Claudio Russo Movies
- 1997
Having gained a wide following in her native Italy for her independent short films and videos, Roberta Torre made her feature-film directorial debut with an outrageous musical comedy retrospective on the life of a slain Sicilian gangster. The story begins with the shooting of gangster Tano Guarrasi. Known as a snazzy dresser with a mile-wide jealous streak that encompassed his wife, daughters and his sister, Tano is not mourned. But it is these very family members who two years later --while preparing for the wedding of Guarrasi's sister Franca -- recount his life and times as a Cosa Nostra criminal. The bride is happy about her nuptials, but remains haunted by her brother. Sure enough, gangsters burst in after the ceremony and start shooting. Afterwards, a legend circulates that Tano returned from the grave to protect her sister's virginity. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ciccio Guarino, Enzo Paglino, (more)
- 1988
This somber docudrama takes place in the squalid ghetto known as Zen 2. Over 25,000 people live in the 3-year-old makeshift city under deplorable conditions where there are open sewers and undrinkable water. The only available electricity is stolen from power lines, as children are constantly sickened by the pollution of the air and water. The main industry consists of violent crime, drug dealing, prostitution, and robbery. Sister Chiara (Consuelo Lupo) and Father Don Luigi (Franco Scaldati) seem to be the only ones who try to save the children by encouraging them to play sports instead of snatching purses and dealing drugs. They also take the kids on trips to show them there are other places than the notorious ghetto where they live their miserable lives. During filming of ZEN - Zona Espansione Nord, local authorities refused to accompany the film crew into the area. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Consuelo Lupo, Franco Scaldati, (more)
Rob Lowe stars as the title character, a young hockey prodigy with a gift for scoring, but no such penchant for pugilism -- when the gloves drop, so does he. Despite his fragility, Coach Chadwick (Ed Lauter) takes him on the roster for his stick-handling ability alone. However, he ends up being sent home after being singled out by a particularly nasty goon, Racki (George Finn), who pummels the "pretty boy" in brutal fashion. Disheartened, Youngblood heads back to the rural Canadian farm he calls home, where his father (Eric Nesterenko, a former player for the Chicago Blackhawks) and older brother (Jim Youngs) teach him the invaluable lesson that hockey is "no place for a nervous person" (to quote a famous NHL announcer). Overseen by his elders, he immediately begins a combat-training regimen to prepare for his return and imminent showdown with the evil Racki; meanwhile, he strikes up a relationship with the coach's daughter (Cynthia Gibb). ~ Jeremy Beday, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rob Lowe, Cynthia Gibb, (more)
