Julia Arkos Movies
Dario Argento's contribution to the first season of Showtime's Masters of Horror, Jenifer is based on a story by Bruce Jones which appeared in Creepy Magazine and illustrated by the legendary Berni Wrightson. Steven Weber, who wrote the script, also stars in the episode as Frank, a depressive cop who has a life-changing encounter one fateful afternoon. He comes upon a man (Kevin Crofton) brandishing a meat cleaver, who looks like he is about to murder a young woman. When Frank draws his gun and orders the man to stop, the man refuses. "You don't know what she is," he tells Frank, pleadingly. "You have no idea." Frank is forced to shoot the man to save the young woman (Carrie Fleming), who turns out to be hideously deformed from the neck up. She also can't speak, but appears very grateful to Frank. Frank goes home to his wife, Ruby (Brenda James), and his son, Pete (Harris Allan), but he can't get the deformed woman off his mind. The next morning, he finds out that the dead man's family won't claim him, and that he had a note that read "Jenifer" in his pocket. He finds out the woman was brought to the mental hospital at Watkins Island. He goes to visit her, and when she sees him, she races out of the shower to tearfully embrace him. Unable to leave her in such a place, he brings her home. Ruby is horrified, and Pete is inappropriately amused. "She's awesome," he exults. "She's got a great rack...for a Morlock." Threatened, Jenifer bites Ruby and runs out of the house. Still, Frank cannot get past his obsession with her, and things only get worse when she eats the family cat. But Frank strangely finds himself willing to sacrifice everything to protect the strange girl. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Weber, Carrie Anne Fleming, (more)
Originally titled American Meltdown, this speculative made-for-cable melodrama begins as a group of six terrorists, bearing names like Khalid, Shafig, and Ziad, take over a nuclear power plant in San Juan. It turns out that the terrorists' actions are merely symbolic, and that no real harm is intended -- but things get tragically out of control, and soon the military and the government are in full spin mode to gloss over and wash their hands of a deadly nuclear meltdown that threatens to destroy everything within driving distance of the plant. In a virtual reprise of his characterization in the TV series 24, Arnold Vosloo portrays the head of the terrorists, who are more "home grown" than anyone is willing to admit. The film is shot in a punchy, fast-cut, hand-held "breaking news" style, alternating dizzily between color and black-and-white to give it a documentary feel. Meltdown was presented by the FX cable channel on June 6, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Leslie Hope, (more)
- 2001
The Red Series members are back, still intent on capturing Max (Jessica Alba) and stealing her DNA, thereby rendering themselves invulnerable. To force Max out in the open, the Reds kidnap her friend Original Cindy (Valarie Rae Miller). Meanwhile, the wheelchair-bound Logan (Michael Weatherly) experiences some interesting side effects after receiving a transfusion of Manticore blood. Jennifer Blanc makes her last series appearance in the role of Kendra. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
