Avery Brooks Movies

Halle Berry hosts this eye-opening account of the African-American contribution to the United States military, beginning with the role of black soldiers in the American Revolution and spanning to the African-American experience in Iraq. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Though the dark history of slavery receives a substantial degree of attention in today's classrooms, the life story of William Wilberforce marks a glaring exception. A late 18th and early 19th Century British Parlamentarian who saw the fulfillment of his Christian ideals in the complete abolition of trans-Atlantic human trafficking, Wilberforce fought aggressively and courageously to achieve this goal, and also set up 69 nonprofit organizations designed to improve social conditions in Great Britain. By telling Wilberforce's story, the biographical documentary The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce meditates on the ways in which a single human being can permanently alter the tide of history and definitively end a human evil. Avery Brooks narrates. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

An action drama centering on the media circus, 15 Minutes focuses on a New York homicide detective named Eddie Flemming (Robert De Niro), a famous figure known for his heroic on-the-job manner. A tabloid news anchor (Kelsey Grammer) attempts to get the scoop on Flemming's latest beat when a pair of Eastern European criminals (Karel Roden and Oleg Taktarov) find a way to manipulate the media by filming their exploits, which they believe they can sell to bloodthirsty journalists and make themselves rich. In the wake of a double murder, Flemming teams up with Jordy Warsaw (Edward Burns), an arson investigator assigned to help locate the murderous pair. Meanwhile, Flemming must contend with his news reporter girlfriend Nicolette (Melina Kanakaredes) as he and Jordy find themselves enveloped in a lurid series of events that threatens to jeopardize their safety. Kim Cattrall, Avery Brooks, and Vera Farmiga are also featured in the cast. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Travelers spend billions of dollars every year to escape the doldrums of the rat race and seek out safe adventure in exotic locales. But there are some places that are either too costly or too dangerous for the average tourist to tread. Thankfully there are scientists and others dedicated to the study of such exotic places and the telling of what they have seen and found. The Greatest Places is a document of such places by such people. Director Mal Wolfe, with the support of several municipal science organizations, has compiled images and commentary of seven of the world's most exotic places. With narration from actor Avery Brooks, the viewer is whisked away to the Amazon Basin, Tibet, Iguaza Falls, the frosty planes of Greenland, the Kalahari Desert, and the remote island of Madagascar. Before Slingshot Entertainment converted this film to DVD and VHS it was only seen on the IMAX screens. Though this video may not compare to actually being in a canoe on the Amazon, with the special attention to the uniqueness of each location and the innovative first person style in which this film is shot, you are given the next best thing. The DVD format also gives you the opportunity to investigate these places in more depth with an included link to the Internet and various menu features that compliment the movie. ~ Ed Atkinson, Rovi

Kirk Wong directed this comedy actioner about mild-mannered, beleaguered hitman Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg), who very much wants to be liked. However, the naive Mel is being taken advantage of by both his girlfriends and associates (who cheat him out of his bonuses). Mel and his "Odd Squad" -- Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.), and Gump (Robin Dunne) -- work for Paris (Avery Brooks), head of an international crime cartel and a contractor for hit jobs. Mel's mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon), who views him as a meal ticket, lives rent-free in his house, misspends his money, and is continually thinking of ways to get more from him. Her latest scheme is concocting tales about overdue mortgage and car payments, but she really wants the money to run away with her lover Sergio. Mel and his team head into a big shootout to waste some rival mobsters. One person kills the electricity; the others don night-vision goggles. Melvin handles most of the action, including shooting while bungee-bouncing near a staircase, finally making a spectacular bungee-exit from the top floors of the building just as it explodes in flames. A quick and easy weekend job backfires when their kidnap victim, a rich industrialist's teenage daughter Keiko Nishi (China Chow), turns out to be the godchild of their boss, crime czar Paris. When Cisco, mastermind of the plan, is summoned by Paris, he manages to shift blame to Mel. Meanwhile, Chantel absconds with Mel's earnings just as the disapproving parents (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) of Mel's fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) are due for a visit. Since Pam gave her parents $50,000 from Mel's bank account, they're on their way to thank him and hopefully benefit from another financial windfall. As his professional and domestic woes collide, Mel finds himself dodging bullets while trying to impress his potential in-laws. Throw in an overzealous video-store clerk demanding the return of an overdue tape (King Kong Returns), and it's not long before Mel's life starts to unravel. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Discovery Channel Pictures/Imax Corporation Michael Caulfield directs this 40-minute Imax documentary about African elephants, traveling over Mount Kilimanjaro, and Kenyan waterfalls, rivers, and forests. A large 60-year-old elephant known as Old Bull (voice of Avery Brooks) recalls the history of his clan and relationships in elephant society -- babies to mothers, mothers to families, and families to clans. Clan members are seen in competition for mates, raising children, and searching for food. With the onset of a severe drought, the clan migrates in a journey across vast stretches of land in search of dwindling sources of food and water, triumphant in one glorious moment when the long-awaited rains finally arrive. Music by Roger Mason. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This 7-disc set includes all 26 episodes from the fifth season.

Episodes: Apocalypse Rising, The Ship, Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places, ...Nor the Battle to the Strong, The Assignment, Trials and Tribble-ations, Let He Who Is Without Sin..., Things Past, The Ascent, Rapture, The Darkness and the Light, The Begotten, For the Uniform, In Purgatory's Shadow, By Inferno's Light, Doctor Bashir I Presume?, A Simple Investigation, Business as Usual, Ties of Blood and Water, Ferengi Love Songs, Soldiers of the Empire, Children of Time, Blaze of Glory, Empok Nor, In the Cards, Call to Arms.

Returning from his home planet, Quark announces that he has contacted the dreaded disease Dorek Syndrome. With only a week to live, Quark must, according to Ferengi custom, square all his debts before shuffling off his mortal coil. Meanwhile, a pregnant Keiko loses her unborn child in an accident, only to discover that the fetus has been transferred to Kira. Scripted by Hans Beimler from a story by Louis P. DeSantis and Robert J. Bolivar and directed by Avery Brooks, "Body Parts" was first telecast June 10, 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

The popular TV-series private eye Spenser (of Spenser For Hire) re-surfaces in this made-for-cable movie. Robert Urich returns to his role as the gumshoe. This time, Spenser comes to the aid of old flame Candy Sloane (Cynthia Dale), a reporter who needs Spenser's help and protection as she investigates a fraud ring. This drama was based on the book of the same name by Robert B. Parker. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

Once again, one of Jazdia Dax's previous hosts causes trouble for her present incarnation. This time, she comes face to face with Lenara (Susanna Thompson), the wife of Dax's former male host Torias. Despite the rigid taboos of the Trill society (to say nothing of the discomfort of the DS9 crew), Dax and Lenara find themselves on the verge of renewing their romantic relationship. First telecast October 30, 1995, "Rejoined" was written by Ronald D. Moore and Rene Echevarria, and directed by Avery Brooks. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In this made-for-TV movie spun off from the series Spenser: For Hire, Robert Urich returns as private eye Spenser. Here, Spencer and his partner Hawk (Avery Brooks) are hired by Hugh Dixon (Leon Pownall) to find out who murdered his wife and children. Spenser and Hawk's investigation eventually leads them to a white supremacist terrorist who is plotting the assassination of a prominent African leader. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The focus of this episode is O'Brien, who is arrested by the Cardassians on charges of smuggling and conspiracy. Though he is unaware of the charges levelled against him, O'Brien protests his innocence, to no avail, since the Cardassians have already found him guilty and sentenced him to death. Making matters worse is the overwhelmed body of evidence pointing to O'Brien's guilt, evidence that even the crew of DS9 is unable to refute. Written by Bill Dial and directed by Avery Brooks, "Tribunal" first aired June 4, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi