Mark Rolston Movies
Character actor Mark Rolston specialized in everyman portrayals with a slightly understated, tough edge to them. Born in Baltimore, MD, in 1956, Rolston broke into film in the early to mid-'80s and scored his first major feature role with a turn as a private in James Cameron's effects-heavy sci-fi blockbuster Aliens (1986). Within a few years, he began turning up in supporting capacities in numerous additional features; the more visible included Weeds (1987), Prancer (1989), Body of Evidence (1993), Rush Hour (1998), and Martin Scorsese's Best Picture winner The Departed (2006). In 2008, Rolston signed on to play Erickson, who comes face to face with Jigsaw's (Tobin Bell) diabolical traps, in the fifth installment of the gore-soaked Saw franchise. Rolston also made television appearances on programs including Touched by an Angel and NYPD Blue. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide- 2007
Michael Rooker and Rance Howard star in co-directors Terry Leonard and Thadd Turner's take on the adventures of a legendary old-west gunfighter and his quick-draw compatriots. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker
Producer/writer/director and stepbrother to Elvis Presley, D. Edward Stanley relays just what it was like to protect the King of Rock and Roll in an intensely personal biography that offers rare personal insight into one of the music world's most revered figures. Stanley was only sixteen at the time he went to work for The King, yet in his experiences the teen would learn more about the way the world works than he would have in any classroom. Of course the highs were just as intense as the lows, and from the sex to the drugs and the violence, this is one story that is simply too strange to be fiction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Barr, Peter Dobson, (more)
When disaster strikes and necessity dictates that the festering rivalry between the Franklin and Red Eagle families be set aside in the name of survival, the resulting tale of brotherhood gives testament to mankind's remarkable power for forgiveness in this family-oriented Western starring David Carradine and Wes Studi. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Parkes
- 2002
A high schooler with a huge collection of video games is murdered and a three-year-old girl is shot and killed in her crib. Investigating the high-school case, the detectives are stymied by contradictory evidence, and by the presence of a weird suspect named Swirly (Josh Zuckerman), who lives with his even weirder mother. And while tackling the case of the dead three-year-old, Connie (Charlotte Ross) and Rita (Jacqueline Obradors) trace the gunfire to an engagement party on a lower floor. In off-the-job developments, John Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) tries to reach out to his taciturn dad (Joe Spano); Andy (Dennis Franz) and Connie may get together; and gay cop John (Bill Brochtrup) prepares to visit Africa with his new significant other. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2001
Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter), Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and Gunn (J. August Richards) get on with the business of running Angel Investigations without its founder, taking time out only to squabble about what they should now call the agency. Meanwhile, Angel (David Boreanaz) himself investigates a Wolfram & Hart plot to defraud a shelter for Los Angeles runaways of huge sums of money during a charity event. To foil their plan, Angel pretends to befriend Anne Steele (Julia Lee), the institution's manager, and convinces her that lawyer Lindsey McDonald (Christian Kane) isn't the kind benefactor he seems. Eventually, with the help of an old adversary, Angel tricks Lindsey and Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov) into revealing their plans to the rich guests they're in the process of bilking. The vampire hero and his accomplice make off with the money, but Angel eventually makes sure it goes to Anne's shelter, though not before alienating her with his high-handed methods and apparent immorality. Originally broadcast January 23, 2001, on the WB network, "Blood Money" marked season two, episode 12 of the supernatural comedy drama. Although it's only hinted at in this episode and never revealed to Angel, the character of Anne actually appeared in two episodes of Angel's parent series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the episode "Anne," she was a homeless girl named Lily who befriended Buffy while the Slayer was hiding out under her middle name and eventually took over that selfsame alias: Anne. And in another Buffy installment, "Lie to Me," she briefly used the name Chanterelle when she joined a cult of wannabe vampires. The character would recur again on Angel in "The Thin Dead Line." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A recent spate of murders, in which all the victims were political activists, sends Logan (Michael Weatherly) on a journey to the deceptively peaceful community of Cape Haven, there to seek out an "Eyes Only" informant. Upon arrival, Logan finds a strange boy named Clyde (Kurt Max Runte) -- who, like the protagonist of the theatrical feature The Sixth Sense, can see dead people. This is but one element in a complex story line, wherein a horrible secret hidden since the technology-destroying "Pulse" is unearthed, and Logan struggles to right a very old wrong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Escaping the clutches of an illicit arms dealer, Sydney (Jennifer Garner) takes on her next counterespionage assignment. Her mission transports her to Madrid, where she is to purchase a 500-year-old drawing by the remarkably prophetic Renaissance artist Milo Rambaldi -- a sketch containing a portion of a code vital to the operation of a deadly nuclear device. In the course of events, Sydney continues to press her secret-agent father, Jack (Victor Garber), for details surrounding the death of her mother, Laura. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Posing as an author, Monica (Roma Downey) is granted an interview with Daniel Lee Corbitt (Sean Patrick Flanery), an unrepentant, publicity-hungry Death Row inmate. In the course of events, Monica and her fellow angels unearth some long-buried truths about Daniel's victim (his abusive stepfather) and his estranged mother Shirlee (Veronica Cartwright). The Angels' mission will fail unless Daniel can find forgiveness in his heart for his mother's past indiscretions--but how can this possibly happen when he is to be executed in 36 hours, with absolutely no hope for a last-minute reprieve? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
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A major earthquake brings the City That Never Sleeps to a screeching halt in this made-for-TV suspense drama. New York City Mayor Lincoln (Charles S. Dutton) and Fire Chief Ahearn (Tom Skerritt) are contentious political rivals forced to set aside their differences and work together when a catastrophic earthquake rips into the city. Lincoln's urgency to dig the city out of the rubble becomes personal when he learns that his daughter Evie (Lisa Nicole Carson) is trapped in a buried subway car -- what's more, one of her fellow passengers is a murder suspect who has just won acquittal, but whom the mayor believes may have been guilty. Elsewhere, Dori (Sharon Lawrence) is a mother who, after accidentally injuring her child in an auto accident, becomes all the more panicked when she learns that her boy is trapped inside a damaged school building that could turn deadly in the event of an aftershock. Originally aired in November 1999, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York also features Cicely Tyson, Erika Eleniak, Jennifer Garner, and Fred Weller. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Skerritt, Sharon Lawrence, (more)
- 1996
Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) is more edgy than usual as the pregnant Sylvia's (Sharon Lawrence) due date approaches. Donna (Gail O'Grady) considers leaving the precinct for a better job opportunity on the West Coast. The nephew of a robbery-homicide victim is suspiciously in possession of the stolen swag. A bouncer at a strip club is beaten to death. And as the final scene of this episode approaches, the world is introduced to a new arrival named Theo Sipowicz. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Hicks (CCH Pounder) warns Benton (Eriq La Salle) that he's spending too much time worrying over his ailing mother and not enough time concentrating on his job. Ross (George Clooney) has a violent showdown with an abusive father. The rivalry between Carter (Noah Wyle) and Deb (Ming-Na) intensifies. And Carol (Julianna Margulies) and Taglieri (Rick Rossovich) consider adopting six-year-old AIDS victim Tatiana (Milana Vayntrub). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
During her annual visit to Ireland, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) enjoys the hospitality of a fishing lodge near Kilcleer. Coinciding with Jessica's stay is the arrival of a consortium which wants to buy the lodge in order to begin strip-mining the property. Before long, the lodge's owner, Tom Dempsey (Rod Taylor) is under suspicion for the death of a tourist found floating in a local wishing well. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This episode's chain of events is galvanized by the mysterious suicide of an Enterprise crew member. While investigating the death, Troi and Worf uncover evidence pertaining to an old murder. As they delve deeper and deeper into the mystery (with Troi experiencing empathic visions of both deaths), the two longtime colleagues find themselves falling in love. Originally aired March 5, 1994, "Eye of the Beholder" was scripted by Rene Echevarria, from a story by Brannon Braga. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
In this horror thriller, a psychically super-charged cop uses his unusual gifts to put a permanent end to a cop killer. Highlights include a few hallucination sequences, bad dreams and the trademark of Scanners-related films, an exploding head. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Quinn, Darlanne Fluegel, (more)
- 1994
June Lockhart, who previously appeared with Babylon 5 regular Bill Mumy on Lost in Space, guest-stars as Laura Rosen, an unlicensed doctor. Though Dr. Franklin welcomes the "miracle" cure for all diseases developed by Rosen, he cannot shake the feeling that something is seriously amiss. Meanwhile, Talia participates in the "execution" of a condemned man's personality, while Londo and Lennier embark upon a wild B5 pub crawl. Originally titled "The Resurrectionist", "The Quality of Mercy" was written by J. Michael Straczynski. When the episode originally aired on August 17, 1994, it was advertised as Babylon 5's first-season finale -- though there was still one more episode, "Chrysalis", in the series' manifest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael O'Hare, Claudia Christian, (more)
- 1993
It is Veronica Hamel's show all the way in the fact-based CBS TV movie The Conviction of Kitty Dodds. Driven to desperation by her abusive policeman husband Charlie (Mark Rolston), Kitty Dodds (Hamel) ends up killing him and is sent to prison for life. Managing to escape from behind bars, Kitty starts life anew in a faraway town, where she marries gentle, warmhearted Chuck Hayes (Kevin Dobson), who knows nothing of her previous life. Ultimately, Kitty's past catches up with her and she is arrested again. Though shocked at the revelation of his wife's history, Chuck labors tirelessly with Kitty and her attorneys to get her sentence reduced on the basis of the terrible treatment afforded her by her deceased first husband. Covering a timespan of 12 years (though the characters don't seem to age very much!), The Conviction of Kitty Dodds originally aired on November 2, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Making her annual pilgrimage to Ireland, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is determined to catch up with the sightseeing that has so often been interrupted in the past by murder. Alas, it isn't long before our heroine is involved in another homicide case. This time around, the eldest son (Gordon Currie) of Jessica's widowed friend Fiona Griffith (Fionnula Flanagan) is accused of killing the American cousin (Andrew Robinson) who had planned to horn in on the family business. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Madonna plays Rebecca Carlson, a sex bomb who parades naked in front of the open windows of her houseboat at all hours while the lobstermen catch crabs. This entry in the Basic Instinct sweepstakes poses the question: If love hurts, does sex kill? The judge and jury certainly want to find out when Rebecca's latest conquest, a multi-millionaire, dies of a heart attack while making love to her. Eight million dollars was bequeathed to Rebecca in his will, and District Attorney Robert Garrett (Joe Mantegna) is convinced that Rebecca, knowing that her rich lover had a weak heart, killed him with wild sex so that she could get her mitts on the money. Rebecca's lawyer, Frank Dulaney (Willem Dafoe), thinks differently, suspecting the millionaire's private secretary Joanne Braslow (Anne Archer) of the crime, since she was dumped by the millionaire for Rebecca. Besides which, Frank is attracted to Rebecca himself and throws legal ethics out the window as he starts a sadomasochistic affair with her. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madonna, Willem Dafoe, (more)
- 1993
Former Bewitched TV-star Elizabeth Montgomery plays against type and stars as a murderess in this made-for-television movie. Based on the book Preacher's Girl by Jim Schutze, Montgomery stars as the real-life killer Blanche Taylor Moore who was caught by authorities in 1989. The movie chronicles her transformation from the innocent 1950s daughter of a preacher into the serial killer known for poisoning her husbands with arsenic. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Montgomery, David Clennon, (more)
- 1992
This episode is set in Ireland, where Jessica (Angela Lansbury) has arrived to research a new book in the company of her college colleague, retired Irish detective Sean Culhane (George Hearn). Invited to stay at the home of wealthy developer Neal Gillen (Dakin Matthews), Jessica and Sean are among those present when Gillen suddenly dies, presumably of natural causes. It turns out, however, that Gillen's death may have been premeditated--and may also have been tied in with a local legend concerning the spirit of a "crying woman." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
This episode marks the first appearance of Sean Culhane (George Hearn) a retired Irish detective now serving on the same Manhattan University faculty as Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury). After being heard threatening the life of an old enemy from the Auld Sod--a contractor who had recently relocated to New York--Culhane is charged with the man's murder. Jessica of course is convinced that Culhane is being framed, and she won't rest until she is proven right. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Set during the Watts riots of the mid-'60s, the made-for-cable Heat Wave follows the story of Los Angeles Times reporter Robert Richardson (Blair Underwood), who was the only journalist on staff able to cover the story, since White reporters were unable to gain access to the area and the rioters. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blair Underwood, Cicely Tyson, (more)
If you know the Clement Clark Moore poem, you'll know that Prancer is one of Santa Claus' "eight tiny reindeer." When 9-year-old Rebecca Harrell, who still believes in Santa despite the remonstrations of her parents and the taunts of her peers, stumbles across the selfsame Prancer in a remote part of the forest, no one will believe the girl. Later on, Harrell's no-nonsense father Sam Elliot comes across a wounded reindeer, he feels it his duty to put the suffering animal out of his misery. The deer, of course, is Prancer, and it magically vanishes before Elliot's startled eyes. Harrell nurses the deer back to health in secret, with the help of kindly doctor Abe Vigoda and her troublesome older brother John Joseph Duda. Harrell is determined to contact Santa and let him know where Prancer is, but her efforts only result in public humiliation for her father. But this is a Christmas film, and the spirit of goodwill is contagious by fadeout time, even transforming town-recluse Cloris Leachman into a warm-hearted social animal. Filmed in Indiana, Prancer isn't quite a classic, but it's perfect midwinter videocassette entertainment. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sam Elliott, Rebecca Harrell, (more)
As the last two years come into focus for an amnesia victim, she finds her life endangered because of the truths. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1989
In this entry in the long-running mystery series, Perry Mason has a conflict with an old friend after he begins representing the law student who is the prime suspect in the murder of his friend's son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
