Dameon Clarke Movies

Bad Santa co-screenwriters Glenn Ficara and John Requa re-team for this fact-based black comedy starring Jim Carrey as a Texas police officer-turned-con man who makes the leap to white-collar criminal after being sent to prison and falling in love with his sensitive cellmate. Steve Russell (Carrey) is a small-town cop. Bored with his bland lifestyle, Russell turns to fraud as a means of shaking things up. Before long, Russell's criminal antics have landed him behind bars, where he encounters the charismatic Phillip Morris (Ewan McGregor). Smitten, Russell devotes his entire life to being with Morris regardless of the consequences -- which could well include a life sentence. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A parody of self-help literature and motivational speakers, Luke Ricci's dark comedy follows charismatic serial killer Mike Wilson as he mentors his first pupil in the fine art of mass murder. Mike is the kind of guy who knows what he wants out of life, and knows how to get it. Now that Mike is living the dream, he wants to share his knowledge with others, too. In order to give aspiring serial killers all the tools they'll need to become the next Jeffrey Dahmer, he's crafted a ten-lesson program that covers such topics as weaponry, corpse disposal, and keeping secrets from loved ones. When it comes time for Mike to deliver his first one-on-one tutorial, he recruits a lost soul named Bart and the lessons begin. As the lessons intensify, Mike finds it increasingly difficult to keep his clandestine career a secret from his beloved girlfriend, Abigail. Eventually, Abigail discovers the truth, and the police start closing in on Mike. Although Mike has escaped to his desert hideout along with Bart, the cops soon come knocking and all hell breaks loose. Will Mike and Bart ever escape to Mexico as planned, or will Mike's first lesson in police stand-offs and violent gunfights prove a complete and unexpected bust? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

NBC wasted precious little time in offering up a TV-movie adaptation of one of the first truly uplifting stories of the Iraq War. Saving Jessica Lynch stars Laura Regan as the title character, a 19-year-old army private with the 507th Ordinance Maintence Company. On March 23, 2003, Jessica is captured by Iraqi insurgents after the rest of her platoon is wiped out in a roadside bombing not far from Al Nasiryah. Curiously, Jessica doesn't get all that much screen time: The primary focus is on the rescue efforts mounted by a group of Army Rangers and Navy SEALS, with special emphasis bestowed upon Mohammed Al-Raheif (Nicholas Guilak), the courageous Iraqi man who shielded the captured woman from harm while she lay wounded in an enemy hospital (it should surprise no one that the script is based on Al-Raheif's own book, Because Each Life Is Precious. An inordinate amount of poetic license is taken with the events surrounding Jessica's rescue, with a plethora of ridiculous coincidences and serial-like thrills and chills thrown in to pep up the story. To her credit, the real Jessica Lynch herself neither authorized nor promoted the film, which first aired November 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The fifth American TV season of DragonBall Z (actually the tenth season on Japanese television) began with "Warriors of the Dead," the first episode of "The Saiyaman Saga." Now settled into the Other World, former Z-Fighter wants to take lessons from the Grand Kai, a legendary martial arts master. But in order to qualify for this honor, Goku must solve a tricky problem on the Grand Kai's behalf. Meanwhile, another problem begins to take shape as "departed" villains Cell, Frieza, King Cold, and the Ginyus threaten to join forces to take over the Other World. First seen in Japan in 1993, "Warriors of the Dead" debuted in America on September 10, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In a last-ditch effort to win the battle with the Z-Fighter, evil android Cell fires off the mother of all "Kamehamehas." Only Gohan refuses to panic as the deadly attack bolt hurtles towards Earth. When the smoke clears, the Earth is still intact, and Gohan has apparently beaten Cell at his own game. Alas, the villainous android is not yet defeated -- and now the beautiful but lethal Android 18 has made a spectacular return from the "dead." Originally telecast in Japan in 1993, "Cell's Mighty Break Down" was seen in the America on December 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

No one is more surprised by Goku's unexpected surrender than his opponent Cell, who is outraged at being robbed of the opportunity to decimate the Z-Warrior once and for all. Cell gets even madder when Goku refuses to name a warrior to fight in his place. On the sidelines, the braggart Hercule suddenly begins to lose his bravado when it appears that he will get his chance to battle Cell after all. Ultimately, it is up to young Gohan to defend the good name of the Z-Warriors -- and, incidentally, to save the world. Making its Japanese TV bow in 1993, "Faith in a Boy" made it to America on December 6, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The battle may be over before it begins -- the powerful Cell has apparently killed the youthful Gohan. Only Goku is aware that appearances are deceiving, and he eventually turns out to be right. The revivified Gohan anxiously warns Cell not to make him too angry, but Cell doesn't heed the warning -- a decision he will have cause to regret if the full force of Gohan's fury is ever unleashed. First telecast in Japan in 1993, "Gohan's Desperate Plea" was shown in the United States on December 7, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Taking over the Ginger Town television station, Cell announces that he will take on all challengers in a martial arts tournament, to be held in nine days. Cell also finds time to taunt the Z-Fighters into participating. Taking up the cudgel, Gohan and Goku prepare for battle by undergoing an accelerated training session in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Meanwhile, several other characters experience horrible nightmares -- in which Cell kills practically everyone. "The Doomsday Broadcast" was first telecast in Japan in 1993, then in the United States on November 13, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Krillin wants to participate in the martial arts tournament against super android Cell, but is stopped by Master Roshi, who declares that the villain can be bested only by Gohan or Goku. Meanwhile, Z-Fighters Vegeta, Trunks, Tien, and the revivified Piccolo anxiously await their turn to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. And just to make sure that the Z-Team doesn't back out of the tournament, Cell begins wreaking havoc on innocent civilians. First shown in Japan in 1993, "Meet Me in the Ring" was seen in America on November 14, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

All appearances indicate that the end of the world is near: Z-Fighter Trunks has been killed, and Cell is back at full strength after blowing himself up. Grieving over the demise of his son Trunks -- not to mention his comrade Goku -- Vegeta tries to alter future events with his stored-up anger, but it simply isn't enough. With no one to stop him, Cell prepares to make his final deadly assault on Earth. "Cell Returns!" was seen in Japan in 1993, then in the United States on December 20, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

At last capable of controlling and harnessing his awesome power (not to mention his terrifying anger), Gohan takes on the five surviving children of Cell. Trunks is exultant as Gohan fights on, realizing that his fellow warrior is last master of his own fate. And on the sidelines, the bombastic but craven Hercule angrily kibitzes. "The Unleashing" was first broadcast in Japan in 1993; its American TV debut did not occur until December 13, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Urged on by the spirit of Goku, the revitalized Gohan continues the battle, determined to prevent Cell from destroying the earth. Gohan's fellow Z-Fighter Piccolo attempts to join the fray, but he and his comrades are quickly knocked out of the running. The outcome of the titanic struggle rests with Vegeta, who hopes to make up for his past misdeeds -- and for inadvertently unleashing the full power of Cell in the first place. Originally telecast in Japan in 1993, "Saving the World" aired in America on December 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The title tells all in this DragonBall Z episode. An inaugural skirmish with Goku leaves Cell groggy, causing Hercule to complain that he will never get his chance in the ring. But as Krillin and Gohan watch from the sidelines, the battle resumes in deadly earnest, accelerating in speed with each new blow. When Cell fires a powerful "kamehameha" at the startled Goku, it is clear that the preliminaries are over and done with. First shown in Japan in 1993, "Goku vs. Cell" aired in the U.S. on November 29, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi