C. Thomas Howell Movies
American actor C. Thomas Howell (the "C" is for Christopher) began his acting career at the age of four, when he was a regular on the TV series Little People; he went on to appear on two other series: Two Marriages and Into the Homeland. This led to a big break when he was cast at the age of 16 in a secondary role in Steven Spielberg's E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), one of the most successful films of all time. Following that, Francis Ford Coppola gave him the lead (in part due to Howell's "pretty-boy" good looks) in The Outsiders (1983), which has led to a consistent film career. However, most of his movies (with the exception of The Hitcher, 1986, in which he is stalked by a killer) have fared badly at the box office. Besides being an actor, Howell is also a former junior rodeo circuit champion. He is married to actress Rae Dawn Chong, with whom he co-starred in Soul Man (1986). The two divorced in 1990, but Howell remarried Sylvie Anderson in 1992.Howell would continue to appear in several projects a year, playing such notable roles as Lt. Thomas D. Chamberlain in 1993's Gettysburg, and the title role in 1995's Baby Face Nelson. In 1995, he tried his hand at directing, helming the drama Hourglass. In 1996 he directed The Big Fall and Pure Danger, and later, Howell added writing and producing to his resume as well, earning both screenwriter and producer credits for 2004's Hope Ranch and 2005's Blind Injustice. Howell also never gave up acting, appearing in such varied films as 2004's Hidalgo and 2007's Hoboken Hallow.
~ All Movie Guide
- 2009
Timothy Bottoms and C. Thomas Howell headline this feature adaption of Edgar Rice Burrough's classic tale. When the survivors of a shipwreck become stranded on an mysterious island inhabited by dinosaurs, they must struggle to outrun and outsmart the prehistoric predators. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Timothy Bottoms, (more)
A vengeful sheriff sets out to capture the escaped convict who murdered his wife and son in this gunpowder stained western starring Luke Perry and C. Thomas Howell. When his family was killed, Sheriff Matt Austin swore that he would take violent revenge on the man responsible for that woeful misdeed. But when Sheriff Austin discovers that the very same villain has been hired by a wealthy land baron to steal some valuable land from a terrified widow and her young son, he realizes that he must act quickly before any more lives are lost. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Perry, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
- 2008
A series of strange solar flares has transformed Los Angeles gang-bangers into rampaging, blood-sucking zombies, and now in order to make it out of the city alive a group of mismatched survivors will have to band together while stocking up on all the guns and ammunition they can find. C. Thomas Howell stars in an action-packed urban shocker from director Thunder Levin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
C. Thomas Howell and Judd Nelson star in this sci-fi thriller that finds the citizens of planet Earth forced to prove their worth or else suffer complete and total annihilation. As hundreds of enormous intergalactic robots appear in major cities throughout the world, the future of our civilization hinges on our ability to convince the invaders that our sole purpose in life isn't to spread suffering and misery while laying waste to the planet that has nurtured our species. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A laid back college student who favors quiet gatherings with close friends over wild nights out on the town finds himself at the center of a centuries old war between vampires and mortals in this low-budget frightener starring Tony Todd and C. Thomas Howell. Will is an average college student whose low-key lifestyle is about to get more interesting than he could ever imagine. After being bitten by a vampire seductress whose clan secretly scours the campus for fresh blood, Will begins to make a startling transformation. Meanwhile, among the legions of the undead, powerful coven leader Julian (Todd) is looking to name a successor to the throne. In order to qualify for such an honor, however, a vampire from Julian's coven must first hunt and kill a sentry. The sentries are an elite order of vampire hunters who have been quietly keeping humanity safe from the vampire threat for millennia, carefully maintaining the delicate balance between good and evil. Suddenly, a college student who never thought he would amount to anything finds himself at the center of a supernatural war between the world he once knew, and the secret society that he never knew existed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Todd, A.J. Draven, (more)
A spitfire coffeehouse poet catches the attention of a conservative publisher, only to find that her attempts to get him to take part in an underground poetry-reading contest mask a much deeper motivation in the feature directorial debut of longtime television writer E. Paul Edwards. To Jake Thompson, poetry is the purest way of expressing his inner rage. Marni Elliot is an attractive publisher who is drawn to Jake's use of words, and convinced that he could take home the top prize at the Los Angeles Poetron -- a competitive poetry contest that has set the underground literary community ablaze. Though Jake at first refuses on the grounds that competition spoils the purity of art, he is intensely drawn to Marni and soon relents after the pair fall into bed together. When Marni reveals to Jake that she is HIV-positive, he quickly breaks the relationship off. As the Poetron draws near and Jake learns that he will be competing against Marni's former lover, however, he comes to realize that he cannot get the publisher out of his mind, and that his sympathy for her condition has helped him to overcome his anger as it transforms him into both a better poet, and a more capable competitor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Tara D'Agostino, (more)
A man scarred by the horrors of war encounters a new low in human brutality in this extreme horror story. Trevor Lloyd (Jason Connery) is a veteran of the Iraq war who has had a falling out with his wife and has decided to head west to start his life over again. While hitch-hiking through Texas, Trevor gets a ride from Parker Hilton (Randy Spelling), who makes him an offer -- if Trevor wants to make some traveling money, he's welcome to work a few days at Hilton's ranch. Trevor eagerly accepts, but when he and a handful of other hitchers arrive at the Hoboken Hollow Ranch, they discovers they've made a horrible mistake. Weldon Broderick (Mark Holton) and his family of bloodthirsty psychopaths run the ranch with Hilton, and rather than pay laborers, they simply kidnap men unlikely to be found missing anytime soon, and work them as hard as they can for as long as they can. When the abuse and torture become too much to bear, Broderick and his cohorts kill the drifters and make jerky from their flesh. As Trevor searches for a way to escape from this living hell, eccentric local businessman J.T. Goldman (Michael Madsen) is trying to persuade Broderick to sell him his land, but unwittingly discovers the horrible secret of his success in ranching. Hoboken Hollow also stars Dennis Hopper, Robert Carradine, C. Thomas Howell and Jonathan Fraser. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Connery, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
A blind girl experiencing a crisis of faith inherits an old dark mansion from her estranged aunt, and quickly discovers that the house harbors a dark history. After traveling to the house with friends, the girl is disturbed to learn that her aunt has simply vanished. But now it's too late to stop the forces at work in the home. Something has summoned her there, and when a soldier from the past (C. Thomas Howell) reveals a long-forgotten secret, the frightened girl will be forced to confront her deepest fears. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Julie Sapp, (more)
Director Tim Hunter and co-screenwriter James Crumley go back to the basics for this rough and tumble western that proves the ladies can shoot just as straight as the men. The deadliest gang in the west has been captured and strung up. Now the law is desperate to find out where the recently departed had hidden their substantial plunder, and they're dead sure that the men's widows have the answer to that question. With the corrupt sheriff (Patrick Bergin) closing in on one side, a homicidal preacher (James Gammon) fast gaining ground on the other, and scores of hostile Indians, Pinkerton agents, and even a few gruff ghosts to contend with in between, these three desperate women (Judith Bernett, Suzanne Andrews, and Lissa Negrin) will have to keep on their toes if they have any hope of living to find the treasure and escape to freedom. John Diehl and C. Thomas Howell co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Suzanne Andrews, Judith Burnett, (more)
C. Thomas Howell and Lance Henrickson star in this globe-trotting thriller about a forensic anthropologist seeking to crack the perplexing code that's been skillfully hidden within the works of famed artist Leonardo DaVinci. Does this code reveal the resting spot of the gre3atest treasure known to man? As the race to solve DaVinci's riddle turns into a deadly chase to the far corners of the globe, a mystery that reaches back more than four centuries causes the very foundations of modern history to crack and crumble. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this modern retelling of H.G. Wells' classic sci-fi horror, civilization is laid to ruin when a super race of aliens invades Earth. In a blink of an eye, massive "walkers" cover the planet, annihilating all in their path. As cities crumble and human flesh is ripped from the bone, one man struggles to find the one weapon that will turn the tide for mankind.
- 2005
- PG
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A pair of young men living in the 21st century relive the tales of one of their ancient forbearers in this historical drama. Kamran (Adam Echahly) is a 12-year-old boy of Iranian heritage whose older brother, Nader (Puya Behinaein), is slowly dying. Kamran and Nader's family puts a great value on preserving the oral history of their ancestors, and Nader is passing on this responsibility by telling his brother the story of their distant relative, the great scientist and poet Omar Khayyam (Bruno Lastra). In the 11th century, Omar is close friends with Hassan Sabbeh (Christopher Simpson), a passionate Muslim warrior, and they are both infatuated with the lovely Darya (Marie Espinosa). However, in time Omar and Hassan's paths in life diverge; Omar joins the court of the Sultan Malikshah (Moritz Bleibtreu) and uses his considerable wisdom to study mathematics and the stars, while Hassan succumbs to his rage and forms a cult of killers known as the Assassins. The Keeper: The Legend of Omar Khayyam was the first feature film for Iranian-American director Kayvan Mashayekh. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A belief in "angels on earth," not to mention a belief in oneself, may enhance the enjoyment of this made-for-cable drama. Jaclyn Smith stars as Kay Woodbury, a tough, no-nonsense judge whose intractability in legal matters is intensified by a number of personal crises, including a bitter feud with her jurist father and her anguish over the recent remarriage of her ex-husband. Thus, Kay is no mood to play nice when teenager Sally Powell (Lyndsy Fonseca) is brought before her. Harboring an intense hatred for the father who apparently abandoned her, Sally is a seemingly incorrigible delinquent who has already "flunked out" in four foster homes. Figuring that she could no worse than anyone else, Kay takes Sally home on a trial basis. The girl proceeds to behave as atrociously as possible, but surprisingly Kay does not decide to write her off as a bad job, but instead concludes that what the girl needs is someone to trust and something to believe in. In this spirit, Kay locates Sally's birth father (C. Thomas Howell), and, upon being convinced that he was not motivated by selfishness when he dropped out of his daughter's life, secretly contrives for Sally and her dad to reconnect -- and in so doing Kay finds her own way toward forgiveness, not only of those whom she feels have wronged her, but also of herself. Ordinary Miracles made its Hallmark Channel debut on May 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jaclyn Smith, Lyndsy Fonseca, (more)
A luxury liner has capsized in the middle of the ocean, and it's up to the few remaining survivors to navigate through the treacherous, upside-down maze of terror and make their way to safety in the made-for-television remake of the 1972 disaster film. A terrorist has boarded the luxury liner Poseidon during a lavish New Year's Eve celebration, and when the blast of his bomb causes the immense ship to capsize, the struggle to make it out alive turns into a waterlogged nightmare as the ship slowly continues to take in water. But sinking isn't the only thing the survivors have to worry about, because within their midst the diabolical terrorist is waiting for just the right moment to finish the job he started when he planted the bomb. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
After she is savagely attacked by a rapist, blind lawyer Diana Scott (Jamie Luner) is determined to help the police nail the perpetrator. Using her heightened non-visual senses, she narrows the search down to one Malcolm Humphries (Tood Sandomirsky), who on the bais of Diana's testimony is thrown into prison. While thus incarcerated, Malcolm meets fellow con Anthony Davis (Thomas Mitchell), who freely boasts that it was he who attacked Diana. Ultimately, DNA testing proves that Malcolm is innocent, whereupon a mortified Diana tries her best to make amends. However, any hopes for a early happy denoument are dashed when Anthony Davis escapes, fully intending to brutalize Diana all over again! The made-for-cable Blind Justice was originally telecast March 10, 2005 on the Lifetime network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
When Dallas attorney Addison Terrill (C. Thomas Howell) arrives home late one night to discover his wife savagely murdered and the words "we're even now" crudely scrawled across the bedroom wall, his nightmare is only beginning in this taut tale of suspense from first-time filmmaker Brad Heller. Hunted as a suspect by police, Addison enlists the aid of his old friend Sam in seeking out the true killer in the seamy underbelly of the city. As the bitter ex-cop who's no stranger to street justice begins to discover that there's more to the story than meets the eye, Sam becomes a crucial ally to Addision and may be able to help him find the killer before time runs out and the law closes in. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Sean Young, (more)
Glass Trap is another take on the giant monster movie. This time around, mutant ants have cornered a group of humans in a giant skyscraper. The humans must figure out how to escape before the ants get hungry enough to eat all of them. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Actor Viggo Mortensen made his first starring appearance in a film after his breakthrough performance in the Lord of the Rings trilogy with this period adventure. Frank T. Hopkins (Mortensen) is a U.S. Cavalry officer who earned a reputation as one of the fastest and most daring riders in the West; however, after taking part in the bloody massacre at Wounded Knee, Hopkins becomes disenchanted with the Cavalry, and once his hitch is up, he takes a job as a rider with a seedy touring Wild West show. During an engagement in New York, Hopkins meets Aziz (Adam Alexi-Malle), an associate of wealthy Bedouin Sheikh Riyadh (Omar Sharif), who knows of Hopkins' talents and wants him to take part in "The Ocean of Fire," an annual 3,000-mile desert horse race running from Arabia to Iraq. Hopkins accepts the invitation and sails to the Middle East with his trusty mustang Hidalgo without knowing just what he's getting himself into. Once he arrives, Hopkins learns that the punishing race course claims the lives of nearly half its contestants, and that most of his competitors ride pure-bred Arabian stallions and do not regard Hidalgo and his master as worthy adversaries. Temporarily exiled to a land where freedom eludes the multitudes and class and wealth define one's fate, Hopkins finds himself riding for both honor and principle, with the support of Riyadh and his beautiful, headstrong daughter, Jazira (Zuleikha Robinson), though the Sheikh's nephew Katib (Silas Carson) is equally determined to see Hopkins go down in defeat. Hidalgo was directed by Joe Johnston, who previously worked with animals on the run in Jumanji and Jurassic Park III. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Viggo Mortensen, Omar Sharif, (more)
A real-life series of killings that held Los Angeles, CA, in the grip of fear during the late '70s provides the inspiration for this tense crime drama. Kenneth Bianchi (C. Thomas Howell) is a nebbishy security guard who lives with his mother in Rochester, NY, and dreams of becoming a police officer. After Bianchi's application to join the Rochester police is turned town, he takes his mother's advice and moves out to Glendale, CA, where she arranges for him to stay with his cousin, Angelo Buono (Nicholas Turturro), who works in auto repair. When he's unable to get a position with the Glendale Police Department, Bianchi steps outside the law and, claiming to have a degree in psychology and a license to practice, sets up shop as a counselor. While Bianchi never had much luck with women in Rochester, Buono gives him some advice and sets him up on a few dates; soon Bianchi has a string of girlfriends, though things become complicated when one of his steady girls, Claire Shelton (Allison Lange), becomes pregnant and moves in with him. As Bianchi becomes increasingly obsessed with sex, he and his cousin join forces to set up a prostitution ring, which quickly earns them the enmity of a group of career criminals. When Bianchi and Buono discover that they have been double crossed by one of the hookers in their stable, the two men rape and murder the woman in the back of a car; Bianchi discovers he enjoys the thrill of killing, and soon he and Buono begin committing a string of sexually tinged murders throughout the Los Angeles area, with the press soon dubbing the culprit "The Hillside Strangler." The Hillside Strangler was one of two identically titled films based on the same true story that were released in 2004; the other was directed by Chris Fisher and starred Clifton Collins Jr. and Tomas Arana as Bianchi and Buono. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Nicholas Turturro, (more)
Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang, (more)
A man who has it all finds his perfect world spinning into a blinding storm of psychotic rage after engaging in a bout of extramarital cybersex in this thriller starring C. Thomas Howell. Despite having a life that every man would envy, Adam Vance (Howell) just can't help but feeling that his sex life has grown a little lackluster. When Adam discovers an illicit website known as "Cyber-chat," his steamy exchanges with the lusty "Angel" provide the sex-starved husband with just the kind of no-strings-attached sex that he had been craving. When Angel attempts to blackmail Adam, the hapless philanderer finds himself caught in a murderous web of deceit that may claim the life of not only himself, but everyone he holds dear as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Lala Sloatman, (more)
- 2003
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It's been over 15 years since Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) was terrorized by psychotic hitchhiker John Ryder (the always-evil Rutger Hauer) in Eric Red's low-budget gem The Hitcher. After blowing away the psychopath, Jim turned to the law and eventually settled down with Maggie (Kari Wuhrer), a pilot from the local airfield. When his violent visions of the past end up jeopardizing his job, the couple travel back to the same Texas strip as before to face his demons. Little do they know what lies ahead -- yep, another crazy psychotic hitchhiker (Jake Busey)! Can Jim relive the same nightmare twice, or will Maggie have to step up to the plate to defeat the grinning menace? From Corman-bred director Louis Morneau (Bats) comes this long-awaited sequel to one of the biggest cult films of '80s cable and video history. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Kari Wuhrer, (more)
A young doctor must fight for his life when a crippling car accident leaves him at the mercy of a deranged nurse in this thriller from cinematographer-turned-director Joe C. Maxwell. It's hurricane season in Louisiana, and as the rain falls from the sky, Dr. Zack Peters and his female traveling companion are forced off the road in a blinding flash of lightning and metal. When Dr. Peters awakens to discover that he has been rescued from the wreckage by a strange nurse (Savannah Smith Boucher), his momentary relief soon turns to terror when he discovers that his sadistic savior and her brutal brother Raymond (David Parker) have no plans of letting him get out alive. With his traveling companion missing and the screams of the other "patients" filling the decrepit old house, Dr. Peters enlists the help of another of the nurse's desperate captives in finding his lost friend and escaping the bayou hell. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
