ends with the good news that Sydney and Vaughn are engaged, any hopes for lasting happiness are dashed by still another shocking revelation -- and a spectacular car crash. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Marcus Garvey was one of the first and most important African-American leaders of the 20th century. Born in Jamaica in 1887, Garvey began studying African culture and history in England, and in 1914 founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, a pioneering organization advocating empowerment and equal opportunities for blacks. Garvey moved to the United States in 1916 and founded The Negro World, a newspaper for African-American readers that espoused pride and solidarity among African-Americans. Garvey also founded the controversial "Back to Africa" movement, based upon Garvey's belief that blacks would never receive true equality and justice in a nation ruled by whites and should repatriate to the land of their ancestors. While Garvey became a popular and respected leader in the black community, he also became involved in a number of ill-advised business ventures; FBI head J. Edgar Hoover, no fan of Garvey's black nationalist politics, began an intense investigation of his affairs, which led to Garvey's deportation after a conviction for mail fraud. Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind is a documentary that chronicles Garvey's rise to prominence and the lasting importance of his message, while also offering an unblinking look at the poor business acumen and personal arrogance that led to his downfall in the United States. Marcus Garvey: Look for Me in the Whirlwind was directed by Stanley Nelson, who previously helmed an acclaimed documentary about the history of the African-American press, The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Executive-produced by actor Anthony Edwards, the made for TV Border Line is a showcase for Edwards' ER costar Sherry Stringfield, cast as attorney and single mom Allison Westlin. As the representive of the LA-based Fuller Adoption Agency, Allison has never had any reason to question the integrity of her employers--until she stumbles upon the murder of an Asian woman. Investigating, Allison unhappily concludes that the Fuller Agency has been using illegal strongarm tactics abroad, literally snatching babies from the arms of poor and helpless Asian mothers to service their customers. Working hand in glove with Private Eye Mariano (Christopher Reid) and immigration officer Macivers (James LeGros), Allison puts her own life on the line--not to mention those of her daughter and her Hispanic nanny (Elizabeth Pena)--to see that justice is served. Border Line debuted February 22, 1999 on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frank Military and Susan Rhinehart scripted this western, a look back at the post-Civil War Black cavalry troops known as the Buffalo Soldiers, the fierce fighting unit previously covered in a PBS four-parter (1970) and an NBC pilot (1979). In the New Mexico Territory, ex-slave Sgt. Wyatt (Danny Glover) and the Buffalo soldiers arrest Captain Draper (Robert Knott) and other Texas Rangers, but politics mean the Rangers are quietly freed later. Back at Fort Craig, Wyatt reports to anti-black General Pike (Tom Bower) and Col. Grierson (Bob Gunton), a white responsible for assembling and supporting the black regiment. A search is underway for Indian chief Victorio (Harrison Lowe). Indian prophet Nana (Chesley Wilson) is tortured in an effort to get him to reveal Victorio's whereabouts. Determining that Victorio is at Rattlesnake Springs, the Buffalo Soldiers head in that direction for a confrontation. Filmed in the desert of Arizona's Cochise County, Buffalo Soldiers premiered December 7, 1997 on TNT. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This pilot film for the TV detective series Cagney and Lacey stars Loretta Swit as Chris Cagney and Tyne Daly as Mary Beth Lacey. C and L are NYPD undercover officers, spending their first week on the job disguised as hookers. It's all part of a plan to flush out the person who's been going around beating up prostitutes. The storyline, which also includes the murder of a diamond merchant, shifts from Cagney and Lacey's street duty to their constant struggle against sexism at precinct headquarters and at home. Executive producer Barney Rosenzweig claimed that he'd come up with the idea of Cagney and Lacey after reading a Molly Haskell piece concerning the patronizing treatment of women in films. First telecast on October 8, 1981, the pilot film for Cagney and Lacey held its own opposite the season premiere of Taxi, leading to a weekly series which lasted from 1982 to 1988. But when the series proper went into production, Loretta Swit was replaced by Meg Foster, who in turn was replaced by Sharon Gless (later the wife of executive producer Rosenzweig). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The docudrama Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8, relates the story of the trial that resulted from the riots that broke out in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention. The majority of the dialogue has been taken directly from court records and archival footage. Michael Lembeck plays the boisterous prankster Abbie Hoffman, who was certainly the most entertaining of the defendants. The main victim of his pranks is Judge Hoffman (David Opatoshu), whose stoic attitude is constantly challenged by the outrageous behavior of the defendants. The cast includes Barry Miller as Jerry Rubin, Robert Carradine as Rennie Davis, Robert Loggia as defense attorney William Hunstler, and other famous politically active actors like Peter Boyle and Martin Sheen. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Things get off to a deceptively light-hearted start as popular professional wrestler Kornberg (Nils Allen Stewart) is brought into the ER with a twisted knee. But the story quickly turns deadly serious when, stuck in the middle of a street riot, Carter (Noah Wyle) is forced to man the wheel of the paramedic ambulance -- and in so doing sparks an even worse situation when he accidentally runs over a youngster. Meanwhile, Carol (Julianna Margulies), still mooning over the departed Ross, receives confirmation of her pregnancy. And Lucy (Kellie Martin) comes face to face with an intransigent Asian family who refuse to let their mother know that she is in dangerously declining health. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Everybody's All American covers 25 years in the life of college football hero Gavin Grey (Dennis Quaid). When he marries campus sweetheart Babs Rogers (Jessica Lange) and is picked up by the pros, a happily-ever-after denouement is predicted by friends and family. It is clear from the outset, however, that Grey is going to have to do a lot of growing up over the next few decades. Babs does her best to keep in step with her husband's career and mood swings, and in so doing becomes the "parent" in the family. John Goodman also stars as Grey's best buddy, and Timothy Hutton is on hand for a romantic-triangle subplot. Everybody's All American is based on the novel by longtime Sports Illustrated scrivener Frank Deford. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Terry McMillan and Ron Bass wrote this screenplay based on McMillan's semi-autobiographical best-selling novel (over 2,000,000 copies in print before the release of this film). San Francisco stockbroker Stella (Angela Bassett), a 40-year-old divorcee, has a nice Marin County home and an 11-year-old son, Quincy (Michael J. Pagan). With Quincy off to see his dad, Stella and her best friend Delilah (Whoopi Goldberg) vacation in Jamaica, where she meets sexy, good-looking Winston Shakespeare (Taye Diggs). He's the man of her dreams in every way except one -- he's half her age. Even so, a romance develops. Grammy Award-winning songwriters Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis supervised the film's music and produced the R&B-slanted soundtrack album. Shown at the 1998 Urbanworld Film Festival (NY). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A wide-eyed young boy finds his small-town life turned upside down in the feature directorial debut from actor Danny Glover. Jeremy Sumpter of Frailty stars as Henry, a youngster in rural America who dreams of Hollywood when a big-studio movie crew comes to town to shoot a new picture. Also starring Carl Lumbly and Robby Benson, Just a Dream had its premiere at the 2002 South By Southwest Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Season one of the animated series Justice League opens with the three-part "Secret Origins," which explains the reason that the League is formed and establishes the principal players. Duped into disarming the Earth's warheads, veteran superhero Superman is aghast when a fleet of bug-like space aliens attacks the Earth, led on by the traitorous Senator J. Allen Carter. Flying to the orbiting space-station headquarters of Batman, Superman and his fellow crime-fighter try to mount a strong defense against the extraterrestrials, only to discover that it is too much of a job for just the two of them. Thus is formed the mighty Justice League, comprised of Superman and Batman's comic-book confreres the Green Lantern, the Flash, Wonder Woman, and Hawkgirl -- with added backup from a new member of the gang, the telepathic, shape-shifting Martian Manhunter (aka J'onn J'onnz). Once the alien insects are thwarted, the Justice League embarks upon several new adventures, most of them unfolding in two-part story arcs. Though the League members are united in a common cause, there is a certain amount of friction, rivalry, and envy amongst them -- just like any "normal" exclusive club. Featured in the series' 26 are a number of characters who will be familiar to any fan of the original Justice League comic-book line, including underwater superhero Aquaman; Wonder Woman's mother, Hippolyta, and erstwhile boyfriend Steve Trevor; black crime-fighter Virgil "Static Shock" Hawkins; and Sgt. Rock (of Easy Company). Several infamous villains also make appearances, among them Superman's perennial nemesis Lex Luthor (who at one point organizes a rival team of bad guys called The Injustice Guild), Batman's longtime enemy the Joker, and such reprehensible reprobates as Brainiac, Mordred, Star Sapphire, the Shade, and the simian criminal genius Grodd. The season ends with the three-part adventure "The Savage Time," wherein six Justice League members are transported back to D-day during World War 2! ~ All Movie Guide