Victor Webster Movies
- 2001
The premise of Mutant X is firmly established in the series' two-part season one opener "The Shock of the New." Breaking away from the sinister government research organization Genomex, a scientist named Adam (John Shea) vows to shatter the megalomaniacal dreams of his former boss Mason Eckhart (Tom McCamus), and to rescue those genetically enhanced, superpowered human mutants created under Eckhart's evil influence. Adam quickly organizes several new mutants -- the catlike Shadowfox (Victoria Pratt), the electrically charged Fuse (Victor Webster), the psychic Rapport (Lauren Lee Smith), and the molecule-rearranging Synergy (Forbes March) -- into his own do-gooding agency Mutant X. As Adam's team endeavors to keep one step ahead of Eckhart's Genetic Security Agency, created to hunt down and kill the "renegades," they also save a number of their own mutant species from various grisly fates. Of course, some mutants are beyond redemption, and have crossed over into evil, among them a frightening array of "invisibles," shape shifters and even vampires. The last of season one's 22 episodes, "Dancing on the Razor," finds both Mutant X and Genomex facing their most deadly peril: public exposure! (up to now, Mr. John Q. Citizen has been kept in the dark as to all the superpowered and supernatural shenanigans). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Shea, Victoria Pratt, (more)
There's a bit of good news for Adam Kane (John Shea) and his genetically enhanced mutant comrades-in-arms as Mutant X launches its second season. Mason Eckhart (Tom McCamus), the megalomaniacal madman who, as supervisor of the top-secret Genomex company, created a race of mutant superhumans, has been captured and imprisoned. However, there is little time for celebration: Eckhardt has been replaced as leader of the Genetic Security Agency, the organization set up to track down and destroy all mutants lest the secret agenda of Genomex be revealed to the world. The new head of the GSA is Gabriel Ashlocke (Michael Easton), a deranged super-mutant who possesses more deadly powers than all four members of Adam's Mutant X team combined. What does this sinister plot development hold in store for the catlike Shadowfox (Victoria Pratt), the electrically charged Fuse (Victor Webster), the psychic Rapport (Lauren Lee Smith), and the molecule-rearranging Synergy (Forbes March)? Well, without giving too much away, it can be noted that at least one member of the team will not be coming back for season three. As in past episodes, Mutant X leavens its tension-filled plotlines with moments of self-reflective humor, especially whenever the scriptwriters are moved to insert a few "in-jokes" for comic book and sci-fi fans, such as a passing reference to a psychiatric hospital presumably named after science fiction author Harlan Ellison, and naming one of the secondary villains after a character in the old cartoon series Space Ghost. Also, an aura of mystery and expectation is cunningly sustained with scattered suggestions that the Mutant X team possesses powers they are not even aware of...powers even more awesome than their established talents. Finally, season two of Mutant X marks the auspicious scriptwriting debut of actor Freddie Prinze Jr., who penned the episode titled "One Step Closer." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Shea, Victoria Pratt, (more)
A man looking for a woman just like himself ends up with someone quite different in this farcical comedy. Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is a lawyer who is having trouble getting his life back on track after his wife, Kate (Jean Smart), divorces him; he's also adjusting to his new status as a single father. Looking for companionship, Peter tries an internet dating site and virtually meets "lawyer-girl," an attractive and single fellow attorney. Peter makes a date with her, but the woman who arrives at his door turns out to be Charlene Morton (Queen Latifah), who not only isn't a lawyer, she turns out to be an escaped convict. Charlene is also a brash and brassy African-American, while Peter is perhaps the most tightly wound white guy in L.A. Charlene explains to Peter that she's strung him along because she's innocent of the crime for which she was convicted, and she needs a top-notch attorney to help prove her case. Peter isn't the least bit interested at first, but Charlene isn't the sort of woman to take "no" for an answer, and in time she wears him down and agrees to help. As Charlene moves into Peter's home, she helps him to loosen up and unleash his inner groove, which quite surprises Kate, and her down-to-earth advice comes in handy for Peter's son and daughter. But Charlene may end up going too far when Peter is asked to entertain Mrs. Arness (Joan Plowright), a wealthy woman looking for a new law firm. Bringing Down the House also features Eugene Levy as Howie, one of Peter's friends who takes a keen interest in Charlene, and Betty White as one of Peter's neighbors. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, (more)
Season three of Mutant X begins as the series' superpowered mutant protagonists struggle to come to grips with the death of their comrade Emma "Rapport" deLauro, a psychic mutant who used force bolts to control and monitor the emotions of others. Also, the human leader of the Mutant X team, Adam Kane, has been forced to fake his own death and go into hiding, the better to continue his battle against the sinister government research lab Genomex and the lab's mutant-killing Genetic Security Agency. This, of course, explains why actor John Shea is billed as a guest star during his sporadic third season appearances. Replacing the departed Emma is Lexa Pierce (Karen Cliche), who, like her new teammate Fuse (Victor Webster) is an elemental mutant, capable of harnessing and controlling certain forces of nature. It is clear from the outset that Lexa will have no trouble fitting in with, and following the agenda of, the established Mutant X team, which in addition to Fuse also includes the molecule-rearranging Synergy (Forbes March) and the cat-like Shadowfox (Victoria Pratt). Whereas in previous seasons the Mutant X team was dedicated to rescuing their fellow mutants from harm, season three finds them broadening their base to include helping ordinary humans in ordinary situations. As a result, the individual plot devices are bit more standardized: the serial killer who leaves cryptic clues behind, a race to find the antidote for a slow-acting poison, the sudden appearance of a disreputable twin brother, and a "clip show" in which the teammates try to recall all the good times when one of their number hovers between life and death. The season finale, "The Assault," reveals several hitherto unknown and unsuspected facts about Mutant X and its true purpose in the scheme of things. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Victoria Pratt, Victor Webster, (more)
A sexy woman discovers just how hard it can be to find a worthwhile man in this outrageous romantic comedy. Rebecca (Jenny McCarthy) is a beautiful blonde who thinks she has it made with her hunky boyfriend, Richard (Victor Webster); however, when she comes home early one day and finds him in bed with another woman, she realizes that isn't quite the case. Devastated, Rebecca takes the advice of her friends Carrie (Kam Heskin), a half-bright actress, and Michelle (Carmen Electra), a racially confused beautician, and throws herself back into the dating game to prove to Richard that she can do better. However, there's a problem -- Rebecca is a bit of a klutz, she keeps ending up with men who are either crazy or strange, and each date she goes on ends in disaster. Does Rebecca have any chance at either finding new love or winning Richard back? And is it possible her pal John (Eddie Kaye Thomas) might be interested in being more than just friends? Dirty Love was written by leading lady Jenny McCarthy and directed by John Asher, McCarthy's then-husband. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jenny McCarthy, Eddie Kaye Thomas, (more)
A woman finds herself drafted into the battle of finding the perfect man in this romantic comedy. Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) is a kindergarten teacher in her mid-thirties who is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of her divorce eight months ago. While her sisters, Christine (Ali Hillis) and Carol (Elizabeth Perkins), both think Sarah needs to start dating again, Sarah herself isn't so sure. Carol decides to force the issue by posting Sarah's photo and profile on an Internet dating site, and soon a number of seemingly eligible bachelors are sending her e-mails in hopes of a date. However, nearly every man she meets turns out to be a loser, with the exception of Jake (John Cusack), who is smart, good looking, and even brings along a dog for their walk in the park (though he doesn't tell her the pooch was borrowed for the occasion). However, Sarah also makes the acquaintance of Bob (Dermot Mulroney), the divorced father of one of her students, and she finds herself having to choose between two potentially worthwhile men. Meanwhile, Sarah's widowed father, Bill (Christopher Plummer), decides to give Internet dating a try, and lands himself a new steady in Dolly (Stockard Channing). Must Love Dogs is based on the best-selling novel of the same title by Claire Cook. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Lane, John Cusack, (more)
- 2006
Heather Graham starred in this ABC sitcom as Emily Sanders, a successful young businesswoman engaged in the business of publishing self-help books. In order to keep her friends, her values, and her head on straight, Emily rigidly adhered to her own inner set of "Reasons" why to do certain things, and why not to do certain others (for example, she maintained five reasons why or why not to date a guy). Alas, our heroine's self-imposed guidelines flew out the window when she fell in love with a philandering author, forcing her to do some serious mental retrenching to get herself back on track. Helping Emily get back on her emotional feet were her cynical best female friend Reilly (Nadia Dajani) and her gay best male friend/severest critic Josh (Khary Payton). Created by former TV publicist Carrie Gerlach, Emily's Reasons Why Not was dismissed by several critics as a PG-rated Sex and the City (complete with voiceover narration), with undertones of Ally McBeal, notably in the characterization of Emily's former assistant and bête-noire Glitter Cho (Smith Cho), a bitch-on-wheels whose entrances were accompanied by the musical theme from Jaws (similar to the Wicked Witch of the West music heard whenever Ally McBeal's Lucy Liu stormed into view). After innumerable production-personnel changes, Emily's Reasons Why Not premiered January 9, 2006, as a companion piece to ABC's recently revitalized Jake in Progress. Although six episodes were filmed before the debut date, Emily's Reasons Why Not was cancelled after only one telecast, having been pummeled in the ratings by rival series Two and a Half Men. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heather Graham, Nadia Dajani, (more)
In 1923, after acclaimed director Cecil B. de Mille completed the first version of his Biblical epic The Ten Commandments, an odd event occurred that generated a wealth of speculation and mystery: de Mille - having shot on multi-million dollar sets to rival nearly anything in prior movie history - promptly traveled to the sand dunes on the California coast and buried his sets there. For nearly a century, the reasons belying this odd series of actions remained clouded in obscurity. Now, with his documentary Sands of Oblivion, filmmaker David Flores finally uncovers the truth: De Mille, it seems, acquired the majority of artifacts for the film on actual Middle Eastern burial grounds. The items included an odd prayer bowl, allegedly cursed with the spirit of Im-La-Ra - the god of chaos and fear. Certainly few other explanations could account for the devastating experiences had by the workers on the film crew - experiences that included devastating maniacal visions, sudden insanity and loss of control that led to murder. With Sands of Oblivion, Flores travels to the site of the initial burial and excavates the items once again, with a team of archaeologists, to investigate the truth behind these legendary events. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, (more)
In this 13 episode mystery series, a group of family and friends arrive at an island destination for a wedding, but plans go awry when somebody turns up dead. Old conflicts bubble up to the surface as everyone becomes a suspect, and bonds of love and family are tested as the murderer continues to pick off guests, leaving everyone in a battle for survival against an unknown killer. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elaine Cassidy, Katie Cassidy, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
- Add Surrogates to Queue
The filmmaking trio behind the hit sci-fi sequel Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines re-team to explore a future in which humans live in isolation while only communicating with their fellow man through robots that serve as social surrogates and are better-looking versions of their human counterparts. Bruce Willis stars as an FBI agent who enlists the aid of his own surrogate to investigate the murder of the genius college student who invented the surrogates. As the case grows more complicated, however, the withdrawn detective discovers that in order to actually catch the killer he will have to venture outside the safety of his own home for the first time in many years, and enlists the aid of another agent (Radha Mitchell) in tracking his target down. Jonathan Mostow directs co-screenwriters Michael Ferris and John Brancato's adaptation of the graphic novel by author Robert Venditti and illustrator Brett Weldele. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, (more)
