David Franklin Movies

The sixth season of The Waltons) gets under way minus two longtime series regulars: Richard Thomas as John-Boy and Ellen Corby as Grandma Walton (though both actors would return during the season as guest stars). It is 1939, and as war clouds gather in Europe, a battle of a more spiritual nature is brewing on Walton's Mountain with the arrival of new minister Hank Buchanan (Peter Fox). Though many parishioners, notably Olivia Walton (Michael Learned), are turned off by Buchanan's unorthodox approach to his calling, John Walton (Ralph Waite) warms up to him immediately--if only because the Reverend is not the traditional "hell-fire and brimstome" type. Even more impressed by Buchanan is Olivia and John's daughter Erin (Mary Elizabeth McDonough), whose fascination with the newcomer soon develops into a crush! Meanwhile, Grandpa Walton (Will Geer) and grandson Jim-Bob (David W. Harper) try to kill the chicken hawk that has been systematically raiding the local coops. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A simple divorce investigation leads to the uncovering of a dead body in this whodunit. ~ All Movie Guide

After his mother's death, Fred P. Cheney (Bob Goldthwaith) must share the family financial business with his scheming stepfather Walter Sawyer (Dabney Coleman) in this misfired comedy. Fred also inherits Don, a talking horse who provides him with hot tips on the stock market. Don's voice is provided by John Candy, and Virginia Madsen plays Fred's romantic interest Allison Rowe. Mr. Ed and Francis the Talking Mule must be rolling over in their graves over this uneven comedy attempt. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

In this odd-ball rock & roll narrative from Australia, busy Mickey, a sound engineer for a futuristic heavy metal band, dreams of singing his own tender love songs someday. It looks as if his dreams just may come true when he encounters the enigmatic devil's-advocate Damien Shard who has invented the Psychotronic Alpha Sampler, a machine that scrambles brainwaves and basically makes dreams reality. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Recalling Peter Weir's Last Wave (1997), Manuela Alberti directs this thriller about Monsignor Tommaso (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), who dreams that an Australian aborigine is trying to tell him something. When he learns that his daughter is missing and that the part of the country in which she lives is terrorized by a serial killer, Tommaso hops on the first plane. He soon encounters Willie (David Ngoombujarra), the aborigine of his dreams. The duo search the outback looking for the missing girl before running into city-born aborigine cop Sutherland (John Moore). ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

When Ephiny (Danielle Cormack) is killed by Brutus (David Franklin), Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is crowned the Queen of the Amazons. Meanwhile, Xena (Lucy Lawless) tussles with both Brutus' comrade in arms, Caesar (Karl Urban), and their mutual enemy, Pompey (Jeremy Callaghan). And a rebellious teenaged Amazon named Amarice (Jennifer Sky, in her first series appearance) attaches herself to the nonplussed Gabrielle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this second episode of the three-part story "Look at the Princess," Crichton (Ben Browder) is still slated to wed Katralla (Felicity Price) of the Royal Planet. If he doesn't go through with the wedding, the consequences will be fatal for Moya and the crew -- and if he does, he faces the prospect of being transformed into a statue for the next 80 cycles. Meanwhile, Jena (Bianca Chiminello), fiancée of Katralla's brother Prince Klavor (Felix Williamson), reveals herself to be a PeaceKeeper assassin. "I Do, I Think" first aired on July 28, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A con man discovers there is something he can't sell -- namely, a sour-voiced singer he's trying to mold into a star -- in this bittersweet comedy about the outer fringes of show business. Joey Grasso (Salvatore Coco) is an almost pathologically confident man who has just been released from prison after doing time for selling a phony cure for cellulite. Joey lives with his current girlfriend, Bonita (Sacha Horler), who is confined to a wheelchair due to an auto accident, though her father is convinced Joey is only interested in her for the $1 million settlement Bonita is due to receive. One day, at a motivational seminar, Joey makes the acquaintance of Nikki (Nikki Bennett), the daughter of popular nightclub performer Marty Raye (Carter Edwards). Nikki confesses to Joey that she wants more than anything to make it big as a singer, and Joey signs on as her manager, fast-talking a reluctant Bonita into bankrolling Nikki's bid for stardom. However, Nikki isn't a terribly good singer, and is a bit unstable to boot; after an audition for record producer Phil Wehner (Jon English) ends in disaster, Joey discovers just how steep an uphill climb he has in selling Nikki to the public. Walk the Talk was the second feature written and directed by Shirley Barrett, whose debut, Love Serenade, earned her the Camera d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Someone has murdered Queen Cleopatra (Josephine Davison), and it is up to Xena (Lucy Lawless) to find the killer. Thus it is that, when a rolled-up carpet is delivered to Marc Antony (Jon Bennett), out pops Xena, alluringly disguised as the Queen of Egypt. Meanwhile, Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) must tangle with Antony's mortal enemy Brutus (David Franklin) -- who knows only too well that the real Cleopatra is dead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

While spacewalking, Crichton (Ben Browder) is sucked into a small wormhole, ending up on what seems to be a floating iceberg occupied by an oddly garbed old man (John Bach). It turns out that the stranger, whom Crichton joshingly nicknames "Einstein," is from a race known as the Ancients, who centuries before had discovered that the universe was connected by a sort of "wormhole highway" and had dedicated themselves to keep the millions of realms thus connected safe from harm. Crichton is told that his own accumulated wormhole knowledge has the potential to disrupt or destroy all the alternate realities in space -- and thus, Einstein has no choice but to execute him. Several former Farscape regulars make cameo appearances via highlights from earlier episodes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

After a hiatus of over five months, Farscape resumed its fourth and final season with a foray into the distant past. Rescued by D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe) and the Moya crew from his wormhole odyssey, John Crichton (Ben Browder) discovers that he has inadvertently upset the Timestream. As a result, Crichton and his cohorts end up on Earth in 1986, just before John's father, Jack (Kent McCord), is about to serve as commander on the ill-fated Challenger shuttle flight. With virtually no time to spare, John tries to save his father's life, an action that will prevent the entire Farscape project from slipping into limbo. Elsewhere, the Moya crew encounter that curious native custom known as Halloween, and also attempt to steer clear of a nosy interloper. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the now-famous final episode of Farscape, a chance remark by John Crichton (Ben Browder) precipitates a full-scale Scarran invasion of Earth. The only hope for salvation is the utter destruction of the wormhole, a drastic action which John is not all that keen on undertaking. Meanwhile, the duplicitous Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) exploits John's uncertainties in order to forge yet one more unholy alliance. Will the Earth be rendered vulnerable and helpless? And what of the relationship between John and Aeryn (Claudia Black)? Yes, the well-publicized denouement is a shocker -- but remember, nothing is "final" in the wondrous world of TV series spin-offs. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In the conclusion of a three-part story, the Moya crew must improvise a new strategy a minute to escape from the Scarran base Katratzi. To keep the unreliable Scorpius (Wayne Pygram) from revealing the secrets of wormhole technology, John Crichton (Ben Browder) may have to cater to Scorpius' every whim -- and right now, that whim involves harvesting Scarran flora. As the episode progresses, the viewer is faced with two disturbing questions: Are the Moya crew members liberators or terrorists -- and will Crichton be forced to detonate his nuclear device? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide