Duane Sharp Movies
A longtime comedian who has repeatedly failed to break big finds his one last shot at stardom thwarted by his toughest crowd yet in director Pete Schwaba's tale of love and failure on the standup circuit. Despite being singled out for stardom early on in his comedy career, L.A. comic Joe Keegan (Schwaba) never really managed to find his footage in the ultra-tough world of show business. Informed by his best friend, Kenny (Lance Barber), that Tonight Show talent scout Harvey Skoric will be attending the upcoming "Rocktober" festival in Pine Lake, WI, Joe reluctantly decides to take a break from the West Coast and pull out all the stops for one final all-or-nothing audition. Initially dejected when his set is sabotaged by local emcee Dug (Thomas Lennon), Joe finds inspiration in the form of his former high-school English teacher Molly Mahoney (Lauren Holly), herself attempting to overcome the recent pains of a failed marriage. Concerned that he may have been wasting his life but convinced by Molly that he has simply been living his dream, Joe takes the stage once again to face a formidable crowd filled with hunters, Packers fans, and former high-school football star-turned-drug dealer Big Jake Norquist (Tony Goldwyn) -- the so-called "Godfather of Green Bay," who also has eyes for the lovely Molly. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pete Schwaba, Lauren Holly, (more)
A death has occurred in a Buddhist temple, but in order to solve the crime, the nameless detective in charge of the investigation must let go of his logic and rely on the intuitive, non-linear world of Zen in director Marc Rosenbush's abstruse comic mystery. Still in mourning from the recent loss of his wife, the detective must first question Ed; a secretive monk whose bad attitude immediately raises a red flag. When subsequent discussions with chrome domed femme fatale Jane and the frustratingly obscure Zen teacher known as The Master appear to lead the detective in circles, he quickly realizes that he will not be able to rely on his usual investigatory procedures and must alter his line of thinking to better reflect his surroundings. But the murder isn't the only mystery here, and as the disheartened detective feels the presence of his deceased wife hanging thick in the monastery air, he soon realizes that there is a much deeper and intensely personal mystery to be solved. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Duane Sharp, Kim Chan, (more)
The acclaimed graphic novel from crime writer Max Allan Collins becomes this big budget Dreamworks drama from director Sam Mendes and screenwriter David Self. Tom Hanks stars as Michael Sullivan, a morally conflicted Depression-era hit man committing murder in the name of his employer, John Rooney (Paul Newman). A kindly, aging Irish crime boss who raised Sullivan as his surrogate son, Rooney is affiliated with Al Capone in Chicago and thus wields great power in the "Tri-Cities" of Moline, IL; Rock Island, IL; and Davenport, IA. Curious about his father's mysterious profession, Sullivan's son, Michael Jr. (Tyler Hoechlin), stows away in his father's automobile one night and witnesses the execution of a man at the hands of Sullivan and Rooney's biological son, Connor (Daniel Craig). Although Michael keeps his promise to remain silent about what he's seen, the paranoid and unstable Connor tries to wipe out the entire Sullivan clan anyway, succeeding only in killing Sullivan's wife, Annie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and youngest son, Peter (Liam Aiken). Enraged at this and another surprise betrayal by the Rooneys, Sullivan embarks on a path of bloody retribution, Michael in tow. Although he intends to leave his boy with relatives in the rural town of Perdition once the coast is clear, he ends up exposing Michael to the goriest aspects of his talents, slaughtering former associates as he dodges contract assassin Maguire (Jude Law) and cripples the cash flow of the Rooney and Capone organizations through a series of bank robberies, attempting to force either mob family to offer up the sequestered Connor as a sacrifice. Inspired by the popular Japanese comic book series Lone Wolf and Cub and based loosely on an episode from the life and career of notorious real-life crime figures John and Connor Looney, Road to Perdition co-stars Stanley Tucci as legendary Chicago mobster Frank Nitti. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, (more)
- 1998
Gary Rosen and Greg Pritikin wrote, directed and co-star in this indie comedy. Nerdy Chicago bookstore clerk Wiley (Rosen) studies both gay and straight porn in an effort to make a decision about his life, while his pal Johnny (Pritikin), a rock-star wannabe who works in a record store, has a live-in girlfriend, veterinary student Anne (Jackie Katzman). Wiley claims to be jealous of Johnny and Anne, but the couple considers Wiley to be homosexual. To settle the matter, Johnny makes himself available in order to "help," but obviously, the situation can only get more twisted. Rosen approaches the role with full-blown Woody Allen stylistics. Shown at the 1998 San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greg Pritikin, Gary Rosen, (more)
- 1997
What's a nice guy to do if he just isn't able to find the man of his dreams? This is the dilemma that's befallen Matt (Paul Denniston), a sweet-natured but shy gay man who was dumped by his boyfriend three years ago. Matt is somewhat jealous of his roommate Danny (Bil Ingraham), whose evenings are dotted by a series of one-night stands, but Matt's interest in Danny fades when he moves out without warning, taking the furniture with him. Besides, Matt isn't interested in casual sex so much as (of course) someone to love. Tired of being walked on in life and love, Matt joins Butch Camp, a training facility for the less macho among us, where manic dominatrix Samantha Rottweiler (Judy Tenuta) whips her charges into shape. To enable her troops to fit in better with the manly outside world, Samantha gives each of the inmates a homework assignment: they have to go to (gasp!) a sports bar and pick up a woman. Needless to say, Matt is not looking forward to this project, but he goes forth with grim determination, swilling beer and objectifying women with the best of them, until he meets Janet (Jordan Roberts), who is about to give her boyfriend Rod (Jason Terisi) the old heave-ho. Matt takes one look at Rod and senses there's something about him that Janet hasn't quite figured out. This deliberately broad and politically incorrect comedy was something of a switch for writer/director Alessandro de Gaetano, whose previous project was the horror/sci-fi adventure Project: Metalbeast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
