Don S. Davis Movies

A hardened seaman and a dogged reporter become trapped on an island with a mysterious scientist, a ruthless band of mercenaries, and a vicious pack of unidentifiable creatures in BloodRayne director Uwe Boll's seventh video game-to-screen adaptation. A team of mercenaries has been attacked on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and as mysterious reports begin to emerge from the chaos, a veteran Seattle newspaper editor sends top reporters Tom Moore and Valerie Constantine to the scene in hopes of getting the scoop on the story. Shortly after arriving on the island under the guidance of ship captain Jack Carver (Til Schweiger), the trio is attacked by mercenary commander Maria Sanchez. Though Tom is killed, Valerie and Jack manage to stage a daring escape and quickly begin to bicker over their plan as Maria's murderous soldiers fast begin gaining ground. Despite Captain Jack's plan to locate his friend Emilio and get off of the island as quickly as possible, reporter Valerie remains determined to investigate the strange situation and get as many details as possible for her upcoming story. Later, when Jack, Valerie, and Emilio are captured and taken to the secret lab of genius scientist Dr. Krieger, Valerie is extended an invitation to join the doctor in announcing his latest findings to the world. Though it finally seems as if Valerie has gotten just the scoop needed to make her story, the situation quickly turns chaotic when one of Dr. Kreiger's creatures escapes from the lab and sets out on a murderous rampage. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A cryptozoologist in search of the infamous Loch Ness monster discovers that the malevolent, forty-foot long reptile from Scotland has traveled to Lake Superior via an elaborate series of subterranean tunnels, and that she's brought her hungry offspring along for a feeding frenzy. The once calm towns surrounding of Lake Superior will never be the same again, because when after the locals realize the horror that has been unleashed upon them no one will dare set foot in the water. Only one man has ever survived an encounter with old Nessie, and that's James Murphy (Brian Krause). Murphy knows Nessie like no one else, and he's determined to hunt down the mysterious creature and exact brutal vengeance. Will Murphy survive his second encounter with Nessie and her brood, or will the citizens around Lake Superior become little more than food for a beast thats time has finally come. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A relaxing weekend getaway turns into a fight for their lives when a young couple falls prey to a vengeful clan of backwoods squatters in cinematographer-turned-director Jeffery Scott Lando's directorial debut. As they arrive on Savage Island with their newborn son for a weekend visit with the family, young couple Steven and Julia is greeted at the pier by Julia's young brother Keith. Callously speeding back to the cabin with the headlights turned off in a bid to get a rise out of his sister, Keith runs over what he assumes to be a small animal. When the Savage clan arrives at their doorstep claiming that Keith ran over their young boy and demand Steven and Julia's newborn son as compensation for their loss, the couple's refusal to hand over their son sparks a brutal struggle for survival pitting the determined city-dwellers against their resourceful -- and bloodthirsty -- backwoods counterparts. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Inasmuch as longtime regular Michael Shanks has returned to Stargate SG-1 after a one year absence, the series' seventh season opens with the SG-1 crew, headed by Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson), literally bringing Shanks' character Daniel Jackson back from the dead, rescuing his soul from the City of the Lost. Although he has no memory of his past life, Jackson proves indispensable to the team during their showdown with all-purpose villain Anubis (David Palffy). In the course of the action, the crew becomes separated from Jackson's temp replacement Jonas Quinn, who won't show up again until midway through the season (actor Corin Nemec is no longer a regular, and will hereafter be billed as a "special guest star"). In later episodes, Jack regresses to a teenager thanks to a cosmic disturbance involving alien abductees. Jaffan crew member Teal'c (Christopher Judge) must save his son Rya'c (Neil Denis) from a Jaffa death camp--but becomes a prisoner himself; the crew comes across a biodome on a toxic planet, populated by people who may be figments of a computer's imagination; Jackson is possessed by the souls of dozens of hibernating space travelers; the efforts by Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) to help an alien society enter the "race for space" is compromised by a saboteur; and a virus originally designed to disable unfriendly Stargates accidentally spreads throughout the Gate Network. Also: in the two-part "Evolution", a new enemy race determined to systematically destroy all System Lords appears just as Jack is off elsewhere, attempting to rescue a kidnapped Jackson. A later two-parter, "Heroes, begins with the arrival of a documentary crew prepared to spend a few days filming Star Gate Command--and ends with the unexpected death of one of the series' longest-lasting regulars. And in the season finale, the SG-1 crew must journey way, WAY back in time to retrieve the ancient weaponry required to defend Mankind against the latest assault from Anubis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Although Stargate SG-1 had only been contracted to run four seasons on Showtime,the series' vast popularity dictated a fifth season--and of course a satisfactory resolution for the "cliffhanger" that had closed out the action the year before. Well, what could be more satisfactory than the death of despotic warrior king Apophis--and with Jacob Carter (Carmen Argenziano), the newly regenerated father of SG-1 crewperson Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping), leading the final assault against Apophis and his minions? In fact, the producers of the series were so juiced on this season opener that they allowed to it spread over two hour-long episodes! But though Apophis is gone, the parasitic Goa'uld race is still a menace to those alternate-universe planets on the other side of the Stargate portals throughout the universe, and thus the mission of SG-1 leader Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and his crew is far from over. Subsequent adventures include one which casts the spotlight on longtime series featured player Teryl Rothery), who in her role as Dr. Frasier, aide to Stargate Project head Gen. Hammond (Don S. Davis), must save a modern-day Cassandra (named Cassandra!) from being killed by her own visions of doom. Later, an episode titled "2001 hasn't got much to do with Stanley Kubrick), but instead is concerned with a strange and possibly universe-altering bargain from the hitherto unknown Ashen Confederacy. And in a fascinating, Pirandellian episode, O'Neill must prevent the filming of a TV show about Stargate SG-1. The most significant development of Season Five occurs during the 2-part cliffhanger finale, in which the crew comes to the aid of the planet Kelowna to forestall its destruction. In the course of the action, O'Neill's comrade in arms Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) sacrificially absorbs a fatal dose of radiation--which causes Kelownan diplomat Jonas Quinn (Corin Nemec) to offer his services as an SG-1 team member to compensate for his guilt over indirectly causing Jackson's demise. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this made-for-TV thriller, a train hauling a cargo of radioactive waste is passing through Colorado when its brakes fail in the Rocky Mountains. The train begins rolling out of control and is headed for Denver with no way to stop it. John Seger (Rob Lowe), an agent with the National Transportation Safety Board, has to find a way to bring the train safely to a halt, and he soon learns that the stakes are even greater than he imagined -- a faulty Russian atomic bomb is also on board, which could blow the city sky high in the event of a wreck. Atomic Train also stars Kristen Davis, Esai Morales, and Mena Suvari, the latter shortly before she bolted to stardom with roles in American Pie and American Beauty. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Season two of Stargate SG-1 begins with a resolution of the cliffhanger which closed out season one, as SG-1 leader Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) is imprisoned on an enemy war vessel as the Earth braces for an attack from those parasitic predators, the Goa'uld. When the dust settles, it seems as though the good guys have scored a clear victory and that Goa'uld leader Apophis (Peter Williams) is dead. The remainder of the season chronicles the aftermath of the attack, and the efforts by the SG-1 team to rescue survivors and set things aright by journeying from one Stargate portal to another throughout the galaxy -- despite the usual roadblocks, setbacks, death traps, false allies, and a variety of "possessions" in which the main characters undergo startling personality changes. Season two's perils include a "virtual-reality" trap which forces the team to relive the worst moments of their lives over and over again; a lengthy imprisonment in the Naquadah mines, where O'Neill and his crew are enslaved for the purpose of replenishing the Goa'uld's energy supply; a return visit to the Norselike planet Cimmeria, which, of course, is also under siege by Goa'uld forces; and the heroic efforts by the team to counteract the effects of a lethal virus they have accidentally unleashed on the universe. Also: O'Neill accidentally absorbs the accumulated advanced knowledge of the Ancients who created Stargate -- and may suffer a literal mental meltdown as a consequence of "knowing too much." Jaffan crew member Teal'c (Christopher Judge) is laid low by the news that his wife Drey'ac (Brook Parker), believing Teal'c dead, has married his best friend -- and worse still, Teal'c's son Rya'c (Neil Denis) has been brainwashed by the villainous (and not as dead as assumed!) Apophis. In the same vein, Daniel Jackson's (Michael Shanks) alien wife Sha're (Vaitiare Bandera) announces she is pregnant with Apophis' child. And back on Earth, an unexpected journey back to the year 1969 finds the SG-1 team proving to be quite a "trip" for a pair of wide-eyed hippies. Other highlights include the two-part "The Tok'ra," in which a Goa'uld resistance movement proves to be a mixed blessing when they are obliged to take human "hosts" to survive, while at the same time SG-1er Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) agonizes over the imminent death of her cancer-ridden father Jacob (Carmen Argenziano). And in the season's traditional cliffhanger finale, O'Neill, Carter, and Jackson awaken from 79 years' suspended animation to be told that they're the last survivors of the Stargate team, and that their combined memory banks are sorely needed to continue the fight against the Goa'uld -- but appearances in this case are deceiving. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Called back to active duty by Gen. George Hammond (Don S. Davis), Col. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) emerges from the retirement he'd imposed on himself after vanquishing Ra, despotic leader of the hideous Goa'uld race, in the "alternate universe" planet Abydos. Word has reached Hammond, head of the top-secret Stargate project, that O'Neill's former associate Dr. David Jackson (Michael Shanks), who'd discovered that the universe is festooned with Stargate "portals" enabling alien civilizations to pass from one plane of reality to another and back again, and who'd evidently perished during the battle with Ra, may still be alive. Blasting off from Stargate Command's headquarters in the Air Force's Cheyenne Mountain Complex, where the Earth's Stargate is located and carefully guarded, O'Neill and his Stargate 1 team, including scientist Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) manage to cross over into Abydos and rescue Jackson from Ra's vicious successor Apophis (Peter Williams). Armed with a map drawn up by Jackson, the SG-1 personnel dedicate themselves to journeying to as many Stargates in the galaxy as possible, the better to protect a variety of alien races from hostile invasion. And thus begins the first season of the enormously popular cable sci-fi series Stargate SG-1. Before long, O'Neill et al. have taken on a new ally, Jaffa soldier Teal'c (Christopher Judge), who refuses to fall in line with his people and blindly accept the Goa'uld as gods. Though Teal'c seems to be trustworthy, the rest of the crew cannot forget that he, like all Jaffan males, carries a larval Goa'uld in his stomach. The SG-1's intergalactic perambulations brings the team in contact with the Shavadi warriors on the planet Simarka; with planet P3X797, where a strict caste system is determined by who lives on the "dark" and "light" side of the plane; and with Samantha Carter's former lover (played by William Russ), who rules Kurtzlike as a god on a faraway planet. In one startling episode the entire crew is actually killed by the predatory Apophis, only to be brought back to life by the invisible Fenri race. Elsewhere, O'Neill undergoes an accelerated aging process on the planet Argos; the crew uncovers disturbing evidence of Stargate activation as far back as 1945 -- but they may never live to tell about it; SG-1 takes the first of many trips to the Planet Cimmeria, ruled by Holographic Norse deities; Teal'c tries to save his son Rya'c (Neil Denis) from being inseminated with a Goa'uld larva; Samantha bonds with a little girl who may have to be killed before she can destroy all humankind, and later Sam and O'Neill are marooned on a frozen planet where she is forced to assume command; and Dr. Jackson is whisked into an alternate reality where all the familiar characters undergo radical changes of personality. Season one ends as all subsequent seasons will, with a cliffhanger that will remain unresolved until the beginning of the next season. In this case, Jackson must alert the team of his foreknowledge that Earth is due for an attack by the Goa'uld -- just as the Stargate Project's funding is slashed to the bone by an anti-military politician. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The late Robert Urich completed work on this cable-TV movie only a few days before undergoing cancer surgery. Set in the early months of the Great Depression, the story involves Angus Feagan (Urich), a Detroit family man who has lost both his job and his freedom. Arrested for a crime he didn't commit, Feagan finds that his fate is in the hands of his three children, who in their efforts to get their dad sprung before Christmas are set upon enlisting the aid of no less than President Herbert Hoover (Thomas Peacocke). In this spirit, the youngsters set out for Washington DC--and when their mother (Diane Scarwid) finds out, a frantic thousand-mile chase ensues. In fine old Frank Capra tradition, the kids encounter a variety of eccentric characters en route to the White House, all played by actors whose faces are reassuringly familiar, even if their names are not. The Angel of Pennsylvania Avenue premiered over the Family Channel on December 15, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Robert De Niro is Gil Renard, baseball fan from hell. Bobby Rayburn (Wesley Snipes) is the player he is nuts about. No sooner does the talented Rayburn sign a huge contract with the San Francisco Giants, than everything in his life goes horribly wrong. Not only does his field play deteriorate along with his batting average, but someone murders his chief team rival. It's not revealing too much to say that Gil killed him, in the mistaken belief that he was doing Bobby a favor. When superfan Gil insinuates himself into Bobby's everyday life, the situation grows much worse, because this fixated nut-case has some very strange ideas about family solidarity. Amusing highlights come from John Leguizamo as a ballplayer's agent, and Ellen Barkin as a radio sports announcer. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This made-for-TV drama tells the story of a woman's struggle with ethics versus family loyalty. Faye Dunaway stars as Karen Billingsley, an upper-class family woman and mother who suspects that her son (Cameron Bancroft) was involved in a vicious rape. Her search for the truth takes its toll on her marriage to husband Roger (Stephen Collins) and puts her stable family-life to the test. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide

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

This made-for-television movie is an action-thriller set in the mountains. David Hasselhoff stars as a diamond smuggler who crashes his plane into the snowy mountains to escape capture. His reckless move sets off an avalanche that traps him, along with a father (Michael Gross) and his kids, under the snow. The movie follows the family as they battle to survive both Mother Nature and the criminal-minded Hasselhoff. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide