Alice Lo Movies
- 2008
- PG13
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Director Robert Luketic adapts Ben Mezrich's best-seller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions to tell the true-life tale of six genius students who used their brains to beat considerable odds. Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) may be shy, but his wallflower reputation betrays his inner brilliance. As smart as Ben may be, however, if he can't pay his tuition he'll be kicked out of M.I.T. Fortunately, the answer to all of Ben's problems is right there in the cards. Recruited to join a team of extremely gifted students who have used their mastery of numbers to beat the odds at blackjack, Ben procures a fake identity in order to join the casino scammers and their brilliant leader -- eccentric math professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) -- in some highly profitable weekend excursions to Las Vegas. Counting cards isn't illegal, and by using a complex series of signals, this team has cracked the code. Of course, it doesn't take long for Ben to become seduced by the glamorous Las Vegas lifestyle, and the attention afforded to him by his sexy teammate Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth) finds him pushing his luck to the absolute limits. Laurence Fishburne stars as Cole Williams, the Sin City security chief who catches on to the group and makes it his mission to expose their lucrative blackjack scam. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jim Sturgess, Kevin Spacey, (more)
- 2006
It looks like attempted suicide when a woman named Hannah (Jayma Mays) swallows an entire bottle of sleeping pills. But appearances are deceiving as usual: Hannah has been awake for eight days straight, and all she wants is a little sleep. Unfotunately, the poor woman will die of acute insomnia unless House (Hugh Laurie) can persuade Hannah's partner Max (Dahlia Salmen) to make a most unusual sacrifice. Meanwhile, House himself has been suffering from sleep deprivation ever since Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard) moved in. Elsewhere, a language breakdown results in a Chinese woman being given birth control pills for a head cold; and Cameron (Jennifer Coleman) is outraged when Foreman (Omar Epps) swipes her ideas for a medical-journal article--apparently with House's full blessing! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
After considering several candidates, Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) decides who will be her roommates during her first-year internship. Back on the job, she butts heads with a pediatric intern to save the life of a newborn child, and also claims temporary possession of a gruesome "souvenir" left behind by the man who raped her patient Allison (Alex Thayer). Meanwhile, Cristina (Sandra Oh) and Alex (Justin Chambers) get their act together, so to speak; George (T.R. Knight) spends a few disheartening hours with the Seattle Grace code team; and Izzie (Katherine Heigl) copes with a patient who speaks no English. In other developments, Burke (Isaiah Washington) finds out why Derek (Patrick Dempsey) may be chosen as chief of surgery over hm; and Webber (James Pickens Jr.) remains close-mouthed over how well he knew Meredith's mom. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An ordinary man with an extraordinary gift must save the planet from evil in this action-packed fantasy. Unknown to most people, the world is crowded with spirits both good and evil who walk among us in human guise. One of the few who can see these spirits is John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), but the responsibility of his vision is more than he can stand, and he tries to kill himself. Saved from death, Constantine must now atone for his actions by acting as a guardian in the middle ground between Paradise and Hell. Constantine also makes the acquaintance of Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz), a police detective who becomes aware of his unusual gift while looking into the death of her sister; he leads her into the unknown world of the spirits and soon circumstances demand that they join forces in a desperate bid to save humanity from evil. Constantine also features Tilda Swinton, Peter Stormare, and Gavin Rossdale, the latter best known as the lead singer of the rock group Bush. Michelle Monaghan (Made of Honor) was originally in the film (cast as a half-breed demon) but director Francis Lawrence cut her scenes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, (more)
- 2002
An already hectic day at the ER is made even more so when two children are brought in exhibiting symptoms of smallpox. With Weaver (Laura Innes) temporarily unavailable, Carter (Noah Wyle) orders a lockdown at County General to avoid an epidemic -- and avert a nationwide panic. Meanwhile, Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) encounters major problems while trying to get information about a smallpox vaccine from CDC; both Chen (Ming-Na) and Pratt (Mekhi Phifer) appear to have come down with the disease themselves; and a patient riot breaks out, one which may cause the epidemic to spread to the rest of Chicago. This final episode of ER's eighth season ends with a cliffhanger, the ingredients of which include a startling development in the relationship between Carter and Abby (Maura Tierney). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Beaurocratic Wolfram & Hart antagonist Gavin Park (Daniel Dae Kim, see "Over the Rainbow") brings an unlikely weapon to bear upon Angel (David Boreanaz) -- building-code violation notices for the Art Deco hotel the vampire detective calls home. Angel has more pressing issues to worry about, however; although Cordelia (Charisma Carpenter) is long accustomed to the pain that accompanies her visions, she begins to suffer increasingly dreadful -- and physical -- side effects. When The Host (Andy Hallett) uses his psychic abilities to find out why The Powers That Be would want to hurt their emissary, he learns that another Wolfram & Hart associate is actually behind Cordy's distress. With the help of a psychic (Kal Penn), Lilah Morgan (Stephanie Romanov), has jacked into Cordy's pipeline to the Powers and cranked the juice way, way up. Lilah agrees to cease the attack, but only if Angel will travel to a hell dimension and free a prisoner (Justin Shilton) who's a client of her evil law firm. Angel complies, but then kills the psychic and warns Lilah that she'll be next if she ever tries to harm Cordy again. Meanwhile, Darla (Julie Benz) consults with her South American shaman and learns that he can do nothing to halt her mysterious pregnancy. Originally broadcast October 1, 2001, on the WB network, "That Vision Thing" marked season three, episode two of the supernatural comedy drama. The Wolfram & Hart client whom Angel frees from captivity returns several episodes later in "Billy." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
After pulling in a couple of teenaged suspects who turn out to be innocent bystanders, Greg (Gordon Clapp) and Baldwin (Henry Simmons) try to solve the murder of a Chinese delivery man by checking cell-phone records. Investigating the claims made by IRS agent Victor Poole (Marty Rackham) that he has been kidnapped, Andy (Dennis Franz) ends up exposing Poole's secret life -- and is labeled "homophobic" for his troubles. Despite his headaches at work, Andy still intends to go through with his remarriage to Katie (Debra Monk). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Barely recognizable under a blonde wig and several layers of garish makeup, Kirstie Alley stars in this made-for-TV drama as Marty, a freewheeling waitress who compensates for the emptiness in her life with jokes and wisecracks. On the verge of finding emotional fulfillment with a new romance, Marty is crippled in a freak traffic accident. Her subsequent efforts to adjust to her paraplegic state are hampered by a vicious assault from a mugger -- not to mention her erstwhile boyfriend's desertion. Hitting rock bottom, Marty is awash in booze and self-pity when redemption appears in the unlikely form of a handsome, upbeat guy in a wheelchair named Joe Mulvey (Jason Beghe). Suddenly originally aired December 1, 1996, on ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirstie Alley, Jason Beghe, (more)
