Gillian Hawser Movies
- 2008
A sophisticated London professional discovers that you can't pick your family when the uncouth sister she never knew interrupts her life in an attempt to locate their long-lost father, whom the former had always assumed to be dead. Catherine St. John-Burke (Isabelle Defaut) lives alone in London's Chelsea district. She's obsessed with status, but her recent affair with a married man reveals that she's still not entirely comfortable with her own lot in life. Then there's Shirley Zachary (Emily Corcoran), an uneducated Kiwi woman who never gives a second thought to issues of status and style. When Catherine returns home one day to find Shirley drinking beer in her living room, her first instinct is to scream for help. According to Shirley, the two polar opposites are half-sisters, and their father is still very much alive. Not only that, but in the wake of their mothers' recent deaths, he's currently attempting to make claims on both of their properties. Unconvinced, Catherine takes Shirley to get a DNA test and discovers that her half-sister is telling the truth. But how can Catherine and Shirley ever hope to find their father Jack (Nicholas Bell) when the elusive scammer is hiding out from the mob? Setting out on the trail of a mysterious figure named "Sir Crawford," the girls begin to suspect that they're on the right track and do everything in their power to get rightful ownership of their inheritance. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isabelle Defaut, Emily Corcoran, (more)
- 2007
Indie stalwart Abel Ferrara helms this quirky comedy about the goings-on at a downtown cabaret. Willem Defoe stars as Ray Ruby, the proprietor of a joint where all of the dancing girls have big dreams of working their way up to bigger and better things. But trouble begins to brew when money suddenly comes between Ray and his two associates, played by Bob Hoskins and Matthew Modine. Asia Argento and Drea de Matteo also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, (more)
An ex-intelligence officer tricked by rogue CIA operatives into smuggling a deadly virus out of the U.S. unleashes a firestorm of fury on the agents who kidnap his daughter once the mission has been fulfilled in an action-packed tale of international intrigue starring martial arts icon Steven Seagal. Jack Foster (Seagal) is an ex-CIA operative traveling to Europe with his young daughter for what they thought would be a relaxing getaway. When his daughter is kidnapped upon arrival in Europe and Jack realizes that he has become little more than a small pawn in a much larger game, he vows to bring his young girl back home safe and rain vengeance upon those who thought they could use Jack to fulfill their nefarious plot to hijack the planet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Seagal
Devastated by the recent loss of her husband and convinced that her newborn child is the product of a disturbing supernatural encounter, a suicidal American woman living on a remote ranch in South Africa turns to the local shamanistic traditions in a desperate bid to exorcise the evil that surrounds her. Stacy (Laura Herring) and Mark (John Hannah) were starting a new life in South Africa when Mark was suddenly killed in a violent car accident. Later, lost in her grief and intent on taking her own life, Stacy is cast into the throws of ecstasy during a nocturnal visit from her husband's disembodied spirit. Shortly thereafter, Stacy gives birth to a baby boy who she becomes convinced is Mark's child. It's not long before the single mother begins to suspect that the spirit of her late husband has taken possession of her young child's soul in an otherworldly attempt to kill her from beyond the grave. As the young boy's behavior grows increasingly disturbing, his widowed mother realizes that the Shamanistic traditions of Africa may provide the only means of saving their endangered souls. Pete Postlethwaite and Coraline Cataldi-Tassoni co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An aspiring West End actress intent on maintaining her famous mother's legacy finds her dreams suddenly clouded by the warplanes that buzz overhead in this bittersweet war drama from director Julia Taylor-Stanley. Diana (Zoe Tapper) is a London actress who knows deep within that she has what it takes to become a true star of the West End stage. Faced with constant rejection but eternally optimistic that her day will soon come, Diana enters into a passionate love triangle with talented playwright Robin (David Leon) and powerful director Christopher (Andrew Lincoln). Later, when Diane is finally cast in a headlining role, the drums of war begin beating as Hitler's army prepares for their devastating London Blitz. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An undercover CIA agent attempting to thwart the sale of a nuclear weapon is forced to do battle with a dangerous horde of murderous arms dealers in this explosive action entry directed by Hong Kong veteran Po-Chih Leong and starring American action icon Wesley Snipes. Sonni Griffith (Snipes) is en route to Poland to expose a notorious arms dealer when the dealer is tipped off to the agent's identity and Griffith subsequently ends up in a prison cell. Soon released by the CIA with a mission to escort beautiful Russian Nadia (Silvia Colloca) back to the United States, Griffith quickly learns that the very same arms dealer he sought to wipe out is willing to kill for a valuable secret known only to his strong-willed charge. It seems that Nadia is the only one who knows the location of the hidden 30 million dollars that would allow Griffith's nemesis to purchase a nuclear bomb. Now with nothing to lose and everything to fight for, Griffith and Nadia must take on the world's most deadly arms dealer in order to save millions of lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wesley Snipes
A disgraced bodyguard is torn between duty and vengeance when he's forced to protect the very same assassin who previously murdered his client. John Ridley (Til Schweiger) has been sworn to protect, and when he fails at his job, he simply walks away. Haunted, he spends years attempting to erase the image of a client being killed right before his eyes. But when Ridley is offered a job that could set him up for life, he has no choice but to accept. Little did Ridley realize that the man he would be protecting is Lee Maxwell (Chazz Palminteri). It was Maxwell who dispatched with Ridley's client as the helpless bodyguard watched in horror, and with three days to go before the cold-blooded hit-man testifies before the grand jury, the man hired to guard his life begins plotting his revenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Til Schweiger, Chazz Palminteri, (more)
Five prisoners of war escape captivity in a Confederate prison camp only to land in an uncharted Pacific island where time stands still and dastardly pirates don't take kindly to strangers in director Russell Mulcahy's screen adaptation of fantasy author Jules Verne's literary classic. They thought they were on their way to freedom when they leapt into a balloon and took to the skies, but upon landing on an island where nothing is as it seems, these escapees are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. From bloodthirsty beasts to murderous pirates and a mad genius named Captain Nemo, treachery lurks behind every corner on this island, and if these five survivors have any hope of staying alive, they'll have to fight to their dying breaths to escape the island and get back to the modern world. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
A luxury liner has capsized in the middle of the ocean, and it's up to the few remaining survivors to navigate through the treacherous, upside-down maze of terror and make their way to safety in the made-for-television remake of the 1972 disaster film. A terrorist has boarded the luxury liner Poseidon during a lavish New Year's Eve celebration, and when the blast of his bomb causes the immense ship to capsize, the struggle to make it out alive turns into a waterlogged nightmare as the ship slowly continues to take in water. But sinking isn't the only thing the survivors have to worry about, because within their midst the diabolical terrorist is waiting for just the right moment to finish the job he started when he planted the bomb. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
In this two-part cable miniseries based on a novel by Frederick Forsyth (hence the proprietary title), a post-Communist Russia is mired in chaos and confusion. Emerging from the crowd to lead his fellow Russians out of the darkness and into the light is the fabulously popular presidential candidate Igor Komarov (Patrick Bergin). What virtually no one suspects is that Komarov is a ruthlessly dedicated "old liner," who intends to return his homeland to a repressive military dictatorship, using brutal former KGB officer Anotoly Grishin (Annika Peterson) as his "hatchet woman." The only person savvy to what Komarov is up to is former CIA operative Jason Monk (Patrick Swayze), who takes it upon himself to save the new Russia from a horrendous fate -- and, incidentally, to settle a personal score with the beautiful but deadly Grishin. Produced for the Hallmark channel, Frederick Forsyth's Icon debuted on May 30, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Ben Cross, (more)
- 2005
- PG
- Add The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding to QueueAdd The Prince & Me 2: The Royal Wedding to top of Queue
The Prince and Me 2: The Royal Wedding continues the story of 2003's fantasy romance The Prince and Me. In the earlier film, Paige (Julia Stiles) - a midwestern college co-ed - falls in love with Edvard (Luke Mably), sans realizing that he is actually the Prince of Denmark. In this sequel, Paige (now played by neophyte Kam Heskin) and Eddie must confront a centuries-old Danish edict declaring that if a Danish prince marries a commoner, he must abdicate his throne. Clemency Burton-Hill and Maryam d'Abo co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luke Mably, Kam Heskin, (more)
In the tradition of The Day After Tomorrow, Deep Impact, and Armageddon, Peter Fonda, Tia Carrere, Luke Perry, and Emma Samms star in Supernova, a three-and-a-half hour miniseries originally created and produced for The Hallmark Channel. In this special effects-laden sci-fi actioner, Fonda plays a Dr. Shepard, a famed astrophysicist who discovers -- all too late -- that the sun's age has been miscalculated, and that it will supernova in a matter of only days -- destroying the Earth and everything else in our solar system. As Dr. Shepard flees to Africa, his prophecy materializes: enormous solar particles careen toward the Earth, destroying its international landmarks. Meanwhile, a group of scientists begin to search for the missing Shepard and a paranoid government agent (played by Lance Henriksen) schemes to help a small group of civilians escape the coming disaster by furnishing underground bunkers to shield and protect them. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
The legend of Jacques D'Artagnan (Michael York) gets a gender-bending update in this swashbuckling adventure from stuntman-turned-director Steve Boyum. Though legendary swordsman Jacques D'Artagnan's best days may be well behind him, he has schooled his daughter Valentine (Susie Amy) well in the way of the sword. Now it's time for Valentine to strike out on her own. With her father's sword and a letter of introduction to Commander Flint (Roy Dotrice), the eager young novice sets out to seek her fortune in Paris. Though a woman has never before been appointed the rank of swordsman, Valentine is determined to prove her worth by taking on a deadly mission to rescue the bride-to-be of King Louis XIV from a band of fearsome kidnappers, teaming with the sons of the legendary musketeers who rode with her father. There's more to the mission than meets the eye, however. After discovering that a mysterious stolen letter which could destroy the reputation of the king rests in the possession of the wicked Lady Bolton (Nastassja Kinski), Valentine is framed for murder and imprisoned by the venomous villain. Now it's more than a rescue mission, and in order to survive, Valentine must trust in the skills of her fellow musketeers to bring back the princess and bring Lady Bolton to justice. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gérard Depardieu, Michael York, (more)
