Douglas H. Arthurs Movies
Vin Diesel returns as the nocturnally gifted antihero Riddick in this sequel to the 2000 cult item Pitch Black. Riddick, on the run from the law and evading mercenaries eager to claim the price on his head, seeks refuge on the planet of Helion, only to discover he's walked into a world in chaos. Helion has been seized by the Lord Marshall (Colm Feore), leader of the Necromongers, a race of bloodthirsty warriors determined to wipe out humanity throughout the universe. Aereon (Judi Dench), leader of Helion's "elementals," pleads with Riddick to join them in their fight for survival; Riddick agrees, hoping to fill out some of the blank chapters in his history along the way. As he plots his battle strategy against the Necromongers, Riddick becomes reacquainted with Kyra (Alexa Davalos), whom he knew as a girl but has since grown into a strong and beautiful woman eager to join him in the fight against the Lord Marshall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vin Diesel, Colm Feore, (more)
In the future, the Earth has become uninhabitable, leaving the last remaining humans to set off on a spacecraft to populate a vacant planet. The majority of the thousands of people aboard have been frozen as they wait for a space anomaly to modify the environment, making the planet suitable for human life. Unfortunately, a group of space bad guys has come aboard and has the potential to put an end to humankind for good. Directed by Lloyd A. Simandl, Starfire Mutiny stars Joe Lara and Elise Muller. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Mortal enemies Apophis (Peter Williams) and Heru'ur (Douglas H. Arthurs decide to bury the hatchet and forge an alliance. Realizing the awful consequences of such a union, the SG-1 team must prevent this from taking place. Meanwhile, while trying to raise support for a Jaffa rebellion, Teal'c (Christopher Judge) is captured by the Goa'uld. Ultimately, the half-dead Teal'c is used as a bargaining tool in the negotiations between Apophis and Heru'ur--and the SG-1 crew may be forced to sacrifice their comrade to thwart the alliance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A burglar looking to make time with a beautiful woman after five years in prison falls into a dangerous trap in this action drama. Rudy (Ben Affleck) is serving time in prison for auto theft, where he becomes friendly with his cellmate Nick (James Frain). Nick has been enjoying a spicy courtship by mail with a woman named Ashley (Charlize Theron), who has sent him several enticing photos, even though he has been unable to send her any of himself. Rudy and Nick are to be released the same day, but Nick is killed in an altercation with only three days left to serve. Rudy is let out on schedule, and discovers Ashley, unaware that Nick is dead, is waiting for him. Swayed by her beauty, Rudy claims to be Nick, which turn out to be fun until Rudy meets Ashley's brother Gabriel (Gary Sinise). Gabriel runs with a group of outlaws planning on using Nick's knowledge of an Indian gambling casino in Michigan where he once worked in order to stage a massive robbery on Christmas Eve. Rudy soon realizes if keeps on being Nick, he gets to stay with Ashley, but he'll also have to go along with Gabriel's robbery, which could easily land him back in prison -- or get him killed. Clarence Williams III, Danny Trejo and Donal Logue play Gabriel's henchmen; Dennis Farina, Isaac Hayes, and Ashton Kutcher also highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, (more)
- 1999
Awakening from suspended animation, O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Jackson (Michael Shanks) are told that 79 years have passed while they slept, and that they are the only survivors of the SG-1 team. A group of scientists, claiming that they need the trio's memories to continue the fight against the Gou'ald, holographically recreate SG-1's past adventures (via excerpts from the earlier episodes "The Nox", "The Torment of Tantalus", "The Serpent's Lair" and "Secrets". Only when it is almost too late do the SG-1 team members realize that their futuristic trappings are merely an illusion, cooked up by evil Goa'uld leader Hathor (Suanne Braun)--but for what purpose? The "cliffhanger" climax of this final second-season Stargate SG-1 episode would not be resolved until the opening installment of Season Three. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
This opening episode of Stargate SG-1's second season resolves the "cliffhanger" established at the end of Season One. As the earth gears up for an attack from the parasitic Goa'ulds, the SG-1 team, led by Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), is still trapped on the Goa'uld war vessel commandeered by Klorel (Alexis Cruz), son of the megalomanic enemy leader Apophis (Peter Williams). The fact that Klorel inhabits the body of Skaara, onetime close friend of O'Neill, makes his villainy all the more intolerable. Realizing that there is no hope for escape, the SG-1 crew prepares to blow up the Goa'uld ship with themselves aboard, rather than allow it to descend upon earth. At a crucial moment, a brief ray of hope is provided by the presence of Bra'tac (Tony Amendola), the mentor of SG-1's Jaffa member Teal'c (Christopher Judge). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
In this followup to the 1st season episode "Thor's Hammer", SG-1 returns to Cimmeria, only to discover that the planet is overrun by the Goa'uld--all because the SG-1 team has destroyed Cimmeria's only defense against the parasitical scourges. As their comrades help the planet's denizens mount a defense against fierce Goa'uld warrior Heru'ur (Andrew Kavadas), Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Samantha (Amanda Tapping), together with the Cimmerian Gairwyn (Tamsin Kelsey), seek out the Hall of Thor's Might, in search of powerful weapons. First, however, the trio must pass a series of grueling tests imposed by the hologaphic Norse god Thor (Mark Gibbon). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Sha're (Vaitiare Bandera), the alien wife of SG-1 crew member Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), has returned to her home planet Abydos. But don't excpect a tender reunion: Nine months pregnant, Sha're is about to give birth to the son of SG-1's sworn enemy Apophis (Peter Williams). As if this wasn't bad enough, a nosy reporter (Chris Owens) has stumbled onto the secret of the Stargate project, and the father (Carmen Argenziano) of Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) is dying of cancer. The episode's climax is a showdown involving SG-1's O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), Apophis, and their mutual nemesis Heru'ur (Douglas H. Arthurs). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Not to be confused with the 1954 giant-insect film of the same name, the made-for-TV Them is more closely akin to the late-1960s television series The Invaders--and in fact, was produced as the pilot for an unsold sci-fi series of the 1990s. In order to save their own dying race, a band of aliens travels to earth, their to infiltrate and ultimate take over the planet by assuming human form. The viewer can be sure that the film's top-billed actors aren't aliens in disguise, but beyond that it is anybody's guess. If nothing else, Them can boast of better than average special effects, with the extraterrestrials moving with the speed of lighting (actually, they move with the lightning in a piggy-back fashion!) The film was originally aired on October 8, 1996, by the UPN network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Season two of Highlander gets under way as Immortal Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) returns to Canada, still searching for the murderers of his mentor, Darius. Using a book given to him by Darius as a clue, Duncan shows up at the bookstore run by Joe Dawson (Jim Byrnes, in his first series appearance). Dawson, it turns out, is a member of the Watchers, a group of mortals who have been keeping track of Immortal activities for hundreds of years. At first believing that Dawson was in on Darius' killing, Duncan is finally guided toward the genuine culprit. This episode includes "flashbacks" from the first-season Highlander installments "Mountain Men" and "The Hunters." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Paul, Alexandra Van Der Noot, (more)
