Michael J. Sarna Movies

An unstable Gulf War veteran with a savior complex receives a shocking wake-up call upon returning stateside and accepting a position with the Department of Homeland Security in the directorial debut of Training Day screenwriter David Ayer. Jim (Christian Bale) is a Gulf War veteran who believes his sworn duty to protect his fellow Americans extends to the streets of Los Angeles, and he longs to fulfill his destiny by joining the LAPD. Rejected by the force and left to ponder his future with his impoverished Mexican paramour -- whom he had intended on bringing to the city after joining the police -- the dejected and unemployed veteran is offered a second shot at helping his country when he is subsequently approached by the Department of Homeland Security. As Jim and his unemployed best friend, Mike (Freddy Rodriguez), carve a swath of chaos through the streets of Los Angeles, the weight of their American dream soon comes crashing down in a devastating blow that threatens to dash their high hopes for a bright future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The Australian sitcom Always Greener was a new spin on an old TV formula. It was basically the tale of two families: the Taylors, who lived in the big city, and the Todds, who resided on a farm in the country. Each family envied the other's existence, prompting the Taylors and the Todds to swap houses for a year. Inevitably, both clans developed a brand-new appreciation of the life that they had left behind. Created by John Holmes and Bevan Lee and photographed in New South Wales, Always Greener ran for 22 hour-long episodes, the first of which was seen over Australia's Seven Network on September 4, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unctuous uberzillionaire Max Gast (Udo Kier), a diabolical industrialist who thinks the world is dangerously overpopulated, prepares to use his space-based weapon to cause widespread nuclear meltdowns at power plants around the world and thereby reduce the population by several hundred million. And he'll rule the survivors with his statuesque -- some would say wooden -- wife Elizabeth (Brigitte Nielsen) by his side as his queen. But Max didn't count on suave, savvy, and handsome special agent Jack Logan (Joe Lara) coming to the planet's rescue. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

David Hasselhoff trades the beach for the battlefield in this drama, in which he plays Jack Scott, a photojournalist specializing in combat photography. Scott encounters a young woman whose has never met her father -- an American soldier who was stationed in the Philippines -- and is desperate to find him; her search has led her back to the land of her birth, and Scott offers to help her. However, they soon discover that their investigation had put them on a trail fraught with danger and intrigue. Legacy also stars Rod Steiger, Corin Nemec, and Vicky Pratt. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Action-veteran Joel Silver produced this taut tale of a female FBI agent who puts her career and life on the line when she falls in love with an enigmatic vigilante assassin. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This United States/Philippine co-production examines how the real-life closing of the U.S. naval base at Subic Bay profoundly effected both the local Filipino community and the Americans who had served there. As the base's operations slowly wind down and naval manpower begins to dwindle, Commander Hamilton (Wolfgang Bodison) relies on three Navy SEALs to help keep the base secure. William Hawk (John Haymes Newton), a longtime soldier nearing the end of a tour of duty, is involved with Lisa Velasquez (Nannette Medved), a representative of the Mayor's office in nearby Olongapo City. Lisa has to deal with the economic crisis that the base's closing will doubtlessly bring to her community, as well as her own personal problems brought on by William's imminent departure and the strained relationship of her mother Anna (Daria Ramirez) and stepfather Ed (James Brolin). Paul Bladon (Alexis Arquette), another SEAL with the Subic Bay base, is the son of a U.S. Senator (Michael York), who will be visiting Subic Bay for the base's closing ceremonies. Sen. Bladon is bringing along Paul's girlfriend Angela (Maureen Flannigan), though Paul has fallen in love with Emma (Alma Concepcion), a former prostitute who now plans to marry Paul. The third SEAL, John Stryzack (Corin Nemec), is furious over what he sees as America's betrayal of its responsibilities in the Philippines; he winds up behind bars after a violent incident, but he plans to escape to assassinate Sen. Bladon, whom he believes is responsible for the closing of the base. Rae Dawn Chong also appears as a U.S. military investigator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This action-packed, fact-based crime drama tells the story of Ma Barker and how she turned her four sons into ruthless criminals in hopes of escaping a life of intense poverty. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This martial arts actioner stars former light heavyweight World Kickboxing Association champion Don Wilson as a lawyer who loses his wife and son at the murderous hands of drug dealers when the two accidentally find themselves in the midst of a drug deal. Decker, the lawyer, was also there, but is suffering from a form of amnesia and cannot recall the names or faces the police need to make arrests. Repeated trips to a therapist do not help, but then Decker runs across another drug deal in progress and kicks the crud out of the dealers. The violence triggers a dim memory and he discovers the more drug-dealers he beats up, the sharper his memory. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Wings Hauser directed and stars in this mystery about a Las Vegas detective who learns that a woman believed dead is actually alive and well and involved in a blackmail plot. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide

During the late '80s, a terrible fad, wilding, came into vogue among troubled inner-city youth. Wilding involved nights of insane revelry, violence, and destruction of anything and anyone in the path of a youth gang. This made-for-TV drama is loosely adapted from the tale of a female victim who was beaten-up and gang raped in Central Park during a night of wilding. Afterward three suspects are arrested and a notorious defense attorney is assigned the case. Unfortunately he isn't sure he wants to handle them as they keep killing anyone who stands in the way of their acquittal including the prosecutor, the attorney's still loved ex-wife. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this film, the violence and despair that runs rampant in their New York City neighborhood forces an Italian family to find a way to survive in their unpleasant surroundings. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide

Made for television, Moving Target bears a few faint echoes of the 1986 theatrical feature Out of Bounds. Jason Bateman plays a teenaged musician returning home from summer camp. He is hardly greeted with open arms; as a matter of fact, his family has moved out in his absence. Compounding this traumatic turn of events, Jason becomes the quarry of a syndicate hit man (Jack Wagner)--and of the US Justice Department. It dawns on the boy that he'd better locate his family before anyone else does. Jason Bateman's leading lady in Moving Target is Chynna Phillips, daughter of musicians John and Michelle Phillips, and later the star of the TV biopic Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide