Harrison Chad Movies
The direct-to-video sequel Tarzan II continues the story started by Disney in the 1999 animated feature Tarzan. This story involves Tarzan deciding to get away from his family out of concern that harm may come to them simply because of all the interest in him. Thanks to a series of adventures with his animal friends, Tarzan learns the true value of family. The film contains new songs by Phil Collins, who was awarded an Oscar for his work on the original 1999 film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Television director Jace Alexander directs the feature-length Showtime childhood drama Carry Me Home. Set on a rural farm in upstate New York after WWII, the film follows young Carrie (Ashley Rose Orr) as she attempts to deal with her father's death. She refuses to get along with her mourning mother Harriet (Penelope Ann Miller) and she rejects the advances of neighborhood boy Zeke (Nicholas Braun). Things get worse when cultured local man Bernard (David Alan Basche) starts showing up with intentions of marrying Harriet. The conclusion finds Carrie growing from a traumatic experience involving the mentally disabled farm hand Charlie (Kevin Anderson). Carry Me Home was shown at the 2003 Nantucket Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Kevin Anderson, (more)
He's hip, he's fly, and he never mixes meat with dairy -- he's the world's first Jewish private eye, and he's out to save the world in this satiric comedy. Mordechai Jefferson Carver (Adam Goldberg) is a super-cool Jewish detective who takes no mess and is always ready to do the right thing for his Torah-reading brothers. But Carver is a lone wolf, and he isn't so sure he's interested in taking an assignment from Chief Bloomenbergansteinthal (Peter Coyote) of the Jewish Justice League -- or at least not until he meets the Chief's gorgeous daughter, Esther (Judy Greer). It seems a mysterious stranger named Damien (Andy Dick) has made it his business to persuade Jewish children to abandon their faith in favor of celebrating Christmas, and it's Carver's job to put an end to Damien's campaign while urging kids to be proud of their Semitic heritage. The Hebrew Hammer also features Nora Dunn as Carver's kvetching mother, and a cameo appearance by Melvin Van Peebles as outlaw blaxploitation icon Sweetback. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, (more)
- 2000
Debuting August 14, 2000, on the Nickelodeon cable service, the half-hour animated series Dora the Explorer was created in answer to an industry demand for more ethnically diverse children's entertainment. Available in both English- and Spanish-language versions, the series featured a seven-year-old Latino girl named Dora, who lived in a village with her pet monkey, Boots, her talking map, and her anthropomorphic backpack. In each episode, Dora and her compadres would embark upon an exciting adventure somewhere in Central or South America. Utilizing the interactive "Play to Learn" format that had previously done service on Blue's Clues, Dora would invite the kids at home to participate in her journeys, encouraging them to properly identify the landmarks charted by the map, then asking them to help her choose her next course of action. These choices were taken from three small pictures that popped up on the TV screen in the manner of a computer window, with the correct choice designated by a tiny arrow. After an appropriate pause, Dora would congratulate the viewer on making the right choice and then proceed on her way. One month after its Nickelodeon bow, Dora the Explorer was added to the CBS Saturday-morning "Nick Jr. on CBS" lineup, and was later seen on the related Noggin digital-cable service. In addition, the series spawned a wealth of video games, toys, dolls, action figures, costumes, and even a live touring stage version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
