Felicia Day
A drunken gunfighter, a female outlaw, and three deeply disturbed women discover just what it takes to survive in the wild west when they're targeted by a relentless killer and a jealous husband in this western adventure starring Kevin Sorbo, Lance Henriksen, and Dominique Swain. Preston Biggs (Sorbo) used to be the law in Clearwater, but then his spirit died along with his wife. These days Preston is just another gun-toting drunk, but the new sheriff of Clearwater is about to offer him a deal: escort three women suffering from "prairie fever" back to civilization, and Preston can forget about the debt he incurred by busting up the local saloon. Lettie tried to kill her husband, Abigale proved far too fragile for prairie life, and Bible-quoting Blue just snapped one violent night out on the farm. These women simply can't function in such harsh living conditions, and as Preston leads the group across the prairie plains he happens across a desperate young woman named Olivia (Jamie Anne Allman). Olivia is desperate; she's just escaped from her vengeful partner Monte (Henriksen) and if she doesn't move fast he'll have her head. As chance would have it, Preston could use a girl like Olivia on this trip. But Monte isn't the only one searching for this coveted covered wagon, because Blue's ruthless husband is scouring the plains in search of his missing wife. When the bullets start to fly, this strange band of misfits must rely on each other to make it home alive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo
A hapless groundskeeper aspiring to become a professional copywriter discovers that the key to overcoming her bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome is maintaining a blog in which she purges all of her innermost anxieties in this romantic workplace comedy from director Michael Feifer (Ed Gein: The Butcher of Plainfield and Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck). Samantha Billows knows she has what it takes to be a great copywriter, yet she always seems to say exactly the wrong thing at the worst possible moment. It's a problem that not even her therapist can solve, and one that might just cost Samantha her dream job at The Hunt Advertising Agency. Introduced to the wonderful world of blogging by a close friend, however, Samantha begins writing a blog entitled "Dear Me" that allows her to express her innermost fears so she can be confident under pressure. As a result, Samantha lands a Junior Copywriter position at the Hunt Agency on a temporary basis. Just when it seems that her career has gotten off the ground and things are going great, however, Samantha falls head over heels in love with Desmond, the head of Public Relations for their French client. Later, when a scheming co-worker discovers Samantha's blog, "Dear Me" becomes an office sensation. Now, as everyone attempts to get Samantha's attention in hopes of being featured on her blog, she quickly discovers that "Dear Me" has become popular for all the wrong reasons, and that it could destroy her job and her relationship with Desmond if she doesn't act fast. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sarah Thompson, David O'Donnell, (more)
The religious drama God's Waiting List concerns a brother and sister who have become business rivals. When a suspicious, horrific accident causes a serious injury to the sister, she begins to work on her relationship with the Almighty. However she can't shake the suspicion that her brother might be responsible for her condition. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicki Micheaux, Roger Guenveur Smith, (more)
- 2005
Accompanied by Natalie (Traylor Howard), Monk (Tony Shalhoub) goes on his annual pilgrimage to wine country, there to check in at the same bed and breakfast where he and his late wife Trudy spent their honeymoon. But this sentimental journey is interrupted by an obnoxious guest named Larry Zwibell (Daniel Roebuck), and by Monk's uncharacteristic display of drunkenness. Upon sobering up, Monk is amazed to learn that no one else has seen the intrusive Mr. Zwibell; indeed, it is highly likely that the man never existed! As it turns out, this little mystery is interwoven with a murder in which the victim was a mob accountant (Larry Clarke)--and inevitably, Monk must put his vacation on hold to solve both cases (but not before getting drunk a second time!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the tradition of Dore Schary's Sunrise at Campobello, the made-for-cable biopic Warm Springs focuses on one of the least publicized aspects in the life of America's most-publicized (and longest-serving) president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, here played brilliantly by British actor Kenneth Branagh. Like Sunrise, Warm Springs uses as its starting point the year 1921, when the 39-year-old Roosevelt was permanently paralyzed from the waist down by an attack of polio. But whereas the earlier film concentrated on FDR's battle to return to public life despite his handicap, this film zeroes in on Roosevelt's efforts to cure himself of his affliction. Having heard of the therapeutic value of the waters of Warm Springs in rural Georgia, Roosevelt makes a pilgrimage to the area, which is little more than a swamp surrounded by dilapidated shacks. Though he never experiences the "miracle" cure that he so desperately seeks, Roosevelt is instrumental in the conversion of Warm Springs from a backwater hellhole to a streamlined, efficiently managed polio-treatment center, a virtual mecca for hundreds of thousands of others who had been crippled by the debilitating illness. And in the process, he also brings hope, optimism, and racial enlightenment to the poverty-stricken, multiethnic citizens of Warm Springs. Even more significantly, FDR removes the stigma of polio from the public consciousness, forever abolishing the misguided notions that the disease adversely affected the brain, that it could be spread merely by physical contact, or that it represented celestial "punishment" of the victim (it is noted, however, that Roosevelt was always careful never to reveal the true extent of his immobility nor his atrophied legs in public, feeling that it might diminish the nation's image of an "invulnerable" Commander in Chief). Also in the cast are Cynthia Nixon as Roosevelt's devoted wife, Eleanor; Jane Alexander (who'd previously played Eleanor Roosevelt in two TV miniseries) as his over-protective mother Sara; David Paymer as his crusty chief aide Louis Howe; Kathy Bates as his no-nonsense physical therapist Helena Mahoney; and Tim Blake Nelson as Tom Loyless, the man in charge of Warm Springs. Originally telecast by HBO on April 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kenneth Branagh, Cynthia Nixon, (more)
- 2005
This Hallmark Channel TV movie is one of several starring Kellie Martin as Samantha "Sam" Kinsey, the owner of a British-style American bookshop which specializes in mystery novels. As is her habit, Sam ends up playing amateur detective herself, this time at a fancy health spa called Drummonds. One of the spa's customers, a woman named Debbie (Allison Smith) is found murdered, and suspicion immediately falls upon Alice (Bess Meyer), whose husband George (Scott Grimes) and Debbie were having an affair. Complicating matters is the presence of a psychic named Emily (Felicia Day) who with unbecoming eagerness offers to direct the police to the location where Debbie's body has been hidden. As a result, Emily herself is accused of the murder--and at this point Sam and her friends Cassie (Nina Siemaszko) and Philby (Clarence Williams III)--the latter a former CIA agent!--try their hand at ferreting out the real killer. Mystery Woman: Vision of Murder debuted June 5, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
- PG13
- AddJuneto QueueAddJuneto top of Queue
A lonely young coffee shop barista and aspiring musician meets the man of her dreams, only to discover that he's engaged to the woman of her nightmares in director Chris Hutson's quirky romantic comedy. June is a violinist whose long hours spent practicing belies a deep-rooted desire to find the perfect mate. When June discovers that just such a man exists, and in her very same apartment building, no less, the prospect of discovering true love on her doorstep just seems too good to be true. Unfortunately for June it is too good to be true, and after falling for a man who seems determined to marry the wrong girl, June determines not to let love get the best of her. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Felicia Day, Chris Henry Coffey, (more)
- 2003
Following their joint adventures in Los Angeles (see Angel, "Orpheus"), sorceress Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and slayer Faith (Eliza Dushku) find their drive home to Sunnydale interrupted by the machinations of Caleb (Nathan Fillion), a murderous preacher who's turned away from God and toward The First. After espousing a rather misogynistic world view to a newly arrived potential slayer (Mary Wilcher), Caleb leaves her half-dead by the side of the road as a message for Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar). As Willow watches over the girl at the hospital, Faith finally reconnects with Buffy. Although she hasn't forgiven Faith for a multitude of past sins (see, for example, "Who Are You?"), Buffy's glad to have another slayer in town. She's less happy, however, to find Faith hitting it off with Spike (James Marsters). After mistaking the guy for a typical vamp and almost dusting him, Faith swaps smokes and stories with the soulful blood-sucker. Nobody else, though, seems very convinced that she's reformed. Soon, Caleb's victim awakens and reveals that her attacker is in control of The First's Bringers, Buffy decides it's time for the potentials to experience some real combat. Over the strenuous objections of Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), she and Faith lead a team into what turns out to be a total massacre at the hands of Caleb and his Bringers. Molly (Clara Bryant) and some other potentials bite the big one, while Rona (Indigo) suffers a broken arm. Xander (Nicholas Brendon), however, receives the most gruesome injury: Caleb puts out one of his eyes. What remains of Buffy's army flees in retreat, leaving the humbled slayer to ponder her next move. Originally broadcast April 15, 2003, on UPN, "Dirty Girls" marked episode 140 of the cult-favorite series. Three years after her last Buffy appearance and just weeks after a three-episode stint on sister series Angel, Eliza Dushku reprises her role as Faith. New villain Caleb is portrayed by Nathan Fillion, who previously starred in Firefly, the short-lived space Western from Buffy creator Joss Whedon. During a series of provocative conversations with The First, the character reveals that he's the one who blew up the headquarters of the Watchers' Council (see "Never Leave Me"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
As Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) and Spike (James Marsters) train the potential slayers and educate them about the life-or-death battle into which they've been thrust, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) learns that another slayerette lurks right there atop Sunnydale's Hellmouth. A locator spell soon reveals the surprising truth: Like her older sister, Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) is a member of the slayer line. Confused by her sudden change in status, Dawn slips outside and bumps into her friend Amanda (Sarah Hagan), who reveals, at the risk of sounding crazy, that she's just been attacked at school by a vampire. Dawn tells her not to worry, that vampires are real, and the girls head to the school so Dawn can test her newfound powers. Unfortunately, the tricky bloodsucker outsmarts them; soon, Dawn is fighting for her life -- and not all that successfully. The First's Bringers interrupt the melee and attempt to kidnap Amanda, revealing to Dawn that it's actually her friend who's the potential. Dawn exhorts Amanda to take out the vamp, which the girl accomplishes as if she were born to do it. Meanwhile, Buffy and Spike show up, fresh from a brutal training exercise with the potentials, and dispatch the agents of The First. Back at the house, Dawn resumes her role as researcher and non-combatant. But Xander (Nicholas Brendon) -- no stranger to being the least powerful member of the team -- consoles her with tender words about the important role they both play. Originally broadcast January 21, 2003, on UPN, "Potential" marked episode 134 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) interrupts her tender reunion with Angel (David Boreanaz) long enough to dispatch Caleb (Nathan Fillion) quite violently once and for all. Afterward, Angel says he can smell Spike (James Marsters) on Buffy. The Slayer admits that Spike now has a soul and is "in her heart," but she professes no desire for a relationship with either of her undead suitors. Instead, she wants to discover the person she's destined to become -- if, that is, she makes it through the impending conflict. To that end, Angel hands over a magical champion's amulet to be used against The First, then heads back to L.A. to form a second line of defense. Back at home, Spike is apoplectic with jealousy about Angel's return, but he accepts the amulet and shares another chaste, tender night with Buffy. A visit from The First, however, interrupts the Slayer's sleep -- and gives her a brilliant idea about how to defeat her nemesis. The Scoobies, the slayers-in-waiting, Faith (Eliza Dushku) and Buffy head to Sunnydale High to open the Seal of Danzalthar and wage war on The First's Turok-Han army. As Buffy and the slayerettes stream through the Seal, Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Kennedy (Iyari Limon) complete a powerful spell to release the immense energy inside the Scythe and "call" every potential slayer in the world at the same time. Their potential now realized, the junior slayers join Buffy and Faith in kicking some serious Turok-Han butt. Injured in battle, Buffy once again receives a visit from The First, but the being's triumph is short-lived. Spike's amulet suddenly kicks in, punching a hole through the Hellmouth and turning Spike into a sort of magical magnifying glass for the sunlight that shines through. The Turok-Han army goes up in smoke and the entire town of Sunnydale begins to collapse into the Hellmouth. As the slayer brigade flees, Buffy professes her love for Spike even as his shining body begins to disintegrate. Cackling joyfully, Spike orders Buffy to save herself, and she does -- running across the tops of crumbling buildings and leaping onto the school bus that has become her army's unlikely rescue vehicle. Buffy and her allies are left to stare at the ruins of Sunnydale, mourn their losses -- including Anya (Emma Caulfield), who died protecting Andrew (Tom Lenk) from The First's bringers -- and contemplate their future in a world full of slayers. Originally broadcast May 20, 2003, on UPN, "Chosen" marked the 144th and final episode of the cult-favorite series. Although star Sarah Michelle Gellar officially pulled the plug on the show when she decided against renewing her contract, creator Joss Whedon said in interviews that he preferred to go out on top rather than allowing the series to linger past its creative peak. Fans were left with one final mystery: How would James Marsters join the cast of spin-off series Angel when his character, Spike, had died saving the world? ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
As a broken-down Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) searches for someplace to sleep, Faith (Eliza Dushku) struggles to find her voice as leader of the potentials. Eventually, she assumes the mantle of command and settles on a scheme to kidnap one of The First's weakest breed of minions: the blind, mute acolytes known as Bringers. Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) locates a spell to communicate with the captive enemy, who reveals the location of this brethren. Meanwhile, Spike (James Marsters), having learned of Buffy's ouster, locates the distraught Slayer and soothes her wounded psyche. Buffy confesses doubts in her ability to lead, but Spike professes his admiration for her power -- and his undying love. With Sunnydale nearly deserted and the electricity no longer running, the two hole up and share a chaste but tender night together. Back at the house, Kennedy (Iyari Limon) convinces a skittish Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to share an altogether racier evening with her. Faith, too, finds sexual solace -- in the arms of Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside); even exes Xander (Nicholas Brendon) and Anya (Emma Caulfield) get in on the act. The next morning, Faith leads a team to the catacombs where the Bringers have sequestered themselves, unaware that a time bomb ticks away at their destination. Meanwhile, Buffy completes the mission the others wouldn't support, but she does so with agility and grace rather than brute strength. Instead of engaging in a slug-fest with Caleb (Nathan Fillion) at his winery, she dances out of his reach and discovers the secret entrance to a chamber where a powerful weapon lies hidden. Originally broadcast May 6, 2003, on UPN, "Touched" marked episode 142 of the cult-favorite series. Fans of the various Buffy comic-book series will recognize the mysterious weapon the Slayer unearths: it is a Scythe, first introduced in a comic called Fray about the adventures of a future vampire slayer. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
As Xander (Nicholas Brendon) recovers at the hospital from having his eye gouged out by evil preacher Caleb (Nathan Fillion), Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) licks her own wounds and deals with the emotional fallout of having dragged her friends and the potentials into an ambush. Meanwhile, the citizens of Sunnydale -- including friendly demon Clem (James C. Leary) -- stage a mass exodus from their apocalypse-plagued town. Stopping by the deserted high school to pick up her things, Buffy again encounters The First's bible-thumping minion. Once more Caleb proves stronger than the Slayer, but Buffy learns some valuable information in the process of getting her butt kicked. Meanwhile, Spike (James Marsters) and Andrew (Tom Lenk) gather additional intelligence when Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) sends them to the site of one of Caleb's earlier atrocities. Back in Sunnydale, the restless potentials get a break from their training when Faith (Eliza Dushku) takes them to the Bronze to blow off some steam. Things turn ugly, however, when sinister cops arrive to arrest -- or kill -- the fugitive slayer. When she learns of the incident, Buffy blows her top, but a surprisingly mature Faith keeps her cool. Later, at a huge strategy session at the house, Buffy tries to convince the others that it's imperative to stage another siege on Caleb's winery hideout. She gets shot down -- not just by the beleaguered potentials, but by Xander, Anya (Emma Caulfield), Willow (Alyson Hannigan), Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside) and even Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg); Spike, Buffy's staunchest ally, is still on reconnaissance. Despite her protests that there's no democracy during wartime, General Buffy finds herself deposed by a popular uprising. As for Faith, she's thrust into the unlikely role of replacement leader while her tearful fellow slayer strikes out on her own. Originally broadcast April 29, 2003, on UPN, "Empty Places" marked episode 141 of the cult-favorite series. The band playing during this episode's Bronze sequence is none other than Nerf Herder, the group that penned Buffy's memorable theme song. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Now that he's "outed" himself as the son of a slayer, Principal Wood (D.B. Woodside) visits the potential-slayer compound at the Summers home. Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) proudly demonstrates the girls' rigorous training program, but her lessons seem too rough for at least one of the potentials. Spurred on by the sinister whisperings of The First, a terrified and depressed Chloe (Lalaine) hangs herself. Her death shatters the other slayerettes' naive illusion that this is all some sort of superhero summer camp. Buffy defiantly warns them that Chloe was stupid and they will be, too, if they give in as easily as the dead girl did. More desperate than ever for answers about her powers, Buffy turns to a gift from Wood: a bag of slayer artifacts passed on from his mother to her Watcher to Wood. Discovering a mysterious box among the items, Buffy opens it and soon finds herself transported to a spirit realm much like the one she visited during her encounters with the specter of the First Slayer (see "Restless" and "Intervention"). This time, however, she communes with the spirits of the three mystics who created the First Slayer back in prehistory. Buffy learns that this was accomplished by chaining a young girl down and filling her with demonic power. The trio offer Buffy the chance for more of this dark magic, but she refuses, unwilling to accept its demonic nature -- and her own. Meanwhile, back on earth, the Scoobies are stuck fighting a demon who switched places with Buffy when she did her disappearing act. Spike (James Marsters) vanquishes the beast, drawing Buffy back to earth, but not before she witnesses a terrifying vision of an entire army of über-vamps like the one she recently almost died defeating (see "Showtime"). Originally broadcast Feb. 18, 2003, on UPN, "Get It Done" marked episode 137 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Conducting some supernatural detective work, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and Anya (Emma Caulfield) learn that Buffy's resurrection (see "Bargaining, Part 1") caused a vulnerability in the slayer line, which is presumably the impetus for The First's campaign to kill all the potential slayers in the world. As the surviving potentials continue to stream into town, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) does everything she can to get them to safety before The First's Bringers can take them out. Rona (Indigo), one such potential, gets a dramatic rescue at the Sunnydale bus depot and joins the assembled slayerettes at the house. Eve (Amanda Fuller), another potential, fills the other girls' heads with horror stories about what's in store for them at the hands of The First. Meanwhile, Buffy finds Eve's body in a motel outside town -- evidence that The First has infiltrated the ranks in the guise of yet another dead person. Once it's found out, the fiend taunts the assembled potentials, then winks out in a flash of light. Soon, the Turok-Han (Camden Toy) and a bunch of Bringers attack the house. Fresh out of ideas, Buffy asks Willow (Alyson Hannigan) to cast a protection spell, then assumes the role of decoy so Xander (Nicholas Brendon) can bring everyone to his construction site to hide. The übervamp cottons onto Buffy's con and turns up at the site ready to wreak havoc. But the Slayer achieves a stunning defeat and finally fells the creature that's been terrorizing her army. As it turns out, her earlier helplessness was a ruse cooked up telepathically by Buffy, Xander and Willow to set the stage for the Turok-Han's destruction. A triumphant Buffy gives the potentials a motivational speech and then rescues poor Spike (James Marsters) from the underground lair where The First has been torturing him. Originally broadcast January 7, 2003, on UPN, "Showtime" marked episode 133 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) again faces off with Caleb (Nathan Fillion), this time armed with a powerful new weapon: the Scythe, which she slides effortlessly from its rocky resting place, Excalibur-style. But before Buffy can deploy her new toy, Caleb reveals that Faith (Eliza Dushku) and the potentials have fallen victim to his latest experiment in demolitions. Buffy rushes off the find Faith grievously injured, several slayerettes dead, and three über-vamps on the loose. Using the Scythe to make quick work of the once seemingly unstoppable fiends, the Slayer rejoins her estranged allies and leads them home. As Faith recovers from her injuries, she and Buffy chew over their tangled past. Elsewhere, Xander (Nicholas Brendon) tries unsuccessfully to spirit Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) away to safety, while Anya (Emma Caulfield) and Andrew (Tom Lenk) ponder the foolish grandeur of their mutual decision to stay and fight. Meanwhile, a weary Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and a magic-shy Willow (Alyson Hannigan) try to ferret out the origins of Buffy's mysterious new weapon. Their research leads the Slayer -- after a tender interlude with Spike (James Marsters) -- to a mysterious crypt where she meets the last of the Guardians, an ancient order of women sworn to protect the Slayer line not only from the forces of evil, but also from the Shadow Men who created the First Slayer and eventually became the Watchers' Council. The Guardian reveals that the Scythe was forged to destroy the last pure demon who walked the earth, then hidden away for the day when a slayer would need it. Caleb, fresh from an infusion of The First's power, arrives to smite the Guardian and do battle with Buffy. But the Slayer has an unexpected ally: Angel (David Boreanaz), fresh from his assumption of power at Wolfram & Hart (see Angel, "Home"). ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
