Julian Sands Movies
Tall, blonde, and statuesque British actor Julian Sands is equally fit appearing in elegant historical dramas as he is in cult movies and horror films. A native of Yorkshire, he has a fine bone structure, striking blonde hair, and an eloquent speaking voice. Sands studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London and joined the Forum Theatre Company. He made his film debut in Derek Jarman's Broken English but stayed working in the theater until his breakthrough film performance as photographer Jon Swain in Roland Joffé's The Killing Fields. He paid his dues with some routine U.K. films (Oxford Blues, After Darkness) until he landed the role of free-spirited George Emerson in the Merchant-Ivory production A Room With a View. He entered the realm of sexualized horror films as poet Percy Shelley in Ken Russell's Gothic. This role seemed to lead straightaway to his title role in Warlock, followed by Warlock: The Armageddon. Briefly returning to historical costume dramas to portray composer Franz Liszt in James Lapine's lavish Impromptu, Sands was back to creepy, sexual thrillers like Mary Lambert's Siesta and David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch. He also found time to play a few doctors in the Cyndi Lauper movie Vibes and in Steven Spielberg's Arachnophobia. After playing the sexually submissive surgeon in the critically dismissed drama Boxing Helena, he made a quick recovery in Paul Schrader's made-for-TV detective film Witch Hunt. Back in the U.K., he formed a close working relationship with director Mike Figgis and found roles in The Browning Version, Leaving Las Vegas, One Night Stand, The Loss of Sexual Innocence, Timecode, and Hotel. Meanwhile, he made a few films in Italy, most notably as the Phantom in Dario Argento's The Phantom of the Opera. In 2002, he was cast in the epic miniseries Rose Red and Napoleon. Not one to shy away from middle-brow genres, Sands can be also seen as the bad guy in the Jackie Chan movie The Medallion and as the voice of Valmont on the Jackie Chan Adventures animated series. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Based on the best-selling novel by Candace Bushnell, author of Sex and the City, Lipstick Jungle is the sassy, sexy, and inspirational new series about three high-powered women who support each other through the triumphs and tears of big-city life. In all seven Season 1 (2008) episodes, follow the ups and downs of Wendy (Brooke Shields), a sophisticated movie exec trying to manage a career and a family; Victory (Lindsay Price), a free-spirited designer dreaming of romance and making it big; and Nico (Kim Raver), an independent and ambitious fashion magazine editor. Armed with strength, style and a wicked sense of humor, these women show that it takes a lot to make it in the Big Apple...especially good friends!
- Starring:
- Brooke Shields, Kim Raver, (more)
The irrepressible Stargate team faces their biggest challenge yet as they set out in search of the ancient artifact with the power to defeat the villainous Ori before they launch a devastating attack on planet Earth. The Ori are determined to exterminate all traces of mankind, but not if Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks), Teals (Christopher Judge), Vala (Claudia Black), Sam (Amanda Tapping), and Cam (Ben Browder) have anything to say about it. With a scheming I.O. operative aboard the Odyssey, the final fight for humanity begins to unfold in the deepest reaches of outer space. Beau Bridges co-stars. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Shanks, Claudia Black, (more)
Cinema icon Al Pacino joins a powerhouse cast headed by of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac, and series newcomer Ellen Barkin for this, the third installment of director Steven Soderbergh's popular series of glitzy crime comedies. The only hotelier in Las Vegas who can claim that each and every one of his establishments has earned the Royal Review Board's Five Diamond Award, Willy Bank (Pacino) has made more than his share of enemies during his impressive ascent. While most of Bank's adversaries amount to little more than the occasional nuisance, however, this powerful player is about to find out that picking your enemies in Las Vegas can be a true gamble. In betraying Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould), Bank has finally crossed the one man who could bring his entire empire crumbling to the ground -- Danny Ocean (Clooney). Now Reuben is in critical condition, and Ocean is determined to strike back at the man who nearly murdered his mentor. Bank may have taken down one of the original Ocean's Eleven, but his efforts only managed to unite the remaining ten closer than ever before. As the opening of Bank's newest casino draws near, Danny and the crew set into motion a bold plan to humiliate the cocksure casino owner and forever tarnish his spotless reputation. It won't be easy, but if Ocean and his team can get their elaborate plan together in time for the opening of The Bank, they just might be able to deliver some serious Las Vegas justice. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Clooney, Brad Pitt, (more)
- 2006
A girl searches for her father while he is forced to answer for some of his misdeeds in this beautifully photographed adventure drama. Gary (Julian Sands) is a French geologist who lives in Africa, where he's made a fortune in the diamond business. Gary has a fourteen-year-old daughter named Grace (Camille Summers) from a marriage that ended in divorce. When Grace's mother passes on, Grace flies to Africa to visit Gary for the first time in years. While Gary is thrilled to see Grace, work calls him away the day after she arrives, and he boards a small plane to take some needed supplies into a remote area. However, the plane hits some bad weather and crashes, with the wreckage found by a band of revolutionary soldiers. The makeshift army is battling wealthy mining moguls like Gary, appalled by the child labor, environmental devastation and economic exploitation that thrive in their wake. While Gary is held hostage by the guerillas, Grace suspects something is wrong, and she persuades one of Gary's closest friends, Kadjiro (Eriq Ebouaney), to help her find her dad. La Piste (aka The Trail) was directed by Eric Valli, a former photographer for National Geographic. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Eriq Ebouaney, (more)
A wounded military aviator (Robert Pattinson) convalescing in a remote Wales mansion attempts to discern whether he's actually losing his mind or his psychiatrist is attempting to crack his fragile psyche. Shadowed by his darkened past and plagued with horrific visions, the airman clings to sanity as his reality becomes warped beyond recognition. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Pattinson, Julian Sands, (more)
The threat to the United States in Season 5's white-knuckle day is Russian separatists armed with weaponized nerve gas and led by Vladimir Bierko (Julian Sands). Inciting their ire is an arms and mutual defense treaty that Russian president Yuri Suvarov (Nick Jameson) plans on signing with the U.S. and duplicitous president Charles Logan (Gregory Itzin). As Day 5 begins, Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland), who faked his own demise at the close of last season, is working at an oil refinery in California under the name Frank Flynn. He returns from his self-imposed exile to fight the good fight after an assassination rocks the nation and he finds himself framed for it and several other crimes. Jack is also reunited with former love interest Audrey Raines (Kim Raver), but tumult continues to follow them. Meanwhile at CTU, there's a new man brought in to oversee operations, Lynn McGill (Sean Astin), and once again, there's a mole in the ranks. A significant subplot centers on Christopher Henderson (Peter Weller), Jack's mentor-turned-nemesis who has information that can help Jack thwart the Russians. Another thread follows First Lady Martha Logan (Jean Smart), who grows increasingly disdainful of her husband's actions in office. ~ Fred Mitchell, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland
A reclusive married couple residing in a lavish seaside home receive a pair of menacing unwelcome visitors in director Jay Anania's tense tale of homebound terror. Carla (Julianne Nicholson) and Bill (Julian Sands) don't get out much, and when a pair of strangers show up and refuse to leave, the tension in their comfortable beach house soon begins to rise. The evening wears on and when the menace of the visitors turns threatening, Bill attempts to take control of the situation before the emotional violence of his malevolent house guests turns physical. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A bloody trail of mutilated corpses leaves a remote village frozen with fear in this full moon tale of terror starring Julian Sands and directed by El Segundo Nombre's Francisco Plaza. When authorities discover a number of bodies bearing wounds of surgical precision mixed with savage gashes deep within the nearby forest, the citizens of Allariz vow never again to set foot in the dreaded woods. Though a wandering soap vendor named Manuel Romasanta has confessed to the crimes claiming that he used the fat of the victims as the foundation for his deep cleansing skin care products, a deeper investigation reveals that Romasanta may in fact be suffering from the curse of lycanthropy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Elsa Pataky, (more)
After witnessing the brutal murder of his powerful father King Solomon of the Netherlands, a young heir to the throne begins preparation for his ultimate revenge in director Uli Edel's medivel tale of might and magic. An allied royal court has granted refuge to young Siegfried following the tragic death of his father, and in the following years Siegfried trains to become a formidable warrior as his magical mother Hjordis watches over him with a loving eye. When Siegfried acquires a magical sword said to have been forged from a fallen star, he sets out to slay the fearsome dragon Fafnir and lay claim to the gold that the horrid beast had stolen from the mythical Nibelungs. His victory over the dragon affording him the opportunity to bathe in its blood and achieve invincibility, Siegfried's glory is quickly tarnished when the Nibelungs reappear and demand the return of their treasure. Though Siegfried eventually agrees to bestow the Nibelungs the majority of the treasure, his unwise decision to retain the cursed ring that forms the very core of the valuable booty ensures that he will never experience true love for as long as it remains in his possession. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristanna Loken, Benno Fürmann, (more)
A burnt out college professor finds his quest for vitality leading him into the arms of disaster in this seriocomic tale of love and desperation starring Julian Sands, John Savage, Katherine Towne, and Jim Belushi. Packard Schmidt (Sands) is having a mid-life crisis. Unfulfilled by his job as an English professor at an inconsequential college, and longing for a sense of unpredictability in his monotonous daily routine, Schmidt sets his sights on the bright lights of Las Vegas. When a series of impulsive romantic encounters lead him into the arms of his best friend Frank (Savage)'s daughter Sallu (Towne), his obsession with the younger girl send both his personal and professional lives careening towards disaster. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Katharine Towne, (more)
Though it's an English-language film, the fantasy action comedy The Medallion is one of the highest-budgeted movies to come out of Hong Kong. Cop Eddie Yang (Jackie Chan) and his partner, Interpol agent Arthur Watson (Lee Evans), are in pursuit of international human-smuggling crimelord Snakehead (Julian Sands). The partners get seriously wounded and a mysterious ancient medallion transforms them into superpowered warriors called Highbinders. The two halves of the medallion are supposed to grant eternal life when joined together by a powerful young boy who was born during a specific time in the Year of the Snake. The villainous Snakehead wants to gets his hands on both the child and the medallion, and the heros try to stop him. Aided by special effects and action choreography by Sammo Hung, Chan fights his way toward a violent conclusion with Snakehead that takes place in mid-air.. Claire Forlani plays Jackie Chan's love interest, the Interpol agent Nicole. Also starring John Rhys-Davies as Commander Hammerstock-Smythe. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Lee Evans, (more)
Horror specialist Stephen King claimed that his TV miniseries Rose Red was inspired by a number of sources, ranging from Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House (twice filmed as The Haunting) to Ripley's Believe It or Not to Moby Dick. Residents of San Jose, CA, however, quickly realized that King's story owed a great deal to their own city's legendary "haunted" mansion, Winchester House. Rose Red was set in motion when psych professor Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis), defying her tongue-clucking boss Professor Miller (David Dukes, who died during production), set about to investigate reports of paranormal phenomena in Rose Red, a crumbling and foreboding Seattle mansion. According to legend -- and a great deal of physical evidence -- Rose Red was a "living" entity in its own right, adding extras wings to its structure and rearranging its furniture whenever it felt like it. There has also been a number of mysterious deaths at the mansion, which Joyce believed were the handiwork of a ghost: Ellen Rimbauer, the insane wife of Rose Red's architect. Inviting a quintet of psychics (social misfits all, of course) to spend a weekend at the mansion, Joyce was determined to solve the mystery of Rose Red -- and, she hoped, to conjure up Ellen's hostile spirit. Thereafter, the miniseries adhered to the proven formula, with characters foolishly wandering off alone to meet their individual demises, and with such time-tested lines as "Superstitious nonsense!," "Honey -- are you in there?" and "Oh, no! AIYEEEE!" wafting through the mansion's drafty corridor. The outcome of the story -- and the fate of the survivors -- seemed to rest in the hands of Annie Wheaton (Kimberly J. Brown), an autistic teenager with astonishing telepathic skills. Premiering January 27, 2002, the three-part Rose Red posted ABC's best ratings in months, despite an almost universal drubbing by the critics. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Travis, Matt Keeslar, (more)
- 2002
Filmed in France, Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Morocco, and Canada, this ambitious biographical TV miniseries chronicles the life and times of the "Little Corporal" from Corsica who managed to conquer nearly all of Europe within a period of a dozen years. The narrative begins in the mid-1790s, as Napoleon Bonaparte (played, curiously enough, by comic actor Christian Clavier) makes his mark on posterity with spectacular victories in Austria and Egypt. On the home front, Napoleon woos and wins the lovely (and considerably older) Josephine (Isabella Rossellini), but finds time for extracurricular romances with other women, notably Countess Marie Walewska (Alexandra Maria Lara). Ultimately, Bonaparte's ambitions destroy him, first in Russia, then at Waterloo, consigning the general-cum-emperor to live out his life in humiliation and exile. When originally broadcast in France in October 2002, Napoleon ran six hours (plus commercials), with four episodes. For its American presentation on the A&E cable network beginning April 8, 2003, the production was literally sliced in half, shown in two installments with a running time of three hours. What remained was all highlights and few insights, though a few brilliant moments remained, many of these supplied by the supporting cast, which included Gérard Depardieu (who also produced) as Fouche, and John Malkovich as Talleyrand. Thankfully, the full six-hour version was made available in the U.S. on DVD and VHS in 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Clavier, Isabella Rossellini, (more)
A woman finds love during World War II, but is also faced with suspicion and a number of unanswered questions in this period drama. Camille Picou (Tatum O'Neal) is a widow raising two children on her own in a fishing community along Louisiana's Gulf Coast. Camille's late husband had a violent past on the wrong side of the law, and since his passing she and her teenaged children - Florida (Lacey Chabert) and Blue (Patrick McCullough) - have been the subject of a great amount of uncharitable local gossip. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor brings America fully into World War II, German U-boats are occasionally spotted patrolling the waters off the gulf, and occasionally attacking commercial fishing vessels. A Coast Guard ensign, Jack Burwell (Eion Bailey), is sent in to monitor the presence of German ships in the water, and he soon develops a strong interest in Florida. Not trusting Burwell, Camille sends her daughter away, and soon the town is rife with rumors that Camille is an informant to Axis military intelligence. In the midst of this crisis, Dr. Lenz (Julian Sands), a physician exiled from Germany, sets up practice in town, and Camille is given a job as his assistant. Camille becomes romantically involved with Lenz, which only increases the scrutiny against her. The Scoundrel's Wife also stars Tim Curry as Father Antoine, the parish priest; the film was directed by Glen Pitre, who also brought to the screen another memorable look at life in Louisiana, Belizaire the Cajun. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tatum O'Neal, Julian Sands, (more)
Following up on his innovative work Timecode, which featured four stories being told in real time simultaneously, Mike Figgis returns to a modified form of his technique in this film about the tourists, the prostitutes, the tour guides, a killer, and a film crew who frequent the Hungarian Palace Hotel in Venice, Italy. A corrupt Eastern European politician and his moll are visiting the city to complete a shady business deal while Sophie is a high-priced call girl who makes an office in one of the hotel's suites. The film crew is attempting to shoot a Dogma 95-style adaptation of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi only to run into one problem after another. Magic is a professional assassin with a very odd kink -- he must have sex immediately after completing a job. Quintus, who abandoned his attempts to get fame and fortune as an actor, is a tour guide with an unusual secret. And then there is maid who not only has the skeleton key to the hotel, but also a habit of snooping. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rhys Ifans, Saffron Burrows, (more)
Director Mike Figgis helmed this ground-breaking experimental feature, filmed with four synchronized digital video cameras in four separate locations. The story, outlined in advance but otherwise improvised, was enacted in a single continuous take, like a stage play, with the unedited images from all four locations presented on the screen at once. Figgis and his crew chose the best single run-through, and the result is the film's final release version. The story focuses on four main characters around the casting sessions for a film called Bitch of Louisiana to be directed by Lester Moore (Richard Edson): Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), the studio executive overseeing Moore's project; his wife Emma (Saffron Burrows); gangster Lauren Hathaway (Jeanne Tripplehorn); and her unfaithful lover Rose (Salma Hayek). These characters' paths cross as murder, infidelity, and dirty dealings are interrupted by an earthquake and its aftershocks. Time Code 2000 also features Kyle MacLachlan, Holly Hunter, Julian Sands, Steven Weber, Danny Huston, Viveka Davis, and Laurie Metcalf. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xander Berkeley, Golden Brooks, (more)
Damian Harris directs this sleazy erotic thriller about lipstick lesbians, naked corpses, and S&M covens, starring Julian Sands. Catherine Palmer (Ellen Barkin) is a hard-driving homicide cop who drinks like a fish and curses like a sailor, investigating a series of murders which leave the (inevitably female) victims bound, naked, and eyelid-less. Tall drink of water Vickie Kittrie (Peta Wilson), who was last seen with the latest victim, eventually admits involvement with a tribalistic S&M society. Palmer dutifully accompanies Kittrie on one such outing, featuring pouting models in designer corsets and lots of heavy breathing. When the serious girl-on-girl action kicks off though, Palmer makes a beeline for the door, only to be seduced by Kittrie against her kitchen sink (a la Fatal Attraction). Meanwhile, lead suspect psychologist Dr. Boussard (Sands) continues to snivel and cross-dress as the bodies start piling up. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Ellen Barkin, (more)
Legendary filmmaker Wim Wenders returns to the screen with this loosely structured murder mystery. The Million Dollar Hotel unites Wender's obsession with cool music, lost souls, and American trash culture. Set in 2001, the film opens with Tom Tom (Jeremy Davies) taking a flying leap off the roof of the Million Dollar Hotel, an ironically titled dive in the seedy section of L.A. Told in an extended flashback, Tom Tom recounts the murder investigation of a down-and-out artist and son of a media mogul, Izzy Goldkiss (Tim Roth), who also fell off the hotel. FBI special agent Skinner (none other than Mel Gibson), sporting a neck brace, looks into the death only to discover that the building is teeming with weirdos and losers. There is Vivien (Amanda Plummer), who claims to be the fiancée of the rock star; Geronimo (Jimmy Smits), a huckster trying to make a buck by selling Izzy's abstract painting; Eloise (Milla Jovovich), a burned out prostitute with a passion for intellectual literature; and Dixie (Peter Stormare), who swears up and down that he is the fifth Beatle. As the film progresses, Skinner proves to be just as much of a freak as the hotel tenets -- he was born with a third arm that was surgically removed from his back. Just as in his Until the End of the World (1991), Wenders features a fantastic soundtrack including songs from Bono, Daniel Lanois, and Brian Eno. The Million Dollar Hotel opened the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Davies, Milla Jovovich, (more)
- 2000
Laetita Masson directs this hallucinatory dream-like work about dancing on the beach, Elvis impersonators, and sailors longing to live and work in Taipei. Sandrine Kiberlain, Johnny Hallyday, and Julian Sands are just a few of the many cast members. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christine Boisson, Aurore Clément, (more)
A man hoping to win the favor of a King finds that his heart has gotten in the way in this lavishly-produced comedy-drama. In 1671, the Prince du Conde (Julian Glover) is a figure of French nobility who is deep in debt and suffering from gout. Hoping to buoy his fortunes and his reputation, du Conde wants to win command of the French Army in an anticipated conflict with Holland. When du Conde receives word from the Marquis de Lauzun (Tim Roth) that that King Louis XIV (Julian Sands) wishes to spend three days at his estate, du Conde is determined to pull out all the stops, and he asks Francois Vatel (Gerard Depardieu) to make the arrangements. Vatel is a master chef with a genius for arranging spectacular entertainments, and he is determined that this will be a weekend that the king will always remember. But that's before Vatel meets Anne de Montausier (Uma Thurman), a lovely courtesan traveling with the king's party. Anne is the king's new mistress, but that doesn't stop Vatel from falling in love with her, and he is determined to win her heart. Produced in both English and French language versions, Vatel was chosen to open the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Féodor Atkine, Hywel Bennett, (more)
Director Mike Figgis, creator of the Academy award-winning Leaving Las Vegas, presented this film's world premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. The story is made up of non-linear, interconnected episodes about a man at different stages of his life, all of which explicate thematically the film's title. The film also juxtaposes a retelling of the classic biblical fall-from-grace tale of Adam and Eve. We see the leading character, Nic, at 5 years old as a boy in colonial Kenya, at age 16 in swinging London in the '60s, and as a grown man working as a film ethnographer. Each sequence shows how he lost some degree of his sexual innocence, whether it be through love, puberty, or masturbation. Shot all over the world, including Tunisia, Italy, and England, the film is an exploration of sex and loss through the life of one individual. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Saffron Burrows, (more)
In keeping with the his cult reputation, Italian filmmaker Dario Argento's take on Gaston Leroux's enduring Gothic tale of terror and obsession features plenty of sex and graphic, high-tech gore (although hard-core Argento purists may find the splatter scenes rather sparse). Unlike other renditions of the illustrious Phantom, Argento's version suffers no facial disfigurement and therefore remains unmasked. His creepiness, shown in the early parts of the story, comes from having been abandoned as a baby and raised by rats in the labyrinthine catacombs beneath the Paris Opera. Unaccustomed to humankind, the Phantom (Julian Sands) spends his days in the darkness playing an organ, murdering intruders, saving his rodent family members from the theater's exterminator and occasionally wandering about the opera house. His life changes when he falls in love with beautiful young singer Christine (Asia Argento), understudy to temperamental zaftig diva Carlotta (Nadia Rinaldi). Desperate to have her, the Phantom plays a haunting melody and lures her into the bowels of the great theater. There he will begin a macabre courtship destined to end in tragedy. Those who enjoy finding continuity mistakes will be delighted to discover that while the story is set in 1877, the theater is lighted with electricity, something that did not happen in real life until 1888. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Asia Argento, (more)
