Nora O'Brien Movies
- 2001
Alex Diakun plays the Shopkeeper, a very old and very wise alien shapeshifter who runs an antique and novelty store on earth. Somehow or other, the Shopkeeper has the happy knack of supplying his customers with bizarre gifts that turn out to be exactly what they need in life. One customer, a petty crook named Andy Pace (Johnathon Schaech), tries to take advantage of the Shopkeeper's generosity -- and lives to regret it. "Alienshop" first aired on June 22, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Rockne S. O'Bannon scripted this two-part TV miniseries adaptation of Peter Benchley's novel, found floating in the wake of his Jaws and The Beast. The origins of the tale's hybrid horror begin in 1972 at a secret Navy base off St. Lucia, where researchers cross a dolphin with a great white shark, creating a monster to generate fear and loathing in Vietnam. The Navy covers up the failed experiment, and 25 years later, cut to the Chase -- namely, scientist Simon Chase (Craig T. Nelson), who moves to the island to research a cancer-shark connection. Chase brings along his scientist ex-wife (Kim Cattrall), his 15-year-old son, Max (Matthew Carey), and their pet sea lion. Naturally, the "creature" resurfaces and gnaws on islanders -- with Chase soon in pursuit. Creature effects by Stan Winston. Filmed in St. Lucia, West Indies and Vancouver, British Columbia. Premiered May 17, 1998 on ABC. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig T. Nelson, Kim Cattrall, (more)
Director Paul Verhoeven (Showgirls, Total Recall) reunited many from his 1987 Robocop team for this $100-million science fiction adventure, adapted from Robert A. Heinlein's 1959 novel, originally serialized in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (October-November, 1959). After graduation, Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) volunteers for the Mobile Infantry to do his Federal service -- but also to win over his girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez (Denise Richards), who has signed with the Fleet Academy to become a starship pilot. Johnny joins other boot-camp recruits -- Dizzy Flores (Dina Meyer), who has had a crush on Johnny since school, and Ace Levy (Jake Busey). Ace and Johnny become pals, and Johnny's abilities earn him the squad leader position. A training accident occurs on Johnny's watch, and he is about to resign when Earth is attacked by alien insects intent on eradicating all human life. Johnny's home, Buenos Aires, is no longer on the map. Horrified, he chooses to stay on and fight to destroy the insect threat. The Mobile Infantry travels to the planet Klendathu to battle the warrior bugs, a ruthless enemy with only one goal -- survival of their species no matter what. In the initial encounter, some 100,000 lives are lost. At a distant fort, Johnny's unit discovers that the bugs drain brains to acquire knowledge. Soon they are overwhelmed by an advancing arthropod army of immense proportions, attacking both in space and on the planet surface. The notion of human extinction becomes a possibility. For this $100-million production, some 300 artists and technicians combined models and miniatures with CGI effects to fashion a variety of creatures -- from breeder bugs to armored tanker bugs. The film employed hundreds of extras and has over 500 visual effects shots. Filming began 4/29/96 in California (LA and Long Beach, where Cal State's pyramid gym was used for the Jumpball game), New York, South Dakota, Wyoming (Casper, Hell's Half Acre), and Utah (an abandoned Wendover airstrip where the Enola Gay WWII bomber crew trained). At an abandoned airfield in Fountain Valley, California, an elaborate set was constructed to resemble a military boot camp of the future -- complete with an array of pup tents, gull-winged spaceships, hurdle obstacle course, and training facility buildings. Cinematography by Jost Vacano (Showgirls). Licensed products include Lewis Galoob Inc. toys. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, (more)
An orphaned young woman struggles to overcome a difficult childhood and her later experiences as a prostitute in this period drama set in 18th century London. Drawing only loose inspiration from the Daniel Dafoe novel that provided the film's title, writer-director Pen Densham creates a new story surrounding the title character of Moll Flanders (Robin Wright). The daughter of a thief, young Moll is placed in the care of a nunnery after the execution of her mother. However, the actions of an abusive priest lead Moll to rebel as a teenager, escaping to the dangerous streets of London. Further misfortunes drive her to accept a job as a prostitute from the conniving Mrs. Allworthy (Stockard Channing). It is there that Moll first meets Hibble (Morgan Freeman), who is working as Allworthy's servant but takes a special interest in the young woman's well-being. With his help, she retains hope for the future, ultimately falling in love with an unconventional artist (John Lynch) who promises the possibility of romantic happiness. While Densham's script reflects the intricate plots and varied characters of the period's novels, the often deliberate film stresses Moll's self-determination and emotional journey over the narrative's melodrama. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Wright Penn, Morgan Freeman, (more)
A handful of scientists struggle to prevent the destruction of a small town -- and possibly the entire country -- in this suspense drama. In the mid-1960s, a deadly virus is discovered in Zaire that wipes out an entire village in 24 hours. Government researchers are brought in to investigate, but the military opts to destroy the village rather than risk further infection. Thirty years later, Sam Daniels (Dustin Hoffman), an expert on contagious diseases, is called in when the virus re-emerges in Africa. A monkey carrying the bug is smuggled into the U.S., and a suburban California town soon begins to succumb to the illness. Sam scrambles to find an antidote with the help of his ex-wife Robby (Rene Russo), a Center for Disease Control researcher, and their colleague Casey (Kevin Spacey), while Gen. McClintock (Donald Sutherland) has his own reasons for wanting to use bombs to contain the epidemic, and Army surgeon Gen. Ford (Morgan Freeman) is caught in the middle. Outbreak was produced in the hopes of beating the film version of Richard Preston's bestseller The Hot Zone (about a real-life epidemic) into theaters; script problems shelved The Hot Zone, and Outbreak had the infectious disease market to itself. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, (more)
Phillip Noyce directed Joe Eszterhas's adaptation of Ira Levin's novel about voyeurism, starring Sharon Stone as Carly Norris, a book editor on the rebound from an emotionless seven-year marriage. Carly decides that a change of location will help her in the healing process, so she moves into a sleek Manhattan high-rise. In her new apartment, she meets a collection of curious neighbors --Vida (Polly Walker), who snorts cocaine along with ingesting all the dark secrets of the building and its tenants; Jack Landsford (Tom Berenger), a successful writer who also wants to also be successful with Carly; and Zeke Hawkins (William Baldwin), Carly's new landlord. Carly is attracted to Zeke, but she sees that he is hiding something from her. Unbeknownst to Carly, Zeke, an obsessive voyeur, watches his tenants from a bank of television screens at his headquarters. But when Carly discovers Zeke's voyeurism, she herself becomes obsessed with the daily lives of her neighbors. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, (more)
- 1968
A group of disenfranchised radicals each under the age of 30 gathers often for coffee and intellectual discussions. They have worked for civil rights, the Appalachian poor, and the battle for racial equality. Now without causes to fill their lives, they feel an acute need to develop lives of their own. They discuss various ways to lead fulfilling lives while feeling guilty for abandoning the causes they championed so fervently in the past. One of them concocts a plan to assassinate the President (Lyndon Baines Johnson), but the group is divided as to whether to carry out the diabolical plot. The story unfolds in the six days leading up to what is only a proposed attempt on the chief executive. Although the group universally agrees LBJ is responsible for the deaths of many, some have reservations about carrying out the plan. Producer/director Robert Kramer makes a cameo appearance as a mental patient in this engaging political and social exercise in intellectual and philosophical discourse. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Rader, Tom Griffin, (more)
