Theo Kogan Movies
- 2009
- R
A struggling Bronx musician falls for a pretty girl from Brooklyn while working to launch his career and exceed his father's expectations. Jay (Andrew Cisneros) is a gifted performer from a tough Bronx neighborhood. He's performing on the streets when he meets Alessandra (Jenna Dewan), a Brooklyn muse who encourages him to pursue his dreams at all costs. But in the eyes of Jay's angry, resentful father, the young musician will never get out from under the shadow of his older brother, a Marine who has recently returned home from active duty. Trapped in a vicious self-destructive cycle of violence and anger, Jay must summon the courage to stand up to his enemies, and take those first uncertain steps toward the life he's always wanted. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andrew Cisneros, Jenna Dewan, (more)
- 2008
In the mid-1990's, when Rudy Guiliani took over as mayor of New York City, he began a campaign to clean up the city, shutting down many of New York's sex clubs and wilder nightspots while turning the Times Square area into a Disney-friendly tourist destination. However, not every New Yorker was happy about the heavy hand being put upon the city's libertine community (especially given the cleanup's emphasis on gay clubs), and Michael Schmidt, a Big Apple party promoter, began staging regular parties at a Tribeca club called Don Hill's as an act of defiance against the new PG-rated New York. "Squeezebox" was originally intended to be a night where drag queens would give up lip-synching to records for the night and belt out their favorite tunes to the accompaniment of a rock band, but in time it grew into an "anything goes" showcase in which gays, straights, punks and club kids mingled in a party that celebrated freedom and self-expression for all as well as a wild good time. John Cameron Mitchell's acclaimed show Hedwig and the Angry Inch began as a workshop production at Squeezebox, and performers who graced the Squeezebox stage included Deborah Harry, Boy George, Jayne County and Antony Hegarty (who would later gain fame with his group Antony and the Johnsons). Filmmakers Steve Saporito, Zach Shaffer and Sean Pierce tell the story behind New York's wildest party and talk to a number of the people who made it possible in the documentary SqueezeBox, which received its world premiere as a special Midnight attraction at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
A futuristic nomad scouring for food in a sun-scorched landscape stumbles upon a book detailing the most notorious murders in American crime history in this Claymation take on the Manson murders featuring the voices of Billie Joe Armstrong and Asia Argento, and directed by filmmaker John Roecker. Left emotionally vulnerable following a bad L.S.D. trip, young hippie Hadie (Theo Kogan) soon falls prey to the charms of charismatic cult leader Charlie (Armstrong), whose paranoid clan of outcasts have moved to the desert in hopes of hatching a plan to take over the world. As the Hanson family prepares their nefarious takeover, glamorous film starlet Sharon Hate (Nelly Pozbourne) plunges into a decadent world of showbiz debauchery with a little help from her hairdresser friend Hay (Davey Havok). Soon after Sharon encounters members of the Hanson family digging for food in a nearby dumpster, cult leader Charlie begins receiving murderous messages disguised as harmless pop songs. After laying Sharon and her Hollywood friends to waste in a blood-soaked orgy of murder and mutilation, Charlie leads his followers on yet another murderous mission before stealthily disappearing into the night when local police show up on the scene. Though Charlie himself is eventually locked up behind bars as well, his word reaches more people than ever thanks to the tireless efforts of a sensationalistic media and an opportunistic prosecutor who transforms the lurid tale into a bestselling book. Now, in the year 3069, Charlie's word is about to become divine law, and a generation tenuously clinging to life on a barren planet is about to fall. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A veteran mobster discovers the grass is greener on the other side in this broad independent comedy. Frank (Frank Adonis) is a 60-year-old Mafia lieutenant who has been entrusted with a suitcase full of high-quality marijuana that has arrived in Manhattan from the Deep South and is ready for sale. Frank, however, happens to make the acquaintance of Jade (Theo Kogan), an attractive young woman who sings with a punk-rock band. Jade turns Frank's head, and she, in turn, samples the wares from Frank's suitcase. Jade persuades Frank to try some of the weed, and before long he has a decidedly more forgiving attitude about life and those around him. Frank's new laid-back personality, however, doesn't go over well with his bosses, especially after the stash he was given goes missing and ends up being stolen and re-stolen by a dizzying variety of underground personalities. High Times' Potluck -- which, as the title infers, was produced and financed in part by the well-known marijuana advocacy magazine -- also stars Jason Mews, Frank Gorshin, Sylvia Miles, and Jason Isaacs; noted cannabis enthusiasts Tommy Chong and David Peel also make cameo appearances. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Jane Campion directs the erotic thriller In the Cut, based on the best-selling suspense novel by Susanna Moore. Set in New York City during the summertime, the film is centered on Frannie Avery (Meg Ryan), a middle-class English teacher in the midst of researching a book project about colloquial language. One night she accidentally witnesses a sexual situation involving a suspected killer, which may make her valuable to a police investigation. When Detective Malloy (Mark Ruffalo) comes to her apartment to interview her about a neighborhood murder, she becomes intensely attracted to him. Although they are not sure if they can completely trust each other, Frannie and Malloy start up a passionate love affair. Meanwhile, the killer remains on the loose and the list of suspects includes Malloy's partner, Rodriguez (Nick Damici), and Frannie's student Cornelius (Sharrieff Pugh). Jennifer Jason Leigh stars as Frannie's half-sister, Pauline. In the Cut was shown at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Meg Ryan, Mark Ruffalo, (more)
- 2001
New York City has long had a reputation as a city willing to embrace anyone and anything, regardless of eccentricity, and this documentary pays tribute to a handful of rock musicians, drag performers, and performance artists who have helped to make the Big Apple's underground entertainment scene among the liveliest in the world. Freaks, Glam Gods and Rockstars...The NYC Story features interviews and performance footage from transsexual rock pioneer Jayne County, drag queen and Wigstock founder the Lady Bunny, Kembra Pfaler from the theatrical rock band the Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black, members of the all-female thrash-punk group the Lunachicks, and many other Manhattan-based performers, who offer both a perspective on New York's past and their gripes with the city's present (most notably the elimination of rent control and Rudy Giuliani's efforts to clean up the city and make it harder for night clubs to operate). Village Voice columnist Michael Musto also offers his perspective on New York's entertainment underbelly. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Aviance, Jayne County, (more)
