Jean Simmons

In 2065, Earth is infested by alien life forms known as Phantoms. The Phantoms arrived on Earth 34 yrs ago. By physical contact Phantoms consume the Gaia spirit of living beings, killing them instantly, though a minor contact may only result in an infection. The surviving humans live in "barrier cities" protected by energy shields that prevent Phantoms from entering and are engaged in an ongoing struggle to free the planet. After being infected by a Phantom during one of her experiments, scientist Dr. Aki Ross (Ming-Na) and her mentor, Dr. Sid (Donald Sutherland) discover a means of defeating the Phantoms by gathering eight spirits, unique energy patterns contained by various lifeforms. When joined, the resulting energy wave can negate the Phantoms. Aki searches for the sixth spirit in the ruins of New York City when she is cornered by Phantoms but rescued by Captain Gray Edwards (Alec Baldwin) and his squad Deep Eyes, consisting of Master Sergeant Ryan Whittaker (Ving Rhames), Neil Fleming (Steve Buscemi) and Corporal Jane Proudfoot (Peri Gilpin). It is revealed that Gray was once romantically involved with Aki. When they return to Barrier city #42, the whole team undergoes scans, and it is revealed that Gray somehow got infected. Aki takes a big risk and by treating Gray inside the city, and using lasers to eliminate the phantom before it broke through & infected the entire city. Dr Sid then arrives and allows Aki to bypass the scans. 20 years ago, Sid discovered an energy signature in the phantoms. Sid is responsible for every piece of tech being used to fight the phantoms. Including bringing together the 8 spirits from 8 different life forms. Dr Sid believes that each spirit is born out of the Gaia. and is housed in a physical body, where it grows and mature. When the body dies, the spirit returns to the Gaia, enriching it and allowing it to grow. But his research is not popular, only the weapons he creates are. Returning to her barrier city, Aki joins Sid and appears before the leadership council along with General Douglas Hein (James Woods). Hein is determined to use the Zeus cannon, a powerful weapon aboard a space station, to destroy the Phantoms (who nest in the Leonid meteor, which is now lying on the surface of the Earth), though Sid is concerned the cannon will damage Earth's Gaia (a spirit representing its ecosystem) (Sid argues that every time humans have attacked Leonid, the phantoms go deeper inside the Earth to bide their time. Increasing the weapons power could lead to injuring the spirit of the Earth). Aki delays the use of the cannon by revealing that she has been infected, and the collected spirits are keeping her infection stable inside her body, convincing the council that there may be another way to defeat the Phantoms. The 6 spirits collected so far are: Human, Fish, Sparrow, Deer, A little girl (dying in the emergency room), & a Plant. However, this revelation leads Hein to incorrectly conclude that she is being controlled by the Phantoms. Hein reassigns Gray to Aki and to keep an eye on her at all times. Aki and the Deep Eyes squad succeed in finding the seventh spirit as Aki's infection begins to worsen and she slips into unconsciousness. The phantoms were attracted towards her energy signature. Gray barely manages to get her out. Gray's team wants to shoot Aki, but Gray stands in their way. Her dream reveals to her that the Phantoms are the spirits of dead aliens brought to Earth on a fragment of their destroyed planet (There was a civil war and both sides used powerful nukes, destroying their planet and turning all life forms into Phantoms. Which is why phantoms on Earth come in myriad shapes and forms). Sid uses the seventh spirit to bring Aki's infection back under control, reviving her. To scare the council into giving him clearance to fire the Zeus cannon, Hein lowers part of the barrier shield protecting the city. Though Hein intended that only a few Phantoms enter, his plan goes awry, and legions of Phantoms invade the entire city. Aki, Sid and the Deep Eyes attempt to reach Aki's spaceship, their means of escape, but Ryan, Neil and Jane are killed by Phantoms during the process. Ryan attacks the meta to distract them away from Aki's ship and allowing them to power up to escape. Aki and Gray share a kiss after they escape. Hein escapes and boards the Zeus cannon's space station, where he finally receives authorization to fire the cannon. Sid finds the eighth spirit at the crater site of the alien asteroid's impact on Earth. But that's most likely a one-way trip. He attaches a device to Aki's chest plate to attract the 8th spirit. He lowers a shielded vehicle, with Aki and Gray aboard, into the crater to locate the final spirit. Just before they can reach it, Hein fires the Zeus cannon into the crater, not only destroying the eighth spirit but also revealing the Phantom Gaia. Aki tries to speak to Hein to explain that the phantoms are only lost spirits, ghosts and not an invading force. Hein is in no mood to stop firing. Aki has a vision of the Phantom home planet, where she is able to receive the eighth spirit from the alien particles in herself. When Aki awakens, she and Gray combine it with the other seven. Hein continues to fire the Zeus cannon despite overheating warnings and unintentionally destroys the cannon and himself. Gray sacrifices himself as a medium needed to physically transmit the completed spirit into the alien Gaia. The Earth's Gaia is returned to normal as the Phantoms ascend into space, finally at peace. Aki is pulled from the crater holding Gray's body and is seen looking into the newly liberated world.

Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds star as a suburban couple who learn that not even divorce can solve all their problems. After 17 years, life has become too predictable and stale for Richard and Barbara Harmon. They argue, they visit a marriage counselor, and a drunk Richard visits a prostitute. They split up. After meeting other people, they are reunited at a nightclub where they realize that their marriage was better than their divorce. With two teenage children, Richard and Barbara Harmon, both from working class backgrounds, have hit a rough patch in their 17-year marriage. Richard cannot understand why Barbara isn't happy while he feels he has slaved for years, just within the last few years finally to become a business success and good breadwinner. Barbara feels he doesn't communicate well or understand her emotional needs, and that he has changed ever since he became that business success which is more important than her in their marriage. Their sexual dry spell is difficult on both, as neither has even contemplated being unfaithful. Taking advice from others, they take measures to protect their individual selves, in the process exacerbating the issue of divorce, which had not even been a possibility before these measures. As they work toward divorce, they must figure if they truly want a future without each other. Adding to the complicated situation is long-divorced couple Nelson and Nancy Downes, the former who is trying to marry off the latter so he won't need to pay alimony anymore and can get back on his feet. Nancy does want to remarry because she's lonely, but it must make economic sense. For Nancy, Richard fits the love side of the equation, but not the economic side as long as he must pay Barbara alimony. So Nelson and Nancy go on a mission to get Barbara remarried to someone else.

The slave Spartacus leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic.

Victor and Hilary have guided tours in their English mansion. A US oil tycoon "bumps" into Hilary during a tour and charms his way into her heart. Meanwhile, Hattie pursues Victor. Victor and Hilary are so down on their luck that they allow tourists to take guided tours of their castle. But when millionaire oil tycoon Charles Delacro visits, he takes a liking to more than the house. Then Hattie Durant gets involved and they have a good old-fashioned love triangle. —Tim Kearns <tskearns@aol.com> Married for twelve years with two adolescent children, the Earl and Countess Rhyall - Victor and Hilary - live in a small section of the country manor that has been in Victor's family for generations, the rest of the manor having been turned over to the National Trust for public tours, the only way they, cash strapped, can keep the property as a legacy for the children. In addition to Hilary's side business of growing and selling mushrooms for her own pocket money, they don't live a typical royal life in not utilizing their servants to their fullest, with especially their butler, Sellers, who only sought out the job for experience to write his "great British novel", telling Victor either to fire him or reduce his wages in feeling he having nothing to do. Victor counters that especially Sellers provides the important function of the façade to the public, who pay for the tours, of true royal country manor life. Their life is turned upside down when American oil baron Charles Delacro takes the tour, and meets and falls immediately in love with Hilary. While she initially rebuffs his advances, she eventually does return his affections. In meeting Charles, Victor knows that there are feelings between Charles and Hilary, and that Hilary's extended trip to London, in which she will be staying with their socialite friend Hattie Durant, is just a guise to have an affair with Charles. With Hattie being his confidante despite their outward animosity in being former lovers themselves and with Sellers doing his butlering duties, Victor goes on a mission for Hilary to return emotionally in love with him. —Huggo

A New England sea captain in the 1880s arrives at his fiancée's sprawling Texas ranch, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between two families over a valuable patch of land. Retired, wealthy sea Captain James McKay arrives in the vast expanse of the West to marry fiancée Pat Terrill. McKay is a man whose values and approach to life are a mystery to the ranchers and ranch foreman Steve Leech takes an immediate dislike to him. Pat is spoiled, selfish and controlled by her wealthy father, Major Henry Terrill. The Major is involved in a ruthless land war, over watering rights for cattle, with a rough hewn clan led by Rufus Hannassey. The land in question is owned by Julie Maragon and both Terrill and Hannassey want it. —E.W. DesMarais <jlongst@aol.com> Retiring to the American West to marry his fiancée, Patricia Terrill, Captain James McKay enters a land-and-water feud between his future father-in-law, Major Terrill, and the rough and lawless Hannassey family, led by Rufus. McKay prefers peace between himself and the Hannasseys, who repeatedly attempt to provoke violence. But his steadfast demeanor only angers his fiancée and Major Terrill, who won't settle for truces. —Jwelch5742 Sailor James McKay (Gregory Peck), after accumulating wealth and experience sailing the world's seas, meets the beautiful and temperamental Pat Terrill (Carroll Baker) and decides to move to the vast expanse of the West to marry her. Arriving at the ranch of his future father-in-law, Major Henry Terrill (Charles Bickford), he begins to confront the arrogant and inhospitable frontier, just like the ranch foreman Steve Leech (Charlton Heston), who, also in love with his employer's daughter, takes an immediate dislike to his new fiancé. The major himself is also strong-willed and domineering, controlling his daughter's life and demanding the same from his neighbors, with whom he wages a ruthless war over watering rights for their cattle on the estate inherited by the peaceful and tolerant Julie Maragon (Jennifer Jones), who, with great difficulty, tries to broker peace between the major and the family led by the crude and controversial Rufus Hannassey (Burl Ives). —Alessandro