Patrick Sheane Duncan Movies

Seven years after playing the David Bowie-esque glam rocker in Velvet Goldmine, actor Jonathan Rhys-Meyers tackles the role of the biggest rock-and-roller of all time -- The King -- in this television miniseries. CBS' Elvis traces Elvis Presley's rise from being a humble, poor kid in early-'50s Memphis to being an isolated, prescription-drug-addicted superstar fearful of going on-stage for his 1968 comeback special. Along the way, he's torn between his devotion to his mama Gladys (Camryn Manheim) and the machinations of his stealthy manager, "Colonel" Tom Parker (Randy Quaid). Among Presley's hurdles: his R&B music and performance style prompts cries of obscenity from community leaders; he's drafted for the Army and decides to go; and he longs to become a serious movie star, although the Colonel has different ideas. Elvis was significant in that it was the first biopic of the star to allow the use of The King's original recordings, lip-synched by Rhys-Meyers. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

A soldier discovers how elusive the truth can be in this first major film about America's role in the Gulf War. Lt. Col. Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) was the commander of a unit during Operation Desert Storm who mistakenly ordered the destruction of what he believed to be an enemy tank, only to discover that it actually held U.S. soldiers, including a close friend. Since then, Serling has been an emotional wreck, drinking heavily and allowing his marriage to teeter on the brink of collapse. As a means of redeeming himself, Serling is given a new assignment by his superior, Gen. Hershberg (Michael Moriarty). Capt. Karen Walden (Meg Ryan) was a helicopter pilot who died in battle during the Iraqi conflict, and the White House has proposed that Walden be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Serling is asked to investigate Walden's actions on the field of battle, but he quickly discovers that no two stories about her are quite the same; Ilario (Matt Damon) says Walden acted heroically and sacrificed herself to save the others in her company, while Monfriez (Lou Diamond Phillps) claims she was a coward who was attempting to surrender to enemy troops. Meanwhile, reporter Tony Gartner (Scott Glenn) is hounding Serling, trying to get the inside story on Walden and on Serling's own difficulties. Matt Damon lost 40 pounds to prepare for his role in Courage Under Fire, which resulted in a potentially life-threatening illness for the young actor. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A stranger pulled into a deadly scheme races against time to save his daughter in this thriller. Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) is an accountant who comes to L.A. with his ten-year-old daughter Lynn (Courtney Chase) to attend a funeral. On the street, Gene and Lynn are pulled aside by Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia), who flash what look like police badges and usher them into a van. Gene soon discovers that he's been kidnapped, and his captors have an unusual demand -- if Gene does not murder Gov. Eleanor Grant (Marsha Mason) within 75 minutes, his daughter will be killed. Gene now has just an hour and a quarter to tip off the authorities, spare Gov. Grant, and find out what Smith and Jones are trying to do, along with saving his daughter's life. He finds a much-needed ally in one-legged shoe-shine man Huey (Charles S. Dutton). Most of the action in Nick of Time occurs in "real time," meaning that the passage of time on screen matches that of real life, as the frequent shots of clocks and watches will attest. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Oscar-winner Kathy Bates stars in this tearjerker about a strong-willed widow determined to make it on her own. Bates is Frances Lacey, mother of six, left alone to provide for the family after her husband dies. Hoping to steer the kids away from the hazards on the streets of Los Angeles, she packs the brood up in the family car and heads out to find a new place to plant some roots. When Frances spots the unfinished frame of a house owned by a lonely Japanese man (Soon Tek-Oh), she cuts a deal with him to get the house in exchange for chores done by the family. Despite the trappings of poverty and the miseries that accompany financial uncertainty, Frances refuses to allow herself or her children to wallow in self-pity and instead forges ahead teaching them valuable life lessons. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

This "feature film" is comprised of scenes from the six-part sequel to the 1987 TV series Vietnam War Story. Each self-contained playlet involves one or more members of the American forces which occupied Southeast Asia in the 1960s. The first story involves a black GI (Tim Guinee) whose kindness to a Vietnamese girl has tragic consequences. Next, a soldier (Tate Donovan) on leave discovers that the war has taken a toll on his marriage. Then we watch as a group of grunts plan to "frag" their hateful captain. This is followed by the story of a careless soldier who is separated from his comrades in the middle of the jungle. The fifth tale involves a new recruit's last night of "freedom." The film concludes with the story of two nurses--one a vet, one a greenhorn--who are united in their struggle against horrific hospital conditions. Vietnam War Story: The Last Days was originally telecast on a sporadic basis between July 20 and December 7, 1988, over the HBO pay-cable service. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Newly appointed the Lord High Executioner, Lord Edmund Blackadder takes his new responsibilities quite seriously. Assigned to remove the head of the "blasphemous" Lord Farrow, Edmund does so with dispatch and élan. Unfortunately, he discovers ex post facto that Lord Farrow has been pardoned by the Queen (Miranda Richardson). "Head" originally aired in England on January 16, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Not to be confused with the 1960 film of the same name, this fast-paced karate action flick stars Chuck Norris, still riding high on his karate film successes of the early '80s, and several years away from starting his popular Walker: Texas Ranger TV series. In this story he plays Eddie Cusak, a painfully honest police sergeant who just misses pulling off a drug bust -- it seems another gang got there before him, wiped out the competition, and made off with a fortune in white powder. A bad move -- this means nothing less than all-out war between the two rival gangs, with the police caught in the middle. Cusak has other problems as well, one of his team killed an innocent bystander during the raid and he is duty-bound to squelch any cover-up. With enemies on both sides of the law, he then has to take on the drug cartel with nothing more than cannons, machine guns, shotguns, pistols, a robot car, and other sundry artillery to help him out. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this fairly innocent fare, some wild beach girls throw a super party to help a nerdy guy and an up-tight gal get with the beach blanket times. Though certainly not a shocker, this movie was rated R for nudity. ~ Rovi