Ivan Shaw Movies
An ambitious young record company executive attempts to transport an unpredictable rock star to L.A.'s Greek Theatre in time for his hotly anticipated comeback performance in this spin-off of the comedy hit Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) has just landed his dream job in the record industry, and he's eager to prove his worth. His first assignment: travel to London and escort British rock god Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to the show that will re-ignite his career. Before he departs, Aaron is warned by his boss Sergio Roma (Sean Combs) to never let Aldous out of his sight, and never underestimate his capacity for mayhem. Immensely talented yet deeply tortured, Aldous hit the bottle hard after his popularity began to wane and his girl walked out on him. Aldous is locked in the midst of an existential crisis, and rues the thought of being accompanied across the pond by an insincere sycophant. Though it seems like sex is the only thing Aldous ever thinks about, his thoughts turn to romance when he discovers that gorgeous model/pop singer Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) will be in Los Angeles at the time of his concert, too. Jackie Q is the love of Aldous' life, and he'll do anything and everything to win her heart. With the concert fast approaching and Aaron's fledgling career on the line, the race is on to get Aldous to the Greek, and ensure the big show goes off without a hitch. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, (more)
Real-life rap artist Snoop Dog guests in this episode as fictional rapper Murderuss, who is accused of killing his musical rival Extra Large (Marcello Thedford). Monk (Tony Shalhoub) does his best to clear Murderuss, but all the circumstantial evidence is against the singer: his trademark pocket watch was used to trigger the bomb that wiped out Extra Large, and Murderuss' famous gold chain was used to strangle the first victim's chauffeur. Before long, even Monk is persuaded of Murderuss' guilt--but he's afraid to drop the case for fear of incurring the rapper's rath--er, wrath. The solution to the crime...comes in a rhyme...in the nick of time. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
The most controversial -- and one of the shortest-lived -- series of the 2005-2006 network season, The Book of Daniel concerned the troubled family of an Episcopalian priest. Aidan Quinn starred as Reverend Daniel Webster, who dealt with most crises by popping prescription pills and brooding over his inability to "reach" his parishioners. Daniel's wife, Judith (Susanna Thompson), spent much of her time drinking martinis and complaining about lost opportunities; his 23-year-old son, Peter (Christian Campbell), was a neurotic homosexual, still plagued by guilt over the death of his twin brother; 16-year-old daughter Grace (Alison Pill) was a would-be manga artist who sold marijuana on the side; and the Websters' adopted Chinese son, Adam (Ivan Shaw), was more concerned about scoring with chicks than anything else. Adding to Rev. Webster's burden was the remonstrative input of no-nonsense Bishop Beatrice Congreve (Ellen Burstyn) and rule-bound senior parish warden Roger Paxton (Dylan Baker). Whenever things became too much to bear for Rev. Webster, he would solicit the advice of his "best friend," Jesus Christ (Garret Dillahunt) -- yes, that Jesus Christ, beard, white robes, and all. It was the calculatedly irreverent portrayal of the Son of God (who trafficked in wisecracks rather than parables) that stirred up the bulk of the controversy surrounding the series. While many big-city critics liked the show, general audiences could not warm up to it at all. Debuting January 6, 2006, on NBC, The Book of Daniel had been slated for a six-week trial run before going to full series; slaughtered in the ratings and roundly condemned by conservative media commentators, it lasted only four episodes before cancellation. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Aidan Quinn, Susanna Thompson, (more)





