Chandra West Movies

A veteran of the first Gulf War who later went on to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq discovers that returning to civilian life after the trauma he endured is but an empty dream in director Francesco Lucente's harrowing drama. Years ago, when he served in the first Gulf War, Jerry (Jamie Dreven) was a patriotic Marine reservist driven by a desire to protect his fellow countrymen. Later, despite being embittered by the broken promises of the military and still not having received the respect that he so badly craved, the civically minded father of three is redeployed to Afghanistan and Iraq only to be irreversibly damaged by the horrors of war. Now Jerry has returned home to his wife and family, struggling beneath the poverty line in a cramped trailer and devastated by night terrors. Jerry's wife Nora is unsympathetic to her husband's plight, and soon begins stashing their children's newspaper route earnings in order to fund an escape. When Jerry discovers that Nora has betrayed him, the atrocity that he commits proves so shocking that even the most seasoned war veterans will recoil in horror. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Divorced architect Jonathan Rivers (Michael Keaton) seems to lead a pretty good life with partial custody of his young son and a happy second marriage to Anna (Chandra West), a best-selling author. Things take an ugly turn when Anna disappears during a thunderstorm, apparently the victim of a freak accident. Eventually, her body is found, and Jonathan sinks into despair. Then he meets Raymond (Ian McNeice), who claims that Anna has contacted him through EVP, or electronic voice phenomena. Raymond explains that the dead can communicate from beyond via static on common electronic equipment like radios and televisions. Jonathan is skeptical until he starts getting phone calls from Anna's inactive cell phone. He visits Raymond, whose home is filled with audio and video monitors and high-tech recording equipment. There he meets Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger), who has recently received a farewell message from her late fiancé. Jonathan eventually receives what appears to be a communication from Anna, but soon afterward, Raymond turns up dead. Obsessed with maintaining contact with his late wife, Jonathan visits a psychic (Connor Tracy) who warns him that he's going down a dangerous path, "meddling" in the affairs of the dead. Undaunted, Jonathan continues to study EVP and eventually finds that he's getting messages from people who haven't died...yet. White Noise was directed by Geoffrey Sax from an original script by Niall Johnson. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Of all of the ways humankind can destroy the planet, none can hold a candle to the awe-inspiring and earth-shattering power of Mother Nature. As chief meteorologist for the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, Andy Goodman (Brian Dennehy) has seen his share of storms. Now, just days shy of his eagerly anticipated retirement, Goodman is disturbed to discover three separate storm fronts approaching Chicago: a cluster of tornados from the west, a warm storm front from the south, and an Arctic system from the north. As Goodman enlists the aid of his longtime storm-chasing friend "Tornado Tommy" (Randy Quaid) in tracking the storms, ambitious Chicago television reporter Amy Harkin (Nancy McKeon) is busy researching the mysterious drought and record heat wave that has plagued the city for nearly six weeks. Though the citizens of Chicago are warned to reduce their energy consumption by secretary of energy Shirley Abbott (Dianne Wiest) the Windy City is thrust into darkness when severe thunderstorms destroy the city's main power-generating plant. With no means to warn the outside world of the dangers fast approaching, Harkin and Midwest Electric chief of operations Mitch Benson (Thomas Gibson) must race against time to get the word out to citizens and emergency workers before the snowballing blackout causes a complete collapse of the entire North American power grid. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Former NYPD Blue regular Kim Delaney returns in the role of Detective Diane Russell, who since the death of Danny Sorenson has been working with the SVU. Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) hopes that Diane will be able to persuade Adrian (Katy Selverstone), the sister of Connie's scummy brother-in-law, Frank, to provide the damaging information that will prevent Frank's parents from gaining custody of baby Michelle. Elsewhere, the detectives investigate the murder of a woman and the victim's ex-boyfriend, who at first glance would seem to have plenty of motive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Jones (Henry Simmons) seriously considers taking the law into his own hands when Valerie (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon) is seriously injured by a stalker. The other detectives of the 15th investigate a series of murders in which the victims were all African males. And the parents of Frank Colohon, the no-good brother-in-law of Connie McDowell (Charlotte Ross), demand custody of Frank's baby daughter, Michelle, while Connie's significant other, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz), continues dragging his heels on the subject of matrimony. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Film producer Harvey Kahn makes his directorial debut with the straight-to-video thriller Water's Edge. Robert (Nathan Fillion) is a big-city novelist who moves to a small town with his wife. Instead of relaxation, he finds violence and betrayal. The film also stars Emmanuelle Vaugier, Chandra West, and Daniel Baldwin. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

In the wake of the death of rookie criminalist Holly Gribbs, Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) is sent back to the homicide division and Grissom (William L. Petersen) is appointed head of the CSI. Having assumed that she would be assigned to investigate Holly's killing, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) is upset when the case is put in the hands of a newcomer to the unit, Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox, in her first series appearance). And in other developments, Nick (George Eads) checks into the apparent suicide of a high-rolling winner and Warrick (Gary Dourdan) is suspended. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Two brothers try to sort out their differences in the wake of their father's death in this drama. Theo (David Cubitt) has long been the black sheep of his family; at the age of 30, he's made no real headway in starting a career, despite periodic stabs at becoming a writer, and his problems with substance abuse have sent him through one rehab clinic after another. Theo doesn't get along with Ryan (Colm Feore), his older brother, who has become a successful lawyer and seems to have his life firmly in control. Neither Theo nor Ryan had an especially cordial relationship with their father, whose death opens old wounds between them. However, Theo soon discovers that Ryan, long the "respectable" member of the family, has also been keeping a secret; he is gay and has been less than cautious in pursuing sexual partners in the past. Ryan's promiscuity comes back to haunt him when he becomes HIV-positive, and he is eventually forced to turn to Theo for help. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Turn of the century frontiersman John Hawk (Kenneth Welsh) has swallowed up as much of the fertile land in the town of Promise as he can. Eventually, local homesteaders begin to fight him for a fair deal-a deal he has no intention of giving them. In the end, a blossoming love between the classes will prove to be a force that could finally create fairness and equality, or a tragedy that could be the ruin of all the families involved. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Based on George Dell's 1934 novel The Earth Abideth, the two-part CBS TV movie Seasons of Love covers thirty years (1866-1896) in the lives of Kansas farming couple Thomas and Kate Linthorne (Peter Strauss, Rachel Ward). A dynamic, forceful person who manages to carve a home and livelihood out of virgin territory, Thomas emerges as one of the leaders of his tiny community, despite the resentment and opposition of rival farmer Gorm Schrader (John Finn). At home, the sometimes rocky relationship between the Linthornes is put to the test by the arrival in town of Lucille (Chandra West), the young wife of one of Thomas' best friends. Later on, a series of devastating setbacks--some directly related to an bitter quarrel between Thomas and his son Hocking (Justin Chambers), not to mention the profligate ways of his other son Grover (Nick Stahl)--threatens to destroy everything that Thomas has built. Eschewing the usual Hollywood Happy Ending, the film remains doggedly faithful to its source--that is to say, forgiveness is not a part of the characters' makeup, and there are some wounds too deep and painful to heal. Filmed on location in Ontario, Seasons of Love originally aired March 7 and 9, 1999, on CBS. The film has since been shown on cable TV under the title Love on the Land. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Waiting Game represents one of Canadian production house Alliance Atlantis' 1998 entries in the Harlequin series of telemovies. This romantic thriller stars the Grammy award-winning pop diva Paula Abdul as Amy and Chandra West as Sarah -- two best friends with common interests who move together to a small New England town to set up and run an art show. Sarah is engaged to be married to her dream guy, and Amy professes no interest in dating anyone, but the pair start to reconsider when they encounter a couple of alluring strangers at different times -- two men with a shadowy connection to one another, each of whom warns the women against the other. The men, as it turns out, are knee-deep in espionage, and involved with the CIA and the international drug trade -- and will carry Amy and Sarah into an exotic, enticing adventure. The Waiting Game co-stars Art Hindle and Jonathan Crombie. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Yasmine Bleeth is cast very much against type in this made-for-TV melodrama as Emily Gilmore, a meek, mild woman with a hideously scarred face. Receiving no help or support from her alcoholic mother and gorgeous sister, the easily led Emily falls in with a bad crowd, and before long she is sent to prison for a robbery she didn't commit. Once behind bars, Emily is able to get plastic surgery, emerging as stunningly beautiful--and totally unrecognizable. Upon her release, the no-longer shy and retiring Emily assumes a new identity--the first step in a chilling scheme of revenge, aimed at settling the score with the man (James Wilder) who framed her. Originally telecast March 11, 1996 by NBC, A Face to Die For has been released to video as simply The Face. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Pop-singer and actress Madonna's meteoric rise to fame is chronicled in this trashy made-for-television movie of her life. Terumi Matthews stars as the dancer-turned-musician, who came to New York City in search of fame and fortune. Based on the book Madonna: Unauthorized, the docudrama follows her rocky road from the streets of New York to the top of the charts in the 1980s. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide