Mick Garris Movies

Conceived along the lines of Showtime's Masters of Horror, NBC's Fear Itself was a dramatic anthology consisting of 13 separate hour-long films, each one a spinetingling exercise in psychological and physiological terror. The series boasted the combined efforts of some of show business' top horror writers and directors: talents like John Landis, Ronny Yu (the "Chucky" films), Darren Lynn Bousman (the "Saw" series), Dan Knauf (Supernatural), Mary Harron (American Psycho), Breck Eisner, Brad Anderson, Jon Gangemi, Steve Niles, and Fear Itself's creator Mick Garris. Similarly, the guest stars were drawn from the ranks of the sci-fi/fantasy realm, among them Lost's Cynthia Watros, Heroes' Eric Roberts and Star Trek: Enterprise's John Billingsley. Though not as explicit as Masters of Horror, the NBC series still succeeded admirably in raising the collective goose pimples of its fans. Fear Itself first aired on June 5, 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A man who makes a horrifying discovery about the founding fathers of America must protect his family from the murderous loyalist determined to safeguard the volatile secret at all costs in director Peter Medak's adaptation of a short story by author Bentley Little. Soon after his grandfather's funeral, Mike (Johnathon Schaech) unearths an artifact that paints the first president of the United States in a troubling new light. According to Mike's discovery, George Washington was a ravenous cannibal, and his flesh-eating legacy lives on to this very day. Now, as a loyal band of Washingtonians is determined to ensure that they remain well fed, and their secret never gets out. Of course, the best way to do this is by consuming Mike and his family, but this is one feast that the Washingtonians are going to have to fight for. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer director John McNaughton adapts horror icon Clive Barker's tale about a headstrong medical student who discovers, much to his chagrin, that not everything in the mortal realm can be explained through science. Overconfident young medical student Ernst Haeckel (Derek Cecil) believes he has the power to restore life to the dead, but after an embarassing failure he is forced to seek the advice of traveling Necromancer Montesquino (Jon Polito) - who is rumored to use black magic as a means of resurrecting the recently departed. When Haeckel requests that Montesquino share his powerful secrets and the impatient Necromancer refuses, the young medical student Ernst Haeckel (Derek Cecil) sets out on the road to visit his dying father. As a storm sweeps though the New England countryside, a mysterious stranger offers Haeckel shelter from the rain in his nearby cabin. Spellbound by the elderly farmer's etherial young wife, Haeckel watches as the young beauty ventures out into the darkness, and money changes hands between his shaken host and the mysterious Montesquino. Though he is explicitly instructed by the frightened farmer not to venture outside of the cabin at any cost, the heartrending cries of an endangered infant coupled with the guttural moans of an unseen entity soon compel the horrified Haeckel to venture out into the darkened wilderness, where he is soon confronted with sickening orgy of the undead. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Masters of Horror creator Mick Garris joins forces with literary horror icon Stephen King for this, the pair's sixth onscreen collaboration. In the wind-swept Nevada town of Desperation, a malevolent sheriff (Ron Perlman) delivers arrestees to a jail cell from which, by all accounts, no one has emerged alive. The streets are littered with the corpses of dead residents, and it appears that a sinister supernatural force has tightened its deadly grip on the once-thriving community. Arrested by the sinister lawman and subsequently thrown behind bars, a vacationing family, a traveling writer (Tom Skeritt), and a drifting hitchhiker (Steven Weber) narrowly thwart death by escaping their cold metal confines. Upon coming into contact with a mysterious prepubescent boy named David (Shane Haboucha) who seems to possesses an eerie insight into the ancient evil that haunts the town, the brave group boldly determines to solve the combat the evil that has infected this desolate landscape. Despite some notable help from the surviving town veteran (Charles Durning) and the dejected female half of a married couple (Annabeth Gish) who recently incurred the wrath of the nefarious sheriff, this unlikely band of weakened mortals seems no match for the powerful evil that now inhabits the town of Desperation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Mick Garris, directorial veteran of Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories and the features Critters 2: The Main Course and Psycho IV: The Beginning, helms this installment in the hair-raising Masters of Horror series, from an original screen story authored by best-selling novelist Clive Barker. Tyron Leitso stars as Rob Hanisee, an aspiring writer greeted by an odd spiritual manifestation during his stay at a Yaddo-like writer's retreat. It takes the form of a sexy and voluptuous woman who calls herself his "muse" -- a naked woman covered from head to toe with an otherworldly slime. Now, Rob must determine if she is a force for good, or the ultimate evil. Christopher Lloyd (Suburban Commando) co-stars. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Executive producer Mick Garris, the driving force behind the Masters of Horror series on Showtime, writes and directs this episode, Chocolate. Garris is best known for directing several Stephen King adaptations, including the made-for-TV versions of The Stand and The Shining, but here he is working from his own short story. Henry Thomas stars as Jamie, a repressed, recently divorced lab technician. At work in the lab with his aging rocker co-worker, Wally (Matt Frewer), Jamie designs artificial flavorings to simulate the foods he craves, but won't allow himself to eat. One night, he has what seems to be a powerful hallucination, in which he tastes expensive fine chocolate. He goes to see Wally's band play, and seems to temporarily lose his hearing. While driving home, he has a vivid visual episode that almost results in a car wreck. He picks up a girl (Leah Graham) at the supermarket, and they really hit it off, but he has another episode at the most inopportune time, ruining their budding romance. As these episodes increase in their frequency and duration, Jamie begins to realize that he's sharing the experiences of Catherine (Lucie Laurier), a beautiful young woman who lives in another city. Jamie believes there must be a reason for his connection to Catherine, and after witnessing a particularly violent and disturbing scene, he decides to track her down. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Based on the 1996 novel by Steve Martini, this two-part TV miniseries stars Edward James Olmos as by-the-book Judge Armando Acosta, who regards both criminals and cops with equal disdain. During Acosta's investigation of police corruption, the Judge is framed for soliciting a prostitute -- who is subsequently murdered. Thus it is that Acosta finds his career, and possibly his life, in the hands of defense attorney Paul Madriani (Chris Noth), with whom the Judge has often crossed swords in court, even unto jailing Madriani for contempt. As the trial proceeds, Acosta and Madriani discover that, though they are frequently on opposite sides of the legal system, the two men are more "alike" than they'd care to admit. Steve Martini's The Judge aired over NBC on May 6 and 7, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

"It makes Fatal Attraction seem like a walk in the park." Thus did ABC herald the three-hour TV movie Virtual Obsession when it first aired on February 26, 1998. Set in Salt Lake City sometime in the future, the story, based on a novel by Peter James, concerns a scientist named Joe Messenger (Peter Gallagher), who has created a super-computer in charge of all the city's power. In the course of his research, Joe has also developed a "post-biological" man in the form of Albert (Tom Nibley), the holographic A.I. manifestation of his computer. Enter Juliet Spring (Bridgette Wilson), a beautiful computer tech who becomes Joe's assistant. Incurably ill, Juliet hopes to keep herself alive by downloading her brain and personality into Joe's computer system. To expedite this, Juliet seductively steals Joe away from his long-suffering wife, Karen (Mimi Rogers). Ultimately, Joe breaks off with Juliet and returns to Karen, thereby incurring the terrible wrath of the now-computerized Juliet -- who is not only deadly, but virtually unstoppable. Almost as confusing to watch as it is to describe, Virtual Obsession has been rerun on cable TV under the title Host. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This second filmed version of Stephen King's best-selling horror novel credits King as the scriptwriter as well. The 4 1/2-hour long made-for-TV epic takes a more subtle approach to the horror and spends more time on the human elements than the now legendary Stanley Kubrick predecessor ~ Andrew Olthuis, All Movie Guide

Director Sam Raimi brings his trademark comic book-influenced visual panache to this post-modern Western. Sharon Stone stars as Ellen, a mysterious female gunslinger who arrives in the frontier hamlet of Redemption for a contest pitting quick-draw artists against each other. The event is the brainchild of Redemption's evil, corrupt mayor, Herod (Gene Hackman), a criminal who has taken over the town and charges a 50% tax on local businesses. The pot for Herod's deadly game has swollen, attracting numerous colorful gunfighters from around the territory. As each battle thins the ranks of players, the pasts of several participants are revealed. Ellen is seeking revenge on Herod for a heinous past injustice. The fast-talking braggart known as "The Kid" (Leonardo DiCaprio) may in fact be Herod's son. The pacifist Reverend Cort (Russell Crowe), who refuses to participate in the bloodshed, is the fastest draw in the West and a former colleague of Herod's. After several spectacular slayings, Ellen and Herod stage a final showdown, but not before he has made her an unexpected proposal. The Quick and the Dead (1995) is dedicated to veteran Western actor Woody Strode, who appears in a cameo as Redemption's coffin maker, his final performance. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy romp around like coked-up versions of The Three Stooges in the frantic Disney romp Hocus Pocus. The film begins in 1693 where three witches -- Winifred (Bette Midler), Sarah (Sarah Jessica Parker), and Mary (Kathy Najimy) -- are preparing a potion that will grant them immortality and eternal youth. But before they finish mixing their cocktail, the people of Salem capture them and execute them for practicing witchcraft. Before their deaths, they vow to return to Salem 300 years hence on Halloween to exact their revenge. Three hundred years later, a skeptical, newly transplanted Californian, Max (Omri Katz), explores the ruins of the legendary witches' house and dares the witches to manifest themselves. Disregarding the warnings of his sister Dani (Thora Birch) and girlfriend Allison (Vinessa Shaw), Max lights the Candle of Black Flame. With that, the witches reappear to wreak havoc on the town. The kids take off with the witches' spellbook and a musty tome of hexes and recipes. The sorceresses, who will die by the morning light if they don't recite the incantation for immortality, have to get the books by whatever means they can. So, Winifred, Sarah, and Mary hop on their broomsticks for a chase through Halloween night. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Barry Levinson directed this cautionary fantasy fable--a triumph of production design--concerning the clash between benevolent, funny toys and malevolent, violent war toys and video games. Donald O'Connor is the kindly, gentle Kenneth Zevo, founder of Zevo Toys. The workers love him and the love they feel for Zevo comes through in the lovingly cute toys they produce. His son Leslie (Robin Williams) is an eccentric inventor who concentrates on coming up with different styles of plastic vomit and over-sized ears. His addle-headed daughter Alsatia (Joan Cusack) enjoys trying out all of Leslie's inventions. But their innocent, idyllic existence is soon to be shattered. Kenneth is dying and he is reluctant to bequeath the factory to the immature hands of Leslie and Alsatia. He finally decides to pass on his factory to his three-star general brother (Michael Gambon), reasoning that the general will run the factory efficiently and prod Leslie and Alsatia into adulthood. When Kenneth dies, the general and his army surplus son Patrick (LL Cool J) immediately turn Zevo Toys into an oppressive fascistic environment. The general also stops production of the innocent Zevo products and forces the workers to manufacture violent interactive video games and sadistic war toys. Leslie must rouse himself out of his over-long childhood to preserve the tradition of Zevo Toys. Although Toys did not fare well at the box office, it features a stunning combination of production design by Ferdinando Scarfiotti and art direction by Edward Richardson. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide