Amanda Brown Movies
- 2007
The half-hour anime series Dinosaur King (original Japanese title: Kyoryu Kingu D-Kizzu Abobencha was based on the Sega card-arcade hybrid game Ancient Ruler Dinosaur King. The original game was similar to the internationally popular Mushiking, with dinosaurs replacing the beetle characters. After its Japanese TV debut on February 4, 2007, the cartoon version came to America via the Fox Network on September 8 of that year, with most of the character names changed but the basic premise intact. The star of the series was young Max Taylor, son of paleontolgist Dr. Taylor, who while on an expedition with his dad and with best friend Rex Owen stumbled upon a magic stone slab decorated with images of dinosaurs. Miraculously springing to life, the dinos begged Max and Rex to help them do battle against Dr. Z and the Alpha Gang (Ursula, Zander and Ed), a pack of evil time travellers who'd gone back millions of years for the purpose of hunting down and killing the gigantic lizards. Teaming with new friends Zoe Drake, Max and Rex represented the "D Team", dedicated to rescuing the dinosaurs and thwarting the Alphas--and in the process earning the title "Dinosaur King". Foremost amongst the "good dinos" were Chomp, Ace and Paris, while the Alphas had their own stable of "bad" dinos, Terry, Spiny and Tank; all the nonhuman characters boasted unique fighting skills, based on such natural elements as wind, rain and fire. Seen on weekend mornings, the English-language version of Dinosaur King was a joint production of Sunrise Entertainment, FUNimation and 4Kids. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Preoccupation with disasters and a growing sense of mortality threaten to derail the growing relationship between the witness of a train accident and the reporter sent to interview her in this daring drama from emerging Australian filmmaker Sarah Watt. As the weekend draws near, three troubled souls find themselves faced with pivotal, potentially life-changing events. Though the death of her father still looms heavily in her mind, Meryl (Justine Clark) is forced to cut short her bereavement in order to focus on a work-related deadline. While reporter Nick (William McInnes) awaits the prognosis after being informed that he has testicular cancer, his photographer Andy (Anthony Hayes) is preoccupied with his girlfriend's unplanned pregnancy. When a train crashes and Meryl is the sole witness to the horrifying event, Nick and Andy are sent to interview her, sparking an unusual affair between the grieving witness and the troubled reporter. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William McInnes, Justine Clarke, (more)
- 2003
When Daphne (Jacqueline McKenzie), a taxidermist with a penchant for going through other peoples' personal belongings, agrees to allow Nick (Jack Finsterer) to take up residence in her home, she didn't realize he shared the same habit. Sure enough, the two quickly root through each other's things and begin to unearth highly incriminating diaries and erotic literature, among other things. Nick, it seems, is a complicated individual -- not only does he have a disturbing tendency toward self-mutilation, but he is haunted by the voice of his dead mother. This doesn't deter Daphne, however, and the odd couple show signs of falling in love, to the dismay of a fellow boarder (Simon Burke) who has been trying to scam Daphne into believing he can contact her dead father. Preservation was directed by Sofya Gollan. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacqueline McKenzie, Jack Finsterer, (more)
Reese Witherspoon stars in this romantic comedy, the feature film debut of award-winning Australian director Robert Luketic. As a ravishing Miss Hawaiian Tropic, sorority president, and calendar girl, Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is a big hit on the campus of her sun-drenched Los Angeles college. She's also got the perfect boyfriend in Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), a wealthy East Coast blue blood. Fearing that his snooty friends and family will never accept the bubble-headed Elle, however, Warner dumps her before heading off to graduate law school at Harvard University. Determined to win back her man, Elle enrolls in the same imposing institution, quickly becoming an object of scorn and ridicule, especially to Warner's old prep school flame (Selma Blair). Despite her penchant for malls, makeup, and tanning, Elle is no dummy and is soon showing elite Ivy League snobs a thing or two about class, self-confidence, and courtroom victory. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, (more)
- 2000
Even as security is beefed up in Australia in anticipation of the 2000 Olympics, someone manages to slip a deadly nerve gas device -- and a detonator -- on a 747 jet bound from Sydney to L.A. The authorities are uncertain as to whether the person responsible for this outrage is a terrorist or merely a lunatic; whatever the case, they scour the world in search of the perpetrator. Meanwhile, the 747 may well be unable to find a suitable landing place before the detonator goes off, forcing pilot John Prescott (Jack Wagner) and copilot Kim McGee (Christine Elise) to make some extremely tricky life-and-death decisions. As for the 300 passengers -- well, each one has his or her own story to tell, and the viewer hears practically all of them before the almost unbearably suspenseful denouement. The made-for-cable Nowhere to Land debuted March 12, 2000, on the TBS superstation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Wagner, Christine Elise, (more)
