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 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)
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)
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)
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)
- 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
Not dissimilar to such earlier Hollywood features as Boys' Ranch and Johnny Holiday, this made-for-cable drama stars Bruce Boxleitner as ex-cop and former marine J.T. Hope. The owner of a 2,000-acre ranch in Utah, Hope makes it his mission in life to rehabilitate youngsters who, as a result of their criminal records, have been deemed incorrigible. In this instance, Hope focuses his attention on a trio of street punks, including incipient drug-dealer Keith Frazier (Brian Gross). With the help of his no-nonsense ranchhands Colt (Lorenzo Lamas) and Shorty (Barry Corbin), Hope works the boys hard and long (12 hours a day, in fact), tending the horses, cleaning out the barns, and tackling other such grueling chores -- all the while promising the kids that if after two weeks they have straightened themselves out, they will not have to return to the penal system. At first reacting in horror to the strict regimen of Hope's ranch (one of the teens declares, "What is this? An episode of Survivor?"), two of the boys begin showing signs of redemption, and even begin to enjoy their working vacation in the great outdoors. Alas, Keith proves to be a bigger challenge than Hope had anticipated, especially when the boy steals some horse tranquilizers and escapes into the mountains. One of the first films to be produced exclusively for the Animal Planet cable network, Hope Ranch debuted on September 2, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Boxleitner, Lorenzo Lamas, (more)
Each and every year, the farmers in a certain Northwestern community ship in thousand of honey bees to pollinate their crops. This year, alas, the bees have apparently become terrorists, buzzing relentlessly throughout the region and leaving a trail of death wherever they go. Sheriff Lyndon Hobbs (C. Thomas Howell) must overcome his own paralyzing fear of bees to save his community. In other words, this is Arachnophobia with stingers. Filmed in Vancouver, Killer Bees made its PAX Network debut on November 22, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A woman finally gets to share some quality time with her mother after mom has passed on in this supernatural comic fantasy. Nat (C. Thomas Howell) is a self-help guru and internationally known motivational speaker who is launching a new crusade in Singapore when Catherine (Anna Lise Phillips), who is both Nat's girlfriend and one of his most trusted aides, gets word that her mother has passed away. Catherine and her mother Katya were never as close as she wished; Katya was something of a free spirit who was more interested in pursuing her own goals rather than keeping a close watch over her children. Distraught, Catherine returns home to make a startling discovery -- the spirit of her mother Katya (Anne Looby) has returned to Earth, though only Catherine can see or hear her. Looking 36 years old and dressed in mid-'50s haute couture, Katya's ghost has decided to make up for the time she lost on Earth by following Catherine's every move and offering unsolicited advice whenever possible, which soon has the already nervous Catherine hovering on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Willfull received its American premiere at the 2001 Seattle Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anna Lise Phillips, Anne Looby, (more)
In this crime thriller, Jason Chandler (Patrick Muldoon) is an FBI agent who is trying to hunt down a serial killer nicknamed "The Silencer" for his habit of cutting out the tongues of his victims. As Chandler tries to uncover the trail of "The Silencer," he is recruited for an elite FBI unit called the "Red Team," which is devoted solely to hunting down serial killers; however, the more Chandler studies their methods, the more he finds himself thinking the Red Team may be doing more harm than good. Chandler also finds himself developing a very non-professional relationship with his new partner, Stephanie Dobson (Cathy Moriarty). As Jason and Stephanie do research on The Silencer, they discover evidence that there's another unusual killer on the loose -- a multiple murderer who is targeting serial killers. Red Team was also released under the title The Crimson Code. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cathy Moriarty, Patrick Muldoon, (more)
In 2017, the survivors of a worldwide apocalypse do battle for supremacy in this sci-fi adventure. Most of the Earth has been reduced to ruins, and the pitiful few who have survived have moved underground and organized themselves into religious cults who wage war among themselves for dominion over what's left of the planet. A self-ordained holy man (Roddy Piper) kills the family of a roving mercenary (C. Thomas Howell), and the warrior swears revenge. He joins forces with a beautiful female killer-for-hire (Heidi Von Palleske) and they set out to win back the world for the forces of good. Cybercity also features David Carradine. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Roddy Piper, (more)
- 1999
C. Thomas Howell appears as an evil crime boss in this slacker crime drama about two guys waiting by the phone discussing hockey, dogs, and slurs against Italian-Americans. The Glass Jar was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Crivello, John Kassir, (more)
- 1998
Michael Bafaro's Sleeping Dogs features a thief named Harry Maxwell (Scott McNeil) breaking into a gem factory apparently staffed by underwear-clad supermodels and thuggish guards with really bad aim. He kills some of them while gay bad-guy Sanchez Boon (a woefully miscast C. Thomas Howell) shakes down someone from "The Agency." Boon rips a microphone out of the man's jaw with a pair of pliers and shoots him, going way overboard in the tooth-gnashing evil department, evidently so the audience will forget that he was Ponyboy from The Outsiders. Then there's a lot more shooting and Maxwell slides down the supermodels' table on his stomach with both guns blazing. He grabs one of the women, throws some explosives, punches out the woman, and rappels them from the roof to safety as more people shoot at them. Then someone blows up a helicopter with a rocket-launcher. This is all before they even get sent to the main location (a remote outer-space prison colony) with a topless cyborg (Ciara Hunter) and the mayhem really begins. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott McNeil, C. Thomas Howell, (more)
A man who went astray in a moment of weakness finds his mistake coming back to haunt him in this thriller. Mack Maddox (C. Thomas Howell) appears to have a happy, ordinary life -- a nice home, a happy marriage, and a loving daughter. But not all has been perfect in Mack's life and he gets a sudden and startling reminder of his checkered past when he's called up for jury duty. Mack will be hearing the trial of Ezra Tyler (Jay Underwood), who stands accused of killing his wife, and as the testimony goes on, Mack remembers that he actually knew Mrs. Tyler -- and had a brief affair with her. Ezra's morbid jealousy led him to murder his wife and Mack beings to wonder if he knows about his wife's infidelity. Soon Mack has become obsessed with Ezra, and when the trial is called off on a technicality, he discovers that Ezra is following his trail. Stalker was also released under the title Fatal Affair. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Jay Underwood, (more)
Los Angeles suburbanites Quinn (James Wilder) and Laura (Kimberly Kates) host a backyard barbecue of co-workers, including a doctor (C. Thomas Howell), his wife (Erika Eleniak), rough-edged Barry (Jack Scalia), and winsome Jude (Karen Black), who was recently widowed when her executive husband was killed in a botched kidnapping. A confrontation with an irate neighbor (James Russo) turns ugly, and it seems there is more to the guest list than first thought. And then it gets uglier once the accusations fly -- much uglier. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
Between 2014 and 2064 the space station U.S.S. Legacy has quietly circled an uninhabitable Earth. Contained within the station are the last remnants of the human race. Scientist Kendall Forster is among them. Her mission is to help clean up the planet's toxic atmosphere in order to start humanity anew. In this taut space thriller, made especially for the Sci-Fi Channel, trouble comes when one of Kendall's fellow passengers goes crazy and begins murdering the other people. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Frewer, Colin Cunningham, (more)
- 1997
A condemned man's benevolent act turns out to be a desperate bid for freedom in this action thriller. Rudy Salazar (Danny Trejo) is a multiple murderer who has been sentenced to death, but an unexpected act of generosity takes him off death row. Rudy's bone marrow type matches that of a young girl suffering from a rare form of leukemia; he volunteers to donate his marrow for the girl's treatment in exchange for having his sentence reduced to life without parole. The courts agree, but Thomas Quinlan (C. Thomas Howell), the detective who cracked the Salazar case and put him behind bars, is convinced something is afoot. Sadly, Quinlan turns out to be right; as Salazar is being transported to the hospital for the marrow donation, he puts into motion a carefully organized escape plan, and soon the murderer is back on the street, with a number of dead police officers left in his wake. Now Quinlan and his partner Lydia (Sofia Shinas) have to capture Salazar for the safety of the public, as well as giving a little girl her last chance at survival. Dilemma marked the feature debut for director Eric Larsen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
