Dov Davidoff Movies
An expanded version of his 2005 short film of the same name, director Alex Merkin's feature-length noir thriller follows the tense stand-off between a young man, his unfaithful fiancée, and his best friend. Terry's fiancée, June, is having an affair. After following June to a run-down hotel on the far side of town, Terry quietly rents a room across the hall. With a bottle of whiskey and a loaded gun, he calls his best friend, Julian, and spills his guts. Realizing that it's only a matter of time before Terry goes off, Julian begs his friend to remain calm long enough for him to get to the hotel and diffuse the situation. Cloverfield star Mike Vogel appears opposite Brittany Murphy and Danny Pino in a film penned by Merkin and Jesse Mittelstadt -- the same co-writers who collaborated on the original short. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mike Vogel, Brittany Murphy, (more)
- 2007
The NBC cop drama Raines starred Jeff Goldblum as the title character, eccentric LAPD homicide detective Michael Raines. Haunted by the death of his former partner Charlie Lincoln (Malik Yoba, Raines found himself in frequent contact and conversation with Raines' ghost (or so he thought). These spectral visitations segued neatly into Raines' peculiar talent: the ability to "talk" to the spirits of the victims whose murders he was investigating. The detective's visions of these victims were determined by the amount of information he had on hand; thus, the ghosts were constantly "morphing" before his eyes as he uncovered additional clues. For example, upon learning that a recent victim was a prostitute, Raines began envisioning the dead woman--whom had previously appeared before him in the form of a virginal girl-next-door--with more garish makeup and an expanded bustline! Although Raines' modus operandi was, to say the least, unorthodox, he invariably got results, and the ghosts that haunted him invariably vanished (and stopped annoying him) once the case was solved. Featured in the cast was Matt Craven as Raines' exasperated superior Capt. Daniel Lewis, Linda Park as Raines' overworked new partner Michelle Lance, Dov Davidoff as antagonistic collegue Remi Boyer, Nicole Sullivan as sarcastic-but-supportive civilian coworker Carolyn Crumley, and Madeleine Stowe as Raines' sympathetic-but- skeptical psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Kohl. Conceived in the tradition of such earlier quirky "procedurals" as Cold Case and Monk, Raines debuted March 15, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jeff Goldblum, Matt Craven, (more)
From the producers of The Rookie and Remember the Titans comes an inspirational sports drama detailing the true story of a down-on-his-luck football fan whose dreams of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of the gridiron became a once-in-a-lifetime reality when he took part in an open tryout organized by Philadelphia Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Vince Papale (Mark Wahlberg) was a 30-year-old substitute teacher and part-time bartender who had never even played college football. When Coach Vermeil (Greg Kinnear) made the unprecedented announcement that he would be holding open tryouts for the Philadelphia Eagles, Papale would go against incredible odds to live the dream and experience every fan's biggest fantasy. With a position on the Eagles secured and a new life path forged out of little more than determination and persistence, Papale takes to the field to experience the life-altering rush of running yards as a stadium full of cheering fans burst from their seats to support the hometown hero who proved it's never too late to take control of your own destiny. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, (more)
A handful of New Yorkers struggle to tie together the loose ends of their lives following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in this drama. It has been several weeks since the twin towers of the World Trade Center fell, and Liz (Janeane Garofalo), a writer who watched as one of the jets sailed past her window and into the skyscraper, has refused to leave her apartment since the disaster. However, an eccentric but street-smart poet named Karl (Giancarlo Esposito) carries a torch for Liz and is determined to bring her back to the land of the living. Judy (Nicole Hansen) suffers through an unpleasant one-night stand with Billy (Dov Davidoff) before waking up in the apartment of Punch (Tony Spiridakis), a fellow lost soul whose car is covered with the dust left by the falling towers...only now, some of his neighbors claim they can see a holy apparition in the dirt, so it's hard for him to move. And Samantha (Jennifer Carpenter), who has been observing the neighborhood from behind the bar at a local watering hole, finds some much-needed comfort in the arms of renegade would-be rock singer Gina Mascara (Pauley Perrette). Screened at film festivals as Ash Tuesday, Beyond the Ashes was written by Tony Spiridakis, who also plays Punch. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
