David Lee Movies
- 2007
Much against his will, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) checks into a hospital to be treated for a bloody nose. His mortal fear of being left alone in a hospital room is only exacerbated when Monk stumbles upon the body of a doctor who has been bludgeoned to death by an oxygen tank. The weapon belongs to an elderly patient who couldn't possibly have arisen from his sickbed to commit the crime, but he's the only suspect the police have. In his efforts to solve the murder, Monk not only learns the true significance of the old adage "physician heal thyself", but also ends up at the mercy of a killer who is fully prepared to "medicate" our hero into the next world. This is the final episode of Monk's fifth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Two couples find themselves unwilling guinea pigs in a scientific experiment with supernatural undertones in this Christian-themed horror movie that asks what frightening forces lurk just beyond the edge of our consciousness. Upon coming to in a darkened operation room, Lisa Williams (Hilary Kennedy) and Debra Reynolds (Gwendolynn Murphy) are shocked to find Lisa's boyfriend David (Manuel Velazquez) and Debra's husband Tony (D.C. Lee) handcuffed to a pair of nearby operating tables. There is no exit from the room, no one will reply to the women's repeated cries for help, and two unconscious men lie motionless on nearby beds. Neither Lisa nor Debra can recall how they ended up in this place, but as David and Tony begin to regain conscience it quickly becomes clear that they are being forced to take part in some sinister scientific experiment. Now, as the women try desperately to find a way out of their predicament, the men begin to experience a profoundly disturbing change. According to them, there is something unseen and thoroughly evil permeating the air in this room, something waiting for the perfect moment to cross into their reality and strike. With each minute that passes the men seem to become more acutely aware of this diabolical presence, yet the women remain skeptical. It's only a matter of time before this unseen evil manifests itself in our reality, and the longer it takes the women to solve the mystery, the more powerful it will be when it finally arrives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A South African mercenary and a Mende fisherman find their fates forever intertwined as they embark on a quest to obtain a rare and highly coveted pink diamond in director Edward Zwick's frantic adventure drama. Ripped from his family farm and forced to toil away in the sweltering South African diamond fields, Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou) discovered an extraordinary rough stone of immeasurable value. Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a hired gun who specializes in the sale of so-called "blood diamonds" that are used to finance rebellions and terrorist organizations, and is currently serving time for smuggling. As a bloody civil war rages in Sierra Leone and Archer learns that Vandy has safely hidden the diamond in a place where no one would ever suspect, the pair enlist the aid of disillusioned American journalist Maddy Bowen (Jennifer Connelly) in recovering the treasure that has the power to save Vandy's family and provide the desperate Archer with a much-needed chance for redemption. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly, (more)
Katsuhiro Otomo, director of the groundbreaking anime feature Akira (1988), returns with this visually striking fusion of the past and the future. It's the Industrial Age in England, reimagined, and various and sundry inventors and scientists are arriving in Britain to hawk their products while capitalism rears its ugly head. A gadget-happy British lad named Ray (voice of Anna Paquin) receives a mysterious package from his grandfather Lloyd Steam (Patrick Stewart) -- a tiny ball that turns out to be an engine toting immense power. As it happens, several of these little balls run the O'Hara pavilion, a massive, mobile fortress. Ray later discovers that his dad and grandfather are located inside of the pavilion; his dad, Eddie, has become mesmerized by O'Hara and subject to their whims, while Lloyd suspects that O'Hara may want to use the balls for nefarious purposes, and tries to put a definitive end to those plans. Indeed, the O'Hara people soon take over the Great Exhibition and turn it into a veritable circus for weapons dealers. Meanwhile, Ray starts to develop feelings for a young girl named Scarlett O'Hara. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Suzuki, Manami Konishi, (more)
A low-key supernatural chiller from Bio-Cops director Steve Cheng, Sleeping With the Dead finds depressed hospital surgeon David (Jordan Chan) drifting into contact with a malevolant ghost following the death of his mother and the discovery that his wife has been unfaithful. Having gained the ability to see ghosts following an incident in which he momentarily flatlined as a child, David's unique ability results in a withdrawn man pushed even further towards the edge following his wife's affair. Soon embarking on an affair of his own, David is subsequently troubled to learn that several members of his childhood group of friends have fallen victim to an otherworldly killer, each killed on their birthdays and having had their left eyeballs removed. Teaming with surviving friend, and cop, Iron Cheung (Simon Lui) to uncover the mystery of the killing before Cheung's rapidly approaching birthday, it seems that time may be running out for the hapless duo. When mysterious scars begin to form on Cheung's body - most disturbingly near his left eye, David must use his abilities to uncover the killer before its too late. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jordan Chan, Kelly Lin, (more)
- 2002
A largely unrelated follow-up to director Ann Hui's 2001 effort Visible Secret, this sequel finds director Abe Kwong stepping behind the camera (Hui remains on board as a producer) to offer a frightful tale of love and the supernatural. Their newlywed bliss short lived after husband Jack (Eason Chan Yik-shun) is hospitalized with serious injuries following a hit-and-run incident, both the doctors and his new bride, Ching (Jo Kuk Tso-lam), are pleasantly surprised by his unusually speedy recovery. Though he is soon on his feet again, Jack is subsequently plagued by terrifying visions of a female suicide victim every time he sneezes. Soon believing their new apartment haunted, Jack's fears are compounded by Ching's increasingly disturbing behavior. Suspecting that his new bride may be possessed, Jack seeks out the aid of old friend September (Cherrie Ying Choi-yi); the duo's investigation soon reveals that a relationship from Ching's mysterious past may hold the key to resolving the frightful supernatural occurrences. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eason Chan, Jo Kuk, (more)
One of Hong Kong's brightest young directors, Winston Yip, whose previous work, Mongkok Story, received a 1996 Hong Kong critics' prize, returns to the screen with this character-driven reworking of the gangster genre. Mike (Francis Ng) and his younger partner Brian (Louis Koo) are plainclothed policemen hot on the trail of a violent band of bank robbers. Their search leads them to a grotty old Hong Kong tenement. Expecting a long surveillance, the pair hole up in the apartment of the building's owner, an old woman called Granny (Helena Law), who is alternately gruff and kind toward them. While there, they get to know some of the locals and eventually fall in love -- Mike with a beautiful pregnant single mom who runs a laundromat (played by 1991 Miss Malaysia Stephanie Lin) and Brian with a teenaged slacker (Michelle Alicia Saram). Just as the two get comfortable in their new surroundings, the crooks make their inevitable return, resulting in gunplay and stylized over-the-top violence. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Ng
Master Hong Kong director Ringo Lam spins this wild genre-bending flick that is equal parts psychodrama, action thriller, caper movie, and ghost story. The film opens with computer designer Ma (Lau Ching-wan) getting kidnapped in a parking structure. His girlfriend Amy Fu (Amy Kwok) informs the police that though he had been jobless for a while and had a lot of debt, he was basically a good egg. Police detective Pit (Tony Leung Kar-wai) soon discovers Ma beaten, bloodied, and dangling upside down from the ceiling of an old abandoned hotel -- one that has been notoriously haunted since the murder-suicide of the owner and his feckless wife. Ma subsequently starts terrifying Amy by behaving like the famous ghost of the hotel. The police, however, suspect that Ma's possession might be a ruse to shield some larger and more nefarious crime. Due to a creative dispute that Lam had with producer Joe Ma, there are two different endings to this film. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lau Ching-Wan, Amy Kwok, (more)
- 1994
Despite the fact that he has a perfectly fine girlfriend (Tracy Su), Ah-feng (Lin Chung) has grown obsessed with the charms of Tang (Veronica Yip). Unfortunately for him and all his friends, Tang is the mistress of Chao (ack Gao), the head of one of Taipei's more vicious gangs. Before long, Ah-feng's friend Polo (David Wu) and his friend Maggie (Amy Lee) are also involved in his quest for the elusive beauty, and soon the situation grows violent. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Veronica Yip
