Jeffrey Reiner Movies
Set fifty years before the events of Battlestar Galactica, Capricia follows the rivalry between two feuding families competing and thriving in the 12 Colonies. Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) both sit at the head of powerful tables. Their world is at the peak of its power, yet as science and technology both continue to grow, so too does the potential for disaster. As artificial intelligence and technology paves the way towards the future - and the dreaded Cylons - corporate conspiracy and sexual politics put the Graystones and the Adamas on a tragic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales, (more)
- 2006
One of two football-themed series of the 2006-2007 TV season (the other was The Game, the NBC dramedy Friday Night Lights was based on the H.G. Bissinger book and the 2004 theatrical film of the same name. Like its predecessors, the series took place in a small Texas town (Odessa in the film and book, Dillon on the show), where high school football was not merely a game but a "religion"--or more succinctly, a matter of life and death, with literally every person in the community having a personal stake or a heated opinion of the weekly game. Kyle Chandler headed the large cast as Eric Taylor, the newly hired coach of the Dillon Panthers (the role played by Billy Bob Thornton in the film). Also seen were Connie Britton, recreating her film role as Eric's wife Tami; Scott Porter as star Panther quarterback Jason Street; Minka Kelly as Jason's cheerleader girlfriend Lyla Garrity; Gaius Charles as running back Brian "Smash" Williams; Zach Gifford as perennial benchwarmer Matt Saracen, forced by fate to take over as quarterback during the playoffs; and Adrianne Palicki as high-school vamp Tyra Collette. Unfolding in a semi-serialized fashion, Friday Night Lights kicked off on October 3, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Some critics labeled the weekly, hour-long series Surface as NBC's spin on the ABC hit Lost, though in fact it more closely resembled the theatrical feature The Abyss. The basic plotline involved a curious new form of sea life that had appeared variously in the South Antarctic Sea, San Diego harbor, the coast of Monterey, and the Gulf of Mexico. The first person to see this phenomenon was oceanographer Laura Daughtery Carstarphen (Lake Bell), from the vantage point of a bathysphere 5,000 feet below the ocean's surface. Others taking a special interest in the strange life forms included a CIA man, a sinister foreign scientist, a pair of fisherman, and a couple of teenagers, one of whom brought the warm, friendly looking creature's egg onto dry land, hiding it in his mom's fish tank, where it promptly hatches and a creature pops out. As the series' multitude of story arcs were played out, a number of disturbing questions were raised: What is this odd sea creature? Where did it come from? The answers, of course, were not immediately forthcoming, but one thing was clear regarding the creature: First impressions were very, very, very deceiving!!! Featured in the cast were Rade Serbedzija as Dr. Aleksander Cirko, Jay R. Ferguson as Richard Owen, Carter Jenkins as Miles, Leighton Meester as Savannah, and Bobby Coleman as Jesse. Created by Josh and Jonas Pate and originally titled Fathom (until another producer staked a prior claim on that moniker!), Surface debuted on September 19, 2005, with one of the most expensive pilot episodes in network TV history. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lake Bell, Jay R. Ferguson, (more)
- 2004
Southern housewife Jodie Colter (Lauren Holly) suspects that her loutish hubby Buck (Max Martini) is cheating on her, and hires a seedy private detective to gather evidence. But when the detective skips town with her money , Jodie takes over the "assignment" herself. Adopting a multitude of clever disguises to keep her errant husband under surveillance, Jodie finds she has a real talent for gumshoe-ing, thus she becomes a full-time P.I., devoted to helping other women who've been hosed by their spouses. Set in Tennessee, but filmed in Belgium (!), the made-for-cable Caught in the Act premiered over the Lifetime network on May 10, 2004, presumably as a pilot for a proposed series starring the estimable Lauren Holly. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Thirty-five years after his first television appearance in the feature-length Prescription: Murder, rumpled, raincoat-clad Lt. Columbo (who else but Peter Falk?) is still on the job in this made-for-TV movie. This time, Columbo moves about uncertainly in the Los Angeles rave scene, investigating the highly suspicious suicide of a tabloid reporter. The principal suspect is promoter Justin Price (Matthew Rhys), who had been confronted with incriminating photographs by the dead journalist. Additional intrigue is heaped upon the narrative when a mobster's son, who happens to be the ex-husband of Price's girlfriend Vanessa (Jennifer Sky), mysteriously vanishes. While the story is both entertaining and intriguing, the viewers could confidently depend upon two things: That Price is guilty as hell and that the disheveled Columbo will, at one point or other, pause before leaving the room with a "Just one more question...." Columbo Likes the Nightlife premiered January 30, 2003, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Falk, Matthew Rhys, (more)
Shannen Doherty (Charmed) and Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck) star in this drama with a science-fiction twist. Doherty plays Kate, a woman whose boyfriend, Paul (Max Martini), dies while she is pregnant with his baby. Years later, Kate has been able to move on thanks to the presence of a new love (McMahon). However, an accident transports Kate back to the days before Paul died, and she must make an impossible choice between the men she loves. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannen Doherty, Julian McMahon, (more)
Inspired by a true story, the made-for-TV Personally Yours stars Valerie Bertinelli as the recently divorced Susannah Stanton. Shed of her husband Jesse (Jeffrey Nordling), an Alaskan rancher, Susannah strikes a blow for independence by opening up her own restaurant in Anchorage. Still, there is something lacking in Susannah's life, and her three children think they know what it is. Placing a classified personal in the local newspaper, the enterprising kids advertise for a perfect father, knowing full well that their specifications match one man and one man only -- their own dad Jesse. An engaging illustration of the old saw that "love is lovelier the second time around," Personally Yours made its CBS network bow on October 8, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valerie Bertinelli, Jeffrey Nordling, (more)
- 1999
The fact that Tippi Hedren is cast as the grandmother of the protagonist is hardly the only Hitchcock reference in the made-for-cable thriller The Darklings. While bedridden with a case of mono, teenager C.J. (Ryan DeBoer) glances out his window, and sees--or thinks he sees--next-door neighbor Clayton Shepherd (Timothy Busfield) murdering his wife Emily (Suzanne Somers). Of course, when the authorities are summoned, there is no evidence of any murder--and in fact there's no body. Further developments suggest that C.J. was simply imagining things, but he refuses to accept this explanation. In league with his youthful pals Jessie (Meghan Ory) and Josh (Ben Johnson), C.J. is determined to bend and even break the law to prove that Shepherd is a killer. Martin Sheen also stars in this delightful blend of TV-style teen angst, light humor and dastardly deeds. The Darklings premiered February 14, 1999 on the Fox Family channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A boy who's looking for trouble finds a lot more than he counted on in this action-comedy. Nathan (Ryan DeBoer) is a 12-year-old kid with a smart mouth and a bit too much attitude for his own good. Not happy at home, Nathan runs away and his parents report him missing to the police; when Nathan finds out, he finds himself dodging the cops at every turn. Low on money, Nathan happens upon a large amount of cash and figures his lucky day has arrived. However, it turns out the money he found belongs to gangsters who are bound and determined to get it back, and Nathan is forced to turn himself in to Norm (Tim Matheson), a police detective, in order to stay alive. But Nathan doesn't much care for cops, and Norm is not exactly charmed by Nathan, which makes working together rough sledding. Catch Me If You Can (also released as Deadly Game and Hide and Seek) also features William Katt and Carol Alt. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ryan De Boer, Tim Matheson, (more)
- 1998
- G
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In this direct-to-video sequel to the 1993 movie Dennis the Menace (which was based on Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip), mischievous youngster Dennis (Justin Cooper) wants to help his eternally frazzled next-door neighbor Mr. Wilson (Don Rickles) celebrate his birthday, but Mr. Wilson is already feeling his age, and the lively Dennis only makes Wilson feel that much older -- and the arrival of Dennis's spry Grandfather (George Kennedy) doesn't help. Eager to feel younger, Mr. Wilson soon falls prey to a con man (Carrot Top) who sells him a variety of bogus youth-restoring potions. Dennis the Menace Strikes Again also features Betty White as Mrs. Wilson, and Dwier Brown and Jaqueline Steiger as Dennis's parents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1998
Three small-time hoods are sent off into the desert to deliver a supply of drugs to a distributor and get the distributor's cash. Only the place of the transaction and the amounts involved are set. They do not know exactly when their counterparts will be sent by the distributor. In the meantime, they try to kill time in the corrugated shed they find at the site. They drink beer, quarrel, and, in a truly self-destructive mode, use their cellular phone to arrange for some prostitutes to entertain them. In the course of their liaison with the prostitutes, they use up a fair amount of the drug supply they were to deliver. Will they be lucky enough, or ingenious enough to survive their own stupidity and the wrath of their bosses? ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
David Zucker directed this slapstick sports comedy starring South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Competing two-on-two against some basketball jocks, goofballs Joe Cooper (Parker) and Doug Remer (Stone) attempt to win by devising new rules while they play. Thus is born the bizarre game of "BASEketball." Rules: Court position decides whether a sunk basket counts as a single, a home run, or whatever; the opposing team can retrieve missed shots. Verbal abuse is allowed. Ditto for gross-outs -- or anything to annoy the shooter. The game becomes popular in driveways, so sports promoter Ted Denslow (Ernest Borgnine) proposes a deal to form a pro league. Dallas Felons owner Baxter Cain (Robert Vaughn), hopes to increase revenues with product placements and pro endorsements, but he needs the okay of team owners. Ted dies during the season finals, leaving Cain to deal with his widow Yvette (Jenny McCarthy). However, Ted willed the team to Cooper, who must win the upcoming season or ownership goes to Yvette. Cameos by Bob Costas and Al Michaels. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Trey Parker, Matt Stone, (more)
- 1995
- R
An ornery alley cat sets in motion a chilling series of supernatural events in this horror film. The terror begins as a newlywed couple moves into a gloomy old Los Angeles apartment. They are not there long before the ominous kitty shows up. For some reason she utterly despises the bride, Alex, and slyly manages to trip her on the stairs, effectively sending Alex to the hospital and leaving her husband Tom alone in the apartment. Once the wife is safely away, a strange seductive woman, Lillith, visits Tom, telling him that she has come to gather up the remaining belongings of the former tenant, her recently deceased brother. Lillith has a peculiar feline grace as she slinks into the apartment and accepts Tom's offer for a cup of coffee to which she adds a prodigious amount of milk. Soon, she successfully seduces poor Tom and nearly wears him out with her violent, insatiable demands for continuous sex. Eventually, Tom becomes so exhausted that he begins having terrifying Satanic hallucinations and finds himself facing the Devil himself. Fortunately, he has his mother-in-law and a visiting archaeologist, an expert on succubi on his side. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Fahey, Heather Medway, (more)
Seemingly content living the life of a derelict, former mercenary Nick (Dolph Lundgren) agrees -- reluctantly and only after he is offered a large fortune from two mining company executives -- to gather up a unit of fellow soldiers of fortune and fly to the island of Jakarta in order to convince local peasants to give up their land. Once he arrives, Nick sees soldiers burn a peasant village. When he learns that the bloodshed is not for the control of such riches as uranium or jade, but for an ancient deposit of bat guano, he changes his alliance and begins fighting for the natives. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, Charlotte Lewis, (more)
The heroes of the family adventure comedy 3 Ninjas return in this sequel (though not all of them are played by the same actors). Rocky (Sean Fox), Colt (Max Elliott Slade), and Tum Tum (Evan Bonifant) are three brothers whose Grandfather (Victor Wong) is a ninja master teaching them martial arts skills. The boys' Little League team has a big game coming up, but before they can hit the diamond, they have to help Grandpa return a sacred Ninja dagger to Japan. However, one of Grandpa's longtime enemies, now a wealthy and ruthless businessman, plans to steal the knife, and the boys are sent on a mission to Japan to rescue the valuable weapon. At first the tycoon sends his inept nephew to face off against the young Ninjas, but when that plan fails, Rocky, Colt, and Tum Tum are met by a team of trained warriors, who to their surprise are led by a teenage girl named Miyo (Caroline Junko King). Miyo soon strikes up a friendship with the brothers who are supposed to be her sworn enemies, and with her help they recover the knife and teach her a few things about baseball that come in handy when the big game finally rolls around. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Fox, Max Elliott Slade, (more)
In this lively crime thriller, luckless ex-con Harry Talbot wins several thousand dollars and a luxury car in a poker game. He is delighted, having no idea that the others let him win because the trunk of the Lincoln contains the remains of Gordo. No, Harry is finally feeling lucky and in his shiny convertible sets off across the country in search of more card games. While driving, he picks up a lovely hitchhiker named Kit. She is out on a personal vendetta and is pursued by her grandmother, a crime boss, and her dim-bulbed cousin Danny. Realizing that he is a gambling addict, Kit manipulates him into driving to a certain mob-operated casino where she plans to off her father's killer. Things get more sticky when a gangster informs the card sharps who put Gordo in the trunk, that the deceased is carrying a key to a safe-deposit box containing a vast amount of money. They immediately set out after Harry as he fatefully heads for the gambling house. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Patricia Arquette, (more)
- 1990
Billy Zane stars in this direct-to-video gem as a spectacularly unsuccessful car thief. Hoping to reform by leaving LA, Zane must scare up $400 worth of exit money. He decides to pull off one last job, stealing a TV from William Bastiani. An ill-tempered criminal, Bastiani stabs Zane, who then runs off blindly into a cemetary ("Blood" and "Concrete": get it?) Weaving around the tombstones, Zane makes the acquaintance of would-be suicide Jennifer Beals. Love blooms, but it might be too late for both of them: Bastiani is found murdered, and Zane is suspect number one-forcing him to hide out from both the cops and the mob. Luxuriating in its tawdriness and cheapness, Blood & Concrete: A Love Story actually has an offbeat charm all its own. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Zane, Jennifer Beals, (more)
- 1990
- PG
Professional wrestlers Peter Paul and David Paul star in this muscle-bound comedy about two slowwitted truck drivers who are hired to transport a heap of toxic waste across the country to Los Angeles. Along the way, the boys run into a 16-year-old girl genius who is on the run from a secret government research center because she holds plans for a mysterious secret weapon. With government agents in pursuit, the two lunkheads and the teen prodigy have to make it to L.A. with their toxic waste and avoid being captured by amoral government forces. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Paul, David Paul, (more)
- 1989
- R
When former dancer and single mother Claire Vin Blanc (Anita Morris) is in danger of losing her daughter, Baby, to the welfare authorities, she attempts to pull herself together and create a model home life, complete with a husband. This film was based on the play Just Like the Pom Pom Girls. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anita Morris, Rick Overton, (more)
Cheerleader Camp, a routine teen slasher film, follows the adventures of a group of teenage girls who go away to a cheerleader camp for the summer. Alison Betsy Russell, one of the group, is having nightmares. Brent, her boyfriend, has followed her to the camp but really seems more interested in the other girls. When those girls are found murdered, Alison believes she may be the killer. This routine slasher film follows the established formula with lots of attractive young women being killed in bloody and inventive ways and while only average, Cheerleader Camp, also released as Bloody Pom Poms, will please lovers of the genre. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Betsy Russell, Leif Garrett, (more)
- 1987
- R
This exploitation film finds the aging stripper Harlow (Sandahl Bergman) taking on young protégé Joni (Kim Evenson) to peel off her clothes in the strip club called Kandyland. Bruce Baum adds much-needed comedy relief as the club comic Mad Dog. The film is an excuse to show attractive females in various stages of undress. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kimberly Evenson, Charles Laulette, (more)
