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)
- 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)
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)
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)
- 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)
Jay Anania wrote and directed this drama that opens on New Year's Eve, 1971. Diane Thwaite (Paulina Porizkova) hits something with her car, stops to check, and faints next to her car. Flash forward to 24 years later, when she's working as a NYC botanical illustrator and friends with Cyril (Jeff Webster), while the mysterious figure of Michael James (Julian Sands) wanders the city. When Diane hears Auld Lang Syne, it triggers memories of the incident in 1971. More recollections are refreshed by a combination of hypnosis, research, and a confession from James. Suppressed memories surface, including a baby's cry, a van, and a missing mother and child. Small-town waitress Phoebe (Julianne Nicholson) may hold the key to the mystery. The music track features moody vocals by Judy Kuhn. This is the first film to take the technical path of a Super-16 original transferred to HDTV and then to a 35mm negative. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paulina Porizkova, Julian Sands, (more)
- 1996
When young banker Thomas Murray's marriage to the blue-blooded Amanda falls apart, he begins working with his father-in-law Arthur in Paris and ends up finding solace in the arms of the beautiful Katharine. While he is off loving Katherine, Amanda rethinks her position and decides to reconcile with Thomas. Devastated by the discovery of his affair, she attempts suicide. Her father then makes Thomas a potentially lucrative proposition that leaves him faced with a difficult choice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane March, Jean Rochefort, (more)
- 1996
Race Bannon is forced to negotiate the same obstacle course where he once set a record for Special Force Recruits, this time in the company of Jonny. The race has been set up by an old enemy of Race's, who doesn't intend to let the contestants survive to the finish line. Dr. Zin, a holdover from the original Jonny Quest series, makes his first Real Adventures of Jonny Quest appearance in this episode, which originally aired on December 16, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Quinton Flynn, John deLancie, (more)
- 1995
Filmed on location in Kenya, this made-for-TV movie tells the story of a boy's fight to save an elephant. Stephanie Zimbalist stars as Beverly Cunningham, a mother who takes her son to live with her in Africa. When her son and a pal befriend an abandoned elephant, a Safari chase ensues as they try to save the animal from the hands of an uncaring businessman. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Noted Austrian actor Klaus-Maria Brandauer stepped into the director's chair for this drama about the rise of fascism in Europe, based on a story by Thomas Mann. In the 1920s, Bernhard Fuhrmann (Julian Sands), a German author and outspoken leftist, takes his family to Torre di Venere, a resort community in Italy, where they are not welcomed warmly by all of the residents, especially after an incident in which Fuhrmann's daughter is caught swimming nude by the seashore. While several of the guests at the hotel where the Fuhrmanns are staying voice their opposition to the family's presence, the concierge defends their right to stay there -- until she is killed and replaced by a member of the local fascist brigade. As the village is enveloped in chaos, a magician named Cipola (Brandauer) appears, who has a profound effect on the lives of those around him. Mario und der Zauberer was shown in competition at the 1994 Moscow Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Anna Galiena, (more)
- 1992
Set in 19th-century Louisiana, the made-for-cable film The Grand Isle is about a wealthy woman (Kelly McGillis) who discovers that she no longer believes in her pampered life as a socialite when she falls in love with a Creole artist (Adrian Pasdar). After she falls in love, she tragically tries to break away from her husband and his society. The Grand Isle is adapted from Kate Chopin's novel, The Awakening. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kelly McGillis, Jon de Vries, (more)
- 1992
Set amidst the glorious greens and blues of one of the many islands of Washington's Puget Sound, this made-for-cable television family drama centers on three generations of women and their lovers. The main story centers on one insecure bride who though madly in love with her spouse, still cannot quite trust him. She berates herself because she can see no obvious reason for her distrust. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
This 1991 Italian period drama is not to be confused with the 1990 Australian vampire film with the same English-language title, Wicked. The entire story, a genuine psychological detective tale, concerns the attempt by a young doctor (Julian Sands) working early in the 20th century in a Swiss clinic to uncover the root cause for the persistent mental breakdown of a young woman (Giuliana De Sio) who has recently suffered the death of her daughter. Despite the resistance of the clinic's administration to his use of Freudian methods, the doctor begins his analysis at the clinic but finds that he must travel to Italy to interview the woman's family and friends in order to get at the ultimate cause. A version of this film capably dubbed into English was released at the same time as its Italian-language version. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Giuliana de Sio, (more)
- 1991
In this futuristic sci-fi political drama, the minerals of the moon are being exploited by both Russian and American mining companies. When a terrorist threatens an American mining company, a KGB agent teams up with a NASA investigator to stop them. The two agents are attracted to each other and this nearly derails their assignment. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Referring to the fear of spiders, Arachnophobia features a particularly deadly species of spider that manages to make its way from the Venezuelan rain forest to a small California town, thanks to the many oversights of entomologist Julian Sands. Yuppie doctor Jeff Daniels, fed up with the dangers inherent in big-city living, has resettled in this town on the assumption that nothing untoward could ever happen here to himself and his family. Before long, however, Daniels is trying to make sense of a series of sudden deaths-and to figure out why each of the corpses has been drained of blood. The audience, of course, knows that the culprits are those pesky South American spiders, which grow larger with each kill. To make matters worse, Jeff Daniels suffers from a profound case of arachnophobia. John Goodman supports the cast as a slovenly exterminator, and Frank Marshall, longtime producer of Steven Spielberg's films, makes his directorial debut in Arachnophobia. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Daniels, Harley Jane Kozak, (more)
In this film, Tolsoy's classic story Father Sergius is translated from 19th century Russia to 19th century Italy. As in the original story, Sergio (Julian Sands) is a nobleman and a military cadet who is posted in a position close to the (in this case Neapolitan) throne. He is about go through with an arranged marriage linking him with a higher-ranking noblewoman (Natassja Kinski) when he discovers that she has been the King's mistress. Disgusted, he renounces the world and becomes a churchman and a hermit. At his hermitage, he encounters a woman who considers any priest, especially an ascetic one, fair game. She attempts to seduce him and he nearly succumbs, narrowly avoiding that fate by chopping off a finger, in a scene harking back directly to the 1918 Russian silent classic Otets Sergey. Soon after that, he begins to acquire a reputation as a miracle worker. However, by now he has succumbed to his ever-present demon of sexual temptation in the form of a conniving young girl, and he knows he is not worthy of the adulation he is receiving. Devastated by his lapse, he leaves the hermitage and wanders around Italy as a homeless beggar. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Nastassja Kinski, (more)
