Tom McBeath Movies

Visual effects specialists Greg and Colin Strause both make their feature directorial debut with this no-holds-barred monster mash that attempts to set itself apart from the 2004 Paul W.S. Anderson original by serving as a straight-up sci-fi horror scarefest. The aliens (and a predator) have landed on planet Earth, and small-town America is about to become the scene of an epic interstellar showdown. As these two breeds of cosmic killers clash in the small-town streets Gunnison, CO, the locals are sent running for their lives. From the murky sewers to the rain-soaked streets, Gunnison has become a total bloodbath. Nowhere is safe, especially from the unstoppable new hybrid known as the "predalien." Now, as the once-quiet community of Gunnison is overrun by Aliens, the only hope for humankind is a fierce hunter from the deepest reaches of space. But this predator is far from a benevolent savior of the human race, because he'll kill any man, woman, or child who gets in the way of his mission to destroy every last alien under these stormy Colorado skies. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) smells a rat when General Hammond (Don S. Davis) steps down as head of SGC and is replaced by the hawkish General Bauer (Lawrence Dane). Almost immediately, Bauer begins demonstrating that he's dealing from the bottom of the deck by breaking up the SG-1 team and starting work on a bomb designed to destroy "unfriendly" planets. In his efforts to thwart Bauer and restore Hammond to power, O'Neill finds an ally in the form of an old nemesis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

One of Hollywood's most acclaimed Westerns gets a new interpretation in this made-for-TV remake of Fred Zinnemann's 1952 classic. Will Kane (Tom Skerritt), the marshal of the frontier town of Hadleyville, is stepping down to marry his sweetheart Amy (Susanna Thompson) and move on to a less demanding occupation. However, on the day of his wedding, Will gets bad news -- Frank Miller (Michael Madsen), an outlaw Will helped to put behind bars, has just been released from jail and will arrive in Hadleyville on the noon train to settle his score with the marshal. Will appeals for support from the local townspeople, most of whom have done little to help him in the past, and they unfortunately behave in much the same manner in his time of greatest need; Amy even turns her back on her fiancé rather than become a widow on the day of her marriage. In the end, Will finds that he alone must face Miller in a shootout in Hadleyville's main street. Also featuring Dennis Weaver, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Reed Diamond, this version of High Noon was produced for the TNT cable network, where it first aired on August 20, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Upon returning to the Stargate Complex, the SG-1 crew is injected with sedatives and imprisoned--apparently on the orders of their own commander, General Hammond (Don S. Davis). Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) subsequently discover that the complex has been taken over by aliens possessing the power of metamorphosis. In their attempts to escape, the crew members are stymied by the fact that the cannot tell their friends from their enemies--even among themselves. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

SG-1 arrives at the primitive planet Tolla, where a volcanic eruption is destroying everything. The team manages to rescue a few surprisingly advanced humans, led by Omoc (Tobin Bell)--who are far from grateful. The Tollan Narim (Garwin Sanford) explains why the refugees are suspicious of SG-1's motives: Years earlier, Omoc's father had shared the Tollan technology with earth--resulting in a devastating war which stripped the planet of its civilization and left the surviving Tollans in a state of enslavement. As O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) tries to convince Omoc that the people of Earth have mended their ways, he is undermined by certain hawkish Pentagon officials, determined to wreak more havoc upon the hapless Tollans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The primitve planet Madrona is plunged into meterological chaos when the Touchstone, a weather-controlling device, is stolen. Roham (Matthew Walker), high priest of Madrona, accuses the SG-1 team of the theft. In truth, however, the Touchstone was pilfered by higher-ups in the earth's government, who to pull off the heist have secretly reactivated the long-dormant second Stargate. In order to set things right, General Hammond (Don S. Davis) risks his military career--and, possibly, his life. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In his first film, The Suburbanators, Canadian director Gary Burns took sharp comic aim at the meaningless, numb lives of a group of Canadian suburban teens. This sophomore effort focus on the same social group, offering a fast and funny take on upper-middle-class gatherings, comparing a teen beer-bash to it's adult counterpart, the dinner party. Because his parents are attending the latter fete, Scott decides to host his own soiree. Unfortunately, his mother is super-uptight about having a pristine home, and so he calls it a kitchen party. Kids from all social groups show up, including Scott's sweet girlfriend Tammy. Meanwhile, his anti-social brother Steve hides out in the basement and listens to loud rock music. The adult party across town goes swimmingly until everyone gets pie-eyed and they become involved in a series of minor accidents outside the local liquor store. Things turn ugly when Scott's father off-handedly suggests that another father's son is a homosexual. Back at Scott's house, things take a similarly downward turn when Tammy goes off with the mysterious Steve. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

When Tori Spelling starred in the Dickens-inspired 2003 TV movie A Carol Christmas, more than a few viewers with long memories could not help but point out the similarities between Spelling's film and the 1995 made-for-cable Susan Lucci vehicle Ebbie--beginning with the fact that both films were distaff versions of the venerable "A Christmas Carol." It's Christmas Eve, and ruthless department store owner Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge (Lucci) is cruelly running her employees ragged, dangling their meager bonus checks over their heads to get them to work all the harder. Just before closing time, Ebbie manages to fire a longtime security guard, humiliate her niece, and force her aide Roberta "Robbie" Cratchet (Wendy Crewson) to work on Christmas day rather than spend precious time with her family. Thus the stage is set for the inevitable nocturnal visitation from Ebbie's long-dead partner Jake Marley (Jeffrey DeMunn) and the usual Three Spirits, bound and determined to transform the vituperative Ms. Scrooge into the salt of the earth. And yes, Tiny Tim shows up too, in the person of dewey-eyed kid actor (Taran Noah Smith). To her credit, Susan Lucci plays this nonsense as if it were Shakespeare, bringing depth and conviction to an impossibly contrived teleplay (for which Charles Dickensreceives no screen credit!) Ebbie was first telecast by the Lifetime cable channel on December 4, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for television, Not Our Son is the tragically true story of the "Seattle Specter", who at one time was designated the worst serial arsonist in US history. Over an astonishingly short period, the "Specter" was responsible for over 100 fires--one of them resulting in the deaths of several senior-home residents. What no one knew, until it was nearly too late, was that the elusive firebug was a profoundly troubled teenager named Paul Kenneth Keller (played, in a masterpiece of contra-casting, by Neil Patrick Harris). Ultimately, it was up to Paul's family to determine his fate--a decision that forced them to choose between love and duty, and to suffer the pangs of ceaseless guilt in the process. Inspired by an article in The Reader's Digest, Not Our Son first aired March 3, 1995 (it has originally been slated for January 31 that same year). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Olivia Newton-John stars in this sentimental TV movie as Julia Stonecypher, an impoverished widow with two daughters. Living in a remote mountain cabin, Julia relies upon the meager income received from the cakes she bakes for the local townsfolk. Unfortunately, it isn't quite enough to pay the mortgage, and just before Christmas straight-laced bank manager Brian Harding (Gregory Harrison) shows up at Julia's doorstep, announcing that he'll be forced to foreclose on her. Startled by Julia's violent reaction, Brian rushes away from her house, only to be involved in a car accident. With a snowstorm fast approaching, Julia takes the injured Brian to her house to take care of him. Forced by the bad weather to remain longer than expected, Brian inevitably falls in love with Julia -- but will romance supersede his financial responsibilities? In addition to heading the cast, Olivia Newton-John also sings the opening song "The Way of Love." Filmed on location in Vancouver, A Christmas Romance first aired December 18, 1994, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This is a '90s version of the classic Jack London story about the steel-willed captain of a seal-hunting ship who wrangles with a rough-neck crew. Charles Bronson plays Captain Wolf Larsen. Some of the sea scenes were actually taken from the 1941 version of the tale (with Edward G. Robinson) and colorized here. Most reviewers agree that the better version of Sea Wolf remains the earlier (1941) one. ~ All Movie Guide

The tragic wreck of the super-tanker Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska on March 24, 1989 was one of the most devastating ecological disasters in recent history. Immediately after the ship ran aground and began pumping over 11 million gallons of suffocating oil from its ruptured hold, experts were sent out to assess the damage and clean up the mess. This gripping docudrama tells their story. Much centers on the conflict between local officials, the fishing industry, and the Exxon official sent out to oversee the clean-up and take the rap. With unflinching moral outrage, the filmmakers point out that much of the aftermath could have been minimized had the officials in charge been better prepared and not spent so much time involved in useless red-tape and petty bureaucratic bickering. Most of the film was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, but it also utilizes archival filmclips of the actual disaster and clean up efforts. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide