Pete Renaday Movies

Zunar J5/90 Doric 4-7, also known as Jake, is an alien cat who crash-lands on earth. He heads off to the nearest scientist to find gold ($120,000 worth!) in order to repair his spaceship. Jake reveals that he can predict the winners in sporting events and soon the military is trying to track him down. The plot becomes more complicated when a wacky veterinarian inadvertently puts Jake into a deep sleep; now he must hide the alien cat from government authorities. The Cat from Outer Space was written by cartoonist Ted Key, who also wrote other Disney family fare, including Gus and The $1,000,000 Duck. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Even animal lovers may balk at this light, light drama about how a missionary (Genevieve Bujold) and Bobby (Rick Schroder), a young boy manage to populate a deserving island with critters of all types. Noah Dugan (Elliott Gould) is a pilot in need of escaping his creditors and he agrees to fly the animals to their destination. Bobby and the missionary sneak on board and the plane crash-lands on another island on which two Japanese soldiers are still fighting World War II. The story veers ever more into fantasy as the Japanese and the pilot join together to make a boat out of the plane with the goal of taking every animal with them into uncharted waters. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Tommy Lee Jones plays the title character in The River Rat. Released from prison after 13 years, Jones heads south to meet his hoydenish daughter Martha Plimpton for the first time. The father-daughter relationship flounders until Jones takes the girl on a long, bonding raft trip on the river. Both Jones and Plimpton become fugitives from justice when they run afoul of crooked parole-officer Brian Dennehy. Before the film's allotted 93 minutes have passed, Plimpton has proven time and again to be truly her father's daughter. It's a toss-up as to which is more enjoyable in River Rat, the film itself or the wall-to-wall musical score by Mike Post. Screenwriter Thomas Rickman was underwritten for his directorial debut by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Upon discovering that shoeshine boy Leon (Bumper Robinson) is an orphan who literally lives in the court building, kind-hearted Harry (Harry Anderson) considers taking the boy in as a foster son. This brings Harry face to face with brusque social worker Charlotte Lund (Margot Rose) for the first (but definitely not the last!) time. Somehow or other, an illegal pie-thrower is also worked into the proceedings. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The Quest compound has been invaded by a "Bigfoot" style creature, which is also, apparently, a thief, specializing in swiping electronic equipment. Tracking the creature to Mount Washington, the Quest team is closely followed by a pair of mercenary big-game hunters -- who, like the heroes, are in for a huge surprise once they catch up with their shaggy quarry. "The Dark Mountain" first aired on December 17, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In an episode that was clearly a labor of love for Londonderry-born Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, Heavenly caseworker Monica (Downey, of course) is assigned to shepherd eight teenagers from Northern Ireland--four Protestants and four Catholics--to America as part of a humanitarian effort called Project Children. It is hoped that, by working together as a team to restore an old Victorian mansion, the youngsters will forget their inbred religious animosities and learn to live in peace and harmony. Monica invests most of her confidence in the unofficial "leaders" of the children, Catholic Tommy (Keith McErlean) and Protestant Rose (Lesley-Ann Shaw). Alas, old prejudices are not so easily overcome, nor are painful memories of the kids' war-torn past--and just when it appears that the project is a success, a devastating tragedy threatens to spark hostilties all over again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Angelus (David Boreanaz) drinks deep from Faith (Eliza Dushku), then keels over. It seems the slayer and ally Wesley (Alexis Denisof) spiked her blood with a mystical drug called Orpheus, then deliberately allowed Angelus to drink it. The vampire ends up unconscious and hallucinating, while Faith falls into a coma. Soon, though, their fever dreams intermingle as Faith and Angelus watch the past century unfold through the eyes of the tortured Angel. The vampire with a soul wanders, a vagabond do-gooder, trying desperately to make up for the evil he committed as Angelus. But when his thirst for blood overpowers his nascent conscience, he takes to feeding off rats and shunning humanity. Meanwhile, in the real world, Fred (Amy Acker) enlists the help of powerful witch Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan), the only person who has ever successfully re-ensouled Angel (see Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Becoming, Part 2"). In between witty repartee with Wes and a reunion with the secretly evil Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Willow soon figures out how to restore Angel's soul despite the fact that it's in Cordy's clutches. Cordy tries in secret -- and in vain -- to keep the soul encased in its sacred vessel. But she fails thanks to the timely interruption of Connor (Vincent Kartheiser), who's still blissfully unaware that Cordelia is playing him for a chump. As Angel's soul rushes through the ether, Cordy goads her lackey into killing his father. Only Faith -- suddenly awakened from her near-death slumber -- prevents Connor from dusting Angel before he can emerge from Angelus. Still ignorant that it was Cordelia whose magicks she was battling, Willow heads back to Sunnydale with Faith in tow. Just then, Cordy interrupts the gang's joyful reunion with Angel by announcing the impending birth of her and Connor's child. Originally broadcast March 19, 2003, on the WB network, "Orpheus" marked season four, episode 15 of the supernatural soap opera. It marked the first crossover between Angel and parent series Buffy the Vampire Slayer in almost two years. Although not integral to this episode's plot, the scenes between Willow and Wesley did allow Alexis Denisof to act alongside his real-life fiancée, guest star Alyson Hannigan. Faith's story line would continue on Buffy in "Dirty Girls." ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi

Vin Diesel returns as the nocturnally gifted antihero Riddick in this sequel to the 2000 cult item Pitch Black. Riddick, on the run from the law and evading mercenaries eager to claim the price on his head, seeks refuge on the planet of Helion, only to discover he's walked into a world in chaos. Helion has been seized by the Lord Marshall (Colm Feore), leader of the Necromongers, a race of bloodthirsty warriors determined to wipe out humanity throughout the universe. Aereon (Judi Dench), leader of Helion's "elementals," pleads with Riddick to join them in their fight for survival; Riddick agrees, hoping to fill out some of the blank chapters in his history along the way. As he plots his battle strategy against the Necromongers, Riddick becomes reacquainted with Kyra (Alexa Davalos), whom he knew as a girl but has since grown into a strong and beautiful woman eager to join him in the fight against the Lord Marshall. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi