Rod Hardy Movies
President Laura Roslin reflects on her relationship with President Adar while facing the end of her days. Meanwhile, a group of Cylon sympathizers endangers the fleet. ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide
Prolific television and film director Rod Hardy helms this tale of four young orphans coming of age in 1960s-era Australia. Soon after the quartet leaves the orphanage behind for a seaside holiday, rumors that one of them is about to be adopted lead to steadily rising tensions among the tightly knit group. Adapted from Michael Noonan's popular novel by screenwriter Marc Rosenberg, December Boys is headlined by Harry Potter film series star Daniel Radcliffe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Radcliffe, Christian Byers, (more)
Recovered from his wounds, Adama resumes command of Galactica as Apollo and President Roslin plot an uprising with Tom Zarek. Meanwhile, on Caprica, a doctor (Rick Worthy) takes a special interest in the wounded Starbuck. ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide
A Cylon suicide attack kills three, forcing Adama to reveal to the fleet of survivors that their numbers have been infiltrated by Cylons disguised as human beings. To beef up security, he calls on Sgt. Hadrian to investigate the recent breaches, with the focus squarely on Tyrol and Boomer. ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide
Starbuck's guilty feelings about the death of Zak Adama return to haunt her when she is ordered to train replacements for 13 Viper pilots killed in a flight-deck accident; Sgt. Hadrian (Jill Teed) tries to solve the mystery behind the detonators in Boomer's ship; and President Roslin discusses her cancer with a doctor. ~ Michael Chant, All Movie Guide
Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Doggett (Robert Patrick) are sent to investigate when a moving car is stopped in its tracks and split in two, killing the driver in a particularly horrible fashion. The evidence at hand leads to the grave of scrapyard worker Raymond Pearce (Wade Andrew Williams), who officially died of complications stemming from Gulf War Syndrome. As it turns out, Pearce is not exactly among the dead, but isn't precisely among the living either. Having discovered that his blood is rapidly changing into a "smart" metal alloy, he intends to track down and kill those responsible for his present sorry state. Rife with "inside" references to series star Robert Patrick's previous appearance in the theatrical feature Terminator 2, "Salvage" was first telecast on January 14, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
One of Hollywood's most acclaimed Westerns gets a new interpretation in this made-for-TV remake of Fred Zinnemann's 1952 classic. Will Kane (Tom Skerritt), the marshal of the frontier town of Hadleyville, is stepping down to marry his sweetheart Amy (Susanna Thompson) and move on to a less demanding occupation. However, on the day of his wedding, Will gets bad news -- Frank Miller (Michael Madsen), an outlaw Will helped to put behind bars, has just been released from jail and will arrive in Hadleyville on the noon train to settle his score with the marshal. Will appeals for support from the local townspeople, most of whom have done little to help him in the past, and they unfortunately behave in much the same manner in his time of greatest need; Amy even turns her back on her fiancé rather than become a widow on the day of her marriage. In the end, Will finds that he alone must face Miller in a shootout in Hadleyville's main street. Also featuring Dennis Weaver, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Reed Diamond, this version of High Noon was produced for the TNT cable network, where it first aired on August 20, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Skerritt, Susanna Thompson, (more)
Scully (Gillian Anderson) goes off on her own to act as a consulting investigator in a mysterious murder that has occurred in remote Juah County, UT. Just after phoning in to her partner, Doggett (Robert Patrick), Scully finds herself trapped in a tiny village, where the locals oblige her to care for another stranger in town, Hank Gulatarski (David Barry Gray). Little do either Scully or Hank suspect that the village harbors a large religious cult, which is preparing to offer up a human host for a hideous sluglike monster that has been "firmly identified" as the Second Coming. "Roadrunners" made its first American TV appearance on November 26, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Larry Brothers scripted this adaptation of the James Lee Burke novel that begins in a Louisiana penal colony during the 1830s. After middle-aged Allison (Kris Kristofferson) and young Holland (Scott Bairstow) make an escape, they take along Sana, a Choctaw (Irene Bedard, of Disney's animated Pocahontas) and head for the encampment of Sam Houston (Tom Skerritt) in East Texas. When Holland and Sana get too close, Allison tells Holland to drop her, and the two ride off, leaving her in the dust. Eventually, they link up with Houston and Allison's longtime pal Jim Bowie (Peter Coyote), but Bowie is off to confront General Santa Anna (Marco Rodriguez) at the Alamo. After the battle, Allison and Holland meet widow Dickinson (Karey Green) at the Alamo ruins. This TV movie premiered January 18, 1997 on TNT. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kris Kristofferson, Scott Bairstow, (more)
Based on the popular Marvel Comics franchise, the made-for-TV Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD stars David Hasselhoff in the title role. Having retired from active duty upon the end of the Cold War, war veteran and secret agent Col. Nick Fury squirrels himself away in his Yukon retreat. Meanwhile, enemy organization Hydra is taken over by the progeny of Fury's perennial enemy, ex-Nazi Baron Von Stucker. Under the leadership of Von Stucker's daughter, "Lady Viper" (Sandra Hess), the bad guys have gotten their mitts on a deadly virus, and intend to destroy America within 48 hours. Summoned from his hideaway by his old bosses at SHIELD, Nick Fury quickly reunites his familiar band of heroes -- the Contessa (Lisa Rinna), Dum-Dum (Garry Chalk), Gabriel (Ron Canada), et al. -- along with a newcomer to the ranks, Britisher Alexander Goodwin (Neil Roberts). Clearly the pilot for a proposed TV series, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD never quite makes up its mind to be taken seriously or to be enjoyed as high camp. The film was first shown over the Fox network on May 26, 1998. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Hasselhoff, Lisa Rinna, (more)
The second of two network-TV adaptations of Jules Verne's speculative 1868 novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, this two-part ABC version originally aired on May 11 and 12, 1997, some two months after CBS's shorter -- and infinitely more faithful -- version. The year is 1886, and an unknown "creature" is terrorizing the high seas, causing merchant vessels to vanish without a trace. Enlisted by the U.S. government to find out what's really going on, oceanographer Pierre Arronax (Patrick Dempsey) and rough-hewn whaler Ned Land (Bryan Brown) set sail for uncharted waters. Ultimately, they are captured by the insane but honorably motivated Captain Nemo (Michael Caine), the inventor of the high-teach submarine Nautilus. This much can be found in the original novel. The rest of the film has less to do with Jules Verne than its does with the popularity of such theatrical features as Star Wars and Titanic, not to mention the then-prevalent specter of political correctness. Because he wants nothing more out of life than to slaughter whales, Verne's nominal hero Ned Land is transformed into the main villain -- while Pierre Arronax comes off none too sympathetically himself, depicted in an early scene as a wanton womanizer who sleeps with his own father's mistress. Also, a bit of gratuitous romance is thrown into the proceedings, with Captain Nemo suddenly acquiring a daughter, and another woman joining the storyline when the Nautilus makes a side trip to the lost city of Atlantis. Finally, what with Verne's good guys turning bad and Captain Nemo clearly certifiable, a new "hero" is introduced in the form of African-American crewman Cabe Attucks (Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje). Oh, and did we mention that Nemo is actually a half-cyborg and a former Indian prince? This "new and improved" 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is only slightly less ridiculous than the 1916 silent film version, which also managed to add a love interest and a spectacular "flashback" sequence straight out of 1001 Arabian Nights. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Caine, Patrick Dempsey, (more)
In this drama, a husband's moment of indiscretion has nearly catastrophic consequences when his mistress refuses to accept that their affair is over. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennie Garth, Tim Matheson, (more)
Pierce Brosnan, best known for his suave and sophisticated roles, takes on a new screen personality in this adaptation of Daniel Defoe's classic novel. Robinson Crusoe (Brosnan) is an adventurer who hopes to find fame and fortune on the high seas, but a fierce ocean storm wrecks his ship and leaves him stranded by himself on an uncharted island. Left to fend for himself, Crusoe seeks out a tentative survival on the island, until he meets Friday (Wiliam Takaku), a tribesman living on the island. Initially, Crusoe is thrilled to finally have a friend, but when he discovers another tribe is also living on the island, he comes mad with power and insists that he be the sole ruler of all he surveys. Robinson Crusoe also stars Ian Hart, Lysette Anthony, and James Frain. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A star-studded cast appears in this made-for-television movie about Calamity Jane and her cohorts. Anjelica Huston stars as the infamous cowgirl Calamity Jane, a colorful Western character who, among other things, starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. The movie explores her unconventional lifestyle and friendship with brothel madame Dora DuFran (Melanie Griffith). Sam Elliott stars as Wild Bill Hickok, one of Jane's lovers, and country singer Reba McEntire appears as Annie Oakley. The film was nominated for many Emmy Awards (but won only one) and co-stars Elliott and Griffith picked up Golden Globe nominations. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
This moving made-for-TV movie is a faithful rendition of Marjorie Kinan Rawling's timeless coming-of-age tale in which a boy living a hardscrabble life with his family in a Florida swamp must grow-up and face his responsibilities after he befriends an orphaned fawn. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Strauss, Jean Smart, (more)
Stars of country music fill out the cast of this made-for-TV western. Kenny Rogers plays a bounty hunter who sets off with his newlywed partner (Travis Tritt) to track down the kidnappers who ran off with Tritt's wife (Laura Harring). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
When a rebellious young woman's cocaine habit results in an addicted premature baby, authorities whisk the infant away. Devastated, the young mother realizes that she will have to prove herself worthy and capable of motherhood and so sets out to clean up her act. Unfortunately, it may be too little too late as far as the courts are concerned. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Dey, Lorraine Toussaint, (more)
An affair turns murderous when a student becomes obsessed in this made-for-television drama. Susan Lucci stars as Vivian Conrad, the philandering and spoiled wife of a businessman (Barry Bostwick). After having a fling with a college student named Mark Templeton (Patrick Van Horn), Vivian becomes the focus of his dangerous obsession. When her husband Justin finds out and forces the two to end all contact, Mark's love-hate rage comes to its full fruition. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Lucci, Patrick Van Horn, (more)
In this suspenseful drama, an woman unwittingly endangers her ex-husband's life after she becomes involved with a sociopath. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ritter, Henry Winkler, (more)
Christina (Susan Dey) is a cocaine addict in a tumultuous relationship with an equally drug-addicted boyfriend. When she becomes pregnant, the baby is born not only prematurely but with the chemical dependency of its mother. Now Christina is in a fight to make her life clean and stable so that social services will allow her to have custody of her daughter. But first, she'll have to convince not only her jaded case worker, but herself, that she can. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Susan Dey
This British TV miniseries, filmed in Australia, is based on the same source play (by John Colton and Margaret Lindon) and novel (by Helen Simpson) as the 1949 Hitchcock film Under Capricorn. Lisa Harrow stars in the role played for Hitchcock by Ingrid Bergman: the highborn alcoholic wife of lowborn Australian landowner Peter Cousens. Harrow's brother was killed, presumably by Cousens, during an attempt to stop the wedding, whereupon Cousens was permitted (under 19th century English law) to emigrate to Australia to begin life anew. Irishman John Hallam, Harrow's cousin, enters the scene. He hopes to bring Harrow back from her drink-besotted state, but this is made impossible due to the behind-the-scenes intrigues of maid Julia Blake, who harbors a fatal secret involving Harrow and Cousens. Edited into a 150-minute version, the 1982 Under Capricorn was first shown in the US on the A&E cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This cold-blooded, thinly wrought horror film has a warm-blooded theme -- the regular imbibing of said substance by a certifiably crazy cult. Kate Davis (Chantal Contouri) is slowly drawn into this cult against her (and everyone else's) better judgment. Once involved, she discovers that they have sanitized, hospital-like centers where red-blooded individuals are kept zoned out by tranquilizers. Otherwise they might have some objection or another to being essentially imprisoned and immobilized in order to supply blood on demand. In cases where the supply source is particularly popular with one of the cult members, then complete exsanguination is ordered. Even the slightest hint at humor, levity of any kind coming from any direction, might have balanced the weak plot and one-dimensional characters by covertly acknowledging their limitations. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chantal Contouri, David Hemmings, (more)
A popular if short-lived Australian drama series, Glenview High focused on a rundown secondary school in a tough inner-city district. The plot lines of the 39 hour-long episodes were devoted to the trials and tribulations of the students and faculty members, with special emphasis upon novice English teacher Greg Walker (Grigor Taylor). The series was created by Grundy Television, one of Australia's leading purveyors of soap operas and game shows. Glenview High aired over the 7 Network from 1977 to 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide























