Kiefer Sutherland

While serving as a juror in a murder trial, Justin Kemp finds himself in a moral dilemmaone he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict or free the accused killer.

Five medical students try near-death experiences to get a taste of the afterlife but are soon haunted by the sins of their pasts, as a result of trespassing to the other side.

Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo, a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

Behind the Storm: The Making of The Scent of Rain and Lightning is a documentary that takes a candid look behind the scenes of how some of the biggest names in Hollywood came together to make a powerful indie film in rural Oklahoma.

When aliens disrupt life on Earth, it`s up to the monsters to unite and drive back the extra-terrestrials and restore normalcy on Planet Earth.

The animated adaptation of the popular comic series features voice overs by Reese Witherspoon, Keifer Sutherland, Hugh Laurie and Seth Rogen. When aliens disrupt life on earth, it's up to the monsters to unite and drive back the extra-terrestrials and restore normalcy on Planet Earth. The Dreamworks Animation flick is directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman.

An American assassin, who works for cartels in Latin America, is back in USA. He gets a woman before each job and kills her after. FBI's on to him but are curious about his next big job. Banks is a hit man, the best, usually working for Latin American drug cartels. He picks up solitary women, uses them briefly for a job, then kills them. He's in the Southwest, headed toward Mexico, when he picks up Bennie, a woman leaving an abusive marriage, going to Paradise, Arizona. The film follows three tracks: Banks's slow recruitment of Bennie, the set-up for the hit at a swank resort in Mexico, and the FBI's close pursuit of Banks, whom they want alive in hopes he'll rat out his bosses. Bennie may not be who she seems, and there may be a chink in Banks's tough-guy armor. Guns, money, and a chance at Paradise. —<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Pally LaMarr (Kiefer Sutherland) is a 35-year-old Boston cop who is forced into medical retirement due to a heart condition. Depressed and thinking of suicide, his on-again-off-again estranged wife Charlotte (Radha Mitchell) suggests he spend some quality time with his step-brother Ray (Anthony LaPaglia). Charlotte and Pally are at odds because she wants children and he doesn't. Ray is a small time crook and hustler who has an eye on a racehorse with a medical condition that he thinks he can get on the cheap, and with some minor surgery, can be transformed into a winner. Pally reluctantly goes along with the idea and they buy the horse. With a little help from a philandering veterinarian (he's been cheating on his wife and is being blackmailed by Ray) the surgery is performed and the horse's running performance is greatly improved. Ray enlists the help of his friend Tony (Lothaire Bluteau), a washed-up jockey who owes a large gambling debt to mobster Frank Finnegan (Daniel Benzali). After some training, they enter the horse in a race and it wins. Finnegan gets wind of the horse's potential and, seeing a money-making opportunity, tells Tony that he will forgive the gambling debt in exchange for the horse. Driven by desperation, Tony agrees and makes the trade. When Pally and Ray find out what Tony has done, they confront him at his apartment and make threats only to be thwarted at gunpoint by Tony's precocious young daughter Sam (Kay Panabaker). The three men then hatch a plot to steal the horse back from Finnegan. They go to Finnegan's estate in the middle of the night and go to get the horse out of the barn. (They mistakenly steal the wrong horse at first which makes for a bit of comic relief). They make their escape with one of Finnegan's hoods in hot pursuit. Tony rides away on the horse while Pally and Ray create a distraction. The hood follows Pally and Ray into the woods where Pally is forced to shoot the hood in self-defense. Now that the trio have their horse back, Finnegan again approaches weak-link Tony and offers him a new credit line in Finnegan's betting parlor. Tony accepts, leaves his daughter Sam on Pally's doorstep and heads to Finnegan's place where he again runs up a huge debt. Finnegan again offers to forgive the debt if Tony will intentionally lose the next race. Meanwhile, Pally finds Sam on his doorstep at two A.M., takes her up to his apartment to get her out of the cold, and puts her to bed in the hide-a-bed sofa. Charlotte shows up, discovers Sam, and thinks Pally has sunk to an all-time low even though Pally has done nothing inappropriate with Sam. Charlotte befriends Sam and takes on the role of her stand-in mother; a role she has always wanted. At the next race, Tony is visibly nervous because Finnegan and his thugs are there. When the race begins, Tony holds the horse in last place until he comes around the last turn and sees Finnegan. Tony then decides he will no longer be intimidated and spurs the horse on to pass the whole pack and win by a nose. Pally, Ray, and Tony take off running when the see Finnegan; Finnegan and his thugs chase them into the stables. All encounter each other in a paddock area; Pally opens a gate to let some horses loose as a distraction. There is a shootout in the paddock. Tony is shot by Finnegan but Finnegan gets his comeuppance when he gets stampeded to death. Ray is injured and is rescued by Pally. Pally returns to the middle of the stampede to rescue Tony and Sam (who has come to her father's aid). He gets them to safety but suffers a heart attack in the process. Tony later dies. Pally and Charlotte finally reconcile in the hospital when he is recovering from his heart attack. They move back in together, taking Sam along, and live happily ever after.

Ely Braxton (Marcus Thomas), the youngest of two brothers and sons of aging former champion bull rider of the 1960's, sustains a serious head injury in a bull riding accident and stays out of competition for over a year. Hank (Kiefer Sutherland), the oldest of the two, has been a successful "Rodeo Fighter" (Rodeo Clown) for a number of years and is ready to get into the contract business of supplying the meanest bulls in the business. After about a year, Ely has the "itch" to ride again and starts on the rodeo circuit alongside Hank. Hank tries to date a pretty young barrel racer, but thinks he should take things slow. He invites Ely along on the date and Celia (Daryl Hannah) later invites Ely into her recreactional vehicle instead of Hank. Hank drives by, gets out of his truck and knocks on the door. Celia and Ely doesn't know it is Hank and she tells him to go away. Hank then peeks into the front window and finds Celia and Ely making out. Hank is crushed and for the first time in years is mad at Ely. The next time Ely rides and Hank "fights", Hank doesn't do his "fighting" job and could have let Ely get hurt if something had gone wrong with the bull's preformance. Hank fights with Ely and tells him to "look in the mirror" if he wants to know what their father (Pete Postlethwaite) is like. Ely eventually realizes how much he is hurting his brother and his backhome girlfriend, Connie (Molly Ringwald) and apologizes to Hank, but keeps on riding the bulls despite his doctor telling him not to. Ely and Hank go to the finals in Las Vegas, Ely being in the top 15 riders and Hank finally realizing his dream of being a contractor. Ely visits his father and finds out just what kind of man left his mother (Melinda Dillon) and his family. Ely draws the meanest bull in the country and it is the one contracted by Hank! What comes next is what no one wants to see.

A group of crooks, an ex con, his friend and a gun crazy gangster plan a drug heist, but not everything goes as planned. Each going into the situation with a different motive, criminal associates Raymond Lembecke, Curtis Freley - the volatile one who can easily turn to violence if things aren't going his way - and Marcus Weans, and Raymond's girlfriend Addy Monroe are planning on stealing a large stash of drugs from dealer Eddie Grillo, and going to Las Vegas to sell them to drug kingpin Tony Vago. Raymond's motivation is payback as he served two years in prison without talking in taking the fall for Eddie, who showed his "appreciation" in return by giving Raymond a low level, menial job upon his release. While they are able to steal the drugs, the plan doesn't go off without a hitch, they knowing that the authorities, most likely including the DEA, subsequently after them. Although they need to work out details as they go along, they add a coda to the plan, namely to cross the border into Mexico to live after all is said and done. One of those details is feeling like they need to kidnap a couple they encounter, straight-laced Gordon Jacobson and Donna Moreland, who they hold hostage instead of Curtis' preferred alternative of killing them. However, not all is as it appears on the surface with this now collective of six, those unknowns which factor into what happens with them. As they proceed, they also come to the realization that they face obstacles of Eddie's bosses, who are much more forthright in getting what they want without an "or else". —Huggo A drug deal goes wrong causing a foursome, led by a lunatic killer, to go on the run. A couple in a recreational vehicle are initially kidnapped, but soon the male hostage is emulating his kidnappers and wants to stay involved in the chase. —John Sacksteder <jsackste@bellsouth.net> Raymond Lembecke, who was just freed from prison, meets his girlfriend Addy again and plans a robbery of a drug dealer together with Marcus and Curtis. Everything goes awfully wrong and they run out of the city, kidnapping middle-class couple Gordon and Donna in the process. They come to a small New Mexico town, where they try to give the stolen drugs to powerful mob boss Tony Vago and live in the house of former Raymond's cellmate Wayne. —Anonymous Former inmate Raymond Lembecke has just been released from prison, and, having after met up with his girlfriend, Addy, plans a drug sale to the mafia boss, Tony Vago, in which they have no idea the drugs belonged to him. After the steal goes wrong, they find themselves fleeing authorities en route to Vago to make the sale. When they are informed of their situation, the sale goes horribly wrong and they are once again forced to flee, eventually winding up in the middle of a remote New Mexico town, Raymond's brother's house. —Xiomar

Karen McCann (Sally Field) lives in Santa Monica, California, and her husband Mack McCann (Ed Harris) is the owner of the McCann construction company. Karen has a good job at a museum, and she has two daughters -- 5-year-old Megan (Alexandra Kyle) and 17-year-old Julie (Olivia Burnette). Mack is Megan's biological father, but Julie was born from Karen's previous marriage. Mack still loves Julie like she's his own daughter. Karen is on her way home from the museum one day, when she gets stuck in traffic. Karen calls home on her cell phone, and Julie answers. At the time of the call, Julie is preparing for Megan's 6th birthday. While they talk on the phone, the doorbell rings, and Julie goes to answer, with Karen still on the other end of the line. The man at the door the barges in, and brutally rapes Julie, before smashing an ice sculpture over her head. Karen -- having heard the whole thing -- is completely powerless, because she's stuck in traffic, though she desperately tries to get help. A kind Bystander calls 911 for her. When Karen manages to get home, she's devastated to find that Julie has been raped and killed. Detective Sergeant Joe Denillo (Joe Mantegna) is put on the case. And a grieving Karen tries to maintain normality for Megan's sake. However, her state-of-mind is weakening, and it's evident that all she wants is for Julie's killer to be found. Denillo tells Karen that the DNA samples that they collected will help identify the killer. In support, he gives Karen the address of a support center for parents who have lost a child to violence. Mac tells her that they should attend at least one session. The support group is run by bereaved father Sidney Hughes (Phillip Baker Hall) and his friend Martin (Keith David). At the meeting, Karen and Mac meet various people in similar circumstances, including Albert Gratz (William Mesnik) and Regina Gratz (Rondi Reed), who lost their son to violence. Karen also meets Angel Kosinsky (Charlayne Woodard), a young lesbian whose son, Sean, was killed in a hit-and-run. Karen befriends Angel. While looking for the bathroom, Karen overhears Albert and Regina talking to Sidney -- in a private room -- about something that's causing Regina to feel scared. Sometime down the line, Denillo calls Karen -- the DNA samples have identified Julie's killer as Robert Doob (Kiefer Sutherland), a supermarket deliveryman who has been in and out of jail for most of his life. At the trial, even though it's clear that Robert is guilty, his attorney, Susan Juke (Natalia Nogulich), reveals a technicality -- the defense was promised a sample of the DNA that they could perform their own tests on, and they did not receive it. Judge Arthur Younger (Armin Shimerman) is forced to dismiss the charges against Robert because of the technicality. Karen and Mac are devastated as Robert walks away, a free man. Robert tauntingly says "S-s-s-sorry," dragging out the 's' sound as a way of taunting Karen and Mac. An understandably enraged Mack is coldly restrained when he understandably charges after Robert. Mac is desperate for he and Karen to get back to normal, and although Karen tries, she can't focus until Robert is brought to justice. Karen goes back to the court house, and buys a copy of Robert's arrest package. Though Robert's addresses is colored out with Tipp-Ex out, the County Clerk (Jane Morris) hints that the stuff is easy to wipe off. Karen does so, and she tracks Robert to a mostly Hispanic neighborhood. Karen observes Robert as he lives his life -- annoying his neighbors and viciously harassing stray dogs. Karen keeps a detailed record of Robert's movements, all of which bring her relief and satisfaction, though she's warned by Dolly Green (Beverly D'Angelo), her colleague at the museum, that following Robert around is not a good idea. That doesn't stop Karen. She pursues Robert, while he continues his supermarket-delivering, to a house. There, she observes him having a friendly conversation, in Spanish, with a woman named Maria (Wanda Acuna). After Maria tips him, he leaves -- before urinating in her front garden, while watching Maria from outside the window. As he finishes, he sees Karen, who has been watching him from her car window, and she quickly drives away. Karen goes straight to the police. Denillo states that the information is insufficient, and he tells Karen to stay away from Robert. Denillo then goes to Robert, who is at work, and he warns Robert that if he hears of Robert looking through anymore windows, he's dead. Denillo tells Robert to get out of the city. Desperate for support, Karen goes back to Maria, and warns her about Robert, but due to Maria not being able to speak or understand much English, she is unable to understand what Karen is saying. Maria's husband (Geoffrey Rivas) comes home, and demands that Karen leave. Later that night, at the Support Group, Karen learns that the killer of Gratz's son has been killed in a drive-by shooting, days after being released from prison. Angel invites Karen out to lunch and to the gym the following day. There, Angel tells Karen that the best way to cope with her grief is to just focus on the good times with Megan, which causes Karen to realize that -- all this time -- she's been so fixated on Robert, that she hasn't paid much attention to Megan. At the same time, Megan is in recess at kindergarten, playing in the Wendy house. A Wendy house, also known as a cubby house or play house, is a small toy house usually made of a strong fabric, for children to play in. The name originates from the character Wendy in Peter Pan, since Wendy was injured soon after her arrival in Neverland and had to recuperate in a little house built by Peter and the Lost Boys. Robert -- knowing that Megan is Karen's daughter -- crawls inside the Wendy house, and strikes up a harmless conversation with her, and Megan has no idea who he is. During their conversation, she gives Robert one of her pretend cookies, and he teaches her his crude rhyme -- "tough titty, said the kitty, but the milk's still good." When Karen picks Megan up at the end of the school day, Robert watches them, and Megan points him out to Karen. Karen is horrified as Robert walks up to Karen before whispering in her ear that girls as young as Megan is are not his thing, but he's willing to make an exception, and go after Megan, if Karen doesn't stay out of his neighborhood. Worried for Megan's safety, Karen remembers the Gratzes, and what happened to their son's killer, and she's suspicious that the killer's death may have been planned. At the support group, Karen approaches Sidney and -- remembering what she heard, on her first visit -- pleads with him for help. He's reluctant, but whispers to her to go to a place named Michael's Garage at 7:30 PM. Angel observes them from the other side of the room. Karen does as he says. She goes to Michael's Garage, where she finds Sidney and Martin waiting for her, and she learns that the drive-by shooting was indeed set up by Sidney and Martin. As it turns out, within the support group, there is a secret society of parents, led by Sidney, who kill killers that the system has horribly failed to adequately deal with. Karen demands help. They agree to help her find a weapon, train her, and plan Robert's death, but she has to kill Robert herself. Karen agrees. Unknown to Mac, Karen begins plotting to kill Robert, with the help of Sidney and Martin. She also joins a self-defense class, which helps her gain more independence. As she does that, she manages to rekindle her sex life with Mac, and her relationship with Megan, who is still reeling from losing Julie. Sometime later, Martin admits to Sidney that he's not sure whether Karen is capable of killing Robert. Sidney assures him that Karen will be fine, and he leaves, ready to pick up the gun. Just then, the phone rings. Martin answers, and it's one of his legitimate customers from the garage. Unknown to Martin, the telephone line has been tapped, and a cop is listening to all of the conversations that happen on the phone. Sidney meets with Karen in a restaurant, where he secretly passes the gun to Karen, and reminds her that she does not have to do it. But she makes it clear to him that she's prepared. That evening -- at the support group -- Angel, out of blue, says to her "Don't do it. You'll get caught. I'm telling you this, because I'm your friend." Karen is alarmed, but she says that she has no idea what Angel is talking about. That evening, Mac confronts Karen about learning to use a gun -- he found a card from the business that trains people in how to use guns. The two argue, before Mac suggests that they go on a vacation to help cope with their loss. The next day, Karen goes to see Angel at her house. When she knocks on the door, she's horrified when the door opens to reveal a little boy -- it's Sean (Ross Bagley), Angel's son, and he's alive. Karen recognizes him from the photos Angel showed her. Karen, dismayed, confronts Angel, who gently reveals to Karen that she's an undercover FBI Agent who has been investigating the support group. Angel tells Karen that killing someone is against the law, and that unless it's in self-defense, the police cold-bloodedly won't care why she killed Robert, and, most of all, Karen would end up spending the rest of her life in prison. Angel also adds "What kind of legacy are you leaving your little girl?" Reluctant, Karen is forced to call Sidney, tell him that she can't go through with it, and return to her normal life. Meanwhile, Robert is continuing with his life, delivering groceries. He goes back to Maria's home. This time, he walks into her house, and waits while she gets him his tip. Just after Maria gives Robert the tip, he grabs Maria, throws her against the wall, and forces her onto the table, where he brutally rapes and kills her, just like he did to Julie. Karen is horrified when she learns of the murder. When Karen meets with Denillo at the police station, Karen is horrified even more to learn from Denillo that although Robert has been arrested for it, he's been released for lack of evidence -- there are perfectly plausible reasons for his fingerprints to be around the house, because of him making deliveries to Maria from the supermarket, and he used a condom while raping her. A highly frustrated Karen says to Denillo, "You can't catch him! You can't punish him! You can't protect anyone else! You're completely useless!" And then Karen storms out. Karen decides, despite Angel's warning, to go back to her original plan -- only this time, alone. Karen knows that the system won't do anything about Robert, and that gives her absolutely no choice but to do it herself. As Mac and Megan get ready to leave for the vacation that was planned, Karen tells Mac that she needs to stay late at the museum, and sort out an error at work. Mac agrees to drive ahead with Megan, and for Karen to meet with him the next day. Once they have gone, Karen goes back to Robert's home, and after finding Megan's pretend cookie, Karen leaves her baseball cap there, so Robert will know that she's been there. Later that night, Robert finds the hat, and decides to teach Karen a lesson, not knowing that he's falling right into Karen's trap. As Mac and Megan are driving to their destination, Megan mutters the saying, "tough titty said the kitty, but the milk's still good." Mac asks her where she learned that, and Megan tells him that she learned it from the man that mommy watches on the video -- meaning when Karen would watch Robert, as he was arrested, on the news. Mac immediately realizes that Karen is in danger, and he turns the car around to go back home. Meanwhile, Robert forces his way into the house, storms up the stairs, and sees the shower running, with the curtain drawn and a figure behind it. Robert smiles and pulls the curtain open, only to see a towel hanging on rail, creating the image of a person. Embarrassed, he turns around -- only to be confronted by Karen, who is holding a six-shot revolver. Karen angrily says "Sorry to disappoint you." Robert says "What are you gonna do? Shoot me?" Karen says "You broke into my house with the intent to do me bodily harm. The law says I have the right to protect myself." Robert sarcastically says "What? You want me to say I'm sorry? It could've been anybody. I don't even remember what she looked like. It's nothing personal." Karen says "She was seventeen years old. She was five-foot two. She had brown eyes. Her name was Julie. She was my daughter." Robert tauntingly says "She was a great ffffuck," dragging out the 'f' sound as he says it. Robert lunges at Karen, and they struggle with each other. A shot from Karen's gun hits the ceiling, leaving five shots left in the gun, and Karen stumbles down the stairs as the gun drops out of her hand. As Robert advances on her, he says "Like I said, it's nothing personal." Karen quickly grabs the gun, and says "It's very personal." In self defense, she shoots Robert, who is on the stairs. Now there are four shots left in the gun. When Robert tries to go down the stairs after Karen, she fires the gun's last four bullets into Robert, killing Robert in self-defense. Robert's body rolls down the stairs, and comes to a stop on top of Karen. The police are called, and they, along with Mac, arrive. The police take Robert's body away in a body bag. Denillo tells Karen that he's not fooled, and that he knows that she lured Robert to the house, with the intent of making him pay for raping and killing Julie and Maria. Karen, knowing that there's no way that Denillo can prove it, says "Prove it." Denillo, who also knows that he can't prove it, tells his colleagues that it's a clear case of self-defense. Karen and Mac embrace each other.

A young Navy lawyer, Daniel Kaffee risks his career to uncover the truth during a military trial where two Marines are accused of murdering a member of their platoon.

Dr. Richard Sturgess and his colleagues cut red tape at a poorly-run hospital for veterans. A group of doctors in a veteran's hospital must contend with their hopeless situation: too many patients and not enough beds. The main cause of their problems is bureaucratic belt-tightening by the hospital administrators. The doctors are determined to give the best service they can, even if that means defying the orders of management and performing unauthorized operations. —Murray Chapman <muzzle@cs.uq.oz.au>

At last the Feds have caught him! Infamous 60's radical Huey Walker is heading for jail. So how come it's Huey's yuptight FBI escort who ends up behind bars? In 1989, clean-cut FBI man John Buckner is detailed to escort heavily-bearded Huey Walker back to jail for offenses dating back to his days as a celebrated hippie radical. After Walker dupes Buckner on the train he falls into the hands of a couple of well-meaning refugees from the 60's, the two men with apparently nothing in common find themselves on the run together. But appearances can be deceptive. —Jeremy Perkins {J-26} The young FBI agent John Buckner is instructed to bring Huey Walker, a hippie from the sixties, to prison. They travel by train, and of course, Huey tries to escape. John loses his freedom and his identity through one of Huey's tricks: He plies him with drink and takes his gun, his handcuffs and his passport. Now John ends up in jail instead of Huey... When the mistake is discovered, John sets off in pursuit of Huey. —Tony Kessen <rhkessen@cs.vu.nl>

A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted. 1878 in New Mexico: John Tunstall picks up young gun men from the road to have them work on his ranch, but also to teach them reading and to civilize them. However he's a thorn in the side of the rich rancher Murphy, as he's a competitor in selling cattle. One day he's shot by Murphy's men. Judge Wilson can't do anything, since Sheriff Brady is one of Murphy's men. But attorney Alex persuades him to constitute Tunstall's young friends to Deputies and give them warrants of arrest for the murderers. Instead of arresting them, William Bonney just shoots them down. Soon the 5 guys become famous and William gets the name "Billy the Kid" - but they're also chased by dozens of Murphy's men and the army. The people however honor him as fighter for justice. —Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>

This gritty drama opens following two American male high school acquaintances a few years after graduation now suffering from deep anger and anguish over the fact that they are not as successful as they thought they would be. Hancock (Jason Gedrick) is the high school basketball star, that got into college on an athletic scholarship only to lose the scholarship to a better player. Unable to succeed in college based on his academic merit, he returns to his hometown, becomes a police officer and is slowly moving into a middle-class mediocrity with his cheerleader girlfriend, Mary, who is in college and plans to major in the arts. Hancock is still stewing over the fact that he is no longer the sports star and that his girlfriend is not only reluctant to marry him but may end up being more successful than he. Danny (Kiefer Sutherland)is the academic "nerd" that was supposedly destined to be so successful that he earned the nickname "Senator". It was felt by some that one day he would become a decent and just politician. He has returned home with his psychotic wife, Bev (Meg Ryan). After a quick Christmas Eve reunion with his parents, Danny learns that his father is dying. He is unable to come to grips with the fact that while he left town with great expectations, he has returned a poor drifter. He shows a sensitive side even though he has married this trampy, bossy and psychotic woman. His desire to run from his problems again,however, prompts Bev to mock his manhood in front of some of his high school friends at a bar and the two decide to hold up a convenience store perhaps as a means for Danny to prove his manhood or because that is just what "Hollywood white trash" would do. Just then, Hancock, unaware that Danny has returned to town, drives into the store's parking lot arguing with his girlfriend about the future of their relationship. Interrupting the robbery he fatally shoots Danny and wounds Bev. Hancock then suffers something of an emotional breakdown. Danny and Hancock are shown to really have little in common except that Danny once had a crush on Mary and perhaps a repressed crush on Hancock. As other police officers and paramedics arrive on scene, Hancock drives with his girlfriend to an open field where he had previously shared, with his police partner, some of his frustrations. He screams to Mary how he feels he has been lied to while growing up. While it is unclear who precisely lied to him, the film seems to implicate Reagan. The anger that Hancock shows probably stems from how he now perceives the universal achieveability of the so-called "American dream" to be nothing but an illusion! Later Hancock has to personally inform Danny's father that he has killed his son and thus the film ends with bleak social commentary on the limited economic opportunities for small town Americans in the twentieth century.

Following the divorce of their parents, Micheal (Jason Patric) and Sam Emerson (Corey Haim), along with their mother Lucy (Dianne Wiest), move to Santa Carla, California to live with their mother's father, a peculiar old man (Barnard Hughes). Known as the murder capital of the world, Santa Carla boasts a local boardwalk where a number of young people hang out. Most notable is a group of young men and their leader named David (Kiefer Sutherland). When the Emersons go out to the boardwalk for the first time, Lucy finds a video store run by a genial man named Max (Edward Herrmann (as Ed Herrmann)). They have a pleasant conversation, and Lucy is soon hired by him. Sam finds a comic shop near the boardwalk, overseen by the Frog Brothers, Edgar (Corey Feldman) and Alan (Jamison Newlander). The two give Sam a comic about vampires, which Sam reluctantly takes. Meanwhile, Michael becomes enthralled by the mysterious and beautiful Star (Jami Gertz), who happens to be the girlfriend of David. David and his gang take Michael to their hideout, which is the remnants of an old hotel that collapsed during an earthquake. While there, Michael inadvertently drinks David's blood, thinking it is wine. Michael starts to develop some side effects - including sensitivity to sounds, a lack of reflection, and even flying. At one point, Michael almost attacks Sam but is stopped by the family dog named Nanook. When Sam notices Michael's faded reflection in a mirror and him being able to fly, he realizes his brother's a vampire, and in a panic calls their Mom, who is having dinner with Max. Michael manages to calm Sam down, to the point that when their Mom arrives, Sam claims a comic book freaked him out. Needless to say, Lucy is upset at having her evening ruined. After these events, Michael returns to David's hideout, where he confronts Star. She admits that the bottle he drank from did contain David's blood, and his suspicions are true. The next day, Sam accompanies his Mom to Max's place to drop off some wine. However, they are both terrified when Max's dog Thorn attempts to attack Lucy! Feeling the attack seemed similar to something in the comic he was given, Sam tells the Frog Brothers. In regards to Michael, the brothers claim Sam has to stake Michael to kill him, but Sam refuses, confident that his brother is only a half-vampire, and that he can be saved if the head vampire is killed. After the way Thorn acted and not having seen Max in the daylight, Sam is convinced that Max is the head vampire. Lucy invites Max over to dinner a few days later. Michael leaves when Max arrives, but not before per Max's request, he invites him in. Sam has brought the Frog Brothers over for the dinner, and they attempt to expose him. However none of their plans work, and they conclude that Max is not the head vampire. Finally, Michael decides to take Star, along with a little half-vampire boy named Laddie Thompson (Chance Michael Corbitt), from David's clutches and brings Sam and the Frog Brothers with him to kill David and his gang while Michael grabs Star and Laddie. The inexperienced Frog Brothers manage to kill one vampire before waking the bunch and fleeing into the daylight. David smiles as the group escapes saying "Tonight." Sam, Michael, and the Frog Brothers prepare for the night ahead. They prepare a bathtub full of garlic. They fill squirt guns with holy water. They prepare wooden stakes. Night falls and David and the remainder of his crowd come to Sam and Michael's house to seek vengeance. Sam and Michael take out one of the vampires by electricity and the Frog Brothers are saved by Sam & Michael's dog when the dog knocks a vampire into the bathtub with garlic. Finally, David and Michael face off. Michael kills David by pushing him onto some antlers. The only problem is that Michael doesn't go back to being human, meaning David is not the head vampire. Just then Lucy comes home with Max from a date. Unseen by Max, Michael and Star hide in the shadows as Max approaches the deceased David. Max appears to be upset by the death. It's then that it is revealed that Max is the head vampire and that David and his gang were Max's "children" of sorts. Max wanted David to make Michael and Sam part of the "family" so that Lucy would agree to be with Max knowing what he is. Max wanted Lucy because his boys were in need of a mother. Even though his boys are dead he still wants Lucy. Max takes hold of Sam, telling Lucy that Sam will die if she doesn't come to him. Just then Lucy's father busts into the house in his car equipped with wooden stakes. Max is killed and the day is saved. As Lucy makes sure her boys are okay, the grandfather goes to the kitchen, pops open a root beer, and says "There's one thing about living in Santa Carla...I never could stomach - all the damn vampires."

Four friends decide to go hiking to find the dead body of a local boy who got hit by a train.