In 1986, Janet Julian starred in two movies, Ghost Warrior and Choke Canyon, both science fiction influenced cult classics. 1986 was arguably the pinnacle of Janet Julian's acting career, with years of hard work on TV and in low-budget movies seemingly about to pay off with face-time in feature films. While neither Choke Canyon or Ghost Warrior were huge movies, they remain cult classics and a great way to see Janet Julian show off her charm and appealing beauty.
In Choke Canyon, Janet Julian plays Vanessa Pilgrim, daughter of John Pilgrim, the evil head of the Pilgrim Corporation. When the Pilgrim Corporation needs to illegally dump some toxic waste in a specific location in Utah, they must first remove a physicist turned cowboy (Dr. David Lowell, played by Stephen Collins) who has leased the location for 99 years. Since the cowboy-scientist is conducting safe-energy research which can only be conducted in this specific canyon, he does not want to give up his lease. The Pilgrim Corporation decides to wage war and regain the territory, but they encounter much resistance from Dr. Lowell, who acts like a one man army in order to defend his right to conduct sound wave experiments in the area. Eventually, Dr. David Lowell encounters Vanessa Pilgrim and proceeds to kidnap her in a ploy to have the Pilgrim Corporation quickly replace scientific equipment that was destroyed. Shortly thereafter, Vanessa joins forces with Dr. Lowell in his mission to bring down her father's company.
The first time we see Vanessa Pilgrim onscreen is during a protest outside of the Pilgrim Corporation's headquarters. She does not agree with everything her father does, but yet she maintains a relatively cordial relationship with him. We see Vanessa attending one of her father's parties and also see her playing tennis with him. David Lowell eventually gives her a talking to, demanding that she choose sides. Of course, she picks the side of the good doctor and agrees to help destroy the nefarious Pilgrim Corp.
Supposedly, Janet Julian beat out several other up-and-coming actresses for this part. I'd have to say that the correct choice was made. Janet Julian looks great here with a beautiful mane of brunette hair. She also seems to have a lot of fun with her role, bringing a great deal of energy and charm. Her chemistry with co-star Stephen Collins is also quite agreeable.
Here are some images of Janet Julian in Choke Canyon:
