The Donner Party, sometimes called the Donner–Reed Party, were a group of American pioneers who migrated to California in a wagon train from the Midwest. Delayed by a multitude of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–1847 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Some of the migrants resorted to cannibalism to survive, primarily eating the bodies of those who had succumbed to starvation, sickness or extreme cold, but in one case two Native American guides were deliberately killed for this purpose.
Maverick is a 1994 American Western comedy film directed by Richard Donner, written by William Goldman, and starring Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster and James Garner. Based on the 1957–1962 television series of the same name created by Roy Huggins and originally starring James Garner, the film stars Gibson as Bret Maverick, a card player and con artist who collects money in order to enter a high-stakes poker game. He is joined in his adventure by Annabelle Bransford (Foster), another con artist, and Marshal Zane Cooper (Garner), a lawman. The supporting cast features Graham Greene, James Coburn, Alfred Molina and many cameo appearances by Western film actors, country music stars and other actors.
The Philadelphia Experiment is a 1984 American science fiction film. It is directed by Stewart Raffill, stars Michael Paré, Bobby Di Cicco, Kene Holliday and Nancy Allen and is based on the urban legend of the Philadelphia Experiment. In 1943, United States Navy sailors David Herdeg (Paré) and Jim Parker are thrown forward in time to the year 1984 when a scientific experiment being performed aboard the USS Eldridge suffers a catastrophe. The film follows the two men as they attempt to survive the future and race against time to put an end to the experiment that now threatens the fate of the entire world.
Passenger 57 is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Kevin Hooks. The film stars Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne, with Snipes portraying a security consultant who finds himself forced to foil a plot to free a captive terrorist during a commercial airline flight. Critical reviews were mixed, but the film was a box-office success, and made Snipes a popular action hero icon.
Mac and Me is a 1988 American science fiction film co-written and directed by Stewart Raffill. Starring Christine Ebersole, Jonathan Ward, and Tina Caspary alongside Lauren Stanley and Jade Calegory, it centers on a "Mysterious Alien Creature" (MAC) that escapes from nefarious NASA agents and befriends a boy named Eric Cruise. Together, they try to find MAC's family, from whom he has been separated.
Tom Sawyer is the 1973 American musical film adaptation of the Mark Twain novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and was directed by Don Taylor. The film was produced by Reader's Digest in collaboration with Arthur P. Jacobs, and its screenplay and songs were written by both Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman.
The Giant of Thunder Mountain is a 1991 drama film starring Richard Kiel and Noley Thornton. Bart the Bear also appeared in the movie. The screenplay was jointly written by Richard Kiel, Chrystle Fiedler, and Tony Lozito. It was directed by James W. Roberson.
The Ice Pirates is a 1984 American comic science fiction film directed by Stewart Raffill, who co-wrote the screenplay with Krull writer Stanford Sherman. The film stars Robert Urich, Mary Crosby and Michael D. Roberts; other notable featured actors are Anjelica Huston, Ron Perlman, Bruce Vilanch, John Carradine and former football player John Matuszak.
Benji the Hunted is a 1987 American adventure drama film directed and written by Joe Camp and produced by Ben Vaughn. It is the fourth film in the Benji series. The film is about Benji trying to survive in the wilderness and looking after orphan cougar cubs after their mother is shot and killed by a hunter. It was released by Walt Disney Pictures. This was the last Benji movie to star Benjean, daughter of Higgins, in the title role.
Strange Wilderness is a 2008 American comedy adventure film produced by Adam Sandler's production company Happy Madison Productions for Paramount Pictures. Directed by Fred Wolf, who also co-wrote the film with Peter Gaulke, the film stars Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Kevin Heffernan, Ashley Scott, Peter Dante, Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker, Justin Long, Jeff Garlin, and Ernest Borgnine. Production took place in 2005 but the film did not receive a theatrical release until February 1, 2008.
Walky Talky Hawky is a 1946 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies theatrical short directed by Robert McKimson. The cartoon was released on August 31, 1946, and features Henery Hawk and Foghorn Leghorn. This is the first appearance of both Foghorn Leghorn and the Barnyard Dawg.
The Adventures of the Wilderness Family is a 1975 American family adventure drama film directed by Stewart Raffill and starring Robert Logan, George Buck Flower and Susan Damante-Shaw. The film is about Skip Robinson and his family who decide to move from Los Angeles, California to a new home in the majestic Rocky Mountains, Skip builds a log cabin, and the children befriend wild animals. As the intrepid Robinsons make a simpler life for themselves off the grid, they discover that, in the wilderness, each day brings its own adventure.
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress and filmmaker. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, three BAFTA Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. For her work as a producer and director, she has been nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards. She has also earned numerous honors such as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2013 and the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2021.
Tweet Zoo is a 1957 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Friz Freleng. Originally released on May 29, 1957, this short stars Tweety and Sylvester.
Stewart Raffill is a British writer and director.
Detective David Tapp is a fictional character from the Saw film franchise, portrayed by Danny Glover. Introduced in Saw (2004), he is a police detective investigating a series of crime scenes linked to the same murderer, later revealed to be the Jigsaw Killer, and serves as one of the film's protagonists. Tapp has also made appearances through archived footage and from being mentioned in Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), and Saw V (2008). He appeared as a playable character in both Saw: The Video Game (2009), in which he was voiced by Earl Alexander, and Dead by Daylight (2016), in which he was voiced by Dave Blake.
Freaky Green Eyes (2003) is the third young adult fiction novel written by Joyce Carol Oates. The story follows the life of 15-year-old Francesca "Franky" Pierson as she reflects on the events leading to her mother's mysterious disappearance. Through what she calls Freaky's thoughts, Franky accepts the truth about her mother's disappearance and her father's hand in it.
Tammy and the T-Rex is a 1994 American science fiction comedy film directed by Stewart Raffill and written by Raffill and Gary Brockette. The film, which stars Terry Kiser, Ellen Dubin, Denise Richards, Paul Walker, George Pilgrim, and John Franklin, centers around a high school student named Tammy, whose boyfriend Michael has his brain implanted in the body of a robotic Tyrannosaurus rex by a mad scientist.
Enter Nowhere is a 2011 psychological thriller film directed by Jack Heller and starring Scott Eastwood, Sara Paxton, and Katherine Waterston.
