Brian Wimmer
While going through the possessions left behind by her recently deceased father, a prominent and well-respected judge, High-powered attorney Natalie Jones (Melissa Gilbert) is shocked to come across a worn, yellowed snapshot showing her father in a warm embrace with famed rodeo trick rider Maggie Mae Jarrat. It soon develops that, unbeknownst to Natalie, Maggie and her dad had once been married. Hoping to get the full story, Natalie leaves her cosmopolitan surrounding and heads to wild horse country in Longmont, California, where she meets the late Maggie's gritty, tough-minded daughter Jess (Lindsay Wagner). The bond that slowly but surely develops between the two women leads Natalie to champion Jess' cause when greedy rancher Tom Grove (Grainger Hines) and his cronies begin killing off Jess' free-roaming horses so as not to "mongrelize" their own purebred stock. And, as a bonus, Natalie falls in love with dedicated local veterinarian Sam Nelson (Brian Wimmer). Made for cable, Thicker Than Water debuted March 12, 2005 on the Hallmark channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Scottish-born director George Miller (The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, The Man from Snowy River) helms the gore-drenched Sci-Fi Channel creature feature Attack of the Sabretooth, starring Robert Carradine (Revenge of the Nerds) and Stacy Haiduk (CSI: Miami). Multimillionaire Niles invests in a jungle theme park known as the Valalola, which offers the spectacle of live, genetically-cloned prehistoric beasts, "caged in" by electricity. He invites a ragtag band of college students as his initial tourists, but fails to anticipate a minor malfunction that pulls the plug on all the animal cages and sends a mammoth, carnivorous sabretooth cat racing across the island. Desperate to satiate itself with human blood, it makes a beeline for the terrified visitors. Brian Wimmer and Nicholas Bell co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Carradine, Brian Wimmer, (more)
When a recently released mental patient and his recovering alcoholic father are forced to reside at a remote ranch, the nightmares that haunt the trouble boy's sleep soon begin bleeding into his waking hours in a terrifying journey into the unknown starring Lance Henriksen, Brian Wimmer, and Sean Young. Sam (Adam Taylor Gordon) just can't seem to keep his demons in check, but with a little help from his father he hopes to find the power to start a new life in a new place. Though the scenic ranch of the mysterious Ben Zachary (Henriksen) seems like the perfect place to turn over a new leaf, Ben soon discovers that there's something far more sinister than he ever imagined unfolding on the outwardly peaceful landscape. When the dead begin to walk and temptation seduces Sam into committing the ultimate atrocity against nature, the suffering of the innocent will unleash an apocalyptic force of evil the likes of which humankind has never seen. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Andrew Lawrence heads the cast of this inspirational made-for-cable movie as Jace Newfield, a blind teenager who moves from his native New York City to Utah. As the new kid in school, Jace desperately wants to be accepted, but the kids want nothing to do with him. At first he thinks it is because he is blind, but that can't be the case, since the most popular teacher in school, Mason Wyatt (Wayne Brady). Is likewise sightless. Finally Jace is tipped off that his classmates are avoiding him because they think he's snooty and standoffish. Perhaps he would fare better if he would take up a sport that would bring him into extremely close contact with his peers--a sport such as wrestling! Going to the Mat first aired over the Disney channel on March 19, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Cassie Broadbeck (Melissa Gilbert) is the matriarch of a highly dysfunctional family whose home is invaded by an escaped convict (Thomas Cavanaugh) and his two henchmen. Painfully aware that her husband Wayne (Brian Wimmer) will be of no help whatsoever, the desperate Cassie is willing to do anything--anything--to save the lives of her two daughters. Making a bad situation even worse is the fact that a hurricane is rapidly approaching! Somewhat prophetically set in New Orleans, Heart of the Storm was first screened at the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival on November 5, 2004, then made its cable-TV debut over the Lifetime channel seventeen days later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Christian Otjen's small-town drama Reeseville begins with David Meyer (Brad Hunt) returning to the title town for the first time in many years. That same morning, his father is found hanged to death in the family house. The local coroner (Mark Hamill) suspects that the death was not a suicide, and the case is taken up by policeman (Brian Wimmer), who begins to question David even more strongly after David flirts with both the officer's sister and his girlfriend. The film was screened at the Cinequest Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Hunt, Majandra Delfino, (more)
An American research party on Scotland's Loch Ness believes it has sonar evidence that the fabled monster of the lake is active. They summon Case Howell (Brian Wimmer), a veteran adventurer, to help them capture the creature for further study. Meanwhile, a go-getting TV producer (Lysette Anthony) arrives to make a documentary about the news (and instantly gets a crush on Case). But the locals stir the beast, which suddenly becomes carnivorous, and the lake's Coast Guard official (Vernon Wells) refuses to keep people off the shoreline and boats off the water. As the body count begins to require a calculator, Case and his scientists become desperate to stop the thing, enlisting the help of Captain Blay (Patrick Bergin), an eccentric hermit who has motive for slaying the critter -- it killed his son 17 years earlier, but Blay was blamed in the tragedy. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The long-suffering wife of despotic sports magnate Art Brooks (Barry Bostwick), Kelly Moore Brooks (Erika Eleniak) enters into an affair with her attorney Richard Linsky (Brian Wimmer). When Brooks is murdered, a detective named Mingus (Christopher Darden) suspects that Kelly and Linsky have hired an assassin to pull off the dirty deed. Flashbacks reveal the whole story and the actual culprit, culminating in a surprising last-minute twist. Originally aired by ABC on March 12, 1998, the made-for-TV One Hot Summer Night has since been rebroadcast on cable under the title The Trophy Wife's Secret. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
The closer she gets to her wedding day, the more a bride-to-be suffers from the title afflictions. Though she has loved her future husband for years, she is afraid that becoming a wife will cause an identity crisis. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joely Fisher, Brian Wimmer, (more)
- 1996
Ross' (George Clooney) one-night stand with a girl (Lisa Darr) whom he picked up in a bar threatens to turn into tragedy when she is stricken with an epileptic seizure and rushed to the ER. The staff can't shake the notion that Ross was somehow responsible for this, and he hardly helps matters by revealing that he doesn't even know the girl's name. In other developments, Carter (Noah Wyle) loses Benton's (Eriq La Salle) lecture notes when his apartment building catches fire; and Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) and Greene (Anthony Edwards) experience new romantic adventures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
In this psycho-thriller, a little girl and her mother find themselves the focus of a crazed couple's delusions. The horror begins after Cassie has a fight with her husband David and takes off in the car with their young daughter Samantha. Cassie takes a wrong turn and ends up in the home of the evil Mr. and Mrs. Because Cassie and Samantha closely resemble relatives the couple recently lost, the duo hold the frightened mother and daughter captive in their home. Soon the two victims find themselves psychologically and physically abused, particularly Cassie who is threatened with torture and rape. Will David find them before the Scudders kill them both? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, (more)
A depressed patriarch begins an arduous journey through the space-time continuum in a desperate search for Fire and Rain, whom he believes have kidnapped his daughter. This fantasy chronicles the pursuit of Fire and Rain, who are lovers from another planet. The man is so devastated by his daughter's absence that he even tries to put his shattered marriage back together again. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Based on a popular British cult comic book, this film is the story of a futuristic feminist superhero and her fight to preserve the environment against an evil government bureaucracy. The action is set in the year 2033, after an ecological disaster of drought and pollution has ravaged the countryside, and water is scarce. Tank Girl (Lori Petty) is a sassy punker who has her own vintage tank in tow, along with other high-tech weapons. Her mutant friends join her in bizarre battles against the corporate-statist Department of Water and Power and its villainous chief, Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell). At stake is the world's water supply, which the Department is hoarding and which the rebels frequently raid. Rock star Iggy Pop has a cameo as Rat Face, one of the half-human, half-kangaroo Rippers. Courtney Love coordinated the post-punk soundtrack. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lori Petty, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
- 1994
- R
Noted independent film producer Peter McCarthy made his writing and directing debut (Angie Brown served as co-director) with this surreal comedy. John Boyz (James LeGros) is an aimless sad sack who is wandering Los Angeles in the wake of the 1992 riots. John is in an unclear state of mind; he can't find a job (and doesn't really want one), the IRS has confiscated his money, his girlfriend Jessica (Lisa Zane) is sleeping around, he can't figure out what the beautiful but mysterious Elle (Marzita Rivera) wants from him, his drug-addicted brother Jimmy (Ethan Hawke) needs 3,000 dollars for a detox program, and police chief Merryl Fence (Nelson Lyon) is encouraging the citizens of L.A. to kill themselves. A stellar roster of actors and musicians appear in cameo roles, including John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, Billy Bob Thornton, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Piven, Dave Navarro, Dave Alvin, and Exene Cervenka. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James LeGros, John Cusack, (more)
- 1994
- R
In this police drama, a police detective must wear the badge previously owned by a deceased colleague. Following a terrifying shoot-out, the shaken gumshoe begins investigating the circumstances surrounding the slain officer's demise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Wimmer, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)
- 1994
- R
An aspiring reporter looking for a big story finds one big enough to kill her in this suspense thriller. Omy Clark (Ele Keats) wants a career as a television journalist, but while she has eagerly courted the favor of video reporter Flynn Dailey (Brian Wimmer), he's not eager to pass along any advice or to help her in any way. Hoping to dig up some dirt on Flynn as a way of getting his attention, Omy's friend Joule (Corey Feldman) lends her a "lipstick camera," a tiny video camera that can be hidden undetected in a room to monitor its activities. Omy is able to plant the camera in the home of Flynn's associate Lily (Sandahl Bergman); however, what the camera sees is far more shocking than Omy ever imagined, and soon a pair of former intelligence agents turned hit men are after her, wanting to make sure that the images she's recorded are seen by no one else. The supporting cast includes Terry O'Quinn and Charlotte Lewis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Wimmer, Corey Feldman, (more)
- 1993
In this made-for-TV thriller, Annette O'Toole stars as a woman whose secret life forces her to flee from a killer. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Annette O'Toole, Eva Marie Saint, (more)
- 1992
Although his Mother denies his involvement in a brutal attack that left her critically injured and her husband dead, a college student is forced to deal with his guilt. ~ Tana Hobart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sharon Gless, William McNamara, (more)
- 1992
The made-for-television movie The World's Oldest Living Bridesmaid is about a prosperous lawyer who can't find a husband. Eventually, she falls in love with her younger male secretary. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donna Mills
- 1991
- PG
W.D. Richter directed this comedy-drama in the spirit of Back to the Future and Peggy Sue Got Married. The film opens in Santa Fe in 1962, where Willie (Brian Wimmer) and Joy Husband (Marcia Gay Harden) are a cute couple living in familial bliss with their five-year-old daughter. When evil land-developer Bob Freeman (Peter Gallagher) tries to turn their bliss into blight, a gun goes off and Willie flees to Los Angeles with his dim-witted brother-in-law Frank (Peter Berg), convinced he has committed murder. They run into crazed scientist Dr. Chilblains (Bo Brundin), who cryogenically freezes the fugitives. Twenty-nine years later they are defrosted, and Willie, who has only aged a day, goes back to Santa Fe with Frank to seek out his wife and daughter, discovering they have aged and gone on with their lives without him. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Wimmer, Peter Berg, (more)
- 1989
- R
When two rival groups of surfers face off on a Southern California beach prior to a big surfing contest, things get a little tense. However, when surfer Nick Rainwood (Richard Joseph Paul) meets up with a pretty girl, Allie (Danielle Von Zerneck), the two start off a romance, in spite of the fact that they belong to opposing sides of the surfing feud. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Coogan, Danielle von Zerneck, (more)
- 1989
Originally made for cable TV, the story concerns a waitress who sleeps with a man and finds out that he is a hired gun. Years later, she is married to a cop and living across the country, but realizes that the killer is back and ready to strike again. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1988
China Beach was the second and more successful of two Vietnam-era TV dramas of 1987-88 (the other was Tour of Duty). Set at a Da Nang r-and-r center in 1967, China Beach recounts the era as seen through eyes of several women who served. The distaff stars are Dana Delany (the nurse), Nacy Giles (the AFRS disc jockey), Concetta Tomei (the special services officer) and Marg Helgenberger (the civilian volunteer worker). The anecdotal two-hour pilot film for the series was first telecast April 26, 1988. Chloe Webb, who appeared in the pilot and the first few episodes, portrays a buoyant USO entertainer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This drama about affluent Los Angeles teens is taken from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis. Clay (Andrew McCarthy) is a college freshman who returns home during Christmas break. Clay's old flame Blair (Jamie Gertz) is now more interested in her new beau Julian (Robert Downey, Jr.), the fun-loving party boy with a penchant for drugs. While Clay tries to rekindle a thing with Blair, Julian becomes addicted to cocaine and starts freebasing. Julian's friends try halfheartedly to intervene, with no success. Soon he is so far in debt to drug dealer Rip (James Spader) that Julian becomes a male prostitute, whoring for enough money for his next fix. Michael Bowen co-stars with Tony Bill and Nicholas Pryor in this trip into the seamy world of darkness in sunny California. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrew McCarthy, Jami Gertz, (more)
