Herbert Jefferson, Jr. Movies

"Houston, we have a problem." Those words were immortalized during the tense days of the Apollo 13 lunar mission crisis, and the suspense, fear, and excitement of those days are captured in Ron Howard's epic recreation of the 1970 crisis. When the commander of the original mission Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise), bows out due to possible exposure to measles, astronaut Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks) leads command module pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and lunar module driver Fred Haise (Bill Paxton) on what is slated as NASA's third lunar landing mission. All goes smoothly until the craft is halfway through its mission, when an exploding oxygen tank threatens the crew's oxygen and power supplies. As the courageous astronauts face the dilemma of either suffocating or freezing to death, Mattingly and Mission Control leader Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) struggle to find a way to bring the crew back home, all the while knowing that the spacemen face probable death once the battered ship reenters the Earth's atmosphere. Even though the outcome, in which all three astronauts miraculously survived, is historical fact, the film derives suspense from the situation itself and from the actions of the heroic astronauts and the men on the ground. Howard's taut direction, a solid ensemble of players, and eye-opening special effects all add to the overall impact of the film, which has been hailed as one of Hollywood's best historical dramas. In 2002, the movie was released in IMAX theaters as Apollo 13: The IMAX Experience, with a pared-down running time of 116 minutes in order to meet the technical requirements of the large-screen format. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Daisy (Catherine Bach) and Jesse (Denver Pyle) are astonished--a not a little disgusted--when Luke (Tom Wopat) and Bo (John Schneider) accept an offer from Mary Beth Carver (Lydia Cornell) to return to the NASCAR circuit. After all, Mary Beth's promoter father J.J. Carver (Ramon Bieri) is a mob-connected crook, and the Duke boys had previously vowed never to work for him again. What no one but Luke, Bo and the viewer knows is that the boys are working undercover on behalf of some Federal agents, who hope to get the goods on Carver and put him away for life--assuming, of course, that the Dukes will live long enough to see this happen! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of "Greetings from Earth", six Terrans from the 13th Colony (formerly known as Earth) are released from suspended animation when their drifting space station is discovered. Upon awakening, the six become obsessed with the notion that the Galactica is part of the hated Eastern Alliance, which brought about the destruction of Earth several centuries before. Adama (Lorne Greene) begins to wonder if the newly revived travellers are whom they claim to be when they demand to be taken to the planet Paradeen--lest they all perish. Originally telecast as a two-hour "special", "Greetings from Earth" has since been reedited as two one-hour episodes for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Colonials have fallen under the spell of godlike alien Iblis (Patrick MacNee), who offers them safe passage to the 13th Colony in exchange for their total and unquestioning obedience. Once Iblis successfully brings the treacherous Baltar (John Colicos) to justice, the Colonials have no reason to question their sincerity. But Cmdr. Adama (Lorne Greene) is not so easily swayed--especially after witnessing Iblis' terrified reaction to the three shimmering balls of light which seem to be dogging his trail. A climactic confrontation with the Forces of Darkness caps this thrilling adventure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, Patrick MacNee guest stars as Count Iblis, a shipwrecked alien rescued by a Galactica recon mission. Claiming to be the last descendant of a long-gone alien culture, Iblis promises to grant three wishes to the Colonials -- including safe passage to the 13th Colony. All he asks in return from them is total, and unquestioning, obedience. Not surprisingly, Cmdr. Adama (Lorne Greene) is suspicious of Iblis' true motives -- but he is unable to sway the Colonials, who are more thn willing to agree to the godlike alien's terms. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is startled when his former lover Aurora (Ana Alicia), whom he assumed to be dead, turns up very much alive on the Celestra, the Galactica support vessel helmed by Commander Kronus (Paul Fix). Urged on by Aurora, who claims that Kronus is a cruel dictator, Starbuck joins Apollo (Richard Hatch) in fomenting a mutiny against the Commander. But is Kronus truly as villainous as Aurora claims? "Take the Celestra" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Long Patrol" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Space Casanova. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is charged with the murder of rival Viper pilot Ortega (Frank Ashmore). With the full weight of evidence against him, Starbuck finds few that are willing to believe his protestations of innocence. One of those few, however, is his best friend Apollo (Richard Hatch), who doggedly sets about to prove that the authorities have arrested the wrong man--and in the process, Apollo uncovers an unusually vicious blackmail scheme. "Murder on the Rising Star" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Young Lords" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Murder in Space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The treacherous Baltar (John Colicos) joins forces with several captured villains from earlier episodes -- the three Borellian Nomens, the Eastern Alliance Enforcers -- to plot an escape from the Colonials' prison. Holding Adama (Lorne Greene) and the Council of Twelve hostage, Baltar demands that he and his new cronies be immediately released. To rescue their comrades, Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) disguise themselves as Cylon robots. "Baltar's Escape" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Man With Nine Lives" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Space Prison. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Crashlanding on an uncharted frontier planet "centons" away from Galactica, Apollo (Richard Hatch) is sheltered by the widowed Bella (Katherine Cannon) and her son Puppis (Johnny Timko). Although the safety of his comrades on Galactica is still foremost in his mind, Apollo is pressed into service to face down a local land baron who holds the planet's populace in thrall. The climax is showdown with Red-Eye (Rex Cutter), an amnesiac Cylon warrior who is now the villain's top gunslinger. "The Lost Warrior" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "The Hand of God" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" The Phantom in Space. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When a long-range recon mission in a new, computer-equipped Viper goes awry, Starbuck (Dirk Benedict) is captured and shipped off to a forgotten prison planet. Starbuck's fellow inmates are all descendants of the planet's original criminal population, condemned to a lifetime of blind obedience to unknown superiors, and forced to manufacture ambrosia for a fleet that has long ceased to exist. It is up to Starbuck to convince these hopeless souls to revolt against their centuries-old bondage. "The Long Patrol" was later combined with the Battlestar Galactica episode "Take the Celestra" and reissued as the two-hour "TV movie" Space Casanova. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the first episode of a two-part story, the surviving Mankind convoy is weakened by an unknown but highly contagious disease. Soon all the male fighter pilots of Galactica have fallen ill, leaving the vessel--and its thousands passengers--in the hands of the the courageous but untested female crewpersons. To protect Galactica during this crisis, Cmdr. Adama (Lorne Greene) orders the conveoy into a magnetic void, which may or may not lead to the "safe harbor" of planet Kobol. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In part one of Battlestar Galactica's pilot episode, the 12 colonies of humankind are poised to sign a peace treaty with the Cylons, a race of mechanical men with whom the colonies have waged war for the past millennium. In truth, however, the peace conference is a trap, arranged by traitorous human Baltar (John Colicos) for the purpose of wiping out humankind for good. Of all the colonies' battlestars, only the Galactica, helmed by Commander Adama (Lorne Greene) -- who, wisely, never completely trusted Baltar in the first place -- manages to escape the Cylon fleet. Led by Adama, his Viper-pilot son, Captain Apollo (Dirk Benedict), and Apollo's best friend, Lieutenant Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), the survivors of the Cylon ambush board Galactica and head for the long-lost 13th colony, which once bore the name of Earth. Originally telecast as a three-hour special, "Saga of a Star World" has since been divided into three separate episodes for syndication, and an edited 125-minute version has also been released theatrically. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide