Mark Brandon Movies
Where does legitimate concern end and paranoia begin? A man finds himself walking that fine line in this tense independent drama. Terry Allen (Peter Krause) is an accountant who lives a seemingly ordinary life until he loses his job. Unable to buy the new house he was hoping to get for his fiancée, Marla (Kari Matchett), Terry spends most of time in his apartment, looking for job leads, sending out resumés, and feeling increasingly powerless. As Terry watches more and more stories about the war on terror on cable news channels, he begins developing an intense suspicion of his new neighbor Gabe Hassan (Khaled Abol Naga), an Arab exchange student. Terry notices Gabe keeps late hours, takes out his trash in the middle of the night, and has a lot of visitors of Middle Eastern descent dropping by his flat, and slowly Terry becomes convinced Gabe is involved in terrorist activities. Terry visits Tom Hillary (Richard Schiff), an FBI agent, and tells him about Gabe and his habits; Tom doesn't pay much attention to what Terry has to say, and convinced danger lurks, he decides to take the law into his own hands. Civic Duty received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Peter Krause, Kari Matchett, (more)
- 2001
Its title notwithstanding, this zany made-for-cable comedy-fantasy is motivated by a lack of "beer money." While camping in the woods, a trio of impoverished party animals -- Tim (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), Rut (Nick von Esmarch), and Blank (J.P. Manoux) -- stumble upon a lovable E.T.-like space alien. Nicknaming their new "friend" Greenie, our dunderheaded heroes hope to sell the alien to a sleazy TV tabloid show, "Unbelievable Encounters," thereby keeping themselves in beer money for the rest of their lives. The problem now is to keep Greenie a secret from the local townsfolk until the TV deal is finalized. Producer/writer Rich Wilkes appears unbilled as Nick the Hollywood Snake. The sort of film that makes The Three Stooges look subtle, Beer Money debuted over the USA network on June 19, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mercedes McNab, (more)
- 1999
One of several top-notch musical biographies presented by the VH1 cable service, Sweetwater: A True Rock Story unfolds the poignant saga of the legendary L.A.-based band which "opened" the original Woodstock Festival in 1969. Nearly 30 years after this historic event, Cami Carlson (Kelli Williams), a reporter for the MIX-TV cable music channel, is assigned to produce a "Where Are They Now?" documentary about the long-disbanded Sweetwater. Although she receives the grudging assistance of several surviving members, Carlson does not learn the full story of why Sweetwater seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth after 1969 until she tracks down the group's lead vocalist and guitarist, Nanci Nevins (played by Amy Jo Johnson in the flashback sequences, and by Michelle Phillips in the present-day scenes). As Nanci painfully recalls the devastating tragedy which all but permanently stilled her voice, Carlson comes to terms with her own private demons. Filmed in Los Angeles and Vancouver, Sweetwater: A True Rock Story first aired on August 15, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Amy Jo Johnson, Kelli Williams, (more)
- 1985
- R
Nine Las Vegas showgirls are chosen to go fight terrorists in the Middle East (by distracting them?) in this under-par action drama with some nudity and sexual encounters. The son of a diplomat has been kidnapped by Arabs -- as usual cast in the role of villains -- who want to get their hands on the secrets for constructing a special nuclear weapon. It is the mission of the showgirls, should they accept it, to rescue the hostage, get a tan, and jump into that large shared bathtub as often as they can. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bainbridge Scott, Glen Hartford, (more)
