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movie|celeb|review
The Shape Of Water 2017|Guillermo del Toro|From master story teller, Guillermo del Toro, comes THE SHAPE OF WATER - an other-worldly fairy tale, set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1962. In the hidden high-security government laboratory where she works, lonely Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is trapped in a life of isolation. Elisa's life is changed forever when she and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret classified experiment. Rounding out the cast are Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Doug Jones and Michael Stuhlbarg.
Good Time|Joshua Safdie|After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld in an increasingly desperate-and dangerous-attempt to get his brother out of jail. Over the course of one adrenalized night, Constantine finds himself on a mad descent into violence and mayhem as he races against the clock to save his brother and himself, knowing their lives hang in the balance.
Lady Bird|Greta Gerwig|In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine "Lady Bird" McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf), a nurse working tirelessly to keep her family afloat after Lady Bird's father (Tracy Letts) loses his job. Set in Sacramento, California in 2002, amidst a rapidly shifting American economic landscape, Lady Bird is an affecting look at the relationships that shape us, the beliefs that define us, and the unmatched beauty of a place called home.
The Hitmans Bodyguard|Patrick Hughes|The world's top protection agent (Ryan Reynolds) is called upon to guard the life of his mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hitmen (Samuel L. Jackson). The relentless bodyguard and manipulative assassin have been on the opposite end of the bullet for years and are thrown together for a wildly outrageous 24 hours. During their raucous and hilarious adventure from England to the Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator (Gary Oldman) who is out for blood. Salma Hayek joins the mayhem as Jackson's equally notorious wife.
Valerian And The City Of A Thousand Planets|Luc Besson|VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is the visually spectacular new adventure film from Luc Besson, the legendary director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the ground-breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers. In the 28th century, Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are a team of special operatives charged with maintaining order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha-an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. There is a mystery at the center of Alpha, a dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
It 2017|Andy Muschietti|New Line Cinema's horror thriller "IT," directed by Andy Muschietti ("Mama"), is based on the hugely popular Stephen King novel of the same name, which has been terrifying readers for decades. When children begin to disappear in the town of Derry, Maine, a group of young kids are faced with their biggest fears when they square off against an evil clown named Pennywise, whose history of murder and violence dates back for centuries.
Despicable Me 3|Kyle Balda|Illumination, who brought audiences Despicable Me and the biggest animated hits of 2013 and 2015, Despicable Me 2 and Minions, continues the adventures of Gru, Lucy, their adorable daughters-Margo, Edith and Agnes-and the Minions in Despicable Me 3. Directed by Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda, co-directed by Eric Guillon and written by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, the animated film is produced by Illumination's Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy, and executive produced by Chris Renaud. Joining Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig in Despicable Me 3 is Emmy, Tony and Grammy Award winner Trey Parker, co-creator of Comedy Central's global phenomenon South Park and the Broadway smash The Book of Mormon. Parker voices the role of villain Balthazar Bratt, a former child star who's grown up to become obsessed with the character he played in the '80s, and proves to be Gru's most formidable nemesis to date. The film will be released in theaters on June 30, 2017.
24 Hours To Live 2017|Brian Smrz|24 Hours to Live is a fast-paced action-packed movie about a career assassin (Hawke) who is given a chance at redemption after his employer brings him back to life temporarily after being killed on the job.
Jim And Andy The Great Beyond Featuring A Very Special Contractually Obligated Mention Of Tony Clifton|Chris Smith|Director Chris Smith's fascinating deep dive into actor Jim Carrey's time spent portraying famed and complicated comedian Andy Kaufman. Using approximately 100 hours of footage shot on the set of Man on the Moon documenting Carrey's transformation into Kaufman for four months. Jim Carrey earned critical acclaim and a Golden Globe for the performance, but many of the production's most Kaufmanesque moments played out behind the scenes, thankfully captured on video by Andy's former girlfriend, Lynne Margulies and former writing partner, Bob Zmuda. In Jim & Andy, Carrey looks back at the resulting footage 18 years later, reflecting on how he and Andy came up in oddly parallel universes, his experience channelling Andy and Tony and more broadly the spiritual journey of his career.
Amour 2013|Michael Haneke|Georges and Anne are in their eighties. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, who is also a musician, lives abroad with her family. One day, Anne has an attack. The couple's bond of love is severely tested. -- (C) Official Site
The Turning|Tony Ayres|A collection of short films based on stories by Australian writer Tim Winton.
Kedi 2017|Ceyda Torun|KEDi is not a documentary about house cats or the strays you occasionally see in your back yard. KEDi is a film about the hundreds of thousands of cats who have roamed the metropolis of Istanbul freely for thousands of years, wandering in and out of people's lives, impacting them in ways only an animal who lives between the worlds of the wild and the tamed can. Cats and their kittens bring joy and purpose to those they choose, giving people an opportunity to reflect on life and their place in it. In Istanbul, cats are the mirrors to ourselves. "Cats - tabbies, calicos, angoras, Norwegian forest cats; ginger cats, grey cats, black cats, white cats, black and white cats - all kinds of cats, roam the city, free, without a human master. Some fend for themselves, scavenging from dumpsters, living in abandoned buildings, others are cared for by communities of people, pampered with the best cat food and given shelter for the cold months. Cats have been a part of the city for thousands of years, and so, everyone who grows up in Istanbul or lives in Istanbul has a story about a cat. Stories that are memorable; sometimes scary, sometimes spiritual, but always very personal. Street cats are such a big part of the culture that when US president Barack Obama visited Istanbul, part of his tour included a stop at the Hagia Sophia to visit its famous cat, Gli. Cats are as integral to the identity of Istanbul as its monuments, the Bosporus, tea, raki and fish restaurants." Ceyda Torun
Harry Benson Shoot First|Justin Bare|HARRY BENSON: SHOOT FIRST charts the illustrious career of the renowned photographer who initially rose to fame alongside The Beatles, having been assigned to cover their inaugural trip to the United States in 1964. With unprecedented "behind the scenes" access, Benson captured some of the most vibrant and intimate portraits ever taken of the most popular band in history. His extensive portfolio includes iconic images of Winston Churchill, Bobby Fischer, Muhammad Ali, Greta Garbo, Michael Jackson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, and his work has appeared in publications including Life, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. Now 86, workaholic Benson has no intention of stopping.
Loving 2016|Jeff Nichols|From acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols, Loving celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (portrayed by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry - and their love story has become an inspiration to couples ever since.
In The Fade|Fatih Akin|Out of nowhere, Katja's life falls apart when her husband Nuri and little son Rocco are killed in a bomb attack. Her friends and family try to give her the support she needs, and Katja somehow manages to make it through the funeral. But the mind numbing search for the perpetrators and reasons behind the senseless killing complicate Katja's painful mourning, opening wounds and doubts. Danilo, a lawyer and Nuri's best friend, represents Katja in the eventual trial against the two suspects: a young couple from the neo-Nazi scene. The trial pushes Katja to the edge, but there's simply no alternative for her: she wants justice.
Gook|Justin Chon|In 1992, two Korean-American brothers and director running a shoe store in South Central Los Angeles share a friendship with an 11-year-old black girl who likes hanging out with them. As news of the verdict in the beating case filters down during the day, their livelihood is upended when riots break out and everything they've built in the community is threatened by violence and looting.
Asha Jaoar Majhe|Adityavikram Sengupta|Set in the crumbling environs of Calcutta, Labour of Love is a lyrical unfolding of two ordinary lives suspended in the duress of a spiralling recession.
Death Race|Paul W.S. Anderson|The Transporter star Jason Statham takes the wheel in director Paul W.S. Anderson's remake of the Roger Corman classic about a hyper-violent cross-country race that breaks all of the traditional rules of the road. The time is the not-so-distant future, and as America's prisons begin overflowing with violent criminals, the powers that be devise a grisly game that will free up space in the cells and entertain the masses at the same time. Jensen Ames (Statham) is a three-time speedway champion with a dark past. A survival expert and ex-con whose sordid history comes back to haunt him when he is framed for a murder he didn't commit, Ames is forced to choose between donning the metallic mask of a mythical racer known as Frankenstein or languishing away on Terminal Island -- America's most notorious penitentiary. Over the course of the next three days, this unlikely champion will get behind the wheel of a nightmare machine outfitted with machine guns, grenade launchers, and flamethrowers in a desperate attempt to outrun some of the most violent criminals ever imprisoned. Should Ames be the first to cross the checkered flag, he will win his freedom; should he come in second, however, death would be preferable to a grim future in a cramped concrete cell. Co-stars include Joan Allen, Ian McShane, Natalie Martinez, and Tyrese Gibson, who takes over the role of Machine Gun Joe, made famous by Sylvester Stallone in the original. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Abacus Small Enough To Jail|Steve James|Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York. Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves--and their bank's legacy in the Chinatown community--over the course of a five-year legal battle.
Rebels On Pointe|Bobbi Jo Hart|Exploring universal themes of identity, dreams, family, loss and love, Rebels on Pointe is the first-ever feature documentary celebrating the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The all male, comic ballet company was founded over 40 years ago on the heels of New York's Stonewall riots and and has a diverse cult following around the world. The film juxtaposes behind-the-scenes access, rich archives and history, intimate character-driven stories, and amazing dance performances shot in North America, Europe and Japan. Rebels on Pointe is a creative blend of gender, diversity, passion and purpose. A story which ultimately proves that a ballerina is not only a woman dancing -- but an act of rebellion in a tutu.
We Are Still Here|Ted Geoghegan|In the cold, wintery fields of New England, a lonely old house wakes up every thirty years - and demands a sacrifice.
Deathgasm|Jason Lei Howden|New kid in town Brodie and bad-boy Zakk quickly bond over their mutual admiration of heavy metal. But when these two metal thrashing losers unwittingly summon malevolent forces, their dreams of stardom may just have to be put on hold.
Person To Person 2017|Dustin Guy Defa|In PERSON TO PERSON, a record collector hustles for a big score while his heartbroken roommate tries to erase a terrible mistake, a teenager bears witness to her best friend's new relationship, and a rookie reporter, alongside her demanding supervisor, chases the clues of a murder case involving a life-weary clock shop owner. Shot entirely in 16mm, PERSON TO PERSON effortlessly humanizes its characters, invoking an earnest realism in the performances of its ensemble cast: Michael Cera, Abbi Jacobson, Michaela Watkins, and newcomer Bene Coopersmith. Defa demonstrates his aptitude for honest storytelling as he explores the absurdity and challenges of forging human connections.
Soul On A String|Zhang Yang|After discovering a sacred stone in the mouth of a deer he just killed, Taibei, a young lonesome Tibetan cowboy, embarks on a long and difficult mission: to bring it back to the holy mountain of Buddha's handprint. His journey turns sour as an obstinate woman, Joan, and a psychic yet dumb elf, Pu, soon decide to join him. Not to mention the two violent brothers on his tale, who are on a revenge quest.
Oh What A Lovely War|Richard Attenborough|Oh! What a Lovely War is an every-man-for-himself adaptation of Charles Chilton's 1963 play, as staged in London by Joan Littlewood. The tragedy of World War I is redefined in bawdy music-hall terms, beginning with a verbal free-for-all involving the Crowned Heads of Europe. The war is presented as the "new attraction" at the Brighton Amusement Pier, complete with syrupy cheer-up songs, shooting galleries, free prizes and a scoreboard toting up the dead. Throughout the proceedings, the camera concentrates on a middle-class family, whose five sons end up as cannon fodder. The final image is a veddy proper British picnic on a graveyard. Of the many fleeting satiric images parading past the camera, one of the most indelible is the sight of several generals playing leapfrog as the world all around them goes to hell in a handbasket. The awesome all-star cast includes Laurence Olivier, Ralph Richardson, Maggie Smith, John Gielgud, Michael Redgrave, Jack Hawkins, John Mills, Susannah York, Dirk Bogarde and Phyllis Calvert. We haven't seen this many Englishmen in one place since the last Wimbledon match. The whole affair was supervised by Richard Attenborough, making his directorial debut (a question: why was he up to the challenge of this musical extravaganza, yet seemed helpless in the face of 1985's A Chorus Line?).
Prelude To A Kiss|Norman René|On her wedding day, bride Meg Ryan is kissed by a strange old man (Sydney Walker) who shows at the wedding uninvited. Meg and Walker instantly exchange personalities, much to the discomfort of groom Alec Baldwin. In trying to set things aright, Baldwin discover that the man is dying from cancer.
High Crimes|Carl Franklin|Defense attorney Claire Kubik (Ashley Judd) seems to have the perfect life. She has a high profile job at a big firm, a beautiful home outside San Francisco, and a husband, Tom (James Caviezel of The Thin Red Line), who loves her. Claire's biggest problem appears to be that she wants to have a baby, and she's having trouble getting pregnant. But when the police investigate a routine break-in at her home, they uncover the truth about her husband's identity, and her life is thrown into turmoil. Claire finds out that her husband's name is actually Ron Chapman, and that he's an ex-marine accused of murdering seven innocent civilians in El Salvador during a raid in the late '80s. He admits that he was there, and that he changed his identity to escape prosecution for the crimes, but he insists that he's innocent, and that the massacre was committed by another soldier under the orders of a powerful general (Bruce Davison), who is using Ron as a patsy to cover it up. Claire is eventually convinced that Ron's telling the truth. Faced with defending her husband in an unfamiliar military courtroom, Claire enlists the aid of Charles Grimes (Morgan Freeman), an ex-Army judge advocate with an axe to grind. Stonewalled by the military bureaucracy at every turn, they uncover a web of deception and disappearing witnesses, and they soon find their own lives in danger. High Crimes was adapted from Joseph Finder's novel by the husband and wife screenwriting team of Yuri Zeltser and Cary Bickley. The film was directed by Carl Franklin (One False Move), and co-stars Amanda Peet and Adam Scott. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
The Playaz Court|Greg Morgan|The courts of Englewood are as far removed from the hollowed halls of justice as a street ball player can imagine, but when a pickup game ends in death, the quest for revenge proves that even on the street there's a code of honor. Reggie's best friend is dead, and the pain of his loss leads the hardened player on a quest to ensure that the killer pays for his crime. Upon tracking the killer to a gym, Reggie enters, gun in hand and ready to avenge his friend's death. As the other players declare that no one will die on their court without a fair trial, they listen to both sides of the story to determine if justice will be served with a bullet, or whether the suspected killer will live to play another game.
American Gun|Aric Avelino|Three stories of how America's obsession with firearms impacts its citizens are explored in this independent drama. Carl Wilk (Donald Sutherland) runs a gun shop in Virginia that has been owned and operated by his family for generations. Carl sees the shop as his family's legacy without paying much mind to what happens with the weapons he sells. When his granddaughter Mary Ann (Linda Cardellini) needs money for college, Carl gives her a job in the store, and while she's hesitant at first, she becomes fascinated with the merchandise as time passes. On the West Side of Chicago, Carl Carter (Forest Whitaker) is the principal of a high school where violence has become a sad fact of life. As Carl and his wife, Sara (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon), fear for their young son as they worry he could either fall prey to the violence of their community or embrace it himself, Carl receives a severe emotional blow when Jay (Arlen Escarpeta), one of his most promising students, is discovered carrying a pistol. And in Oregon, Janet (Marcia Gay Harden) is a single mother still troubled by the death of her teenaged son three years before, who took his own life after killing a handful of his classmates in a violent incident at a high school. As Janet deals with sharp words from the community, many of whom believe she should be held responsible for her late son's actions, she is unsure how to handle her surviving son, David (Christopher Marquette), who is now of high-school age. American Gun was the first feature film for writer and director Aric Avelino.
Paradise Recovered|Storme Wood|A devout young Christian from a struggling religious sect befriends the manager of a health food store, and begins to see another side to her faith in this variation on the story of the Good Samaritan. Ester has never questioned her faith. When her denomination falls on hard times, she volunteers to get a job to help supplement their finances. Subsequently hired by Gabriel, the skeptical son of a devout preacher, Ester gradually begins to share her faith with her kindly new boss while gradually discovering the true value of her own self-worth. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Let Me Go|Polly Steele|Let Me Go is a film about mothers and daughters, it is about ghosts from the past and the impact they leave on the present. Developed from Helga Schneider's true life story, Let Me Go explores the effect on Helga's life of being abandoned by her mother, Traudi in 1941 when she was just four years old. The film is set in the year 2000 following not only Helga and Traudi's journeys but the next two generations and how Beth, Helga's daughter and Emily her granddaughter are confronted with the long-term effects of Traudi's leaving. When Helga receives a letter telling her that Traudi is close to death, it is Emily with whom Helga shares the truth. Emily volunteers to accompany her to Vienna to meet the great-grandmother she thought was dead, and experience the unraveling of the darkest of family secrets.
Life 2017|Daniel Espinosa|Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.
The Last Reunion 1982|Jay Wertz|In this actioner a ninja fighter sets off for chop-socky revenge against those who slaughtered his family.
Secret Honor|Robert Altman|'Secret Honor' is a filmed version of Donald Freed and Arnold Stone's one-man play wherein the disgraced Richard M. Nixon ruminates over his failed career and suggests that he was really nothing more than the puppet of a sinister "committee" seeking global power.
Die Mommie Die|Mark Rucker|Playwright, performer, and drag queen Charles Busch appears in the leading role as aging pop star Angela Arden in the darkly comic melodrama Die Mommie Die. Based on Busch's own play, this film marks the directorial debut of Mark Rucker. In 1967, Angela's career has hit bottom and she's trapped in a loveless marriage to film producer Sol Sussman (Philip Baker Hall). She gets involved in an affair with unemployed TV actor Tony Parker (Jason Priestley). After Sol suddenly dies, Angela's daughter Edith (Natasha Lyonne) plots a conspiracy of revenge and enlists the help of her brother, Lance (Stark Sands). Also featuring Nora Dunn and Frances Conroy. Busch has previously appeared in drag for the film adaptation of his play Psycho Beach Party in 2000. Die Mommie Die premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.
Goddess Of Love|Jim Drake|The famed Wheel of Fortune gameshow letter-turner Vanna White makes her acting debut in this sub-par TV-movie. White stars as the goddess Venus, who goes after the love of a present-day man. The silly film was universally panned by critics.
Three Oclock High|Phil Joanou|The first feature film from director Phil Joanou (State of Grace), Three O' Clock High chronicles a high school nerd's much hyped after-school bout with the infamous class bully. When the impish Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko) is assigned to interview the new transfer student with a supposedly violent past, Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson), he makes the fatal mistake of touching his subject. Revell, who hates being touched, responds by challenging the unwilling Mitchell to a fight at three o'clock in the parking lot. Spanning the course of the school day, the film follows the disaster-bound Mitchell as he soils his good-boy image through various misguided attempts at averting the fight. Also making noteworthy appearances in the film are Jeffrey Tambor and Philip Baker Hall.
Shark Tale|Eric 'Bibo' Bergeron|Oscar is a fast-talking little fish that dreams big. But his big dreams land him in hot water when a great white lie turns him into an unlikely hero. At first, his fellow fish swallow Oscar's story hook, line and sinker and he is showered with fame and fortune. It's all going along swimmingly, until it starts to become clear that Oscar's tale about being the defender of the Reef is all wet. Oscar is finding out that being a hero comes at a Market Price when his lie threatens to make him the Catch of the Day. Now he has to tread water until he can get the scales to tip back in his favor again.
Lethal Pursuit|Donald M. Jones|In this thriller, rock star Debra J and her sweetheart go to the now-abandoned cabin where she once lived and discover a wounded boy hiding from a cadre of murderous car thieves. Now it is up to the rock star's fearful boyfriend to stop the psychotic gang leader.
Amazing Screw On Head|Chris Prynoski|An artifact that will allow anyone who possesses it to threaten all life on Earth has been stolen by the most dangerous criminal known to man, and now it's up to President Abraham Lincoln's top spy - a disembodied head known only as The Screw-On Head - to retrieve it in Hellboy creator Mike Mignola's hilarious send-up of Lovecraftian horror and steampunk insanity. The dreaded Emperor Zombie (David Hyde Pierce) is threatening to unleash the greatest horror that mankind has ever known, and the only one who can stop him is Screw-On Head (Paul Giamatti). Now, with time running out for all of humanity, Screw-On Head enlists the aid of loyal manservant Mr. Groin and talking canine Mr. Dog in retrieving the priceless artifact and saving the world from a grim and violent fate. As the ultimate confrontation draws near, Screw-On Head searches high and low for a body powerful enough to fight and overcome the horrible powers that have been unleashed by Emperor Zombie.
Talladega Nights The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby|Adam McKay|When America's number one NASCAR speed-demon is issued a direct challenge from a gay, French Formula One racer with a hunger for the top spot and a mean talent for tight-cornering, the race is on to become the number one man in all of NASCAR in a full throttle comedy starring Will Ferrell and directed by Anchorman cohort Adam McKay. Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a national hero with a "smokin' hot" trophy wife, pair of borderline-abusively precocious sons, and an endless line of endorsement deals filling his mansion with toys and driveway with sports cars and Hummers. His racing partner and lifelong friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), never fails to provide him with a hand on the racetrack, frequently performing their trademark "slingshot" maneuver to shoot Ricky into first place, leaving Cal in second. While the public loves these buddies (popularly known by the meaningless childhood nicknames they find so exceedingly cool: "Shake and Bake"), a wedge comes between the two, as Ricky Bobby's longstanding winning-streak is broken by flamboyand French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), robbing Ricky of everything in an instant as the trauma leaves him unable to drive. Ricky's wife takes his fortunes while Cal takes his wife, and now he's back with his mother (Jane Lynch) and long-estranged father (Gary Cole). Things look bad for Ricky, but his father was once a race car driver himself, and now with the help of a training montage, a live cougar, and the courage to drive without his gleaming white Wonder Bread endorsement, Ricky might be ready to face the track again. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Cemetery Club|Bill Duke|A trio of Jewish widows, calling themselves "The Cemetery Club" gather every week to visit the graves of their husbands and then go to the local deli to hash out the details of their lives. It's a good routine until one of the widows finds a beau.
Asalto A Beverly Hills|Sidney J. Furie|Football hero Boomer Hayes (Ken Wahl) finds he is in the middle of a looting scheme in this non-stop actioner. Billionaire and owner of LA's pro football team, Bat Masterson (Robert Davi), has arranged a fake toxic chemical spill to provide an opportune situation for his group of ex-cops to plunder an evacuated community in Beverly Hills. Surprised by the state of things when he comes out of the bathroom, Boomer soon grasps the opponent's play and takes it upon his able-bodied self to tackle the situation. Luckily, he not only has the support of his girlfriend, Laura (Harley Jane Kozak), but ex-cop and bad-turned-to-good guy Ed (Matt Frewer) also decides to play on the home-team. With a plethora of explosions and stunts, it shows how the heroes semi-effectively defend their lush neighborhood.
Mulholland Dr|David Lynch|Along Mulholland Drive nothing is what it seems. In the unreal universe of Los Angeles, the city bares its schizophrenic nature, an uneasy blend of innocence and corruption, love and loneliness, beauty and depravity. A woman is left with amnesia following a car accident. An aspiring young actress finds her staying in her aunt's home. The puzzle begins to unfold, propelling us through a mysterious labyrith of sensual experiences until we arrive at the intersection of dreams and nightmares.
Jennifer On My Mind|Noel Black|One of a number of films that dealt with addiction following the explosion of recreational drug use in the 1960s, Jennifer on My Mind opens as footloose twentysomething Marcus (Michael Brandon) is wandering through Europe. In Venice, he meets a beautiful young woman named Jenny (Tippy Walker); they fall in love, start travelling together, and smoke an awful lot of marijuana. When Jenny decides to return to the United States and heads back to New York, Marcus tags along, but before long (as usually happens in films of this sort), Jenny moves from pot to harder drugs, and Marcus has to deal with the fact the woman he loves has become a heroin addict. Written by Erich Segal, who had earlier gained fame for Love Story, Jennifer on My Mind also features a prescient supporting performance by Robert DeNiro, who plays a taxi driver.
Desperate Lives 1982|Robert Michael Lewis|In this made-for-TV film, a high-school counselor (Joyce Brothers) faces ineffectual help from administration in combating drugs, so she recruits several students to help in the battle.
10010619 Babysitter|Don Henderson|In this melodrama, Jim Carlton is settling in for a weekend at home when his wife takes their baby off for a weekend trip. However, when the baby-sitter mistakenly shows up, she whisks Jim off to a wild weekend in Hollywood, where he discovers some sobering facts about his wife.
Mechanic|Michael Winner|Arthur Bishop (played by Charles Bronson) is a bounty-hunter known as "the Mechanic." He teaches his trade to an apprentice (Jan-Michel Vincent) in a series of jobs that find them chased by rival killers.
Slapstick Of Another Kind|Steven Paul|This dismal sci-fi comedy is based on a novel by Kurt Vonnegut and features Jerry Lewis and Madeline Kahn in dual roles as wealthy, respected parents who give birth to two gigantic, and ugly twins. The appalled parents try to keep them hidden away for they do not know that their "children" are really alien ambassadors who have come to help make the Earth a better place.
Never Too Young To Die|Gil Bettman|In this deliberately campy, tongue-in-cheek tale of espionage and action, a young spy launches a private investigation into the death of his father, a master spy. He enlists the aid of one of his father's gorgeous cohorts and together they end up facing down a deadly and totally deranged hermaphrodite with delusions of grandeur.
Ophelia Learns To Swim|Jurgen Vsych|A wishy-washy young woman (Julie Lee) becomes a superhero and takes on a bunch of supervillains. Lauren Birkell, Hilary Shepard-Turner. Written and directed by Jurgen Vsych.
Our Mothers Murder|Bill L. Norton|In this made-for-TV movie, Anne Scripps is the divorced mother of two teenage girls and the heir to the Scripps family fortune. After their mother remarries and has another child, her husband becomes abusive towards his wife. When Anne is found murdered, the search goes out for her husband.
Hostage Hotel|Hal Needham|Produced for the TNT cable network, this is the last in a short series of TV movies starring Burt Reynolds as retired police detective Logan McQueen. Something of a bargain-basement Die Hard, the plot is set in motion when a disturbed, vengeance-seeking Vietnam veteran named Arlin Flynn (Keith Carradine) takes over the landmark California hotel where congressman Robert Sinclair (David Rasche) is delivering a speech, then kidnaps Sinclair's family. The situation becomes personal for maverick former cop McQueen when his ex-partner Charlie Duffy (Charles Durning) is also kidnapped while trying to negotiate with Flynn. Despite the many deadly booby traps set in and around the besieged hotel by the crazed but clever villain, McQueen endeavors to defuse the crisis and rescue the hostages himself. Directed by longtime Burt Reynolds crony Hal Needham, Hostage Hotel first aired November 14, 1999.
The Man In 3B|Trey Haley|Daryl Graham has just moved into an apartment in Jamaica, Queens and his neighbors cannot stop talking about him. Daryl is the man every woman wants and every man wants to be. Unhappy wife Connie turns to Daryl to lose weight and fix her marriage. But when Connie starts to feel beautiful again, she questions whether her marriage is worth saving. Spoiled teen Benny looks up to Daryl. When an unexpected event occurs, Benny questions everything he has understood to be true. Daryl's first love, Krystal, wants her current relationship to work. With Daryl back in her life, things with her new boyfriend start to spin out of control. And Avery, Connie's husband, is only really concerned with financial gains, that is, until he notices how preoccupied his wife is with the new neighbor. All in all, everything seems to be going well, but when a murder happens, everyone becomes a prime suspect.
Only For You|Donna Persico|A young divorcée pursuing an acting career finds romance with a charismatic writer in her theater class.
Hard Time|Burt Reynolds|Former Evening Shade costars Burt Reynolds and Charles Durning are reunited in this made-for-TV action thriller, the first entry in a three-picture deal between star-director Reynolds and the TNT cable network. Framed for murder after a botch stakeout, maverick cop Logan McQueen (Reynolds) escapes from maximum security and heads to Miami in search of the man who set him up. He is hotly pursued by the minions of a politically ambitious DA (Billy Dee Williams), who sees McQueen's capture as a stepping-stone to the governor's mansion. The film is so spectacularly violent that the cameo appearance by pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper seems a model of decorum in comparison. And Durning? He plays McQueen's ageing partner, as fast with a quip as with a gun. Originally telecast on December 13, 1998, Hard Time was followed by a brace of sequels.
Alien Abduction Incident In Lake County|Dean Alioto|After a mysterious blackout, a son goes out to investigate and captures footage of actual aliens. When the aliens follow he and his brothers back to their home all hell breaks lose.
The Spectre Of Hope 2012|Paul Carlin|Over the past 30 years Brazilian photographer Sebasti√£o Salgado's work has won every major award for excellence. More importantly, his photographs have had an actual impact on the world and how it is seen, bringing conditions of famine and poverty to the attention of a jaded first world in a profound and arresting way. In THE SPECTRE OF HOPE Sebasti√£o Salgado joins Berger to pore over Salgado's collection "Migrations." Six years and 43 countries in the making (ranging across Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America), "Migrations" contains photographs of people pushed from their homes and traditions to cities and their margins - slums and streets and refugee camps.
Sugar Daddies 2014|Doug Campbell|A college student with mounting debt is introduced to the world of "sugar daddies," a group of older men who trade favors for money.
Sex Tape 2014|Jake Kasdan|Jay (Jason Segel) and Annie (Cameron Diaz) are a married couple still very much in love, but ten years and two kids have cooled the passion. To get it back, they decide - why not? - to make a video of themselves trying out every position in THE JOY OF SEX in one marathon three-hour session. It seems like a great idea, until they discover that their most private video has gone public. In a panic, they begin a wild night of adventure - tracking down leads, roping in friends, duping Annie's boss - all to reclaim their video, their reputation, their sanity, and, most importantly, their marriage. (c) Sony
Legend Of Zorro|Martin Campbell|The year is 1850. After fighting to help California become the 31st state of the Union, Zorro promises his wife Elena that he will give up his secret identity and live a normal life as Alejandro de la Vega. But now, the same forces that conspired to keep California from becoming part of the United States are plotting to unleash a threat that has been 500 years in the making -- a threat that could change the course of history forever. Only Zorro can stop it by taking on the most dangerous mission of his life. But, if he does what he must, will it mean losing Elena forever?
Starlight And Superfish 2010|Steve Kopera|Nick appears in his apartment - confused and disoriented. He discovers he can't move anything. He can't open the medicine cabinet, can't pick up a Perrier bottle, can't even feed his fish! A naturally nervous person, Nick panics. Suddenly, a British glam-rock band bursts in the door. The band informs Nick that he is dead, and he's stuck in his apartment. To escape, he must learn all the valuable life lessons he ignored while he was alive. Then, he will be judged by God and sent either to Heaven or Hell - a jarring concept for an atheist. With the rock band serving as his modern-day Greek chorus, Nick must rely on Rex, the hot-headed, half-drunken lead singer as his spiritual guide to avoid the fiery pits of Hell. Further complicating matters is the new tenant, Beth. An evangelical Christian who is unaware that Nick and the other spirits are sharing the apartment with her...
Transformers The Movie|Michael Bay|The interstellar battle between the Autobots and Decepticons rains destruction down on planet Earth as director Michael Bay adapts Hasbro and Takara's popular Transformers franchise into a big-budget, live-action summer tentpole extravaganza in this ambitious sci-fi action feature starring Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Bernie Mac, John Turturro, Jon Voight, and, of course, Optimus Prime and Megatron. Long ago, on the planet of Cybertron, a massive, powerful alien race divided into two factions, the noble Autobots, and the devious Decepticons. They fought for the sole access to a talisman known as the Allspark, a cube with the capacity to grant infinite power, and eventually the Autobots smuggled it off the planet's surface, hiding it in an unknown location on Earth. Now, hundreds of years later, the Deceptacons have come looking for it, and if the Autobots don't find it first, the Earth will be enslaved or destroyed by the evil aliens' use of its massive power. The Autobots don't know where the cube was hidden, but the information may be stored in the most unlikely of sources, as a gangly young Earthling named Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) who's just picked up his first car, has a strange connection to the Allspark's history, making him the unlikely ally of these enormous creatures, as they fight for humankind's survival and the chance to return home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Assassin For Hire|Michael McCarthy|Long before it concentrated on its series of Edgar Wallace mysteries, the British Merton Park studios cut its teeth on taut little home-grown melodramas. Assassin for Hire stars Sydney Tafler as Antonio Riccardi, a professional killer who has long managed to elude the law. Inspector Carson (Ronald Howard) is determined to bring Riccardi to justice, but has no evidence to work with. In a peculiar twist of fate, Riccardi is brought to heel by a crime he didn't commit. Beyond its better-than-usual production values, Assassin for Hire permits us a glimpse at Ronald Howard impersonating a detective several years before starring in the Sherlock Holmes TV series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
No Highway In The Sky|Henry Koster|Considered a bit eccentric and therefore a tad unreliable, a Royal Aircraft Establishment metallurgist is still respected for his work on the company's newly designed Reindeer, aircraft. Unfortunately, the off-beat scientist has discovered that the new plane has a fatal flaw and that after spending 1,440 hours airborne, the metal in the rear will buckle and the tail will shear off. Now he must somehow convince skeptical executives that a terrible catastrophe will occur if they do not immediately ground all Reindeers.
Operation Amsterdam|Michael McCarthy|One of the covert operations at the beginning of World War II is enacted in this fast-paced docudrama about a government-approved diamond heist. A Major from the British army (Tony Britton) joins up with a Dutch diamond expert (Alexander Knox) and another adventurous Dutchman (Peter Finch) to steal a fortune in diamonds from a bank vault in Amsterdam before the Nazis completely close off the city. The trio are launched under the covering fire of a British battleship in the harbor and then chauffeured into Amsterdam by Anna (Eva Bartok), one of many people they encounter who could be either friend or foe. There is no time to waste in emptying the bank vault because it is estimated that the city will be overrun by the Nazi army in just fourteen hours. Meanwhile, the war is intensifying all around them, and the Nazi soldiers already on patrol are a continual threat. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
Mission Impossible 3|J.J. Abrams|The third entry in Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible film series involves super Impossible Mission Forces (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Cruise) being forced back into the field just when he was planning on marrying his girlfriend, Julia (Michelle Monaghan). The agency asks Hunt to save an operative (Keri Russell) he trained after weapons dealer Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman) kidnaps her. With the help of his field team -- played by Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and Maggie Q -- Hunt achieves his goal, but becomes involved in a web of double-crosses that leave him wondering if he can trust his superiors (Billy Crudup and Laurence Fishburne). Eventually Davian threatens Julia's life in order to get away with his evil plan. Simon Pegg appears as an IMF tech expert. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Sybil Ludington|Kim Robinson|'The courage to make a difference, the courage to stand, the courage to bring about change.' The movie, Sybil Ludington, is a period film that inspires and encourages all to boldly go after what has been set before them to do with courage and faith. It inspires families and youth that what they have before them to do can make a difference for not only themselves, those around them, but their country.
Alamo The Thirteen Days Of Glory|Burt Kennedy|The valor and anguish of the Alamo is resurrected in this '80s effort that features a considerably accomplished cast. Brian Keith plays Davy Crockett and James Arness is Jim Bowie who, although at odds at times with his leader Colonel William Travis (Alec Baldwin), is able to focus upon the battle against the Mexican soldiers. Highlights of this film are the battle action scenes.
Pony Express Rider|Robert Totten|In pre-Civil War Texas, Jimmy's (Stewart Petersen) father is murdered, and the young man seeks revenge. As the killer flees across the country, Jimmy joins the Pony Express, using their speed to his advantage. In his pursuit into the frontier wilderness, he meets Rose of Sharon (Maureen McCormick) and unexpectedly falls in love.
Time Stalkers|Michael Schultz|The "history is inviolate" theory so chillingly elucidated in Ray Bradbury's The Sound of Thunder is recycled for the made-for-TV Timestalkers. William Devane plays a genially eccentric professor who teams with time traveller Lauren Hutton to prevent the course of history from being disastrously altered. In a manner slightly reminiscent of the 1984 movie hit The Terminator, Devane and Hutton must deal with Klaus Kinski, a mad scientist from the 26th century, who plans to hopscotch through time, spreading death and destruction wherever he goes. The odyssey takes the main characters to all manner of locales, including the Old West. Veteran actor Forrest Tucker made his final screen appearance in Timestalkers, which originally aired March 10, 1987.
Proud Men|William A. Graham|Set in modern times, this western drama chronicles the reconciliation between a draft-dodging son and his ultra-conservative rancher father after the son realizes that his father is going to die soon.
Gunsmoke Return To Dodge|Vincent McEveety|James Arness returns to the role of US marshal Matt Dillon after a twelve-year absence in the made-for-TV Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge. Amanda Blake is also back as Miss Kitty, "hostess" of Dodge City's Long Branch saloon. The plot involves Dillon's reunion with Kitty in a Dodge City festooned with bad guys, chief among them a plugugly named Mannon (Steve Forrest), who has sworn to kill Matt. For those who weren't around for the original Gunsmoke TV series (which ran from 1955 through 1975), this film provides us with several clips from the old series, presented as flashbacks. Vincent McEveety, director of many an old Gunsmoke installment, calls the shots on this reunion special. Filmed not in the wilds of Kansas but in Alberta, Canada, Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge premiered on September 26, 1987.
Wild Angels|Roger Corman|This film follows a group of wild bikers, led by Heavenly Blues (Peter Fonda), as they cause havoc and destruction while paying tribute to a dead gang member, "Loser" Josey Kerns.
The Adventures Of Picasso|Tage Danielsson|Gosta Eckman impersonates the famed Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in this gloriously irreverent Swedish "biography". The Picasso seen herein is a bumbling, vulgar clown, forever falling down, bumping into walls and spewing forth inappropriate profanities. The high (or low) point comes when an equally ridiculously caricatured Dr. Albert Schweitzer operates on a dying Picasso (a cute trick, since Picasso outlived Schweitzer by several years). You know what to expect when you see the aggressively masculine British comic actors Bernard Cribbins and Wilfred Bramball as, respectively, avant-garde poetess Gertrude Stein and her longtime companion Alice B. Toklas. Adventures of Picasso has its fans, though most don't immediately own up to liking the film.
Face To Face 1976|Ingmar Bergman|Liv Ullmann plays Dr. Jenny Isakson, a psychiatrist who is taking a vacation while her husband Dr. Erik Isakson (Sven Lindberg) is elsewhere. Haunted by visions of an old woman, Jenny suffers from profound, inexplicable depression. Desperately in search of a escape from her doldrums, she has an affair with married doctor Tomas Jacobi (Erland Josephson). This only serves to spark an attack of hysteria for Jenny. Again visited by hallucinations of the old woman, she attempts suicide. While hovering between life and death, she imagines she sees all the people who've been influential in her life, and rails against them for causing her neuroses. Only while recovering does she learn who the spectral old woman is and why she is undergoing so harrowing an emotional experience. Like his later Scenes From a Marriage, Bergman's Face to Face (Ansikte mot ansikte) originated as a multipart TV series, which was then pared down into a two-hour-plus feature film. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Catch And Release|Susannah Grant|After losing her husband in a tragic accident that occurred during his bachelor party, a would-be widow (Jennifer Garner) struggles to sort through the many secrets he kept from her as she adjusts to her new life. Erin Brockovich screenwriter Susannah Grant makes her directorial debut with a romantic comedy starring Juliette Lewis, Kevin Smith, and Timothy Olyphant.
Elektra|Rob Bowman|Ordered to assassinate Mark Miller, the deadly female ninja Elektra opts instead to defy her orders and defends both Mark and his daughter Abby against all comers.
Takers|John Luessenhop|A Los Angeles detective races to bust a group of notorious thieves before they can carry out a 20-million-dollar heist in this crime thriller from director/co-screenwriter John Luessenhop and writing partner Avery Duff. Their heists are planned to perfection, and they never leave behind a shred of evidence. But when greed gets the best of the gang and they agree to one last job, one seasoned detective (Matt Dillon) vows to put them behind bars for good. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Shes Back|Tim Kincaid|In this black comedy, henpecked electrician Paul (Robert Joy) must quietly suffer the abuses heaped on him by his loud-mouthed wife, Beatrice (Carrie Fisher). However, when Bea is murdered by a gang of marauding bikers, her ghost returns to visit Paul and browbeat him into avenging her death.
Wallenberg A Heros Story|Lamont Johnson|Raoul Wallenberg: A Hero's Story is a perfection-plus TV biopic, scripted by Gerald Green (Holocaust) and directed by Lamont Johnson (who won an Emmy for his efforts). Richard Chamberlain plays Raoul Wallenberg, scion of a well-to-do family of Swedish bankers. Although he is a Christian "Aryan," Wallenberg despises the anti-semitism of the Hitler regime. Not content with merely sitting back and viewing with alarm, Wallenberg vows to help as many Jewish victims of the Nazis as possible. Employed as a diplomat at the Swedish embassy in Budapest during World War II, Wallenberg is responsible for the escape of over 100,000 Hungarian Jews, thereby earning the enmity Nazi functionary Adolph Eichmann (played with the fury of a rabid animal by Kenneth Colley). Alas, Wallenberg himself falls victim to a "purge" of another variety at the end of the war, when he is arrested by the Russians and subsequently vanishes from the face of the Earth. Expensively lensed in England and Europe, Wallenberg: A Hero's Story was originally telecast in two parts on April 8 and 9, 1985.
Silent Motive|Lee Philips|The made-for-television thriller Silent Motive is about a screenwriter (Patricia Wettig) whose recent script is being used for a series of murders of film-industry executives. Consequently, a police detective (Mike Farrell) immediately assumes that she is the chief suspect behind these gruesome crimes.
Parallel Lives|Linda Yellen|Directed by Linda Yellen, this made-for-cable movie originally aired on the Showtime network and featured a star-studded cast including Dudley Moore, Liza Minelli, and James Belushi. The plot centers around several fraternity and sorority graduates who have decided to regroup at their alma mater. Nick (Belushi), a determined but gloomy reporter, attends on the sole hope of finding some good gossip. His highest hope lies within the career ties of his ex-lover Winnie (JoBeth Williams), who now serves as publicist to rising politician Rebecca Ferguson Stone (Patricia Wetig). Fellow alumni Charlie (Ben Gazzara) is returning for equally dishonest reasons--he's hoping to convince his ex Francie (Gena Rowlands) to pay off his gambling debts. Francie, however, has found herself more interested in bonding with a single mom/housekeeper (Ally Sheedy). All of their lives take a turn for the unexpected when the big man on campus mysteriously dies.
City Slickers Ii The Legend Of Curlys Gold|Paul Weiland|Mitch, Phil and his annoying brother Glen set out in search of Curly's lost treasure once they discover a map. Along the way, they get into trouble being the tenderfeet they are and run into Curly's twin brother. Half-assed sequel is rarely funny and ends up looking like a complete ass.
Bus Rileys Back In Town|Harvey Hart|Recently discharged and depressed sailor Bus Riley goes back to his quiet Midwestern hometown. Good-hearted Judy offers her support and affection to the unhappy man. However, unappreciative Bus finds himself falling in love with the cynical local tart, which creates all kinds of problems for the young fellow,
Me And Veronica|Don Scardino|A rebellious woman (Patricia Wettig) has continually made life hard for her younger sister (Elizabeth McGovern) by sleeping with her husband and wrecking her marriage. The older sister returns to her New Jersey hometown to cause more trouble before beginning a prison sentence.
Crime School2002|James Banks|A group of men control the streets of the city -- nothing happens without their knowledge and permission -- but they begin to abuse that power training youth in a military system, grooming them to help them rule the city. One of the students, J.C. (Ryan Kent), proves to be especially good. They give him a home and a security position, but is now locked into this criminal organization for life: the only way out is death.
Colorado Territory 1949|Raoul Walsh|This is a remake of the gangster film, 'High Sierra,' centering on a hardboiled, yet softhearted, dance-hall singer who helps redeem an escaped outlaw.
Escape From Bad Girls Dormitory|Tim Kincaid|Inmates at a women's prison run by a corrupt warden and her gang of sadistic guards plan a breakout.
Marigold|Willard Carroll|A demanding American actress (Ali Larter) heads to India in order to shoot a low-budget Hollywood film, only to find herself stranded in Bombay with no luggage and attitude to spare. Despite the unfortunate start to her Bombay adventure, the once-jaded actress is soon swept up in the glitz and glamour of the local filmmaking scene and cast in a lavish Bollywood musical. Once on the set, she meets a handsome prince and falls hopelessly in love.
Special|Hal Haberman|Les Franken is a kind-hearted and soft-spoken man who loves reading comic books. He's the type of guy who most people walk by on the street without even noticing; in essence, he's completely average and virtually invisible. However, everything changes for Les the day he is accepted into an experimental drug study for a new and exciting anti-depressant, Specioprin Hydrochloride. As Les begins to take the drugs an unexpected side effect occurs--he begins to develop special powers: the ability to levitate, to read peoples' minds, and even walk through walls. Faced with the dilemma of how best to utilize his new "powers," the answer seems obvious to Les. He puts together a homemade superhero suit and hits the streets to fight crime and protect the world from the forces of evil. Surveillance video soon exposes Les and his actions to the public via television news and therefore brings him to the attention of the businessmen developing the drug. Worried about the bad publicity Les is bringing to their new anti-depressant, they attempt to put an end to his superhero antics before too much damage is done. However, in typical comic book fashion, Les sees the men from the drug company as his evil arch nemeses--"The Suits"--men who want him to join them in their evil plan to use 'Special' to create an army of unstoppable assassins. Les refuses to play ball.
The Late Bloomer 2016|Kevin Pollak|Dr. Pete Newmans (Johnny Simmons) is a successful sex therapist whose practice is devoted to helping people re-channel their sexual impulses. When his doctors discover a pituitary tumor that has delayed his onset of puberty for 15 years, Pete undergoes what would normally be years of puberty in a matter of weeks. Mood swings, voice changes, acne and, of course, near uncontrollable erections greet Pete as he tries to navigate life as both a horny 15 year-old kid and a 30 year-old desperate to be a complete man and get the girl of his dreams. Based on the book "The Late Bloomer: A Memoir of My Body" by Ken Baker.
Sammys Adventures 2|Ben Stassen|Two young turtles are captured by poachers while escorting hatchlings to safety, and must embark on a dangerous adventure to return home.
Wyatt Earp|Lawrence Kasdan|Directed by Lawrence Kasdan, this epic version of the legendary western sheriff-gunslinger's life story stars Kevin Costner as Earp, who lived from 1848 to 1929. Growing up on a farm in Iowa, Earp tries to run away to join the Union Army in the Civil War, but he is turned away because of his youth. Instead, he studies law and marries Urilla Sutherland (Annabeth Gish). But Urilla dies of typhoid fever before they can have children. Earp grows despondent and descends into drinking and petty thievery, but his father Nicholas (Gene Hackman) finds him, sobers him up, and sets him straight. Earp becomes a buffalo hunter and a close companion of Bat Masterson (Tom Sizemore) and his brother Ed (Bill Pullman). With his brothers, Virgil (Michael Madsen) and Morgan (Linden Ashby), Earp sets out to clean up the violence-plagued towns of the old West -- by using his own guns to settle scores. Earp takes up with Mattie Blaylock (Mare Winningham), a drug addict and prostitute, then discards her for actress Josie Marcus (Joanna Going). In Tombstone, Arizona, the Earp brothers and their comrade Doc Holliday (Dennis Quaid), who is plagued by tuberculosis and a compulsion for gambling, meet their match in a ruthless gang led by Ike Clanton (Jeff Fahey). ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
Pearl Harbor|Michael Bay|Set during the time of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, two childhood friends are caught up in the events that draw the United States into World War II. Together, they enlist in the US Air Force and soon enough they both become involved with the same woman.
Talk Radio|Oliver Stone|Monologist Eric Bogosian's one-man theater piece Talk Radio, co-written by Bogosian and Tad Savinar, is searingly brought to the screen by Oliver Stone. Bogosian plays provocateur radio talk-show host Barry Champlain, whose constant espousal of his inflammatory views and ceaseless hectoring of his callers and listeners reaps equal parts love and hate. As his program rolls on, Champlain is revealed to be just as screwed up as any of his fans, if not more. And then he pushes one caller just a bit too far. In co-adapting the play for the screen, Stone interweaves elements of Stephen Singular's factual book Talked to Death, the story of a liberal Denver radio personality who was murdered at the behest of a militant right-wing hate group. One word of warning: if you're not a fan of the sort of radio depicted herein, chances are you won't warm up to this film.
Big Picture|Christopher Guest|A young director fresh out of film school attempts to maintain his integrity in the face of the pressures and temptations of Hollywood in this appealing satire. The film's presentation of the director's subsequent journey through the film industry wringer is peppered with clever film parodies and celebrity cameos.
Tampopo|Juzo Itami|The tale of an enigmatic band of ramen ronin who guide the widow of a noodle shop owner on her quest for the perfect recipe, Tampopo serves up a savory broth of culinary adventure seasoned with offbeat comedy sketches and the erotic exploits of a gastronome gangster. Sweet, sexy, surreal, and mouthwatering, Tampopo remains one of the most delectable examples of food on film.
Knight Moves|Carl Schenkel|This murder mystery from director Carl Schenkel stars Christopher Lambert (Highlander) as Peter Sanderson, an expert chess champion. When a woman Sanderson has recently slept with is among several women brutally murdered at a chess tournament, he becomes a suspect. But when the murderer contacts Sanderson and informs him that he's set up a maniacal human chess game, he realizes that he'll have to beat the murderer to stop the killings and clear his own name. Diane Lane plays a psychologist who falls for Sanderson, and Tom Skerritt is the local sheriff investigating the case. Knight Moves won the Critics Award at the 1992 Cognac Film Festival.
Tears And Laughter Joan And Melissa Rivers Story|Oz Scott|Popular comedienne Joan Rivers and her real-life daughter Melissa portray themselves in this made-for-television movie about their family's trials and tribulations in the 1980s. After suffering through some public blows to her career, Rivers' husband Edgar (often the butt of her jokes) committed suicide. The film shows how the mother and daughter struggled to save their already troubled relationship in the wake of the devastating death.
Yaaba|Idrissa Ouedraogo|An essentially dialogue-less movie, this is the story of a young boy who cultivates a friendship with a woman who is shunned as a witch. Their relationship eventually evolves into a love relationships in which he calls her "Yaaba," which stands for "Grandmother."
Untouchables|Brian DePalma|Like the TV series that shared the same title, The Untouchables (1987) was an account of the battle between gangster Al Capone and lawman Eliot Ness, this time in the form of a feature film boasting big stars, a big budget, and a script from respected playwright David Mamet. Kevin Costner stars as Ness, a federal agent who has come to Chicago during the Prohibition Era, when corruption in the local police department is rampant. His mission is to put crime lord Capone (Robert De Niro) out of business, but Capone is so powerful and popular that Ness is not taken seriously by the law or the press. One night, discouraged, he meets a veteran patrolman, Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery), and discovers that the acerbic Irishman is the one honest man he's been seeking. Malone has soon helped Ness recruit a gunslinger rookie, George Stone (Andy Garcia), and, joined by nebbish accountant Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith), the men doggedly pursue Capone and his illegal interests. At first a laughingstock, Ness soon has Capone outraged over his and Malone's sometimes law-bending tactics, and the vain mobster strikes back in vicious style. Ultimately, it is the most unexpected and minor of crimes, tax evasion, which proves Capone's undoing. All of the credits for The Untouchables boasted big names, including music from Ennio Morricone and costumes by Giorgio Armani. Director Brian De Palma continued his tradition of including a homage to past masters of the cinema with a taut stairway shoot-out reminiscent of a similar sequence in Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
Revolution|Hugh Hudson|After his son has been captured and brutalized by a British officer, an immigrant trapper (Al Pacino) becomes compelled to join the fight against the British in the American Revolutionary War.
Henry Portrait Of A Serial Killer|John McNaughton|Although the title makes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer seem like a cut-rate slasher flick, the movie is actually one of the most disturbing and terrifying examinations of mass murderers ever filmed. Loosely based on the story of confessed murderer Henry Lee Lucas, the film follows Henry (Michael Rooker) as he selects innocent victims -- occasionally with his roommate Otis (Tom Towles) -- and kills them, capturing their deaths on videotape. Many of these murders rank among the most brutal ever portrayed on film. The violence and the clinical, detached portrayal of Henry and his horrifying actions make Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer a disturbing, thought-provoking film, but it certainly isn't one for every taste. Finished in 1986, the movie wasn't released until 1990, when it was greeted with both positive reviews and considerable controversy.
Birth Of A Nation|D.W. Griffith|The most successful and artistically advanced film of its time, The Birth of a Nation has also sparked protests, riots, and divisiveness since its first release. The film tells the story of the Civil War and its aftermath, as seen through the eyes of two families. The Stonemans hail from the North, the Camerons from the South. When war breaks out, the Stonemans cast their lot with the Union, while the Camerons are loyal to Dixie. After the war, Ben Cameron (Henry B. Walthall), distressed that his beloved south is now under the rule of blacks and carpetbaggers, organizes several like-minded Southerners into a secret vigilante group called the Ku Klux Klan. When Cameron's beloved younger sister Flora (Mae Marsh) leaps to her death rather than surrender to the lustful advances of renegade slave Gus (Walter Long), the Klan wages war on the new Northern-inspired government and ultimately restores "order" to the South. In the original prints, Griffith suggested that the black population be shipped to Liberia, citing Abraham Lincoln as the inspiration for this ethnic cleansing. Showings of Birth of a Nation were picketed and boycotted from the start, and as recently as 1995, Turner Classic Movies cancelled a showing of a restored print in the wake of the racial tensions around the O.J. Simpson trial verdict. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Matrimaniac|Paul Powell|This silent comedy recounts the story of a man who is desperate to marry his girlfriend even if her father disapproves. The climax of the film is a hilarious phone line wedding.
Intolerance|D.W. Griffith|Sometime during the shooting of the landmark The Birth of a Nation, filmmaker D.W. Griffith probably wondered how he could top himself. In 1916, he showed how, with the awesome Intolerance. The film began humbly enough as a medium-budget feature entitled The Mother and the Law, wherein the lives of a poor but happily married couple are disrupted by the misguided interference of a "social reform" group. A series of unfortunate circumstances culminates in the husband's being sentenced to the gallows, a fate averted by a nick-of-time rescue engineered by his wife. In the wake of the protests attending the racist content of The Birth of a Nation, Griffith wanted to demonstrate the dangers of intolerance. The Mother and the Law filled the bill to some extent, but it just wasn't "big" enough to suit his purposes. Thus, using The Mother and the Law as merely the base of the film, Griffith added three more plotlines and expanded his cinematic thesis to epic proportions. The four separate stories of Intolerance are symbolically linked by Lillian Gish as the Woman Who Rocks the Cradle ("uniter of the here and hereafter"). The "Modern Story" is essentially The Mother and the Law; the "French Story" details the persecution of the Huguenots by Catherine de Medici (Josephine Crowell); the "Biblical Story" relates the last days of Jesus Christ (Howard Gaye); and the "Babylonian Story" concerns the defeat of King Belshazzar (Alfred Paget) by the hordes of Cyrus the Persian (George Siegmann). Rather than being related chronologically, the four stories are told in parallel fashion, slowly at first, and then with increasing rapidity. The action in the film's final two reels leaps back and forth in time between Babylon, Calvary, 15th century France, and contemporary California. Described by one historian as "the only film fugue," Intolerance baffled many filmgoers of 1916 -- and, indeed, it is still an exhausting, overwhelming experience, even for audiences accustomed to the split-second cutting and multilayered montage sequences popularized by Sergei Eisenstein, Orson Welles, Jean-Luc Godard, Joel Schumacher, and MTV. On a pure entertainment level, the Babylonian sequences are the most effective, played out against one of the largest, most elaborate exterior sets ever built for a single film. The most memorable character in this sequence is "The Mountain Girl," played by star on the rise Constance Talmadge; when the Babylonian scenes were re-released as a separate feature in 1919, Talmadge's tragic death scene was altered to accommodate a happily-ever-after denouement. Other superb performances are delivered by Mae Marsh and Robert Harron in the Modern Story, and by Eugene Pallette and Margery Wilson in the French Story. Remarkably sophisticated in some scenes, appallingly naïve in others, Intolerance is a mixed bag dramatically, but one cannot deny that it is also a work of cinematic genius. The film did poorly upon its first release, not so much because its continuity was difficult to follow as because it preached a gospel of tolerance and pacifism to a nation preparing to enter World War I. Currently available prints of Intolerance run anywhere from 178 to 208 minutes; while it may be rough sledding at times, it remains essential viewing for any serious student of film technique. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The Royal Tenenbaums|Wes Anderson|Royal Tenenbaum and his wife Etheline had three children--Chas, Richie, and Margot--they were a family of geniuses and then they separated. Chas started buying real estate in his early teens and seemed to have had a preternatural understanding of international finance. Margot was a playwright and received a Braverman grant of fifty thousand dollars in the ninth grade. Richie was a junior champion tennis player and won the U.S. Nationals three years in a row. Virtually all memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums was subsequently erased by two decades of betrayal, failure and disaster. Most of this was generally considered to be their father's fault. The tale follows the family's sudden and unexpected reunion one recent winter.
Wild West Comedy Show|Ari Sandel|Popular comic actor Vince Vaughn brings a newly invigorating sense of Old West attitude to the world of standup comedy as he captures the carefree spirit of Buffalo Bill's turn-of-the-century "Wild West Show" on the stage, and the cameras are rolling to capture every belly-shaking laugh in this look at the 30-day, 30-gig tour that featured Vaughn serving as emcee to a wild host of renegade comics that included John Caparulo, Ahmed Ahmed, Bret Ernst, Sebastian Maniscalco, and a whole host of surprise special guests. Of course, when you gather as many comedians together as Vaughn did for such a high-concept tour, the laughs are sure to keep coming once the show has ended, and in addition to offering standup footage of each comic in action, the feature-film version of the tour also offers a hilarious look at what it was like for a group of fun-loving guys to make their way across the American landscape while bringing down the house night after night.
The Resurrection Of Gavin Stone|Dallas Jenkins|Gavin Stone, a washed-up former child star is forced to do community service at a local megachurch, pretends to be a Christian to land the part of Jesus in their annual Passion Play, only to discover that the most important role of his life is far from Hollywood.
The Crash 2017|Aram Rappaport|Set in the future when the US economy is on the brink of yet another massive financial crisis, The Crash tells the story of Guy Clifton, a federally-indicted stock trader, who is secretly enlisted by the federal government to help thwart a cyber-attack aimed at the US stock markets--an attack that could permanently cripple the economy. Our 'richer than God' protagonist is charged with assembling a team capable of running the government's top secret 'shadow stock exchange' in an attempt to keep the markets from mass panic in the event the cyber-hijack is successful. Having only ever been fueled by his love of money, Guy fully intends to use his insider knowledge of this world catastrophe for personal gain until he unearths the organization behind the attack and discovers its motives. For the first time in his life, Guy is challenged to make decisions not only for himself, but also for the good of his country--decisions that are rooted in morality rather than dollar signs. This fast-paced, save-the-world thriller is a story of redemption that also challenges the audience to question if their money is safe, and if so, for how long.
Bleed For This|Ben Younger|BLEED FOR THIS is the incredible true story of one of the most inspiring and unlikely comebacks in sports history. Miles Teller (Whiplash, Divergent) stars as Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza, a local Providence boxer who shot to stardom after winning two world title fights. After a near-fatal car accident leaves Vinny with a broken neck, he is told he may never walk again. Against all odds and doctor's orders, renowned trainer Kevin Rooney (Aaron Eckhart) agrees to help Vinny return to the ring just a year after the accident for what could be the last fight of his life.
Va Vis Et Deviens Live And Become Go See And Become|Radu Mihaileanu|Cultural confusion and the lack of true identity plague a young boy swept away from his mother during a joint American-Israeli rescue mission in director Radu Mihaileanu's fact-based drama. As thousands of displaced Africans crowd into Sudanese refugee camps, American and Israeli troops organize "Operation Moses," a mission aimed at relocating the wandering Falashas to Israel. Forced by his Christian mother to declare himself Jewish in hopes of joining the exile and escaping a grim fate, young Solomon (Moshe Agazai) is swept away to Israel and adopted by a Tel Aviv-dwelling French Sephardic family and re-named Schlomo. Terrified of being revealed and shaken to the core by the radically different culture of Israel, Schlomo does his best to adapt to his new surroundings as his presumed salvation slowly gives way to the inner decay of a fading identity.
Lost Boys|Joel Schumacher|In this hit '80s hybrid of the horror movie and the teen flick, a single mom and her two sons become involved with a pack of vampires when they move into an offbeat Northern California town. Lucy (Dianne Wiest) and her sons, Michael (Jason Patric) and Sam (Corey Haim), move to Santa Carla to live with Lucy's lovable but curmudgeonly father (Barnard Hughes). Lucy gets a job from video-store owner Max (Edward Herrmann), then begins dating him, while Sam hangs out with Edward and Alan Frog (Corey Feldman and Jamison Newlander), a pair of vampire-obsessed comic-shop clerks. Soon Michael falls in with some actual vampires after becoming enamored of one of their victims: Star (Jami Gertz), a gypsy-like vixen who is trying to hold on to her humanity even though vampire leader David (Kiefer Sutherland) wants to play Peter Pan to her Wendy. When Michael visits the cavernous hangout of David and his cronies and unwittingly drinks from a wine bottle full of vampiric blood, he becomes an unwilling member of the bloodsucker biker gang. Soon, it's up to Sam and the Frog brothers to destroy David and his ilk without killing Michael and Star. Shot on location in the coastal California town of Santa Cruz and directed by Hollywood pro Joel Schumacher, The Lost Boys became a pop-culture phenomenon thanks to its attractive young stars, offbeat soundtrack, and hip, clever marketing campaign. The film's tagline -- "Sleep all day. Party all night. Never grow old. Never die. It's fun to be a vampire." -- perfectly captured its knowing mixture of attitude and gore. The effects team who transformed Sutherland and company into snarling bloodsuckers would go on to provide equally gruesome effects for Blade, another revisionist vampire flick, more than a decade later. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
Bullets Over Broadway|Woody Allen|Bullets Over Broadway is a Woody Allen romp that, as the title suggests, combines gangsters with show business at the height of the Roaring Twenties. David Shayne (John Cusack) is a straight-arrow playwright who plans to stand firm against compromising his work, but quickly abandons that stance when his producer (Jack Warden) finds a backer to mount his show on Broadway. There's just one catch, however: the backer is a mobster (Joe Viterelli) who sees Shayne's play as a vehicle for his dizzy, talent-free girlfriend, Olive (Jennifer Tilly). Shayne also has to deal with the demands of veteran theatre diva Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) and is shocked to discover that Olive's hitman bodyguard, Cheech (Chazz Palminteri), is probably a better playwright than he is, as he secretly revises Shayne's work when he sits in on rehearsals. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
The Americano|John Emerson|Put in charge of a South American mining operation by his wealthy dad, a light-hearted American finds love with a local gal and helps her genial father, the country's ousted ex-president, take back control from revolutionaries. Another Douglas Fairbanks Sr. comedy scripted by director John Emerson and mate Anita Loos.
True Heart Susie|D.W. Griffith|True Heart Susie is one of D.W. Griffith's "pastoral" films, wherein plot takes second place to characterization and romance. Lillian Gish plays Susie May Trueheart, who so loves local boy William Jenkins (Robert Harron) that she secretly finances his education. Returning to his home town as a minister, Jenkins never catches on that Susie is crazy for him. While Our Heroine pines away, Jenkins marries The Wrong Woman, young temptress Betty Hopkins (Clarine Seymour). Betty begins indulging in affairs with other men, but Susie loyally keeps this information from the reverend Jenkins. Even when Betty dies of pneumonia, Susie refuses to reveal all she's done on Jenkins' behalf. Finally, Susie's Aunt (Kate Bruce) can stand no more: she tells Jenkins the whole story, whereupon he takes Susie in his arms and pledges eternal devotion. In the hands of a lesser director, True Heart Susie might have been impossibly maudlin (and unbelievable; after all, can anyone be as much of a blockhead as Reverend Jenkins seems to be?) As it stands, the film's dramatic and heart-tugging value has not diminished, not even after the passage of nearly eighty years.
Branding Broadway|Lambert Hillyer|In this comical silent western, a thirsty cowpoke nearly destroys an Arizona town after he spends months on the range and returns to discover that it is "dry." As punishment, the would-be boozer is sent back East in a baggage car. All kinds of riotous fun ensues when the dusty saddle-tramp hits the Big Apple.
Lilac Time|George Fitzmaurice|In this romantic WWI drama, Colleen Moore stars as the French gamin Jeannine Bertholot who is a good luck charm to a seven-man platoon of the British Air Force. Jeannine is the niece of Madame Berthelot, who lodges and cares for the platoon.
Locked Door|George Fitzmaurice|In this drama, a woman is taken to an illegal cabaret set aboard a wealthy man's yacht. Her captor, the owner, then locks her in a stateroom. When the cops raid the joint, she is photographed with the wealthy cad.
The Face In The Fog|Alan Crosland|Blackie Dawson (Lionel Barrymore) is a reformed crook who is given a small package by a blind beggar in front of a New York cabaret. Moments later, Blackie finds the man beaten to death with his own cane. Blackie returns home and discovers the package contains precious jewels. He hides the valuables in his safe and installs electronic alarms to safeguard the jewels. Soon the villain "Evil Face" comes looking for the jewels and he and Blackie have a knock-down brawl, and when the villain touches the dial to the safe, Blackie flips the switch that electrocutes the crook. Blackie learns the jewels belong to the Grand Duchess (Seena Owen), who plans to use the precious stones to restore the monarchy in Russia.
Gomorrah|Matteo Garrone|Adapted from Roberto Saviano's controversial non-fiction book, Matteo Garrone's crime drama Gomorrah examines how organized crime reaches deep into every facet of life in Naples, Italy by telling the tale of over a dozen different characters. Among the main protagonists is a pair of wannabe thugs who take their cue from movie gangsters, a grocery-delivery boy who must learn to kill, and a criminal mastermind who plots to make a fortune while dumping toxic waste near overpopulated communities.
10000719 Victory|Maurice Tourneur|Axel Heyst (Jack Holt) is taught bitter lessons by his father -- that pity is contemptible and sympathy is useless. So the young man intends to exile himself to an island, but he winds up bringing along Alma (Seena Owen), who he has saved from unhappy circumstances. Even more complications arise when hotel proprietor Schomberg (Wallace Beery), who is jealous of Heyst, sends a group of crooks after him. The arrival of these evil characters, led by Ricardo (Lon Chaney), inspires Heyst to drop his father's philosophies and save the girl. This story was based on the novel by Joseph Conrad, but -- as is all-too common in the world of cinema -- instead of the book's tragic ending (both Alma and Heyst died), the pair live happily ever after.
This Way Please|Robert Florey|This Way Please marked Betty Grable's first appearance under her new Paramount contract. The fact that Grable plays the new bride of Charles "Buddy" Rogers takes on special significance when one realizes that Betty was two months away from her first marriage, to former child star Jackie Coogan. The plot is set in a first-run movie theatre that offers stage presentations along with the main feature. Brad Morgan (Rogers) is the theater's master of ceremonies, while Jane Morrow (Grable) is chief usherette. She'd rather be on stage dancing with Brad, and by film's end she gets her wish -- but not before a riotous slapstick wedding sequence. Jim and Marian Jordan, radio's Fibber McGee and Molly, make their film debut, as does Jack Benny's radio foil (and real-life wife) Mary Livingstone, here appearing on-screen without her husband for the first and last time in her career. The film is stolen by Rufe Davis, the "human sound effects machine," doing a medley of his specialty.
The Final Year|Greg Barker|THE FINAL YEAR is a unique insiders' account of President Barack Obama's foreign policy team during their last year in office. Featuring unprecedented access inside the White House and State Department, THE FINAL YEAR offers an uncompromising view of the inner workings of the Obama Administration as they prepare to leave power after eight years.
Hamlet 2|Andrew Fleming|Steve Coogan stars in the comedy Hamlet 2, which follows a drama teacher who tries to put together a production of "Hamlet 2" to rescue his high-school theater department. Catherine Keener co-stars in the Andrew Fleming-helmed production.
Sabans Power Rangers|Dean Israelite|A group of high-school kids, who are infused with unique superpowers, harness their abilities in order to save the world.
The Blackcoats Daughter|Oz Perkins|A deeply atmospheric and terrifying new horror film, The Blackcoat's Daughter centers on Kat (Kiernan Shipka) and Rose (Lucy Boynton), two girls who are left alone at their prep school Bramford over winter break when their parents mysteriously fail to pick them up. While the girls experience increasingly strange and creepy occurrences at the isolated school, we cross cut to another story-that of Joan (Emma Roberts), a troubled young woman on the road, who, for unknown reasons, is determined to get to Bramford as fast as she can. As Joan gets closer to the school, Kat becomes plagued by progressively intense and horrifying visions, with Rose doing her best to help her new friend as she slips further and further into the grasp of an unseen evil force. The movie suspensefully builds to the moment when the two stories will finally intersect, setting the stage for a shocking and unforgettable climax.
Tahrir Liberation Square|Stefano Savona|From facebook thumbs up to the battle of stones, a history of hope, fear, despair, anger, pride and elation, Tahrir is the real-time chronicle of the two most exciting weeks in the history of modern Egypt as lived by their protagonists. Since the 25th of January, together with thousands other Egyptian citizens, Noha, Ahmed and Elsayed have been involved in a massive movement of street protest for political freedom. By the end of the first week of urban guerrilla and brutal state reprisal it has become nothing less than a revolution to overcome Mubarak's regime. Day after day, until the capitulation of the defeated pharaoh, the film follows these young and unexpected heroes along their fierce fight to win their liberty. -- (C) Official Site
From Nowhere|Matthew Newton|Three undocumented teenagers-Moussa (J. Mallory McCree), Sophie (Octavia Chavez-Richmond), and Alyssa (Raquel Castro)-are just about to graduate high school in the Bronx. Like most teenagers, all they want to do is hang with their friends, fall in love, and figure out where to go to college, but unlike their American classmates, these three live with the threat of being discovered by the authorities. When one of their teachers connects them with a lawyer to help them get their papers, the teens start to dig into their family histories to assist their immigration cases. As they continue to deal with the everyday problems of adolescence, the teenagers are forced to confront their past and, at the same time, fight for their future.
Notes On Blindness|James Spinney|In 1983, after decades of steady deterioration, writer and theologian John Hull became totally blind. To help him make sense of the upheaval in his life, he began documenting his experiences on audiocassette. Following the Emmy Award-winning short film of the same name, NOTES ON BLINDNESS takes a creative approach to the documentary form. Actors lip-synch to the voices of the family, embedding John's original audio recordings within compelling cinematography and textured sound design. The result is a poetic and intimate story of loss, rebirth and transformation, documenting John's extraordinary journey into "a world beyond sight."
Lovesong 2017|So Yong Kim|Neglected by her husband, Sarah embarks on an impromptu road trip with her young daughter and her best friend, Mindy. Along the way, the dynamic between the two friends intensifies before circumstances force them apart. Years later, Sarah attempts to rebuild their intimate connection in the days before Mindy's wedding.
The Free World|Jason Lew|How hard would you fight to be free? After spending two decades in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Mo (Boyd Holbrook) struggles to put his past behind him as he readjusts to a new life working in an animal shelter. Doris (Elisabeth Moss) is trapped in another sort of prison: an abusive marriage. A dramatic encounter brings these two troubled souls together, and a possible murder connects them. Soon, Mo finds himself risking everything - including being locked up once again for someone else's crime - to protect the fragile Doris. Driven by explosive performances from Elisabeth Moss and rising star Boyd Holbrook, the feature debut from director Jason Lew is a gripping, mood-drenched exploration of guilt, redemption, and what it means to be free. Academy Award(R) winner Octavia Spencer and Sung Kang costar.
Lazy Eye|Tim Kirkman|Passions reignite and hidden secrets revealed when a graphic designer in Los Angeles (Lucas Near-Verbrugghe) reconnects with an ex-lover (Aaron Costa Ganis) he hasn't seen or heard from in 15 years. Over the course of a weekend at a vacation house in the desert, they must determine whether or not they have a future together. Written and directed by Emmy, Gotham, GLAAD and Independent Spirit Award-nominee Tim Kirkman (Dear Jesse, Loggerheads, The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) and co-starring Michaela Watkins is about roads not taken, unfinished business, and the struggle to adjust to progressive lenses.
The Little Prince 2016|Mark Osborne|Kung-fu Panda director Mark Osborne teams with producers Aton Soumache and Dimitri Rassam for this animated take on Antoine de Saint-Exupery's beloved novella about a pilot (voice of Jeff Bridges) who crash lands in the Sahara desert and encounters a mysterious young boy who claims to be an extraterrestrial prince. James Franco, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Benicio Del Toro, and Paul Giamatti also lend their voices to this Onyx Films production. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Ben Hur 2016|Timur Bekmambetov|The epic story of Judah Ben-Hur, a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala, an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title, separated from his family and the woman he loves, Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but an encounter with Jesus leads him to the Crucifixion, where he discovers forgiveness and finds redemption.
Indyfans|Brandon Kleyla|Star Trek fans are easy to spot, and everyone knows that the Star Wars series has its fair share of enthusiastic fans, but what of the series starring everyone's favorite bullwhip-toting archeologist, Indiana Jones? In this documentary showcasing the legacy of the long-running fantasy/adventure series that began with 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark, filmmaker Brandon Kleyla proves that just because Indiana JoneS fans don't necessarily stand out in a crowd, doesn't mean that they don't exist in droves.
Our Idiot Brother|Jesse Peretz|Every family has one: the sibling who is always just a little bit behind the curve when it comes to getting his life together. For sisters Liz (Emily Mortimer), Miranda (Elizabeth Banks) and Natalie (Zooey Deschanel), that person is their perennially upbeat brother Ned (Paul Rudd), an erstwhile organic farmer whose willingness to rely on the honesty of mankind is a less-than-optimum strategy for a tidy, trouble-free existence. Ned may be utterly lacking in common sense, but he is their brother and so, after his girlfriend dumps him and boots him off the farm, his sisters once again come to his rescue. As Liz, Miranda and Natalie each take a turn at housing Ned, their brother's unfailing commitment to honesty creates more than a few messes in their comfortable routines. But as each of their lives begins to unravel, Ned's family comes to realize that maybe, in believing and trusting the people around him; Ned isn't such an idiot after all. -- (C) Weinstein
Dear Jesse|Tim Kirkman|In this personal documentary, gay filmmaker Tim Kirkman breaks up with his lover in New York and returns to his home state of North Carolina where he talks to numerous people in an effort to gain an understanding of North Carolina's homophobic senator, Jesse Helms. Kirkman's interviews include the widow of a former Helms associate whose son died of AIDS, and a gay elected official who views Helms as evil. Observing that Helms is "obsessed with homosexual men -- and so am I," Kirkman concludes that many attack Helms in a manner not much different from the way Helms denounces those who are gay. Black-and-white footage used for New York scenes is seen in contrast to colorful North Carolina footage. Shown at the 1997 Boston Film Festival.
Loggerheads|Tim Kirkman|Tim Kirkman wrote and directed Loggerheads, a film that follows three different storylines that all transpire over the course of a Mother's Day weekend, but take place at different times. One of the stories features a man who arrives in a coastal North Carolina town in order to preserve turtles that are endangered. He becomes involved with a local businessman and must decide where he feels in his heart that he belongs. A second story concerns a woman who begins to feel her small-town changing in ways that frighten her. She must face these changing social realities while constantly listening to the speeches of her minister husband. The third storyline involves a woman who intends to spend the weekend celebrating the holiday with her own mother while also attempting to make contact with the child she gave up for adoption years before. Loggerheads was a selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me|Tim Kirkman|Tim Kirkman updates David Drake's seminal early '90s one man show about AIDS and growing up gay. Drake, who hasn't staged his work for seven years previous to this release, reprises his role. This film was screened at the 2000 Outfest Film Festival.
While Were Young|Noah Baumbach|Noah Boaumbach's comedy While We're Young stars Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts as Josh and Cornelia, a childless New York married couple in their mid-forties. As their other friends all start having children, the couple gravitates toward a young hipster couple named Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). He's an aspiring documentary filmmaker, a vocation Josh already has. Soon the older couple begins enjoying the energy they feel haging out with the younger generation, but eventually Josh begins to suspect his new best friend might not be as straightforward and trustworthy as he thought. While We're Young screened at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.
The Theory Of Everything 2014|James Marsh|Starring Eddie Redmayne ("Les Misérables") and Felicity Jones ("The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world's greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde. Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of - time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed. The film is based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, by Jane Hawking, and is directed by Academy Award winner James Marsh ("Man on Wire"). (c) Focus
Nymphomaniac Volume Ii|Lars von Trier|NYMPHOMANIAC: VOLUME II picks up with the story of Joe's adulthood, where her journey of self-discovery leads to darker complications. (c) Magnolia
Rosewater|Jon Stewart|Rosewater is based on The New York Times best-selling memoir "Then They Came for Me: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival," written by Maziar Bahari. The film marks the directorial debut of "The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, and stars Gael García Bernal. Rosewater follows the Tehran-born Bahari, a broadcast journalist with Canadian citizenship. In June 2009, Bahari returned to Iran to interview Mir-Hossein Mousavi, who was the prime challenger to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. As Mousavi's supporters rose up to protest Ahmadinejad's victory declaration hours before the polls closed, Bahari endured personal risk by sending footage of the street riots to the BBC. Bahari was arrested by police, led by a man identifying himself only as "Rosewater," who tortured and interrogated him over the next 118 days. With Bahari's wife leading an international campaign to have her husband freed, and Western media outlets keeping the story alive, Iranian authorities released Bahari on $300,000 bail and the promise he would act as a spy for the government. (C) Open Road Films
Kill Me Three Times|Kriv Stenders|A mercurial assassin (Simon Pegg) discovers he isn't the only person trying to kill the siren (Alice Braga) of a sun-drenched surfing town. In this darkly comedic thriller, the hitman finds himself unraveling three tales of mayhem, murder, blackmail and revenge. (C) Magnet
Wild 2014|Jean-Marc Vallée|With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her. (c) Fox Searchlight
Adieu Au Langage|Jean-Luc Godard|The only film to get a round of applause mid-screening at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Prix du Jury), the 3D marvel Goodbye to Language alights on doubt and despair with the greatest freedom and joy. The idea is simple, in its way: a stray dog wanders from town to country, and over the course of some seasons observes a married woman and a single man as they meet, love, argue and fight. Or perhaps it's the audience viewing one couple, or two couples, or an alternate version of the same couple. At 83, Godard works as a truly independent filmmaker, unencumbered by all concerns beyond the immediate: to create a work that embodies his own state of being in relation to time, light, color, and cinema itself. The artist's beloved dog Roxy is the de facto "star" of this film, which is as impossible to summarize as a poem by Wallace Stevens or a Messiaen quartet. This might be a farewell to words - but it's a warm welcome to the legendary director into the world of 3D, in which it must be seen and experienced to fully appreciate Godard's wondrous use of the technology. (C) Kino Lorber
2Nd Serve|Tim Kirkman|When former tennis pro Owen "Game set" Match gets fired from his cushy job instructing at the affluent Fountain Club, he's forced to take a position at the gritty public courts of the Derby City recreation center.
Trollhunter|André Ovredal|Shot in a vérité style, Trollhunter is the story of a group of Norwegian film students that set out to capture real-life trolls on camera after learning their existence has been covered up for years by a government conspiracy. A thrilling and wildly entertaining film, Trollhunter delivers truly fantastic images of giant trolls wreaking havoc on the countryside, with darkly funny adherence to the original Norwegian folklore." -- (C) Official Site
Blacktown|Kriv Stenders|Office secretary Nikki Moore has become disillusioned with love.She decides to break up with her married boyfriend and nearlygives up hope of ever discovering a meaningful relationship.That's until she meets Tony, and finds love and romance in adesperate world.
Uncle Gloria One Helluva Ride|Robyn Symon|"Uncle Gloria: One Helluva Ride!" is a darkly funny, stranger-than-fiction film full of family drama and fireworks. During a nasty divorce, Butch, the 67-year-old Jewish, macho and homophobic owner of an auto wrecking company hides from the law as a woman, beginning a twisting journey of discovery, promoting tolerance and acceptance for people regardless of their gender expression.
Welcome To Leith|Christopher K. Walker|'Welcome to Leith' is a feature documentary chronicling the attempted takeover of a small town in North Dakota by notorious white supremacist Craig Cobb. Filmed in the days leading up to Cobb's arrest for terrorizing the townspeople on an armed patrol and his subsequent release from jail six months later, the film is an eerie document of American DIY ideals.
The Wrong Light|Josie Swantek|The Wrong Light tells the riveting story of a charismatic activist who leads a globally-regarded anti-trafficking NGO in Northern Thailand that provides shelter and education to young girls rescued from brothels. But as the filmmakers embed themselves at the shelter and meet the young girls and their families, discrepancies begin to emerge. As the filmmakers embark in a quest for the truth while keeping the girls safe, the heroic tale takes a shocking turn and uncovers a dark side of child advocacy behind the trafficking headlines.
A Late Quartet|Yaron Zilberman|When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet receives a life changing diagnosis, the group's future suddenly hangs in the balance: suppressed emotions, competing egos, and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert, quite possibly their last, only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy. Inspired by and structured around Beethoven's Opus 131 String Quartet in C-sharp minor, A LATE QUARTET pays homage to chamber music and the cultural world of New York.
Goon|Michael Dowse|Not content with his job as a bouncer at a local Beantown bar and a bit of an embarrassment to his accomplished family, Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott) dreams of the kind of success enjoyed by minor league hockey goon Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber). When a chance encounter with an on-ice thug leads to a bloody fist fight that Doug easily wins, the coach of the Halifax Highlanders sees potential in this mammoth sized man who is only hampered by his lack of any hockey playing ability and his brother's old figure skates. Standing up to the taunts of the other players, Doug manages to join the team, and with the encouragement of his hockey obsessed best friend (Jay Baruchel) quickly becomes a rising star. Soon he'll have the opportunity to face off against Ross "The Boss" Rhea and perhaps finally land a girlfriend. Now - all he needs is to learn how to skate. -- (C) Magnolia
Stone|John Curran|As parole officer Jack Mabry counts the days toward a quiet retirement, he is asked to review the case of Gerald "Stone" Creeson, in prison for covering up the murder of his grandparents with a fire. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision have profound and unexpected effects on them both.
Home Alone 3|Raja Gosnell|Alex D. Linz replaces that other kid and thereÕs a new cast of villains, but the formula remains the same.
The Odd Life Of Timothy Green|Peter Hedges|Director/writer Peter Hedges brings enchantment to the screen with The Odd Life of Timothy Green, an inspiring, magical story about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy (CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim -- and their small town of Stanleyville -- learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts. -- (C) Disney
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie|Bryan Spicer|Based on a popular U.S. children's action show, this chopsocky sci-fi fantasy tells the tale of six courageous teenagers. Though they appear perfectly normal, they are in reality superheroes who are experts in karate. When a slimy villain attempts to take over the world, the kids must stop him.
Tristram Shandy A Cock And Bull Story|Michael Winterbottom|Flipping back and forth between the 18th century and the hapless efforts of the 21st century filmakers, 'Tristram Shandy' is the making of a movie adapted from the notoriously unfilmable English literature masterpiece, 'The Life and Opinions of Tristram Sahndy, Gentlemen,' written by Laurence Sterne. The story begins with Tristram Shandy (Steve Coogan) narrating his life story as he sees it. Crammed with literary jokes and dark humor, Shandy's warped childhood tales are constantly interrupted by his family and household, inadvertently revealing far more about himself than any conventional autobiography. At the dramatic moment of Tristram's birth, the first assistant director calls cut, marking the end of a filming day on the. We then see Steve Coogan, the other actors and crew through the course of a chaotic evening on set. Steve Coogan's wife arrives with their six-month-old baby, a journalist is chasing him about a scandalous story, his agent has arrived with a load of Hollywood scripts and the film financiers are threatening to pull the plug.
Diary Of A Chambermaid|Luis Buñuel|Based on the 1900 novel by Octave Mirbeau, 'Diary of a Chambermaid' tells the story of an alluring chambermaid who enters the service of an eccentric family in rural France.
The Amazing Spider Man|Marc Webb|The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero. -- (C) Sony
I Dream Too Much|John Cromwell|If Columbia could make an acceptable movie star out of opera-diva Grace Moore, then RKO Radio could do the same with Lily Pons. At least that was producer Pandro S. Berman's reasoning when he cast Pons in the 1935 musical romance I Dream too Much. The actress plays Annette, a rural French musical student who marries struggling American composer Jonathan (Henry Fonda). Possessed of a splendid singing voice, our heroine rises to fame on the opera stage, while poor Jonathan continues struggling, supporting himself as a tour guide. Annette eventually saves her marriage by transforming her husband's "masterpiece," a rather turgid modernistic opera, into a light-hearted musical comedy. Lucille Ball, who'd later co-star with Henry Fonda in The Big Street and Yours, Mine and Ours, has a funny minor role as a gum-snapping tourist. Though Lily Pons was at least 10 years older than Fonda, they make an attractive and believable screen couple, adding credibility to this somewhat contrived yarn. And of course, Lily Pons is seen and heard to excellent advantage in a variety of solos, both brand-new (courtesy of Jerome Kern) and classical: In the closing production number, the svelte Ms. Pons is alluringly garbed in a revealing oriental costume, proving once and for all that women did have belly-buttons back in 1935!
Italian Job|F. Gary Gray|A team of high-class thieves avenge their mentor's death -- with the help of his own daughter -- in this big-budget remake of the 1969 British caper classic. The Italian Job stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie, the mastermind of a daring Venice heist overseen by John (Donald Sutherland), a lifelong criminal who plans to retire from the fold with the earnings from his most recent take. Basking in the glow of a job well done at a secluded retreat in the Alps, the thieves -- including the aptly-named Handsome Rob (Jason Statham), tech-geek Lyle (Seth Green), and hearing-impaired quipster Left Ear (Mos Def) -- are ruthlessly double-crossed by one of their own, the taciturn, calculating Steve Frezelli (Edward Norton). Time passes and each member of the group finds himself pursuing other opportunities in the States, until Charlie rallies them together for a revenge-motivated scheme designed to bilk Steve of all his misbegotten earnings. In order to cinch the deal, he even enlists John's reluctant safecracking-prodigy daughter, Stella (Charlize Theron), for an elaborate, incognito Los Angeles heist. But the paranoid Steve proves himself to be one step ahead of them at just about every turn, and Charlie finds that he'll have to make some daring last-minute changes to their plan if the team is to succeed. The Italian Job marked director F. Gary Gray's second 2003 release after the Vin Diesel vehicle A Man Apart. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
The Grid|Michael Salomon|The high stakes of international terrorism and the challenges of keeping it in check set the stage for this power action drama miniseries. Maren Jackson (Julianna Margulies) is an National Security Council director who is attempting to fend off possible actions by a terrorist cell following a poison gas attack in London. Jackson enlists the aid of Max Canary (Dylan McDermott) of the FBI and Raza Michaels (Piter Marek) from the CIA in the United States, while CIA counter-terrorism expert Acton Sandman (Tom Skerritt) coordinates operations with British intelligence chiefs Emily Tuthill (Jemma Redgrave) and Derek Jennings (Bernard Hill). Leading the terrorists are Muslim extremist Muhammad (Alki David) and his second-in-command, Kaz Moore (Barna Moricz), though one of their associates is a doctor (Silas Carson) whose passion for the cause is tempered by his distaste for Muhammad's eagerness to use violence to achieve their ends. The Grid also features supporting performances from Robert Forster, James Remar, and Paula Devicq.
Far From Poland|Mark Magill|In this video documentary Poland looks at itself. The well-known filmmaker covers the Solidarity movement and its shaping of modern Polish politics.
Walk Hard|Jake Kasdan|America loves Dewey Cox! But behind the music is the up-and-down-and-up-again story of a musician whose songs would change a nation. On his rock 'n roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own '70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to--and then kicks--every drug known to man. But despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman--longtime backup singer Darlene.
Bashment|Rikki Beadle Blair|A gay white rapper from the countryside struggles to rise up through the London hip-hop scene, but finds his life spiraling into chaos after his chief rivals attack his boyfriend.
Bringing Rain|Noah Buschel|The drama Bringing Rain, starring Adrian Grenier, concerns friends and acquaintances at a boarding school who must deal with a variety of difficult feelings while confronting the pain caused by a drunk driving incident.
Fantomas|Louis Feuillade|This movie is the first in a trilogy that parodied the popular silent Fantomas serials of director Louis Feuillade, which followed the adventures of the titular master criminal created by writers Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain. After a daring jewelry heist signed "Fantomas," police commissioner Juve (Louis de Funès) goes on national television claiming that Fantomas doesn't exist and that there is no reason for public concern. Riding the wave of public interest, journalist Fandor (Jean Marais) publishes a bogus interview with the master criminal. Fantomas (also played by Jean Marais) doesn't appreciate the joke and kidnaps Fandor to teach him a lesson. A master of disguise, he pulls an even more daring robbery wearing the Fandor mask. Comic relief is provided by commissioner Juve's awkward attempts to capture the elusive arch-criminal. ~ Yuri German, Rovi
Que La Fete Commence|Bertrand Tavernier|The second of director Bernard Tavernier's first three critically acclaimed films, this historical costume drama was the winner of four Cesars. Philippe Noiret stars as Philippe d'Orleans, regent to nine-year-old King Louis XV in 1719, four years after the death of the regent's grandfather, Louis XIV. A hedonist and free thinker who is somewhat limited by his love of sexual excess, his noble stature, and his complete lack of empathy for those on the lower social strata, Philippe serves during a time of rebellious talk and famine, swimming against the tide of social upheaval to maintain the status quo by allying himself with the Abbé Dubois, a foreign minister (the son of a peasant), who claws his way to the post of archbishop because its God-given power and authority isn't contingent on men. Meanwhile, the Marquis de Pontcallec (Jean Pierre Marielle) begins to set forth plans to secede from France and incorporate the Republic of Brittany. The musical score of Que la Fete Commence. . . was composed by the real-life Philippe d'Orleans. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
Cop Au Vin|Claude Chabrol|In a routine murder mystery based on a novel by Dominique Roulet, a cruel, wheelchair-bound invalid (Stephane Audran) who consistently terrorizes her teen son Louis (Lucas Belvaux) into abject obedience, is threatened with the loss of her home by a conniving trio who want her property as part of a deal for a lucrative development project. The three men are comprised of a butcher (Jean-Claude Bouillaud), a doctor (Jean Topart), and a notary (Michel Bouquet). Louis is a postal worker who is fending off the attentions of Henriette at the office (Pauline Lafont), and brings his mother all the mail scheduled for their trio of enemies, whereupon she steams it open and keeps herself informed about their plans. In retaliation for their attempts to seize his home, young Louis pours sugar into the butcher's gas tank which ultimately causes a fatal accident, and in fact, the doctor's wife has also died in a car accident. And now the notary's mistress is missing. Enter, at last, the imperious and heavy-handed Inspector Jean Lavardin (Jean Poiret) to finally go after the clues and the suspects until the case is solved. He succeeds admirably, and as a consequence, appears on his own in 1985's Inspector Lavardin. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
Mensonge|François Margolin|Emma (Nathalie Baye) has been happily married to Charles (Didier Sandre), a hardworking journalist, for over ten years. They have a son, and are considering having another child when she learns that she is both pregnant and HIV-positive at a time when Charles is away. As Emma has never used drugs or slept around, and has never had a blood transfusion, there can only be one source for her infection: her absent husband. Shocked to the core by this turn of events, she goes through his things and finds an address book with the names of many women in it. Determined to discover what has been going on, she begins contacting every name in the book. She continues her investigations even after her husband, whom she confronts over this, returns. While this film never comes across as an instructional piece, it was co-written by an AIDS specialist. It is also significant because is marks the final movie performance of Louis Ducreux (as the grandfather) after more than fifty years in the business. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
Une Vie End Of Desire One Life|Alexandre Astruc|A Life is based on a novel by Guy De Mauppasant. Maria Schell plays Jeanne, who enters into a loveless marriage with impoverished Julien (Christian Marquand). Having married Jeanne only for her money, Julien has no qualms about carrying on an affair with Gilberte (Antonella Lualdi), the family maid. Even after Gilberte gives birth to Julien's child, Jeanne forgives her husband, but he fails to learn his lesson and suffers spectacularly as a result. The physical and psychological isolation of the long-suffering heroine is emphasized by director Alexandre Astruc's decision to film Un Vie almost exclusively in a remote, sterile country mansion. Un Vie was released in the U.S. as End of Desire. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Collide 2017|Eran Creevy|After a heist goes terribly wrong, Casey Stein (Nicholas Hoult) finds himself on the run from a ruthless gang headed by mob boss Hagen (Anthony Hopkins). Now Casey has precious cargo that belongs to Hagen, who will stop at nothing to retrieve it. Left with no choice, Casey calls his former employer and drug smuggler Geran (Ben Kingsley) to protect his long-time girlfriend Juliette before Hagen gets his hands on her. Casey sets out on an adrenaline-fueled car chase on the German highways to save the love of his life before it's too late.
Gemini 2017|Aaron Katz (II) |A heinous crime tests the complex relationship between a tenacious personal assistant (Lola Kirke - MISTRESS AMERICA, MOZART IN THE JUNGLE, GONE GIRL) and her Hollywood starlet boss (Zoë Kravitz - MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, DIVERGENT). As the assistant travels across Los Angeles to unravel the mystery, she must stay one step ahead of a determined policeman (John Cho - STAR TREK, HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE) and confront her own understanding of friendship, truth, and celebrity.
Dont Think Twice|Mike Birbiglia|When a member of a popular New York City improv troupe gets cast on a hit TV show, the rest of the group - all best friends - start to realize that not everyone is going to make it after all. From the director of Sleepwalk With Me and the creator of This American Life comes Don't Think Twice, a critically acclaimed comedy packed with comic stars Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia, Kate Micucci, Chris Gethard and Tami Sagher that presents a hilarious and honest look at the lives of professional funny people.
The Discovery 2017|Charlie McDowell|In the near future, the world is off-balance. People have gained a specific knowledge, and death has lost meaning, due to a breakthrough scientific discovery by Dr. Thomas Harbor (Robert Redford): There is now definitive proof of an afterlife. While countless people have chosen suicide in order to "re-set" their existence, others go on, trying to decide what it all means. Among them is Dr. Harbor's son Will (Jason Segel), who has arrived at his father's isolated compound with a mysterious young woman named Isla (Rooney Mara). There, they discover the strange acolytes who help Dr. Harbor with his experiments. They are all looking to Dr. Harbor for meaning. Can Will and Isla find peace - in this place, or on the other side?
Devil In The Flesh|Claude Autant-Lara|Released in France as Le Diable au Corps, The Devil in the Flesh stars Micheline Presle as a nurse at a French military hospital during World War I. Gerard Philipe costars as a high school student who carries a torch for the older Presle. Under pressure from her parents to marry, Presle begins an affair with the boy, but gives up on him when he proves to be far too immature and jealous for her tastes. After a deliberately inconsiderate act on Philipe's part, Presle opts for a loveless marriage with a soldier who is about to head for the front. When Philipe selfishly reenters her life, she resumes the affair, becoming pregnant by the boy. The end result of Philipe's callous behavior is tragedy for all concerned. The Devil in the Flesh is based on a semi-autobiographical novel by Raymond Radiguet, who died of typhoid fever at the age of 20. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Thirteen|Catherine Hardwicke|At the edge of adolescence, Tracy is a smart straight-A student--if not a little naive. When she befriends Evie, the most popular and beautiful girl in school, Evie leads Tracy down a path of sex, drugs and self-mutilation. As Tracy transforms herself and her identity, her world becomes a boiling, emotional cauldron fueled by new tensions between her and her mother--as well as, teachers and old friends.
Lost In La Mancha|Keith Fulton|A documentary that details and depicts the pre-production and the first six days of production of acclaimed director Terry Gilliam's ill-fated attempt to film "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote" in late 2000. Piece by piece, the entire production ended up falling apart. A series of events conspire to shut down the project altogether: a severe storm washing away equipment; jet fighters interrupting the filming of the pivotal and somber Inquisition scene; and the star suffering a damaging back injury. Gilliam's decades-long dream to make a film based on Don Quixote came to a grinding halt--but it was all captured on film. Thus, what was expected to be, simply, a special documentary featurette--shown as part of the film's eventual DVD package--is now the basis of the film, itself.
Spellbound|Jeffrey Blitz|Eight kids of wildly disparate ethnic, class, and regional backgrounds are followed from their individual hometowns to Washington D.C. for the National Spelling Bee Finals.
Crazy Ray|René Clair|The Crazy Ray (Paris qui Dort) was a wild Rene Clair daydream which he deftly translated into his very first directorial effort. Deliberately invoking the early "chase" films which distinguished the French cinema, Clair weaves an improbable tale of a genially looney scientist who utilizes a magic ray (an effect created with stop-motion photography) on the unsuspecting citizens of Paris. The ray causes its victims to freeze in bizarre and often embarrassing positions. Those not affected by the ray take the opportunity to lift everything that isn't nailed down. Clair's original director's cut of The Crazy Ray ran a brisk thirty minutes. Unfortunately, several foreign distributors decided to pad the picture out with arbitrary and pointless cutaway shots; while watching one of these "improved" versions late in life, Clair muttered "I don't know where the hell that came from." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Murders In The Rue Morgue|Robert Florey|Having missed the opportunity to direct Frankenstein for Universal, Robert Florey was offered Murders in the Rue Morgue as a consolation, whereupon he transformed a pedestrian property into a minor classic. Owing more to Cabinet of Dr. Caligari than to Edgar Allen Poe, the film stars Bela Lugosi as Doctor Mirakle (accent on the second syllable), a carnival sideshow entertainer who doubles as a mad scientist. Kidnapping prostitutes off the Paris streets, Mirakle endeavors to mix their blood with that of his pet gorilla. His experiments will forever be doomed to failure, however, until he is able to obtain the blood of a virgin -- and that's where Camille L'Espanye (Sidney Fox) comes into the picture. When Mirakle's monkey kidnaps Camille and murders her mother, suspicion immediately falls upon the girl's sweetheart, starving artist Pierre Dupin (Leon Waycoff, later known as Leon Ames). But by using the deductive skills displayed in the original story by Poe's master detective C. Auguste Dupin, our hero not only proves his innocence, but rescues the helpless heroine from Mirakle's clutches.
Uninvited|Lewis Allen|The Uninvited is one of the rare Hollywood ghost stories that does not cop out with a "logical" ending. In fact, the film has more in common with British ghost tales of the period, in that the characters calmly accept spectral visitations as though they were everyday occurrences. Roderick Fitzgerald (Ray Milland) and his sister, Pamela (Ruth Hussey), buy a house on the Cornish seacoast, never suspecting that it is a "bad" house, subject to haunting. Before long, Roderick and Pamela are visited by Stella Meredith (Gail Russell), whose late mother, it is said, is the house ghost. It is further supposed that the ghost means to do Stella harm. Stella's grandfather Commander Beech (Donald Crisp) is close-mouthed on the issue, but it is clear he knows something that he isn't telling. Sure enough, there is a secret to the manor: it is inhabited by not one but two ghosts, one of whom is merely trying to shield Stella from harm. Once the film's deep dark secret is revealed (courtesy of a virtuoso "mad speech" by supporting actress Cornelia Otis Skinner), Roderick is able to single-handedly exorcise the estate and claim Stella as his bride. Based on the novel by Dorothy Macardle (with a few uncredited "lifts" from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca), The Uninvited remains one of the spookiest "old dark house" films ever made, even after years of inundation by computer-generated special effects. Less effective was the 1945 sequel, The Unseen, which starts well but degenerates into a substandard murder mystery.
Drag Me To Hell|Sam Raimi|Evil Dead director Sam Raimi takes the helm for this "spook-a-blast" shocker about an ambitious L.A. loan officer who incurs the wrath of a malevolent gypsy by refusing to grant her an extension on her home loan. Determined to impress her boss and get a much-needed promotion at work, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) lays down the law when mysterious Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) literally comes begging for mercy at her feet. In retaliation for being publicly shamed, Mrs. Ganush places the dreaded curse of the Lamia on her unfortunate target, transforming Christine's life into a waking nightmare. Her skeptical boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), casually brushing off her disturbing encounters as mere coincidence, Christine attempts to escape eternal damnation by seeking out the aid of seer Rham Jas (Dileep Rao ). But Christine's time is fast running out, and unless she's able to break the curse, she'll be tormented by a demon for three days before literally being dragged to hell. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Kick Ass|Matthew Vaughn|Adapted from Mark Millar's hyper-violent comic book of the same name, director Matthew Vaughn's (Layer Cake) vigilante superhero film tells the tale of an average New York teenager who decides to don a costume and fight crime. Comic book geek Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) may not have good coordination or special powers, but that doesn't mean he isn't a fully capable crime fighter. After purchasing a flashy wet suit on the Internet, Dave starts busting up baddies with nothing but brute force. He calls himself Kick-Ass, and he can take a beating as good as he can dish one out. Before long, Kick-Ass has become a local sensation, and others are following his lead. Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) and Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) are a father-daughter crime-fighting duo who have set their sights on local mob heavy Frank D'Amico (Mark Strong). They're doing a decent job of dismantling Frank's sizable underworld empire when Kick-Ass gets drawn into the fray. But Frank's men play rough, and his son, Chris (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), is about to become Kick-Ass' very first arch nemesis. When Chris assumes the persona of Red Mist, the stage is set for a superhero showdown that could spell the end of Kick-Ass once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Ninja Assassin|James McTeigue|V for Vendetta director James McTeigue re-teams with that film's producers Larry and Andy Wachowski for this action-packed tale of a skilled assassin who was trained by a mythical secret society, and patiently awaits the day he will avenge the death of his best friend. Swept off the streets as a young boy, Raizo (Korean pop star Rain) is transformed into an unstoppable killing machine by a secret society known as the Ozunu Clan. The Ozunu Clan is so proficient at keeping their existence a secret that most people think they are only a myth, but the moment Ozuno assassins kill Raizo's friend, their days in the shadows are numbered. In the aftermath of that killing, Raizo stages a daring escape, subsequently biding his time until the day he can take the entire Ozunu Clan down. Later, in Berlin, Europol agent Mika Coretti (Naomie Harris) discovers a money trail connecting multiple political murders to a mysterious network of elusive assassins from the Far East. While her superior Ryan Maslow (Ben Miles) orders Mika to back down and stop asking questions, she stealthily begins searching through classified agency files on a relentless mission to discover the truth about the murders. Singled out as a target as a direct result of her investigation, Mika is marked for death by lethal Ozunu assassin Takeshi (Rick Yune). Just as Mika is about to be silenced forever, Raizo saves her from certain death. But Raizo knows that Takeshi and the rest of the Ozuno Clan won't stop until he and Mika are both dead. Now, as Raizo and Mika are hunted through the winding streets of Europe, their only hope for survival is to trust one another and stay alive long enough to bring the Ozunu empire crumbling to the ground. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Far Cry|Uwe Boll|A hardened seaman and a dogged reporter become trapped on an island with a mysterious scientist, a ruthless band of mercenaries, and a vicious pack of unidentifiable creatures in BloodRayne director Uwe Boll's seventh video game-to-screen adaptation. A team of mercenaries has been attacked on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, and as mysterious reports begin to emerge from the chaos, a veteran Seattle newspaper editor sends top reporters Tom Moore and Valerie Constantine to the scene in hopes of getting the scoop on the story. Shortly after arriving on the island under the guidance of ship captain Jack Carver (Til Schweiger), the trio is attacked by mercenary commander Maria Sanchez. Though Tom is killed, Valerie and Jack manage to stage a daring escape and quickly begin to bicker over their plan as Maria's murderous soldiers fast begin gaining ground. Despite Captain Jack's plan to locate his friend Emilio and get off of the island as quickly as possible, reporter Valerie remains determined to investigate the strange situation and get as many details as possible for her upcoming story. Later, when Jack, Valerie, and Emilio are captured and taken to the secret lab of genius scientist Dr. Krieger, Valerie is extended an invitation to join the doctor in announcing his latest findings to the world. Though it finally seems as if Valerie has gotten just the scoop needed to make her story, the situation quickly turns chaotic when one of Dr. Kreiger's creatures escapes from the lab and sets out on a murderous rampage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Therapy For A Vampire|David Rühm|Vienna, 1930. Count von Kozsnom has lost his thirst for life, and his marriage cooled centuries ago. Fortunately, Sigmund Freud is accepting new patients the good doctor suggests the Count appease his vain wife by commissioning a portrait of her by his assistant, Viktor. But it's Viktor's headstrong girlfriend Lucy who most intrigues the Count, convinced she's the reincarnation of his one true love. Soon, the whole crowd is a hilarious mess of mistaken identities and misplaced affections in this send-up of the vampire genre, proving that 500 years of marriage is enough.
Autumn Lights|Angad Aulakh|After discovering a deserted crime scene in remote Iceland, an adrift American photographer (Guy Kent) crosses paths with an intriguing European couple (Marta Gastini & Sveinn Olafur Gunnarsson). As his fascination with them intensifies, he slowly finds himself entangled in their mysterious lives.
The Man From London|Bela Tarr|A man whose lonely life at the edge of the sea has become as predictable as the tide witnesses a murder that sends him on an existential journey the likes of which he could never have anticipated in director Béla Tarr's philosophical drama. Maloin had reached a point in life where he was content to embrace loneliness while turning a blind eye to the inevitable decay that surrounded him. Upon bearing witness to a shocking murder, however, the man who once lived a life of quiet solitude is forced to wrestle with such profound issues as punishment, mortality, and the sin of complicity in a crime he didn't even commit. Now, despite Maloin's simple wish to be free and happy, he must journey deep within his inner-self to confront emotions that he never once fathomed in his long yet uneventful existence.
The Price 2017|Anthony Onah|Seyi, a 24-year-old Nigerian-American, works on Wall Street. Desperate to succeed because of his outsider status-due to class and race-he commits a crime, insider trading, which brings his entire world crashing down on him. Seyi's troubled circumstances force him finally to confront his tumultuous relationship with his ailing father, his romantic relationship with his privileged white girlfriend, and his racial and immigrant backgrounds-with nothing less at stake for him than his soul.
Revenge Of The Nerds|Jeff Kanew|A college fraternity that houses the school's socially awkward, thick-glasses-sporting set decides to exact their revenge on the football players who've repeatedly humiliated them.
My Way 2011|Je-gyu Kang|Two rival marathon runners find their dreams of competing in the Tokyo Olympics fading after World War II breaks out, and they are forced to serve their country. Jun-shik works on a Korean farm owned by Tatsuo's grandfather. An aspiring Olympian, Jun-shik dreams of the day he will win the Tokyo Olympics. But Tatsu, too, aspires to be an Olympic marathon runner, and he's determined that no man will beat him. When the bombs start to fall and both men are drafted into service, Tatsuo becomes the leader of Jun-shik's unit and hatches an ambitious plan to get the upper hand over their enemies. Unfortunately his plot fails, and both men are taken prisoner by the Soviets. Subsequently escaping but torn apart by fate, Tatsuo and Jun-shik later cross paths on the beaches of Normandy, just as the Allies prepare to execute Operation Overlord. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The Erotic Man|Jorgen Leth|Veteran experimental filmmaker Jorgen Leth explores the nature of eroticism and his own sensual fantasies and appetites in this personal documentary. In Det Erotiske Menneske (aka Erotic Man), Leth travels around the world as he recreates the same scene: a nude woman lies on a bed in a hotel room, thinking out loud about the man she loves who has gone away. Leth visits the Caribbean, South America and Asia as he sets up casting sessions with a variety of different women and shoots the scene over and over again, in different hotel rooms with many different actresses while achieving similar results. While initially Leth insists this is a dramatization of a moment from his own past, with each take it becomes obvious that he's actually obsessing over a fantasy, and it's meaning seems to change each time he tries to bring it back to life. During downtime from his shooting schedule, Leth obsesses over the female form, discovers he has a hard time turning women down for the project, and ponders his own relationship with his lover Dorothie Laguerre. Produced in part by Lars von Trier, Erotic Man was an official selection at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Let Me In|Matt Reeves|Twelve-year old Owen is viciously bullied by his classmates and neglected by his divorcing parents. Achingly lonely, Owen spends his days plotting revenge on his middle school tormentors and his evenings spying on the other inhabitants of his apartment complex. His only friend is his new neighbor Abby, an eerily self-possessed young girl who lives next door with her silent father. A frail, troubled child about Owens's age, Recognizing a fellow outcast, Owen opens up to her and before long, the two form a unique bond. When Abby's father disappears, the terrified girl is left to fend for herself. Still, she rebuffs Owen's efforts to help her, leading the imaginative Owen to suspect she's hiding an unthinkable secret.
10011944 Good Heart|Dagur K√°ri|Jacques is the curmudgeonly owner of a gritty New York dive bar that serves as home to a motley assortment of professional drinkers. Jacques is determinedly drinking and smoking himself to death when he meets Lucas, a homeless young man who has already given up on life. In the hopes of keeping his legacy alive, Jacques deems Lucas is a fitting heir and takes him under his wing, schooling him in the male-centric laws of his alcoholic clubhouse: no new customers, no fraternizing with customers and, absolutely no women. Lucas is a quick study, but their friendship is put to the test when the distraught and beautiful April shows up at the bar seeking shelter, and Lucas insists they help her out.
The Virginity Hit 2010|Huck Botko|"The Virginity Hit" is down and dirty filmmaking at its finest in just about every way one can imagine. It's four guys, one camera, and their hilarious experience chronicling the exhilarating and terrifying rite of passage: losing your virginity. As these guys help their buddy get laid, they'll have to survive friends with benefits, internet hookups, even porn stars during an adventure that proves why you will always remember your first.
The Rite|Mikael Håfström|"The battle against the Devil, which is the principal task of Saint Michael the Archangel, is still being fought today, because the Devil is still alive and active in the world." -Pope John Paul II "The Rite" is a supernatural thriller that uncovers the Devil's reach to even one of the holiest places on Earth. Inspired by true events, the film follows seminary student Michael Kovak (Colin O'Donoghue), who is sent to study exorcism at the Vatican in spite of his own doubts about the controversial practice and even his own faith. Wearing his deep skepticism like armor, Michael challenges his superiors to look to psychiatry, rather than demons, in treating the possessed. Only when he's sent to apprentice with the unorthodox Father Lucas (Anthony Hopkins)--a legendary priest who has performed thousands of exorcisms--does Michael's armor begin to fall. As he is drawn into a troubling case that seems to transcend even Father Lucas's skill, he begins to glimpse a phenomenon science can't explain or control...and an evil so violent and terrifying that it forces him to question everything he believes. Directed by Mikael Håfström ("1408"), "The Rite" stars Oscar (R) winner Anthony Hopkins ("Silence of the Lambs"), Colin O'Donoghue in his feature film debut, Alice Braga ("Predators"), Toby Jones ("Frost/Nixon"), with Ciarán Hinds ("Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2"), and Rutger Hauer ("Batman Begins," "Blade Runner"). Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson ("The Exorcism of Emily Rose") produced the film under their Contrafilm banner. The screenplay is by Michael Petroni ("The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader"), suggested by the book by Matt Baglio. Richard Brener, Merideth Finn and Robert Bernacchi serve as executive producers, with Mark Tuohy co-producing. New Line Cinema presents, a Contrafilm production, a Mikael Håfström film, "The Rite." The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. This film has been rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic material, violence, frightening images and language including sexual references. -- (C) Warner Bros.
The Stars And The Water Carriers|J√∏rgen Leth|Documents the professional cyclists battling to win the 1973 Giro d'Italia.
Den Umulige Time|J√∏rgen Leth|A study of Ole Ritter's attempt in Mexico City in 1974 to set a new record for the hour - described in the film as "the noblest, most difficult record that can be set on a bicycle".
Family Nest|Bela Tarr|Shot in cinema verité style, Hungarian director Bela Tarr's drama captures the daily life of ordinary people living in desperate times. Communist-ruled Hungary is undergoing a housing shortage, forcing a seven-member family to share a tiny apartment. As the walls close in, tensions rise: A father chastises his son for not reenlisting, which might have resulted in a larger apartment, and a wife stops at nothing in order to qualify for a new home.
Det Perfekte Menneske The Perfect Human|J√∏rgen Leth|An elegant and humorous film-in the guise of a serious anthropological treatise-spotlights "The Perfect Human," a model of the modern Dane created by our wishful thinking.
Waiting For Lightning 2012|Jacob Rosenberg|WAITING FOR LIGHTNING is the story of Danny Way, the skateboarder whose dream was to jump China's Great Wall on a skateboard. It's a film about how much abuse the body can sustain, how deep you have to dig to survive the challenges life presents, and how high and far dreams can fly. In his quest for greatness, Way continues to shape the very sport which helped save his own life. (c) Samuel Goldwyn
Scenic Route|Kevin Goetz|Mitchell (Josh Duhamel) and Carter (Dan Fogler), life-long friends who have drifted apart, are on a road trip when their old pickup breaks down, leaving them stranded on an isolated desert road. Nobody can pick apart a man like his best friend, and as the relentless elements of the desert grind them down, they start to attack each other's life decisions with unwavering brutality. As they question who they are and who they could have been, their agitation leads to physical confrontation and ultimately knife-wielding madness, and what begins as an inconvenience becomes a very real life or death struggle.(c) Vertical Entertainment
Convento 2011|Jarred Alterman|Convento is more than a film to watch. Convento is a film immersion. At the convergence of the rivers Oeiras and Guadiana, along what some believe to be a ley line possessing mystical energies, rises the four hundred year old monastery Sao Francisco. Its light earthen walls, marked by the sun and time, house a labyrinth of terraces, courtyards, gardens and fountains, all offering secret places to contemplate. An ancient irrigation system delivers water throughout, a silvery artery connecting all life. The monastery is surrounded by a surrealist storybook landscape, an amalgam of desert palms and cacti and a forest's darker, cooler life, within which animals of all kinds secretly contemplate. Originally built for an abbot and twelve monks, it is now a home, nature preserve, and artist's studio. -- (C) Official Site
El Infierno 2011|Luis Estrada|A Mexican man is deported from the United States and returns to his village, where he gets involved in the drug trade.
If I Stay|R.J. Cutler|Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz) thought the hardest decision she would ever face would be whether to pursue her musical dreams at Juilliard or follow a different path to be with the love of her life, Adam (Jamie Blackley). But what should have been a carefree family drive changes everything in an instant, and now her own life hangs in the balance. Caught between life and death for one revealing day, Mia has only one decision left, which will not only decide her future but her ultimate fate. "If I Stay" is based on the best-selling novel of the same name. (c) Warner Bros
National Lampoons Blackball|Mel Smith|It's the weight of tradition versus youthful vigor when loudmouth Torquay lawn bowling superstar Cliff Starkey (Paul Kaye) catches wind of an upcoming championship match between England and heated rivals Australia. He's determined to make the national team in a bid to bring his sport-of-choice into the new millennium. Quickly acquiring a flashy American agent (Vince Vaughn) and becoming the most popular player in England, Cliff vows to dethrone traditionalist champion Ray Speight (James Cromwell), who has made no secret his hatred of Cliff's brash showmanship. When Cliff starts seeing Ray's daughter, the competition really begins to heat up.
Pirate Radio|Richard Curtis|In mid- to late-'60s Britain, an unusual yet colorful subculture sprang up and thrived as a product of the upswing in British pop music, only to meet its doom within a few short years. Though the BBC functioned as the country's main source of news and music, its programmers offered very little airtime to rock & roll -- which left an overwhelming need unfulfilled. In response, small bands of "pirate" radio enthusiasts set up broadcasting towers on boats just outside of English boundary waters, and transmitted signals to an estimated 25 million listeners, 24 hours a day and seven days per week. Unsurprisingly, the DJs who took charge of these broadcasts could rival just about anyone in terms of flamboyance and outsized personalities. With Pirate Radio (released as The Boat That Rocked in the U.K.), writer-director Richard Curtis (Love Actually) travels back to the Swinging Sixties and takes a headfirst plunge into this colorful realm. The story opens in 1966, aboard a rusty fishing trawler christened Radio Rock and equipped with pirate broadcasting equipment. Here, the slightly daft elitist Quentin (Bill Nighy) presides over a motley crew of joint-toking, sex-hungry disc jockeys including Dave (Nick Frost), a heavyset boob who nevertheless considers himself a hot property with women and loves to chase skirts; "The Count" (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an American DJ who aspires to be the first person to drop an F-bomb over the British airwaves; the gloom-laden Irishman Simon (Chris O'Dowd); bonked-out hipster Thick Kevin (Tom Brooke); womanizer Mark (Tom Wisdom); Angus (Rhys Darby), a New Zealander whom nobody likes; and the only female member of the group, lesbian cook Felicity (Katherine Parkinson). These misfits pull off quite a show -- enough of one that they attain the status of national idols for the youth culture -- but the super-conservative government minister Dormandy (Kenneth Branagh) detests the whole business and will do almost anything in his power to shut them down.
Safe Haven|Lasse Hallstrom|An affirming and suspenseful story about a young woman's struggle to love again, Safe Haven is based on the novel from Nicholas Sparks, the best-selling author behind the hit films The Notebook and Dear John. When a mysterious young woman arrives in a small North Carolina town, her reluctance to join the tight knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots, and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex, a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and rely on the power of love in this deeply moving romantic thriller.
Bitter Moon|Roman Polanski|Roman Polanski, Gerard Brach, and John Brownjohn adapted Pascal Bruckner's novel for this erotic, funny, and frequently twisted story of a shipboard romance that has a decidedly sadomasochistic edge. Cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli; score by Vangelis.
Magic Valley|Jaffe Zinn|The death of a young woman sends ripples through a small Idaho town in this independent drama. Susan is a teenager who is found dead in a field by two young boys who live in her neighborhood (Landon Abercrombie and Daniel Frandson), who then decide it's up to them to bury the body. Susan's mother, Martha (Alison Elliot), has been fussing over her ailing dog and hasn't noticed yet that her daughter is missing. Martha's husband Jerry (Brad William Henke) recently stocked their pond with trout, but is now waging a war of words with his neighbor, who has changed the course of the stream that fed the pond, leaving the fish to die. The local sheriff (Scott Glenn) is too busy obsessing over his favorite television shows, shooting pheasant and pestering his deputy (Will Estes) to pay much attention to reports of missing persons. And TJ (Kyle Gallner) is haunted by the knowledge of a dangerous incident that had deadly implications. Magic Valley was the first feature film from writer, director and editor Jaffe Zinn.
Night Of The Running Man|Mark L. Lester|In this taut thriller, a Las Vegas taxi driver must run for his life after stealing a cool million's worth of Mafia money.
Twilight Zone The Movie|Joe Dante|Based on the popular television series created by Rod Serling, this film of horror and the supernatural tells four separate stories--each by a different director: John Landis, Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante and George Miller. In one, a bigot is taught a lesson when he is transported to experience the lives of three different victims of prejudice and intolerance. Another takes a trip to an old-age home where the arrival of a special man turns some of the residents into youthful people once again. In the third, a woman befriends a timid young child who turns out to be a maniacal brat with bizarre powers. The final segment shows how a man with an aversion to flying has a rough time when he panics and then sees a strange creature on the wing outside his window seat.
Shampoo|Hal Ashby|This film is set the day after Nixon's election in 1968. George is a Beverly Hills hairdresser whose services to his female clients sometimes extend beyond a mere snip. George borrows money from his lover's husband, who in turns requests that George escort his mistress to an election night party.
Star Wars|George Lucas|Nineteen years after the formation of the Empire, Luke Skywalker is thrust into the struggle of the Rebel Alliance when he meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, who has lived for years in seclusion on the desert planet of Tatooine. Obi-Wan begins Luke's Jedi training as Luke joins him on a daring mission to rescue the beautiful Rebel leader Princess Leia from the clutches of the evil Empire. Although Obi-Wan sacrifices himself in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader, his former apprentice, Luke proves that the Force is with him by destroying the Empire's dreaded Death Star.
Star Wars Holiday Special|Steve Binder|Chewie and Han Solo are trying to get home to Chewie's family, so they can celebrate Lifeday.
Imaginary Witness|Daniel Anker|This is the riveting story of the American film industry's complex and fascinating response to the horrors of Nazi Germany. Utilizing carefully selected excerpts from extraordinary and in some cases rarely-seen films, and told through the first-hand accounts of the directors, actors, writers, and producers, the film covers some of Hollywood's most important movies, including "The Mortal Storm," "The Great Dictator," "The Search," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "The Pawnbroker," "Judgment at Nuremberg," "Sophie's Choice," and "Schindler's List." The film takes us from the American ambivalence and denial during the heyday of Nazism, through the silence of the post-war years, and into the present day. It asks hard questions: about the uneasy relationship between American popular culture and the Holocaust, about the responsibility of filmmakers in their portrayal of history, and about the power of film itself to affect the way we look at ourselves.
The Shape Of Speed 1997|Kum-Kum Bhavnani|Join experts Lowell North, John Marshall and Dick Deaver as they guide you through this comprehensive look at various sail shapes and boat-handling techniques. Whether you're racing or cruising, this program will help you move faster through the water by teaching you all about mainsails, headsails and spinnakers. The advice and knowledge gained through this informative video will lead to greater speed and improved results on the sea.
War Zone|Maggie Hadleigh-West|For this documentary on public behavior by men toward women and how women are affected by this, filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West shot on the streets of four cities (New Orleans, San Francisco, NYC, Chicago), interviewing 1,053 men. She edited that material down to the 53 subjects seen in this 71-minute film that intercuts black-and-white and color footage. Men caught looking, leering, whistling, or making sexist comments were approached by Hadleigh-West and asked to explain themselves. For an alternative point of view, five women discuss their fears, revealing clothing, street harassment, male attitudes, and reactions to male comments on their appearance. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.
Frankenstein 1984|James Ormerod|Made for British television, this adaptation of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is doggedly faithful to its source. Dr. Frankenstein's synthetic monster speaks, aspires to intellectual achievements, and begins descending into insanity and murder against his will. As in the Shelley original, both Frankenstein and his creation are left to die on an Arctic ice flow, a fitting punishment for dabbling in God's domain. Robert Powell, Carrie Fisher, David Warner, and Sir John Gielgud are seen in the principal roles. Originally telecast in 1982, Frankenstein made the American cable-TV circuit two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Great Waldo Pepper|George Roy Hill|Former WWI pilot Waldo Pepper works in an air show. After losing his performance permit, he gets a job as a movie stunt pilot. On the set, he meets a former German ace. The film ends with both men proving to themselves what they'd failed to prove during the war.
Rocky Horror Picture Show|Jim Sharman|This low-budget freak show/cult classic/cultural institution concerns the misadventures of Brad Majors (Barry Bostwick) and Janet Weiss (Susan Sarandon) inside a strange mansion that they come across on a rainy night. After the wholesome pair profess their love through an opening song, their car breaks down in the woods, and they seek refuge in a towering castle nearby. Greeting them at the door is a ghoulish butler named Riff Raff (Richard O'Brien), who introduces them to a bacchanalian collection of partygoers dressed in outfits from some sort of interplanetary thrift shop. The host of this gathering is a transvestite clad in lingerie, Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry), a mad scientist who claims to be from another planet. With assistants Columbia (Nell Campbell) and Magenta (Patricia Quinn) looking on, Frank unveils his latest creation -- a figure wrapped in gauze and submerged in a tank full of liquid. With the addition of colored dyes and some assistance from the weather, Frank brings to life a blonde young beefcake wearing nothing but skimpy shorts, who launches into song in his first minute of life. Just when Brad and Janet think things couldn't get any stranger, a biker (Meat Loaf) bursts onto the scene to reclaim Columbia, his ex-girlfriend. When Frank kills the biker, it's clear that Brad and Janet will be guests for the night, and that they may be next on Frank's list -- whether for murder or carnal delights is uncertain. And just what is that mystery meat they're eating for dinner, anyway? In addition to playing Riff Raff, O'Brien wrote the catchy songs, with John Barry and Richard Hartley composing the score. ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
Beyond Obsession|David Greene|In this drama, a teenaged girl and her boyfriend fight back after they are accused of murdering the girl's overbearing, but socially prominent mother.
Marquis De Sade 1996|Gwyneth Gibby|Set if France during the 1700s, Gwyneth Gibby's Dark Prince stars Janet Gunn as a woman whose sister has gone missing. During her investigation she crosses paths with the notorious Marquis de Sade (Nick Mancuso). While he tempts her with his forceful sexual attitudes, he hints that he knows what happened to the missing sister. When he escapes from prison, the woman follows him and faces dark truths about her sister and herself.
Carnosaur 3 Primal Species|Jonathan Winfrey|The third in a series of gory films about voracious genetically engineered dinosaurs who escape and run amok, the action starts when international terrorists hijack what they think is valuable freight. Instead, the cargo turns out to be the deadly lizards, and boy are they hungry.
Hostile Force|Michael Kennedy|When a would-be bank robber's attempt to steal $6 million goes awry, he takes a woman hostage without realizing that she is an ex-cop.
Escape Clause|Brian Trenchard-Smith|This suspenseful thriller originally aired on the Showtime cable network. Successful insurance executive Richard Ramsay has had a pretty good life until the day he is called by a paid assassin and informed that his wife is planning to have him killed. The hitman then makes Richard a most unusual offer. Later both the assassin and the faithless wife are found dead. Naturally Richard becomes the prime suspect of Detective Ferrand's investigation, but Richard is innocent and so sets off on his own investigation, one that leads him on serpentine trail of grim surprises.
Mulholland Falls|Lee Tamahori|Set in 1950s Los Angeles, this film centers on the crime investigation of the notorious "Hat Squad," members of the LAPD noted for being natty dressers. They were also known for using unorthodox and violent methods for taking care of crooks.
Whispers An Elephants Tale|Dereck Joubert|The adventures of a baby elephant who is, by misfortune, separated from his mother. He searches desperately for her but instead, finds the sassy and fiercely independent Groove, an outcast from her own herd and the last elephant in the world to ever be a substitute mom. Unfortunately for Groove, Whispers takes hold of her tail and refuses to let go and the two join to make an unlikely family. Through their bickering, singing, laughing and crying they brave the hidden dangers of the dark forest and make their way toward the Great River, a rumored paradise for elephants.
Relentless Enemies|Beverly Joubert|Few of natures creatures share such a fierce rivalry as lions and buffalos, and in this documentary from National Geographic filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert the brutality of these confrontations is captured in all of its ferocious glory.
Lagerfeld Confidential|Rodolphe Marconi|An portrait of the fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld.
Ballad Of Jack And Rose|Rebecca Miller|A single father tries to come to terms with his 16-year-old daughter Rose's coming-of-age. When the father's new love, Kathleen and her two teenage boys come to live with them, Rose undergoes a sexual awakening with both liberating and devastating consequences.
In Vogue The Editors Eye 2013|Fenton Bailey|A chronicle of Vogue magazine's 120 years of covering the fashion industry's highs and lows includes archival photographs; and interviews with editors, designers, models and photographers.
Venus And Serena|Maiken Baird|Venus and Serena takes an unfiltered look into the remarkable lives of the greatest sister-act professional tennis has ever seen. In a sport where they were not welcomed, the indomitable Williams sisters faced the opposition with grace and courage not only breaking new ground for female and African American athletes everywhere, but dominating the women's game for over a decade. The film tells the inspiring story of how these two women, against all odds, but with the help of visionary parents, made it to the top. Venus and Serena also explores the struggle of these two aging superstars during the 2011 tennis season as they battle life and career-threatening health problems. In Venus and Serena we gain unprecedented access into the sisters' lives - both in the spotlight and behind closed doors - and we watch as they draw their greatest strengths from one another to overcome countless adversities. (c) Magnolia Pictures
September Issue|R.J. Cutler|"The September Issue" is an intimate, funny and surprising look at Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of "Vogue" magazine for 20 years, and her team of larger-than-life editors as they create this must-have Bible of fashion. Filmmaker R.J. Cutler explores the untouchable glamour of Wintour's Vogue to reveal the extraordinarily passionate people at its heart. He takes us behind the scenes at Fashion Week, to Europe, on shoots and reshoots, and into closed-door staff meetings, bearing witness to an arduous, entertaining, and sometimes emotionally demanding process. At the eye of this annual fashion hurricane is the two-decade relationship between Wintour and Grace Coddington, incomparable creative director and fashion genius. They are perfectly matched for the age-old conflict between creator and curator. Through them, we see close-up the delicate creative chemistry it takes to remain at the top of the ever-changing fashion field.
Youve Been Trumped 2011|Anthony Baxter|In this David and Goliath tale for the 21st Century, a group of proud Scottish homeowners take on Donald Trump, as the tycoon prepares to destroy one of Britain's last stretches of coastal wilderness by building a luxury golf resort. As the locals make their last stand in the face of security harassment, legal threats and the cutting off of water and electricity supplies, director Anthony Baxter is thrown in jail as he seeks out the truth. -- (C) Official Site
American Jihad|Alison Ellwood|An examination of how young men are radicalized in the U.S. to commit terrorists acts and what can be done to prevent it.
Stealing Sinatra|Ron Underwood|Based on actual events, this crime comedy from Adventures of Pluto Nash director Ron Underwood details the farcical kidnapping of legendary singer Frank Sinatra's eldest son (played by Thomas Ian Nicholas). Desperate to gather the money needed to get their fledgling business off the ground, three bumbling criminals hatch a scheme to abduct the hapless Sinatra offspring and use the ransom money to fund their startup. Though they've rented a house in Los Angeles for the big event and every detail seems to be in place, the plan quickly devolves into an unbelievable fiasco that's too strange for fiction.
Corpse Run|John-Michael Thomas|A handful of twenty-somethings whose lives are defined by their fascination with the virtual world try to make sense of heir carbon-based reality in this independent comedy-drama. Nick (John-Michael Thomas) is a would-be rock musician who spends nearly all of his free time hanging out with his friends in a rented loft they've equipped with computers and a high-speed internet connection so they can get together for multi-player online video games. One of Nick's gaming friends is Kei (Jen Nikolaisen), who met him through their shared love for obscure anime, and it's Nick's first real world relationships that seems to have a real chance of evolving into lasting love. But when one has spend nearly all their adult life immersed in a world seen through a computer screen with a controller at hand, what's a man to do when he doesn't want to play games anymore? The first feature film from writer, director and star John-Michael Thomas, Corpse Run (named for a video game played in the film) also stars Brea Grant, Michael Crabtree, Parker Phillips and Skylar T. Adams.
Demon Seed|Donald Cammell|A brilliant scientist's marriage is strained by his devotion to his latest project, the creation of an intelligent supercomputer. When this tension drives the scientist to move out, the computer decides to take over the house and impregnate the scientist's wife in this technological horror film.
Jagged Edge|Richard Marquand|When his wife is brutally murdered, San Francisco newspaper mogul Jeff Bridges is the prime suspect. High-priced defense lawyer Glenn Close takes the case, falling in love with Bridges in the process. Totally convinced of his innocence, Close earns Bridges an acquittal by producing surprise character witness Leigh Taylor-Young. Unfortunately, Close has allowed her heart to rule her head under the worst possible circumstances, as the film's slasher-movie finale proves. Though it starts with style and assurance, The Jagged Edge quickly descends into a mass of inconsistencies, cavernous plot holes, and neanderthal behavior on the part of the "smartest" characters. Only Robert Loggia, as a no-nonsense private eye, emerges from this melange without egg on his face.
Night At The Museum 2|Shawn Levy|Ben Stiller returns as Larry Daley, the unfortunate night watchman who continues to encounter living and breathing museum exhibits in Night at the Museum 2: Escape From the Smithsonian, 20th Century Fox's tent-pole sequel from director Shawn Levy. Scott Frank, Robert Ben Garant, and Thomas Lennon provide the script, with Chris Columbus returning to handle producing duties. Amy Adams (Enchanted) and Hank Azaria join the returning cast of Robin Williams, Ricky Gervais, and Owen Wilson in the 1492 and 21 Laps Entertainment co-production.
With This Ring 2015|Nzingha Stewart|This release features the romantic comedy With This Ring, about three friends who vow to find husbands with in a year. Regina Hall and Grammy Award winners Jill Scott and Eve Cooper co-star.
Whos Your Caddy|Don Michael Paul|When a high-profile hip-hop star is denied membership into an exclusive country club in the Hamptons, he comes up with a cunning plan to subvert the questionable ruling in this comedy of manners starring OutKast's Antwan Andre Patton. By purchasing property directly adjacent to the 18th hole, popular rapper C-Note (Patton) is subsequently granted membership into the haughty club by default. As the curmudgeonly club members make it their mission in life to get him kicked out, the clever rapper infuses the stodgy old club with new life. Andy Milonakis, Jeffrey Jones, and Faizon Love co-star.
Hav Plenty|Christopher Scott Cherot|Impoverished would-be novelist Lee gets invited to the home of wealthy Havilland. Upon Lee's arrival, he is the center of attention for all of the women at the party, but Havilland's grandmother foresees that Lee is destined to be with Havilland.
Dungeons And Dragons|Courtney Solomon|The Empire of Izmer has long been a divided land. The Mages - an elite group of magic users - rule whilst the lowly commoners are powerless. Izmer's young Empress, Savina, wants equality and prosperity for all, but the evil Mage Profion is plotting to depose her, and establish his own rule. In order to prevent Profion from taking over her kingdom, the Empress must find the legendary Rod of Savrille that controls the powerful Red Dragons. Enter two thieves, Ridley and Snails, who unwittingly become instrumental in the search for the Rod. They are joined by Mage Apprentice Marina, a feisty Dwarf named Elwood, and helped by the Empress's expert tracker, the Elf Norda, as they outrace Profion's chief henchman Damodar to find the magical Rod that will set their Kingdom free.
Idle Hands|Rodman Flender|The devil will find work for idle hands to do, so what happens when he goes on the prowl for a partner in crime and ends up with an utterly clueless 17-year-old slacker? The result is a lot more moronics than demonics in the wry comedy-horror IDLE HANDS. Anton Tobias wakes up Halloween morning to discover-after watching some TV and perusing the contents of the fridge, oblivious to the pool of blood on the floor-that his parents have been turned into a couple of headless Halloween decorations. After hanging out with his equally irresponsible friends, Mick and Pnub, Anton discovers that his right hand has a very bloodthirsty mind of its own, and it's hell-bent on wreaking deadly havoc with or without him. Will the gates of Hell open wide at the high school Halloween Dance and drag an innocent soul into eternal damnation? They just might in IDLE HANDS, when the forces of good and evil face off in a showdown full of diabolical comedy and bloodcurdling terror.
Light It Up|Craig Bolotin|Noted R&B; artist and producer Kenneth (Babyface) Edmonds served as executive producer for this tough urban drama. After a shooting incident in a neglected inner-city school leaves a police officer wounded, a group of students holds the cop hostage, in a desperate effort to force improvements to their school. The cast includes another R&B; hitmaker, Usher, as well as Forest Whitaker, Vanessa L. Williams, and Rosario Dawson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Paranoid|John Duigan|A woman looking for a relaxing weekend instead finds her safety at stake in this psychological thriller. Chloe (Jessica Alba) is a famous model who is feeling stressed after a working trip to the U.S. -- where she'd been dogged by a persistent telephone stalker. While Chloe has a beau, she decides spontaneously to join Ned (Gary Love), a rock musician she's met, as he heads out to the British countryside for the weekend. Upon arrival, Chloe discovers that Ned already has guests -- washed-up rock star Stan (Iain Glen), his bickering wife Rachel (Jeanne Tripplehorn), their deaf-mute daughter Theresa (Mischa Barton), and nerdy hanger-on Gordon (Ewen Bremner). As the emotional chemistry of the visitors becomes volatile, Ned's wife arrives and most of the other guests take off, leaving Chloe alone with her host and his spouse. Chloe soon discovers that Ned and his friends have a disturbing hobby -- they like to bring women back to the house, drug them, and violate them while unconscious, leaving her to wonder if she's next for this treatment. Paranoid was written and directed by noted Australian filmmaker John Duigan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The United States Of Football 2013|Sean Pamphilon|The United States of Football is a must-see documentary that explores the cumulative effect of repetitive trauma in America's Game from Pee Wees to the pros. Fans and parents of young players can follow a father's quest for an answer to the question, "Should my kid play?" From Bountygate to the challenges faced in youth leagues by shortfalls in knowledge or funding, Emmy-winning Filmmaker Sean Pamphilon takes a tough look at what will be needed in order to save the players as well as the sport we love. Featuring Bob Costas, Mike Ditka, Kyle Turley, Jim Brown, Chris Henry, Malcolm Gladwell, James Harrison. (c) Official Site
Intergirl|Pyotr Todorovskiy|Tatyana (Yelena Yakovleva) works as a nurse in a hospital in Leningrad. However, she has wants that her salary cannot provide for her, and sometimes she earns some hard currency by sleeping with foreign tourists. One of these is an uninspiring Swedish man, who offers to marry her. She is tempted, because she believes that the material aspect of life in Sweden is infinitely superior to that in Russia. Overcoming the resistence of the bureaucracy to her marriage, she succeeds in moving to Sweden with her new husband. Alas, she is soon bored with her new existence, and returns to her old hooking habits. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
Sunburn 1999|Nelson Hume|A group of Irish college students are about to leave for the United States, where they've landed summer jobs in Long Island, when a slightly shady friend of one of the gang, Davin (Cillian Murphy), decides to tag along as a quick way out of a doomed romance. While the students all have jobs and working papers lined up, Davin is an illegal alien in the States. But he leads a charmed life, and manages to get by quite nicely, even finding an American sweetheart, a cab dispatcher named Aideen (Paloma Baeza). Robert (Barry Ward), meanwhile, gets more from his job than he expected when he serves as a houseboy for a well-to-do artist named Carolyn (Ingeborga Dapkunaite). The rest of the group works hard in the day and plays even harder at night, as they relish the opportunity to enjoy adult life far from the eyes of their families. Sunburn marked the feature debut for director Nelson Hume; it was produced by Jean Doumanian, who produced a number of films for Woody Allen and briefly produced the TV series Saturday Night Live.
Moskva|Alexander Zeldovich|This contemporary look at life in Russia's capital opens with hard-drinking night club owner Irina (Natalia Koliakanova) celebrating the engagement of her daughter Masha (Ingeborga Dapkunaite) to Mike (Alexander Baluev), a businessman gangster and ballet patron. Irina's youngest daughter Olga (Tatiana Drubich) sings atonal songs for the affluent customers of her mother's Western-style club, who are unaware of Olga's past hospitalization for mental problems. Irina busies herself with a psychotherapist (Viktor Gvozditsky), but also takes a fancy to Mike; when Masha catches her fiancé in a clinch with her mother, she merely shrugs it off and becomes besotted with Lev (Stanislav Pavlov), Mike's drug runner. Lev also becomes the object of Olga's affection and treats his admirer to a round of subway sex. Dysfunction, kinky couplings, and gangland-style revenge abound. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
Voina 2002|Aleksei Balabanov|Chechen guerilla leader Aslan (Georgi Gurgulia) holds captive two touring actors, John (Ian Kelly) and his fiancée, Margaret (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), along with an injured Russian Captain Medvedev (Sergei Bodrov Jr.) and his sergeant, Ivan (Alexei Chadov). Aslan sets John free to return to Britain and Ivan free to return to Russia; however, he informs John that he must raise ransom money or else Margaret will be gang-raped and killed. John tries frantically to raise the necessary funds, but can only get a fraction of what he needs; meanwhile, he agrees to document his life with a digital camera to make more money. He contacts Ivan for help and they cross the Caucasus and return to Chechnya with a mission to rescue Margaret and Captain Medvedev.
Shik Chic The Suit|Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov|Three young Russian friends amuse themselves in a small seaside town with a series of minor adventures, some of which involve a new suit.
White T|Lance Frank|Rapping twins Herbert (Jerod Mixon) and Henry (Jamal Mixon) get a shot at stardom when they purchase a prize-winning T-shirt that lands them a chance to perform alongside a hip-hop legend, but they find their dreams going up in flames when their nemesis Kevin (Robbie Kaller) steals the shirt as well as the spotlight. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Cavedweller|Lisa Cholodenko|Cavedweller is an adaptation of Dorothy Allison's novel of the same name. Anne Meredith, who also adapted Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina, wrote the script, and the film was directed by Lisa Cholodenko (Laurel Canyon). Kyra Sedgwick stars as Delia Byrd. As the film opens, Delia loses her wayward rock-star husband, Randall (Kevin Bacon in a bit part), to a car accident, and decides to take her angry, heartbroken young daughter, Cissy (Regan Arnold, who played the tormented little sister in Blue Car), from Los Angeles back to her hometown in rural Georgia, where Delia left her two daughters and her abusive husband, Clint (Aidan Quinn), many years ago, to join Randall on the road. "Those people are not gonna be happy to see you," warns Delia's friend, Rosemary (singer Jill Scott in her film debut), but Delia is determined to reclaim her daughters. Cissy irrationally blames Delia for Randall's death, making the drive to Georgia an unpleasant one. Upon arriving there, Delia finds that she is not remembered fondly. Her taciturn grandfather (Myron Natwick) reluctantly takes her and Cissy in, but Delia soon learns that Clint is dying, and that her daughters, Amanda (Vanessa Zima) and Dede (April Mullen), are living with Clint's fire-and-brimstone mother (Jackie Burroughs), who has no intention of letting the girls see her. Realizing he has wronged her, Clint agrees to help Delia get custody of the girls, in exchange for her caring for him until he dies. Cavedweller was shown at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival before premiering on Showtime.
Cider House Rules|Lasse Hallstrom|John Irving scripted this screen adaptation of his 1985 novel. Set during World War II, The Cider House Rules concerns Homer Wells (Tobey Maguire), an orphan who spent most of his childhood at the St. Cloud Orphanage in rural Maine, where he grew up under the strong but affectionate care of Dr. Wilbur Larch (Michael Caine). Larch has passed along his medical education to Homer, and the young man helps the doctor care for abandoned children and the newborn babies of unwed mothers; however, Homer refuses to assist Larch with the illegal abortions that he performs on the side; Homer has moral objections to abortion, while Larch believes in the rights of the individual and sees it as his duty to keep women in need away from dangerous incompetents. Wally Worthington (Paul Rudd), an air-force pilot, brings his girlfriend Candy (Charlize Theron) to St. Cloud for an abortion, and Homer decides to go with them when they leave, hoping to see the world; however, the three end up going no further than the state line, where Wally's mother (Kate Nelligan) runs an apple orchard and cider mill, and Candy's family traps lobsters. When Wally ships off to battle, Homer grows closer to Candy, and the two fall in love. But their idyllic life at the cider mill is interrupted when Rose Rose (Erykah Badu), a field worker at the orchard, becomes pregnant and her father, cider-house foreman Mr. Rose (Delroy Lindo), turns out to be the father of her unborn child. This news coupled with the death of Dr. Larch, forces Homer to take a long look at both his moral principles and his future. Rapper Heavy D appears in the supporting cast as Peaches. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Love And Basketball|Gina Prince-Bythewood|A young African-American couple navigates the tricky paths of romance and athletics in this drama. Quincy McCall (Omar Epps) and Monica Wright (Sanaa Lathan) grew up in the same neighborhood and have known each other since childhood. As they grow into adulthood, they fall in love, but they also share another all-consuming passion: basketball. They've followed the game all their lives and have no small amount of talent on the court. As Quincy and Monica struggle to make their relationship work, they follow separate career paths though high school and college basketball and, they hope, into stardom in big-league professional ball. Love and Basketball was the first feature film for writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood, who previously helmed several comedy specials for Dave Chappelle. Spike Lee co-produced. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Babe Pig In The City|George Miller|In this sequel to the Academy Award -winning hit, everyone's favorite hero, Babe, sets off on a journey that takes him to a far away storybook city where he encounters an incredible assortment of animal friends and learns how a kind and steady heart can heal a sorry world.
Three Colors White|Krzysztof Kieslowski|The second feature in filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski's "Three Colors" trilogy, the black comedy White features Zbigniew Zamachowski as Karol Karol, an expatriate Polish hairdresser whose French wife (the breathtaking Julie Delpy) divorces him after just six months of marriage because of his impotency. Penniless and devoid of his passport, Karol must journey back to Poland by hiding in a trunk. Upon his return, he slowly begins amassing a considerable fortune, ultimately hatching a perverse plot for revenge. Often unjustly dismissed as the weak link in the trilogy, White grows in strength upon repeated viewings. An allegory about equality, the film is mordantly witty, a cynical look at power, marriage and capitalism.
Shallow Grave|Danny Boyle|In this black British comedy, set in modern Scotland, three odd people finally find a new roommate and must figure out what to do with him after he turns up dead. Tension runs high between the trio, and the story takes many serpentine turns before its resolution.
Audrey Hepburn Story|Steven Robman|Jennifer Love Hewitt stars in this made-for-TV biography of screen legend Audrey Hepburn, following her from her troubled youth as she grows up in Europe during WWII to her success as one of Hollywood's most sophisticated leading ladies. The Audrey Hepburn Story also features re-creations of several of Hepburn's most memorable moments onscreen, including the production of Breakfast at Tiffany's. The supporting cast includes Keir Dullea and Frances Fisher as her parents, Gabriel Macht as William Holden, Eric McCormack as Mel Ferrer, and Michael J. Burg as Truman Capote.
Geek Charming|Jeffrey Hornaday|A snobbish high-school junior (Sarah Hyland) agrees to be the subject of a film geek's documentary in hopes it will help her to become even more popular, not realizing he (Matt Prokop) plans to make a hard-hitting movie about her social hierarchy.
Object Of My Affection|Nicholas Hytner|Nicholas Hytner (The Crucible) directed this Wendy Wasserstein screenplay, adapted from Stephen McCauley's novel, about the romantic mismatch of a gay man and a young pregnant woman. When literary agent Sidney Miller (Alan Alda) and his wife Constance (Allison Janney) have a dinner party, Constance's social-worker stepsister Nina Borowski (Jennifer Aniston) attends without her lawyer boyfriend Vince McBride (John Pankow). Also present are gay schoolteacher George Hanson (Paul Rudd) and his lover, Dr. Robert Joley (Tim Daly). George learns from Nina that he's being dumped by Robert, a scene ensues, and Nina then invites George to stay in the spare room of her Brooklyn apartment. Nina still has sex with boyfriend Vince, but during late-night talks, she begins to bond with her gay roommate. Nina and George take dance lessons at the local senior citizen's community center, and Gershwin's "You Were Meant for Me" sets the tone for romance as the two become soul mates. Unfortunately, shortly after their love blooms, Nina learns she's pregnant by Vince, who is no longer the object of her affections. Instead of telling the unwanted Vince right away, Nina asks George to join her in raising the child. George stays on, but in the months that follow, he also begins to see men again. Robert takes him along to a Connecticut conference where drama critic Rodney Fraser (Nigel Hawthorne) has Paul James (Amo Gulinello) in tow. George and Paul have an instant attraction, and this prompts everyone involved to reassess their emotional commitments. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Cougars Inc|K. Asher Levin|A group of college gigolos cater to the carnal desires of sex-starved cougars, and discover just how much fun college can be while raking in big money. Featuring Denise Richards and James Belushi.
Conception 2012|Josh Stolberg|Conception is a clever, romantic comedy that proves it takes more than sex to make a baby. From a couple fighting the odds of fertility to young teenagers losing their virginity, the film follows nine very different couples on the night they conceive, showing that sex can sometimes be more neurotic than erotic. -- (C) Tribeca
Blind Date|Stanley Tucci|A married couple deal with a crushing loss in a way that's both funny and deeply sad in this comedy-drama from director, screenwriter and star Stanley Tucci. Don (Tucci) and his wife Janna (Patricia Clarkson) meet every night in the same shabby nightclub where Don performs a humorously shambolic magic act. Don and Janna's relationship has been on the verge of collapse since the death of their daughter, and they're trying to reconnect with each other through role playing, so each evening they pretend they're meeting for the first time on a blind date after discovering one another through personal ads. Sometimes they assume characters that are openly confrontational, while other times they try to bring a sweetness and intimacy back into their lives, but more often than not their struggle to reclaim the love they knew ends in confusion and frustration. Blind Date was adapted by Tucci and screenwriter David Schechter from Theo Van Gogh's 1996 film of the same name; it was the second in a series of remakes of Van Gogh's films (following Steve Buscemi's Interview) created in response to Van Gogh's assassination by political extremists in 2004.
Annie|Rob Marshall|This made-for-TV adaptation of the hit Broadway musical (which was, in turn, based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray) stars Alicia Morton as Annie, who lives in an orphanage run by the ill-tempered Miss Hannigan (Kathy Bates). Like the rest of the children, Annie doesn't like the orphanage and hates Miss Hannigan, so she's excited when famous and eccentric billionaire Daddy Warbucks (Victor Garber) picks Annie as the lucky orphan who gets to spend Christmas at his mansion. Warbucks is charmed by Annie's spunk and good spirits and is eager to adopt her, but Annie is convinced that one day her real parents will come back to claim her. Eager to make her happy, Warbucks offers a sizable cash reward to whomever can find Annie's mother and father; Miss Hannigan, seeing the possibility of an easy payday, concocts a scheme by which her brother Rooster (Alan Cumming) and his floozy girlfriend Lily (Kristin Chenoweth) will pose as Annie's long-lost folks. Andrea McArdle, who originated the role of Annie on Broadway, has a supporting role as the Star-to-Be. The musical was previously filmed in 1982, with John Huston in the director's chair.
Military Intelligence And You|Dale Kutzera|A hapless team of military-intelligence personnel attempts to determine the location of a secret German fighter-plane base in director Dale Kutzera's pointed satire of kitschy training films and preemptive warfare. Authentic footage of World War II training films combines with a newly filmed plot concerning a military analyst, a hawkish major, and a figurehead general attempting to determine the location of a purported German Ghost Squadron base. The result is a film that knowingly parodies timeless military clichés while simultaneously skewering the Bush administration's frightening penchant for to rushing into war without proper cause. Patrick Muldoon, Elizabeth Bennett, and Mackenzie Astin star.
Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden|Morgan Spurlock|With no military experience, knowledge or expertise, filmmaker Morgan Spurlock sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the world's most wanted man. Why take on such a seemingly impossible mission? Simple--he wants to make the world safe for his soon to be born child. But, before he finds Osama bin Laden, he first needs to learn where he came from, what makes him tick, and most importantly, what exactly created bin Laden to begin with. Following bin Laden's trail through some of the most dangerous places in the world, Spurlock encounters both the rational and the radical faces of the Middle East. He interviews many people who embrace him on the streets and welcome him into their homes, often gaining impressions that sharply contrast with the conventional media images of the region. Spurlock finds they're not that different from American families, sharing the same hopes and fears for their children that he has for his own.
Cold Feet|Bruce Van Dusen|When each is unlucky at love, a screenwriter (Griffin Dunne) and a scientist (Marissa Chibas) begin seeing each other. The relationship gradually gels, and they both find the love for which they've been searching.
School For Unclaimed Girls|Robert Hartford-Davis|Nicki (Madeline Hinde) is a troubled teenage girl who feels guilty about her father's death. Her mother Anne (Renee Asherson) is a lonely woman who falls for opportunistic loafer Harry (Patrick Mower). When Harry tries to rape Nicki, she stabs him with a pair of scissors. Nicki is sent to a home for wayward girls where she becomes even more withdrawn. She is seduced by a lesbian and the two manage to escape the facility. They take temporary refuge with an old boyfriend and remain wanted criminals in this routine melodrama. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
Our Lips Are Sealed|Craig Shapiro|In this comic adventure story, Maddy (Mary-Kate Olsen) and Abby (Ashley Olsen) are twin sisters (sounds reasonable) who accidentally witness a felony and soon find they're being chased by hoodlums who want to make sure they keep quiet about what they've seen. Hoping to keep the girls under wraps so they can testify against the crooks, Maddy and Abby are placed into the FBI Witness Protection Program; however, the girls have a tragic inability to keep a secret, and before long the FBI decides the best approach is to simply ship the twins out of the country until they can testify. Maddy and Abby are sent to sunny Sydney, Australia, where they find sun, fun, and danger when the gangsters discover them down under. Our Lips Are Sealed was released direct-to-video on November 21, 2000.
Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday The 13Th|John Blanchard|Several of the biggest teen horror hits of the 1990s get slashed in this satiric comedy. Hagitha Utslay (Tiffani Amber Thiessen) is a television reporter with Empty-V News who is covering a series of murders that have the students of Bulimia Falls High School quaking in their boots. The school's principal (Coolio) knows something must be done and decides to hire a top security force to protect the student body; unfortunately, he has to settle for Doughy (Tom Arnold), an inept rent-a-cop who recently lost his job patrolling a shopping mall. Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the 13th also features Shirley Jones, Simon Rex, Majandra Delfino, and Jimmie Walker; the film was directed by John Blanchard, who previously helmed episodes of the television series The Kids in the Hall and SCTV.
Tranced|David M. Evans|Tranced will allow audience members to truly experience the movie in a whole new way. Tranced will hypnotize willing audience members to participate with the movie in a way no other movie going experience ever has. When the characters on the screen get hot or cold, so does the audience. When they ride a roller coaster, audience members will feel as though they too are riding the same ride. The story follows single-mom Annie Bodie and her quest to find out that life really has great things to offer her other than a dead-end job where she hates her boss, pointless personal relationships, and the stress and anxieties of everyday life. It is at this crucial junction in her life where she meets billionaire philanthropist Sterling Wynns, who takes her on a mental, physical, and emotional ride unlike anything she has ever experienced. It is on this journey that she realizes that happiness is truly more attainable than she ever realized and she truly can get what she wants out of life.
Easter Mysteries|Daniel Goldstein|Fathom Events and SimonSays Entertainment invite you to experience the Passion of Jesus as you have never seen it when the new and original musical, Easter Mysteries, comes to select cinemas nationwide for an incredible one-night cinema event on Tuesday, March 22. Easter Mysteries is an original, musical theater depiction that journeys into the passion of Christ's death and resurrection through the lens of his disciples and followers and is the first Passion Play ever told from Peter's perspective. This unique portrayal of iconic biblical characters by an interracial cast offers an innovative and effective reimagining of the Easter story for modern audiences.
Tempelriddernes Skat The Lost Treasure Of The Knights Templar|Kasper Barfoed|What starts off as a holiday game soon turns into a nightmare for three children spending their summer break on a small Baltic island. They set out to solve the mystery of the Knights Templar, a secret order created in the 12th Century and rumored to have found the ark of the covenant. Before long they stumble across the existence of the Black Brotherhood, a sinister counter organization who will stop at nothing to get their hands on this treasure, even it means killing the local vicar and anyone else who stands in their way.
Lust For A Vampire|Jimmy Sangster|In this sequel to The Vampire Lovers, a bloodsucker enrolls at a British finishing school and finds more than enough nubile bodies to keep her satisfied.
Brief Encounter|Alan Bridges|In this TV remake of the 1945 British film, a bored married woman embarks upon a brief romantic fling with an equally married man. Throughout their relationship, the two are plagued by guilt; ultimately, they sacrifice their potential happiness in favor of "the right thing."
Wide Boy|Ken Hughes|In this crime drama, a small-time thief steals so he can provide his material girl with the luxuries she craves. One day he steals a wallet and ends up involved in a blackmail scam. This results in his death. His girl friend begins investigating to find out why and ends up bringing the killer to justice. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Fiend|Robert Hartford-Davis|An emotionally disturbed cult member loses grip on his sanity and sets off on a killing spree. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
Margot At The Wedding|Noah Baumbach|Margot Zeller, a savagely bright, razor-tongued short-story writer who creates chaos wherever she goes, sets off on a surprise journey to the wedding of her estranged and free-spirited, unassuming sister Pauline. Margot, with her all-too-rapidly maturing son Claude in tow, arrives with the gale force of a hurricane. From the minute she meets Pauline's fiancé--the unemployed artist Malcolm--Margot starts to plant seeds of doubt about the union. As the wedding approaches, one complication crashes into the next: vengeful neighbors, a beloved tree in the backyard and Margot's own marital turmoil. The two sisters, find themselves at the precipice of an unexpected transformation ultimately revealing that even when your family is about to implode, the one thing you can cling to for solace and comfort is your imploding family.
Into The Wild|Sean Penn|Freshly graduated from college with a promising future ahead, 22 year-old Christopher McCandless instead walked out of his privileged life and into the wild in search of adventure. What happened to him on the way transformed this young wanderer into an enduring symbol for countless people. Was Christopher McCandless a heroic adventurer or a naïve idealist, a rebellious 1990s Thoreau or another lost American son, a fearless risk-taker or a tragic figure who wrestled with the precarious balance between man and nature? McCandless' quest took him from the wheat fields of South Dakota to a renegade trip down the Colorado River to the non-conformists' refuge of Slab City, California, and beyond. Along the way, he encountered a series of colorful characters at the very edges of American society who shaped his understanding of life and whose lives he, in turn, changed. In the end, he tested himself by heading alone into the wilds of the great North, where everything he had seen and learned and felt came to a head in ways he never could have expected.
Broken|Alan White|A waitress looking to make good on a series of bad life choices finds her noble quest for redemption stifled when a deeply disturbed ex-boyfriend comes looking to win her back in this dark psychological drama from director Alan White. Hope (Heather Graham) has traveled quite a few darkened roadways in her relatively brief existence, but now the time has come to leave her past behind and realize her dreams of becoming an entertainer. Soon after moving to the big city, Hope makes the acquaintance of Will (Jeremy Sisto). When the pair subsequently gets involved with drugs, Hope realizes that in order to truly get her life together she must jettison her enabler once and for all, so she cuts off all ties to Will. Unfortunately for Hope, Will is determined to take deadly measures to ensure that he and his true love always remain together -- whether in the comforting light of life or the cold embrace of death.
Teenage Ghost Punk|Mike Cramer|When a high school cheerleader, her genius little brother and divorced mom move to a creaky old house outside Chicago, strange things occur when her family's new home is haunted by the ghost of a punk rocker.
Space Chimps|Kirk De Micco|When a $5 billion Space Agency probe disappears into an intergalactic wormhole, the agency recruits Ham III, grandson of the first chimpanzee in space, to help retrieve the wayward craft. But Ham is a free-spirited circus performer more interested in zero gravity high jinks than living up to his illustrious heritage. The simian slacker becomes a reluctant hero and learns the true meaning of courage as he and his crewmates, the plucky Lieutenant Luna and their by-the-book commander, Titan, risk everything in an effort to save the peaceful inhabitants of a distant planet from an evil dictator.
Bolshe Vita|Ibolya Fekete|Set in Central Europe following the 1989 fall of Communism, this German-Hungarian ensemble piece centers on the reactions and attempts to get by in a brand new environment. Yura and Vadim are Russian musicians trying to get to Belgrade for a performance. Impoverished Sergei, is trying to get there too. He sells knives to earn the needed money. British Maggie and American Susan have drifted to Hungary in search of excitement. All five characters accidentally collide in the Bolshe Vita bar in Budapest. While Sergei continues selling his cutlery in the open-air market, Yura and Maggie begin an affair as do Susan and Vadim. Much of the story chronicles the short-lived euphoria that followed the demise of oppression, but unfortunately, the people's happiness abruptly ended when the realities of life without constant government intervention set in. So it goes for the characters as each begins drifting towards their disparate destinies. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Summer Story|Piers Haggard|Set in rural England at the turn-of-the-century, this romantic drama follows the love affair between a farm girl and a London attorney. The trouble comes from the great difference in their social class.
Witness In The War Zone|Nathaniel Gutman|Tumultuous Beirut provides the setting for this political drama that centers on a world-weary, lazy American reporter who has been reluctantly assigned to cover the latest war between the PLO and the Christian Phalangists. He could care less about the conflict and sends in stories stolen from other hard-working journalists until he begins getting more involved and interested after he humiliates himself by interviewing a bogus PLO leader.
Helen Of Troy|Robert Wise|This epic chronicles the story of the beautiful woman whose love affair was the catalyst to the Trojan War.
Big Heat|Fritz Lang|Police Sergeant Bannion is investigating the apparent suicide of a corrupt cop, then is suddenly ordered to stop the investigation. Driven to unravel the mystery, Bannion continues probing until an explosion meant for him kills his wife. He resigns from the force and soon learns that behind it all is a powerful underworld organisation led by Mike Lagana and his cold-blooded henchman, Vince Stone.
Rebel Without A Cause|Nicholas Ray|This landmark juvenile-delinquent drama scrupulously follows the classic theatrical disciplines, telling all within a 24-hour period. Teenager Jimmy Stark (James Dean) can't help but get into trouble, a problem that has forced his appearance-conscious parents (Jim Backus and Ann Doran) to move from one town to another. The film's tormented central characters are all introduced during a single night-court session, presided over by well-meaning social worker Ray (Edward Platt). Jimmy, arrested on a drunk-and-disorderly charge, screams "You're tearing me apart!" as his blind-sided parents bicker with one another over how best to handle the situation. Judy (Natalie Wood) is basically a good kid but behaves wildly out of frustration over her inability to communicate with her deliberately distant father (William Hopper). (The incestuous subtext of this relationship is discreetly handled, but the audience knows what's going on in the minds of Judy and her dad at all times.) And Plato (Sal Mineo), who is so sensitive that he threatens to break apart like porcelain, has taken to killing puppies as a desperate bid for attention from his wealthy, always absent parents. The next morning, Jimmy tries to start clean at a new high school, only to run afoul of local gang leader Buzz (Corey Allen), who happens to be Judy's boyfriend. Anxious to fit in, Jimmy agrees to settle his differences with a nocturnal "Chickie Run": he and Buzz are to hop into separate stolen cars, then race toward the edge of a cliff; whoever jumps out of the car first is the "chickie." When asked if he's done this sort of thing before, Jimmy lies, "That's all I ever do." This wins him the undying devotion of fellow misfit Plato. At the appointed hour, the Chickie Run takes place, inaugurated by a wave of the arms from Judy. The cars roar toward the cliff; Jimmy is able to jump clear, but Buzz, trapped in the driver's set when his coat gets caught on the door handle, plummets to his death. In the convoluted logic of Buzz' gang, Jimmy is held responsible for the boy's death. For the rest of the evening, he is mercilessly tormented by Buzz' pals, even at his own doorstep. After unsuccessfully trying to sort things out with his weak-willed father, Jimmy runs off into the night. He links up with fellow "lost souls" Judy and Plato, hiding out in an abandoned palatial home and enacting the roles of father, mother, and son. For the first time, these three have found kindred spirits -- but the adults and kids who have made their lives miserable haven't given up yet, leading to tragedy. Out of the bleakness of the finale comes a ray of hope that, at last, Jimmy will be truly understood. Rebel Without a Cause began as a case history, written in 1944 by Dr. Robert Lindner. Originally intended as a vehicle for Marlon Brando, the property was shelved until Brando's The Wild One (1953) opened floodgates for films about crazy mixed-up teens. Director Nicholas Ray, then working on a similar project, was brought in to helm the film version. His star was James Dean, fresh from Warners' East of Eden. Ray's low budget dictated that the new film be lensed in black-and-white, but when East of Eden really took off at the box office, the existing footage was scrapped and reshot in color. This was great, so far as Ray was concerned, inasmuch as he had a predilection for symbolic color schemes. James Dean's hot red jacket, for example, indicated rebellion, while his very blue blue jeans created a near luminescent effect (Ray had previously used the same vivid color combination on Joan Crawford in Johnny Guitar). As part of an overall bid for authenticity, real-life gang member Frank Mazzola was hired as technical advisor for the fight scenes. To extract as natural a performance as possible from Dean, Ray redesigned the Stark family's living room set to resemble Ray's own home, where Dean did most of his rehearsing. Speaking of interior sets, the mansion where the three troubled teens hide out had previously been seen as the home of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Of the reams of on-set trivia concerning Rebel, one of the more amusing tidbits involves Dean's quickie in-joke impression of cartoon character Mr. Magoo -- whose voice was, of course, supplied by Jim Backus, who played Jimmy's father. Viewing the rushes of this improvisation, a clueless Warner Bros. executive took Dean to task, saying in effect that if he must imitate an animated character, why not Warners' own Bugs Bunny? Released right after James Dean's untimely death, Rebel Without a Cause netted an enormous profit. The film almost seems like a eulogy when seen today, since so many of its cast members -- James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Nick Adams -- died young. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Fat Albert|Joel Zwick|Bill Cosby's gang of childhood pals evolve from standup comedy to an animated cartoon series to real life in this family-friendly comedy. Doris (Kyla Pratt) is a teenager who doesn't fit in with most of her classmates at school, has been depressed since the death of her grandfather, and is disturbed by her foster sister's willingness to remake herself in order to be popular. One of Doris' few solaces comes from watching reruns of the animated television series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and one day while watching the show she starts to cry, with a tear dropping into her remote. The tear draws big-hearted (and just plain big) Fat Albert (Kenan Thompson) from the animated universe into Doris' real world in hopes of cheering her up and helping her deal with her problems. As Fat Albert and his pals -- Rudy (Shedrack Anderson III), Bucky (Alphonso McAuley), Mushmouth (Jermaine Williams), Weird Harold (Aaron A. Frazier), Dumb Donald (Marques B. Houston), and Bill (Keith D. Robinson) -- adapt to the three-dimensional world and try to teach Doris to believe in herself, they learn that traveling back to the animated world is harder than they thought, which becomes alarming when they start to fade away. The real world also poses some new dilemmas for Fat Albert when he falls in love with Doris' foster sister, Lauri (Dania Ramirez). Bill Cosby co-authored the screenplay for Fat Albert, using his full name, William H. Cosby Jr., and collaborating with Charles Kipps; the project was begun with Forest Whitaker as director, who left midway through shooting, with Joel Zwick taking over in his place.
True Story 2014|Rupert Goold|When disgraced New York Times reporter Michael Finkel (Jonah Hill) meets accused killer Christian Longo (James Franco) - who has taken on Finkel's identity - his investigation morphs into an unforgettable game of cat-and-mouse. Based on actual events, Finkel's relentless pursuit of Longo's true story encompasses murder, love, deceit and redemption. (C) Fox
Eastern Boys 2013|Robin Campillo|Arriving from all over the Eastern Bloc, the men who loiter around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris are scraping by however they can, forming gangs for support and protection, ever fearful of being caught by the police and deported. When the middle-aged, bourgeois Daniel played by Olivier Rabourdi approaches a boyishly handsome Ukrainian who calls himself Marek for a date, he learns the young man is willing to do anything for some cash. What Daniel intends only as sex-for-hire begets a home invasion and then an unexpectedly profound relationship. The drastically different circumstances of the two men's lives reveal hidden facets of the city they share. Presented in four parts, this absorbing, erotically charged drama from writer-director Robin Campillo is centered around anonymous liaisons, in which motivation, risk, and desire produce volatile and unexpected consequences.(C) First Run Features
Cesars Last Fast 2010|Richard Ray Perez|Cesar's Last Fast is a multi-platform feature documentary film about the private sacrifice and spiritual conviction behind Cesar Chavez's struggle for the humane treatment of America's farm workers, and the impact Chavez's legacy has on today's generation of organizers fighting for farm worker rights. The film is built around powerful, never-before-seen footage of Chavez's 1988 "Fast for Life," a 36-day act of penance for not having done enough to stop growers from spraying pesticides on farm workers. The story of this water-only fast is the film's dramatic arc into which the filmmakers interweave the historic events that defined the life mission of America's most inspiring Latino leader and the struggles confronting today's farm workers. (C) Official site
My Week With Marilyn|Simon Curtis|In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a lowly assistant on the set of 'The Prince and the Showgirl'. The film that famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe (Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his diary account The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn - this is the story of that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood hangers-on and the pressures of work. -- (C) Weinstein
Simpsons Movie|David Silverman|Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he himself created. It all begins with Homer, his new pet pig and a leaky silo full of droppings--a combination that triggers a disaster the likes of which Springfield has never experienced. As Marge is outraged by Homer's monumental blunder, a vengeful mob descends on the Simpson household. The family makes a narrow escape but is soon divided by both location and conflict. The Springfield citizenry has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The calamity triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ Cargill. "You know sir," Cargill tells the president, "when you made me head of the EPA, you were applauded for appointing one of the most successful men in America to the least successful agency in government. And, why did I take the job? Because I'm a rich man who wanted to give something back. Not the money, but something." That "something" is a devil's plan to contain the disaster. As the fates of Springfield and the world hang in the balance, Homer embarks on a personal odyssey of redemption--seeking forgiveness from Marge, the reunion of his splintered family and the salvation of his hometown.
In The Shadow Of The Moon|David Sington|Between 1968 and 1972, nine American spacecraft voyaged to the Moon, and 12 men walked upon its surface. They remain the only human beings to have stood on another world. "In the Shadow of the Moon" brings together for the first, and possibly the last, time surviving crew members from every single Apollo mission that flew to the Moon, and allows them to tell their story in their own words. This first-hand testimony is interwoven with visually stunning archival material which has been re-mastered from the original NASA film footage--much of it never used before. The result is an intimate epic that vividly communicates the daring, the danger, the pride, and the promise of this extraordinary era in history when the whole world literally looked up at America.
Drive A Crooked Road|Richard Quine|In this film noir, a melancholy mechanic and race-car driver is coerced into assisting two bank robbers pull a bank heist. They lure him in with one of the robber's beautiful girlfriends, and he helps them with the job. The thieves reward him but make plans to dispose of him.
Mister 880|Edmund Goulding|Based on a true story, Mister 880 is the whimsical tale of an elderly gentleman (Edmund Gwenn) who dabbles in counterfeiting. He makes only enough "funny money" to support himself, but the fact that his work is so amateurish (he can't even spell "Washington") arouses the indignation of the treasury department. Burt Lancaster, the hard-nosed treasury agent put on the case, is determined to prosecute the miscreant to the full extent of the law. In tracking down a lead, Lancaster falls in love with Dorothy McGuire, a recipient of one of the phony bills. Lancaster discovers that McGuire lives in the same building as Gwenn, and after piecing together the clues arrests the old fellow. Softened by Gwenn's naivete, Lancaster and Ms. McGuire arrange for a compassionate lawyer to lessen what would otherwise be a stiff prison sentence. Mister 880 was to have starred Walter Huston as the ingenuous counterfeiter, but Huston died just before filming started.
Ma And Pa Kettle At Home|Charles Lamont|This sixth in the Ma and Pa Kettle series stars Marjorie Main as Ma and Percy Kilbride as Pa. After a whirlwind international tour, the contest-winning rustics and their fifteen children return to their farm. The eldest Kettle son has a chance of winning a scholarship to a prestigious university.
Phffft|Mark Robson|After several years of domestic squabbles, the marriage of Nina and Robert Tracy (Judy Holliday, Jack Lemmon) goes "phffft"! Upon receiving their divorce papers, Nina and Robert are certain that they'll remain friends, no matter how many new lovers they pick up along the way. Nina dallies briefly with bombastic Charlie Newton (Jack Carson), while Robert has a fling with the luscious Janis (Kim Novak). These romantic episodes only serve to make Nina and Robert realize how much they're still in love with each other. According to costar Jack Lemmon, the original title of this film was Phfffft!, but after an all-night bull session at Columbia Pictures it was decided to take out one of the "F"s. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Ill Sell My Life|Elmer Clifton|When a young man is in trouble, his sister puts herself in danger to save him. ~ Rovi
Father Was A Fullback|John M. Stahl|First came 20th Century-Fox's Mother Was a Freshman; then, a few months later, the same studio's Father Was a Fullback. Fred MacMurray stars as college football coach George Cooper, whose team can't win a game to save its life. George finds some comfort in the arms of his wife Elizabeth (Maureen O'Hara), but his young daughters Connie (Betty Lynn) and Ellen (Natalie Wood) are too concerned with boys to pay their dad any attention. Connie causes no end of trouble for George by printing a highly imaginative article about her various romances. On the verge of losing his job, George is saved by the arrival of football champ Joe Burch (Richard Tyler). Rudy Vallee virtually repeats his stuffy-suitor characterization from Mother is a Freshman in Father Was a Fullback.
Reckless Moment|Max Ophüls|Living in upper-middle-class luxury, Joan Bennett discovers that her daughter has been seeing an unscrupulous older man. The man attempts to blackmail Bennett with the packet of letters written by her daughter. When a struggle with the man results in his accidental death, things get even more complicated.
Juggernaut|Richard Lester|Director Richard Lester proves to be as skillful with edge-of-seat suspense as he is at slapstick farce in Juggernaut. Richard Harris and David Hemmings star as a pair of demolition experts, dispatched on a highly dangerous and delicate mission. A extortionist has planted a number of bombs on a seaborne ocean liner, carrying 1200 passengers and captained by Omar Sharif. Knowing full well that the ship is too far out to sea for a conventional rescue, the extortionist demands a huge ransom or he'll detonate his explosives by remote control. It's up to Harris and Hemmings to track down all the bombs before time runs out. Part of the fun in Juggernaut is trying to guess who the extortionist really is: likely suspects include Anthony Hopkins, Clifton James, Freddie Jones, and even Lester regular Roy Kinnear (hilarious as the ship's social director).
Young Fugitives|John Rawlins|In this film, Civil War veterans Harry Davenport and Clem Bevans save a nest egg of $50,000. When Bevans dies, Davenport sets out to find Bevans' son and heir Robert Wilcox. The younger man proves to be a wastrel and cheat, but Davenport decides to reform him.
Public Cowboy 1|Joseph Kane|In this 20th-century western, hero Gene Autry uses his old-fashioned horse and six-shooter to foil the plans of cattle rustlers, who ply their trade via airplanes, refrigerated trucks, and shortwave radios.
Gunsmoke Ranch|Joseph Kane|One of the timelier Three Mesquiteers westerns, Gunsmoke Ranch was inspired by the Ohio and Mississippi river floodings of 1937. As usual, the Mesquiteers are Stony Brooke (Robert Livingston), Tucson Smith (Ray "Crash" Corrigan) and Lullaby Joslin (Max Terhune). After rescuing young Marion (Julia Thayer) from the rising flood waters, our three heroes take on a no-good varmint (Kenneth Harlan) who is capitalizing on the disaster by buying up land dirt cheap. Comedy relief is provided by cornpone vaudevillians Oscar and Elmer, who are about as funny as an eviction notice. Actual newsreel footage of the previous years' floods adds a veneer of credibility to Gunsmoke Ranch.
Man Of No Importance|Suri Krishnamma|A middle-aged Irish bus conductor with a passion for the writings of Oscar Wilde causes controversy when he attempts to stage Wilde's Salome in this period drama set in early 1960s Dublin. Alfie Byrne (Albert Finney) is a well-liked local figure, a life-long bachelor who charms his bus passengers with dramatic recitations of Wilde's poetry. One day, he spots a beautiful young woman named Adele (Tara Fitzgerald) who inspires him to attempt to stage Salome with her as the title character. Wilde's play inspires outrage amongst the more conservative members of the community, who attempt to shut Alfie down. Rather than giving in, however, Alfie chooses to be true to himself, a decision that forces him to face his true self, particularly his feelings towards his young, handsome co-worker Robbie Fay (Rufus Sewell). ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
Two Deaths|Nicolas Roeg|Physician Daniel attempts to hold his annual dinner party, but only three friends show up due to the war-torn conditions of 1989 Romania. Daniel tells his guests about his former relationship with a once-beautiful house-servant. The dinner-time discoveries are subtly compared to communist dictator Ceausescu's moral and political downfall.
House Of The Rising Sun|Greg Gold|Set in the 1930s, this murder mystery stars Jamie Barrett as a cub reporter who poses as a hooker to get the dirt on a shady pimp (Frank Annese).
Robe|Henry Koster|Historically important as the first CinemaScope feature film, 20th Century-Fox's The Robe is fine dramatic entertainment in its own right. Based on the best-selling novel by Lloyd C. Douglas, the film stars Richard Burton as the wastrelly Roman tribune who is assigned by a weary Pontius Pilate (Richard Boone, who spends the whole of his single scene washing his hands) to supervise the crucifixion of Christ. After the Seven Last Words, the jaded Burton wins Christ's robe in a dice game. Gradually, the mystical influence of the holy garment transforms Burton from a roistering cynic into a True Believer--at the cost of his own life, which he willingly gives up in the service of his Lord. Also starring in The Robe are Jean Simmons as Burton's pious childhood sweetheart, Victor Mature as his Christian-convert slave Demetrius (an excellent performance--in fact, Mature is more believable than Burton!), Michael Rennie as the disciple Peter, and Jay Robinson as the raving Emperor Caligula. Mature, Rennie and Robinson would appear in the 1954 sequel to The Robe, the hurriedly assembled Demetrius and the Gladiators. Watch and listen for the unbilled contributions of Michael Ansara as Judas and Cameron Mitchell as the voice of Jesus. The film won three Academy Awards, and a special Oscar bestowed upon Fox for the development of CinemaScope. For many years, the TV prints of the Robe were struck from the "flat," standard-ratio version shot simultaneously with the widescreen version. Only recently has the CinemaScope The Robe been made available to cable TV (shown in "letterbox" format to allow home viewers the full picture). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Flaming Star|Don Siegel|Tensely directed by Don Siegel, Flaming Star is the grittiest of Elvis Presley's post-Army films. Elvis plays Pacer Burton, a half-breed youth in the old West, torn between loyalty to the whites, as represented by his father (John McIntyre), and the Indians, represented by his mother (Dolores Del Rio). A series of brutal Kiowa raids, and the subsequent reprisals by the white settlers, sorely test Pacer's fortitude. Though offered moral support from his loved ones, Pacer is forced to work things out himself. The film was based on a novel by Clair Huffaker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Perfect Strangers|Bretaigne Windust|In this romantic comedy, two jurors fall in love during a trial, but split up when it is over as one is a divorcee, and the other is married.
Badlanders|Delmer Daves|Alan Ladd stars in The Badlanders as Peter Van Hook, the mastermind of a gold robbery. The victim-to-be is Cyril Lounsberry (Kent Smith), whose perjured testimony had sent the innocent Van Hook and John McBain (Ernest Borgnine) to prison. Van Hook and McBain conspire with "sporting woman" Anita (Katy Jurado) to rob Lounsberry of his ill-gotten gains; meanwhile Lounsberry is planning to ditch his wife and run off with his mistress, Ada Winton (Claire Kelly). Aligning with dynamite expert Vincente (Nehemiah Persoff), Van Hook and his companions pull off the heist, only to be arrested at Lounsberry's command. McBain exacts final vengeance on Lounsberry, allowing Van Hook to escape with Ada. If you look closely, you'll discover that The Badlanders is a sagebrush remake of The Asphalt Jungle (1950), a fact confirmed by the onscreen credits.
John Paul Jones|John Farrow|This expansive spectacle chronicles the adventures and life of the title 18th century naval hero who played a key role in the Revolutionary War. Ironically, at the time, his contributions were not always appreciated by the beleaguered new US government. After the war, the Congress shows their displeasure with Jones' constant badgering about maintaining a powerful navy by sending him to Russia to assist Catherine the Great (Bette Davis in a brief but arresting cameo). The courageous Jones (Robert Stack) does his best and saves the Queen in a series of battles on the Black Sea. Jones then returns to his home in France to meet his final destiny. Look for a very young Mia Farrow, daughter of the director John Farrow, in her feature film debut.
Looking Glass War|Frank Pierson|In this Cold War espionage-thriller, adapted from the novel of John Le Carre, two veteran British intelligence operatives, Leclerc (Ralph Richardson) and Haldane (Paul Rogers), recruit a young Polish defector (Christopher Jones) to check on some missiles in East Germany. Avery (Anthony Hopkins) is the British agent assigned to help him to cross the East German border. Once behind the Iron Curtain, the recruit meets a sympathetic German girl (Pia Degermark) who tries to help him to evade the East German secret police and to complete his assignment. ~ Yuri German, Rovi
Northstar|Peter Levin|In this sci-fi film an astronaut finds himself endowed with superhuman powers after he was exposed to severe radiation resulting from a solar disturbance during the time he was in space. He uses those powers to find the one who murdered his colleague.
Covergirl|Jean-Claude Lord|An electronics tycoon takes a shine to a beautiful aspiring model and decides to turn her into a superstar in this melodrama that was funded by the Canadian Film Development Corporation. First he buys the modeling agency where she works and then sets about towards turning her into the "The Dreamworld Girl." Along the way the young girl becomes disillusioned by the lurid assortment of sleazy characters she encounters. The tycoon too, must deal with a ruthless partner who wants to dethrone him. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
Comanche Territory|George Sherman|In this western, Jim Bowie, famous for his knives, goes West and befriends the Indians. He then tries to protect them from the evils of white civilization.
Star Spangled Rhythm|George Marshall|Star-Spangled Rhythm is a typical wartime all-star musical-comedy melange, this time from Paramount Pictures. The slender plot involves the efforts by humble studio doorman Pop Webster (Victor Moore) to pass himself off as a big-shot Paramount executive for the benefit of his sailor son Jimmy (Eddie Bracken). The overall level of humor can be summed up by the scene in which Webster is advised that the best way to pretend to be a studio big-shot is to say "It stinks!" to everything -- whereupon Cecil B. DeMille shows up to ask Webster's opinion about his current production. Betty Hutton, cast as studio switchboard operator and co-conspirator Polly Judson, is at her most rambunctiously appealing here. The huge lineup of guest performers includes Bing Crosby (and his 8-year-old son Gary!), Bob Hope, Veronica Lake, Dorothy Lamour, Dick Powell, Mary Martin, Alan Ladd, Fred MacMurray, William Bendix, Paulette Goddard, and Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, most (but not all) of them going through their characteristic paces. Highlights include a surrealistic rendition of That Old Black Magic with Johnnie Johnston and Vera Zorina; a frantic staging of the old George S. Kaufman sketch "If Men Played Cards as Women Do" with MacMurray, Ray Milland, Franchot Tone, and Lynn Overman; and The Sweater, the Sarong and the Peekaboo Bang, first performed by Goddard, Lamour and Lake, then lampooned in drag by Arthur Treacher, Sterling Holloway and Walter Catlett! PS: The actor playing Rochester's chauffeur in the Smart as a Tack number is John Ford "regular" Woody Strode. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Variety Girl|George Marshall|This story of two young hopefuls who come to Hollywood is merely a thin device to feature almost every star working for Paramount Studios in 1947. Mary Hatcher plays Catherine Brown, a woman of humble origins who arrives in Hollywood, where she meets another wanna-be movie star, Amber La Vonne (Olga San Juan). They work their way through the Paramount studios, trying to impress every important person. Mostly, the film is a cavalcade of songs by various stars that take place at several studio and Hollywood locations, including the famous Brown Derby restaurant. Many of the film's songs were written by Frank Loesser. Dorothy Lamour and Alan Ladd sing "Tallahassee"; Bing Crosby and Bob Hope play golf and sing a duet, "Harmony"; the Original Dixieland Jazz Band plays "Tiger Rag"; and a host of other top performers of the era appear in brief cameos. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
Maria Chapdelaine|Julien Duvivier|Also known as The Naked Heart, Maria Chapdelaine beautifully supports and sustains French filmmaker Julien Duvivier's gift for "poetic realism." At base, this is a simple 19th century romantic triangle. Canadian lass Madeline Renaud is adored with equal fervor by aristocratic Jean-Pierre Aumont and by crude lumberjack Jean Gabin. Her indecision paves the way for tragedy. Yes, Maria Chapdelaine is a bit old-fashioned in technique and story material, but that fact never stopped Duvivier from turning out a film of genuine merit. Though the 1984 remake, directed by Gilles Carle, is superior to Duvivier's, the earlier film shouldn't be ignored. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Dear Diary 1994|Nanni Moretti|Writer/director/actor Nanni Moretti offers a three-part film diary which takes a sharply satiric look at Italian life. ~ Nicole Gagne, Rovi
Take A Letter Darling|Mitchell Leisen|Take a Letter, Darling is from the "boss lady" school of 1940s comedies. Fred MacMurray is Darling (that's his last name), an unsuccessful artist who advertises for a position as male secretary. He is hired by female advertising executive Rosalind Russell, who is all business--during business hours. MacMurray learns that his job description includes escorting Ms. Russell and her clients to social gatherings. This goes on and on until Rosalind begins softening her steely exterior and MacMurray asserts his male prerogative (this of course was 1942, when gender stereotypes weren't subject to the ACLU). The film's best moments belong to Robert Benchley as Russell's ad agency partner, who'd rather play cards than tend to business. Though Rosalind Russell seems to be typecast in Take a Letter, Darling she was actually second choice for her role; it had been slated for Claudette Colbert, but Colbert became unavailable when she took over for the recently deceased Carole Lombard in The Palm Beach Story (42). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Honest|Dave Stewart|Composer, songwriter, and half of the pop band Eurythmics, Dave Stewart makes his directorial debut with this wacky caper comedy set in the heart of 1960s-era swinging London. Starring three members from British girl band All Saints, the film focuses on a trio of sisters -- cocky Gerry (Nicole Appleton), horny Mandy (Natalie Appleton), and amiable kid sister Jo (Melanie Blatt) -- who tape down their breasts, don facial hair, and crack safes in order to help their depressed widowed dad. Local crime lord Duggie Ord (Corin Redgrave) believes that Gerry knows who the thieving lads are, but he has no idea that the real culprits are right in front of his face. While casing a gem dealer on Carnaby Street, Gerry gets herself hired in alternative magazine Zero, which is housed in the same building. There she meets the decadent publisher, Andrew (Jonathan Cake), an upper-class fop, and American Rhode scholar turned draft-dodger Daniel (Peter Facinelli), who takes an immediate liking to Gerry. While Daniel works late, the larcenous trio break into the building and steal a fortune in jewels. On the way out, Daniel runs into Gerry in male garb and the two duke it out until mid-tussle he realizes that his opponent is actually the same young lass he has fallen for. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
Drool|Nancy Kissam|A woman's plan to escape an abusive marriage with her friend goes awry when she accidentally kills her husband.
All Or Nothing 2001|Mike Leigh|After a rather decided departure with his 1999 homage to Gilbert and Sullivan, Topsy-Turvy, Mike Leigh returns to his usual form for All or Nothing, a melancholy look at the day-to-day lives of a dysfunctional lower-middle class British family called the Bassetts. Timothy Spall and Lesley Manville (familiar to fans of Leigh's previous films) star as Phil and Penny, a common-law husband and wife who toil their gloomy days away as a cab-driver and grocery-store cashier, respectively. When the couple come to realize the growing emptiness in their relationship, an unexpected emergency within their family brings them closer together and offers the possibility of reigniting the long-extinguished spark in their marriage. Hoping to repeat the Palm D'or win of Leigh's 1996 film Secrets and Lies, All or Nothing was screened in competition at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Yellow Handkerchief|Udayan Prasad|A love story at its core, :"The Yellow Hankerchief" is about three strangers of two generations who embark on a road trip through post Katrina, La. Along the way, relationships forge and change in a myriad of ways, leading to the possibility of second chances at life and love. Brett Hanson dealing with a painful past, crosses paths with Martine, a troubled teenager, and her new 'ride' Gordy. The trio head out together, each motivated by his/her own reasons: Brett must decide whether he wants to return to the uncertainty of his life and his ex-wife May for whom he longs, Martine yearns to escape her family and Gordy hopes to get close to her.
Night Cries|Richard Lang|Expectant mother Susan Saint James goes into labor and is carted off to a somewhat forbidding hospital. When she awakens, she is told that her baby has died. The grieving Saint James reluctantly resumes her life as a schoolteacher. But not long afterward, she is haunted by bizarre dreams, indicating that her child is in fact alive. Someone knows the whole truth: is it her helpful husband Michael Parks, jovial doctor William Conrad, slyly smiling nurse Dolores Dorn, or sinister Cathleen Nesbitt? The made-for-television Night Cries first spooked its way into American living rooms on January 29, 1978.
A Love Affair The Eleanor And Lou Gehrig Story 1978|Fielder Cook|Based on the 1976 autobiography My Luke and I by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso, Love Affair: The Eleanor & Lou Gehrig Story provides a slightly different slant on the events previously dramatized on film as Pride of the Yankees (1942). The story is told in flashback from the point of view of the wife of baseball's "Iron Man". Sitting in a deserted Yankee stadium, Eleanor (Blythe Danner) relates her tale to her biographer Joseph Durso (Robert Burr). She recalls how she met the painfully shy ballplayer Lou Gehrig (Edward Herrmann) on a blind date in 1933. She remembers her battle of wills with Lou's domineering and possessive mother (played with a nearly impenetrable foreign accent by Patricia Neal), and her 1934 elopement with her "Luke." Other memories include the New York Yankees' goodwill trip to Japan, where relationships became strained between teammates Gehrig and Babe Ruth (Ramon Bieri). Also recalled is the fact that Lou played 2130 consecutive games (a record was only recently broken by Cal Ripken Jr.). Eleanor's story ends inevitably with Lou's slow death from amyotropic lateral sclerosis. In summing up, Eleanor insists that despite the tragic final years, she wouldn't have traded her short time as Mrs. Lou Gehrig for anything. Edward Herrmann took pride in the fact that his portrayal of Lou Gehrig won the unqualified praise of the real Eleanor (though Herrmann learned to bat southpaw for the role, he is seen actually playing baseball only once) Originally scheduled for broadcast on October 9, 1977, the made-for-TV Love Affair was bumped by a World Series playoff game; it was rescheduled for January 15, 1978--smack dab opposite the Super Bowl.
A Rumor Of War|Richard T. Heffron|The 2-part TV movie Rumor of War was based on the 1977 memoirs of Vietnam veteran Philip Caputo. Brad Davis stars as Caputo, who during the mid-1960s was a Marine lieutenant. In battle after battle, Caputo performs his duties admirably, even when questioning the wisdom of America's Vietnam involvement. As both the war and the body count escalate, Caputo suffers a nervous breakdown. A Rumor of War bears an inevitable resemblance to the much-earlier antiwar epic All Quiet on the Western Front, right down to the presence of a father-figure combat sergeant (Brian Dennehy). Its few cliches aside, the film is a powerful indictment of the brutalization and depersonalization of America's Vietnam forces. A Rumor of War premiered on September 24 and 25, 1980.
College Holiday|Frank Tuttle|The quaint genetic theories of the 1930s are satirized in College Holiday. Dotty matron Mary Boland runs a ramshackle summer resort, opening her doors to college students of both sexes--but only those collegiates with extra-special physical and mental skills. She hopes to encourage these select co-eds to meet and mate, then produce a breed of "perfect" children. What Boland doesn't count on is the supremacy of the Heart over Science. Engagingly silly, College Holiday devotes generous screen space to some of the biggest comic talents of the 1930s: Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Martha Raye and Ben Blue. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Tex Rides With The Boy Scouts|Ray Taylor|In this western, the hero and the young troopers team up to stop the outlaws who have stolen a shipment of gold bullion.
Spell|Lee Philips|This made-for-television thriller centers on a fat teenage girl who gets gruesome revenge upon her tormentors after she discovers that she has a special ability to cause terrible accidents with her mind.
Squaw Man|Cecil B. DeMille|Betraying its origin, David Belasco's popular stage melodrama The Squaw Man reached the screen in February of 1914, courtesy of the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company. Already an old wheeze by then, the story of miscegenation in the Old West was supposed to have been filmed on locations near Flagstaff, Arizona. Young Cecil B. DeMille, who was to share directorial duties with veteran stage performer Oscar Apfel, and the Lasky crew arrived in the middle of a storm and decided to remain on the train until the final destination. Debarking in sunny Los Angeles, the Lasky people rented half of a barn in the suburb of Hollywood where the Squaw Man finally went before the camera on December 29, 1913. The finished 6-reel-long melodrama thus became the first feature western to be shot entirely in Hollywood. The result is a terribly dull but typical Victorian romance about a English peer (Dustin Farnum) falsely accused of a crime actually committed by his brother. He escapes to the American West and marries an Indian maiden (Red Wing). Years later, on his deathbed, the brother confesses, thus freeing the hero to reclaim title and lands. The Indian wife, meanwhile, has conveniently murdered someone and is herself killed, leaving the Englishman able to return to home and hearth without suffering the embarrassment of being called a "Squaw Man." DeMille remained strangely sentimental about this -- his screen debut -- and filmed the play twice more, in 1918 starring Elliott Dexter, and again in 1931 starring Warner Baxter. The story didn't improve with age. The location of the now-famous Lasky barn, on Selma Avenue near Vine Street, became the headquarters of Paramount when Lasky merged with competitor Adolph Zukor. It remains today as the oldest film company located in geographical Hollywood. Always on the verge of being torn down, the old barn later saw duty as a gymnasium and, later still, was the train depot in the Bonanza television series. In the 1980s, the barn was moved to a new location on Odin Street near the Hollywood Bowl and functioned as a studio museum.
Male And Female|Cecil B. DeMille|When a group of spoiled aristocrats are stranded on an island, only the butler has the necessary skills for survival. An adaptation of the James M. Barrie play The Admirable Crichton.
Dont Change Your Husband|Cecil B. DeMille|This was Gloria Swanson's first film for director Cecil B. DeMille and it went a long way in establishing her as a star. Considered deliciously racy in its day, Don't Change Your Husband is an amusing battle between the sexes that takes place in the sumptuous upper-class society of the post-WWI era. The romantic Leila Porter (Gloria Swanson) is frustrated by her neglectful husband, James (Elliot Dexter). James is a glue magnate who is more concerned with making money than he is about keeping Leila happy. So she divorces him and marries the flashy, stylish Schuyler Van Sutphen (Lew Cody). It doesn't take long before Leila discovers that Sutphen is a gambling, two-timing rat, and she returns to the more prosaic Porter, who -- luckily for Leila -- is happy to have her back. This is a classic example of DeMille's drawing-room side, and the combination of humor, luscious sets and costumes, and brilliant casting (especially of Swanson and Cody), made this film a solid winner.
Why Change Your Wife|Cecil B. DeMille|When her philandering, party-boy husband divorces her to marry a more stylish jazz girl, a plain, bespectacled young divorcee turns herself into a babe with some real sex appeal, ultimately luring hubby back to her side. Sexual mores are satirized in this very entertaining Cecil B. DeMille comedy of manners.
Little American|Cecil B. DeMille|It would be easy to assume that combining Mary Pickford's charm with director Cecil B. DeMille's penchant for the spectacular would create an exceptional piece of work. But judging from this picture, and the one made before it -- Romance of the Redwoods -- that just wasn't the case. The bottom line was that both Pickford and DeMille wanted control over their productions and neither of them were truly capable of the kind of compromise required by collaboration. As a result, their work together suffered. America had recently entered World War I when this picture was made, and it was one of innumerable patriotic films produced around this time. It begins in 1914 with American Angela Moore (Pickford) and her two foreign suitors -- a German, Karl Von Austreim (Jack Holt) and a Frenchman, Count Jules de Destin (Raymond Hatton). Angela prefers Karl, but when war breaks out in Europe, both men go to serve their countries. Eventually Angela, too, sails for France, but her ship is sunk by a U-boat (although not named, the ship is presumed to be the Lusitania). She is saved, but when she arrives at her destination, she finds her aunt dead, and the family chateau transformed into a hospital for those wounded in battle. The Germans arrive to fight, rape and pillage. Angela and Karl are reunited when, unaware of her identity, he tries to attack her. She forgives him this transgression, but when the Germans discover her sending messages to the French, the commander (Herbert Bosworth) orders her shot. At this, Karl denounces his country and he is ordered to be shot, too. The pair are saved by a French shell which blows up the Germans at an opportune moment, and after an all-night battle, they are found by the Allies, sleeping at the foot of a cross. Although Karl is arrested, Angela is able to have him freed and they leave for the U.S. together. This mediocre film was overshadowed by the far superior Poor Little Rich Girl, which was released earlier in the year.
Carmen|Cecil B. DeMille|This highly detailed silent version of Bizet's famous tragic opera from Cecil B. DeMille, features opera diva Geraldine Farrar recreating one of her most famous roles as a feisty gypsy who falls in love with the soldier assigned to hold her captive. To bring Farrar to the screen, studio head Lasky and director DeMille bent over backward to literally treat her like a queen. They gave her a mansion complete with servants, fancy cars, handsome escorts, her own bungalow and two dollars for every hour she spent in Hollywood.
The Golden Chance|Cecil B. DeMille|The Golden Chance was the last of 12 (!) films directed in 1915 by Cecil B. DeMille. Scripted by DeMille and Jeannie MacPherson, the story concentrates on Mary Denby (Cleo Ridgely) a young wife forced to take a job as a seamstress when her husband Steve (Horace B. Carpenter) spends all their money on booze. Mary's employer, socialite Mrs. Hilary (Edythe Chapman) is busily arranging a society marriage for business purposes. When the prospective bride fails to show up at an important party, Mrs. Hilary persuades Mary to take the girl's place. As a result, wealthy Roger Manning (Wallace Reid) falls head over heels in love with her. But then, Mary's husband Steve emerges from oblivion with blackmail on his mind.
Cheat|Cecil B. DeMille|The Cheat was the picture that "made" the reputation of director Cecil B. DeMille. Broadway star Fannie Ward plays an irresponsible socialite who uses the charity funds entrusted to her to play the stock market. When she loses the money, Ward is afraid to tell her husband Jack Dean, so she arranges to borrow $10,000 from wealthy oriental Sessue Hayakawa. It is understood that, in exchange for the loan, Ward will surrender herself sexually to Hayakawa. When her husband gives her a gift of $10,000, Ward tries to call off her deal with Hayakawa, but the enraged oriental calls her a cheat; wrestling her to the floor, he brands the woman with a symbol signifying that she belongs to him. She responds to this humiliation by shooting Hayakawa. Ward's loyal husband takes responsibility for the shooting, standing trial on an assault charge. To save her husband, Ward confesses all in court, displaying the brand mark on her shoulder. Logically, Ward should now be charged with the crime, but this is 1915: the all-white courtroom spectators pounce upon Hayakawa, nearly killing the poor fellow, and Ward and her husband are exonerated. Depending upon where this film was shown, Sessue Hayakawa's character was either Japanese or Burmese: either way, he was regarded as the villain of the piece almost solely on the basis of his race. Interestingly, Hayakawa was elevated to stardom on the basis of The Cheat, permitting him to play far more sympathetic characters in the future. As mentioned, The Cheat also served as the breakthrough film for Cecil B. DeMille: critics of the time fell over themselves praising DeMille's creative use of low-key lighting and shadow effects to artistically convey his melodramatic yarn. Though The Cheat was remade several times, the 1915 DeMille film remains the definitive version.
Brewsters Millions 1914|Cecil B. DeMille|Brewster's Millions, a stage play by Winchell Smith and Byron Ongley (itself adapted from a novel by George Barr McCutcheon) would be filmed no fewer than seven times over a seventy-year period. This 1914 version was the first; it starred Edward Abeles, who previously headlined the stage version. Abeles plays Monty Brewster, who inherits a multimillion-dollar estate. There's only one catch: Brewster must spend a million dollars within a year if he is to earn his legacy. If that sounds simple, then you don't know your three-act stage farces. Often incorrectly credited to Cecil B. DeMille, Brewster's Millions was actually directed by DeMille's Famous Players-Lasky colleague Oscar Apfel.
The Woman God Forgot|Cecil B. DeMille|This tale about the Spanish conquering of the Aztecs was about as historically accurate as films cared to be (in the silent days, especially, it was nearly blasphemous not to have a love interest), and Cecil B. DeMille does it up in typically epic fashion. Captain Alvarado (Wallace Reid) is sent by Cortez (Hobart Bosworth) to see Montezuma (Raymond Hatton). He demands that Montezuma surrender; instead Montezuma throws him into a dungeon. But Tecza (Geraldine Ferrar), the ruler's daughter, has fallen in love with Alvarado. She saves him, only to have him kidnapped by the warrior Guatemoco (Theodore Kosloff). So Tecza finds the Spanish invaders and leads them back to the city. They destroy the Aztec nation, but Alvarado is saved. He hunts down Tecza, who has exiled herself, and declares his love for her.
Chandu On The Magic Island|Ray Taylor|In this campy fantasy, Chandu the Magician returns and goes to the lost island of Lemuri. There he uses his mystical powers to battle the dreaded Ubasti cult.
The Fighting Trooper 1934|Ray Taylor|In this romance, a rookie Canadian Mountie impersonates a trapper in order to catch a killer. The story is based on James Oliver Curwood's story "Footprints."
Return Of Chandu Serial Version|Ray Taylor|In this spliced-together adventure-fantasy serial, master White magician Chandu (Bela Lugosi) delves into his bag-of-tricks to save the imperiled Egyptian princess Nadji from being sacrificed by a clan of cat worshipers upon the mysterious island of Lemuria.
Battling With Buffalo Bill|Ray Taylor|Gold is discovered in a small town in this western serial. A local gambler decides he wants everything for himself, so he sets out to incite a nearby Indian tribe to go on the warpath and drive everyone else out of town. Buffalo Bill Jr. discovers the plot and enlists the help of the U.S. cavalry to stop it.
Phantom Of The Air|Ray Taylor|The strapping Tom Tyler, in his fourth and last serial for Universal, played a daredevil pilot coming to the aid of a beleaguered scientist (William Desmond). In between romancing the professor's lovely daughter (Gloria Shea), Tyler battles a series of villains out to steal the "Contragrav," an anti-gravity device. The always suspicious-looking Leroy Mason is the head of a gang of smugglers that include such well-known blackhearts as Edmund Cobb, Bud Osborne, and Wheeler Oakman. A youngish Walter Brennan offers mild comedy relief, while Hugh Enfield played one of Tyler's pilot friends. Enfield later briefly changed his billing to "Robert Allen" before settling permanently on the moniker Craig Reynolds.
The Ivory Handled Gun|Ray Taylor|In this Western, neighboring sheep farmers engage in a long-standing feud over that results in tragedy. The problem began when someone began stealing their livestock.
Young April|Donald Crisp|With its mythical kingdom theme, this romance was not terribly original. But it does feature a couple of interesting aspects; it was produced by (although not directed by) Cecil B. DeMille, and it features both Joseph Schildkraut and his father, the esteemed Rudolph Schildkraut as the prince and king, respectively. Crown Prince Caryl (Joseph Schildkraut) has to marry the arch duchess in order to ascend to the throne currently occupied by his father, King Stefan (Rudolph Schildkraut). Caryl, who is not looking forward to this, decides to have one last fling in Paris. Meanwhile, the arch duchess,Victoria Cecelie (Bessie Love), has just left finishing school and decides to see Paris disguised as a plain American girl. It's easy to guess that the two immediately meet and fall deeply in love. Eventually Caryl admits his identity and goes home to tell his father that he will only marry the girl he loves. Victoria writes him a note confessing her real identity, but it is intercepted by Caryl's uncle,Prince Michael (Bryant Washburn), who wants to take Caryl's place on the throne. Caryl abdicates, and as he is leaving, he finds Victoria in all her regalia preparing to wed Michael. Caryl kidnaps her and they take off in a plane, where they are married in mid-air.
Stuart A Life Backwards|David Attwood|A writer (Cumberbatch) takes a backwards look at the life of his unlikely friend Stuart (Hardy), a homeless alcoholic who experienced a traumatic event in his childhood.
Perils Of Pauline 1933|Ray Taylor|In this Universal serial, Pauline is the daughter of a prominent scientist. When daddy heads to Indochina to search for the formula to a deadly gas, Pauline dutifully tags along. So does villain John Davidson and his battalion of henchmen.
My Blind Brother|Sophie Goodhart|A blind sports hero introduces his girlfriend to his brother, who happens to be his girlfriend too.
Tailspin Tommy And The Great Air Mystery|Ray Taylor|In this adventure serial, Tailspin Tommy discovers that a gang of profiteers are out to steal an island's oil reserves. The gang, learning of Tommy's efforts to stop them, attack him with everything they have -- including anti-aircraft guns, bombs, and even a volcano!
The Help|Tate Taylor|The Help stars Emma Stone as Skeeter, Viola Davis as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny-three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed-even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. -- (C) DreamWorks
Buck|Cindy Meehl|"Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will." So says Buck Brannaman, a true American cowboy and sage on horseback who travels the country for nine grueling months a year helping horses with people problems. BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real life "horse-whisperer", he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses - and people - with his understanding, compassion and respect. In this film, the animal-human relationship becomes a metaphor for facing the daily challenges of life. A truly American story about an unsung hero, Buck is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds. -- (C) IFC Films
Thelittleprincess1917|Marshall Neilan|This adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's frequently filmed children's classic stars Mary Pickford. When her wealthy father marches off to war, little Sarah is left in a girl's boarding school. News arrives that Sarah's daddy is killed, whereupon the school's cruel headmistress forces Sarah to work as a servant.
The Pride Of The Clan|Maurice Tourneur|This silent film tells the story of fisherman's daughter, Pickford, falling in fishing boy Moore after her father is lost at sea. Moore's parents forbid him to see Pickford when he inherits a titles, but love wins out as Moore comes back to rescue her from her sinking boat.
Cinderella 1914|James Kirkwood|Combining the star appeal of Mary Pickford with this fairy tale seemed like a sure thing to Famous Players-Paramount. Releasing it around Christmas time just about guaranteed big box-office receipts. But except for a few inspired moments (in one, the clock's hands strike 12 and promptly shrivel up), the picture is disappointing. Perhaps Cinderella was too passive a role for Pickford's normally high-spirited approach; her performance here is flat. The photography, too, is poor, and trade paper Variety suggests that the studio rushed through filming to get that all-important holiday release. The story is really far too well known to relate, but in any case here's a brief recap: Cinderella is mistreated by her nasty stepmother (Isabel Vernon) and two homely stepsisters (Georgia Wilson and Lucille Carney). But when Prince Charming (Owen Moore, Pickford's then-husband) throws a ball, she manages to make it there with the help of a fairy godmother (and a few handy dissolves -- they were many decades away from computer effects in 1914). But when the clock strikes 12, Cinderella dashes home, losing her glass slipper along the way. The prince searches all over for the shoe's owner, finally places it on Cinderella's dainty foot and they "live happily ever after." Pickford's marriage to Moore, however, ended in divorce by the end of the 1910s and she married Douglas Fairbanks, who, for quite a long while, was a real-life Prince Charming (although, unfortunately, their marriage didn't last, either).
Poor Little Rich Girl|Maurice Tourneur|Mary Pickford stars as Gwendolyn, the daughter of a wealthy family who has everything she could ever want--except the attention of her parents.
Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm|Marshall Neilan|In this film, Mary Pickford stars as the spunky little girl who is left with her tight-lipped aunt Helen Jerome Eddy by her impoverished mother. It's an uphill battle, but Rebecca manages to spread a little sunshine around the staid New England community where her aunt resides.
The Outlaw 1943|Howard Hawks|This off-beat western is best remembered for the scandal surrounding its release, most of it having to do with the supposedly erotic scenes involving Jane Russell who plays the busty siren who steals the heart of Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel). The highly fictionalized story centers on the rivalrous, tentative friendships between the Kid, Doc Holiday (Walter Huston) and Pat Garrett (Mitchell Thomas). Many of the most racy scenes were cut out to appease the censors, therefore different versions are available with the original 117 minute cut being the most difficult to find.
The Long Long Trail|Arthur Rosson|In this western, set during a rodeo, the Ramblin' Kid has come to win the grand prize. The bad-guy drugs him to keep him from winning. Unfortunately for the evil doer, the drug does not stop the hero from foiling his scheme to steal the sweepstakes money.
Wandering Jew|Otto Kreisler|Wandering Jew is the story of the birth of modern Zionism and the life of its founder, Theodor Herzl, told as a fantasy in the manner of D.W. Griffith's Intolerance and other movies of that sort. The movie takes the form of a chronicle of the wrongs, sufferings, and dispersals of the Jewish people through the ages, intercut with dramatized representations from Herzl's life, interweaving the two narrative chains. Largely unknown and mostly forgotten, the movie was re-released on VHS by Grapevine Video in the mid-'90s.
The Mississippi Gambler 1929|Reginald Barker|Adopting a surprisingly effective Southern accent, Vienna-born Joseph Schildkraut plays the title role in Mississippi Gambler. Schildkraut is cast as ruthless but basically decent cardsharp Jack, whose latest sucker is old man Blackburne. To save the honor of Blackburne's lovely daughter Lucy (Joan Bennett), Jack purposely loses the climactic poker game. Many of the sets and background extras in the film had previously been seen in Universal's Show Boat, which also featured Schildkraut. Mississippi Gambler was refashioned as a Tyrone Power vehicle in 1953. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Texas Rangers|King Vidor|Made with the full cooperation of the real-life Texas Rangers (who never met a publicity gimmick they didn't like), this sprawling historical western stars Fred MacMurray as Jim Hawkins, one of three outlaws working the Lone Star State in the years following the Civil War. Both Hawkins and his partner in crime Wahoo Jones (Jack Oakie) decide to go straight, but their bandit pal Sam McGee (Lloyd Nolan) has not quite seen the light. Eventually, Jim and Wahoo join the fledgling Texas Rangers, an organization dedicated to bringing law, order and honest government to their state, while McGee cuts a swath of terror with his new gang. When the two reformed outlaws are assigned to bring in their old friend Sam, Jim balks but Wahoo accepts. In the film's most talked-about scene, McGee smilingly puts a hole through Wahoo's stomach with a gun he has hidden under a table. Now motivated by revenge (although he couldn't say as much in a post-Production Code film), Jim vows to bring McGee to justice, dead or alive, but preferably the former. Released to coincide with the Texas Centennial, The Texas Rangers was remade in 1949 as Street of Laredo; there was also a 1940 sequel, The Texas Rangers Ride Again.
The Black Bird 1926|Tod Browning|A charitable and respected British clergyman leads a devious dual existence, by dark assuming the alternate identity of cunning criminal ringleader "The Black Bird." This melodramatic and characteristically grim Lon Chaney/Tod Browning collaboration stars "The Man of a Thousand Faces" in two distinct characterizations.
Radio Patrol|Cliff Smith|In this compilation of a lively serial, radio cop Pinky Adams and his trusty dog Irish keep the safe for children everywhere.
Married|George Terwilliger|Dennis Shawn (Owen Moore) is the overseer of a huge lumber camp inherited by city-girl Marcia Livingston (Constance Bennett). Though they're not overly fond of each other, Dennis and Marcia are compelled to get married as part of a deal to purchase additional lumber property. The wedding ceremony is performed by phone, whereupon Dennis and Marcia prepare to go their separate ways. Unfortunately for them (but fortunately for the plot), the land deal requires them to live together as man and wife for at least three months. Marcia refuses, whereupon Dennis kidnaps his new bride and carries her off to the lumber camp -- where of course, she learns to love him just in time for the fadeout.
Man Of Sentiment|Richard Thorpe|In this romance, an ambitious young career woman is slated to marry a wealth man until she gets into a fender-bender and meets a poor fellow with whom she falls instantly in love. She soon jilts her fiance in favor of him. She later discovers that her new love is the errant son of a wealthy family who eventually welcome him and his new bride back into the fold. Happiness ensues.
As You Desire Me|George Fitzmaurice|In this film, Greta Garbo plays a down-in-the-dumps amnesiac who ends up singing in a low-life nightclub and putting up with the advances of a crude novelist. She'd have remained in this miserable state were it not for the fact that she's recognized and returned to her true husband.
She Done Him Wrong|Lowell Sherman|"I'm the finest woman who walked the streets," declares bejeweled, hip-swishing Lady Lou (Mae West) at the beginning of She Done Him Wrong. Lou works as a singer at the Gay Nineties saloon of Gus Jordan (Noah Beery Sr.), who plies her with diamonds to keep her by his side. She runs afoul of stalwart mission captain Cummings (Cary Grant), who warns her that she's on the road to perdition. Mae West's first starring film, She Done Him Wrong literally saved Paramount Pictures from bankruptcy. It would remain the best of her feature films, most of which were severely watered down by the Production Code (whose renewed stringency of 1933 was brought about in great part by West herself). She Done Him Wrong was based on West's own stage play, +Diamond Lil, which ran on Broadway for 97 weeks. West sings "Frankie and Johnny," "I Like a Man Who Takes His Time," and ""I Wonder Where My Easy Rider's Gone.""
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Lets Do The Time Warp Again|Kenny Ortega|A reimagining of the cult film that follows a young couple as they end up at a strange convention hosted by a sexually-ambiguous scientist who is debuting a creation at the event.
Three 2016|Johnnie To|When a police sting goes bad, a cornered criminal (Wallace Chung, DRUG WAR) makes a desperate choice: he shoots himself, forcing the officers to cease fire and take him to the hospital. Once there, he refuses treatment, waiting for his cohorts to break him out. Caught between an obsessed cop (Louis Koo, TRIAD ELECTION) and the surgeon assigned to save his life (Zhao Wei, RED CLIFF), the hospital is now a battleground of deception, double-crosses, and a coming onslaught of violence in this action-thriller by master filmmaker Johnnie To.
High Voltage|Howard Higgin|In one of her first talking pictures, Carole Lombard played a girl crook falling in love with a handsome lineman (William Boyd) while marooned during a snow storm. Crossing the High Sierras in a bus, a group of travelers find themselves stranded in a small village and at the mercy of Bill Dougherty (Boyd), a lineman who apportions them a small amount of food. Despite warnings from detective Dan Egan (Owen Moore), Billie Davis (Lombard), the girl crook, falls in love with Bill, who turns out to be an escaped convict. Briefly planning to flee, Bill and Billie decide to serve their sentences and share a happier future together. High Voltage was produced by Pathé and featured blonde newcomer Diane Ellis as a young girl en route to her wedding. Ironically, Ellis died less than a year later from a rare tropical disease while honeymooning in India.
Sworn Virgin|Laura Bispuri|SWORN VIRGIN follows a young woman named Hana who lives in an Albanian village ruled by men, and she takes an oath of eternal virginity to live as a "sworn virgin" becoming Mark, so she can live free as a man. Years later, restless and feeling imprisoned by his choice, Mark leaves for Italy to visit his sister and family. There, he explores the unexpected pleasures of attraction and the body and decides to abandon Mark, rediscovering herself (himself) as Hana, to become a new and liberated person.
Star Is Born|William Wellman|A Star is Born came into being when producer David O. Selznick decided to tell a "true behind-the-scenes" story of Hollywood. The truth, of course, was filtered a bit for box-office purposes, although Selznick and an army of screenwriters based much of their script on actual people and events. Janet Gaynor stars as Esther Blodgett, the small-town girl who dreams of Hollywood stardom, a role later played by both Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand in the 1954 and 1976 remakes. Jeered at by most of her family, Esther finds an ally in her crusty old grandma (May Robson), who admires the girl's "pioneer spirit" and bankrolls Esther's trip to Tinseltown. On arrival, Esther heads straight to Central Casting, where a world-weary receptionist (Peggy Wood), trying to let the girl down gently, tells her that her chances for stardom are about one in a thousand. "Maybe I'll be that one!" replies Esther defiantly. Months pass: through the intervention of her best friend, assistant director Danny McGuire (Andy Devine), Esther gets a waitressing job at an upscale Hollywood party. Her efforts to "audition" for the guests are met with quizzical stares, but she manages to impress Norman Maine (Fredric March), the alcoholic matinee idol later played by James Mason and Kris Kristofferson. Esther gets her first big break in Norman's next picture and a marriage proposal from the smitten Mr. Maine. It's a hit, but as Esther (now named Vicki)'s star ascends, Norman's popularity plummets due to a string of lousy pictures and an ongoing alcohol problem. The film won Academy Awards for director William Wellman and Robert Carson in the "original story" category and for W. Howard Greene's glistening Technicolor cinematography. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Roaring Ranch|B. Reeves Eason|Hoot Gibson is left with a foundling on his hands while trying to fend off an evil land-grabber in this slow-moving early sound western produced by Gibson himself for release by Universal. "The Hooter" was nearing the end of his reign as a western star, not only due to advancing age (there were other movie cowboys in their forties) but because of a series of foolhardy financial and personal decisions. Among the latter, none had more consequence than Gibson's preoccupation with starlet Sally Eilers, his leading lady in this and two other westerns. In Roaring Ranch Gibson protects Eilers from villainous land-grabber Wheeler Oakman and does it Gibson style: without the use of firearms. The film was slow, too slow compared to "the Hooter's" silent westerns. Early sound equipment was partially to blame, of course, but it didn't help matters that the star had eyes only for Eilers, whom he married in June of 1930. The marriage turned into a real-life A Star is Born situation: she became a major star because of the critically acclaimed Bad Girl (1931), while he was for all intent and purposes fired from Universal, his home throughout the 1920s. The marriage could not survive the strain, and the Gibson-Eilers union was dissolved in September of 1933.
Let Us Be Gay|Robert Z. Leonard|In this romance, a disillusioned wife, learning that her husband has been unfaithful, divorces him and moves to Paris where she is changed from a frowsy hausfrau to a sexy, sophisticated lady. A wealthy dame asks her to help destroy the affair between her granddaughter and the woman's ex-husband. The woman agrees to do it and returns to the U.S. where she hosts a large party. Among the guests are her ex-husband and his lover--the granddaughter. The wife has become so lovely, that her former spouse does not at first recognize her. When at last he does, their romance begins anew.
Doughboys|Edward Sedgwick|Having mistakenly enlisted in the army during World War I, a rich young lad who's never had to lift a finger finds himself a fumble-footed soldier headed for the front. This disappointing Buster Keaton talkie, partially derived from his actual war experiences, can't hold a candle to his comic silent masterpieces.
Reducing|Charles Reisner|In this slapstick comedy, set in a posh beauty salon, the owner asks her matronly sister to come and visit. She does and brings her lovely daughter along with her. This creates problems when the fiancé of the owner's daughter falls in love with the daughter of her sister.
Trigger Tricks|B. Reeves Eason|"Trigger Tricks", wrote "B"-western historian William K. Everson, "may well have set a record as the most talkative talkie western ever made." Hoot Gibson stars as an easygoing cowpoke who becomes a fightin' fool in his efforts to learn the identity of his brother's murder. While working as a hired gun for a group of cattlemen, Gibson falls in love with Betty Dawley (Sally Eilers), the owner of a sheep ranch. Switching his allegiance to Eilers, our hero discovers that one of the cattlemen was the guy who knocked off his brother. Just so no one forgets that this is an all-talking picture, the plot is resolved when Gibson uses a trick phonograph record to trap the killer. Trigger Tricks was the second of two 1930 westerns teaming Hoot Gibson with his future wife Sally Eilers.
The Campus Vamp|Harry Edwards|Love triangle in a campus with a blonde girl that really seems to not consider the "other" girl as an obstacle. Who will make it? And actually who cares when parties, sport games and lots of fun are available?
Arq|Tony Elliott |A young couple protecting a revolutionary new energy source are caught in a timeloop, where they relive a violent home invasion on repeat, forcing them into a race against time to break the loop and escape with the technology intact.
Man With A Movie Camera|Dziga Vertov|More widely known as Man With a Movie Camera, this radical (for it's time), freewheeling Russian documentary depicts the city of Moscow from sunrise to sunset. The still-innovative (or frustrating, depending on your tastes) silent was both praised and reviled upon its initial release.
Fathers Day|Ivan Reitman|The stage is set for comedy when two middle-aged men (Billy Crystal and Robin Williams) struggle to overcome their considerable differences to find the runaway son of the ex-lover who has just informed them that one of them is the boy's father.
Wuthering Heights|William Wyler|Growing up together in 19th-century Yorkshire, Heathcliff and Cathy form a deep bond. In young adulthood, Cathy wounds the penniless Heathcliff by marrying into wealth, and his obsession with revenge leads to tragedy. Laurence Olivier is brilliant as the brooding Heathcliff in this poetic adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel.
Red Sonja|Richard Fleischer|Brigitte Nielsen appears as warrior woman Sonja, who unites with a couple of other gladiator types (including Arnold Schwarzenegger) to overthrow the evil queen Gedren (Sandahl Bergman) and avenge the deaths of Sonja's family. This story descends from the writings of Robert E. Howard (author of Conan).
Knight In Camelot|Roger Young|In this romantic fantasy adventure, a lady scientist's experiment whisks her back to King Arthur's court. While there, the plucky lass proves that modern women are as tough as medieval men, and she soon becomes the mythical king's most favored knight.
Alpha Males Experiment|Alex Ranarivelo|Alpha Males" takes a realistic, but comic look at how the behaviors of men and women have evolved very little since the caveman times. When Ethan, the needy nice guy, is dumped by his fiancee, he asks his misogynist older brother Kyle to help him win her back. Kyle tries to teach Ethan how to act like "a real man" and to never put a woman on a pedestal. Repulsed by his brother's harsh views on how to treat women, Ethan ignores his advice and ventures out into the dating world, where he slowly realizes that everything Kyle says seems to be true.
Taming Of The Shrew|Franco Zeffirelli|This zesty version of William Shakespeare's classic comedy, set in Padua, Italy in the late 1500s, concerns the shy Bianca and the mean-spirited Katarina. Though Bianca is being courted by a number of young men, her father announces that she may not marry until Katarina is wed.
Accident|Joseph Losey|The complex relationships among an Oxford professor, one of his students, and the young woman who captivates both of them is the subject of this difficult but rewarding drama. Director Joseph Losey and writer Harold Pinter had previously collaborated on 1963's The Servant, and they surrounded this recasting of a Nicholas Mosley novel with a similar atmosphere of ominous mystery. The story is presented through flashbacks and disconnected memories that trace the characters' interactions. Though the mood is occasionally brightened by satirical views of the academic world, the overall effect is rather somber, concerned with missed opportunities, unhealthy obsessions, and unavoidable regret. Dirk Bogarde superbly captures the pensive professor's torment, with able support from Jacqueline Sassard and Michael York as the younger couple. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
Megiddo The Omega Code Ii|Brian Trenchard-Smith|In this combination sequel and prequel to the surprise box-office success The Omega Code, one man becomes the leader of an evil empire that could destroy the world, and his brother must rise against him in the defense of good. Stone Alexander (played as a child by Gavin Fink) is a moody, dark-tempered child whose parents died shortly after he was born. The mother who adopted Stone died several years later while giving birth to another son, David, and Stone is unable to forgive his brother for unwittingly taking his mother from him. Stone goes so far as to attempt to murder David, and their father, prominent businessman Daniel Alexander (David Hedison), responds by shipping Stone off to military school. There, Stone falls under the tutelage of The Guardian (Udo Kier), an instructor at the school who is actually an emissary of Satan. While the enmity between Stone (played as a teenager by Noah Huntley) and David (played by Chad Michael Murray) cools a bit with time, Stone once again finds himself in a bitter rivalry with his brother when they both fall in love with the same woman, Gabriella (played as a teenager by Elisa Scialpi). Stone eventually wins Gabriella's hand and they marry, as Stone (played as an adult by Michael York) rises to power as the ruthless leader of the military arm of the European Union; David (played as an adult by Michael Biehn), meanwhile, becomes a powerful figure in American politics, and is elected to the office of Vice President. What neither David nor Gabriella (played as an adult by Diane Venora) fully understand is that, under the influence of The Guardian, Stone has taken on the role of the Antichrist, and he attempts to curry his brother's favor (and arrange events that will make David president) in a bid for world domination. When it becomes clear to David that the goal of his brother's campaign is to put the world in the power of Satan, David realizes America and its allies must join forces against Stone's troops in a battle in Megiddo, Israel -- predicted in the Book of Revelations as the place of the final battle of good versus evil. Megiddo: Omega Code 2 also features Franco Nero, R. Lee Ermey, and Gil Colon.
Brokedown Palace|Jonathan Kaplan|Two carefree Americans embark on an overseas vacation that soon becomes a nightmare in this powerful drama. Alice (Claire Danes) is a headstrong teenager who wants to do something different to celebrate her high school graduation, so she persuades her more reserved best friend Darlene (Kate Beckinsale) to join her on a trip to Bangkok. While enjoying sun and scenery, Alice and Darlene meet Nick Parks (Daniel Lapaine), a charming Australian who shows them the sights and sweet-talks Darlene into a romantic assignation, which is something of a surprise to her bolder friend Alice. Nick then suggests that they join him on a side trip to Hong Kong, but they soon discover that Nick's interest has been neither friendly nor romantic: he has hidden a large amount of heroin in their luggage and is using them as drug runners without their knowledge. When the heroin is found by customs officials, Alice and Darlene are quickly tried and sentenced to 33 years in a hideous prison known to inmates as Broke-Down Palace. Their plight comes to the attention of "Yankee Hank" (Bill Pullman), a renegade American attorney in Asia, but while Hank struggles with the court system to get Alice and Darlene released, they must deal with the living hell of life behind bars, and their own doubts about each other. Brokedown Palace was directed by Jonathan Kaplan, who previously dealt with judicial injustice in The Accused and teens in difficult circumstances in Over the Edge. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The Love Letter|Peter Ho-Sun Chan|Helen (Kate Capshaw) runs a bookstore in Loblolly By The Sea, a small fishing community in New England where everyone seems to know everyone else's business. A 42-year-old single mother, she is emotionally distant and fearful of getting too close to anyone. George (Tom Selleck) has known Helen since they were schoolmates, and he's been in love with her for ages, but has always settled for just being her friend. Convinced she wasn't interested in him, he married another woman years ago. Helen also has another secret admirer, Johnny (Tom Everett Scott), who isn't at all put off by the fact that Helen is twice his age. Johnny, however, is currently occupied with Jennifer (Julianne Nicholson), a fellow student who also works at the bookstore and is crazy about him. Into this tangled web of unrequited love comes an amorous letter that Helen finds in the store one day. The letter bears no signature and no address; it's at once passionate and oblique, fervent and cryptic. It's very interesting stuff. So who wrote it? And to whom was the writer planning to send it? Before long, the letter has made its way through this circle, and everyone has an idea (or a hope) of who their secret love is, although no one knows for sure or just how to find out. The Love Letter marked the American debut of director Peter Ho-Sun Chan, who enjoyed success in Hong Kong with Comrades: Almost A Love Story and He's A Woman, She's A Man. The supporting cast includes Ellen DeGeneres, Blythe Danner, and Gloria Stuart. The Love Letter may be best remembered as the only major studio film to open the same week as Star Wars: Episode One -- The Phantom Menace. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Stir Of Echoes|David Koepp|In this supernatural thriller, Tom Witzky (Kevin Bacon) is a fairly typical working-class guy living in Chicago with his wife Maggie (Kathryn Erbe) and his son Jake (Zachary David Cope). One night at a party, Tom gets into a lively discussion with his sister-in-law, Lisa (Illeana Douglas), who believes in psychic communication and the power of hypnosis. He challenges Lisa to hypnotize him, and she plants in him a post-hypnotic suggestion to be more open-minded. But the results aren't quite what Lisa or Tom expected; Tom now senses an air of terrible dread throughout his house and is convinced that evil lurks just around the corner. He also sees the spirit of a girl from the neighborhood who disappeared months ago -- and Jake sees the spirit as well. Stir of Echoes was based on a novel by Richard Matheson, whose work inspired such disparate films as Somewhere in Time and The Incredible Shrinking Man; it was written and directed by David Koepp, who wrote the screenplays for Jurassic Park and Mission: Impossible. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Mickey Blue Eyes|Kelly Makin|Would you believe Hugh Grant as a violent Mafioso from Kansas City? Don't worry if you can't: that's part of the joke in this romantic comedy. Michael Felgate (Hugh Grant) is a British expatriate living in Manhattan who runs a successful auction house dealing in rare and valuable art. When Michael meets Gina (Jeanne Tripplehorn), he's immediately smitten, and three months later he asks for her hand in marriage. Gina, however, tells Michael that she could never marry him because of her family. Crestfallen, Michael wants to find out what the trouble could be; and when he tracks down Gina's father Frank (James Caan), he discovers the nature of Gina's family problems: Frank is a Mafia kingpin, and several of Gina's previous boyfriends have met an ill fate trying to fit in with his criminal lifestyle. Frank, however, takes an immediate liking to Michael and asks him for a few small favors. Before long, Michael has inadvertently laundered mob money through his auction house and has to pass himself off to rival gangsters as Mickey Blue Eyes, a wiseguy from Kansas City. Mickey Blue Eyes was co-produced by Hugh Grant's significant other, Elizabeth Hurley, and directed by Kelly Makin, whose previous credits include the Kids in the Hall movie Brain Candy.
South Park Bigger Longer And Uncut|Trey Parker|Trey Parker and Matt Stone bring the colorful citizens of South Park to the big screen in a film that is animatedly hilarious and irreverent. Based on the hugely successful Comedy Central series, South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut stars Kenny, Kyle, Stan, Cartman, Chef, Mr. Garrison, Ned, Uncle Jimbo, Officer Barbrady and others.
Haunting|Jan de Bont|A remake of the classic 1963 movie "The Haunting" about a team of paranormal experts who look into strange occurrences in an ill-fated house. Through the course of the night some will unravel, some will question, and all will fight for their lives as the house fights back.
One Kill|Christopher Menaul|In this drama, which was based on an actual incident, a female Army captain (Anne Heche) becomes romantically involved with her superior officer (Sam Shepard). She decides to call off the affair, but he won't leave her alone. One night, he breaks into her home, and -- thinking he's a burglar -- she shoots him. He dies, and the captain finds herself court-martialed for murder. One Kill, which was produced for the Showtime premium cable network, also features Eric Stoltz as the lawyer defending the captain.
Replikator Cloned To Kill 1982|G Philip Jackson|In this futuristic science fiction drama, two firms are both on the working overtime to see who can be first to perfect a new and groundbreaking invention -- a technology that can perfectly recreate human tissue, allowing people to be replicated at will. One of the companies is a small, cutting-edge concern, while the other is a major multinational conglomerate, and in a world where such companies control the legal and judicial system (hey, are you sure this is science fiction?), beating them to the punch can have deadly consequences. The larger firm sends a team of thugs to destroy the smaller company's offices, just as inventor Ludo (Michael St. Gerard) is using himself as a guinea pig for his final tests on the replication system; things go haywire during the assault, and soon Ludo finds himself chasing his own manmade evil twin. Replikator also stars Ned Beatty, Brigitte Bako, and Ilona Staller, the latter better known as Cicciolina, the Italian adult film star who was elected to that nation's Parliament. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Zelig|Woody Allen|Leonard Zelig, the "human chameleon", is profiled in this mock-documentary. Director Woody Allen appears as Zelig in scenes that purport to be vintage newsreel clips of the 1920s and 1930s, but are actually clever recreations, "aged" and scratched-up Citizen Kane-style by special-effects maestros Joel Hynick, Stuart Robinson and R. Greenberg Associates. An appropriately pompous narrator details the life and times of Leonard Zelig, whose overwhelming desire for conformity is manifested in his ability to take on the facial and vocal characteristics of whomever he happens to be around at the moment. He shows up at batting practice with Babe Ruth, among William Randolph Hearst's guests as San Simeon, side by side with Pope Pius at the Vatican, and peering anxiously over the shoulder of Adolf Hitler at the Nuremberg Rally. Becoming a celebrity in his own right, Zelig inspires a song, a dance craze, and a Warner Bros. biopic. Mia Farrow plays Dr. Eudora Fletcher , a psychiatrist who tries to "reach" Zelig and ultimately falls in love with him (all of Farrow's scenes are in black-and-white and allegedly culled from archive footage; Ellen Garrison, whose resemblance to Farrow is uncanny, plays the older Dr. Fletcher in the interview sequences). In the manner of Reds, the influence of the fictional Leonard Zelig on popular culture is discussed by such real-life notables as Susan Sontag, Irving Howe, Saul Bellow and Dr. Bruno Bettenheim.
Lookout|Scott Frank|"The Lookout" marks Academy Award (R)-nominated screenwriter Scott Frank's ("Out of Sight"), directorial debut. The intelligent crime drama is centered around Chris, a once promising high school athlete whose life is turned upside down following a tragic accident. As he tries to maintain a normal life, he takes a job as a janitor at a bank where he ultimately finds himself caught up in a planned heist.
Les Miserables 25Th Anniversary Concert|Laurence Connor|This concert, recorded to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the landmark musical +Les Miserables, gathers the casts of the show's 2010 original production at the Queen's Theatre, the 1985 original production by the London company, and the 2010 production at the Barbican together for one performance. Together with talents like Michael Ball, Hadley Fraser, and John Owen-Jones, the performers present the play's musical numbers in a semi-theatrical style, fully costumed and with all the emotion of the musical's heyday.
Magnum Opus|Kevin Elliott|An army veteran who has become an artist sees the dark secrets from his fighting past come back to haunt him. Eventually, they bring him up against government retaliation.
Assassination Tango|Robert Duvall|John J. is deeply devoted to his girlfriend, Maggie, and to her young daughter, Jenny. He is also passionate about dancing, a talent he hones at local Brooklyn dance halls. But his skill on the dance floor seems incongruous with his profession--John is a hit man, and a very good one. Hired to assassinate an Argentine general in Buenos Aires, John is met in Argentina by Miguel, who takes him to the home of a couple whose son the general had killed. But John isn't interested in pathos or politics. As he says, "There's two sides to every story." He just wants to do his job, do it well, get paid, and get home. But when the General unexpectedly delays his return to Buenos Aires, John's neat plans are trashed. Angry, alone, and with nothing to do until the General's return, John explores the city and soon discovers the rich and mysterious world of the tango. Enthralled, he watches the dancers in the clubs moving with a spellbinding combination of fire and ice, passion and precision. He is hooked and begins to insinuate himself into the life of Manuela, a charming, brilliant dancer who becomes his teacher and guide into the world of this new dance. Vacillating between his profession and newfound passion, John finally is able to complete his hit, only to find out the vengeful military has tightened national security like a noose. Spellbound by the rich and mysterious world Manuela has shown him, his idyll is shattered when the reality of why he's there comes crashing down around him. His chances of getting out of Argentina grow slim as he struggles to keep from being found and killed. As evading capture becomes ever more difficult and he finds himself alone with no one to trust, John desperately tries to find a way out of South America and back home.
One Fine Day|Michael Hoffman|Jack is a reporter who's work occupies 100% of his time. Melanie is a busy architect who is trying to hide her kid from her boss. When Jack flubs his mission to get the kids on a school day-trip, Jack and Melanie must look after the kids together.
Bulletproof Monk|Paul Hunter|A monk and a pickpocket become unlikely allies in this action adventure story. Sixty years ago, a nameless monk (Chow Yun-Fat) was appointed the guardian of a mysterious scroll that grants remarkable powers to those who possess it. After six decades of traveling the world to protect the scroll, the monk must find someone new to assume the responsibility, but as fate would have it, the new caretaker turns out to be Kar (Seann William Scott), a scruffy and distinctly non-enlightened petty thief living in San Francisco. As the monk attempts to educate Kar in the powers and responsibilities of the scroll and the ways of a monk's life, they discover they have a rival for the possession of the valuable scroll. As Kar and the monk fend off their mysterious adversary, they are aided by Bad Girl (Jaime King), a beautiful Russian mob affiliate with amazing martial arts skills and a vested interest in keeping the scroll in virtuous hands. Bulletproof Monk was based a comic book series published in 1999; Chow Yun-Fat's frequent collaborators John Woo and Terence Chang produced.
Olivers Story|John Korty|After the death of his lover, a young man falls into a deep depression. This self-pitying funk only lifts when he falls in love with a beautiful heiress, but even then he fears that this new romance may also be doomed. This maudlin melodrama was the sequel to Love Story.
Honky Tonk Freeway|John Schlesinger|In this involved send-up of two American icons -- the automobile and the tourist trap -- the tiny Florida town of Ticlaw strives desperately for success after it has been denied the most essential of all tourist amenities -- a freeway exit. The insane, and mostly successful, schemes of the mayor (William Devane) and other distinctly unbalanced citizens interrupt, often hilariously, the lives of various eccentric travellers forced into a place they never intended to be. Critics disagree violently on whether this is a neglected classic or sophomoric nonsense. The winning record of director (John Schlesinger) (Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man, Cold Comfort Farm, etc.,) and first-class performances by William Devane, Beau Bridges, Beverly D'Angelo, Hume Cronyn, JessicaTandy and a plethora of great character actors -- not to mention the water-skiing elephant and the wild rhino -- argue that it's worth a look.
Hurricane|Norman Jewison|In 1966, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was a top-ranked middleweight boxer whom many fight fans expected to become world champion. When three people were shot to death in a bar in Paterson, New Jersey, Carter and his friend John Artis, driving home from another club in Paterson, were stopped and questioned by police. Although the police asserted that Carter and Artis "were never suspects," a man named Alfred Bello, himself a suspect in the killings, claimed that Carter and Artis were present at the time of the murders. On the basis of Bello's testimony, Carter and Artis were convicted of murder, and Carter was given three consecutive life sentences. Throughout the trial, Carter proclaimed his innocence, saying that his African-American race and work as a civil rights activist were the real reasons for his conviction. In 1974, Bello and Arthur Bradley, who also claimed that Carter was present at the scene of the crimes, recanted their testimony, but Carter and Artis were reconvicted. In the early 1980s, Brooklyn teenager Lesra Martin worked with a trio of Canadian activists to push the State of New Jersey to reinvestigate Carter's case; in 1985, a Federal District Court ruled that the prosecution in Carter's second trial committed "grave constitutional violations" and that his conviction was based on racism rather than facts. Carter was finally freed, and he summed up his story by saying, "Hate got me into this place, love got me out." The Hurricane is based on Carter's incredible true story and stars Denzel Washington as Carter, Vicellous Shannon as Lesra Martin, and John Hannah, Liev Schreiber and Deborah Unger as the Canadian activists. Veteran filmmaker Norman Jewison directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Cant Buy Me Love|Steve Rash|Ronald Miller is tired of being a nerd and makes a deal with one of the most popular girls in school to help him break into the "cool" clique. He offers her $1,000 to pretend to be his girlfriend for a month. It succeeds, but he soon learns that the price of popularity may be higher than he expected.
In The Mood|Phil Alden Robinson|Patrick Dempsey stars in this biography of Sonny Wisecarver, the notorious "Woo Woo Kid," a teen who gained fame during World War II over his affairs with older women.
24 Hour Party People|Michael Winterbottom|Spanning from the 1970's to early 1990's, this is the story of the Manchester music scene... Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by an unknown band called the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records and the Hacienda Club, and bands like Joy Division, New Order, and the Happy Mondays emerge to change the industry forever.
The Kid|Jon Turteltaub|If you could talk to the child that you used to be, what advice would you give him? That question forms the basis of this comic fantasy. Forty-year-old Russ Duritz (Bruce Willis) is a wealthy and powerful "image consultant" who has made a career out of telling people how to present themselves. But while he's a success in business, he's a failure in life; he's vain, mean-spirited, and hasn't been able to hold onto a marriage (or even a pet dog). One day, Russ is startled to meet Rusty (Spencer Breslin), a stocky kid whom he soon realizes is himself at the age of eight, having passed through a wrinkle in time. Young Rusty doesn't seem much happier than the grown-up Russ, so the older man takes his younger self under his wing and tries to teach him how to avoid the mistakes he's made, while Rusty encourages Russ to be a more caring human being. Along the way, Russ and Rusty become friends, and realize how much they can learn from each other. Disney's The Kid also stars Jean Smart as one of Russ' clients, Lily Tomlin as his assistant, and Daniel Von Bargen as his father. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Meatballs Iii|George Mendeluk|In this second sequel of the series, a dead porno star (Sally Kellerman) must help a geeky teenager (Patrick Dempsey) lose his virginity before she will be allowed into heaven.
In A Shallow Grave|Kenneth Bowser|After World War II vet Garnet Montrose (Michael Biehn) returns from battle horribly disfigured, he enlists a drifter (Patrick Dempsey) to act as a go-between between him and his fiancée (Maureen Mueller).
America Imagine The World Without Her 2014|John Sullivan|Someone once observed: "America is great because she is good; if she ever ceases to be good she will cease to be great." Today that notion of the essential goodness of America is under attack, replaced by another story in which theft and plunder are seen as the defining features of American history-from the theft of Native American and Mexican lands and the exploitation of African labor to a contemporary foreign policy said to be based on stealing oil and a capitalist system that robs people of their "fair share". (c) Official Site
St Vincent|Ted Melfi|Maggie (McCarthy), a single mother, moves into a new home in Brooklyn with her 12-year old son, Oliver (Lieberher). Forced to work long hours, she has no choice but to leave Oliver in the care of their new neighbor, Vincent (Murray), a retired curmudgeon with a penchant for alcohol and gambling. An odd friendship soon blossoms between the improbable pair. Together with a pregnant stripper named Daka (Watts), Vincent brings Oliver along on all the stops that make up his daily routine - the race track, a strip club, and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver grow to become a man, while Oliver begins to see in Vincent something that no one else is able to: a misunderstood man with a good heart. (C) Weinstein
Happy Together|Mel Damski|When freshman Chris (Patrick Dempsey) arrives at his university dormitory, he is shocked to discover that his assigned roommate Alex is actually a woman, Alexandra (Helen Slater).
Sugartime|John N. Smith|This tawdry drama is based on the allegedly true-life love affair between notorious mafioso Sam Giancana and chanteuse Phyllis McGuire.
Dieppe|John N. Smith|Originally broadcast in Canada, this war drama tells the true story of how over 900 Canadian soldiers bravely sacrificed their lives in an attempt and take the French coastal town of Dieppe back from the Nazis. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
City Of Gold 2016|Laura Gabbert|In this richly penetrating documentary odyssey, Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us a Los Angeles where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America. Combing through colorful neighborhoods in his green pickup truck, Gold is sniffing out his next strip-mall discovery-whether Oaxacan grasshopper soup, hand-cut tonkotsu ramen, or a particularly unctuous pad see ew. As piping-hot platters are served up, so are stories of immigrants whose secret family recipes are like sacred offerings pledged for the opportunity to build their American Dream. With eternal curiosity, razor-sharp intellect, and existential longing, Gold is a culinary geographer taking us where no critic has gone before.
Prisoner Of Zenda|John Cromwell|Ronald Colman stars in David O. Selznick's classic production of Anthony Hope's swashbuckling adventure. The film takes place in a mythical Central European kingdom with Colman in a dual role as King Rudolf V and Rudolph Rassendyl, a visitor from England who's a distant cousin to the prince. Arriving in the city of Strelsau, the inhabitants are startled by Rudolph's resemblance to the prince. Spotted by two of the prince's aides, Captain Fritz von Tarlenheim (David Niven) and Colonel Zapt (C. Aubrey Smith), the Englishman is taken to meet the prince at his hunting lodge. The two lookalikes have dinner together as the prince tells Rudolph of the preparations for his upcoming coronation as king. The next morning, Zapt wakes Rudolph and informs him the prince had been drugged the night before and is now in a coma. Because of their similar appearance, Zapt prevails upon Rudolph to impersonate the prince at the coronation, otherwise the prince's evil brother Black Michael (Raymond Massey) will be crowned in his place. With the assistant of Zapt and von Tarlenheim, Rudolph bluffs his way through the coronation, successfully fooling Michael, who is shocked to see his brother alive. Crowned king, Rudolph then meets Princess Flavia (Madeleine Carroll), the prince's fiancee. As they proceed to the reception, Princess Flavia is amazed how kindly the prince is now treating her. Rudolph is falling in love with her, but Michael suspects something foul and dispatches Rupert of Hentzau (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) to investigate the matter further, preparing to gain control of the throne at any cost.
Ziegfeld Follies|Vincente Minnelli|In this film, we meet the legendary showman Flo Ziegfeld in Paradise, where he looks down upon the world and muses over the sort of show he'd be putting on were he still alive. His "dream" show is populated almost exclusively by MGM stars.
Offside|Jafar Panahi|Six Iranian girls disguise themselves as boys in order to enter Tehran's Azadi Stadium to watch the 2006 World Cup Asian zone qualifier between Iran and Bahrain. However, their presence is discovered and they are arrested one by one.
Namesake|Mira Nair|"The Namesake" is the story of the Ganguli family whose move from Calcutta to New York evokes a lifelong balancing act to meld to a new world without forgetting the old. Although parents Ashoke and Ashima long for the family and culture that enveloped them in India, they take great pride in the opportunities their sacrifices have afforded their children. Paradoxically, their son Gogol is torn between finding his own unique identity without losing his heritage. Even Gogol's name represents the family's journey into the unknown.
Twilight Watch|Timur Bekmambetov|A sequel of the night watch series.
Breaking The Waves|Lars von Trier|With Breaking The Waves, director Lars von Trier fashions an often disturbing tale of the singular power of love. Bess (the Oscar-nominated Emily Watson) is a naïve, borderline simple young woman who lives in a Scottish coastal town ruled by the religious doctrine of its council of elders. Recovering from a mental breakdown caused by the death of her brother, Bess marries a rough yet compassionate and attentive oil rig worker named Jan (Stellan Skarsgård). For a brief time, the couple enjoys peaceful wedded bliss, with the worldly Jan introducing Bess to the mysteries of sex. Jan must soon return to his job on the rig, however, where he is paralyzed from the neck down in a freak accident. Bess' emotional trauma over Jan's injury turns into obsession as she prays to God for his recovery and offers to do anything to have her husband back whole. Jan, constantly medicated and profoundly depressed, asks Bess to have sex with other men and tell him about it, thinking this will allow her to return to a normal life. Bess, on the other hand, sees it as an expression of her devotion to Jan that even God won't be able to ignore. Bess's resultant downward spiral leads to a finale of both tragedy and spirituality. Breaking the Waves is widely regarded as one of the most distinctive European movies of the 1990s, marking von Trier's movement toward his influential Dogma 95 school of filmmaking, which emphasizes realistic situations of contemporary life, filmed without background music and with a hand-held, restlessly moving camera. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi
The St Louis Kid|Ray Enright|James Cagney manages to retain his pre-Code cockiness within post-Code limitations in the likeable St. Louis Kid. Cagney and Allen Jenkins, Eddie Kennedy, and Buck Willetts play long-distance truck drivers who get entangled in a battle between a crooked trucking firm and striking milk farmers (a plot thread based on actual events). When one of the dairymen is killed by a hired goon, Eddie is accused of the crime. He breaks out of jail to track down the real killer then has to rescue his girlfriend Ann (Patricia Ellis), who's been kidnapped by henchmen of the truck company. It takes a bit of clever brainwork between Eddie and Buck, but our hero manages to flummox the bad guys and rescue the girl. James Cagney's sheer star power is such that the audience is willing to forgive the fact that, in the early passages of the film, his character is nothing more or less than a "scab." St. Louis Kid is the picture in which Cagney, tired of playing characters who settle differences with their fists, hit upon the novel idea of incapacitating his screen rivals by butting his forehead against theirs, knocking them cold without laying a hand on them!
Being Human|Bill Forsyth|Five fables, each set in a different historical era, make up this quirky comedy from director Bill Forsyth. Each tale features Robin Williams as a basically decent but troubled average man named Hector. Beginning with the Bronze Age, where Hector struggles for survival against barbarians, the film proceeds through Roman times, the Middle Ages, and the 16th century, concluding in the present day, where Hector is a divorced father attempting to reconcile with his children. The film clearly intends to draw parallels between these stories in order to illustrate the universal nature of human experience, though the segments themselves vary widely in tone, from broadly comic to philosophically reflective. Additionally, some may find the film's attempts at creating a fantasy atmosphere rather cloying, while others may be charmed by the project's determined oddness and whimsicality. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
Barney Thomson|Robert Carlyle|Barney is a hapless barber, devoid of charm and 'patter' as his fellow barbering brethren mockingly remind him. Barney's mediocre, mundane life of plotting for a way up is about to be transformed, following a typically incompetent fit of pique, when he inadvertently stumbles into serial murder, and with it headlong into the trail of a grotesque series of killings gripping Glasgow. As he makes ham-fisted attempts to cover his tracks, he finds himself on the run from the bearish Detective Inspector Holdall and a testosterone-driven local Police task force at each others throats over the ongoing crimes. With his sanity threatening to unravel, Barney fatefully turns to his domineering, emasculating mother, the formidable Glaswegian 'good-time girl', Cemolina. There's no turning back now and the path that lies ahead for Barney may yet be littered with more murderous consequences than he could have ever anticipated.
Face|Antonia Bird|Five Cockney crooks attempt to steal $3million from a West London Security firm, but they only come away with $500,000. This darkly comic crime drama follows what happens when one treacherous gang member steals the shares of the others and then hides it in a police station.
Colliding Dreams|Joseph Dorman|COLLIDING DREAMS recounts the dramatic history of one of the most controversial, and urgently relevant political ideologies of the modern era. The century-old conflict in the Middle East continues to play a central role in world politics. And yet, amidst this fierce, often-lethal controversy, the Zionist idea of a homeland for Jews in the land of ancient Israel remains little understood and its meanings often distorted. COLLIDING DREAMS addresses that void with a gripping exploration of Zionism's meaning, history and future.
Break Up|Peyton Reed|A once-loving Chicago couple whose happily-ever-after quickly turned into a never-again finds their crumbling romance complicated when both parties refuse to move out of the pair's recently purchased condo. The Break-Up is a romantic comedy that starts where all the others end. The future once looked promising for thirtysomething couple Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn), but lately it seems like a series of increasingly petty and intolerable squabbles have snuffed any semblance of romance in their relationship. Their confrontation endlessly fueled by mean-spirited suggestions of revenge tactics from friends and family and their stubborn refusal to budge resulting in an excruciating stalemate, Brooke and Gary ultimately decide to spitefully stick it out as hostile roommates until the weaker party eventually admits defeat. As the competition to drive one another out grows increasingly intense and outrageous, however, Brooke eventually comes to the realization that she's not fighting for possession of the condominium as much as she is fighting to salvage her relationship with the man she once viewed as the love of her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
16 Blocks|Richard Donner|A hard-drinking, hard-living cop assigned the task of transporting a small-time criminal to the nearby courthouse finds that a simple, 16-block drive can be the longest ride of his life in director Richard Donner's urban action thriller. Hung-over, has-been cop Jack Mosley (Bruce Willis) has seen better days, and all that the force expects out of him these days is to stay out of trouble while he's on the clock. Eddie Bunker (Mos Def) is set to testify before a grand jury at 10:00 a.m., and it's up to Mosely to make sure that Bunker makes it to the courthouse in one piece -- a job that Mosely estimates will take a maximum of 15 minutes. A black van has been trailing the pair unnoticed, though, and after stopping off at a nearby liquor store to pick up some breakfast, Mosely emerges from the store just in time to save Eddie from the lethal bullet of a determined assassin. When backup arrives in the form of Detective Frank Nugent (David Morse), Mosely quickly realizes that the detective on Nugent's team is the same cop that Bunker is set to testify against. Now faced with the tough task of dodging bullets and eluding a massive onslaught of corrupt cops, Mosely must keep Bunker alive long enough to get him before the judge and ensure that justice is served. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Everything Is Illuminated|Liev Schreiber|Tale of a young man's quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukrainian town that was wiped off the map by the Nazi invasion. What starts out as a journey to piece together one family's story under the most absurd circumstances turns into a surprisingly meaningful journey with a powerful series of revelations -- the importance of remembrance, the perilous nature of secrets, the legacy of the Holocaust, the meaning of friendship and, most importantly, love.
Sea Inside|Alejandro Amenábar|Two of the most talented figures in contemporary Spanish cinema -- actor Javier Bardem and director Alejandro Amenábar -- collaborate for this powerful drama, based on a true story. Ramón Sampedro (Javier Bardem) was a fisherman and part-time poet who, at the age of 26, suffered an accident while diving that left him a bedridden quadriplegic. Now 54, Ramón must depend on his family to survive -- his macho brother José (Celso Bugallo), José's wife, Manuela (Mabel Rivera), and their son, Javi (Tamar Novas). While grateful to his family and friends for their help, Ramón was always an active person, and as the years wore on, he has come to see his life as frustrating and pointless and wishes to die with what remains of his dignity. José, however, is bitterly opposed to the notion of assisted suicide, and Spanish laws would implicate anyone who helped Ramón end his own life, which is something Ramón does not want to do. Through Gené (Carla Segura), a friend who works with a "Right to Die" organization, Ramón is introduced to Julia (Belen Rueda), a lawyer he hopes will help him persuade the courts to let him end his own life. Julia is dealing with her own mortality issues since being diagnosed with a degenerative disease, and Ramón hopes her condition will make her arguments more persuasive. As Ramón and Julia work together on his case and help to prepare a book of his poems for publication, Ramón finds himself falling in love with his attorney, who happens to be married, but while his infatuation gives Julia second thoughts about the case, Ramón remains convinced that the greatest gift to him would be an end to his life. Javier Bardem's performance in The Sea Inside (aka Mar Adentro) earned him the Best Actor award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival.
Hero|Yimou Zhang|Hero is two-time Academy Award nominee Zhang Yimou's directorial attempt at exploring the concept of a Chinese hero. During the peak of their Warring States period, China was divided into seven kingdoms all fighting for supremacy. Most determined to dominate China was the kingdom of Qin, whose king (Chen Daoming) was wholly obsessed with becoming the first emperor of China. Though he was an assassination target for many, none of his would-be killers inspired as much fear as the legendary assassins Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Sky (Donnie Yen). In hopes of thwarting his death, the king has promised endless wealth and power to anyone who defeats his would-be murderers. No results come until ten years later, when a man called Nameless (Jet Li) brings the weapons of the three assassins to the Qin king's palace. Nameless claims to be an expert swordsman who had defeated Sky and destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword by using their love for one another against them. Once Nameless comes face to face with the king, however, it looks as if the situation is more complicated than he had thought. Also featured in Hero is actress Zhang Ziyi (The Road Home, Crouching Tiger, Hiden Dragon) as Broken Sword's devoted servant, Moon.
Boesman And Lena|John Berry|Angela Bassett and Danny Glover star in this gripping film adaptation of Athol Fugard's renowned play. Though written during the apex of apartheid and first staged in 1970, director John Berry downplays the work's historical background and strips the play of its poetic symbolism, lending the film a raw, universal quality. The film opens with stock footage of shantytowns being flattened by bulldozers followed by the two titular characters carrying what they can on their backs and heads. Recalling the tortured human bonds seen in such productions as Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf? and Waiting for Godot, Boesman (Glover) and Lena (Bassett) are a couple united by pain and grief. Stopping at some god-forsaken roadside wasteland for the night, Lena spends much of the first half of the film heaping verbal abuse on her husband, while Boesman doggedly tries to jerry-rig some shelter to protect against the cold of the night. This dynamic changes went an elderly African tribesman shows up. Boesman scorns the old man, while Lena invites him to sit at their campfire. This film, which was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, was the last film that noted director John Berry made before his death on November 29, 1999.
Unfinished Song|Paul Andrew Williams|UNFINISHED SONG is the funny and uplifting story of Arthur (Terence Stamp), a curmudgeon old soul perfectly content with sticking to his dull daily routine until his beloved wife (Vanessa Redgrave) introduces him to a spirited local singing group led by the youthful and charming Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). This unexpected friendship and his discovery of music revitalizes Arthur's passion for new adventures and shows us all life should be celebrated at any age. (c) Weinstein
Shaft In Africa|John Guillermin|This is the third entry in the Shaft series. This time the tough New York gumshoe heads for the Dark Continent to expose a ring of modern-day slavers.
The World Of Drunken Master|Joseph Kuo|In this vintage martial arts action picture, vintner Chang Chi catches Fan Ta-pei and Su Hua-tzu red-handed as they steal grapes from his supplies. To make good for what they've stolen, Chang Chi puts them to work in his winery, and soon discovers they both have a natural talents for the martial arts. Chang begins coaching them in the finer points of Kung Fu, and one day when Fan Ta-pei and Su Hua-tzu see a thug named Yeh Hu harassing the townspeople, they stand up to the bully, only to discover he outpaces them as a fighter. Chang Chi arrives in time to save the day, but this rekindles an old rivalry between him and Yeh Hu, and now Fan Ta-pei and Su Hua-tzu must get serious about their martial arts studies to protect Chang Chi and the villagers from Yeh Hu and his minions. The World Of Drunken Master stars Jack Lung, Fei Lung, and Yuen Siu Tin. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
In Prison My Whole Life|Marc Evans|Since his incarceration in 1982 for allegedly shooting a Philadelphia policeman to death, Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal has awaited execution on Death Row, vociferously protesting his innocence; he now qualifies as one of the most famous Death Row inmates in the world. Currently an author of five tomes and an on-air personality who broadcasts over the phone from prison, Abu-Jamal carries the support of no less than Nelson Mandela and the administrators of Amnesty International, who believe in and fervently argue his innocence. Filmmaker Marc Evans's documentary In Prison My Whole Life witnesses William Francome, a British man who was born on the same day as the shooting, traveling to the prison where Abu-Jamal is held to investigate the details of the man's case. The film witnesses Francome learning about the initial events of that terrible night that led to Abu-Jamal's arrest and conviction, the allegations that the trial itself was unfair, and the city where it all happened - and investigating the moral and ethical dilemmas that have turned Abu-Jamal into a touchstone for the global crusade against capital punishment. Participants include belletrist Alice Walker, social activist Noam Chomsky and rapper Snoop Dogg.
The Owl And The Pussycat 1970|Herbert Ross|The Owl and the Pussycat began life as a two-character Broadway play by Bill Manhoff, about a stuffy author who entered into an explosive relationship with his neighbor, a foulmouthed, freewheeling prostitute. Manhoff wrote the part of the hooker for a black actress, but all that changed when Barbra Streisand was cast in the role for the film version. George Segal portrays the male lead, and the play's two-character austerity was expanded to a cast of 19 speaking parts. Beyond the added characters (including Robert Klein as Segal's swinging roommate), the heart and soul of the film is the Segal-Streisand relationship; he is utterly appalled by her lifestyle, she is turned off by his prudishness, and both are made for each other. The Owl and the Pussycat was adapted for the screen by Buck Henry, who shows up in a cameo role in one of the bookstore scenes. The film represented the last work of cinematographer Harry Stradling, who'd previously photographed Streisand in Funny Girl; Stradling died during production, and was replaced by Ernest Laszlo.
The Preppie Murder|John Herzfeld|Based on a true story, The Preppie Murder begins on August 26, 1986. This was the day that 18-year-old Jennifer Levin (Lara-Flynn Boyle) was strangled to death in Central Park. The prime suspect, Jennifer's 19-year-old boyfriend Robert Chambers (William Baldwin), confesses to the crime. The well-to-do young man insists that the killing was accidental; he claims that it occurred during a "rough sex" session that Jennifer had inaugurated. The ensuing media frenzy forces the old "she asked for it" defense to rear its ugly head. The Preppie Murder's attempts at fairness caused a great deal of critical turmoil when the film first aired on September 24, 1989.
September 11|Samira Makhmalbaf|In the aftermath of the tragedies on September 11, 2001, the French film company Studio Canal called upon a group of filmmakers, representing various regions of the world, to address the scope of the situation in however broad or intimate a context as they saw fit. The one guideline they were given was that no one film could exceed 11 minutes, nine seconds, and one frame. The resulting omnibus film, 11'09"01, showed at festivals around the world the following year and garnered a theatrical release in 2003. Each filmmaker's entry takes a different approach: French director Claude Lelouch tells the tale of a World Trade Center tour guide who is on the verge of a breakup with his deaf girlfriend when the terrorist attacks hit; similarly, Hollywood actor-director Sean Penn chronicles the lonely existence of an old man living not far from the Twin Towers. Egyptian director Youssef Chahine and British social realist filmmaker Ken Loach created the most controversy with their entries, which, respectively, address the points-of-view of a suicide bomber and of a Chilean who recalls the brutal coup funded by the United States in his country on September 11, 1973. Alejandro González Iñárritu's piece is the most abstract, taking images from television on the day of the attacks and cutting them with selected bursts of sound. Samira Makhmalbaf, Danis Tanovic, and Idrissa Ouedraogo all tell small-scale stories of the effects of the attacks on tiny villages in Iran, Serbia, and Burkina Faso, respectively.
Letters To Santa A Muppets Christmas|Kirk R. Thatcher|The Muppets meet mayhem once again after accidentally intercepting three letters en route to the North Pole. Before long, the Muppet gang has put aside their own holiday vacation plans and set off to find Santa Claus in hopes of putting the letters in the hands they were intended for before it's too late. Among the guest stars are Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Griffiths, Jane Krakowski, Uma Thurman, Nathan Lane, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
To Grandmothers House We Go|Jeff Franklin|When two young twins decide to go to Grandmother's house, they take off on an adventure they're not likely to forget.
Letters From A Killer|David Carson|A man struggles to resolve a potentially deadly case of mistaken identity in this thriller. Though he stubbornly insists he is innocent, Race Darnell (Patrick Swayze) is sentenced to a term in prison for the murder of his wife. While behind bars, he begins corresponding through tape-recorded "letters" with several women at once; he mistakenly sends the wrong letter to the wrong woman one day and gets a recording back in which he angrily claims she is going to kill him. Race soon has other things to think about; he's finally cleared of his wife's murder and is released from jail, only to be accused of two other killings. Race is determined to prove he's not the man to blame, and this time he has the help of the guard who used to watch over him.
Herman Usa 2001|Bill Semans|In the tiny town of Herman, Minnesota, the ratio of single women to single men is staggering. The farming community is just about overflowing with unmarried, middle aged men who finally decide that they're sick of the bachelor lifestyle, so they organize a town festival as a means to attract potential mates. Little do the fellas know, however, that their plan will be almost too effective, bringing in droves of ladies from all over the country. Crazy, hilarious, and surprisingly touching, the romantic comedy that unfolds for this group of small-town bachelors leaves all their lives changed forever.
Bound By Lies|Valerie Landsburg|In this crime thriller with a kinky undertow, police detective Max Garret (Stephen Baldwin) is a cop with a habit of doing things his own way -- so much so that he's just coming off of a six-month suspension for disregarding orders. Garret's first case after returning to active duty is looking into the death of a drug addict who jumped off the roof of a building. However, as Garret and his partner, Eddie Fulton (Charles Malik Whitfield), dig deeper into the matter, they discover links to a series of murders. The victim jumped from the roof of a loft owned by Laura Cross (Kristy Swanson), a photographer who specializes in disturbing erotic images; as Garret questions Cross, he finds himself increasingly attracted to her and he soon falls into an affair with her, but Fulton suspects her involvement in the death is hardly casual -- and unlike Garret, he has a close familiarity with her notorious past. Bound by Lies was produced and briefly distributed under the title Betrayed.
Loudmouth Soup|Adam Watstein|A couple finds that breaking into the Hollywood elite is harder than they ever imagined in this improvised, independent comedy of manners. Loudmouth Soup takes place over the course of a long dinner party thrown by Jason (Joe Mellis) and Catherine (Melanie Chapman), a married couple from New York whose recent feature-film effort landed them some buzz at Sundance. Now relocated to L.A., the pair throw a dinner part for some potential investors, including producer Charlie (Kevin Chamberlin), ambitious actress Blake (Nancy Bell), and surprisingly, Blake's superstar boyfriend, Sam (Michael James Reed). Blind-sided by the A-list guest, each diner tries to cozy up to the money man to try to attain some cash and credibility for his or her next project. The action in Loudmouth Soup was captured in near real time by a handful of video cameras; director Adam Watstein would provide plot suggestions to the performers when they walked off-camera.
Die Hard With A Vengeance|John McTiernan|Bruce Willis returns as misfit cop John McClane in the third film in the Die Hard series. McClane has fallen on hard times; after moving to New York City and breaking up with his wife, he's developed a drinking problem and has been suspended from the NYPD. However, his past comes back to haunt him in the form of Simon (Jeremy Irons), a terrorist bomber who has been using McClane as his contact as he plants a series of bombs in public places and gives McClane inane "clues" to their whereabouts in the form of riddles and bizarre games. McClane soon discovers he's been involved in Simon's scheme as part of a personal grudge; while associated with an international terrorist group, Simon is also the brother of the man McClane threw off the side of a skyscraper several years back (in the original Die Hard). Now McClane, with the help of a Harlem shopkeeper named Zeus (Samuel L. Jackson), has to find out where Simon has planted the bombs, guess where he'll strike next, and try to find his base of operations before more bombs go off and thousands of people die. The supporting cast features Graham Greene and Colleen Camp; singer Sam Phillips made her acting debut as a member of Simon's terrorist group (Phillips never speaks, so as to not to reveal her Texas accent). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Station Agent|Tom McCarthy|When his only friend dies, Finbar McBride moves to an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey, to live the life of a hermit. His attempt at solitude is soon interrupted, however, by interactions with his neighbors, including Olivia, a struggling artist coping with the recent death of her young son, and Joe, a thirty-year-old with a talent for cooking and an insatiable hunger for conversation--whether anyone wants to talk to him or not.
The Eddie Black Story|Shawn Baker|A street smart college freshman becomes trapped in a world of crime after falling back in with a troubled childhood friend who's second in command of a violent street gang. Eddie Black (Daniel Phillip) is an honor role student who dreams of becoming a lawyer. But Eddie has a pain in his heart, and that pain draws him to Psycho (Fredro Starr), a high-ranking member of the Decepticons. Subsequently ensnared in a dangerous web of lies, murder, and betrayal, Eddie discovers that his only hope of escaping the past may be to accept the love of his concerned childhood sweetheart.
Church Ball|Kurt Hale|High spiritual ideals don't quite mesh with the spirit of competition in this sports comedy. In the 1920s, the leaders of the Church of Latter Day Saints began encouraging their congregations to form basketball teams and church leagues as a way to promote fitness, wholesome fun, and teamwork among Mormon youth. However, the downside of this plan was the rise of wildly competitive teams who were a lot more interested in winning at all costs than good sportsmanship. In the 1970s, Bishop Linderman (Fred Willard) has been watching his Mud Lake basketball team get trounced in the Church League championships for nearly two decades, which doesn't sit well with him. Linderman used to be Mud Lake's coach before we was banned from the game for fighting, and with the team facing another losing season, he appoints a new man, Dennis Buckstead (Andrew Wilson), to lead Mud Lake on the court. When LDS elders announce that they're putting an end to church ball and the upcoming season will be the last, the pressure is on Buckstead to bring home a championship for Mud Lake's final season. But with a team comprised of myopic clerk Gene (Clint Howard), rotund Don (Chad Long), timid Thurman (Steve Anderson), half-pint car salesman Charles (Gary Coleman), short-tempered Mickey (Ross Brockley), and Borat (Sina Amedson), an immigrant who knows soccer far better than basketball, Buckstead's prospects are not very good. Not wanting to disappoint Linderman, Buckstead tries to recruit a pair of ringers for the Mud Lake team -- Moses Mahoney (Thurl Bailey), a seven-foot-tall prodigy who teaches sports to underprivileged kids, and Jeremiah Jones (Stan Ellsworth), a fierce player who may be just a bit too competitive. Church Ball was directed by Kurt Hale and released through Halestorm Entertainment, a leading producer of LDS-oriented films.
Life Support|Nelson George|Produced by Jamie Foxx for HBO, this drama stars Queen Latifah as Ana a woman struggling to maintain a happy life despite being HIV-positive. Though her home-life seems happy with a loving husband and young daughter, Ana remains haunted by a past that produced Kelly (Rachel Nicks), a resentful estranged older daughter who now lives with Ana's mother. Juxtaposed with Ana's healthy approach to life with HIV is Amare (Evan Ross), a friend of Kelly's who uses narcotics to deal with the disease. Life Support screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Dark Matter|Chen Shi-Zheng|Inspired by actual events, director Chen Shi-Zheng's socially conscious psychological drama follows the journey of an ambitious Chinese scientist working towards his Ph.D. in America, only to be marginalized to the extent that he ultimately loses his way. All Liu Xing (Liu Ye) ever wanted was to study the origins of the universe at a Western university. Upon arriving at the school, Liu immediately rents a modest apartment with a few other Chinese students and begins flirting with the pretty American who works at the local coffee shop. Personally welcomed into Department Head Jacob Reiser's (Aidan Quinn) select cosmology group, Liu remains dedicated to his studies and optimistic about the future. Things continue to look up as Liu becomes close with wealthy university patron Johanna Silver (Meryl Streep) after the two become acquainted at an orientation for foreigners sponsored by a local church. Eventually, Liu becomes Reiser's protégé, and makes a sizable impression at a prestigious conference attended by the pair. But attitudes start to shift when Liu's studies in dark matter come into direct conflict with his mentor's prominent theories and well-established studies. His excitement about a potential breakthrough causes him to ignore repeated warnings that he must pay his dues, and Liu's findings are eventually eclipsed by that of more studious fellow student Laurence. Determined to have his studies published, Liu goes behind Reiser's back, but he ultimately becomes the target of ire rather than accolades, with Johanna's naïve encouragement prompting him along a dangerous collision course. While Liu remains enamored with the concept of the American dream and optimistic about American science being a free market of ideas, he begins to grow dejected after his dissertation is rejected, the girl at the coffee shop blows him off, and his roommates all find lucrative jobs. Essentially left behind at the university, Liu rejects Johanna's offer for help and vows not to return home to disappointed parents. Now, as he coasts on the fumes of his unrealized dreams, the dishonored student prepares to lash out with one final act of devastating annihilation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Four Nights With Anna|Jerzy Skolimowski|A small town hospital worker who witnessed a brutal rape becomes obsessed with the victim after she lands a job as a nurse at the same hospital where he works, but how far will he go before he finally loses control? Leon Okrasa was there when a young woman named Anna was viciously violated. He works at a hospital in Poland, and when Anna is hired in as a nurse Leon soon finds his fixation taking over every aspect of his life. One night, after climbing into Anna's apartment though an open window, Leon sits on the edge of her bed, watching silently as she sleeps. What happens next only Leon can say.
Cookout|Lance Rivera|When Todd Anderson (Storm P) signs a 30-million-dollar contract with the New Jersey Nets after being named the number one NBA draft pick of the year, his mother (Jenifer Lewis) vows to prevent her son from forgetting his roots. Not used to balancing his new life with his old, Todd mistakenly invites family and friends from his old neighborhood to his multi-million-dollar house for a cookout on the same day of an important endorsement interview. Though his extravagant family cookouts were welcome at his old digs, Todd's stuffy new neighbors -- particularly the conservative Republican Judge Halsted Crowley (Danny Glover) -- are less than thrilled with the arrival of Todd's massive family. Complicating the situation further is the eccentric neighborhood security guard (Queen Latifah), who takes on the heady assignment of ensuring that none of the private community's rules are broken, as well as two thugs who, determined to get an autographed pair of sneakers, hold up the cookout at gunpoint. Directed by Lance Rivera, The Cookout also features performances from Ja Rule, Eve, Farrah Fawcett, and Jonathan Silverman.
Chasing Freedom|Don McBrearty|The drama Chasing Freedom stars Juliette Lewis as a crusading lawyer who attempts to earn a foreign women citizenship in the United States in order to save her from a dangerous situation in her native country.
Second Best 2004|Eric Weber|Writer Eric Weber (author of the infamous paperback How to Pick Up Girls) directs his screenplay Second Best. Set in New Jersey, the story concerns a group of fiftysomething men dealing with their feelings of inadequacy. Struggling writer Elliot (Joe Pantoliano) is the most desperate of the bunch, having failed in the publishing business and trying to finish writing a screenplay. The group prepares for a visit from their old childhood friend who is now a big-time Hollywood producer. Elliot hopes this visit will lead to bigger things in his own life. Also starring Boyd Gaines, Jennifer Tilly, and Bronson Pinchot, Second Best was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 as part of the American Spectrum competition.
Wrong Swipe|Matthew Leutwyler|A girl tries a dating app that matches users via GPS technology, but becomes fearful after she begins receiving disturbing messages and notifications that someone is close in proximity.
Killer Date|Matthew Leutwyler|A woman agrees to go on a date arranged online, but when she receives disturbing text messages she becomes fearful of every man she meets.
Out In Fifty|Bojesse Christopher|A recently released ex-con who served a prison term for murder sets about to live a crime-free life, only to be harassed and investigated by a deranged detective.
Emoticon |Livia De Paolis|Elena Gallenti (Livia De Paolis) is an anthropology graduate student struggling to compete her thesis on 'modern means of communication.' All that changes when she meets her new boyfriend's (Michael Cristofer) teenage kids (Miles Chandler and Diane Guerrero), who are going through their own journeys of self-discovery. Through these relationships and the help of her PhD advisor (Carol Kane), Elena comes to a better understanding of how to navigate love and intimacy in the digital age. Ultimately they develop a bond that strikes a balance between the old world and the new, and everyone's longing to find true emotional sense in both. (C) Indican
Crna Macka Beli Macor|Emir Kusturica|Bosnian-born filmmaker Emir Kusturica made this farce, set in a Gypsy settlement along the banks of the Danube, where three generations of characters burst forth in manic and frenetic displays of charm, confusion, and chaos. Garbage dump godfather Grga Pitic (Sabri Sulejman) and cement czar Zarije Destanov (Zabit Memedov), both in their 80s, remain friends even though they haven't seen each other in 25 years. Zarije's son Matko Destanov (Bajram Severdzan) goes to Grga for a loan. Matko is double-crossed by his partner, gypsy gangster Dadan Karambolo (Srdan Todorovic), who demands that Matko's son, Zare Destanov (Florijan Ajdini), marry Dadan's small sister, Afrodita (Salija Ibraimova). Unfortunately, Afrodita and Zare have absolutely no interest in each other. Cute barmaid Ida (Branka Katic) and Zare fall in love and only have eyes for each other as plans get underway for the wedding of Zare and Afrodite. The sudden death of Zarije seems to offer a solution, since no gypsy would have a wedding and a funeral on the same day. However, Dadan delays the death announcement by hiding Zarije, packed in ice, in the attic. The wedding celebration gets underway amid numerous madcap mishaps and misadventures. With a soundtrack of gypsy music and songs, the funny film features numerous non-professionals in the cast. Shown in competition at the 1998 Venice Film Festival and at the 1998 New York Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Mafia|Jim Abrahams|Satirist Jim Arahams returned with this comedy spoofing the Godfather trilogy, and other films and TV, including Jurassic Park, Lord of the Dance, and Barney. The opening emulates a Saul Bass sequence with Anthony Cortino (Jay Mohr) in a flight amid flames much like Robert De Niro in the Casino credits. After flashbacks go back in time to Sicily, Coppola/Scorsese references abound. Young Vincenzo (Jason Fuchs) travels to America to later become the clumsy chief of organized crime (with the late Lloyd Bridges as the aging Vincenzo) with his sons -- short-fused Joey (Billy Burke) and educated Anthony. Tony's WASP fiancee is Diane (Christina Applegate), recalling Diane Keaton in the Coppola films. During the wedding, assassins try to do away with Don Vincenzo, who's hospitalized, so Tony sets out to gain revenge for the murder attempt. In Vegas, Tony gets involved with showgirl Pepper (Pamela Gidley). When betrayals begin, can violence be far behind? This was Lloyd Bridges' final movie, and the film is dedicated to him.
Matchups 2003|Donahue Tuitt|Ian "Wonder Boy" Williams is legally blind in one eye, but that hasn't stopped him from becoming one of the most talented college basketball players in recent history. Tragedy strikes, however, when an accident causes him to lose sight in his other eye, rendering him completely blind. Shattered and searching for something to give his life meaning, Ian's spirit is lifted when the coaching staff of his former team is fired and the administration asks him to take the job. The team is below average and will require serious coaching to excel, but a coach with the setbacks that Ian carries might just be exactly what they need.
Altered|Eduardo S√°nchez|The Blair Witch Project co-creator Eduardo Sanchez returns to direct his first feature film since that 1999 forest-bound frightener that took the world of horror by storm with this shocker concerning a group of former alien abductees who seek vengeance against the malevolent extraterrestrials who kidnapped them fifteen years prior. It's been more than a decade since five hunters were swept out of the forest and into the night skies by a powerful otherworldly force, but only four of the lifelong friends ever found their way back to terra firma. In the wake of that inexplicable tragedy the remaining friends found their bond growing stronger than ever before. None of the men have ever forgotten about their long lost friend, or the trauma that they endured on that fateful night. Years later, upon capturing one of the very same creatures that caused all of their suffering, the four friends retreat into a remote forest compound to execute their long awaited revenge. To set the creature free would be to sign their own death warrants, and to kill it would almost certainly spell their doom as well. As the long night wears on and an impenetrable blackness once again washes over the darkened woods, the hunters realize that they only have a few hours left to decide the fate of the strange and menacing creature.
10006321|Scott Edmund Lane|A well-known level-one angel looking to reunite with his level-six soulmate strikes a special bargain with God in this heavenly comedy featuring some of the best-loved stars of the golden-era of cinema. George Burns (Frank Gorshin) is miserable in heaven. In addition to not being able to smoke his trademark cigars, level-one angel George is also forbidden from cavorting with his level-six love Gracie Allen (Amy Wieczorek). Upon bearing witness to the misery of his forlorn heavenly guest, God makes a proposal to George; save failing musician Steven "Shoomie" Schoomer (Scott Edmund Lane) from completely destroying his life and earn the status that will let him spend eternity with his beloved Gracie. When George arrives back on Earth, he finds Schoomie a commitment-phobic wedding musician with few prospects and little hope for the future. After encouraging Schoomie to make amends with former best friend Howie Gold (David Proval) and embark on a madcap mission to sell a stash of smuggled Cuban cigars, George's plan goes awry as everyone from stealthy assassin Shelleen (Gorshin playing in a dual role) to Fidel Castro himself show a curious interest in the mysterious cigars.
All The Money In The World 2017|Ridley Scott|ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son's captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son's life in the balance, Gail and Getty's advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.
The People V Leo Frank|Ben Loeterman|Writer/director Ben Loeterman draws on historical record to pen this semi-documentary about a Jewish engineer who became the tragic victim of mob justice after being accused of murdering an Atlanta child worker in 1913. When the body of thirteen year old Mary Phagan was discovered in the cellar of the National Pencil Company, suspicions quickly fell upon the manager of the factory, Leo Frank. After a speedy trial filled with inconsistencies and fueled by racial discrimination, Frank was given the death sentence. But this was far from the end of the story; concluding that the conviction was unjust after Frank's lawyers fought it straight to the Supreme Court, Georgia Governor John Slaton inadvertently sealed the fate of the accused by commuting his sentence to life in prison. Enraged, a group of 25 vigilantes who dubbed themselves "The Knights of Mary Phagan" kidnapped Frank from his cell at the state penitentiary, and hung him from a tree near his alleged victim's childhood home. Neither the guards at the prison nor the warden offered any resistance to the murderous mob. It was the first and only known lynching of a Jewish man on American soil.
B Side 2013|Amos Posner|Mike Zumsteg is a DJ for an underground internet radio station he helped found. April Simon is a fading popstar on what she expects to be the final tour of her career. When April writes in to Mike's show after he randomly makes a joke at her expense, the two end up meeting and forming an unlikely relationship. As she swings in and out of town, April is drawn into the lives of Mike and his roommates as they give her the sense of home she lost during her career. But when Mike learns his station is folding, and April's career takes a surprising turn toward a comeback, the mounting pressures of life threaten their idyllic New York romance.
Shes The Best Thing In It|Ron Nyswaner|Veteran character actor and Tony Award winner, Mary Louise Wilson, age 79, teaches her first acting class to skeptical members of the YouTube generation, smashing their red carpet illusions and challenging them to bring emotional honesty into their acting. Features interviews with Frances McDormand, Melissa Leo, Tyne Daly, Estelle Parsons, Valerie Harper and playwright Doug Wright, discussing what it means to be a character actor, whether acting can be taught, what constitutes 'talent,' and whether the profession is harder for women.
Andre Gregory Before And After Dinner|Cindy Kleine|ANDRE GREGORY: BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER is a wonderful exploration of the life and work of groundbreaking director, actor and artist Andre Gregory. A witty and often hilariously funny raconteur, Gregory looks back on a career that spanned decades, shattered boundaries and established him as a cultural icon. He recalls the making of MY DINNER WITH ANDRE, the Louis Malle-directed classic in which he starred and co-wrote, reflects on his pivotal role in American theatre, dishes on his brief sojourn in Hollywood, and talks about the discovery that led him to question his own identity and life's work. Bringing us back and forth in time, Gregory looks not only at his life, but at the nature of art, love and the creative process. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Cindy Kleine (who is also his wife), ANDRE GREGORY: BEFORE AND AFTER DINNER is a brilliant portrait of a modern renaissance man. (c) Cinema Guild
A Master Builder|Jonathan Demme|The artistic triumvirate of Jonathan Demme, André Gregory, and Wallace Shawn update Henrik Ibsen's The Master Builder, a modern classic about a successful, egomaniacal architect who has spent a lifetime bullying his wife, employees and mistresses - who nonetheless wants to make peace with himself as his life approaches its final act. Working from his own translation of the Norwegian text, Wallace Shawn gives a tour-de-force performance as the cruel, yet guilt-ridden architect. Jonathan Demme's direction is based on the near-legendary production created for the stage by André Gregory, developed over a 14-year period. Lisa Joyce plays a sensual, mysterious young visitor who turns the household upside down, much to the consternation of Julie Hagerty, perfectly cast as Shawn's neurasthenic, long-suffering wife. Scandinavian angst -- reinterpreted by New York's finest. (C) Abramorama
Phoenix 2015|Christian Petzold|A spellbinding mystery of identity, illusion, and deception unfolds against the turmoil of post-World War II Germany in the stunning new film from acclaimed director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Jerichow). Nelly (Nina Hoss), a German-Jewish nightclub singer, has survived a concentration camp, but with her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with a new face, one similar but different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesn't recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have been the one who betrayed her to the Nazis. Evoking the shadows and haunted mood of post-war Berlin, Phoenix weaves a complex tale of a nation's tragedy and a woman's search for answers as it builds towards an unforgettable, heart-stopping climax. (C) IFC Films
The Station|Marvin Kren|Janek is a technician on a climate observation station high up in the German Alps, one of a team of scientists preparing their outpost for visit from the Environment Minister. Their routine is interrupted by a strange discovery; a red liquid pouring from a nearby glacier, melted free from the ice crust that is shrinking with climate change. When the 'glacier blood' comes in contact with the local wildlife, it causes changes that are at first curious, then horrifying. Soon Janek and his team have their hands full defending themselves and the station against a growing horde of biological monstrosities. Using every tool at their disposal they must learn to work together to survive the onslaught. Harking back to classic creature features, director Marvin Kren combines classical filmmaking techniques with imaginative practical effects to produce a rollercoaster ride of laughs and jolts. (C) IFC Films
New York Minute|Dennie Gordon|Marking their first theatrical-release feature since 1995's It Takes Two, the Olsen twins bring their adventures back to the big screen with New York Minute. Billed as a sort of Ferris Bueller's Day Off for tweens, the plot involves the escapades of two enterprising Long Island girls, Roxy (Mary-Kate Olsen) and Jane (Ashley Olsen), as they decide to dupe their parents and spend a day on the island of Manhattan. It seems the high-minded Jane has a speech to give to a scholarship committee, while the punky Roxy wants to meet her favorite rock band. When Jane's planner gets swiped, however, the girls find themselves embroiled in a political scandal involving a high-powered senator (Andrea Martin), as their high school's truant officer (Eugene Levy) doggedly pursues them.
The Gospel Of John|Philip Saville|Veteran British filmmaker Philip Saville directs the religious epic The Gospel of John, a production of the Canadian company Visual Bible International. This three-hour drama attempts to accurately follow the Gospel According to John, written sometime during the first century. The gospel contains four segments: an introduction to the nature of Jesus Christ; testimony by disciples and the presence of miracles; the Last Supper and crucifixion; and the appearance of the risen Christ. Henry Ian Cusick plays Jesus and Christopher Plummer provides voice-over narration. The Gospel of John was shown in a special presentation at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival.
6 Angels|Luis Almeida|In 1988, Taileen slips into a coma after a car accident. Twelve years later, she wakes to a new world, a new body, and a newlife... the life of an angel.
One Angry Man|Peter Le Donne|Conceived as a satirical reimagining of Reginald Rose's play and teleplay 12 Angry Men, this comedy toplines funnyman Jackie Mason, who plays himself. Days before his new Broadway show is scheduled to open, Jackie receives a summons to serve jury duty. His attorney, Raoul Felder, tries to extricate him, and Jackie makes a concerted attempt to talk his way out of the jury, but his efforts have the opposite effect. His fellow participants in the box include an airheaded model (Stacey Sipowicz), a women's rights advocate (Pamela Saubaugh), a self-deprecating Jewish man (Marty McDonough), a transvestite (Frank Anthony Polito) and many others - all arguing amongst one another to try to determine if an Arabic teenager named Yusef (Justin P. Nardecchia) is guilty of slaying a respected police veteran. Naturally, Jackie stirs up chaos, and tempers flare as the summoned argue with one another. But eventually Jackie becomes convinced of Yusef's innocence, and begins trying to convince the others of this position.
Chick Magnet 2011|Ryan R. Williams|When Jen tosses her freeloader husband (Phil) out of her life, he crashes with two college buddies. Then the unbelievable happens; he and his friends come upon a life changing discovery - a magic shirt that guarantees them sex with all the women they can handle. While Phil's friends pursue a daily diet of Maxim models and close encounters with Hollywood's hottest, Phil schemes to use the shirt to win Jen back. Chick Magnet is an edgy comedy about truth, justice, and the American lay. -- (C) Phase 4 Films
Smokin Stogies|Vincent Di Rosa|Smokin' Stogies stars Joseph Marino as Vinnie Marscone, a mobster who, on orders from his boss (Tony Sirico), is sent from New York to Miami to locate a missing million dollar shipment of Cuban cigars. Vinnie believes that the local mobsters in Florida are supposed to help him, but he begins to suspect otherwise as he finds himself on a wild goose chase that may end with him dead before he finds the contraband.
Bikini Summer 3|Ken Blakey|In this sexy, sun-drenched outing, a buxom makeup artist allows the coordinator of a Miami beauty contest to convince her to enter and display her considerable womanly charms.
American Ultra|Nima Nourizadeh|American Ultra is a fast-paced action comedy about Mike (Eisenberg), a seemingly hapless and unmotivated stoner whose small-town life with his live-in girlfriend, Phoebe (Stewart), is suddenly turned upside down. Unbeknownst to him, Mike is actually a highly trained, lethal sleeper agent. In the blink of an eye, as his secret past comes back to haunt him, Mike is thrust into the middle of a deadly government operation and is forced to summon his inner action-hero in order to survive. (C) Lionsgate
Suffragette|Sarah Gavron|Academy Award nominees Carey Mulligan and Helena Bonham Carter, and three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, lead the cast of a powerful drama about the women who were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality in early-20th-century Britain. The stirring story centers on Maud (played by Carey Mulligan), a working wife and mother whose life is forever changed when she is secretly recruited to join the U.K.'s growing suffragette movement. Galvanized by the outlaw fugitive Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep), Maud becomes an activist for the cause alongside women from all walks of life. When increasingly aggressive police action forces Maud and her dedicated fellow suffragettes underground, they engage in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse with the authorities, who are shocked as the women's civil disobedience escalates and sparks debate across the nation. Inspired by true events, SUFFRAGETTE is a moving drama exploring the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women's right to vote - their jobs, their homes, their children, and even their lives. The film also stars Ben Whishaw, Anne-Marie Duff, Brendan Gleeson, Romola Garai, and Natalie Press. SUFFRAGETTE is directed by BAFTA Award winner Sarah Gavron from an original screenplay by Emmy Award winner Abi Morgan. (C) Focus Features
Kati Kati|Mbithi Masya|A Kenyan woman (Nyokabi Gethaiga) awakes in the afterlife with no memory of her life on Earth. She comes across a group of others also searching for answers in this elegiac debut feature by Mbithi Masya.
A Letter To Momo|Hiroyuki Okiura|From the creators of Ghost in the Shell comes a wonderfully expressive and beautifully hand drawn animated tale that combines bursts of whimsy and kinetic humor with deep felt emotion and drama. The last time Momo saw her father they had a fight - and now all she has left to remember him by is an incomplete letter, a blank piece of paper penned with the words "Dear Momo" but nothing more. Moving with her mother to the remote Japanese island of Shio, Momo soon discovers three yokai living in her attic, a trio of mischievous spirit creatures that only she can see and who create mayhem in the tiny seaside community as she tries desperately to keep them hidden. But these funny monsters have a serious side and may hold the key to helping Momo discover what her father had been trying to tell her. A Letter to Momo was seven years in the making, and the handmade animation is superb, from the painstakingly rendered serenity of the island's Shinto shrines to the climactic finale - a frantic chase featuring thousands of squirming, morphing ghosts and spirits that is the best cinematic flight of supernatural fancy in many years. (c) Gkids
The Gambler 2015|Rupert Wyatt|Jim Bennett (Academy Award (R)-nominee Mark Wahlberg) is a risk taker. Both an English professor and a high-stakes gambler, Bennett bets it all when he borrows from a gangster (Michael Kenneth Williams) and offers his own life as collateral. Always one step ahead, Bennett pits his creditor against the operator of a gambling ring (Alvin Ing) and leaves his dysfunctional relationship with his wealthy mother (Academy Award (R)-winner Jessica Lange) in his wake. He plays both sides, immersing himself in an illicit, underground world while garnering the attention of Frank (John Goodman), a loan shark with a paternal interest in Bennett's future. As his relationship with a student (Brie Larson) deepens, Bennett must take the ultimate risk for a second chance... (C) Paramount
Serenade For Haiti|Owsley Brown|Filmed over a seven-year period in Haiti, this documentary feature film captures a rare look at a country scored with poverty and a history of political violence and finds a story of transcendence and great humanity as the children and faculty of the Sainte Trinité Music School turn to music to unlock the power of their own lives. When a catastrophic earthquake completely destroys the school in 2010, a stunned and devastated faculty and student body must pick up the pieces and find a way to adapt. Devotion to each other and to the possibilities that the future still holds for them are expressed in the footage of children rehearsing in the rubble and in the rich musical heritage they have inherited. Journeying into Haiti's beautiful and diverse rural regions and venturing deep into the streets of Port-au-Prince before and after the 2010 earthquake, Serenade for Haiti brings to the screen an unforgettable and vivid tableau of this widely misunderstood country. The soundtrack features the stunning music of Haiti's great composers who until this time have been largely unknown to international audiences.
Cold In July 2014|Jim Mickle|How can a split-second decision change your life? While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar, Freddy Russell. Although he's hailed as a small-town hero, Dane soon finds himself fearing for his family's safety when Freddy's ex-con father, Ben, rolls into town; hell-bent on revenge. However, not all is as it seems. Shortly after Dane kills the home intruder, his life begins to unravel into a dark underworld of corruption and violence. Twists and turns continue to pile up as the film reaches its inevitable destination: a gore-soaked dead end. Michael C. Hall brings a shell-shocked vulnerability to his portrayal of Dane that contrasts perfectly with the grizzled "badasses" portrayed by Sam Shepard and Don Johnson. Directed with an excellent eye for the visual poetry of noir, this pulpy, southern-fried mystery is a throwback to an older breed of action films; one where every punch and shotgun blast opens up both physical and spiritual wounds. Cold in July is hard to shake as an east Texas summer.(C) IFC
Overnight|Tony Montana|The megalomaniacal rise and fall of filmmaker Troy Duffy is chronicled by one-time friends and colleagues in director Mark Smith's documentary. The film takes its title from the "overnight success" that befell Duffy in 1996, when the then-bartender was signed by Miramax president Harvey Weinstein to direct his killers-on-a-mission-from-God script The Boondock Saints. Smith's cameras follow Duffy from pre-production -- when he battled with executives over casting and financing decisions -- on through to the lackluster release of the film. What's more, Duffy expected his relative cinematic success to translate over to his burgeoning rock band as well -- and the tension created by the presupposed deal caused him to alienate just about everyone involved with both projects.
Georgia Rule|Garry Marshall|Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman, and Lindsay Lohan star in director Garry Marshall's tale of a rebellious young woman who is sent to spend the summer with her grandmother when her frustrated mother fails to find a means of curbing her unruly behavior. Rachel (Lohan) is an out-of-control teen whose reckless drinking, foul mouth, and hysterical fits have become a constant source of embarrassment for her long-suffering mother, Lily (Huffman). When Rachel crashes her car, Lily determines that the only way to tame her savage daughter is to take her as far away from San Francisco as possible. Though Lily had once sworn never to return to the Idaho farm presided over by her demanding mother, Georgia (Jane Fonda), desperation has a funny way of dulling the pains of the past, and it's not long before Lily is packing Rachel in the car and setting out for potato country. Contrary to the common image of the sweet and doting grandmother, Georgia is a stern matriarch whose beliefs in the power of God and a hard day's work stand in stark contrast to the carefree lifestyle of the tempestuous Rachel. An interesting thing happens as the summer wears on, though; despite her initial efforts to disrupt the quiet Mormon community, Rachel's rage is gradually tempered as she learns the value of structure and responsibility. Later, as Rachel's protective walls begin to crumble and she begins to embrace compassion and kindness, the doors are opened for three generations of family to confront the long-buried secrets of their past and finally move forward in the healing process.
Control Room|Jehane Noujaim|A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Roundly criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian causalities as well as footage of American POWs, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration did not want it to see.
The Romantics|Galt Niederhoffer|Over the course of one raucous night at a seaside wedding seven close friends, all members of a tight, eclectic college clique, reconvene to watch two of their own tie the knot. Laura (Katie Holmes) is maid of honor to Lila (Anna Paquin), her golden girl best friend. The two have long rivaled over the groom, Tom (Josh Duhamel). Friendships and alliances are tested and the love triangle comes to a head the night before the wedding, when the drunken friends frolic in the nearby surf and return to shore... without the groom. Based on the heralded novel by producer, novelist, director Galt Niederhoffer, THE ROMANTICS is a Zeitgeist love story and generational comedy that breathes new life into the genre and recaptures the camaraderie of youth. -- (C)Paramount Famous Productions
Cant Hardly Wait|Harry Elfont|First-time writers-directors Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan make a summer movie filled with the angst of graduation.
Club Dread|Jay Chandrasekhar|Following up their breakthrough film, 2001's Super Troopers, the Broken Lizard comedy troupe, comprised of Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske, took aim at the horror genre and delivered Club Dread. Starring the five members of the troupe along with Bill Paxton, the film is set at an anything-goes tropical resort for swingers. When a psychotic killer starts offing the guests with a razor sharp machete, it's up to the staff to hide the carnage, lest they lose the business of the unsuspecting surviving guests. As with Super Troopers and the first Broken Lizard film Puddle Cruiser, Chandrasekhar directs.
Bullshot|Dick Clement|Plot is a secondary consideration in this partially successful, partially failed take-off on the Bulldog Drummond series of the 1930s. "Bullshot" Crummond (Alan Shearman) is a square-jawed hero of World War I who longs to face off against his German arch-nemesis Count Otto von Bruno (Ron House) one more time. He gets his chance when he must save Rosemary Fenton (Diz White), a damsel in distress -- her father made a top-secret discovery before he died and Count von Bruno wants that secret for himself, no matter what happens to the good Rosemary. As the hijinks unfold inside the requisite Sinister Mansion (Bullshot fights a giant octopus and leaps onto a plane in mid-air as the action reaches a crescendo), caricature, and zany anarchy provide the humor. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
Absolution 1979|Anthony Page|Two Catholic boarding school students (Dominic Guard and Dai Bradley) embark upon a carefully calculated campaign to drive their hated headmaster (Richard Burton) insane. The boys launch their scheme by cooking up the most bizarre and depraved of imaginary sins, then recite these infractions in the Confessional. This sadistic little game gets wildly out of hand, resulting in murder. It's a toss-up as to who is the most repulsive character; the headmaster or his two charges. One of a long line of 1970s stinkers barely redeemed by the presence of Richard Burton, Absolution was not released until 1988, long after Burton's death.
Secret Policemans Other Ball|Julien Temple|The highlights of two benefit concerts staged in support of Amnesty International are collected in this British performance film, which features ample helpings of both music and comedy. The members of the Monty Python comedy troupe serve as headliners, performing live variations on some of their most famous sketches. Additional humor is provided by such luminaries as Peter Cook, while the musical segments include performances by Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, and Sting, amongst others. While all of the performers deliver the goods, the film's overall effectiveness is unfortunately limited by the purely functional direction and often poor image quality. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
Set Apart|Ralph E. Portillo|Four troubled, inner city kids get a western-style shot at redemption when a cowboy pastor invites them to his country ranch and offers them a chance to put their lives in perspective. Korina, Rey, Anthony, and Marcus all grew up on the streets. Every decision they make in that volatile environment could affect the rest of their lives. Pastor John Gunn (John Schneider) runs the Power Company Kids' ministry, an organization dedicated to giving at-risk kids the tools they need to build brighter futures. He's convinced that the four teens would benefit from going back to the basics and experiencing the cowboy lifestyle, and with a little help from ranch owners Randy and Heidi Gunn, Pastor Gunn shows the kids that there's much more to life than hustling on the streets. Though reluctant to participate at first, the kids quickly adjust to their new surroundings as their eyes are opened to a whole new world of opportunity. When a rival gang strikes back with a vengeance, however, Kornia, Rey, Anthony, and Marcus must put the lessons they learned in the country to use in a whole new environment if they ever hope to truly start a new life. Co-starring Richard Roundtree.
Ghoulies 3 Ghoulies Go To College|John Carl Buechler|When the sinister Professor Ragnar (Kevin McCarthy) exercises some of his dark powers, he manages to summon three bloodthirsty ghouls who terrorize the college campus. Only Skip Carter (Evan MacKenzie) and his girlfriend (Eva Larue) realize who is behind the chaos.
Baby Of The Bride|Bill Bixby|This made-for-TV domestic drama is a follow-up to 1990's Children of the Bride. Rue McClanahan plays a 53-year-old newlywed, the wife of much-younger Ted Shackleford. It's bad enough when Rue unexpectedly becomes pregnant. It gets worse when the same thing happens to her unwed teenaged daughter Kristy McNichol.
Water|Dick Clement|In this British comedy, the sleepy British colony of Cascara, governed by Baxter (Michael Caine), becomes a hot spot of activity when a valuable source of mineral water is discovered. Recording artists George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Eddy Grant appear in a musical performance.
16 Love 2012|Adam Lipsius|When the number one junior player in the country is injured, she begins to discover the teenage life she never got to live... and find the love she never thought she'd have. -- (C) Uptown 6
Eating Out 2 Sloppy Seconds|Phillip J. Bartell|Director Phillip J. Bartell steps behind the camera for this sequel to the popular 2004 gay comedy that finds smitten homosexual Kyle (Jim Verraros) posing as a heterosexual in hopes of attracting the attention of newly arrived gay model Troy (Marco Dapper). With a little help from his best friends, Gwen (Emily Brooke Hands) and Tiffany (Rebekah Kochan), Kyle may be able to pass for straight after all. Despite his best efforts, Kyle's bid to convince others of his burgeoning heterosexual status soon threatens to backfire when he not only lands a girlfriend at a campus ex-gay support group, but encourages his ex-boyfriend Marc (Brett Chukerman) to come blasting out of the closet more flamboyant than ever.
The Secret Policemans Ball1981|Roger Graef|Some of the biggest and brightest stars in British comedy appear in this performance film, which documents a revue staged by John Cleese of Monty Python as a benefit for the human rights group Amnesty International. In addition to Cleese and fellow Python members Michael Palin and Terry Jones (who reprise skits from the Python show as well as its lesser-known predecessor At Last The 1948 Show), The Secret Policeman's Ball includes sketches featuring Rowan Atkinson (shortly before his breakthrough success on the UK television series Not The Nine O'Clock News), Peter Cook (who performs classic material from the show Beyond The Fringe), Eleanor Bron, Clive James and The Kevin Campbell Road Show. The show also includes acoustic musical performances from Pete Townshend of the Who, classical guitarist John Williams (who joins Townshend for a version of "Won't Get Fooled Again") and activist singer/songwriter Tom Robinson. The Secret Policeman's Ball was the third in a series of benefits shows organized by Cleese for Amnesty International, and the name was recycled for several filmed stage shows that followed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The Mangler Reborn|Matt Cunningham|When an obsessive recluse discovers the cursed parts of the original killing machine, The Mangler takes it's deadliest form yet in this installment of the long-running series inspired by Stephen King's short story. Upon discovering the parts of the original Mangler, a handy fix-it man named Hadley (Weston Blakesley) reconstructs the bloodthirsty machine to horrifying results. As the machine takes possession over the weak-willed Hadley, the evil that festers deep within drives him to become a murderous psychopath whose sadism knows no bounds. When a pair of father/son burglars set their sights on the rampaging repair man's modest home, the carnage they find within has them running for their lives.
Mune Guardian Of The Moon|Alexandre Heboyan|As legend has it, the first Guardian of the Sun threw a harpoon into the cosmos and roped the sun to bring light and warmth to all of humanity. Then the Guardian of the Moon lured the moon to the Land of Darkness to provide a balance to the sun and supply the world with dreams. At a momentous ceremony to appoint the two new guardians, an accident seems to occur; the heir apparent is passed over, and the title Guardian of the Moon is bestowed on the waif-like Mune, a small and frightened forest faun who seems wholly unprepared to take on such a weighty responsibility. This news excites Necross, the nefarious ruler of the Underworld, a corrupted ex-guardian who decides to take advantage of Mune's weakness and steal back the sun for himself. Now it is up to unlikely hero Mune and his friend Glim - a headstrong young girl with wax for skin - to save the sun and restore order to the world.
Boys Next Door|Penelope Spheeris|In this film, Maxwell Caulfield and Charlie Sheen are typical California teens freshly graduated from high school. Daunted by the prospect of the real world, the boys decide to go on one last fling in L.A. But it's not all clean, wholesome fun.
Jarhead|Sam Mendes|"Jarhead" (the self-imposed moniker of the Marines) follows Swoff, a third-generation enlistee, from a sobering stint in boot camp to active duty, sporting a sniper's rifle and a hundred-pound rucksack on his back through Middle East deserts with no cover from intolerable heat or from Iraqi soldiers, always potentially just over the next horizon. Swoff and his fellow Marines sustain themselves with sardonic humanity and wicked comedy on blazing desert fields in a country they don't understand against an enemy they can't see for a cause they don't fully fathom.
Real Life|Albert Brooks|This film is a poker-faced cinema-verite satire of the PBS series An American Family. The film blurs the line between fantasy and reality in its portrayal of a comedian named Albert Brooks who is making his first film, a documentary portrait of a Phoenix family.
Naked Angels|Bruce Clark|The leader of a motorcycle gang is kicked out of his group because he is too violent. Mother (Michael Green) is ostracized because he wishes to exact revenge on a rival gang called the Hotdoggers. After Mother experiences some romantic adventures with scantily clad biker babes, he rejoins the gang as they go after their enemy. The sex and violence marks this as an exploitation feature destined to become a big hit with lowbrow scooter trash everywhere.
315 The Moment Of Truth|Larry Gross|Students major in drug dealing and weapon wielding. Adam Baldwin. Sherry: Deborah Foreman. Horner: Rene Auberjonois. Moran: Ed Lauter. Chris: Scott McGinnis. Cinco: Danny De La Paz. Jim: John Scott Clough. Larry Gross directed.
Blonde Ambition|Scott Marshall|A young woman's unconventional, comedic journey up the corporate ladder while ultimately finding love along the way.
Idiocracy|Mike Judge|In 2005, average in every way private Joe Bowers (Luke Wilson) is selected to take part in a secret military experiment to put him in hibernation for a year along with a woman named Rita (Maya Rudolph). The slumbering duo is forgotten when the base they are stored on is closed down and are left in stasis until 2505. When they finally wake up, they discover the average intelligence of humans has decreased so much that Joe is now the smartest man in the world.
Jackass Number 2|Jeff Tremaine|For fans who thought the stakes couldn't be raised any higher and the bar couldn't be lowered any further, the original cast and crew of the stunt comedy sensation that swept the globe return for another round of jaw-dropping feats that are guaranteed to have viewers wincing through their laughter. Jeff Tremaine directs, and Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius, Steve-O, Ryan Dunn, and Jason "Wee Man" Acuna return to the screen to endure more pain and humiliation than ever thought possible on the big screen.
Minis First Time|Nick Guthe|Nick Guthe's darkly comic Mini's First Time stars Nikki Reed as the title character, a manipulative, highly sexualized teenager with parents who fail to offer much structure or guidance. Her stepfather (Alec Baldwin) is rich and dim, and her mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) leads a hard-partying lifestyle. As the relationship between Mini and her stepfather grows more twisted, criminal activity occurs. Luke Wilson appears as a detective investigating the situation, and Jeff Goldblum plays their wealthy neighbor.
Christmas Story|Bob Clark|In the 1940's, in the town of Hammond, 9-year-old Ralphie wants one thing for Christmas -- an official Red Ryder BB rifle. When he asks his mother for the BB gun for Christmas, she says, "No, you'll shoot your eye out". When he writes an essay about it at school his teacher gives him a C+ with a note saying "You'll shoot your eye out." Next he asks Santa for the gun, Santa's response is familiar, he says, "You'll shoot your eye out, kid." Ralph fears that he'll never get the BB gun for Christmas. But there may be a surprise in store for him.
My Super Ex Girlfriend|Ivan Reitman|A regular guy finds out just how hard breaking up can truly be when attempting to call it quits with a clingy female crime fighter who doesn't want to let love die in director Ivan Reitman's super-powered romantic comedy. Matt Saunders (Luke Wilson) was looking for love when he first met pretty brunette Jenny Johnson (Uma Thurman), and at the time it seemed as if he may had finally actually found it. Jenny isn't just your typical girl, though, because despite her outwardly normal appearance she is actually a powerful superhero dedicated to ridding the streets of crime. Her outward strength betrays a deep-rooted insecurity, too, and when Jenny begins to become a bit too possessive for Matt's laid-back taste, the troubled boyfriend does his best to end the relationship amicably. They say that breaking up isn't easy to do, however, and when your girlfriend is a superhero, that sentiment holds twice the truth as it does under any normal circumstances. Matt is determined to get on with his life, though, and as his budding romance with beautiful co-worker Hannah (Anna Faris) begins to get serious, jealous Jenny scornfully slips into G-Girl mode to prove that hell hath no fury like a woman superhero scorned.
Telling Lies In America|Guy Ferland|Karchy Jonas (Brad Renfro) was born in Hungary and immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio in the early 1960s where he felt adrift in a strange sea of American culture. Jonas tries to fit in at the Catholic high school he attends but finds himself a laughing stock. At home, his stern father (Maximilian Schell) insists that he adhere to traditional Hungarian ways. Karchy's only respite is the rock & roll music he adores. A year before he arrived, flashy, failed disc jockey Billy Magic (Kevin Bacon) rolled into town, found a job at WHK and became the host of the High School Hall of Fame contest, something that Karchy decides he must win so he too can be cool and therefore impress his lovely classmate Diney (Calista Flockhart). Eventually, he does win and before long has made friends with Billy. The DJ proves to be a real pal and pays Karchy a C-note a week to run a few errands and do odd jobs for him. Some of those tasks involve taking money from promoters. When not working, Billy is introducing Karchy to life's wild side. But despite such fun times, there is much the naive youth is destined to learn the hard way about his new buddy Billy. The film's story comes from screenwriter Joe Eszterhas' (Basic Instinct) script, penned around 1982. Himself a Hungarian immigrant, Eszterhas added a few autobiographical touches to the script.
Bottle Rocket 1994|Wes Anderson|This short film was the first project written by Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson, starring Owen and his brother Luke. It was shown at Sundance, and allowed them to later make the feature-length Bottle Rocket in 1996. This short version was shot in black and white, and includes footage mostly similar to the first fifteen minutes of the feature-length version.
Voodoo Academy|David DeCoteau|A young bible college student learns that his future (or lack thereof) may literally lie in the hands of a malicious clergyman in this shocker from Witchouse director David DeCoteau. Though Christopher Sawyer's (Riley Smith) arrival at Carmichael Bible College goes smoothly as expected, it isn't until he meets the mysterious Reverend Carmichael (Chad Burris) that something appears to be amiss. Between the reverend's strange behavior and the downright un-Christian seductiveness of his financier, Mrs. Bouvier (Debra Mayer), Christopher slowly begins to realize that something is amiss at Carmichael Bible College. When it's revealed that the students are slowly being transformed into human voodoo dolls, the stage is set for a supernatural struggle that's likely to blacken the souls of both the faculty and the student body.
Vampire Clan|John Webb|Director John Webb and screenwriter Aaron Pope translate the true-life story of a Florida family murdered in 1996 into a low-budget horror/crime film in their 2002 production Vampire Clan. The parents of two teenaged young women are found ritualistically murdered and the family's community is sent into an uproar with rumors of Satanic worship occurring in their midst. The authorities quickly track down the culprits behind the murders -- a group of teens that believe they are vampires -- and make the horrific discovery that one of the teens is one of the victims' daughters. As the police piece together the evidence, the daughter recalls the details revolving around her involvement with this group of so-called vampires and how the Charles Manson-like leader of the group chooses his followers. Vampire Clan received its premiere screening at the 2002 Dances With Films Festival.
Final Contract|Axel Sand|The action film Final Contract: Death on Delivery stars Drew Fuller as David, a young man who is broken up over the fact that his girlfriend is moving away. He eventually meets up with a sexy woman who embroils him in an adventure that may cost him his life.
The Reef 2 High Tide|Mark A.Z. Dippé|When bullying shark Troy kidnaps Cordelia, Pi and Junior rally their friends for a daring rescue mission in this spirited sequel featuring the voices of Jamie Kennedy, DOnal Logue, Rob Schneider, and Andy Dick. Pi and Cordelia have just become the proud parents of a fresh-faced fry named Junior when Troy returns to the reed in time for high tide. But just as Pi begins training his friends and neighbors for battle, a newcomer named Ronny shows up claiming that his ideas can save everyone from ending up in Troy's belly. Little do the frightened inhabitants of the reef realize, however, that Ronnie was sent by Troy to spy on them, and distract them from defending their homes. Later, when Troy seizes the opportunity to kidnap Cordelia, the fish of the reef unite to save her, and defeat the razor-toothed villain once and for all.
Stricken|Paul Chilsen|In this thriller, a group of college seniors with a history of playing practical jokes upon one another decide to stage one last world-class prank, with one of their friends as the victim. But the prank goes a bit too well, and what began as a good-natured joke begins to snowball into a misunderstanding with deadly consequences. Stricken stars Jamie Kennedy, Sean Gunn, and Judy Greer.
The Circuit 2008|Peter Werner|Talented young female racecar driver Kylie Shines (Michelle Trachtenberg) strives for success in a male dominated sport, and steps up to the challenge of filling her legendary father's position after he's cut from the team. As Kylie races toward the checkered flag, she discovers that sometimes sticking by your family is more important than celebrating in the winner's circle.
The Black Prince|Kavi Raz|The Black Prince is a tragic, yet fascinating true story about the last King of the mighty Kingdom of Punjab, Maharaja Duleep Singh. The King, Maharaja Duleep Singh, was placed on the throne at the age of five only to be robbed of his throne by a bloody treason at the hands of trusted courtiers. He was then torn from his mother and taken to England by the British at age fifteen. While in England, he was introduced to Queen Victoria, who took an immediate liking to him, calling him "The Black Prince". He was indoctrinated into Christianity and baptized, changing his life forever. Meeting his mother again after thirteen years, the Maharaja awakens to the realities of his former life in Punjab. He then begins the arduous journey to regain all that was lost and re-embrace the faith of his birth, Sikhism. Torn between his two worlds, The Black Prince begins a lifelong struggle to regain his Kingdom. It takes him on an extraordinary journey across the world.
William Shakespeares Romeo And Juliet|Baz Luhrmann|The classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy is updated by director Baz Luhrmann to a post-modern Verona Beach where swords are merely a brand of gun and bored youths are easily spurred toward violence. Longtime rivals in religion and business, the Montagues and the Capulets share a page from the Jets and Sharks of West Side Story when they form rival gangs. Romeo (Leonardo DiCaprio) is aloof toward the goings-on of his Montague cousins, but after he realizes that Juliet (Claire Danes) is a Capulet at the end of one very wild party, the enmity between the two clans becomes the root of his angst. He relies heavily -- and with serious consequences -- on his rebel gender-bender of a friend, Mercutio (Harold Perrineau Jr.), and Father (not Friar) Lawrence (Pete Postlethwaite) for protection and support. Romeo is, of course, exiled, and it looks like Juliet will be forced into an arranged marriage with the bland Paris (Paul Rudd). It ends, as Romeo and Juliet must, when Romeo hears a tragic piece of misinformation and brings his suicide wish to what was meant to be Juliet 's temporary tomb. This time, though, the turf and the weapon of choice have taken a turn toward the surreal. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Parental Guidance Suggested|Adam Jay Epstein|A sketch comedy movie about the joys and embarrassments of teen sex. But mostly the embarrassments.
The Queen Of Ireland|Conor Horgan|Documentary following Rory O'Neill, better known as his drag-queen persona Panti, in the lead up to the referendum on marriage equality for same-sex couples in Ireland.
Scream|Wes Craven|The sleepy little town of Woodsboro just woke up screaming. There's a killer in their midst who's seen a few too many scary movies. Suddenly, nobody is safe, as the psychopath stalks victims, taunts them with trivia questions, then rips them to bloody shreds. It could be anybody... Sidney, the quiet high school beauty with an ugly past... Billy, her faithful boyfriend with a frustrated sex life... Tatum, her cute best friend with a answer for everything... Casey, the lovely blonde who knows her thrillers... Geeky Randy, the scary movie fanatic... Stuart, the wild partier... Gale, the overeager TV reporter... even Dewey, the syrupy-sweet police officer. The only hope is to stay one step ahead of this crazed slasher--know your trivia. The clues are there; are you good enought to see them?
The Climb 1986|Don Shebib|Climb is an authentic-looking reenactment of a treacherous 1953 mountain-climbing expedition. Dr. Karl Herrligkoffer (James Hurdle), whose half-brother was killed in 1932 while attempting to scale the 26,000-foot Himalayan peak Nanga Parbar, leads a German/Austrian expedition up the same mountain two decades later. Herrligkoffer's volatile partner in this mission is headstrong mountaineer Herman Buhl (Bruce Greenwood). The film is as much a story about the conflict of temperaments between Herrligkoffer and Buhl as it is about the climb itself. Donald Shebib wrote and directed this Canadian-made "open air" adventure.
The Dark Room 1984|Paul Harmon|Amateur acting on the part of newcomer Svet Kovich as the deranged son of a philandering doctor, and the inexperience of first-time director Paul Harmon are partly balanced by the excellent cinematography of Paul Onorato in this unexceptional melodrama, never released theatrically. Dr. Ray Sangster (Alan Cassell) is having an affair with Nicky (Anna Jamison), a fashion designer. Sangster is unknowingly followed about and photographed by his son. The son's objective is not to blackmail the illicit couple but to bed down Nicky himself. When he finally manages to achieve that objective, under an assumed identity, he is overcome by impotence -- which sets him off into completely irrational acts.
Winter Of Our Dreams|John Duigan|In this Australian film, the married, financially secure Rob (Bryan Brown) meets up with drug-addicted prostitute Lou (Judy Davis) and tries to help her crawl out of the dead-end life she's created for herself. However, when Rob's wife discovers who he's been spending his time with, his marriage and his stable life are threatened.
Not Another Teen Movie|Joel Gallen|Former MTV executive Joel Gallen makes his feature directorial debut with this broad spoof of the popular teen comedy genre, lampooning dozens of movies including American Pie (1999), American Beauty (1999), Bring It On (2000), Clueless (1995), She's All That (1999), Road Trip (2000), Can't Hardly Wait (1998), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Never Been Kissed (1999), and even the teen films of an earlier era such as The Breakfast Club (1985). At the aptly titled "John Hughes High School," aspiring artist Janey Briggs (Chyler Leigh) is an outcast because of her plain, bespectacled looks and paint-splattered overalls. Football hero Jake Wyler (Chris Evans) makes a bet that he can transform Janey into a gorgeous prom queen, a wager he may come to regret as he discovers Janey's true inner beauty. As their relationship blossoms, several other characters are limned, including a Nasty Cheerleader (Jaime Pressly), a Token Black Guy (Deon Richmond), a Stupid Fat Guy (Ron Lester), an Obsessed Best Friend (Eric Jungmann), an Undercover Reporter (Beverly Polcyn), the Cruelest Girl in School (Mia Kirshner), a Cocky Blonde Guy (Eric Christian Olsen), and several others. A nod to the multiple films that inspired it, Not Another Teen Movie (2001) was originally to have been entitled "Ten Things I Hate About Clueless Road Trips When I Can't Hardly Wait to Be Kissed."
Run Bitch Run|Joseph Guzman|A sleazy throwback to such violent rape/revenge flicks as I Spit on Your Grave and Mr. 45, Run! Bitch! Run! tells the depraved tale of a Catholic schoolgirl who returns to may her tormentors pay after being viciously raped and left for dead. Catherine and Rebecca were selling religious paraphernalia to fund their education when they made they knocked on the wrong door in the wrong neighborhood. But while these lawless degenerates may be ruthless, they've just made one fatal mistake - they didn't make sure that Catherine was dead. Now, with revenge on her mind and a powerful shotgun in her hands, the girl whose innocence was stolen will stop at nothing to see the criminals who violated her suffer a slow and painful death.
The Strongest Man|Kenny Riches|The Strongest Man is a Miami-centric comedy about an anxiety-ridden Cuban- American man, who fancies himself the strongest man in the world. In a quest to recover his most beloved possession, his golden BMX bicycle, he finds and loses so much more. (C) FilmBuff
Caddie|Donald Crombie|Based on a true story set in Depression-era Australia, this is the tale of a woman struggles to raise her two young children as a barmaid in a local pub. Melodramatic but still and all a romantic tale of two people discovering each other.
Soldier|Paul W.S. Anderson|Todd is a veteran of numerous galactic conflicts and, having lived by the American Force's Rules for Life since childhood, is one of the best. Scarred, toughened and numbed by a lifetime of fighting, he stands as the embodiment of Darwin's principle of survival of the fittest. But Todd's glory days are over. Scientific advancement has fostered a new breed of warriors.
The Incredible Adventures Of Jojo|Brian Schmidt|When Jojo and his sister Avila are left to their own devices after a car accident injures their mother, they must survive in the woods on their own. Among the travails and harrowing experiences is a deranged hobo, ravaging wolves, abandoned couches, and dirty diapers. But don't fret for the little ones; they have a sharp pocketknife at the ready.
Happy Ending 2014|Raj Nidimoru|In this infectiously fun romantic comedy, a famous but fickle author pens a screenplay while contending with his clingy ex and a rival scribe.
Scared To Death|William Malone|When a DNA experiment screws up, a mutant is created which turns into a people-devouring menace. It kills people by sucking spinal fluid from their spinal columns. A genetics student and an ex-cop team up to locate the awful creature.
Hoochie Mamma Drama|Alfredo Rates|The sexiest girls in the neighborhood discover that sometimes the player gets played in this steamy urban comedy starring Monique LaBarr and Deadlee. Guera and Big Eyes aren't above using their unique sex appeal to drive men wild. Little did this seductive duo realize that tricky local Lazy was about to beat them at their own game. Now if he can just keep them from finding out they're both in love with the same man, Lazy could get the best of both worlds for the price of a single admission.
Touched With Fire 2016|Paul Dalio|When two poets with bipolar disorder meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense driving each other's mania to new heights. They pursue their passion which breaks outside the bounds of sanity, swinging them from fantastical highs to tormented lows until they ultimately must choose between sanity and love.
Freakshow|Drew Bell|The performers from a traveling circus sideshow target a female swindler for vengeance in this gory tribute to Tod Browning's Freaks.
Kodachrome 2017|Mark Raso|The story follows record label executive, Matt (Sudeikis), who is on the brink of losing his job when he gets a visit from his estranged father's assistant (Olsen) telling him that his father, Ben (Harris) is dying. It transpires that his dying wish is for Matt to join them on a road trip across the United States in order to find the only place that will develop his last rolls of Kodachrome, the pictures of which he plans to display in a posthumous exhibition. Matt must decide where his priorities lie, and along the journey discovers more about his father, and himself, than he bargained for.
It 2016|John Moore (V) |Mike Regan is a successful, self-made man who has it all: a gorgeous wife, a beautiful teenage daughter and a sleek, state-of-the-art "smart home". But he soon finds himself in a deadly, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse when his I.T. consultant, Ed, starts using his skills to stalk Mike's daughter and endanger his family, his business, and his life. In a world where there is no privacy, and personal secrets can go viral by the click of a mouse, Mike needs to rely on his old connections to defeat a new kind of nemesis.
In The Radiant City|Rachel Lambert|A loner who testified against his brother returns to his small town and must decide if he's going to participate in a parole hearing that could free his brother.
Hells Angels 69|Lee Madden|Two wealthy brothers plan a heist of Caesar's Palace on a lark. Their strategy is to join the Hell's Angels and trick them into creating a diversion. When the Angels discover they have been tricked, they swap their choppers for dirt bikes and pursue the brothers across the desert.
Strawberry Statement|Stuart Hagmann|The anti-Establishment protests that lead to the violent confrontation between demonstrators and police at Columbia University during the late '60s provides the basis of this earnest, socially conscious drama. The soundtrack featuring such artists as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Buffy St. Marie provides a highlight.
Black Eye|Jack Arnold|Best known for directing several popular science-fiction films in the 1950s, Jack Arnold turned to blaxploitation with this gritty crime film. Fred Williamson stars as Shep Stone, who becomes a private detective after being suspended from the police department. The usual sleazy setpieces deal with porno producers (one of whom, Bret Morrison, was the voice of The Shadow on radio), drugs, and murder. Teresa Graves (Get Christie Love!) co-stars with Rosemary Forsyth and The $6,000,000 Man's Richard Anderson in this average, but entertaining potboiler. Williamson and Arnold re-teamed for Boss Nigger the same year.
Stone|Sandy Harbutt|An undercover cop named Stone (Ken Shorter) infiltrates an outlaw biker gang called the Grave Diggers, only to discover that he has more in common with the two-wheeled warriors than he previously though after a professional assassin attempts to set them up for a big fall. A prominent environmental activist has just been assassinated, and the police suspect that the Grave Diggers are withholding crucial information relating to the killing. Realizing that the Grave Diggers will never speak to regular policemen, the cops recruit Stone to ride with the gang and find out what they know. Accepted into the fold after saving the life of a grateful Grave Digger, Stone begins to respect the Undertaker (Sandy Harbutt) and his crew due to the fact that they operate by their own unique code of ethics. Later, as the Grave Diggers prepare to strike back against a rival motorcycle club, Stone suspects a set-up and attempts to convince them not to fall for it. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Stone was correct. When the violence finally erupts, no one is safe from the bloodshed that threatens to destroy the Grave Diggers, and consume Stone in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Abba The Movie|Lasse Hallstrom|ABBA, the spirited Swedish pop-singing group who skyrocketed to fame with their 1974 single "Waterloo," star in this loosely constructed vehicle. The story involves the efforts of a diligent DJ to secure an interview with the group while they're on tour in Australia. Eighteen of ABBA's hits are heard on the soundtrack and seen in grainy 16 mm concert footage, shot in March 1977. ABBA: The Movie was thus filmed some five years prior to the group's breakup. The film's director was Sweden's Lasse Hallström, who later gained infamy for his arthouse success My Life as a Dog (1985). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Variety Time|Hal Yates|Variety Time was the first of three "vaudeville-on-film" pastiches released by RKO Radio, each one comprised of highlights from earlier RKO productions. Hosted by Jack Paar (displaying only a fraction of the charisma he'd exhibit as late-night TV talk host), the film is a compendium of musical numbers, short subjects, and the occasional "new" comedy routine involving Paar and his perennial foil Hans Conried. Highlights include a Frankie Carle number from Riverboat Rhythm, a comedy adagio dance from Seven Days Leave, a hot Latin tune from Pan-America, and an excised dance sequence from Show Business. Two comedy short subjects were also included, in their entirety: Edgar Kennedy's I'll Build it Myself and Leon Errol's Hired Husband. Since it cost practically nothing to make, Variety Time couldn't help but post a tidy profit, encouraging future minings of the RKO Radio film vaults.
Money Movers|Bruce Beresford|In order to raise the money for his "breakthrough" film Breaker Morant, Australian director Bruce Beresford dashed off the guaranteed audience pleaser Money Movers. Terence Donovan masterminds a bank-vault heist that will potentially net his gang 20 million Australian dollars. The scheme predictably goes sour, but this conclusion is reached via a most unexpected fashion. Ed Devereaux, best known to American audiences for his leading-man gig on the TV series Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo, is second billed as "Dick Martin" (no, not the American TV-comic Dick Martin). Money Movers was based on a novel by Devon Minchin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Invasion Of The Pod People|Justin Jones|A woman begins to suspect that everyone she knows has been replaced by invading extraterrestrials after her friends and co-workers begin exhibiting extremely bizarre behavior.
Legion Of The Dead 2005|Paul Bales|Courtney Clonch and Claudia Lynx star in this mummy movie chronicling the return of an Egyptian priestess. Bruce Boxleitner, Zach Galligan. Written and directed by Paul Bales.
King Of The Lost World|Leigh Scott (II) |Steve Railsback and Bruce Boxleitner headline this modern take on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic /fantasy adventure about a mysterious undiscovered world where creatures beyond out wildest imagination roam free. A commercial airliner has crashed deep in the heart of the Amazon, and as the survivors attempt to make their way to safety they make a most terrifying discovery. This is a land out of time, a place where towering scorpions, winged reptiles, and a ten-story tall simian engage in a constant battle for supremacy. Mankind is but a savory snack in this violent world of giants, and if the survivors don't find their way out of the jungle fast they will no doubt meet a fate worse than death.
Bobby Fischer Live|Damian Chapa|Damian Chapra writes, directs, and stars in this biopic tracing the life and career of controversial chess champion Bobby Fischer.
Starstruck|Gillian Armstrong|Star Struck is a light, frothy pop-culture musical comedy from Australia, where Jackie (Jo Kennedy) dreams of becoming a singing star and her cousin Angus (Ross O'Donovan) thinks he has what it takes to be a successful manager. After a spot at the hip club in town (wearing a kangaroo suit) fails to win Jackie any paying gigs, Angus enters her in a major talent competition to be held on New Year's Eve. If Jackie wins, her career is assured, and the $25,000 grand prize will help keep her parents' cafe open. But can Jackie stand the pressure? Will the band get it together in time? And will Angus ever get a girl? Star Struck plays like a mid-1980s "New Wave" variation on an old "Let's Put On A Show!" teenage musical, with tunes by Phil Judd and Tim Finn of the popular New Zealand band Split Enz. Keep your eyes peeled for a bit part played by Geoffrey Rush, 14 years before he would win an Oscar for his work in Shine. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Halloween Night|Mark Atkins|A psycho escapes from an insane asylum and goes on a killing spree after crashing a Halloween bash in this scary slasher film based on actual events that took place in 1982. Derek Osedach, Rebekah Kochan, Scot Nery, Sean Durrie, Alicia Klein, Erica Roby. Directed by Mark Atkins.
House Arrest|Marcello Thedford|Sentenced to 48 hours of house arrest for stealing jewelry to impress the irresistible Kiki, certified slacker DJ Johnson calls on his homeboys to help ensure that he gets the girl without provoking the police and getting in anymore trouble than he already is. It was the perfect plan: get in trouble with the law and charm the sexy Kiki with his bad boy image. And it worked, too, because now all Kiki can think about is hooking up with DJ once he's finished serving his time. In order to ensure that everything goes smoothly, however, the love-stuck criminal will have to rely on his friends to keep the cops from finding out it was all just an elaborate ruse.
Vampiro|Jorge Ramirez Rivera|The gritty streets of East Los Angeles get even more dangerous with the arrival of a sexually ravenous coven of vampires in this low-budget Mexican-American horror film. When East L.A. resident Blanca (Vida Harlow) finds herself targeted by a seductive female vampire, Sexicana (Leslie Garza), she finds support from an unexpected source: a half-human/half-vampire hybrid named Casanova (Damian Chapa), who falls in love with the girl and vows to help her rid the barrio of the bloodsucking horde. ~ Sandra Bencic, Rovi
Son Of A Gun 2015|Julius Avery|When JR (Brenton Thwaites) is sent to prison for a minor crime, he becomes the apprentice to Brendan Lynch (Ewan McGregor), Australia's public enemy number one. When JR helps Brendan break out, they go on the run and form a complex co-dependent relationship. JR quickly learns in the criminal world, life is like a game of chess. To gain control, you have to stay a few moves ahead of your opponent. Lose that control, and you risk becoming a pawn in their very dangerous game. (C) A24
Tomb Raider 2018|Roar Uthaug|Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father's global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he's truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can't understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad's last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn't be higher for Lara, who--against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit--must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
En Kongelig Affaere|Nikolaj Arcel|A ROYAL AFFAIR is the true story of an ordinary man who wins the queen's heart and starts a revolution. Centering on the intriguing love triangle between the ever more insane Danish King Christian VII, the royal physician who is a man of enlightenment and idealism Struensee and the young but strong Queen Caroline Mathilda, A ROYAL AFFAIR is the gripping tale of brave idealists who risk everything in their pursuit of freedom for their people.(c) Magnolia Pictures
Kronjuvelerna 2011|Ella Lemhagen|Fragancia is arrested for the attempted murder of Richard Persson, the son of a powerful factory owner. During the interrogation her amazing and remarkable life story is revealed. We follow her through her impoverished childhood, her adolescence where she meets the great love of her life, ice hockey star Petterson-Jonsson and the lead up to the fatal night where the story begins
Pretty Maids All In A Row|Roger Vadim|In this jet-black comedy, a university campus is plagued by a series of mysterious murders, in which all the victims are beautiful females. Rock Hudson plays the school's guidance counselor, whose notion of "advice" is to bed as many willing young coeds as possible.
One Is A Lonely Number|Mel Stuart|A woman struggles to rebuild her life after her husband leaves her in this drama. Amy Brower (Trish VanDevere) is a 27-year-old woman who thinks that her marriage to James (Paul Jenkins), a college professor, is a happy one until he unexpectedly files for divorce after falling for one of his students. On her own for the first time in her life, Amy is introduced by her best friend Madge (Jane Elliot) to a support group for divorced women, but the bitterness of Gert (Janet Leigh), the group's leader, doesn't make her feel much better; her search for a career proves just as unsatisfying. Amy finds friendship and solace with Joseph Provo (Melvyn Douglas), an elderly man whose wife of 40 years recently passed on and is also dealing with loneliness, and she dips her toes back into dating when she meets Howard Carpenter (Monte Markham) at an art gallery, and he shows a keen interest in her, though he seems more interested in her body than her mind. Trish VanDevere's performance earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 1973 Golden Globe Awards.
Liars Moon|David Fisher|Against the wishes of both families, a poor boy (Matt Dillon) and a wealthy banker's daughter (Cindy Fisher) elope, only to discover that their immaturity and incompatibility may be the downfall of their relationship.
Evil Eyes|Mark Atkins|Adam Baldwin and Udo Kier star in this horror film about a screenwriter commissioned to write a horror movie and the fatal effects the script has on people around him. Directed by Mark Atkins.
Night Orchid|Mary Atkins|A man with supernatural gifts meets his match in this suspenseful independent drama. Clay Doyle (Dale Paris) is a drifter with an unusual psychic talent -- as he puts it, "Places talk to me," and when Dale visits someplace he's never been before, he can see the violent acts that occurred there in the past. Clay wanders into a small Florida town, where he becomes fascinated with the community's strangely picturesque decay. Clay takes a job pumping gas and meets a beautiful but enigmatic woman named Sarah Miller (Alyssa Simon). Clay is immediately attracted to Sarah, but there is something odd about her that he can't quite place. He soon discovers that the town is hiding a terrible secret -- and that Sarah has unusual paranormal abilities of her own. Director Mark Atkins completed Night Orchid while finishing his undergraduate work at the University of Central Florida; his roommate at the time was Michael Monello, who went on to produce The Blair Witch Project.
Allan Quatermain And The Temple Of Skulls|Mark Atkins|H. Rider Haggard's classic adventure novel King Solomon's Mines gets retold for a new generation of cliff-hanger fans in this film that finds titular hero Allan Quartermain setting out in search of the most valuable treasure known to man.
Rock|Michael Bay|The sophomore film from former music video and commercial director Michael Bay, this fast-paced action yarn featured rapid-fire editing, a cutting-edge rock soundtrack and liberal use of shots awash in a haze of burnished hues, all trademarks of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer. Nicolas Cage stars as Stanley Goodspeed, an FBI chemical weapons expert handed a unique assignment. Francis X. Hummel (Ed Harris), an insane Marine Corps general, has taken 81 tourists hostage on the abandoned island prison of Alcatraz. He and his men are threatening to bomb San Francisco with deadly gas unless $100 million is paid in war reparations to the families of servicemen killed in covert operations. Goodspeed is teamed with former British spy John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), the only man ever to escape "The Rock," as well as a Navy SEAL team. When their military escorts are ambushed, it's up to odd couple Goodspeed and Mason to break into Alcatraz and stop Hummel. The Rock was the last film produced by Simpson, who died of a drug overdose before the film's release. Solo, his partner Bruckheimer continued making the sort of glossy, frenetic films for which the duo was famed. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
10003925 Dead End|Jean-Baptiste Andrea|A family making their annual Christmas pilgrimage to Grandmother's house finds their journey taking an ominous turn when they attempt to take an unfamiliar shortcut in this low-key chiller from first-time director Jean-Baptiste Andrea. For 20 years, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) has driven the same, mind-numbingly familiar route to the annual holiday gathering, but the discovery of an unfamiliar shortcut simply proves too enticing for the loving but strained father to resist. As the road grows increasingly dark, the eerie sight of a young woman carrying a small infant sets into motion a horrific series of roadside deaths that finds the family's numbers quickly dwindling. Though there are no other travelers on the long and dark stretch of road, the appearance of a menacing black hearse seems somehow connected to the spectral woman and her child. Could it be that a vengeful entity was the previous victim of a roadside accident, returning to torment any trespasser who happens to wander down her silent stretch of road, or could the answer to the horrific mystery lie deep within the conscience of one of the few remaining family-members?
10010667 Hangover|Todd Phillips|A blowout Las Vegas bachelor party turns into a race against time when three hung-over groomsmen awaken after a night of drunken debauchery to find that the groom has gone missing, and attempt to get him to the alter in time for his wedding. In 48 hours, Doug is scheduled to walk down the aisle, effectively ending his reign as a rowdy bachelor. Realizing that this is their last blowout with their best friend, Doug's groomsmen organize a Sin City bachelor bash he'll never forget. The next morning, the groomsmen come to in their Caesar's Palace suite to find a tiger in the bathroom and a six-month-old baby tucked away in the closet. Unfortunately, Doug is nowhere to be found. With no memory of the previous night's transgressions and precious little time to spare, the trio sets out in a hazy attempt to retrace their steps and discover exactly where things went wrong. Will they find Doug in time to get him to the wedding back in Los Angeles, or will his bride experience the sharp sting of disappointment when she walks down the aisle to discover that her future husband is nowhere to be found? Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Heather Graham star in a rambunctious comedy from Old School director Todd Phillips. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
10009055 Rocker|Peter Cattaneo|The Office star Rainn Wilson portrays a drummer named "Fish," who gets a second shot at fame 20 years after getting kicked out of his band on the very night they signed the record contract that made them stars. Fish has spent the past two decades languishing at soul-crushing day jobs while his old bandmates became legends, continuing to grace magazine covers and dominate the radio. He might just get another chance at musical success, however, when his teenage cousin invites him to drum for his high school garage band, and they end up catching the ear of record executives. Now, Fish is determined to live the hedonistic rock & roll lifestyle he missed out on 20 years ago, but his new bandmates don't appreciate his hard partying -- and neither do his middle-aged knees. This Fox Atomic comedy co-stars Christina Applegate. Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) and Tom McNulty co-produced the feature, which was penned by Wallace Wolodarsky and Maya Forbes, and directed by Peter Cattaneo (Opal Dream).
Bridges Of Madison County|Clint Eastwood|The brief, illicit love affair between an Iowa housewife and a post-middle-age free-lance photographer is chronicled in this powerful romance based on the best-selling novella by Robert James Waller. The story begins as globetrotting National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid journeys to Madison County in 1965 to film its lovely covered bridges. Upon his arrival, he stops by an old farmhouse to ask directions. There he encounters housewife, Francesca Johnson, whose spouse and two children are out of town. Thus begins their four-day affair, a liaison that fundamentally changes them both. Later Francesca chronicles the affair in a diary which her flabbergasted grown children read; never would they have expected their mother to be capable of the passion she experienced with Kincaid. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
The Sky Trembles And The Earth Is Afraid And The Two Eyes Are Not Brothers|Ben Rivers (II)|Set in the breathtaking scenery of Morocco, a director finds beauty amidst the frustration of filmmaking. This experimental film is helmed by experimental British director Ben Rivers.
The Founders 2017|Carrie Schrader|They were not supposed to be athletes. They were not supposed to get paid to play. They were not supposed to call the shots. But in 1950, 13 amateur women golfers battled society, finances and sometimes even each other to stake their claim to become professional sportswomen by creating the Ladies Professional Golf Association (The LPGA). Long overdue, this film is about finally recognizing those unseen efforts and identifying The Founders as true icons of sport and equality. The film isn't just for those who frequent the golf course. This film is for anyone who believes in the transformative power of defying the odds. The Founders is an iconic story of thirteen women who battled society, prejudice and preconception to create a lasting, global sporting legacy. With humour, grit and raw talent, these underdogs not only changed the course of women's sport but created a timeless story of redemption and endurance. Through rare, archival footage, historical re-enactments and current-day interviews with surviving founders and leading players, we tell that story - a special legacy - in this feature-length documentary. While their male counterparts drew adoring crowds and handsome purses for their athletic achievements, The Founders used money from their own pockets to stage tournaments in small, far-flung towns that questioned whether female golfers were even worth watching. Together, they logged thousands of miles a week just for the opportunity to tee off on courses they also had to groom! With the creation of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, the founders staked their claim on the green and forged a path for future women athletes to be celebrated and taken seriously.
Csny Deja Vu|Neil Young|Since their debut in the late '60s, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young have functioned as the "town criers" of their generation. With songs like "Ohio" and "Find the Cost of Freedom," CSNY were in the forefront of Vietnam-era protest and anti-war sentiment. Though fondly remembered for their harmonies and love songs, the band has never lost its political edge. "CSNY: Déjà Vu" finds the band heading out on their "Freedom of Speech 2006" of North America, featuring music from Neil Young's controversial "Living With War" CD. With "Embedded" reporter, Mike Cerre, aboard, the film documents audience reactions to the music and the band's ongoing connection with its fans, all against the backdrop of the Iraq/Afghanistan War. The film also examines events surrounding the tour in the crucial election season of 2006. Songs from the tour are woven together with archival material, news footage, and audience reaction and observations, as the film examines the issues surrounding the integration of politics and art.
The Spongebob Movie Sponge Out Of Water|Paul Tibbitt|SpongeBob SquarePants, the world's favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore to our world for his most super-heroic adventure yet.(C) Paramount Pictures
By The Sea 2015|Angelina Jolie|A married couple takes a vacation in France in the 1970s and find that their time in a sleepy seaside town, complete with a unique array of locals, strengthens their bond and reaffirms their marriage.
Confirmation|Rick Famuyiwa|The confirmation hearings for Judge Clarence Thomas (Wendell Pierce) become a media spectacle when his former colleague Anita Hill (Kerry Washington) accuses the Supreme Court Justice nominee of sexual harassment. Rick Famuyiwa (Dope) directed this political drama for HBO Films, with Greg Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, and Jennifer Hudson co-starring.
Last Of The Mohicans|Michael Mann|Director Michael Mann based this lushly romantic version of the James Fenimore Cooper novel more on his memory of the 1936 film version (starring Randolph Scott) than on Cooper's novel (in fact, Philip Dunne's 1936 screenplay is cited as source material for this film). Set in the 1750s during the French and Indian War, the story concerns Hawkeye (Daniel Day-Lewis), the European-born adopted son of Mohican scout Chingachgook (Russell Means). Hawkeye and his party, which also includes the Mohican Uncas (Eric Schweig), joins up with a group of Britons who have recently arrived in the Colonies. The group consists of Cora Munro (Madeleine Stowe) and her younger sister, Alice (Jodhi May), who are rescued from a Huron war party by Hawkeye. Hawkeye's band accompanies them to the British Fort William Henry, which is being besieged by a French and Huron force. The fort falls to the French, and Colonel Munro (Maurice Roeves) surrenders to French General Montcalm (Patrice Chéreau). The terms of the surrender are that the British merely abandon the fort and return to their homes. However, the French's bloodthirsty ally, the Huron warrior Magua (Wes Studi), has made no such agreement, and, as the British retreat from the fort, he plans to massacre them in a terrible Huron attack. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
Antichrist|Lars von Trier|A grieving couple retreat to 'Eden', their isolated cabin in the woods, where they hope to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage. But nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
The Illusionist 2009|Sylvain Chomet|The Illusionist is one of a dying breed of stage entertainers. With emerging rock stars stealing his thunder in the late 1950s, he is forced to accept increasingly obscure assignments in fringe theatres, at garden parties and in bars and cafés. Then, while performing in a village pub off the west coast of Scotland, he encounters Alice, an innocent young girl, who will change his life forever. Watching his performance for the excited villagers who are celebrating the arrival of electricity on their remote island, Alice is awestruck by his show and believes his tricks are real magic. Though they don‟t speak the same language, the two lonely strangers quickly bond through small kindnesses. Fascinated by The Illusionist, Alice stows away on his departing ship and follows him to Edinburgh. There, they quickly fall into a father - daughter relationship, with Alice keeping their home at a boarding house for vaudevillians, while he goes to work in a small local theatre. Enchanted by her enthusiasm for his act, The Illusionist rewards Alice with increasingly lavish gifts he has 'conjured' into existence. Desperate not to disappoint her, he cannot bring himself to reveal that magic does not exist and that he‟s driving himself to ruin working all night jobs to buy her gifts. As The Illusionist grows older, Alice grows up. She falls in love with a young man and is no longer so enchanted by The Illusionist‟s conjuring. She moves on with her life, and The Illusionist no longer has to pretend. Untangled from his own web of deceit, he resumes his life as a much wiser man. -- (C) Sony Pictures Classics
Puccini For Beginners|Maria Maggenti|A woman who loves opera finds herself playing a romantic version of musical chairs in this independent comedy from writer and director Maria Maggenti. Allegra (Elizabeth Reaser) is a writer who has been involved with Samantha (Julianne Nicholson) for some time, but Allegra just isn't willing to make a commitment. Eventually, Samantha decides she's had enough, and she not only leaves Allegra, she jumps to the other side of the gender divide and starts dating a man. While Allegra is none too pleased with Samantha's actions, she unwittingly finds herself following suit when she meets Philip (Justin Kirk), a college professor, at a party. After a few cocktails, Allegra and Philip end up in bed, and while Allegra is content to leave it as a one-night stand, Philip has different ideas, and goes so far as to dump his girlfriend to pursue a relationship with Allegra, even though she's made it clear to him she's not at all serious about him. At the same time, Allegra strikes up a new romance with Grace (Gretchen Mol), but she doesn't know all that much about Grace's previous lovers -- who happen to include Philip. Puccini for Beginners was screened in competition at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
My Man Adam|Roger L. Simon|A teenage daydreamer (Raphael Sbarge) can't get his mind off a beautiful girl he's made up as his dream girl. He's doubly shocked when a new student (Page Hannah) is identical to the girl of his dreams. Struggling to win her affection, he's unsuccessful until a complex conspiracy throws them both into jeopardy.
Judge Dredd|Danny Cannon|This action-filled sci-fi spectacle is set in a grim, futuristic world in which authoritarianism is the only way left to ensure democracy. The tale, based on a popular British comic book character, is set in the 22nd century after most of the Earth has become an uninhabitable desert wasteland. In North America, all of the people live in one of three giant cities. These cities are overpopulated and teetering on the brink of anarchy. Trying to maintain some semblance of order are the judges, lawmen riding air bikes, who mete out swift, and frequently fatal justice. The premiere judge of seething Mega-City, built atop the ruins of New York, is Dredd. His daily crime-busting routine is upset one day when the nefarious Rico breaks out of the high-security Aspen Penal Colony and returns to get revenge on the one who ratted on him; he also wants to make Mega-City an even more violent place. Upon his arrival, Rico immediately begins working to frame Dredd. He succeeds and the judge is imprisoned. Fortunately, the hero escapes and a spectacular and exciting battle between the judge and the evil Rico ensues.
Roll Bounce|Malcolm D. Lee|A young man and his pals rule supreme at their local roller-skating rink, but when the doors close, the boys venture into foreign territory -- uptown's Sweetwater Roller Rink, complete with over-the-top skaters and beautiful girls. Through his preparation for the roller-showdown of the season, the young man manages to find himself and also help his struggling dad get back on track.
Venom|Jim Gillespie|This voodoo horror tale, set deep in the swamps of Louisiana, centers around a group of teenagers, who are trying to uncover the truth behind a friend's mysterious death. What they discover is an evil force worse than anything they could have possibly imagined. Now, they are running for their lives.
The Incredibly True Adventure Of Two Girls In Love|Maria Maggenti|This endearing romantic comedy about two high school girls, blue collar tomboy Randy (Laurel Holloman) and privileged, popular Evie (Nicole Ari Parker), was the first mainstream success for director Maria Maggenti, who chronicles the odd couple's relationship from tentative first steps to full-blossoming romance. Cast almost entirely with newcomers, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love brings Randy's family (a lesbian aunt and an assortment of current and past partners), Evie's well-heeled and overprotective mother (Stephanie Barry), and a collection of friends, enemies, one ex-boyfriend (Andrew Wright), and one unsatisfactory affair (Maggie Moore) into the mix, balancing the excitement and passion of adolescent romance with the pitfalls of social and familial rejection. Maintains a light and quirky tone throughout, reminiscent in many ways of the teen comedies of John Hughes.
Monte Carlo 2011|Thomas Bezucha|Three graduates fulfill their dreams of vacationing in Paris. They accidentally find themselves in a lavish world, where they live like royalty and experience romance. But at the end of their journey, they discover the true magic of friendship. -- 20th Century Fox
Muriels Wedding|P.J. Hogan|A socially inept young woman slowly learns to overcome her insecurities in this sleeper hit from Australia. The unconventional Muriel (Toni Collette) is deeply unsatisfied with her life, stuck in the nowhere town of Porpoise Spit and feeling rejected by her friends and family. Believing herself unattractive and worthless, she seeks meager solace in ABBA songs and fantasies of gorgeous weddings, with herself as the bride. Muriel's life takes a turn for the better, however, when she befriends the carefree Rhonda (Rachel Griffiths), who encourages her to take control of her life. Together, the two women travel to Sydney, where a series of liberating experiences help Muriel develop self-esteem and take the first steps towards maturity. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi
Hard Candy|David Slade|A teenage girl agrees to meet a thirtysomething fashion photographer in person after becoming acquainted with him in an online chat room, and the resulting encounter finds the line between predator and prey slipping slowly out of focus in director David Slade's provocative and topical thriller. Hayley (Ellen Page) is a 14-year-old teen whose emotional maturity seems to betray her tender age. Jeff (Patrick Wilson) is a potential child predator whose intentions toward his young chat buddy seem less than honorable. After meeting in a coffeehouse and getting to know each other briefly in person, Jeff invites Haley back to his place, and it's not long before Jeff's underage guest is pouring drinks and posing provocatively for an impromptu photo shoot. As the evening's questionable activities take a decidedly sordid slant and the raptorial Jeff appears poised to strike, a sudden turn of events finds that his apparent victim has had a plan of her own from the very beginning. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Nobodys Fool|Robert Benton|Paul Newman earned an Oscar nomination (and won citations from the New York Film Critics Circle and the Berlin International Film Festival) for his performance in this well-drawn comedy-drama. Sully (Newman) is a 60-year-old man who emotionally seems to have never quite emerged from adolescence; scraping by on part-time work in construction, Sully has built a life around avoiding responsibility. He hasn't spoken with his ex-wife (Elizabeth Wilson) in years, he lives in a rooming house owned by his eighth-grade teacher Mrs. Beryl (Jessica Tandy), his best friend is a mildly retarded handyman, Rub (Pruitt Taylor Vince), and he has a crush on Toby (Melanie Griffith), who is half his age and married to Carl (Bruce Willis), who sometimes gives him work. One day, Sully nearly runs into his son Peter (Dylan Walsh) and discovers that he has a grandson he never knew about; for the first time, Sully finds himself thinking that he ought to start behaving like a grown-up -- or at least get to know his family before it's too late. Nobody's Fool also features Gene Saks as Sully's lawyer Wirf, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the overly-enthusiastic Officer Raymer.
10011295 Samson And Delilah|Warwick Thornton|Two teenagers find love and look for a place where they can be together in peace in this comedy drama from Australia. Samson (Rowan McNamara) is 15 years old and lives in a shabby town in the outback, where he huffs gasoline to get high, hangs out with his friends, and spends his days goofing off and getting into minor trouble. One day, Samson meets Delilah (Marissa Gibson) at the village market, a girl who follows a different path in life -- she looks after her elderly grandmother (Mitjili Gibson), and helps her create paintings that they sell to tourists to support themselves. While Delilah doesn't have much to say to Samson at first, he's immediately taken with her and shows his affection with a graffiti painting. While she's not willing to admit it at first, Delilah has feelings for him as well, and when her grandmother encourages her to follow her heart, the two begin dating. But life is difficult on the outback, and when they both become victims of violence, Samson and Delilah hit the road and begin looking for a town where they can lead a better life. The first feature film from writer and director Warwick Thornton, Samson & Delilah was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" program.
Othello|Oliver Parker|Actor Oliver Parker made his directorial debut with this adaptation of the tragic play by William Shakespeare that abridges the original text by half and ups the quotient of sex and violence. Laurence Fishburne stars as the Moorish general Othello, who returns a hero after crushing an invasion attempt by the Turkish army near Cyprus. Pledged to marry the lovely Desdemona (Irene Jacob), Othello ignores the advice of his intended's father, who tells him that she may have a deceptive nature. Othello's aide Iago (Kenneth Branagh), jealous over the elevation of his rival, Cassio (Nathaniel Parker, the director's real-life brother) to lieutenant, begins scheming to make Othello believe that Desdemona and Cassio are carrying on an affair. On the slimmest of evidence, Iago manages to manipulate Othello's suspicious, distrustful nature. Played previously in black face on film by actors Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier, Parker's production of Othello (1995) was the first major cinematic production to cast an African-American in the title role.
La Mort En Direct Death Watch Death In Full View|Bertrand Tavernier|Director Bertrand Tavernier provides an unexpected feminist slant to the otherwise standard sci-fi trappings of Death Watch. Harvey Keitel plays a man of the future who has had a camera implanted in his brain. The mechanism, which is endowed with special X-ray properties, is activated by the user's eyes. Keitel is assigned by ruthless TV producer Harry Dean Stanton to secretly probe the subconscious of a dying woman, played by Romy Schneider. Stanton is only interested in the grim spectacle of what goes on inside the brain of someone who knows she's doomed. Keitel, on the other hand, becomes increasingly compassionate--and disgusted by the tawdriness of his assignment--as he stares into Schneider's tortured psyche. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Vow To Cherish|John Schmidt|Evangelical tale of how the relationships within a Christian family are impacted by devastating medical news. Ellen Brighton: Barbara Babcock. John Brighton: Ken Howard. Alexander Billman: Ossie Davis. Phil Brighton: David Morin. Julia: Donna Bullock. Kyle: David Denman. Teri: Megan Paul.
Shuttered Room|David Greene|Another semi-successful attempt to adapt the works of American fantasist H.P. Lovecraft to the screen, this is loosely based on the short story The Shuttered Room (also an alternate release title for the film), a story which is purported to be more the work of "posthumous collaborator" August Derleth. The story involves a couple's return to the creepy old ancestral home, located on an island in New England, in which they soon discover the dark secret hidden behind a heavily-locked door in the attic... a door the fearful townsfolk declare "must never be opened." Oliver Reed delivers one of his patented gruff, over-the-top performances as the local nutcase, and director David Greene creates a suitably moody atmosphere, but much like the Roger Corman-produced The Dunwich Horror, this film fails to act on the spooky potential of its theme. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
The Accident A Moment Of Truth Movie|Chuck Bowman|Una adolescente abandonada por sus amigos, tiene que defenderse después de un mortal accidente automovilístico. Donna Bullock, Matt McCoy, Teddi Siddall, Teryl Rothery, Deanna Milligan, Marisa Rudiak, Bonnie Root.
Race Against Fear|Joseph L. Scanlan|After she is brutally raped by the track coach she trusted, a high-school track runner decides to buck the school, her friends, and even her town to press charges against him.
Bandit Queen|Shekhar Kapur|This gripping Indian-British film relates the true story of Phoolan Devi, an Indian woman arrested in the state of Uttar Pradesh in January 1983 for kidnapping and murder. Dissatisfied with caste-restrictions and her dull marriage, Devi leaves her village and becomes a member of a bloody bandit gang.
Sliding Doors|Peter Howitt|A cleverly conceived romantic comedy that follows a London woman on two hypothetical paths, one where she gets home early and catches her boyfriend in bed with another woman, the other where she doesn't.
Safe|Todd Haynes|A suburban housewife suddenly finds herself "allergic to the 20th century," in this drama. Carol White is a typical upper-middle class suburban housewife. She lives with her husband and step-son in a lovely home in the San Fernando Valley. She is normal in every way as she socializes with friends, eats right, and keeps a good home. But she does have a nagging cough. The cough keeps getting worse and is followed by nosebleeds and violent seizures. The doctors are puzzled but conclude that she, like a growing number, has become hypersensitive to the chemical substances that surround us. Even a whiff of cologne can trigger an allergic reaction in Carol. To find treatment, Carol journeys to New Mexico and enrolls in the Wrenwood Institute, a New Age facility designed for healing people. It is headed by Peter, who promotes self-love.
In The Company Of Men|Neil LaBute|Two frustrated young executives vent their pent-up rage via a childish prank and end up paying a price in this psychological black comedy, the feature-film debut of writer-director Neil LaBute. Former college buddies Chad (Aaron Eckhart) and Howard (Matt Malloy) are in their early 30s and work in the same company. One day the two encounter each other in the men's executive washroom and begin expressing their mutual frustration regarding their lack of rapid advancement at work and their most recent bad luck with women. In hopes of gaining revenge against the fairer sex and bolstering their battered egos, the two hatch a nasty scheme to be enacted over an upcoming six-week-long business trip: Find a vulnerable young woman to court, slather with affection, and then callously dump. They choose a lovely, hearing-impaired typist named Christine (Stacey Edwards), a woman who hasn't dated in many years. Not realizing that she is about to be the metaphorical mouse between a pair of hungry cats, she laps up the sudden attention, but in no time it becomes apparent that Chad is the man she prefers. When Howard discovers this, it creates escalating tension between the two men who begin playing more psychological games, not only with hapless Christine, but also with each other.
Joanna|Michael Sarne|Forgotten 20th Century Fox starlet Geneviève Waïte and forgotten "trendy" director Michael Sarne teamed for the eminently forgettable Joanna. Waïte stars as the title character, a swinging London art student who uses up men like other people use Kleenex. Her carefree lifestyle comes to an end when she is impregnated by Gordon (Calvin Lockhart) -- one of the first black-white relationships in a major motion picture. Joanna frequently becomes a musical, notably in the final sequence, in which the heroine joins in a chorus with the entire cast and production crew Donald Sutherland co-stars as one of Joanna's wealthy paramours. Director Michael Sarne went from Joanna to Myra Breckinridge, then disappeared from view. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Soldiers Revenge|David Worth|Misunderstood and harassed by the locals, a recently returned Vietnam veteran decides to help a young woman fight in a Central American revolution.
Lifeforce|Tobe Hooper|When alien vampires terrorize London, it's up to a determined police inspector and an astronaut to stop them. American and British space travelers discover humanoids while exploring near Halley's Comet. The astronauts bring three of these aliens aboard their spaceship and head back to earth. However, their guests turn out to be evil vampires who kill all but one of the astronauts -- Carlsen. After the ship arrives in London, the monsters -- led by a beautiful female -- escape and wreak havoc throughout the city, transforming humans into zombies. Meanwhile, the surviving astronaut and Caine, a determined police inspector, frantically try to track down the creatures, and destroy them. But the "Space Girl" has a strange hold over Carlsen, and he has trouble fighting the urge to join her.
Octopussy|John Glen|This (13th) time around, 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) receives the usual call to come and visit M when another agent drops off a fake Faberge jeweled egg at the British embassy in East Berlin and is later killed at a traveling circus. Suspicions mount when the assistant manager of the circus Kamal (Louis Jourdan), outbids Bond for the real Faberge piece at Sotheby's. Bond follows Kamal to India where the superspy thwarts many an ingenious attack and encounters the antiheroine of the title (Maud Adams), an international smuggler who runs the circus as a cover for her illegal operations. It does not take long to figure out that Orlov (Steven Berkoff), a decidedly rank Russian general is planning to raise enough money with the fake Faberges to detonate a nuclear bomb in Europe and then defeat NATO forces once and for all in conventional warfare. John Glen returns again to handle directing duties, the second of five Bond films he lensed.
Venom|Piers Haggard|Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed both look like they'd rather be anywhere else than on the set of Venom. The plot concerns -- surprise -- a deadly black mamba snake (in fact, it's billed as the world's deadliest). A little boy discovers the serpent, shortly before he's nabbed by a bunch of human snakes: terrorists who intend to hold the kid and his family for ransom. One by one, the villains are dispatched by the mamba, who unfortunately plays no favorites so far as victims are concerned. The film's silliest elements are those snake's-eye-view subjective shots. Based on a novel by Alan Scholefield, Venom appears to have been filmed during someone's lunch hour.
Concrete Angels|Carlo Liconti|Set in 1964, a group of four Toronto teens enter a battle of the bands to win an opening spot at a Beatles show. Led by an Italian teenager (Joseph Dimambro), the band just might be successful.
Psyche 59|Alexander Singer|Patricia Neal plays Allison Crawford, a woman who has suffered psychosomatic blindness for a number of years. Upon psychological examination, Allison seems to have a gap in her memory which may reveal the cause of her emotional distress. When she and her husband Eric (Curt Jurgens) move in with her provocative younger sister (Samantha Eggar), Allison uses her ailment as an excuse to do some of her own investigative research. Slowly gaining back her eyesight, Allison finds the missing pieces of her memory. Julian Halevy based her screenplay on Francoise des Ligneris's novel, Psyche 63. Though the titular number is never explained, it has been suggested that it refers to the year in which the lead character suffered her traumatic experience. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi
Chillerama|Adam Green|It's the closing night at the last drive-in theater in America and Cecil B. Kaufman (Hatchet's Richard Riehle) has planned the ultimate marathon of lost film prints to unleash upon his faithful cinephile patrons. Four films so rare that they have never been exhibited publicly on American soil until this very night! What could possibly go wrong? -- (C) Official Site
Tales Of The Night|Michel Ocelot|Tales of the Night is renowned animation auteur Michel Ocelot's first foray into 3D animation. A hit at the Berlin Film Festival, the film extends the earlier shadow puppet style of Ocelot's Princes and Princesses, with black silhouetted characters set off against exquisitely detailed Day-Glo backgrounds bursting with color and kaleidoscopic patterns - the subtle use of 3D creating a diorama-like effect. The film weaves together six exotic fables each unfolding in a unique locale, from Tibet, to medieval Europe, an Aztec kingdom, the African plains, and even the Land of the Dead. In Ocelot's storytelling, history blends with fairytale as viewers are whisked off to enchanted lands full of dragons, werewolves, captive princesses, sorcerers, and enormous talking bees - and each fable ends with its own ironic twist. -- (C) GKIDS
Oslo August 31St|Joachim Trier|Thirty-four-year-old Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie) is a fortunate, but deeply troubled man battling drug addiction. As part of his rehabilitation program, he is allowed to go into the city for a job interview, but instead uses the opportunity as a way to drift around and revisit old friends. The day grows increasingly difficult as he struggles to overcome personal demons and past ghosts for the chance at love and a new life. -- (C) Official Site
Natural Selection 2011|Robbie Pickering|Linda White (Rachael Harris), a devoted Christian housewife, leads a sheltered existence in suburban Texas. Her world is turned upside-down when she discovers that her dying husband, Abe, has a 23-year old illegitimate son named Raymond (Matt O'Leary) living in Florida. Somewhere on the edge of guilt and loneliness, Linda grants Abe's final wish and sets off on a quixotic journey to find Raymond and bring him back. Along the way, Linda's wonderfully bizarre relationship with Raymond will teach her more about herself than she ever imagined possible and force her to come to terms with her troubled past. -- (C) Cinema Guild
Dolce Vita|Federico Fellini|In this Federico Fellini film, Marcello Mastrioanni stars as Fellini's alter ego, here depicted as a gossip columnist. Having left his dreary provincial existence behind, Mastrioanni wanders through an ultra-modern, ultra-sophisticated, ultra-decadent Rome. Throughout his adventures, Mastrioanni's dreams, fantasies, nightmares, and fears are mirrored by the hedonism all around him.
Atticus Institute|Chris Sparling|Dr. Henry West founded The Atticus Institute in the early 1970s to test individuals expressing supernatural abilities - E.S.P., clairvoyance, psychokinesis, etc. Despite witnessing several noteworthy cases, nothing could have prepared Dr. West and his colleagues for Judith Winstead. She outperformed every subject they had ever studied - soon gaining the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense, who subsequently took control of the research facility. The more experiments they conducted on Judith, the clearer it became that her abilities were the manifestation of evil forces within her, prompting the government to take measures to weaponize this force. But they soon discovered there are powers that exist in this world that simply cannot be controlled. Now the details of the inexplicable events that occurred within The Atticus Institute are being made public after remaining classified for nearly forty years.
Carry On Dick|Gerald Thomas|In this episode of the long-running British comedy series, the gang lampoons the legendary exploits of highwayman Dick Turpin.
Walter And Henry|Daniel Petrie Sr.|This offbeat made-for-cable comedy/drama concerns Walter and Henry, a father-and-son team of street entertainers who roam from town to town playing music, with few worries and no permanent address. However, when Walter falls ill, its falls to Henry to track down the family they left behind years ago. Walter and Henry stars John Larroquette, Nicholas Braun, Kate Nelligan, and James Coburn.
Dead Before Dawn 3D|April Mullen|Dead Before Dawn 3D follows a bunch of college kids who accidentally break an evil urn and end up inadvertently creating a curse that causes everyone they make eye contact with to kill themselves and turn into Zombie Demons, aka ZEMONS! Now, with only 24 hours to reverse the curse and the fate of the entire world resting on their shoulders, our heroes race through the night in a bloody Winnebago, armed with a slew of homemade weapons, avoiding eye contact, dodging hicky's and seducing Zemons. Will our heroes be able to reverse the curse and save the day or will all of humanity be Dead Before Dawn?! Zombieland meets the Goonies in this blood soaked horror comedy that pits college kids against ZEMONS, the newest monster to join the horror creature lexicon.(c) Official Site
Robbery Roman Style|Adriano Celentano|In this crime drama, two bank robbers foil their own plans to commit the perfect crime when they begin fighting over a woman.
The Amish Not To Be Modern 1988|Victoria Larimore|Because of the Amish's deep belief in biblical commandments, such as the rule against the making of graven images, very few photographic records of their society exist. Filmmakers Victoria Larimore and Michael Taylor portray the life of this separatist community over four seasons. This documentary is an exclusive portrait of the day-to-day life of a traditional community that has preserved its unique heritage. Allowing the Amish to speak for themselves, The Amish: Not to Be Modern offers an opportunity to examine a very particular social experience.
Camp Blood 2000|Brad Sykes|Christened by locals as 'Camp Blood,' four cocksure teens laugh off any dire implications and set off for what they believe will be a fun camping trip. Their confidence diminishes shortly thereafter; it isn't long before a psychotic killer sporting a clown mask claims his first nubile victim. The typical genre story line and fake blood are both prevalent in copious amounts, and the poor friends dwindle in numbers up to the film's gory end. Camp Blood features Brad Sykes, Ron Ford, Jennifer Ritchkoff, and Tim Sullivan. Sykes also wrote and directed.
Princess Of Thieves|Peter Hewitt|In this Disney "revisionist" spin on the ancient Robin Hood legend, Keira Knightley stars as Gwyn, daughter of fabled medieval outlaw Robin O'Locksley (Stuart Wilson). When her dad is captured by the evil Prince John (Jonathan Hyde) after the demise of Richard the Lionhearted, sweet Gwyn pulls a "Joan of Arc," donning the traditional lincoln green, reuniting Robin's Merrie Men, and working overtime persuading Richard's cowardly son, Philip (Stephen Moyer), to return from exile in France. And oh yes, Gwyn is just as proficient with bow and arrow as her celebrated father (as the film's advertising tag assures, "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" -- thereby bringing William Tell into the equation). Princess of Thieves originally aired March 11, 2001, as a part of the ABC anthology The Wonderful World of Disney.
The Pursuit Of Db Cooper|Roger Spottiswoode|The notorious real-life exploits of daring robber D.B. Cooper provide the basis of this speculative action-comedy. Cooper became almost a folk-hero in the Pacific Northwest when he dove out of a Northwest Airlines jet after threatening to blow up the passenger-filled plane unless he received $200,000 and four parachutes.
Mrs Munck|Diane Ladd|A patient widow finally exacts her revenge upon the much older man who deflowered her and impregnated her in this satirical psychodrama. Mrs. Rose Munck has just lost her husband and is now looking for a boarder. She chooses her crippled, curmudgeonly father-in-law, Patrick Leary -- the wealthiest man in the county. His family is pleased about the arrangement because Mrs. Munck is so sweet and charming. Little do they know that when she was a teen, she and Patrick, then a married man in his 40s, had been lovers and that she had borne a child that later died. For years, she has blamed Patrick for that child's death and now that he is her "guest," she has every intention of getting even. She tells others that the knives, and emotional abuse she inflicts on Leary are designed to help "heal" the crippled man and to coerce him out of his wheelchair. Meanwhile, the story occasionally flashes back to their younger days where she is seen as an innocent with a school-girl crush on the nasty older man. The flashbacks also reveal how the baby died.
Grizzly Rage|David DeCoteau|A group of joyriding high school students inadvertently incur the wrath of mother nature when they run over a bear cub in their car and mama grizzly comes seeking flesh-ripping revenge. Now, as night falls over the forest and the frightened teens scramble for safety, the enraged mother bear comes charging through the trees looking for fresh meat.
Girl In The Box 2016|Stephen Kemp|A hitchhiking woman is abducted by a married couple in 1977 and held captive for seven years. During that time, she's often kept confined to a small coffin-shaped box, and is tortured and forced to live as a slave to her captors.
Private Lies|Ellyn Michaels|A wealthy fashion designer's murder leads to blackmail and erotic passion. Elizabeth Pires, Christian Holmes, Michael Taylor.
Hard 1998|John Hukert|John W. Huckert directed this thriller that begins when bearded Jack (Malcolm Moorman) picks up a young desert hitchhiker. Homosexual homicide detective Ray Vates (Noel Palomaria) hangs out at a bar where his ex, Doug (Arron Zeffron), is the bartender. As a rookie, Ray gets a razzing from other cops, so he doesn't discuss his gay way of life. Meanwhile, with bodies of various hitchhikers surfacing, Ray and his partner Ellis (Charles Lanyer) investigate. Ray's encounter with Jack doesn't go well, since Ray is seduced by Jack, who confesses to the killings but then leaves Ray handcuffed to the bed. It's an awkward situation, since Ray must "out" himself so he won't be viewed as a suspect. Homophobic reactions from the other cops (Ellis excepted) eliminates any possibility of police back-up during the final horrific showdown at an abandoned theater. Shown at the 1998 San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Sorority House Massacre|Carol Frank|While staying in a sorority house, a young woman is terrorized by a mental hospital escapee in this misogynistic thriller directed by Carol Frank.
Sweethearts1996|Aleks Horvat|A young man responds to a personal ad and agrees to go on a blind date in a local coffee shop without suspecting that he is about to embark upon a hellish night-long ordeal. In a dramatic change from the wiseacre comic and romantic roles she has become known for, actress Janeane Garofalo plays Jasmine, the young woman whose apparent loneliness is but a mask for deeper and much darker problems. Set almost entirely in the coffee shop and centering on the dramatic conversations between the distraught Jasmine and her date Arliss (Mitch Rouse) and a couple of employees, the drama has the feel of a filmed play. The seriousness and tragedy inherent in the story is occasionally leavened with flashes of sharp humor.
Scarecrow|Emmanuel Itier|Emanuel Itier writes and directs the low-budget slasher movie Scarecrow, shot on digital video and released straight to DVD. Misfit Lester (Tim Young) is constantly picked on and he ends up getting killed by his mother's boyfriend. His soul inhabits a scarecrow, so he uses his new form to take revenge on the people who picked on him when he was alive. Scarecrow stars Roxanna Bina as Stephanie, Anil de Mello as Greg, and Mark Irvingsen as Farmer Hailey.
Adam Evil|Andrew Van Slee|Andrew Van Slee's horror film Adam & Evil starts with a group of just-graduated former high-school students who decide to go camping to celebrate. The campground becomes terrorized by someone (or something) that was involved in the death of a family that occurred at that same campground years before.
The World According To Dick Cheney|Greg Finton|A profile of the controversial former Vice-President looks at his life from his childhood up to the 9/11 attacks, and the decision to invade Iraq.
An Unreal Dream The Michael Morton Story|Al Reinert|Documentarian Al Reinert's compelling portrait of Michael Morton, a man convicted of brutally beating his wife to death in 1987, suggests that there may have been a miscarriage of justice in Morton's trial and sentencing. Morton has continued to insist he was not responsible for the murder throughout his stay in prison, and hopes his self-proclaimed innocence will help in an inquiry suggesting the prosecutor in his case never turned over information to his defense that may have exonerated him. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Campus Man|Ron Casden|Todd Barrett (John Dye) is an Arizona State University student who needs money for tuition in this teen comedy. He recruits his handsome friend Bret Wilson (Steve Lyon) from the school diving team to pose for a series of photographs. The enterprising Todd uses the photos to print a calendar that quickly becomes a hot-selling item and ends his financial woes. This feature was shot on location at ASU.
When A Killer Calls|Peter Mervis|A young babysitter prepares to fight for her life upon discovering that the prankster harassing her on the phone is watching her every move.
Real Job|Ana Barredo|A man gives up his dream job for the woman he loves, only to risk losing both her and his old friends in this independent comedy-drama. John St. Clair (Paul Kolsby) works as a clerk as a video store; John loves movies, knows them like the back of his hand, and enjoys his job, but he's fully aware that most folks would think a 38-year-old man ought to be doing something a bit more lucrative and responsible for a living. John is also single and none too thrilled about it, and when he meets Denise Hunter (Sharon Repass), a business executive, he thinks he may have found the woman he's been looking for. John and Denise hit it off, but while Denise is quite taken with John, she isn't sure she can get serious about a middle-aged man who doesn't have a "real job." Nathan (Mark Irvingsen), who knew John from college, steps in to help, and helps John land a job with Goldbar, Inc., a large multimedia firm who are moving into video retailing and marketing. John adjusts smoothly to corporate life, but he suddenly faces a moral dilemma when he learns Goldbar wants to buy up the independent video store where he worked and put it out of business, leaving his friend Vinny (Alan Natale) and boss Hrundi (Pramod Mishrekar) with nowhere to go. He also finds his new goal-oriented personality doesn't agree with Denise.
One Crazy Summer|Savage Steve Holland|In this sophomoric comedy, a teenage dweeb and his buddies have summer fun on Nantucket while preparing for college in the fall.
Sweethearts|Aleks Horvat|Arliss second-guesses his decision to place a personal ad when Jasmine, his date, turns out to be a quirky, gun wielding woman whose initial intention was to mock his desperation.
Police Academy 3 Back In Training|Jerry Paris|The third in the slapstick Police Academy series finds many of the titular school's original graduates returning in order to help save their beloved, if painfully inept, institution. To that end, they band together with the new recruits to participate in a make-or-break competition against a rival school.
Get Smarts Bruce And Loyd Out Of Control|Gil Junger|Bumbling R&D; inventors (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence) get out of the lab and into the field as they search to locate latest invention - which has somehow gone missing. When you're used to spending your day inventing the most cutting edge spy equipment known to man, adapting the stealth and guile needed to become a true secret agent doesn't come naturally. Unfortunately the invisibility cloak that the pair recently collaborated on has disappeared, and in order to ensure that it doesn't fall into the hands of KAOS they will have to master the skills of a true spy. But how exactly does one find an object that's invisible to begin with? As the search gets underway, these brainy inventors are given an eye-opening crash course in high-level espionage. Patrick Warburton and Larry Miller co-star in a feature-length comedy that includes surprise cameos from the stars of the 2008 film Get Smart.
Residue 2017|Rusty Nixon|Private investigator Luke Harding (James Clayton) reads a book of sinister origins owned by seedy crime lord Mr. Fairweather (Matt Frewer). Unbeknownst to Luke, the book is a much sought-after supernatural artifact and Fairweather's greatest rival, the enigmatic Mr. Lamont (William B. Davis), pursues Luke with his henchmen (Costas Mandylor, Michael Matic). While the criminal underworld is desperate to retrieve the book and harness its power for their own dark agendas, it's evil begins to take root in Luke's apartment; putting himself, his daughter (Taylor Hickson) and his secret love (Elysia Rotaru) in a fight for their lives... and their eternal souls.
Candiland|Rusty Nixon|New lovebirds Peter and Tess find solace in each other's brokenness. They decide to isolate themselves from the world inside Peter's apartment, creating their own reality - CANDiLAND, but their possessive love descends into a surreal savagery. Cut-off, Peter's father must fight to save them both before they completely disappear into madness.
Dr Ducks Super Secret All Purpose Sauce 1985|William Dear|Michael Nesmith (famed as the talented one from '60s pop-band The Monkees) directed this melange of music and comedy clips starring Whoopi Goldberg, Garry Shandling, Rosanne Cash, Jay Leno and Jimmy Buffett.
Without A Paddle Natures Calling|Ellory Elkayem|Two best friends and a British nature enthusiast set out on a wilderness adventure they'll never forget in this sequel to the rowdy 2004 comedy Without a Paddle. Upon venturing into the woods in search of a high school sweetheart, a pair of best buds (Oliver James and Kristopher Turner) is joined by a wild Brit (Rik Young) who couldn't resist the call of the wild. As the stakes get higher and the squirrels turn hostile, the hapless trio attempts to navigate a raging river while realizing that sometimes nature isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Nobody Knows Anything|William Tannen|An aspiring filmmaker learns that success in Hollywood doesn't come as easy as she suspected as she attempts to discover the formula to success in this satirical comedy from director William Tannen. When the guidance of her helpful has-been uncle (Michael Lerner) fails to pave the way, Sarah Wilder (Alannah Ubach) must seek the advice of such Hollywood heavies as Mike Meyers, Ben Stiller, and Fred Willard -- only to discover that the old adage is true and Nobody Knows Anything about how to succeed in the cutthroat world of Los Angeles.
Too Big To Fail 2011|Curtis Hanson|Oscar-winning director Curtis Hanson (8 Mile, L.A. Confidential) adapts author Andrew Ross Sorkin's penetrating expose of the 2008 Wall Street financial crisis in this made-for-HBO docudrama featuring an all-star cast. As the U.S. economy hits the skids, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson (William Hurt) finds himself caught up in a critical battle of wills between the key players on Wall Street, and the powers that be in Washington, D.C. With just weeks to go before the country plunges into the most devastating financial crash since the Great Depression, the powerbrokers on both sides scramble to pull the failing economy back from the brink of disaster. Ed Asner, Billy Crudup, Paul Giamatti, Cynthia Nixon, James Woods, Tony Shalhoub, and Topher Grace co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Davids Dinosaur|Matthew Charles Hall|Follow the escapades of David and his best friends as they uncover a lost dinosaur egg in their grandfather's house! The children decide to keep it a secret, but when the egg hatches the adventure begins! Now they must protect their discovery from a big game hunter, Jackson Snide, who will stop at nothing to add a baby velociraptor to his private collection of rare discoveries!
Larry Mcmurtrys Dead Mans Walk|Yves Simoneau|Author Larry McMurtry revisits Gus and Woodrow, the aging lawmen from his bestselling Western novel Lonesome Dove, in their early days as young men determined to make a name for themselves as Texas Rangers in this made-for-TV prequel. Gus (David Arquette) and Woodrow (Jonny Lee Miller) join up with a ragtag band of Rangers determined to take Santa Fe away from Mexico, but they soon find they've walked into a dangerous but forbidding territory of populated by hostile Indians and dangerous opportunists. Dead Man's Walk also features Brian Dennehy, F. Murray Abraham, Keith Carradine, and Edward James Olmos.
Dark Country|Thomas Jane|A newly married couple experiences a honeymoon from hell in actor Thomas Jane's directorial debut from Hyde Park Entertainment and Stage 6 Films. The high-definition picture, whose cast includes Ron Perlman and Lauren German, is scheduled for separate 2-D and 3-D engagements.
Give Em Hell Malone|Russell Mulcahy|A legendary gunman discovers why sometimes the simplest-sounding missions can also be the most dangerous when he attempts to recover a briefcase containing "the meaning of love" from a five-star hotel. Even the worst criminals tremble with fear upon hearing the name Malone (Thomas Jane). If only half of the rumors surrounding the tough-as-nails triggerman are true, then he's still the meanest guy ever to walk these unforgiving streets. Some say that Malone picked up his first gun after gangsters killed his entire family, and those are the most optimistic rumors concerning his shady background. Contacted by his point man, Murph, and asked to retrieve a briefcase from a haughty local hotel, Malone makes quick work of the thugs and hitmen who've been awaiting his arrival. But Malone didn't expect to walk into a shoot-out, and after pressing Murph for more information, he discovers that the man who contracted him for the perilous assignment was none other than powerful local mob boss Whitmore. Now that he has the briefcase, Malone is supposed to give it to blonde bombshell Evelyn (Elsa Pataky), who will in turn deliver it to Whitmore in exchange for her brother Sammy. Should the briefcase fail to materialize, Sammy will pay the ultimate price. Meanwhile, suspecting that the case contains work visas for a group of immigrant girls he wants to put to work as prostitutes, Whitmore recruits hulking giant Boulder (Ving Rhames) and blade-wielding psycho Mauler (Chris Yen) to get the briefcase back from Malone. Should they fail in achieving this simple task, deranged pyromaniac Matchstick (Doug Hutchison) will almost certainly succeed. Later, at the drop-off, Mauler kills Sammy, sparking an intense shoot-out during which Malone and Evelyn are separated. With nowhere to run and the three thugs fast gaining ground, Malone vows to protect the contents of the case and take down Whitmore once and for all.
Darkness In Tallinn|Ilkka Jarvilaturi|Set amidst the political and economic havoc caused by the dissolution of the Soviet Union, City Unplugged is based on a simple premise. During World War II, before the Soviet occupation, Estonia sent its national treasury, $900 million dollars in gold, to Paris for safe-keeping, and now they plan to bring it back. That is, if the Russian mob doesn't have their way. Russian gangsters have hatched a plan to grab the cash during a city wide blackout of their own making. After cornering the market on candles and flashlights, the mob approaches Tovio, a young engineer at the city power plant, and forcefully recruit him into their scheme. Tovio's no criminal but is "compelled" to join up to support his pregnant wife. As Estonians fill the streets celebrating their independence, the plan comes off without a hitch. That is, until, Tovio's wife goes into labor early and, to save his son, him must attempt to repair the city's utilities. Featuring stunning black and white cinematography during the blackout, City Unplugged is a darkly humorous, hyper-realistic look at the future of democracy and the perils of capitalism in the Baltics.
Best Little Whorehouse In Texas|Colin Higgins|In this filmization of the hit Broadway musical, a popular brothel is threatened with a shutdown by Texas authorities. Burt Reynolds plays the Sheriff, while Dolly Parton portrays the Chicken Ranch madam. While this film has its moments, it never reaches the entertainment heights of its stage predecessor. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
Random Hearts|Sydney Pollack|"Random Hearts" is a compelling love story about two people who never would have met... in a perfect world. An act of fate throws the two very different people together; Dutch Van Den Broeck, a tough-minded internal affairs cop involved in a high-stakes corruption case, and Kay Chandler, a high-profile congresswomen embroiled in a bitter re-election campaign. They develop an extraordinary relationship which forces them to confront the truth that threatens to destroy them and discover the strengths to triumph over the deception that surrounds them.
Cannonball Run|Hal Needham|A group of oddballs compete in a wild and illegal cross-country car race.
Happy|Lee Philips|A formerly popular television personality with poor finances is the eyewitness to a gangland murder and finds his life sliding even further downhill.
Secret Admirer|David Greenwalt|Produced at the height of the teen sex comedy cinema craze in the mid-1980s, Secret Admirer (1985) was the directorial debut of David Greenwalt, who would later move from screwball comedy to horror with the television series The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. C. Thomas Howell stars as Michael Ryan, a high school student who receives an anonymous love note in his locker. Hoping that it's from Deborah Ann Fimple (Kelly Preston), a gorgeous but air-headed classmate who only dates college boys, Michael hatches a scheme with Toni (Lori Loughlin), who is friendly with both him and Deborah, to write her back. What Michael doesn't know, however is that the first letter was really from Toni, who has more than friendship in mind. In the meantime, the unsigned missives fall into the wrong hands, leading Michael's mother, Connie (Dee Wallace-Stone) to believe that her husband George (Cliff De Young) is having an affair with his night school teacher, Elizabeth (Leigh Taylor-Young), who is none other than Deborah's mother. George had better watch his back, however, as Elizabeth's husband is Lieutenant Lou Fimple (Fred Ward), a tough cop who's having a very bad week. As the romantic complications pile up, Toni becomes Michael's Cyrano de Bergerac, penning his letters but pining for him as he gets closer to winning Deborah over. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
A Time To Live|Rick Wallace|Adapted from Mary-Lou Weisman's book Intensive Care, this made-for-television movie stars Liza Minnelli (in her first TV appearance) as a woman who must remain strong and contend with her son's muscular dystrophy and all the problems within the family that accompany the illness.
Remarks On Marx A Night At The Opera|Karen Hillhouse|This is a 34-minute "extra" on the "A Night at the Opera" DVD.
Jackal|Michael Caton-Jones|In Moscow, after FBI deputy director Carter Preston (Sidney Poitier) and scarred Russian intelligence officer Valentina Koslova (Diane Venora) bring down a key figure in the Russian Mafia, they are threatened by the criminal's powerful brother who swears vengeance on the FBI and immediately hires a professional assassin, the Jackal (Bruce Willis) to kill a leading American political figure. A master of disguises, the Jackal believes in total perfectionism and demands $70 million for the job. The FBI suspects the Jackal is aiming for the FBI director, so they consult with former Basque terrorist Isabella (Mathilda May), in Virginia, and Isabella's former lover, IRA operative Declan Mulqueen (Richard Gere), serving a prison sentence. Promised leniency, Mulqueen agrees to help. Meanwhile, the Jackal prepares false passports, secures a customized computer system to run his Gatling gun, and heads toward his target in Washington, D.C. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
Grass Harp|Charles Matthau|Based on the novel by Truman Capote, this often-witty coming-of-age drama looks at a young man growing up with an unusual family in the Deep South in the 1940s. After the death of his parents, Collin Fenwick (Edward Furlong) finds himself living in a small town with two of his aunts, Dolly (Piper Laurie) and Verena (Sissy Spacek). Verena is the more stable of the two, an entrepreneur who controls a number of local businesses and rules the roost with a firm hand. Dolly, on the other hand, is a gentle eccentric who claims to hear the voices of the dead as the wind whistles through the grass, and has developed a homemade concoction that supposedly cures dropsy. Dolly's potion attracts the attention of Morris Ritz (Jack Lemmon), a smooth-talking con man from Chicago who wants to snatch the formula away from her. Along the way, Collin also gets to know Catherine (Nell Carter), Verena and Dolly's quick-witted house maid; Amos (Roddy McDowall), a barber who is also the town's one-man rumor mill; Charlie Cool (Walter Matthau), a charmingly cynical retired judge with an opinion about everything; and Sister Ida (Mary Steenburgen), an accordion-toting traveling evangelist who has had a heroic brood of 13 children without benefit of marriage. The Grass Harp was directed by Charles Matthau, the son of Walter Matthau.
Lucky Numbers|Nora Ephron|While lots of people dream of winning the lottery, one man hatches a more ambitious plan than just buying a ticket and hoping for the best in this satiric comedy. Russ Richards (John Travolta), a weatherman on a local TV station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sells snowmobiles on the side, but both careers are in a rut thanks to an unusually warm winter. Russ's girlfriend Crystal (Lisa Kudrow) appears on the State Lottery's weekly televised drawing, pulling the numbered balls out of the rotating bin. With the help of a few of his less scrupulous friends - among them sleazy strip joint proprietor Gig (Tim Roth), small time hood Dale The Thug (Michael Rappaport), and Crystal's sleazy cousin Walter (Michael Moore) - Russ figures out a way to rig the drawing and have Crystal pull numbers that they happen to own. However, Russ discovers that making the scheme work and keeping everyone quiet about it is more trouble than it's worth. The supporting cast includes Chris Kattan, Ed O'Neill, and Bill Pullman; Nora Ephron, who previously worked with Travolta on the comedy hit Michael, directed. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Hard Target|John Woo|John Woo's first Hollywood feature stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, a down-and-out Cajun merchant seaman, who, after saving a young woman, Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler), from a gang of thugs on the streets of New Orleans, agrees to help her search for her father (Chuck Pfarrer), a homeless Vietnam vet. They locate local businessman Randall Poe (Elliott Keener), for whom the vet had been working, and learn that her father has become a victim of wealthy sportsman Emil Fouchon (Lance Henriksen), who, along with his cronies, hunts homeless men as a form of recreation. After Fouchon finds out that the girl is investigating the murder of her father, he arranges for she and Chance to be ambushed, but they manage to escape into the backwoods of Louisiana -- his stomping grounds. Realizing he needs to regroup, Fouchon assembles a private army to invade the bayous. They track the pair to the rustic cabin of Chance's Uncle Douvee (Wilford Brimley), and the real fireworks begin. ~ Michael Costello, Rovi
Heart And Souls|Ron Underwood|Heart and Souls is an odd reincarnation comedy about a man (Robert Downey Jr.) who has been haunted his entire life by four souls (Charles Grodin, Kyra Sedgewick, Alfre Woodard, Tom Sizemore), who are only visible to himself, and who all died in a bus accident on the night that he was born. Once he becomes a man, he is forced to finish what they could not complete, and each of the four souls inhabits his body at different times as he attempts to take care of their business.
American Me|Edward James Olmos|Edward J. Olmos made his directorial bow with the powerhouse crime saga American Me. Olmos stars as street-gang leader Santana, who during his 18 years in Folsom Prison rules over all the drug-and-murder activities behind bars. Upon his release, Santana goes back to his old neighborhood, intending to lead a peaceful, crime-free life. But his old gang buddies force him back into his old habits. The omniprescene of the "Mexican Mafia" in the southwest is sufficient to make this film a daunting, demoralizing experience. Upon its release, American Me received a lot of press play due to the fact that Olmos shot his Folsom sequences on location, using actual prisoners as extras and bit players.
Gift|Sam Raimi|Annie, a young recently widowed mother of three, lives in Brixton, Georgia and supports herself by giving psychic readings. The narrow-minded townspeople shun her for her gift of psychic vision. When Valerie drops in for a reading, Annie advises her to leave her abusive husband. Soon, Annie finds herself in danger as the body of a woman is found and investigators turn to her for help. Slowly, the dark secrets of this rural southern town are exposed and Annie's 'gift' becomes her only hope of saving herself and her family.
Little Miss Sunshine|Jonathan Dayton|When a pudgy, bespectacled seven-year-old, Olive (Abigail Breslin), voices her desire to take home the coveted Little Miss Sunshine crown at an upcoming beauty pageant, her wildly dysfunctional family sets out on an interstate road trip to ensure her a clear shot at realizing her dreams in former music video directorial team Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' quirky feature debut, starring Greg Kinnear, Steve Carell, and Toni Collette. Despite early career success as an outspoken motivational speaker, family patriarch Richard (Kinnear) continues to cling to his "Refuse to Lose" philosophy, much to the chagrin of his increasingly annoyed spouse, Sheryl (Collette). Add into the mix a Nietzsche-reading teenage son (Paul Dano) who has taken a vow of silence until he finds his fate as a fighter pilot; a horny, heroin-happy grandfather (Alan Arkin) with a penchant for creative profanity; and a suicidal genius (Carell) and Proust scholar still reeling about losing both his male lover and his MacArthur Foundation genius grant -- and the stage is set for a road trip in which sanity is sure to take the back seat. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Moment Of Truth Caught In The Crossfire|Chuck Bowman|Originally telecast as part of NBC's off-and-on "Moment of Truth" series, the made-for-TV Caught in the Crossfire stars Dennis Franz as Louisiana journalist Gus Payne. Doing undercover work for the FBI, the innocent Payne is framed by a pair of federal agents who don't want the blunders they've made in a political-corruption investigation to be made public. Payne's only hope is to expose the rogue agents--but that won't be easy with the full weight of the FBI already marshalled against him. Based on a true story, Moment of Truth: Caught in the Crossfire debuted September 14, 1994.
Cars|John Lasseter|Lightning McQueen, a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters--including Sally, a snazzy 2002 Porsche, Doc Hudson, a 1951 Hudson Hornet with a mysterious past, and Mater, a rusty but trusty tow truck, who help him realize that there are more important things than trophies, fame and sponsorship.
Something New|Sanaa Hamri|If love is an adventure, it's one yet to be embarked upon by Kenya Denise McQueen. A beautiful L.A. career woman, Kenya works as a senior manager at a prestigious accounting firm, and is on the verge of making partner. But she has yet to find her own partner and a fulfilling personal life. It's not that she's stopped looking; her (mental) checklist is at the ready. After another Valentine's Day spent working late, Kenya agrees to a blind date with Brian Kelly, a sexy and free-spirited landscape architect who turns out to be not exactly what she'd pictured for herself. Then again, she does need the yard of her new house fixed up. Her girlfriends Cheryl, Suzzette, and Nedra are there for her with advice, while Cheryl's new beau Walter shares a male perspective with Brian. Kenya's socially prominent parents Joyce and Edmond and womanizing younger brother Nelson also voice their own opinions. But it's when her perfect match, Mark, enters the picture that Kenya is truly thrown into confusion. Ultimately, Kenya has to decide for herself and follow her heart -- no matter where it takes her.
Hoodwinked|Cory Edwards|Forget everything you know about Little Red Riding Hood; the classic fairy tale gets a new look and a new style in this computer-animated comedy for the whole family. Grizzly (voice of Xzibit) and Stork (voice of Anthony Anderson) are a pair of critter cops who have been called the homey bungalow of Granny (voice of Glenn Close) to investigate a disturbance of the peace. It seems there was an altercation involving Granny, her granddaughter Little Red Riding Hood (voice of Anne Hathaway), a Big Bad Wolf (voice of Patrick Warburton), and a Woodsman (voice of Jim Belushi). However, as the detectives interview the participants and get each individual's perspective, they learn that Granny isn't so helpless, Red may have been doing more than just visiting relatives, the Wolf isn't the predator he's been cracked up to be, and the Woodman doesn't have much of an intellectual advantage over the trees he chops down. Hoodwinked also features the voice talents of Andy Dick, David Ogden Stiers, and Chazz Palminteri.
American Pimp|Albert Hughes|Albert and Allen Hughes, the writing and directing team of Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, turn their documentary eye to the world of street pimps in this 1999 Sundance Film Festival Documentary Competition entry. The black urban pimps interviewed here open up to reveal their world and their secrets to the camera in a film that is not about sex, but about power. We meet pimps named Filmore Slim, C-Note, K-Red, Gorgeous Dre, and Rosebudd as they discuss their business, including percentages, lifestyles, stealing "ho's," and the Player's Ball. These men exude charm and charisma, and boast rock-star status in their communities, with expensive clothes, cars, and bankrolls. The film works as an allegory to the film and music industries, where people are lured with glamour and money, only to be used as commodity and tossed out once they have passed their prime. The film also traces the history of the street pimp from the '20s to the present, with particular emphasis on the '70s pimp, whose lifestyle was exposed in the blaxploitation films of the '70s.
Flirt|Hal Hartley|This episodic, internationally-produced drama from filmmaker Hal Hartley offers three variations on a singular theme: the romantic dilemma faced by a flirtatious lover when his primary partner begins asking for a real commitment. The first introduces the basic tale. Set in New York in early 1993, this segment was pared down from a 23-minute short film. Bill stands at a pay phone; his lover Emily is in her apartment trying to persuade him to commit to her before she leaves for Paris because she has just received a marriage proposal from another. Eventually he agrees to have made his decision by the time he picks her up for the ride to the airport. While on the phone with her, he flirts shamelessly with a beautiful girl. Afterward, he calls Margaret, his other lover, and asks her the same questions Emily asked him. Later a good friend warns Bill that Margaret has just split up with her husband and another counsels him that Margaret is poison. Utterly confused, Bill visits a public restroom and begins talking to himself. Much to his surprise, three bums, in Greek chorus fashion, advise him. A little freaked, Bill heads for a bar and finds Margaret's disconsolate husband who is drinking himself blind in preparation to shoot himself. The men talk and Bill is accidentally shot. Later he lies in a hospital dreaming of women. As he does, he finally realizes what he must do. The second variation is set in 1944 Berlin and retells the same story, using the same dialog, with homosexuals playing the major roles. The third tale is set in Tokyo, 1995 during the rehearsal of a butoh mime troupe. All wear heavy white make-up and billowy clothing. This variation is freer than the others, but the story remains much the same.
Erotic Ghost Story 1987|Ngai Choi Lam|Three vixens have meditated for 1,000 years to able to shed their animal natures and become human. For the final month of their rigors, they have moved near a village where women pray to a god of fertility. One sister visits the god's temple and thinks lustful thoughts. As she leaves, a priest confronts her, warning of dire consequences and of demons that will try to stop the vixens' transformation. Soon, the youngest sister saves a poor scholar from bandits and becomes enamored of him. Each sister visits him, and before long, the youth has made love to all three. After they invite him to stay with them, the playfulness takes a scary turn. Where can they turn for help?
1101561 Malena|Giuseppe Tornatore|In 1941, Renato was 13 years old and although the world was at war, nothing ever happened in his sleepy village in Sicily. Until the day he discovered something that would change his life forever... Malena, the beautiful young war widow who was the obsession of every man and the envy of every woman. Because of her, Renato will come to learn all of life's lessons and find himself in places he never could have imagined.
World And Time Enough|Eric Mueller|This lightweight romantic gay drama follows the lives of two young lovers and their estranged families. Mark, a conceptual artist, and Joey, a highway trash collector, have been living together for a long time. Both are in their late twenties, Mark is HIV positive and is very aware that he is doomed. Mark has not spoken to his widowed father for many years. Joey was adopted and rejected by his parents when he came out. He now searches for his biological parents. Mark's attempts at reconciliation come to late as his father recently died. Joey resist reconciliation attempts from his married sister and continues his search.
Naked Prey|Cornel Wilde|In the bush country of South Africa in the late 19th century, chauvinistic hunter Gert vanDen Bergh calculatedly offends a local tribal chief. Given several opportunities, he refuses to apologize. As consequence, vanDen Bergh and the rest of his hunting party are captured by the tribesmen and grotesquely tortured to death. The only white man spared is safari-guide Cornel Wilde, whom the natives respect and vice versa. The tribesmen offer Wilde a chance to survive; stripping him naked and giving him a knife to defend himself, they set Wilde free in the jungle, in preparation of hunting him down like a lion. Given a head start equal to the distance one of the tribesman can fire an arrow, Wilde is pursued by the tribe's six most accomplished warriors. The rest of this thrill-a-minute film follows Wilde into the underbrush in his desperate, resourceful flight for life. Cornel Wilde's The Naked Prey was filmed entirely on location under circumstances nearly as dangerous as the plight of its protagonist.
Riverdance Live From New York City|John McColgan|Riverdance, the acclaimed Irish music and dance spectacular, comes to the Big Apple in this live video recorded at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. The New York performance features several new pieces never before available on video, including "American Wake" and "Harbour Of The New World." This production stars Jean Butler, Colin Dunne and Maria Pagés, along with a cast of 70 dancers and musicians.
Iceberg Slim Portrait Of A Pimp|Jorge Hinojosa|Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp Examines the tumultuous life of legendary Chicago pimp Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) and how he reinvented himself from pimp to author of 7 groundbreaking books. These books were the birth of Street Lit and explored the world of the ghetto in gritty and poetic detail and have made him a cultural icon. Interviews with Iceberg Slim, Chris Rock, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, and Quincy Jones. (c) Official Site
Friday After Next|Marcus Raboy|The gang from Friday and Next Friday are back in this urban comedy, in which Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) have finally moved out of their respective parents' homes and gotten an apartment together. However, a bogus neighborhood Santa Claus (Rickey Smiley) decides to help Craig and Day-Day share the wealth by robbing their apartment, and when he rips off their stereo, he also makes off with their rent money, which was hidden in the speaker cabinets. Desperate to make rent and have some money for Christmas presents, Craig and Day-Day land jobs at a local strip mall, where their fathers, Mr. Jones (John Witherspoon) and Uncle Elroy (Don "D.C." Curry), have gone into business together running a barbecue joint. Craig and Day-Day are installed as security guards, and while Craig tries to make time with Donna (K.D. Aubert), a saleswoman at the Pimp N' Ho's Boutique, and keep things orderly at Holy Moly's Doughnut Shop, Day-Day attempts to transform himself into a master of crime-fighting, which causes a lot more problems than it solves. Friday After Next is the first feature film from director Marcus Raboy, who previously directed music videos for Sting, Li'l Kim, Staind, and Friday After Next star Ice Cube. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Riverdance The Show|John McColgan|Bravura concert performance from the emerald isle of Celtic dance and music both ancient and modern. Sure to get you tappin' and slappin'.
Memron|Nancy Hower|Winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative feature at the 2004 Slamdance, director Nancy Hower's off-the-wall mockumentary Memron serves up a thinly-veiled parody of the Enron corporate scandals and bankruptcy of 2001. Hower's film concerns the (apocryphal) corporation of the title, whose crooked suits "fixed" its ledgers and stole millions from lower-level employees and shareholders, including a copious number of little old ladies. Now, the deposed Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth Clay (Michael McShane) dominates the golf course at the local prison yard and a team of terminated middle managers scramble to rebuild the company from the ground floor up. Tim Bagley, Claire Forlani, Mary Pat Gleason, Jeffrey Hayenga, John Lehr, Christopher Liam Moore and Evie Peck co-star. Hower and Robert Hickey are credited as co-scenarists, though the film relies heavily on improvisational dialogue.
Corky Romano|Rob Pritts|Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan stars in this mob comedy as Corky Romano, a veterinarian with a penchant for pop music from the '80s. As a youth, Corky was kicked out of his Mafia-connected family for being an oddball. Now his long-lost father (Peter Falk) has been indicted and needs Corky to infiltrate the FBI and steal the government's evidence against him. Corky is willing to aid the relatives who so long ago turned their backs on him, but his brothers go overboard when intimidating the computer hacker who gets Corky's bogus application into the FBI academy, presenting him as a super agent named Pissant. Now Corky must live up to his reputation for an eminently qualified top cop while simultaneously trying to get the goods on his dad. Corky Romano co-stars Peter Berg, Chris Penn, Vincent Pastore, Vinessa Shaw, Fred Ward, and Richard Roundtree.
Clerks 2|Kevin Smith|The continuing tale of Dante and Randal, two slackers who find that life must change now that they are in their thirties, when it's time to grow up and do something more than just sit around, dissect pop culture and talk about sex.
Ant Bully|John A. Davis|"The Ant Bully" tells a witty and heartwarming story about a 10-year-old boy who embarks on a remarkable journey. New in town, friendless and tormented by a neighborhood bully, young Lucas Nickle has been taking out his frustration on the innocent ant hill in his yard. But one day the ants retaliate. Using a magic potion, they shrink Lucas down to ant size and sentence him to live like an ant in their colony. In this strange new world Lucas will learn important lessons about friendship, get a whole new perspective on life and ultimately find the courage to stand up for himself.
The Night Listener|Patrick Stettner|A troubled radio talk show host's desperate attempt to contact the ailing teenage author of a disturbing manuscript leads him to a shocking series of revelations in director Patrick Stettner's big-screen adaptation of Armistead Maupin's controversial novel. Gabriel Noone (Robin Williams) is a popular radio talk show host whose turbulent personal life has become little more than fodder for the airwaves. Night after night, Gabriel shamelessly sits behind the microphone documenting the deteriorating health of his HIV-infected boyfriend Jess (Bobby Cannavale) to a rapt audience of loyal listeners. When Jess' health unexpectedly improves and he decides to break off the relationship in order to embrace his newfound independence, Gabriel soon finds that the sudden elimination of his most personal subject matter has left him with little means of relating to his audience. Subsequently handed a shocking, autobiographical manuscript by his publisher friend Ashe (Joe Morton) documenting the harrowing home life of a 14-year-old, AIDS-afflicted fan named Pete Logand (Rory Culkin), Gabriel soon receives a telephone call from a person claiming to be Pete, and the two strike up a fast friendship. The conversations between the pair ever more frequently punctuated by reports from Pete's overprotective stepmother, Donna (Toni Collette), concerning the teen's rapidly deteriorating health, Gabriel's growing suspicion that a literary hoax is in the making prove enough cause for the hesitant the publishing house that employs Ashe to back away from a lucrative distribution deal. Now, as the guilt of sinking a potentially lucrative deal for the long-suffering child begins to weigh down on Gabriel's increasingly frail shoulders, the guilt-ridden radio host boards a plane for the Logands small-town Wisconsin home to solve the strange mystery once and for all.
Getaway|Sam Peckinpah|In Sam Peckinpah's version of Walter Hill's script, from Jim Thompson's novel, an ex-con and his wife go on the lam after a Texas bank heist. Denied parole after four well-behaved years, Doc McCoy (Steve McQueen) sends his wife Carol (Ali MacGraw) to dirty politician Jack Benyon (Ben Johnson) to get him out of prison. Carol secures Doc's freedom, on the condition that he does one more bank job for Benyon. Doc and his accomplices Rudy (Al Lettieri) and Jackson (Bo Hopkins) get the cash, but Doc soon discovers how Rudy intends to keep it all for himself and how Carol convinced Benyon to get him sprung. While Rudy hijacks a veterinarian and his wife (Sally Struthers) to take him to get Doc in El Paso, Doc and Carol make their own embattled way south with the money, threatening to desert each other before reaching a trash dump rapprochement after a harrowing garbage truck episode. All sides converge in El Paso for a shootout, but trust a happily married old-timer (Slim Pickens) to help Doc and Carol have a future. With violence shot in his trademark balletic style, Peckinpah does not hide the damage that Doc can do, whether to a cop car or an enemy. Still, as in such other morally relative outlaw movies as Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and Peckinpah's western The Wild Bunch (1969), Doc may be a criminal and killer when necessary, but his and Carol's loyalty to each other elevates them above their crooked milieu. With its non-traditional traditional couple played by the then hot (and notoriously adulterous) stars McQueen and MacGraw, The Getaway was a substantial hit. It was lackadaisically remade with Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger in 1994. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
Tap|Nick Castle Jr.|Gregory Hines plays the ex-convict son of a famed tap-dancer. Taking over his late father's Harlem dance studio, Hines can't shake memories of his childhood, when he was being touted as a dancing prodigy. Challenged to fulfill his destiny by his dad's old cronies--among them such terpsichorean giants as Sammy Davis Jr., Steve Condos, Jimmy Slyde and Harold Nicholas--Hines does his best to avoid lapsing back into a life of crime. The struggle to save Hines' soul is a titanic one, with Hines' girlfriend Suzzanne Douglas tugging at him from one direction and his old burglary partner Joe Morton yanking from the other. The plotline of Tap is merely an excuse to show off some of the most dazzling footwork ever recorded on film. The director is Nick Castle Jr., who like star Gregory Hines is scion of a legendary dancing family.
How To Eat Fried Worms|Bob Dolman|An 11-year-old boy's first day in school devolves into a battle with the school bully. It leads to a dare that the youth can't eat 10 worms in one day. The kid turns out to be 'Fear Factor' material, and his exploits change the balance of power in the fifth grade.
One Night With The King|Michael O. Sajbel|When a beautiful young slave girl learns that her people are about to fall victim to a horrible act of genocide, she will be forced to choose between realizing her wildest dreams or stepping into the pages of history to embrace her destiny in an epic tale of one young girl who rises from peasant to princess to claim the heart of a king. Esther was born an exquisite beauty, but her people have been enslaved by the most powerful kingdom on the planet and her parents executed before she ever had a chance to truly know them. Subsequently taken in by her kindly uncle, a royal scribe, Esther is soon spirited away to the royal palace to take her place in the king's harem. Trouble is stirring in this ancient land, however, and when the queen, Vashti, is banished by the unknowing king, palace princes scramble for a position of power the desperate king determined to live up to, and ultimately avenge the battles waged by his father long ago. Now, as the wheels of destruction are slowly set into motion, a malevolent prime minister who has fallen into favor with the king soon begins to wield a frightening amount of power by calling for the death of Esther's people. With time running out for her entire race, Esther must face her fears and be willing to lay down her life if she is to ever fully realize the plan that God has laid out for her.
Mae Day The Crumbling Of A Documentary|Scott Mosier|After a student documentary project on a transsexual entertainer falls apart, the two director/producers have to come up with another documentary. This is what they came up with.
This Is Us|Morgan Spurlock|ONE DIRECTION: THIS IS US is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London's famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction. (c) TriStar
Basic|John McTiernan|Tom Hardy, an ex-Army Ranger turned DEA agent, is drawn into an ever-widening mystery surrounding the disappearance of the feared and often hated Sgt. Nathan West, as well as several of his elite Special Forces trainees on what appears, at first, to have been a routine training exercise during a hurricane in the jungles of Panama. Only two survivors are found, Dunbar, and a badly wounded Kendall, the son of a high-profile Joint Chiefs of Staff official. Neither is willing to cooperate with Capt. Julia Osborne's investigation. So base commander Col. Bill Styles calls in ex-Ranger Hardy, an old friend and a persuasive interrogator. Osborne disapproves of Hardy who is on leave from the D.E.A. after having come under suspicion of accepting bribes from local drug traffickers. She is also uneasy when she learns that Hardy once trained under West and hates him almost as passionately as his current recruits. With time running out, Hardy and Osborne call a temporary, if uneasy, truce. Hardy cajoles a confession out of Dunbar, who claims that Sgt. West and the missing Rangers have been murdered and their bodies blown away by the hurricane. When they later interview Kendall, he confirms that the other Rangers and West are dead. But, in almost every other way, his story contradicts Dunbar's. What happened to West and his Ranger team? And what were they really doing out there in the jungle? As each layer reveals more lies and greater deceptions, Hardy and Osborne inch towards the horrible truth about the fate of the missing Rangers.
Evil Remains|James Merendino|In the years following a gruesome murder at a sprawling Louisiana plantation, local legend states that anyone who sets foot on the cursed property will suffer an excruciating and agonizing death. Compelled by the horrific tales and determined to prove the stories to be nothing more than urban legend, a local student convinces four friends to accompany him on an excursion into the unwelcoming backwoods property. As the group begins to learn more about the blood-soaked history surrounding the property, they are forced to confront their worst fears in a terrifying explosion of unimaginable horror.
Love Song For Bobby Long|Shainee Gabel|Upon hearing of her mother's death, jaded teenage loner Purslane Hominy Will returns to New Orleans for the first time in years, ready to reclaim her childhood home. Expecting to find her late mother's house abandoned, Pursy is shocked to discover that it is inhabited by two of her mother's friends: Bobby Long, a former literature professor, and his young protege, Lawson Pines. These broken men, whose lives took a wrong turn years before, have been firmly rooted in the dilapidated house for years, encouraged only by Lawson's faltering ambitions to write a novel about Bobby Long's life. Having no intention of leaving, Pursy, Bobby Long and Lawson are all forced to live together. Yet as time passes, their tenuous, makeshift arrangement unearths a series of buried personal secrets that challenges their bonds and reveals just how inextricably their lives are intertwined.
So Fresh So Clean 2002|Jeremiah Birnbaum|In this over-the-top comedy, Kyle Freeman (Red Grant) and Clem Clemons (Sadiki Fuller) are two friends who work together at the Tidey Whitey Cleaners, a dry cleaning and laundry shop in a rough-and-tumble urban neighborhood. Kyle is usually having a bad day and takes a casual attitude with the customers, while Clem keeps trying to compensate for his speech impediment, with disastrous results. Over the course of a typical day, both Kyle and Clem try to impress the respective women of their dreams as they deal with an endless parade of crazy customers and neighborhood characters.
Unknown|Simon Brand|When five men wake up in a locked warehouse with no memory of how they arrived there, the race is on to stay alive long enough to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys in a mysterious thriller from music-video director Simon Brand and first-time feature-film screenwriter Matt Waynee. James Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Bridget Moynahan, Joe Pantoliano, and Barry Pepper star in a thriller that combines the claustrophobic tension of Cube with the simmering character drama of Reservoir Dogs.
Jelly|Waleed Moursi|Are you one of the millions still wondering why you life didn't turn out like a "John Hughes" Movie? ...Jelly is!
The Pretty One 2013|Jenée LaMarque|Written and directed by Jenée LaMarque, THE PRETTY ONE is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life she has always wanted but never thought was possible, she must decide between continuing her life as Audrey and revealing herself as the perfect fraud. (c) DADA Films
Dog Eat Dog 2016|Paul Schrader|Legendary filmmaker Paul Schrader directs this "sordid and engaging crime drama" (The Hollywood Reporter) starring Academy Award (R) winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas) and Academy Award (R) nominee Willem Dafoe (Platoon). Ex-cons Troy (Cage), Mad Dog (Dafoe) and Diesel (Christopher Matthew Cook) are hired by an eccentric mob boss to kidnap a baby for a large ransom. When the abduction goes awry, the trio find themselves on the run from the mob and the cops. Vowing to stay out of prison at all costs, getting away with the crime is literally a matter of life and death.
The Mark Of The Hawk|Michael Audley|Filmed on location in Africa, Mark of the Hawk stars Sidney Poitier as a London-educated African who returns to his homeland to take a political post. Poitier's brother Clinton Macklin is in charge of a rebel organization, determine to topple the white-dominated government. Poitier must choose between seeking out racial equality through peaceful means, or casting his lot with Macklin: it is (at least in this film) a struggle of Right against Right. Eartha Kitt is top-billed, but her role is decidedly secondary to Poitier's. Released in Britain as Accused, Mark of the Hawk has been retitled Shaka Zulu on video, though it should not be confused with the 1985 TV miniseries of the same name.
Smash Up On Interstate 5|John Llewellyn Moxey|This disaster movies chronicles the many dramas of the people involved in a 39 car smash-up on a California freeway. The wreck occurs on the final day of a holiday weekend.
Doctor Strange|Jay Oliva|This animated feature brings to life the bestselling Dr. Strange series of Marvel comic books. The film -- like the original works -- plunges viewers into an otherworldly, mystical realm, rife with strange and mysterious creatures, of centuries-old spells and barrel-chested heroes. As the story opens, a surgeon, Dr. Stephen Strange, must first travel to the Tibetan Mountains to seek out healing from the Ancient One. After letting go of long-buried wounds from his past, he begins to tap into an inner aptitude for magic and sorcery that will enable him to take on a host of monsters that threaten the sanctity and very existence of humankind. Marvel guru Stan Lee co-executive produced; Bryce Johnson, Paul Nakauchi, Michael Yama, and others provide voices. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Antony And Cleopatra 1975|Jon Scoffield|Like other productions of Antony and Cleopatra, this 1974 version assumes that the audience is familiar with events that took place before Mark Antony's affair in Egypt with Cleopatra. These events include the assassination of Julius Caesar and the formation of a ruling Roman triumvirate of Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. When the armies of the triumvirate track down the armies of the assassins during a civil war, Egypt refuses to participate on the triumvirate's side. Antony summons Queen Cleopatra to Tarsus, Cicilia (present-day Turkey), to explain Egypt's position. But Antony falls in love with her and returns with her to Alexandria, Egypt. Shakespeare's play -- and thus the film -- begins there, in Alexandria. Captivated by Cleopatra's (Janet Suzman) beauty and charm, Antony (Richard Johnson) dallies in Egypt, forgetting his duties as soldier and statesman, until he receives word that his wife, Fulvia, has died and that Rome is on the brink of a new civil war, this time against Sextus Pompeius, the son of the late Pompey the Great. After Antony returns to Rome, Octavius (Corin Redgrave) berates him for neglecting affairs of state. However, they reconcile after Antony agrees to marry Octavius' sister, Octavia (Mary Rutherford). Upon hearing of the marriage, Cleopatra becomes enraged. Meanwhile, the triumvirs -- Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus make peace with Pompeius. Then Antony, accompanied by his new wife, goes to Athens to take command of Roman armies fighting the Parthians. Taking advantage of Antony's absence, the ambitious Octavius defeats Pompeius in a new war, deposes Lepidus, and consolidates his power. Angry, Antony sends his wife, Octavia, to Rome to protest. Meanwhile, still in love with Cleopatra, Antony returns to Egypt and resumes his affair with the alluring queen. ~ Mike Cummings, Rovi
Fear Is The Key|Michael Tuchner|In this thriller based on a novel by Alistair MacLean, Barry Newman plays John Talbot, an underwater salvage expert who witnesses the murder of his wife and child. After working with the police, Talbot hatches his own scheme to bring the killers to justice; posing as a criminal, he stages the phony murder of a police officer and kidnaps Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall), the heiress to a petroleum fortune. Talbot's false daring attracts the attention of a criminal mastermind who wants to recover the valuables aboard a plane that recently crash-landed in the water; however, Talbot knows that the same man was responsible for his family's death, and he intends to see that he never returns from their exploratory search of the wrecked plane. Watch for Ben Kingsley in a small role, it was his first film, prior to Gandhi in 1982. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
5Th Monkey The|Éric Rochat|Ben Kingsley headlines this thoughtful adventure that was filmed on location in Brazil. The story centers on Cunda, a poor hunter who makes his meager living killing snakes. One day, he runs across four chimpanzees. The hunter is elated, for he hopes that selling them in the Big City will net him enough money to pay the dowry of his beloved Maria, a widow who lives in his village. His journey is long and arduous. At one point he ends up forced to work in a remote mining camp; at another he gets captured by military slavers. He and a beautiful Indian girl manage to escape from the latter and with the chimps make it to the city. But things don't go well there. More adventures ensue, and with each one, Cunda ponders humankind's true place in the natural world.