Brian Turk Movies
Filmmaker Terry Zwigoff and comic artist and screenwriter Daniel Clowes, who collaborated for the acclaimed 2001 comedy-drama Ghost World, team up once again for this offbeat satire. Jerome (Max Minghella) is an aspiring artist who arrives at a prestigious East Coast art institute to study. While Jerome enjoys daydreams of becoming the best-respected painter on Earth and winning the hearts of his female classmates, he soon learns the sad truth -- his "cool artist" act is old hat in the big city, and as he's surrounded by every art school cliché on Earth, practically nothing about him stands out. Determined to be recognized whatever the consequences, Jerome maps out a bizarre plan to become famous that has some unexpected consequences. Loosely adapted from a story in Clowes' comic book Eightball, Art School Confidential also stars John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Anjelica Huston, and Sophia Myles. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, (more)
As the final war between Good and Evil looms two powerful avatars divided by fate share one mission. For Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin, the race is on to find the elusive Henry Scudder--and the fate of the world depends on who finds him first.
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, (more)
1934. The Dustbowl. The last great age of magic. In a time of titanic sandstorms, vile plagues, drought and pistilence - signs of God's fury and harbingers of the Apocalypse - the final conflict between good and evil is about to begin. The battle will take place in the Heartland of an empire called America. And when it is over, man will forever trade away wonder for reason. See the conflict of good vs. evil played out against a pair of vivid and unusual backdrops: a traveling carnival working the American Dustbowl circuit, and an evangelical ministry in California.
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Clancy Brown, (more)
Former co-stars of the TV sitcom Head of the Class teamed up to write the story and script for this teen comedy. When junior high-school student Jason Shepherd (Frankie Muniz) realizes that his class paper has been ripped off and turned into a hit motion picture called "Big Fat Liar," he takes matters into his own hands. Along with his best friend, Kaylee (Amanda Bynes), Jason travels to Los Angeles, where he intends to confront Hollywood big shot Marty Wolf (Paul Giamatti), the sleazy producer responsible for ripping him off. When he's unable to get Wolf to do the right thing, Jason subjects the showbiz power broker to a series of humiliating pranks and stunts designed to make an honest man out of him. Big Fat Liar co-stars Lee Majors and Amanda Detmer. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, (more)
- 2001
- PG13
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Based on the 1969 short story Super-Toys Last All Summer Long, by Brian Aldiss, this science fiction fantasy bears similarities to Pinocchio (1940) and originated as a long-gestating project of director Stanley Kubrick that passed to his friend Steven Spielberg after Kubrick's death. Haley Joel Osment stars as David, a "mecha" or robot of the future, when the polar ice caps have melted and submerged many coastal cities, causing worldwide starvation and human dependence upon robotic assistance. The first mecha designed to experience love, David is the "son" of Henry (Sam Robards), an employee of the company that built the boy, and the grief-stricken Monica (Frances O'Connor). David is meant to replace the couple's hopelessly comatose son, but when their natural child recovers, David is abandoned and sets out to become "a real boy" worthy of his mother's affection. Along the way, David is mentored by a pleasure-providing mecha named Gigolo Joe (Jude Law) and a talking "super toy" bear named Teddy. His adventures take him to the Roman Circus-style "Flesh Fair," where mechas are destroyed for the amusement of humans; Rouge City, where Gigolo Joe narrowly avoids capture by police; and finally a submerged New York City, where David's creator, Professor Hobby (William Hurt) reveals the secrets of the boy's creation. Brendan Gleeson and narrator Ben Kingsley co-star in A.I., which was adapted from Kubrick's treatment by Spielberg, in his first crack at screenwriting since Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, (more)
- 2000
The mystery of the Slayer's newfound sibling deepens as narrator Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) confides to her diary that she's sick of big sis Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) hogging all the attention. Buffy vents her own frustrations about having to balance her duties as the Slayer with her sisterly responsibilities -- a juggling act thrown into sharp relief when Dawn accidentally invites bimbo vampire Harmony (Mercedes McNab) into the house and gets kidnapped, necessitating a dramatic rescue. As for viewers, they may well be frustrated by the sudden and inexplicable appearance of Dawn in the surprise ending of the previous episode (see "Buffy vs. Dracula"); Buffy was an only child for the first 78 episodes of the series, but now she and her friends are acting as if Dawn has been around all along. Perhaps the truth has something to do with the mad vagrant who accosts Dawn and tells her she doesn't belong here; nonetheless, it will be three more episodes before the truth about the girl's origin is revealed (see "No Place Like Home"). In the meantime, Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) decides to take over Sunnydale's magic shop after yet another of its proprietors ends up dead. Originally broadcast October 3, 2000, on the WB network, "Real Me" marked episode 80 of the cult-favorite series. As of this episode, Michelle Trachtenberg joins the regular cast. Tom Lenk, who portrays vampire Cyrus here, would return in the prominent role of geeky would-be villain Andrew throughout the sixth and seventh seasons. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The hospital's future funding is jeopardized when Ross (George Clooney) bucks procedure, giving a sample of a new pain medication to young ALD patient Ricky Abbott (Kyle Chambers), the subject of government-backed "double blind" study. Elsewhere, Greene (Anthony Edwards) weighs an opportunity to go to work for NASA. Doyle (Jorja Fox) levels a charge of harassment against Romano (Paul McCrane). And Benton (Eriq La Salle) and Lucy's (Kellie Martin) patient Charley Barnes (Bill Henderson) claims that he is 140 years old -- and immortal. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1998
The director of a promotional film for Pennbrook asks Shawn (Rider Strong) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) to share a kiss for the camera. Sensing that there's more going on than just acting, a jealous Cory (Ben Savage) wants to know for sure, so he encourages Shawn and Topanga to go on a date to see what's what. Amused by Cory's paranoia, the couple decide to play a practical joke on him--but will it backfire like all the other practical jokes on this series? Meanwhile, Eric (Will Friedle) and Jack (Matthew Lawrence) go to ridiculous lengths to convince Rachel (Maitland Ward) than they aren't a couple of uncouth jerks...and as usual, it's up to Rachel to break the tension with a bit of unexpected behavior. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Hoping to wreak vengeance against Dan Mattay (Jack Ging) , the football coach who made their lives miserable in high school, Joe (Tim Daly) and Brian (Steven Weber) cook up an elaborate and uniquely humiliating practical joke to pull on Mattay when he makes a return visit to Nantucket. Unfortunately, the boys unwittingly pull off their prank after the old guy has kicked the bucket. Without giving too much more of the plot away, let it be said that rumors of the late Mr. Mattay's "kinky" private life are spreading like wildfire after the Hackett boys have left their mark! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
