Jason Beghe Movies

Set in the era before Professor Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr became mortal enemies as Professor X and Magneto, respectively, director Matthew Vaughn's X-Men: First Class follows the two former allies as they lead a powerful team of mutants on a mission to save the planet from nuclear annihilation. Charles (James McAvoy) and Erik (Michael Fassbender) were just young men when it began to appear as if the world was careening toward destruction. As the Doomsday Clock ticks faster toward midnight, the time comes to take action. Realizing they could use their unique powers to avert a global thermonuclear war during the Bay of Pigs crisis, the two powerful mutants launch an intense recruitment campaign with the support of Dr. Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) and the CIA. Before long, Charles and Erik have assembled a crack team that includes Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Angel (Zoe Kravitz), Havok (Lucas Till), and Darwin (Edi Gathegi). Meanwhile, the malevolent Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon) plots to plunge the world into war with the help of villainous mutants Riptide (Alex Gonzalez), Azazel (Jason Flemyng), and Emma Frost (January Jones). In the process of saving humanity, however, Charles and Erik clash, setting the stage for Professor X to lead the X-Men in the fight for good as Magneto and the Brotherhood spread chaos and destruction on a global scale. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Shannyn Sossamon and Ed Burns star in director Eric Valette's remake of Takashi Miike's frightful tale about a cell-phone call from the future that foreshadows one's own death. Beth Raymond (Sossamon) is a college student whose friends have all been dying in droves, and the one connecting factor between all of the incidents is that just before their deaths, each of the victims received a message in which they heard themselves being murdered. Upon receiving her own frightening phone call, Beth has only three days to solve the mystery and cheat death. Burns co-stars as a detective who is deeply troubled by the recent spate of deaths. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Macaulay Culkin lookalike (and soundalike) Mike Weinberg steps into the role of resourceful youngster Kevin McAllister in this made-for-TV sequel to the immensely popular theatrical Home Alone trilogy. On this occasion, young Kevin finds himself stranded in the computerized "safe house" owned by Natalie (Joanna Going), the predatory new girlfriend of Kevin's recently divorced dad Peter (Jason Beghe). Combining the technology of the house with his own improvisational brilliance, Kevin endeavors to save a royal heir from a trio of kidnappers, one of whom is the boy's old burglar nemesis Marv Merchants (French Stewart, replacing the first two films' Daniel Stern). Needless to say, Kevin also finds time to befriend an adult "outcast" and to bring his parents back together. Home Alone 4 originally aired November 3, 2002, as an episode of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on "The Dead Zone," a magazine article by Malcolm Gladwell, the made-for-TV Runaway Virus pits a team of dedicated scientists against a deadly virus. A particularly nasty form of influenza, which leaves its victims with bloody noses and blackened feet before their inexorable demise, has spread to Los Angeles, courtesy of an illegal alien. Although the scientists work as a team to prevent a horrendous epidemic, there is ample time for individual heroics, much of these manifested in the actions of reclusive vaccine specialist Jenny Blanchard (Paige Turco) and Center for Disease Control doctor Daniel Rothman (Jason Beghe). Runaway Virus debuted January 29, 2000, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this TV series, Boston police detective Sean McGrail (Jason Beghe) and public defender Annie Cornell (Moira Kelly) are an odd couple caught in a passionate love affair, and they're just as passionate when they clash. In their close-knit Irish neighborhood, they get plenty of advice, including caustic comments from Sean's mom Fiona (Fionnula Flanagan), his firefighter brother (Stephen Lee), and his other brothers (Jason Wiles, Stephen Largay), also cops. The opening episode sets up an improbable situation that has Annie in the courtroom grilling her hubby-to-be about thong underwear and strippers. Filmed in L.A., this romantic comedy-drama premiered September 30, 1998 on CBS. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Ridley Scott directed this flawed but involving study of Lt. Jordan O'Neil (Demi Moore), a Navy topographic analyst who is chosen as a test case for the presence of women in combat. Aware that she is making history and knowing that 60% of all male trainees will fail the rigorous training, Lt. O'Neil struggles to prove herself physically and mentally worthy of becoming a Navy SEAL. What she doesn't know is that she is being sold out by hardbitten Texas senator Lillian DeHaven (Anne Bancroft in an amusing turn), who is being blackmailed by the Defense Department with politically fatal base closings unless O'Neil fails the program. The complicated political subplot, however, only distracts from the film's real virtues -- the wonderfully staged scenes of CRT selection training -- and fizzles at its climactic moment. The training scenes are wonderful, however, as the central recruits are pushed to their physical limits by a grueling weeding-out process. Viggo Mortensen is outstanding as Master Chief John James Urgayle, a steely-eyed, tough-as-nails instructor who somehow finds time to quote D.H. Lawrence when he isn't making people eat garbage and beating O'Neil senseless as part of a training exercise. Mortensen and the believably-buffed Moore are terrific, and their scenes of confrontation are the film's high points. Unfortunately, the screenplay by David Twohy and Danielle Alexandra falls down every time it attempts to sidestep a cliche, and the climactic mission (involving a downed satellite in the Libyan desert) positively wallows in a predictable Top Gun muddle. Still, the characters are engaging and those looking for an enjoyable variant on the basic-training subgenre of high-octane modern action films should be pleased. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Simone (Jimmy Smits) manages to catch a suspected serial rapist, but his triumph is short-lived. After a violent confrontation with her battling parents, Diane (Kim Delaney) has trouble remaining sober. The victim of a shooting has been attacked several times and doesn't know why; investigating this mystery, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) is teamed with Lesniak (Justine Miceli) -- who makes a show-stopping revelation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Clad in a blonde wig, Joe Pesci stars as the title character, a luckless actor. Unable to make it in the real showbiz world, Jimmy starts fantasizing about fame and fortune. His delusions eventually turn into reality when, through a fluke, Jimmy becomes known to one and all as "Jericho," a Robin Hood-like vigilante. Victoria Abril appears in a supporting role and the film's climax features a number of cameo performances. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Hypnotic regression prompts a pair of sisters to recognize that they've been abducted by aliens. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

The ladies of Cabot Cove are enchanted by a newcomer to the community, handsome gym instructor Wayne Bennett (Jason Beghe). Especially fascinated by Bennett is Eve Simpson (Julie Adams), who naturally is an old friend of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). When Bennett's onetime partner, con artist Fred Kepper (Hugh O'Brien), turns up dead in Eve's bedroom, Jessica can't bring herself to believe that her friend had anything to do with this awkward turn of events--and as always, Jessica knows best. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this crime drama set during the 1940s an honest detective and his task force take on the mob in old Chicago. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

An L.A. policeman (George Peppard) works with several partners to destroy the prostitution ring run by Chinatown's version of the Mafia. The film was originally produced for television. ~ John Bush, Rovi

"The Bulls Mean Business' is the new subtitle for 1st & Ten as the raunchy HBO sitcom enters its fifth season. This refers to the fact that the members of the California Bulls football team now all have a financial stake in the franchise. As for sexy team owner Diane Barrows, she has flown the coop (actress Delta Burke left to devote all her time to her other starring sitcom Designing Women). Replacing Diane in the owner's box is the even sexier Kristy Fulbright, played by Shannon Tweed, the famous softcore movie diva. (Given this series' propensity for feminine nudity, it is somewhat disheartening to report that Ms. Tweed remains fully clothed throughout her tenure on the program!) Titles of the season's 14 episodes include "The Bulls Own Up," "The Inmates Buy the Asylum," "Caught in the Draft," "Down and Out in Bulls Stadium," "The Clock Runs Out," "The Dark Side," "Saturday Bloody Saturday," "Injustice for All," "Team Picture,"Out of the Past," "Final Bow," "Duty Calls," "The High and the Mighty," and "The Irreducible Bottom Line." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi