Michael Horse Movies

Screenwriter John Fusco returns to the Western themes of his previous films Young Guns and Thunderheart with this animated children's adventure from Dreamworks. Matt Damon supplies the voice of Spirit, a wild Mustang stallion living free in the Old West of the late 19th century, where he's captured by human horse traders and sold to a cavalry regiment at a frontier outpost. There, a cruel colonel (voice of James Cromwell) nearly succeeds in breaking the willful horse, but not quite. Spirit escapes in the company of another captive, Little Creek (voice of Daniel Studi), a Native American youth that tries to possess the magnificent animal by more humane means, but Spirit refuses to bend to human will even when he makes the acquaintance of Little Creek's beautiful and fiercely loyal mare, Rain. After he saves Little Creek's life in an Army raid, Spirit believes that the gravely injured Rain has perished after a tumble over a waterfall. Despondent, the horse is captured again by humans, enslaved this time for work in a pack team on the transcontinental railroad. Undaunted by the tragedies that befall him, Spirit manages to escape for a reunion with Little Creek, Rain, and his long-lost brethren. Featuring songs by rock singer Bryan Adams, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron departs from other examples of its genre in that the horse protagonists do not speak or sing; only Spirit's voice is heard as voice-over narration. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Home is where the kidnap victim is in this darkly comic farce. Scooter (Trace Fraim) and Junior (Michael Covert) are a pair of exceptionally dim-witted brothers from West Texas who are left high and dry when their mother passes away. The brothers aren't much good at taking care of themselves (and they know it), so they set out to find a woman who will take mom's place in their house. The hapless pair start by approaching a prostitute (Jennifer Tilly), who after taking $35 from the boys leaves them just where they started, and after a few similarly disastrous attempts at finding a new maternal figure, Scooter and Junior decide to take a more aggressive approach. They abduct a woman named DeDe (Tara Chocol) from the parking lot of the supermarket where she works, but as it turns out, DeDe doesn't really mind -- the dumb but good-natured brothers are actually a pleasant change of pace compared to her husband, a violent and ill-tempered Texas Ranger named Vincent (Patrick Warburton). DeDe agrees to be the brothers' new "mom," but on one condition -- they have to help retrieve her baby daughter. Scooter and Junior are willing, but Vincent isn't willing to let DeDe go, and the brothers soon find that Vincent is not a good man to have on one's bad side. Dirt was directed by Michael Covert and Trace Fraim, who also star as Junior and Scooter; it's the second feature as director for Covert, who also wrote the screenplay, and Fraim's debut behind the camera. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this lurid direct-to-video crime thriller a Las Vegas policeman's superiors send him to hide out at a Navajo reservation after he states his determination to testify against the gangsters who killed his partner. There he gets involved with an Indian lady-police-officer and starts investigating a series of strange ritual murders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Belle Bonnet was a notorious but basically well-intentioned female outlaw, who, in the 19th century, stole a wagonload of gold in order to finance a Native American school. Lost in the caverns of the Southwestern desert, Belle's ghost still stands guard over her purloined gold. Psychically beckoning Jonny Quest to the treasure, Belle materializes before a huge subterranean lake -- and that's only the beginning of the "fun". "The Ballad of Belle Bonnet" originally aired on September 19, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this western, Hamilton Monroe's wealthy wife Maria is kidnapped by the treacherous amoral outlaw Billy Van Owen who sticks her in a cave and demands an enormous ransom for her. A chronic philanderer and compulsive gambler, Hamilton has never really loved Maria and rather than spend money on her, offers to free Van Owen's partner Jessup from prison instead. He doesn't know that it was the double-crossing Billy who put Jessup there in the first place. If Jessup can find Billy and bring Maria back, he will be freed. To help with the search, Jessup rounds up a hard-bitten woman, Sandy, a professional scout, Dirty Bob, and a crackshot, Little Swede. Together they ride out to save poor Maria from the evil Billy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In Michael Lessac's lugubrious House of Cards, women's intuition beats out psychology in the battle against autism. The story begins in Mexico, where a little girl named Sally Matthews (Asha Menina) lives with her parents, scientists studying ancient ruins. When her father falls to his death, Sally is comforted by a Mayan mystic that tells Sally her father has gone to the moon. When Sally, her mother Ruth (Kathleen Turner), and her brother Michael (Shiloh Strong) return home to North Carolina, Sally begins to retreat into autism. She first stares silently at the night sky. Then she shrieks when Ruth wears a baseball cap the wrong way. Finally she develops the habit of scaling the roof of the house and other tall structures. This makes Ruth realize that there is something seriously wrong, and she takes her to see Dr. Jacob Beerlander, a psychiatrist who is an expert in autism. As Sally retreats more and more into herself, Beerlander and Ruth clash over the scientific approach versus the intuition of a mother. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

An Elmore Leonard novel was the basis for the old-fashioned western Border Shootout. In his last film appearance to date, Glenn Ford plays an aging, unpopular Arizona sheriff, transporting a dangerous criminal to federal prison. Ford leaves the town in the hands of part-time deputy Cody Glenn. Raised in the belief that honesty is the best policy, Glenn is ill-equipped to deal with a gang of cattle rustlers; he must also contend with the lynch fever stirred up local gadfly Jeff Kaake. Charlene Tilton and Michael Ansara are among the reliable cast members who tend to be ill served by C.T. McIntyre's haphazard direction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally broadcast on April 19, 1990, the memorable and pivotal second episode of Twin Peaks, "Zen, or the Skill of Catching a Killer," contains the infamous surreal dream sequence with the Little Man From Another Place (Michael J. Anderson). On Saturday night, sleazy businessman Benjamin Horne (Richard Beymer) and his immature brother, Jerry Horne (David Patrick Kelly), visit the brothel One-Eyed Jacks for a night of debauchery. Meanwhile, Bobby (Dana Ashbrook) and Mike (Gary Hershberger) meet Leo (Eric Da Re) in the woods for a drug deal. The next morning, Agent Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) decides to teach Sheriff Truman (Michael Ontkean) and his crew about Tibet. In order to gain perspective on the identity of the "J" name referred to in Laura Palmer's diary, Cooper reads "J" names aloud along with their connection to Laura, then throws a rock at a bottle. The bottle breaks after the name Leo Johnson is read. Also that morning, Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) and Audrey (Sherilyn Fenn) run into each other at the Double R diner. At the morgue, the angry pathologist Albert Rosenfield (Miguel Ferrer) has arrived to inspect the body, and he wastes no time insulting the residents of Twin Peaks, especially Sheriff Truman. That night, Pete Martell (Jack Nance) complicates Catherine's plans to burn the mill when he sneaks a key to Josie Packard (Joan Chen). Finally, in an unforgettable montage, Cooper has a dream involving the One-Armed Man, the Little Man From Another Place, and Killer Bob in a red-curtained room. He wakes up believing he knows who killed Laura Palmer. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The final cliffhanger episode of the first season of Twin Peaks, entitled "The Last Evening," originally aired on May 24, 1990, and was written and directed by series co-creator Mark Frost. James (James Marshall) and Donna (Lara Flynn Boyle) search for clues and find the missing tape, while Dr. Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn) gets assaulted and ends up in the hospital. Agent Cooper's (Kyle MacLachlan) undercover operation at One-Eyed Jacks is successful in setting up and arresting Jacques Renault (Walter Olkewicz), who confesses details about the night of Laura's murder. Also at One-Eyed Jacks, Audrey's secret investigation is almost discovered when her father, Ben Horne, unwittingly goes to visit "the new girl." The end is near for the Packard Sawmill, as Leo Johnson (Eric Da Re) prepares to burn it down with Shelley and Catherine inside. Hank Jennings (Chris Mulkey) reveals details of his criminal history, as well as his secret connection to Josie Packard. With several characters meeting their fate in this episode, including the two main suspects (Jacques and Leo), the mystery of Laura Palmer's murder is even more puzzling. The season finale ends with Agent Cooper receiving a gun shot in his room at the Great Northern Hotel. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Episode five of the first season of Twin Peaks, "Cooper's Dreams," originally aired on May 10, 1990, and was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. Trying to start her own investigation, Audrey goes to a job interview at her father's department store. She manipulates the manager, Emory Battis (Don Amendolia), into a job at the perfume counter and learns some secret connections between Horne's and One-Eyed Jacks. Hank Jennings (Chris Mulkey) returns from prison to work at the Double R Diner, so Norma tells Ed Hurley (Everett McGill) that they can't continue their affair. Dr. Lawrence Jacoby (Russ Tamblyn) has a counseling session with the Briggs family, and Bobby reveals details about Laura's connection to drugs. Agent Cooper, Hawk, Sheriff Truman, and Doctor Hayward go hiking in the woods and have tea with Margaret Lanterman (Catherine Coulson), also known as the Log Lady, who tells them about her visions on the night of Laura's murder. While out in the woods, they find Jacques Renault's cabin full of clues, along with a possible witness -- a mynah bird named Waldo. That night, the Icelanders have a reception at the Great Northern, where Audrey spies on Catherine and Ben, and Leland dances out of control. James and Donna continue their own investigation with the help of Madeline, who shares clues that she found in Laura's bedroom. The main suspect, Leo Johnson, is assaulted by both Hank and Shelly. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Also known as "The Northwest Passage," the two-hour pilot episode of Twin Peaks originally aired April 8, 1990. The central plot of the series is set when Pete Martell (Jack Nance) finds the body of high school student Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) wrapped in plastic by the water at the Packard Sawmill dock. As the town slowly gets word of her murder, Special Agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) from the FBI arrives in the Washington town of Twin Peaks to investigate. Assisted by Sheriff Harry S. Truman (Michael Ontkean), Cooper retrieves Laura's secret diary and a videotape. At the morgue, Cooper discovers the letter "R" from under Laura's fingernail, evidence similar to the murder case of Theresa Banks a year ago. Meanwhile, at the Great Northern Hotel, Audrey Horne (Sherilyn Fenn) disrupts her father's business deal, causing the would-be investors to back out. Deputy Hawk (Michael Horse) and Deputy Andy Brennan (Harry Goaz) locate the scene of the murder and find half of a gold heart necklace. Also, Laura's safe deposit box is opened, revealing a copy of Fleshworld magazine and about ten thousand dollars. Laura's boyfriend, Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook), who is having a secret affair with waitress Shelly Johnson (Madchen Amick), is brought in for questioning. Later on at the Roadhouse, Laura's other boyfriend, James Hurley (James Marshall), kisses Donna Hayward (Lara Flynn Boyle), Laura's best friend. This episode features Julee Cruise singing "Falling" and "The Nightingale" during the scenes at the Roadhouse. The American broadcast version ends with Sarah Palmer (Grace Zabriskie) having a vision about the other half of the heart necklace. The European release contains extra scenes and an alternate ending. The Twin Peaks pilot episode was not included on the 2001 Artisan Entertainment DVD release of Twin Peaks: The First Season due to rights restrictions. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

An impoverished adolescent outcast becomes a deadly, vengeful killer against his tormentors after he finds a super-secret anti-matter gun lying in an Arizona stream bed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide