Mark Wilson Movies
Seven adventurous partygoers find themselves trapped in a sadistic game of death after accepting an invitation to a mysterious party. It's New Year's Eve, and a group of revelers are living it up on the roof of an abandoned skyscraper when five of the partiers receive an intriguing text message. According to the sender, there's an exclusive VIP party happening on the twenty seventh floor, and they're all invited. Once on the floor, however, the five guests and two party crashers quickly realize that they have fallen into a trap. The only way off of this floor is to follow a series of morbid clues left by a murderous psychopath. But who conceived these deadly games, and why have they targeted this specific group? As the contestants begin to die a series of spectacularly staged deaths, each precious clue becomes a genuine matter of life and death. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Georgia Mackenzie, Mark Wilson, (more)
- 2005
Originally titled Secret Santa, this made-for-cabe holiday treat stars Howard Hesseman as Fred Nickells, a lonely old eccentric who intends to spend Christmas Eve driving around town in a limo and tossing huge wads of money to deserving pedestrians. To this end, Nickells hires chauffeur Shannon McManus-Johnson (Andrea Roth), a single mom who'd much rather spend the Night Before Christmas with her son Trevor (Jason Spevack). Meanwhile, reporter Peter Archer (Yannick Bisson), determined to learn the motive behind Nickells' Yuletide generosity, uncovers a startling secret that could well determine the future of himself and Shannon--but will it be for the better? Chock full of cute "inside" references to earlier Holiday films, Crazy for Christmas made its Lifetime network bow on December 7, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Stephanie Harker (Bellamy Young), stepmother of one of the victims of a double murder, is a key "player" in the subsequent prosecution. This time, the D.A.'s office faces opposition not merely from a single defense attorney but from an entire country. Crucial evidence is filed away in Canada, but the American lawyers are denied access because of Canadian opposition to the death penalty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
John Ruane directed this Australian romantic comedy in which lonely Alice (Miranda Otto), seeking her long-lost father, begins working in the same dead-letter office that keeps returning her letters to him. The office is run by a political refugee from Chile, Frank (George DelHoyo), and Alice and Frank eventually become a twosome amid the undelivered mail. Barry Otto, Miranda Otto's father, makes a brief appearance. Shown at 1998 film festivals in Brisbane and Melbourne. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miranda Otto, George Del Hoyo, (more)
A one-time victim who had previously suffered at the hands of her violent husband joins the police force in hopes of helping others in her situation, only to find her painful past emerging from a prison cell in director Stephen Lieb's tense revenge thriller. Bonnie Blackwell was left for dead after being beaten to within an inch of her life by her sadistic ex-husband (Timothy Bottoms). Bonnie is a fighter, though, and after recovering from her injuries she quickly determines to join the Los Angeles Police Department and devote her life to the prevention of domestic violence. Her husband has recently been released from prison, however, and now in order to move on with her life this former victim must make one final stand against the man who nearly took it all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Building upon the popularity of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Issue, this video takes the viewers behind the scenes of the issue's many photo shoots for a glimpse at several of the world's top models. Following the standard "behind the scenes" format, the camera acts as a portal into the erotic world of half dressed women sprawled out on sandy beaches, giving the viewer a more in depth view of what went into producing the Swimsuit Issue magazine. It features an explicit view of models Angie Everhart, Rebecca Romjin, Stacey Williams and Daniela Pestova; as well as voiced over interviews from members of the photo shoot crew and the models that teamed up for the 1995 issue. Many of these interviews discuss how the location of the shoot was picked, the effort it took to capture the "one" shot and how the models were made to look so good. For those that are interested in the history of the Swimsuit Issue they can learn more from Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Video: 25th Anniversary. ~ Ed Atkinson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
A true-life story of sexual harassment in the workplace is told in this thought-provoking made-for-television movie. Gail O'Grady stars as Lt. Paula Coughlin, the Navy officer who lodged sexual harassment complaints after the infamous 1991 Las Vegas Tailhook convention. Coughlin took on the military and a scandal erupted as the story became public. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1995
In yet another modern-dress version of The Prince and the Pauper, Joey Lawrence plays Ricky Prince, a famous pop star who has grown tired of the spotlight and the pressures of fame. Ricky makes the aquaintance of Ralph Bitondo (also played by Joey Lawrence), a pizza delivery boy who looks almost exactly like Ricky -- so much so that the two decide to trade identities for a while. Ricky enjoys being able to live like an average guy for a change, and Ralph gets a kick out of the perks of stardom, but predictably enough they both learn the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Also known as The Prince and the Pizza Boy, Prince for a Day also stars Richard Belzer and Khrystyne Haje. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joey Lawrence, Richard Belzer, (more)
- 1995
- R
Sean Astin stars as the title character in this creepy made-for-cable adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut classic. Set in a future America, where a small, elite group controls the masses, teen Harrison Bergeron is chosen to lead a movement that promotes mediocrity. Christopher Plummer stars as John Klaxon, the mastermind behind the attempt to uniformly dumb-down Americans. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV crime drama follows the actions of the courageous, determined prosecutor who attempted to put notorious Mafioso John Gotti behind bars. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
If Ms. Famke Janssen is a Model By Day in this TV movie, what does she do by night? If this were a USA cable movie, perhaps she'd be walking the streets. But since it's network movie, Famke spends her evenings as a masked crimefighter. She runs into trouble with the law when a murderer appropriates her alter ego and costume for a mayhem spree. Sean Young costars in this busted pilot film. Model by Day was first telecast March 21, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Cybill Shepherd takes a ride into the dark side in this two-part TV movie, purported based on a true story. Shepherd is cast as wealthy and seductive Phoenix socialite Faith Kelsey, who opts not to get mad but to get even when her husband, Terry (Christopher McDonald), enters into an affair with Stacey Eckhart (Denise Gentile), herself a married woman with children. When Stacey is brutally murdered, the police have great difficulty linking either of the Kelseys to the crime -- and no one has more difficulty than Detective Jay Jensen (Ken Olin), who, entranced by Faith's beauty and charm, concludes that she is as "much a victim" as the dead woman. But as the story unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that Faith has hatched an elaborate scheme to get away with murder, and to cover her tracks by persuading a number of people -- mostly male people -- to help her cover her tracks and leave the dots unconnected. But will Jensen finally wrest free of Faith's alluring spell and see to it that justice is done? And of more importance, can this be done before Faith makes her good her plan to leave the country and totally escape extradition? Telling Secrets was originally seen over NBC on January 17 and 18, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Jeffrey (Ryan Reynolds) grew up with heady ideals of social activism as part of his everyday life. His parents spent the better part of their lives fighting for social justice in India. Now they are dead, and he is only fifteen year old. He has been sent to a small town in Ontario to live with his aunt Charlotte (Glynne Headly). It takes considerable effort, but he manages to make friends and fit into this new, much smaller world of his. However, when his aunt receives an unfair eviction notice from her sleazy landlord (Paul Anka), every bit of his background and training comes to play, and he works with her to put on a well-publicized hunger strike which wins them the admiration of the local citizens and more. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenne Headly, Paul Anka, (more)
Actor Henry Adler (Tom McCamus) has a tenuous hold on his identity in Canadian director David Wellington's I Love a Man in Uniform. On his way to audition for a violent TV police show, he sees an officer shot in the line of duty. Using what he witnessed in his tryout, he impresses the casting director and gets the role of a tough street cop. But it's more than just a part for him: he takes his uniform home, goes out on the street, and gets mistaken for a real cop. Like Anthony John in A Double Life, he has become his character, and like Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, he wants to clean the world of its filth. This film is not merely an exploration of one man's descent into madness; it is also an indictment of society's confusion of televised fiction with real life. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom McCamus, Brigitte Bako, (more)
This murder mystery from director Carl Schenkel stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander) as Peter Sanderson, an expert chess champion. When a woman Sanderson has recently slept with is among several women brutally murdered at a chess tournament, he becomes a suspect. But when the murderer contacts Sanderson and informs him that he's set up a maniacal human chess game, he realizes that he'll have to beat the murderer to stop the killings and clear his own name. Diane Lane plays a psychologist who falls for Sanderson, and Tom Skerritt is the local sheriff investigating the case. Knight Moves won the Critics Award at the 1992 Cognac Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Lambert, Diane Lane, (more)
- 1987
Two former TV favorites are teamed in Arizona Heat. Michael Parks, late of Then Came Bronson, plays a tough cop, prone to gratuitous violence. Parks is paired with equally tough, but sensitive, lady cop Denise Crosby (granddaughter of Bing and onetime Star Trek: The Next Generation regular). Both are dispatched to catch a ruthless murderer who preys on law enforcement officers. Though we've seen this story elsewhere, the chemistry between the two stars helps sustain audience interest. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Parks, Denise Crosby, (more)
- 1984
Joan Collins and David Hasselhoff star in this made-for-TV comedy caper, in which a con artist who has just gotten out of jail. Curt Taylor (Hasselhoff) finds himself back in business when he becomes an assistant to glamorous film star Cartier Rand (Collins). Curt's primary interest in working with Cartier is the opportunity to get his hands on her world famous and highly-valuable collection of jewelry. In time, however, Curt finds himself attracted to Cartier, which will take a bit of explaining, since he informed Cartier's jealous fiancée that he was gay in order to win the job. The Cartier Affair also stars Telly Savalas, Charlies Napier, and Ed Lauter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
