David Ogden Stiers

In 1959, when Fidel Castro led a ragtag revolutionary army which miraculously overthrew the corrupt regime of Fulgencio Batista, he was hailed as a hero around the world, though many of the same people who praised him soon became his enemies when Castro installed a Communist government and entered into an alliance with the Soviet Union. Castro seemed to particularly enjoy baiting the United States of America (with his island only 90 miles from the Florida coast), but despite attempts on his life by the CIA, the enmity of a number of American presidents, the fall of the Soviet Union, and an economic stranglehold that threatens to starve his people, Castro remains a tenacious and charismatic leader who rules Cuba with an iron hand, though the man behind the image is known to only a trusted few. The American Experience: Fidel Castro is a documentary produced for PBS which profiles both the public leader and the private man, featuring interviews with family members, friends, political associates, writers, and activists who offer their perspectives on one of the most controversial leaders of the 20th century. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The animated feature-length film Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch follows the characters from the Oscar-nominated movie Lilo & Stitch. Everything seems to be going smoothly as the film begins, with Stitch acceptably assimilated into his adopted family and everyone planning for a gigantic hula festival. However, Stitch soon starts behaving as erratically as he did in the first film. Lilo (Dakota Fanning) and her older sister Nani (Tia Carrere) soon discover that there are some programming bugs in their alien friend that may make it impossible for him to stay with the new family that loves him. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The third-season opener of The Dead Zone not only clarifies the presence of the mysterious futuristic stranger (Frank Whaley) who had been stalking psychic Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall) throughout the closing episodes of season two, but also helps Johnny fill in the memory gaps resulting from his six-year coma -- the same coma from which he had awakened at the beginning of the series, to discover that he had gained the ability to read people's thoughts and predict their futures simply by touching their hands. In a more disturbing development, Johnny is accused of murdering a pretty young campaign worker for ruthless politician Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery), whom our hero knows will destroy the world if he, Stillson, is ever elected president. Once Johnny is cleared of the murder charge, he dedicates himself to proving that Stillson was the killer, with the assistance of a new recurring character, Rebecca Caldwell (Sarah Wynter), the sister of the dead woman. Elsewhere, series star Anthony Michael Hall makes his directorial debut in the episode "Cold Hard Truth," in which young J.J. Bannerman (Spencer Achtymichuk) finally discovers that Johnny is his biological father, and not Walt Bannerman (Chris Bruno), the current husband of Johnny's former fiancée, Sarah (Nicole de Boer). The season ends with part one of a two-part cliffhanger, "Tipping Point," in which Johnny courts a nervous breakdown while trying to bring the elusive Greg Stillson to justice; also in the finale, flamboyant televangelist Gene Purdy (David Ogden Stiers), whom Johnny has long suspected to be the murderer of his mother, makes a shocking confession. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of Touched by an Angel's two-part series finale, it appears as though Monica will fail her final test to become a Heavenly Supervisor. The town of Ascention remains entrapped in the grip of bitterness and hatred following a schoolhouse boiler explosion which killed all of the town's children. Worse still, genial handyman Zack (Scott Bairstow), the only person in town with a positive outlook on life, has been accused of deliberately causing the tragedy and put on trial for his life. Even with Monica's fellow angel Gloria (Valerie Bertinelli) and her old friend Mike (Patrick Duffy) handling his defense, the cards are obviously stacked against Zack--especially since the prosecuting attorney is really Satan in disguise. But what seems to be a hopeless situation takes a unexpected turn in the final moments...and there is a startling revelation at the very end. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The second season of the Stephen King-inspired TV series The Dead Zone begins with the conclusion of the cliffhanger introduced at the end of season one, as schoolteacher Johnny Smith (Anthony Michael Hall), who ever since awakening from a six-year coma has had the ability to predict people's futures and read their thoughts simply by touching their hands, begins his mission to destroy political candidate Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery), whom Johnny knows will destroy the world if he ever becomes president. His crusade against Stillson encounters innumerable unexpected twists and turns throughout the season, notably in an episode wherein Johnny throws his support behind Stillson's political opponent, Harrison Fisher (Gerald McRaney), only to discover that Fisher may prove even more dangerous in the long run. Meanwhile, Johnny's gifts allow him to arrive at the sobering conclusion that his former fiancée, Sarah (Nicole de Boer), would have married Sheriff Walt Bannerman (Chris Bruno) even if Johnny hadn't been rendered comatose by his car accident -- but would Sarah have borne Johnny's son J.J., who now has no idea of his true parentage? Also, more questions arise as to the extent of televangelist Gene Purdy's (David Ogden Stiers) involvement in the death of Johnny's millionaire mother. Season two was to have ended with the episode "Playing God," but the USA network decided to extend the season by several weeks. As a result, audiences were treated to such choice episodes as "Zion," in which Johnny's therapist and best friend, Bruce (John L. Adams), experiences paranormal visions of his own; "The Storm," the series' first episode filmed in the letterboxed format; and "The Hunt," which was titled "The Hunt for Osama" until late-breaking events in the Middle East dictated a name change. The season finale provides a payoff to a recurring plot strand, in which Johnny is stalked by a mysterious man in black (Frank Whaley) -- who turns out to be a visitor from the future that Johnny has so often peered into, and who has a vital message that may or may not save the world from annihilation. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Johnny (Anthony Michael Hall) is reunited with two of his high-school friends, Jason Moore (Lochlyn Munro) and Jason's sister Kate (Ally Sheedy, with whom series star Hall appeared in the 1982 theatrical feature The Breakfast Club). Upon making physical contact with both Jason and Kate, Johnny experiences a disturbing psychic vision, indicating that one of the siblings needs a heart transplant -- and the other is fated to be the donor. Thus, if Johnny tries to save one of his friends, the other will die, and vice versa...and the more he tries to avoid making the inevitable choice, the more that choice is cruelly thrust upon him. "Playing God" was originally slated to air as The Dead Zone's second-season finale, but the USA network decided to extend the season for several additional episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide