Finola Hughes Movies
- 2004
The Charmed One's grandma Penny (Jennifer Rhodes) is invited to the Wiccaning ceremony for baby Chris. Fed up with the girls' noisy sibling rivalry, "Grams" casts a spell, transforming the trio into teenagers. This situation proves somewhat embarrassing when the younger version of Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) attends an award ceremony. Meanwhile, Leo (Brian Krause) tries to figure out the motivation behind an attack on little Wyatt by consulting a demonic seer (played in the first of several guest appearances by former Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel co-star Charisma Carpenter). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2002
In the concluding half of Charmed's fifth-season opener, Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) has elected to remain in the form of a mermaid -- partly because she wishes to escape her marriage to ex-demon Cole (Julian McMahon), partly because, well, she likes being a mermaid. Although she has vanquished the infamous Sea Hag, Phoebe is still in danger, courtesy of the Hag's demon ally Necron (Judson Scott). As Paige (Rose McGowan) and Leo (Brian Krause) encounter enormous obstacles in their efforts to persuade Phoebe to return to her human self, Piper (Holly Marie Combs) attempts to overcome her crippling panic attacks by casting a "fearless" spell -- which, alas, backfires horribly. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 2001
While mourning the death of their sister Prue, Charmed Ones Piper and Phoebe Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano) are surprised by a visit from their mother, Patty (Finola Hughes) -- and even more surprising by the news Patty has brought them. It seems the girls have a half sister whom they have never met: Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan), the daughter of Patty and her Whitelighter (guardian angel) Sam. Now, explains, Patty, the "Power of Three" remains intact, with Paige joining the Halliwell household for more benevolent witchery. This opening episode of Charmed's fourth season was originally telecast as a single two-hour program; it has since been divided into a pair of one-hour shows for syndication. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 2001
In the concluding half of Charmed's fourth-season opener (originally telecast as a single two-hour episode), Charmed Ones Piper and Phoebe Halliwell (Holly Marie Combs, Alyssa Milano) adjust to the presence of the half sister they never knew they had: Paige Matthews (Rose McGowan), who like Piper and Phoebe possesses peculiar powers of benevolent witchcraft. But with Paige's arrival comes more trouble for the Halliwell girls, who have not entirely overcome the death of their sister Prue at the hands of a demon -- especially since Phoebe has had a vision of Paige being killed by that selfsame demon. This episode introduces a new and formidable Charmed villain, The Source of All Evil (personified by actor Bennet Guillory). ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 2000
- R
In this sci-fi drama, Dr. Peter Crawford (Dennis Hopper), a gifted astronomer, discovers that a massive comet is heading toward Earth. Convinced that a major disaster is imminent, Crawford attempts to convince the world's scientific minds that drastic steps must be taken. No one appears to agree with him, so he begins constructing an underground city, which he plans to populate with a cross-section of intelligent people who will be able to reconstruct civilization after the comet destroys the cities. Jake Lowe (Peter Onorati), a down on his luck photojournalist, gets wind of Crawford's plan and attempts to join the underground community to get the full story from the inside. Tycus also features Finola Hughes and Chick Vennera. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Finola Hughes makes her first series appearance as Patty Halliwell, mother of benevolent witches Prue (Shannen Doherty), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and Piper (Holly Marie Combs). In truth, however, Patty should be spoken of in past tense, since she died several years before the saga of Charmed got under way. Even so, she figures prominently in this episode, which takes place in the 1970s. And why do the Halliwell girls hurtle themselves so far back in time? Simple: in order to prevent an evil warlock named Nicholas (Andrew Jackson) from being immune to their good magic, the sisters must return to the moment in which Nicholas drew up the pact that ensured his immunity -- a pact made with the girls' own mom. ~ All Movie Guide
A group of special Navy officers are assigned to a cruise ship to look out for the daughter of an important man. Their mettle is put to the test once the voyage is underway when a band of terrorists take over the liner and capsize it. The situation is further exacerbated by the presence of a nuclear warhead set loose in the seas around them. The film's eclectic cast includes Costas Mandylor, Finola Hughes, and James Coburn. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
A lonely young boy's wish for the perfect companion goes hilariously awry in this family-friendly tale that urges viewers not only to be careful what they wish for -- but also how they wish it! When a mysterious professor arrives in town and informs young Tim that a legendary supernova with the power to grant a single wish is set to appear in the night sky, the young boy is certain that he will finally be granted the canine companion that he has longed for. Unfortunately for Tim, his once-in-a-lifetime wish misfires -- transforming the young lad into a dog instead of granting him a companion pooch. Will Tim be able to reverse the effects of the wish-granting supernova in time to enjoy Christmas with the family, or will he end up spending the holidays in the doghouse? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gordon Jump, David Bowe, (more)
A master thief is pitted against a detective who learned all she knows from him in this thriller. Alex Madison (Don Mogavero) is a well-respected professor of criminology who puts his knowledge to practical use in his other job -- he's also the Phantom, a daring and very successful jewel thief. Lawton Goodyear (Brion James) is a senator from Jekyll Island, an island off the Georgia coast, and Goodyear is staging a very elaborate wedding for his eldest daughter. Madison learns that the gifts for the bride and groom will include a fortune in jewels, and he decides this could be the perfect heist for the Phantom. Madison finds an unexpected ally in Savannah (Olivia Burnett), Goodyear's younger daughter, as the Phantom tries to make off with jewels while Ronnie Fredericks (Finola Hughes), a federal agent who studied criminology under Madison, struggles to make good on her pledge to put the Phantom behind bars. Jekyll Island, which was shot on location at the real Jekyll Island in Georgia, also stars Everett McGill and Phil Morris. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Mogavero, Finola Hughes, (more)
This made-for-television drama is based on the true story of a female prison inmate who fought for women's rights while still behind bars. Stephanie Zimbalist stars as Lynn Shaffer, a wife and mother who gets convicted of white-collar crime and is sentenced to ten years in prison. While behind bars she witnesses prison guards assaulting female inmates and carting them off to hotels as part of a prostitution ring. Her initial attempts to speak out are squelched by a crooked guard (Dan Luria). Determined to expose the crime, she enlists the help of her husband (Gary Frank) and her attorney, and fights to get the information into the hands of the proper authorities. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephanie Zimbalist, Dan Lauria, (more)
- 1996
In this spooky made-for-TV drama a young wife finds herself unable to emotionally recover from a particularly painful miscarriage. Concerned, her husband brings her to a quiet old house to recuperate. But when she begins hearing the eerie wails of an unseen child when no one else is around, the woman's begins to undergo a complete mental breakdown. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
A group of students are in super-hero training in this made-for-television sci-fi adventure. Based on the comic by Stan Lee, a bunch of mutated teens with special powers, go into training to become super-heroes. Before they finish their education though, they must put their powers to the test and rescue a friend. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1994
In this thriller, a young art critic falls for a psychotic artist. Jennifer Cole can't help it. She is in love with artist Julian Jons. It doesn't matter that he was just released after spending 7 years in prison for killing his model/girlfriend in the heat of obsessive passion. It doesn't matter that her roommate and editor warn her that Julian is unstable. She is in love with him. Unfortunately, her friends are right. All Julian can paint are images of his dead girlfriend. Things really heat up after an art collector commissions Julian to paint a portrait of his daughter who is the spitting image of -- the murdered woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brent Fraser, Finola Hughes, (more)
In this high-tension thriller, Christopher Reeves plays Dempsey Cain, a paralyzed detective (ironically, it was filmed a year before the tragic accident that would make him a quadriplegic) whose arrogance and penchant for perfectionism has alienated his family to the point that his wife Gail (Kim Cattrall) turns to his brother Nick (Edward Kerr) for love. Nick is also a cop, but unlike Dempsey, he tends to be irresponsible and sloppy. It was he who was responsible for Dempsey's paralysis. Dempsey knows that Nick and Gail are trysting. This coupled with his disability makes life unbearable. Wanting to end his life, but knowing that his million-dollar life insurance policy will not cover his suicide, he approaches Nick and Gail with the perfect solution -- to murder him and make it look like a burglary. Dempsey plans his demise to the nth degree. Unfortunately, despite his careful scheming, Dempsey makes one fatal flaw -- he did not include his suspicious, resentful and jealous colleague Allan Rhinehart (Joe Mantegna) into the equation and things go horribly awry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
T.J. (Paul Gross) and Dex (Peter Berg) leave Detroit to wax up their skis and find an adventurous new life on the slopes of Aspen in this skiing drama. The two become instructors and take up residence in a mobile home, at first fulfilling their ultimate bachelor fantasy. But T.J. becomes torn between two women: a sugar mama who appeals to his materialistic side (Finola Hughes) and a local disc jockey closer to his own age, whom he actually loves (Teri Polo). Meanwhile, Dex's writing is not taking off like he'd hoped, and he becomes jealous of T.J.'s luck with women and effortless entrance into the glittery Aspen social network. Dex loses his job and tries to sell drugs to help make ends meet. The two sort out their various problems and their own fractious relationship against the backdrop of preparing for the big race, which provides Aspen Extreme its requisite quantity of skiing footage. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, Peter Berg, (more)
In the comedic farce Soapdish, the behind-the-scenes lives of several soap opera actors are just as melodramatic as those of their television counterparts. Sally Field stars as Celeste Talbert, the star of a declining TV show. To make matters worse, Talbert's career is thrown into turmoil when her rival, Montana Moorehead (Cathy Moriarty), tries to persuade producer David Barnes (Robert Downey Jr.) to write Talbert off the show. Smitten by Moorehead, Barnes comes up with a scheme to get Talbert off the show by hiring her niece Lori (Elisabeth Shue) and then Jeffrey (Kevin Kline), an old flame and cast member who was written out of the show 20 years prior. Soon, mayhem rules on the set as the cast and crew tangle, culminating in a special episode, broadcast live. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sally Field, Kevin Kline, (more)
- 1990
In this drama a bride, widowed on her wedding day when her husband was shot, investigates her late groom's past. She soon discovers why he was killed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Lucci, David Soul, (more)
- 1989
In this dark drama, a young couple is pursued by a lascivious extortionist. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Lucci, John James, (more)
- 1987
TV Guide critic Judith Crist tersely dismissed Haunted by Her Past as a "spook story," but that's probably because the producers wouldn't preview it for her. Better than the usual Gothic TV-movie, the film casts soap-opera diva Susan Lucci as a 20th-century wife who is possessed by the spirit of an 18th-century murderess (Finola Hughes). At first playful and flirtatious, the woman turns deadly as the malevolent ghost seeps into every orifice of her brain and body. Obviously, trouble is in store for her unwitting husband (John James). Decked out with a lush musical score by Paul Chihara, Haunted by Her Past played to respectable ratings when it first aired on October 5, 1987. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
This drama offers a sordid behind-the-scenes look at the darker side of ballet as it chronicles the power struggle and deceit between the tyrannical owner of a prominent ballet company and a treacherous Russian ballerina. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1984
It was not unusual in the 1980s for a British TV miniseries to resurface in America in the form of a re-edited feature-length "movie." The Master of Ballantrae, based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, offered a unique reversal on this process. Originally telecast in the United States as a three-hour TV film on January 31, 1984, the production subsequently aired on Scottish television as a six-part miniseries, 25 minutes per episode. On this occasion, the roles of rival siblings Henry and James Durrie were played by Richard Thomas and Michael York. The basic story remained the same: In 18th century Scotland, a toss of the coin determined that Henry would enlist in the service of Bonnie Prince Charlie, while James would stay behind as temporary master of Ballantrae Hall. Reported killed in battle, Henry spent the next several years trying to reclaim his birthright from his covetous brother. The "series" version of The Master of Ballantrae was broadcast in 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Sylvester Stallone proves you really can't go home again in Staying Alive, the absurd sequel to Saturday Night Fever. The story finds Tony Manero (Travolta) six years later working as a waiter in a nightclub while he tries to realize his dreams of dancing on Broadway (what tough street kid from Brooklyn doesn't?) He eventually makes the cut as an extra for "Satan's Alley" (billed as "a musical trip through Hell") and immediately sets his sights on the show's snooty prima-donna star (Finola Hughes, decidedly unsuited for such dancing as her role requires). Meanwhile, the nice girl he's been seeing (Cynthia Rhodes) stands by her man, waiting patiently for him to come around. When the male lead can't cut it, Tony is offered the part, and tensions rise. The action culminates in the show itself and Tony's ultimate realization that he needs to please only himself. Indeed, the horrific dancing combined with Frank Stallone's inane musical score makes one wonder just how accurate the show's billing of "a musical trip through Hell" actually is. As long as one disassociates this film from its predecessor, Staying Alive is highly enjoyable for its schlock value; it may well be an inadvertent camp classic for Travolta's sweaty thongs alone. As for Stallone's direction and screenwriting abilities, he proves he is better off to remain an underdog prize-fighter/ commie-killer/mercenary cop/ double-fisted union leader/etc... ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Cynthia Rhodes, (more)
- 1982
- R
In this sudsy drama, a Russian dancer defects and joins a London ballet school headed by a manipulative madam who uses the school as a front for her call-girl business. All of her employees are students whom she has forced to become prostitutes for prominent politicians. Meanwhile the administrator carries on an affair with her lead male dancer. The defector is so disgusted by the whole affair that she returns to the Soviet Union. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Collins, Carol White, (more)
