Greg Davis, Jr. Movies
Michael Douglas stars as a treasure-hunting eccentric in this Alexander Payne-produced comedy from director Michael Cahill. Recently released from a mental institution and reunited with his teenage daughter, Miranda (Evan Rachel Wood), Charlie (Douglas) decides there's century's old gold buried near their lower-middle-class neighborhood, and sets out on an obsessive quest to find it. Along the way, the estranged parent and child rekindle a long-lost bond with each other. Featuring a score by David Robbins, King of California screened at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Douglas, Evan Rachel Wood, (more)
- 2006
In the tradition of The Office and Reno 911!, the half-hour cable sitcom 10 Items or Less was largely ad-libbed and improvised by its unknown but talented cast. John Lehr doubled as co-creator and series star, playing Leslie Pool, son of the founder of Green & Grains, a medium-sized grocery store somewhere in Ohio. A lifelong failure and foul-up, Leslie was determined to succeed in his efforts to keep his late dad's store afloat after inheriting the place, despite the formidable competition of the neighboring "big box" operation Super Value Mart -- which was managed by Amy Anderson (Jennifer Elise Cox), who happened to be the girl who'd broken Leslie's heart back in high school. Not surprisingly, Leslie's staff was comprised of eccentrics and social misfits, all of whom wished that they were somewhere else or someone else. Carl (Bob Clendenin) was the goofy stock boy who'd appointed himself Leslie's second in command; Yolanda (Roberta Valderrama) worked in the produce department, and at the beginning of the series was also poised to "produce" Carl's baby within a few months; Buck (Greg Davis Jr.) was the grocery bagger, with both eyes on bigger things in life and both feet firmly entrenched in minimum-wage employment; Ingrid (Kirsten Gronfield), the customer-service person, had a lot of trouble dealing with the realities of life, preferring the camaraderie of her fellow Renaissance Faire aficionados; Richard (Christopher Liam Moore), the erudite cashier, aspired to be an ice dancer; and Todd (Chris Payne Gilbert), the hunky butcher, dreamed of racing on the stock-car circuit. 10 Items or Less was added to the TBS superstation lineup on November 27, 2006, for a five-episode trial run. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Lehr, Bob Clendenin, (more)
- 2005
As part of the auto-shop sting operation, Ronnie (David Rees Snell) gets surveillance footage of Russian mobster plotting to torch a building for an insurance scam. Monica (Glenn Close) and Vic (Michael Chiklis) are planning the raid, but Assistant Chief Phillips (Nigel Gibbs) shows up and calls it off, handing the case to the Organized Crime Unit. It turns out that Aceveda (Benito Martinez) has been using all of his political clout to squash Vic and get control of the seizure program, and he's obtained a doctored videotape of the church raid that will embarrass the department when it hits the local media. Monica tries to get his help in squashing the tape, but he refuses to help her unless she pulls Vic off the street. Vic is furious when Monica asks him to take a step back, temporarily. Julien (Michael Jace) continues to come into conflict with both Danny (Catherine Dent) and Monica over his issues with the seizure policy. Shane (Walton Goggins) brings in a Byz Lats informant, Hielo (Giovanni Lopes), who is willing to give up Hernesto (Lombardo Boyar), who's running a contraband cigarette scheme. Meanwhile, the mob leader avoids the OCU's raid, and Vic decides to quietly use his gang contacts to track him down. Dutch (Jay Karnes) and Claudette (CCH Pounder) investigate the case of a foster child who's been sexually assaulted and forced to drink a toxic household cleanser. Monica takes a personal interest in the case, coming into conflict with the social worker responsible for the family. Ronnie shows Vic and Lem (Kenny Johnson) surveillance video of Antwon (Anthony Anderson) coercing Shane into agreeing to commit a murder in exchange for recovering Angie's body. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
A normal kid growing up in a bad neighborhood is drawn into a life of crime in this mock-documentary, which purports to be the videotaped document of a 13-year-old boy from Watts who grabs a camera while his friends carjack a group of tourists and begins taping what is going on around him. Kris (Trivell) is the son of a single mother (Sonja Marie) who is strong and caring, but is overworked and isn't able to keep a close watch over her son. Kris falls in with Alonzo (Darris Love), an older teenager who runs with a gang that deals drugs and dabbles in armed robbery. As Kris begins to develop a taste for the criminal lifestyle, Cyril (Darontay McLendon), an older member of the gang, is sprung from jail and returns to the streets. Alonzo may be a junior-league gangbanger, but Cyril is the real thing, and as Kris becomes a full-fledged member of the gang, under Cyril's tutelage he and his friends advance from dope deals and petty theft to drive-by shootings and worse. Director Adam Ripp and screenwriter Stephan Wolfson based their screenplay on extensive interviews with members of L.A. street gangs, their relatives, and L.A.P.D. officers who've worked with gangs. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Trivell
