William MacDonald Movies
In lieu of continuing the events of Geoffrey Sax's 2005 thriller White Noise (which starred Michael Keaton and Chandra West), the supernatural thriller White Noise 2 (released in Great Britain as White Noise: The Light) begins with a separate set of characters and explores a thematically similar set of events. Abe Dale (Nathan Fillion) is a sweet-natured, contented husband and father whose wife, Rebecca (Kendall Cross) and young son, Danny (Josh Ballard) are butchered by a seemingly crazed gunman. Henry Caine (Craig Fairbrass) bursts into a diner and shoots both of them, then turns the gun on himself. Devastated, Abe makes an unsuccessful suicide bid, then awakens in a hospital, where he finds himself in a near death experience, pulled inexorably toward a bright light. Regaining consciousness, Abe discovers his sudden, newfound ability to spot "auras" around the living that signal death in advance. He uses the precognition to save several lives from potential disaster, as a kind of 'avenging angel,' but soon discovers that these interventions against death wreak exceedingly dire and ugly consequences on Earth. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Fillion, Katee Sackhoff, (more)
The made-for-cable The Colt takes place in Virginia in the fourth year of the Civil War. The mare owned by young Jim Rabb (Ryan Merriman) of the First Michigan Cavalry gives birth to a colt, which battle-weary Sgt. Longacre (Steve Bacic) orders Jim to shoot so as not to slow down the other soldiers in the unit. Jim refuses to do so, risking severe disciplinary action. As it turns out, the Confederates strike before Longacre does, stealing both colt and mare. Again defying orders, Jim heads out alone to rescue his beloved horses, saving the life of a dying Rebel prisoner along the way. Ultimately, the colt proves to be an inspiration to Jim's comrades in arms, and is duly immortalized by another member of the First Michigan, army artist Covington (Darcy Belsher). An uplifting tale of unassailable innocence in the midst of America's bloodiest war, The Colt made its Hallmark channel debut on July 9, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan Merriman, Steve Bacic, (more)
- 2005
Multi-tasking attorney Bonnie Locke (Penelope Ann Miller) definitely gets more than she bargained for in this Canadian made-for-cable movie. While trying to locate her brother Chris (Casper Van Dien), who has mysteriously vanished, Bonnie also finds time to help her best friend Nicole (Laura Mennell) keep a stalker at bay. By the time Bonnie figures out that her brother's disappearance and her friend's plight are inextricably linked, her own life is on the line! Personal Effects made its US cable bow via the Lifetime channel on April 18, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Casper Van Dien, (more)
Mark Tuit wrote and directed this low-budget Canadian horror flick about a race of parasitic humanoids feeding on people. William MacDonald plays Martin, a man bent on stopping the creatures before they destroy the entire human race. He attempts to recruit the efforts of a couple, but they are skeptical of the outlandish claims he makes. Subhuman has also been released as Shelf Life. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The authorities want to find out the connection between psychic Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) and the injuries sustained by a beautiful young woman (Niesha Trout). The whole affair is connected with Johnny's vision of an attempted hit on mob boss Cathan Donnegal (William MacDonald). As a result of this prophecy, Johnny finds himself an accessory after the fact to the murder of the would-be hitman. Complication piles upon complication when an Indian casino initiative opposed by Johnny's congressional nemesis Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery) becomes part of the scenario. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John L. Adams, Nicole deBoer, (more)
- 2000
A social worker's struggle with a difficult case provides the centerpiece of this Canadian drama. Jane (Nancy Sivak) is bogged down from her work with a drug-addicted mother (Jillian Fargey), the woman's abusive husband (William MacDonald), and the couple's two children. Neither the woman nor her husband want their children put into foster care, and eventually Jane has to call in the police to handle the situation. Her work with the couple is contrasted with Jane's personal life, glimpsed through a long tête-à-tête with her lover (Hiro Kanagawa). ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Sivak, Jillian Fargey, (more)
- 1999
A science-fiction drama produced for ABC, Strange World concerns Paul Turner (Tim Guinee), a one-time Army scientist who was one of a battalion exposed to a dangerous but unidentified chemical while serving in the Gulf War in 1991. While the other members of his platoon died, Turner has instead lived on, albeit with a chronic illness that is taking a horrible toll on his body. A mysterious Japanese Woman (Vivian Wu) periodically gives him an unidentified drug that gives him relief from his symptoms, but Turner is in constant and frantic search, trying to determine what it is that's killing him, what he can do about it, and why the Army is trying to keep the whole matter a secret. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Guinee, Kristin Lehman, (more)
The suicide of grunge-rock icon Kurt Cobain inspires a pair of young men to rally their friends, borrow a Winnebago, leave their quiet Alberta, Canada hometown, and embark upon a pilgrimage to Seattle. Vegetarians Simon (Damon Johnson) and Nick (Donny Lucas) work at the same hamburger joint and live together. When not working, they chain smoke and hang out with their other friend Murray (Allan Franz) at the local diner where they often discuss the Seattle grunge movement and its spearhead group, Cobain's Nirvana. Shortly after the devastating news of Cobain's death, Simon's estranged brother Jase (Trevor White) and his mousy lover Meg (Tahina Awan) unexpectedly arrive. The five decide that attending the memorial services in Seattle would be therapeutic. Along the way the quintet picks up a beautiful hitchhiking punk rocker (Jane Spence) and a sharp-tongued postgraduate student (Brendan Beiser) who thinks all fairy tales are essentially subtle political statements. As the miles role by, tensions between the long-parted brothers Simon and Jase resurface. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Damon Johnson, Donny Lucas, (more)
- 1998
For her second feature, Canadian director Kari Skogland (The Size of Watermelons) treads Tarantino turf with the violent visuals of this crime drama. Small-time hoods Eddie (Donal Logue) and Lucas (Gregory Sporleder) go to a rural area to collect a debt but instead get a dose of sexual humiliation from thugs they encounter there. With stoned Mamet (Callum Keith Rennie) accompanying them, they return to the farm, battle it out, and leave with a big cocaine stash, property of druglord Horace Burke (Paul Sorvino). Soon the trio is pursued by both criminals and cops. Skogland made TV commercials and music videos before her first feature. Her Men With Guns is not to be confused with John Sayles' Men With Guns, released the same month. Shown at the 1998 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donal Logue, Gregory Sporleder, (more)
- 1997
Longtime bartender Mark Tuit wrote and directed this drama of the barkeeps and kitchen staff of a Vancouver establishment. Head barman Mike (William Macdonald) breaks in newcomer Al (Anthony Dohm) to join Stu (Frank Topol), on the fast track with the local babes, and Cal (Cavan Cunningham), who always manages to cross the boss (Robert Saunders). Filmed in black-and-white with a single flashback scene in color, this low-budget film was shown at the 1997 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William MacDonald, Cavan Cunningham, (more)
- 1997
- NR
A single girl steps up her dating endeavors in hopes of finding true love before she turns 30. Unfortunately, she doesn't have much time left. Her longtime friend Nick decides to make a documentary chronicling her search for the perfect mate. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Gould, Eliza Coyle, (more)
- 1991
- R
The lives behind Playboy models are examined in this made-for-television movie. The film focuses on three women who decide to go against the judgement of their families and friends and pose for the notorious adult magazine. The posers are Ivy League student Abigail Baywood (Amanda Peterson), working mother Meredith Lanahan (Lynda Carter) and broker Janet Janeway (Michele Green). Each woman has her own motivation for the risky move, and despite the lack of support from loved ones, each one comes to terms with her decision. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- PG
This wacky buddy comedy was the fifth in a series of Hollywood remakes of films by French director Francis Veber, none of which were box office successes. Sheila Kelley is Valerie Highsmith, an heiress who, despite her family's wealth, suffers from horribly bad luck. On a vacation to Mexico, she takes a fall, causing amnesia, then is mugged and kidnapped for ransom. When her father (Sam Wanamaker) becomes frustrated with the failed attempts of a detective, Ray Campanella (Danny Glover) to find his daughter, he teams a very reluctant Ray with Eugene Proctor (Martin Short), an accountant whose bumbling bad luck is even worse than Valerie's. The theory is that perhaps two such incredibly unlucky people will act like magnets, with Eugene leading Ray to Valerie's location. Although Ray finds Eugene irritating, the unlikely partners eventually begin making surprising progress in the case, despite Eugene's never-ending screw-ups and pratfalls. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Short, Danny Glover, (more)
- 1932
Movie Crazy was Harold Lloyd's best-received sound film. It is the semi-autobiographical tale of an idealistic aspiring movie star who exchanges the quiet life in his sleepy Kansas hometown for the glamour and excitement of Tinseltown where he mistakenly believes he has been selected for a screentest. Unfortunately, the test is a series of slapstick bungles. The studio heads busily review the strange audition and while waiting for their verdict, Lloyd falls in love with a pretty actress who unfortunately is totally in costume when they meet. He doesn't recognize her in her street clothes, but still cant help falling in love with her. The actress knows he doesn't recognize her and has some fun with that. Lloyd's success is further assured when the studio moguls sign him up as their newest comedian. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harold Lloyd, Constance Cummings, (more)
