David Carson Movies
- 1985
"The Blue Carbuncle" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It's an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as the two help find the thieves of a famous blue gemstone stolen from the Countess of Morcar (Rosalind Knight). This series re-creates the adventures of Conan Doyle's Victorian detective with impeccable faithfulness to the original story first published in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century. 13 of the Holmes short stories were adapted in this series, which was followed by two sequels, The Return of Sherlock Holmes and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes as well as several TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
"The Dancing Men" is an episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories, produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode directed by John Bruce, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as they investigate the source of a series of curious drawings that are being seen by Elise Cubitt (Betsy Brantley). The drawings are extremely disturbing to the young woman, and her husband is concerned for her well-being. Written by Anthony Skene, this episode is one of the more famous of the Holmes' stories; the faithfulness to the original story first published in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century is exceptional. This series was followed by related sequels, as well as four TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
"The Final Problem" is the last episode of the television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mystery stories produced in Britain for Granada TV. In this episode directed by Alan Grint, Jeremy Brett portrays the famed detective aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke) as they fight to the finish with Holmes' nemesis Professor James Moriarity (Eric Porter). This episode was written by John Hawkesworth and is one of the most famous of the Holmes stories; it was intended by Doyle to be his final Holmes publication. It is an excellent adaptation of the original story first printed in the Strand Magazine during the late 19th century. This series was followed by several sequels, as well as four feature-length TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
- 1985
In "The Resident Patient," an episode of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (an excellent adaptation of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and produced in Britain for Granada TV), Sherlock Holmes (Jeremy Brett), aided by his companion Dr. Watson (David Burke), investigates the suspicious disappearance of a father and son. This exciting series, which is impeccably faithful to the original stories, will please even the most critical of Holmes fans because of its accurate dramatization of Victorian England. This series was followed by The Return, The Casebook, and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, as well as several feature-length TV movie adaptations. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Brett, David Burke, (more)
Years after her family's pizza parlor was burned to the ground by an out of control arsonist, a girl does her best to overcome her childhood trauma by becoming a seasoned arson investigator in this thriller starring Scott Bakula and Alicia Witt. But some careers are more dangerous than others, and when a madman emerges from the flames to terrorize the respected investigator it begins to appear as if her infernal destiny may have been sealed as a young girl. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Witt, Matthew Settle, (more)
- 1985
An author attempts to relax at a spa but finds danger in the form of a masseuse in this British television mystery movie. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV remake of the classic movie chiller Carrie is slightly more faithful to the original Stephen King novel--and slightly less profane and violent. Following in the bloody footsteps of Sissy Spacek, Angela Bettis stars as woebegone high school girl Carrie White, whose shy and awkward demeanor obscures the fact that she is "gifted" with awesome telekinetic powers. As part of a cruel and vicious student prank, Carrie's better-looking and more socially savvy classmates arrange for the hapless heroine to be elected prom queen--and one does not have to have seen the original film to know the terror that is unleashed once Carrie is crowned (in more ways than one). The climax is infinitely more "high tech" than in the 1976 film, but whether it is equally as frightening is a matter of taste; additionally, the 2002 version boasts a radically different ending, one that could very well accommodate a sequel or two...or three... Patricia Clarkson reprises the old Piper Laurie role as Carrie's abusive religious-fanatic mother. Carrie first aired November 4, 2002, on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Director Tobe Hooper's follow-up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre presents yet another Southern-fried psycho (this time in Louisiana) in the form of a scripture-mumbling, one-legged cracker named Judd (Neville Brand). The proprietor of a seedy bayou inn, Judd keeps a pet gator in the nearby swamp, to which he frequently tosses the remains of his unfortunate victims -- including anyone who offends his delicate sensibilities. One such casualty is Harvey Wood (Mel Ferrer), arriving at Judd's hotel in search of his missing daughter... who, unbeknownst to her old man, has already met her own doom courtesy of the scythe-wielding madman. Other patrons include one of the most annoying families on record -- with Chainsaw veteran Marilyn Burns as the strangely-bewigged mom, William Finley as the browbeaten husband and future Halloween tyke Kyle Richards as the endlessly-shrieking daughter (whose adorable puppy becomes a light gator-snack). Nightmare on Elm Street fans can spot a young, pre-Freddy Robert Englund in a small role as a lecherous cracker. Originally titled Death Trap and known by many aliases, including Starlight Slaughter, Horror Hotel Massacre and Legend of the Bayou. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neville Brand, Mel Ferrer, (more)
- 1998
President John F. Kennedy issued the challenge to America in a speech to Congress in 1961: Land a man on the moon within the decade. This HBO mini-series, produced by Tom Hanks, chronicles the story of NASA's efforts to carry out the vision. Episode 10 looks at what NASA learned about the composition of the moon and its history. The physical specimens gathered by the astronauts held the key to the answers to those questions. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
In 2005 a number of provocative, award-winning ads appeared that touted the Helvetica font; Gary Hustwit explores the subject protractedly with his feature-length essay film Helvetica. The documentary, produced in 2007 (and thus commemorating the typeface's 50th anniversary) uses the omnipresent font as a lens, through which it examines contemporary visual culture and how typeface per se is used, aesthetically, spatially, and culturally, to impart shape and character to urban environments. Hustwit then segues into a discussion with a number of acclaimed designers about their work, their creative visions and processes and the aesthetic reasoning behind various decisions regarding font. Hustwit interviews over 20 design experts in the film, including Michael C. Place, Paula Scher, Matthew Carter and David Carson. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erik Spiekermann, Matthew Carter, (more)
- 2000
- Add In His Life: The John Lennon Story to QueueAdd In His Life: The John Lennon Story to top of Queue
In Liverpool in the 1950s, a young man named John Lennon (Philip McQuillen) combats the traditional education system and the wishes of his well-meaning aunt, Mimi Smith (Blair Brown), to become a musician in the incipient field of rock & roll. He forms a number of bands and with each new effort his local audience grows. Soon, he's teamed up with Stuart Sutcliffe (Lee Williams, George Harrison (Mark Rice-Oxley), Pete Best (Scot Williams), and Paul McCartney (Daniel McGowan), and collectively known as the Beatles, they draw the attention of music promoter Brian Epstein (Jamie Glover) who ushers them into the big time. Sutcliffe and Best are dropped from the band, Ringo Starr (Kristian Ealey) is added, and the rest is musical history.
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
A man struggles to resolve a potentially deadly case of mistaken identity in this thriller. Though he stubbornly insists he is innocent, Race Darnell (Patrick Swayze) is sentenced to a term in prison for the murder of his wife. While behind bars, he begins corresponding through tape-recorded "letters" with several women at once; he mistakenly sends the wrong letter to the wrong woman one day and gets a recording back in which he angrily claims she is going to kill him. Race soon has other things to think about; he's finally cleared of his wife's murder and is released from jail, only to be accused of two other killings. Race is determined to prove he's not the man to blame, and this time he has the help of the guard who used to watch over him. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Swayze, Kim Myers, (more)
- 1990
A strain of Russian flu sweeps through Cicely, and Joel (Rob Morrow) finds himself overwhelmed by the patient turnout. As it develops, the most effective cure for the flu is nurse Marilyn's (Elaine Miles) homemade Eskimo herbal medicine, "Hi-oh-hi-oh-ipsinio" -- which unfortunately stinks to high heaven. The epidemic not only takes a toll on Joel's time and talent but also his love life: his New York fiancée, Elaine Schulman (Jessica Lundy), has just arrived in town. The many references to David Lynch's Twin Peaks in this episode were part of an elaborate joke perpetrated by the producers of Northern Exposure upon the editors of TV Guide. (You had to be there.) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
"Maggie's Curse" strikes again! Rick Pederson (Grant Goodeve), latest boyfriend of the luckless Maggie O'Connell (Janine Turner), suffers a bizarre but peculiarly amusing death when he is hit by a falling satellite (a Comsat 4, in case you're interested). The townsfolk respond by treating Maggie like a leper, and Joel (Rob Morrow) must come to her rescue. Meanwhile, Maurice (John Corbett) considers canceling a lucrative real-estate deal because he disapproves of the lifestyle of the couple he's selling to: a pair of gay men named Ron (Doug Ballard) and Erick (Don R. McManus), who turn out to have much more in common with macho Maurice than he is willing to acknowledge. And Shelly (Cynthia Geary) is none too pleased when Holling (John Cullum) is reunited with an old female acquaintace. This was the final episode of Northern Exposure's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Possibly the best-remembered Northern Exposure TV episode of all, this is the one about "Frozen Pierre". Chris (John Corbett) stumbles across the corpse of a 19th century Frenchman, preserved in ice. Using "Pierre"'s yellowed diary as his guide, Joel (Rob Morrow) begins to rewrite history in his mind. Meanwhile, Maurice (Barry Corbin) hatches a get-rich-quick scheme; Shelley (Cynthia Geary) begins contemplating motherhood, and Holling (John Cullum) wonders if he is truly qualified for fatherhood. In typical Northern Exposure fashion, all the various plot strands are tied together by a common demoninator-this one a fellow who's been dead for over a hundred years. "The Body in Question" was first telecast November 4, 1991 (can it really be that long ago?) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
"Earth can be darker than space," so read the tagline for the ambitious cable sci-fi/fantasy series Odyssey 5. Returning from a lengthy mission in deep space, the crew of a shuttle discovered that they cannot go home because there is no home to go to: The Earth had been destroyed by a huge explosion. A mysterious alien called "the Seeker" (played in the two-hour pilot episode by John Neville) offered the crew an opportunity to prevent the catastrophe and save humankind by traveling five years back in time. There was only one hitch: The crew members were not their "present" selves in the past, but had all grown five years younger, and were still mired in the personal problems that plagued them at this earlier stage: One of the crewpersons was stuck in an unhappy marriage, another was weighed down by a drug dependency, still another was a pimply faced, neurotic high school kid, and so on. The principal characters were the Taggarts -- Chuck (Peter Weller), Neil (Christopher Gorham), Paige (Gina Clayton), and Marc (Kenneth Mitchell) -- and Kurt Mendel (Sebastian Roche), Angela Perry (Tamara Craig Thomas), and Sarah Forbes (Leslie Silva). Odyssey 5 launched its 19-episode Showtime cable network run on June 21, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
While on a visit to Metropolis, Clark Kent (Tom Welling) surreptitiously uses his superpowers to save a homeless man from being killed by a speeding car. Unfortunately, Clark's good deed is witnessed by corrupt police detective Sam Phelan (Cameron Dye). Threatening to reveal Clark's special gifts to the whole world, Phelan tries to blackmail the boy into helping him cover up his misdeeds -- and when Clark refuses, the ruthless detective frames Clark's adoptive father, Jonathan (John Schneider), for a recent crime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The seventh Star Trek feature passed the torch to a new crew. Decades after the original "Trek," the skipper of the fourth USS Enterprise is Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who investigates a massacre at a science outpost. The only survivor is Dr. Soran (Malcolm McDowall), who perpetrated the event to cover up his invention: a bomb he launches into a nearby sun, exploding it. As Soran escapes with Klingon cronies, Picard learns that Soran's plan is to summon a heavenly energy ribbon called the Nexus. Those who enter it live forever with every wish fulfilled. Attempting to stop Soran, Picard ends up inside the Nexus, where he discovers former captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), believed to have been killed in an accident 78 years earlier. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Stewart, William Shatner, (more)
- 1984
- PG
- Add Star Trek III: The Search for Spock to QueueAdd Star Trek III: The Search for Spock to top of Queue
When last we left the crew of the star ship Enterprise, they were heading home following a skirmish with the despotic Khan. The unpleasant incident had cost the life of Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy)--or so it seemed. Admiral Kirk (William Shatner) is informed by Spock's father Sarek (Mark Lenard) that his son is being kept alive in the thoughts of one of the crew members. It now becomes necessary to search for Spock's body, so that flesh and soul can be rejoined on Vulcan. It turns out that Spock's spirit is residing within the mind of the Vulcan's longtime shipmate, "Bones" McCoy (DeForrest Kelley). Finding the body is another matter, since the Enterprise has been consigned to the trash heap and thus is out of Kirk's jurisdiction. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, (more)
- 1993
Jadzia Dax's past catches up with her when she is accused of murders and treasonable acts committed in her prior Trill identity of Curzon Dax. Sisko battles precedent by seeking to prevent Dax's extradition. In the meantime, Kira, Odo, and Dr. Bashir take it upon themselves to mount Dax's defense, something in which Dax herself refuses to participate. Written by Peter Allan Fields and veteran Star Trek hand D.C. Fontana, "Dax" was originally telecast February 13, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine began its seven-season run with this two hour episode. The episode harked back to the classic 1990 Next Generation season-ender "Best of Both Worlds," wherein the insidious Borg took over the mind and shape of Captain Jean-Luc Picard to launch an attack on the Federation. Three years later, Benjamin Sisko, survivor of the Borg attack, is assigned as commander of Deep Space Nine, a run-down former Cardassian space station in Bajoran territory. Sisko's first assignment is to oversee repairs of Deep Space Nine, but as the story progresses, he finds that he has been predestined to repair the tattered remnants of Bajor's ruined economy. Patrick Stewart guest stars in his familiar role of Captain Picard, who the embittered Sisko holds responsible for his own wife's death. Written by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, "Emissary" was originally telecast on January 2, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Up to his usual tricks, Quark tries to cheat the members of a newly discovered alien race. Upon learning that they've been hornswoggled, the aliens exact a nasty punishment on the duplicitous barkeep. As a result, Sisko, Kira, Dax, and Bashir find themselves pawns in a deadly game of chance. "Move Along Home" was scripted by Frederick Rappaport, Lisa Rich, and Jeanne Carrigan-Fauci from a story by Michael Piller; the episode was first made available to local stations on March 13, 1993. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Odo's discoverer and mentor, Bajoran scientist Dr. Mora Pol, arrives on DS9. After an uncomfortable reunion with Odo (who does not relish the notion of being a "living experiment"), the good doctor announces his intention to resume his search for Odo's true origins. The solution may lie within the ruins of an ancient planet on the other side of the wormhole. Written by Bill Dial and Jim Trombetta, "The Alternate" was originally broadcast on January 8, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Star Trek: The Next Generation inaugurated its fifth season with the conclusion of the fourth-season cliffhanger. The situation remains the same as in part one, with the Klingon Empire on the brink of a civil war. The source of the unrest is the Duras family, who Captain Picard suspects is in cahoots with the dreaded Romulans. Risking an apocalyptic war and sorely testing his friendship with his former Klingon officer Worf, Picard orders a Federation blockade on the Klingon/Romulan border. The former Next Generation regular who appeared in part one is again on hand, this time with full screen credit. Written by Ronald D. Moore, part two of "Redemption" first aired September 28, 1991. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
