Terry McCrea Movies
Director Ron Maxwell and producer Ted Turner return to the glory and tragedy of the Civil War in this historical drama, a prequel to Gettysburg, which examines the early days of the conflict through the experiences of three men. Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels) left behind a quiet life and a career as a college professor to become one of the Union's greatest military minds. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (Stephen Lang) was, like Chamberlain, a man of great religious faith who served in the defense of the Confederacy. And Gen. Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall), who led the Confederate army, was a man who was forced to choose between his loyalty to the United States and his love of the Southern states where he was born and raised. As Chamberlain, Jackson, and Lee are followed through the declaration of war and the battles at Manassas, Antietam, Frederickburg, and Chancellorsville, the film also introduces us to the many supporting players in the epic tale of the war between the States, among them the women these men left behind, among them Fanny Chamberlain (Mira Sorvino) and Anna Jackson (Kali Rocha). Based on a novel by Jeff Shaara, Gods and Generals also features a new song written and performed by Bob Dylan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Duvall, Stephen Lang, (more)
Iconoclastic satirist John Waters bites the hand that (periodically) feeds him in this humorous look at the underside of the film industry. Self-styled guerrilla filmmaker Cecil (Stephen Dorff) leads a Baltimore movie-making collective/street gang called the Sprocket Holes, which includes Cecil's girlfriend and frequent leading lady, a low-rent porn actress named Cherish Oh Lordy (Alicia Witt). Desperate for attention, they kidnap famous Hollywood actress Honey Whitlock (Melanie Griffith) during a Baltimore publicity stop and force her at gunpoint to star in their latest production, Raving Beauty. Before long, Honey comes down with a severe case of Stockholm syndrome and joins the Sprocket Holes in their bid to destroy the mainstream film industry. Waters regulars Ricki Lake, Patty Hearst, and Mink Stole highlight the supporting cast, and techno star Moby contributes to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Stephen Dorff, (more)
- 2000
Picking up where the season-one finale cliffhanger left off, the second-season premiere of NBC's The West Wing finds the Bartlet Administration in tumult. Both the president and Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman have been shot and are undergoing medical treatment to save their lives. As the others wait to receive word on their conditions, they flash back to the campaign that originally brought them all together. "In the Shadow of Two Gunmen, Part I" received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- 1999
- R
Three over-achieving students struggle to maintain their ultra-confident images in order to win the prestigious Sterling Chase award at stuffy, tradition-bound Chadley College. Senator's daughter Alexis (Nicholle Tom), tries to get back in the closet to appease her controlling parents, even if it means jettisoning her girlfriend Chris (Devon Odessa). As one of the college's few African American students, Darren (Sean Patrick Thomas) enjoys the seeming acceptance of his brothers in the frat-like Wolf Club, though he remains troubled by lingering suspicions that he is there just to fulfill minority quotas. Meanwhile, though Jenna (Alana Ubach), the campus' most outspoken and assertive feminist, actively pursues one-night stands as a part of her denouncement of the patriarchal oppression of women, she quietly reveals her vulnerable side by admitting to her friend "Buns" (John Livingston) the real reason she has thwarted commitment. During the course of a 48-hour period, the three reexamine their lives and learn a bit in the process. The Sterling Chase was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andrea Ferrell, John Livingston, (more)
