Dave Jensen Movies

A high-profile criminal lawyer finds his bid for the governorship in jeopardy when an ambitious rookie journalist begins suspecting him of tampering with evidence in order to secure his many convictions in director Peter Hyams' remake of the 1956 Fritz Lang classic. Mark Hunter (Michael Douglas) has a reputation for putting criminals behind bars, and with elections approaching he seems a shoo-in for governor. But just how clean is the district attorney's record when held up to scrutiny? When hungry reporter C.J. Nicholas (Jesse Metcalfe) frames himself as a murder suspect in hopes of catching Hunter in the act, the two fierce rivals become caught up in a treacherous game of cat and mouse. But Assistant DA Ella Crystal (Amber Tamblyn) has no idea about her boyfriend C.J.'s latest assignment, and as the evidence against both men begins to pile up she starts to suspect that she's in mortal danger -- and she's right. Now, as Ella discovers irrefutable proof of both C.J.'s innocence and her boss' shady dealings, the fate of two men rests in the hands of one woman whose life could be taken at any second. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Her faith shaken by a family tragedy from which she was never quite able to fully recover, a professor of theology from Louisiana State University moonlighting as a debunker of unexplained religious phenomena finds herself faced with an apocalyptic series of events that seem to reflect the ten plagues of Exodus in director Stephen Hopkins' Southern gothic chiller. The terrified citizens of Haven, LA, have been beset by swarms of locusts and watched as rivers turned to blood. As if that wasn't enough to put the fear of God into any Bible-reading Christian, ominous rumors of a local swamp cult have left many of the small-town citizens turning to prayer for fear that the end is finally nigh. Enter Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank), a skeptical myth-buster and renowned theology scholar with a special knack for spotting religious trickery. Though at first exceedingly confident that she will uncover a human component behind the otherworldly occurrences, Katherine quickly learns that just because one doesn't believe in the supernatural doesn't necessarily mean that it doesn't exist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Adrenaline loving director Tony Scott teams with iconic action producer Jerry Bruckheimer for this high flung sci-fi action thriller concerning a New Orleans based maverick ATF agent named Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) who is brought in on a top secret government program to catch the terrorist (Jim Caviezel) responsible for a ferry bombing that kills hundreds. Able to do what most law enforcement officers only dream of, Carlin is now able to look back in time at the perpetrator's movements, and at the life of the innocent woman whose death would set the events into motion. Carlin's instincts tell him that something is amiss, however, and while the government agent who tapped him for the job (Val Kilmer) and the team of ultra-cool scientists who run the project (Adam Goldberg, Erika Alexander) tell him one story about the quantum physics behind this marvel of technology, the hotshot agent suspects that there is a greater power at their fingertips--one that might not just solve the crime at hand, but prevent it. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The daughter of a philandering father (whose own father likewise "played the field"), successful New Orleans therapist Danielle Montet (Kim Delaney) is nonetheless secure in her happy marriage to her husband Jim (Kyle Secor). In fact, she is so content in her matrimonial state that she can't help but feel pity for the troubled husbands and wives who come in to her office for help and advice. But circumstances are radically altered when, after meeting a handsome younger man named Miguel (Cristian De La Fuente), she enters into a torrid affair with the man. Now Danielle finds herself in the same predicament as her cheating father: No matter what decision she makes vis-à-vis her love life, someone is going to be irreparably hurt--and she has absolutely no control over her own libido. Made for cable, Infidelity originally aired April 19, 2004 on the Lifetime channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Gary Cole stars in this delightfully improbable TV movie as Jerry Harden, a conservative husband, father, and bank loan officer. Harden's well-ordered existence is turned upside down when a scruffy-looking guitarist named Izzy (David Jensen) shows up at the bank, hoping to get a loan in order to re-organize the legendary KISS-like heavy metal band Rock Toxin. When Jerry sees Izzy, his heart sinks: It looks as though his "cover" will be blown, and that the whole world (including his children) will discover that, 20 years earlier, Jerry had been "Dagger", Rock Toxin's lead singer! At first turning down Izzy's loan request, Jerry is forced to reconsider when he finds that he hasn't enough money to send his 17-year-old daughter to college. Thus, Jerry not only bankrolls the revived Rock Toxin, but he also embarks upon a hectic double life: Nerdish pillar of society by day, heavily-made-up rock singer by night. Further complicating matters is the fact that Jerry's wife Allison (Sherilyn Fenn), is the campaign manager for Helen Hunter (Shannon Eubanks), the politician wife of Jerry's boss Carl (Joe Inscoe)--and the cornerstone of Helen's campaign is her crusade against heavy-metal music! Pop Rocks debuted over the ABC Family Channel on September 10, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Three people attempt to bend justice for their own purposes in this drama based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham. After a man dies in a shooting incident, his wife files a lawsuit against the company that manufactured the gun, with her lawyer, Wendell Rohr (Dustin Hoffman), arguing that the firm in question knew the shop which sold the weapon was not following federal regulations pertaining to the sale of firearms. As the case goes to trial, the firearm manufacturer is taking no chances on the outcome of a potentially devastating case, and they hire as part of their legal team Rankin Fitch (Gene Hackman), a "jury consultant" who makes it his business to see that he knows enough about the jurors to be able to guarantee the result of the trial. Fitch and his team have learned incriminating secrets about nearly everyone hearing the evidence, but Fitch discovers two factors he wasn't counting upon -- Nick Easter (John Cusack), the jury member who appears to have an agenda all his own, and Marlee (Rachel Weisz), a mysterious woman who has her own plans regarding bending the jury to her will. Bruce Davison, Jeremy Piven, and Bruce McGill round out the supporting cast. Incidentally, in John Grisham's original book, the case was filed against a cigarette manufacturer, but the producers opted to adjust the story after several real-life trials against tobacco companies. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

"It makes Fatal Attraction seem like a walk in the park." Thus did ABC herald the three-hour TV movie Virtual Obsession when it first aired on February 26, 1998. Set in Salt Lake City sometime in the future, the story, based on a novel by Peter James, concerns a scientist named Joe Messenger (Peter Gallagher), who has created a super-computer in charge of all the city's power. In the course of his research, Joe has also developed a "post-biological" man in the form of Albert (Tom Nibley), the holographic A.I. manifestation of his computer. Enter Juliet Spring (Bridgette Wilson), a beautiful computer tech who becomes Joe's assistant. Incurably ill, Juliet hopes to keep herself alive by downloading her brain and personality into Joe's computer system. To expedite this, Juliet seductively steals Joe away from his long-suffering wife, Karen (Mimi Rogers). Ultimately, Joe breaks off with Juliet and returns to Karen, thereby incurring the terrible wrath of the now-computerized Juliet -- who is not only deadly, but virtually unstoppable. Almost as confusing to watch as it is to describe, Virtual Obsession has been rerun on cable TV under the title Host. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After years of making movies in the fringes of the Hollywood system after his debut success sex, lies, and videotape, director Steven Soderbergh made Schizopolis as, in his own words, an artistic "wake-up call to himself." The result is a discombobulated, irreverent, comedic meta-movie, a cinematic hall of mirrors nearly impossible to describe. Soderbergh wrote, directed, photographed, edited, and even stars in the film as Fletcher Munson, a disillusioned paper-pusher assigned to write a deliberately meaningless speech for T. Azimuth Schwitters, an L. Ron Hubbard-esque self-help guru whose new book Eventualism is a bestseller. His heart isn't in it, however, so he spends most of his time either masturbating in the employee bathroom, avoiding calls from people who want to hire him as a company spy, or listening to the paranoid delusions of his office chum, Nameless Numberhead Man. Intertwined with Munson's attempt to write glib diatribes are numerous asides and subplots. Best of all is the story of Elmo Oxygen: an orange-jumpsuit wearing bug exterminator who appears to be sleeping with several of his customers, including T. Azimuth Schwitters' wife. At one point, Elmo is coerced into leaving Schizopolis, mid-scene, to join another movie. Convoluted and playful as the movie is, there is some method to Soderbergh's madness. The various plot threads, though loosely wound to the core, do in fact lead to some understanding of the disorders, communication problems, and frustrations at the heart of contemporary life. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide

John Ritter brilliantly breaks loose from his lovable "Jack Tripper" characterization in the role of the seriously disturbed Paul Hegstrom. An abusive husband and father, not to mention a serial philanderer, Paul draws his "courage" from a whisky bottle. On one fateful evening, his violent impulses completely overwhelm him and he nearly beats his wife Judy (Harley Jane Kozak) to death. Just when it seems that Paul is utterly beyond redemption, he is put into an experimental "life skills" therapy program. Despite all evidence to the contrary, what is "unforgivable" at the beginning of the film can actually be forgiven by film's end, and the climax is astonishingly inspirational--and wholly credible, since it is based on a true story. Unforgivable made its first CBS network appearance on April 30, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Fine special effects, eclectic casting, and the freeze-frame-worthy, clothing-free debut of a blonde bombshell made this cheesy science fiction/horror hybrid a cut above its B-grade roots. At a top-secret Utah facility headed up by Dr. Xavier Fitch (Ben Kingsley), scientists have created "Sil" (Natasha Henstridge), a half-human, half-alien product of experiments with DNA codes obtained from beyond the stars. Unfortunately, Sil has escaped. Her primary objective is to mate, and, with the ability to transform herself into an incredibly powerful alien creature, puny humans can't stop her. So Dr. Fitch calls in a quartet of specialists (Forest Whitaker, Michael Madsen, Marg Helgenberger, and Alfred Molina), to attempt Sil's capture. At the same time, Sil is leaving a trail of mostly male corpses in her hormonal wake. The organic-flavored alien designs for Species were provided by H.R. Giger, the artist responsible for the memorable creatures and spaceships of Alien (1979). When MGM decided to cut the spectacular "train birth" sequence in the interest of budget-trimming, Giger personally financed this $100,000 showcase of his work. Those who look closely will notice that "Young Sil" is played by future Dawson's Creek star Michelle Williams. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Oscar-winner Kathy Bates stars in this tearjerker about a strong-willed widow determined to make it on her own. Bates is Frances Lacey, mother of six, left alone to provide for the family after her husband dies. Hoping to steer the kids away from the hazards on the streets of Los Angeles, she packs the brood up in the family car and heads out to find a new place to plant some roots. When Frances spots the unfinished frame of a house owned by a lonely Japanese man (Soon Tek-Oh), she cuts a deal with him to get the house in exchange for chores done by the family. Despite the trappings of poverty and the miseries that accompany financial uncertainty, Frances refuses to allow herself or her children to wallow in self-pity and instead forges ahead teaching them valuable life lessons. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

In this psychological drama, a mentally ill TV addict who wants to be as happy as the stars he sees on TV attempts to kill himself after his favorite show is canceled. He is saved by the enigmatic Sam Bones who offers to make him a TV star. But he will only do so if the despondent man is willing to pay the price. The disturbed viewer agrees, but things do not come out like he had planned. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-cable thriller, Virginia Madsen portrays a photographer who discovers that her husband has hired a hit man to rub her out. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide