Daniel Pilon

In the Holy Bible, the Book of Revelations speaks of an event called "The Rapture," in which it is believed God will call those who have been saved to Heaven, while those who have not repented their sins will remain on Earth. Authors Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have written a series of novels based upon the premise of how the Rapture would affect ordinary people in the modern world, and Left Behind is the first feature film to be adapted from their work. Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson) is an airline pilot whose relationship with his wife has gone sour; she responds by devoting more of her time and energy to the church, while he ponders having an affair with an attractive flight attendant, Hattie Durham (Chelsea Noble). In the midst of a flight to London, a number of their passengers mysteriously disappear, and chaos takes hold as a number of vehicles on the ground and in the air are suddenly unmanned. Meanwhile, Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron), a television journalist, is pondering the rash of sudden disappearances as he works on a report about Dr. Chaim Rosenzweig (Colin Fox), an Israeli scientist who has devised a formula that would make any soil on earth easy to cultivate. However, Cameron wonders if there's more to Rosenzweig than he first imagined when he discovers the doctor is in cahoots with two multi-millionaires who plan to broker the invention to promote their own agenda of international domination. Produced by Cloud Ten Productions, a Christian filmmaking concern, Left Behind was released with an unusual marketing strategy -- the film was made available on home video in October 2000, with a theatrical release scheduled to follow in February 2001. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A reporter learns some lessons about love from a woman who has made it her business in this made-for-TV comedy-drama. Joanna Scott (Linda Hamilton) is a woman who thought she had the perfect life -- a successful career as a journalist and a strong marriage with her husband, Dale (Stewart Bick), that's already lasted ten years. But when Dale suddenly announces that he's leaving Joanna for a younger woman, her self-confidence goes out the window and she's not sure what to do next. Joanna's editor assigns her to write a story about Madame Simone (Jacqueline Bisset), the Madame of the most luxurious bordello in Paris. It's hardly a subject Joanna would have chosen herself, but she figures a trip to France on the magazine's expense account might help to cheer her up. Joanna meets with Madame Simone, but the Madame senses that Joanna is unhappy and asks her a few questions about the state of her love life. Madame Simone then takes it upon herself to pass a few of the lessons she's learned about sensuality and romance along to Joanna, teaching her the importance of self-confidence as she looks for new love. Sex & Mrs. X first aired on April 10, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV drama is based on the autobiography of one of the most notorious figures in American organized crime, Joseph Bonanno. Bonanno (played by Bruce Ramsay) left Sicily as a young man, eager to escape the tyranny of Benito Mussolini, but when he arrived in America, fate led him to a career on the wrong side of the law with the Castellamarese crime family. After his mentor was killed in a bloody feud with cadres of the Gambino family, Bonanno became the youngest man to lead a major crime syndicate in America. Bonanno's battles with Lucky Luciano (Vince Corazza) and his secret dealings with Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Matt Norklun) helped cement Bonanno's reputation as one of the most powerful criminals in the world. It didn't take long, however, for the gangster kingpin to discover that power breeds treachery, and as the years passed, Bonanno (now played by Tony Nardi) learned that both the FBI and some of his most loyal allies were working to put him out of business. Martin Landau plays the elderly Bonanno, who tells much of his life story in flashback as he visits his hometown in Sicily for the first time in many years. The supporting cast includes Robert Loggia, Costas Mandylor, Patti LuPone, and Edward James Olmos. Bonanno: A Godfather's Story was originally produced as a two-part miniseries for the Showtime premium cable network, but was later edited down to 139 minutes for release on home video. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this thriller, Judge Richard Miller (Ryan O'Neal) is put in a highly precarious position when he is assigned to preside over the trial of Gabrielle Mitchell (Madchen Amick), a high-priced call girl with an exclusive clientele. Gabrielle, who has arranged her own arrest in order to blackmail her better-known customers, presents Miller a list of her regular clients -- as well as an incriminating videotape. Miller is put in the difficult position of either making the information public and destroying the careers of trusted colleagues, or risking his own prosecution by keeping it a secret. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

"Danse Diabolique" is the title of a "cursed" ballet, which has been performed only three times. On the first two occasions, the prima ballerina has died under mysterious circumstances--and the same thing happens to the unfortunate young lady who stars in the third performance. Suspecting that murder rather than superstition is the cause of these three deaths, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) investigates, at one point posing as a scatterbrained Southern matron in order to weed out some vital information about some significant roses. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A grieving mother tries to track down the hit-and-run driver who killed her 12-year-old son in this well-performed drama. Dinah Middleton (Kerrie Keane) is divorced from husband Max (Daniel Pilon). The couple's skateboarding son Alex (Leif Anderson) is hit by Owen Hughes (Saul Rubinek), a New York businessman and later dies in the hospital. After the driver is tracked to the U.S., manslaughter charges are dismissed on a technicality, and Dinah learns the treaty between Canada and the United States will make extradition nearly impossible. The differences and attitudes of the two countries toward each other becomes part of the story in addition to Dinah's search for justice. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Elizabeth Montgomery, the queen of the TV-movie "victims," plays a more take-charge role in Missing Pieces. Cast as a private detective, Montgomery has to deal with an unpleasant memory, a near-insoluble mystery, and a pursuing murderer. Drugs and political corruption are also part and parcel of this Chandleresque puzzler. In true noir fashioned, the story is narrated by Montgomery throughout. Based on a novel by Karl Alexander, Missing Pieces originally came together on May 14, 1983. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A job as an archaeological assistant at a Peruvian museum offers romance to a young woman. ~ All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi tale, an investigator searches for a mysterious man in black. He believes the man is somehow connected to a strange floating silver ball -- supposedly sent to Earth by aliens as part of a probe. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide

Featuring wonderfully lousy special effects (especially in lieu of Star Wars which had come out earlier that year), this sci-fi adventure chronicles the struggle of a flock of friendly space aliens to protect the Earth from an onslaught of wicked aliens. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This ambitious French-language retelling of the 1837 Quebec rebellion against British rule caused a lot of controversy in Canada when it first came out, as it depicts the English as unreasonable oppressors who (among other things) desecrated a Catholic church during the fighting. The story centers around a man who is trying to keep clear of the fighting; though he has cause to dislike the British, he avoids joining the rebels. During his flight to the border, however, the effects of the conflict reach him again and again. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide