Daniel Benzali Movies

The Blair Witch Project co-director Daniel Myrick returns to the helm to tell this tale of two paramedics kidnapped and held hostage by a mysterious cult. David Vaughn and Victor Hernandez were on the road when they received a call about a young girl whose mother has lost consciousness. Upon arriving at the remote area to administer treatment, however, both paramedics are kidnapped and confined in an isolated building. David is determined to discover the true motivation of the cult that now controls his destiny, while Victor suddenly finds his entire belief system crumbling as the fine line between religion and science is inexorably crossed. Now, come sunrise, something big is about to happen. Perhaps if David and Victor can escape the compound before dawn, their lives will be spared. But their chances for survival are growing slimmer with each passing hour, and as the first rays of sun shine over the horizon David and Victor's desperation quickly turns to terrified determination. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Actor, writer, and director Tim Blake Nelson adapts this grim look at the Holocaust from his own play, based on Miklós Nyiszli's book, Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account. The film centers on the Sonderkommando: Jewish concentration camp prisoners whose job was to herd their fellow Jews into the gas chamber, and to dispose of the bodies following the execution. In return, these prisoners received food and a little more time before their own executions. As the members of the sonderkommando struggle to orchestrate what would be the only armed insurrection in Auschwitz, a group of them discover a 14-year-old girl who somehow survived the gas chamber. The girl becomes a symbol for their own spiritual salvation and they become obsessed with keeping the girl alive, even if it endangers the uprising that could save thousands. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Paul Castellano was once one of the most powerful and most feared figures in American organized crime. Starting his criminal career as a runner for numbers agents, Castellano became an associate of the Gambino crime family, and in 1976 was named the top man in New York's Mafia as he attempted to merge the mob's illegal businesses with more legitimate money-making concerns. However, Castellano's hatred and distrust of rising mob boss John Gotti earned him some very powerful enemies, and in 1985 he was murdered by Gotti's associates. Boss of Bosses is a made-for-TV movie that chronicles the rise and fall of Castellano's career in organized crime. Chazz Palinteri stars as Castellano, with Patricia Mauceri as his wife Nina, Angela Alvarado Rose as his mistress Gloria, Sonny Marinelli as John Gotti, and Al Ruscio as Carlo Gambino. Boss of Bosses was first aired on the TNT cable network on June 3, 2001. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) pursue their theory that a man whose body was found in a dumpster may have been killed by his violence-prone brothers. Diane (Kim Delaney) and Jill (Andrea Thompson) investigate when a young girl disappears, a case that leads to a bizarre videotaped confession. And John (Bill Brochtrup), already distressed that Dolores (Lola Glaudini) has turned to prostitution, is worried when she fails to return from a trip with the wealthy and well-connected Malcolm Cullinan (Todd Waring). Daniel Benzali returns in the role of high-priced attorney James Sinclair in this, the first episode of a crucial NYPD Blue story arc. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) prepares for his courtroom confrontation with Sinclair (Daniel Benzali) during the Cullinen trial, John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) tries again to mollify the father (Bob Glaudini) of Cullinen's possible victim Dolores Mayo. Back at the 15th, Danny (Rick Schroder) tries to get an obviously abused 13-year-old boy to open up -- leading to a horrifying revelation. The conclusion of this 90-minute episode is a burst of gunfire, and the sudden, startling demise of yet another familiar NYPD Blue character. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An unexpected death turns lovers into rivals in this thriller. Richard Mannhart (Perry King) is an unhappily married author who is having an affair with Katie Griffin (Roxana Zal), a film editor. Richard is mostly interested in sex, but Katie has become deeply infatuated with him. However, when Richard's wife, Laura (Susan Blakely), dies in a suspicious-looking auto accident, Katie tells the authorities that she has reason to believe Richard sabotaged his spouse's car. Richard angrily denies Katie's allegations and then goes on to deny any involvement with her. Trying to weigh one story against the other, the police tell both Richard and Katie that it's up to them to prove the validity of their stories. So what evidence can they produce to clear themselves and incriminate their lover? Also released as A Clean Kill, Her Married Lover also features Michelle Green, Daniel Benzali, and Terrence "T.C." Carson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Wim Wenders directed this allegorical drama about the emotional impact of violence in our culture, set against the backdrop of California's entertainment business. Mike Max (Bill Pullman) is a Hollywood producer who has earned a great deal of money and power in the film industry through his success with a series of brutally violent action pictures. While Max can juggle any number of tasks while working, he can't find time for his wife Paige (Andie MacDowell), and when she announces that she's divorcing him, he admits to himself (but not to her) that he deliberately put her through emotional trauma; Paige leaves to do volunteer work in the Third World, hoping to bring new meaning to her life. Very little reaches Max on an emotional level until Cat (Traci Lind), a stunt performer, is seriously injured on the set of Max's latest project. Not long after, Max is first car-jacked, then kidnapped by a pair of desperate thugs. He escapes and is given shelter by a group of Mexican-American gardeners. Wanting to retreat from the physical and spiritual violence that has become a key part of his life, Max opts to work with the gardening crew and stay away from his old life, remaining "missing" in the eyes of the world as he searches for a new life. Meanwhile, Max and his secretary Claire (Rosiland Chao) become aware of a secret plan that Ray Bering (Gabriel Byrne) has prepared for the city of Los Angeles, which will essentially put the entire town under constant surveillance, with the goal of ending violent crime once and for all. Frederic Forrest, Udo Kier, and legendary director Samuel Fuller also star; Ry Cooder composed the film's striking original score. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this crime thriller, four disparate criminals motivated by a shared desire for money and revenge join forces for a robbery, with a mob boss the surprise target of the crime. The theft goes smoothly, but when the time comes to divvy up the proceeds, it becomes obvious that someone has a hidden agenda, and as the four try to determine who's the rat in the house, all four find the finger is pointed at them. The Heist features James Russo, Robert Pastorelli, Brion James, and Daniel Banzali. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

During its first year on the air, the weekly, hour-long ABC series Murder One was unique among legal dramas, in that it dealt with only a single murder case per season. Debuting September 19, 1995, the series spent all of season one focusing on the murder of a young substance-abusing woman, with her lover, obnoxious movie star Neil Avedon (Jason Gedrick), as prime suspect. Handling Avedon's defense were Chris Docknovich (Michael Hayden), Arnold Spivak (J.C. MacKenzie), Justine Appleton (Mary McCormick), and Lisa Gillespie (Grace Phillips), all ambitious young attorneys working for celebrated, controversial, and not entirely ethical criminal lawyer Theodore Hoffman (Daniel Benzali). Appearing for the prosecution were ruthless Assistant DA Miriam Grasso (Barbara Bosson), who worked for the even more ruthless DA Roger Garfield (Gregory Itzin). The Grasso-Garfield team included police detective Arthur Poulson (Dylan Baker) and investigator David Blalock (Kevin Tighe). Among the other first-season regulars were Patricia Clarkson as Theodore Hoffman's long-suffering wife, Ann; John Fleck as Hoffman's office manager, Louis; and Grace Phillips as his receptionist, Lila. While the "one case per year" gimmick attracted a lot of publicity, and -- for a while, anyway -- a lot of viewers, the ratings for Murder One fell precipitously as season one wore on. Thus, when the series returned for its second season, several changes had been imposed, the first being that three cases would be dramatized, rather than merely one. On the docket for season two were a political assassination in which DA Garfield was implicated, an O.J.-like celebrity murder case involving an arrogant basketball star, and a case involving a serial killer who preyed only on professional criminals. Series co-star Daniel Benzali was gone, replaced by younger but no less crafty and cunning defense attorney James "Jimmy" Wyler (Anthony LaPaglia). Also missing was Grace Phillips as Lisa Gillespie, whose replacement, hotheaded junior attorney Aaron Mosely, was played by David Bryan Woodside. Concluding its weekly run on January 23, 1997, Murder One briefly returned five months later in a miniseries format, remaining on the air from May 25 to 29, 1997. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

NYPD Blue begins its second season with 15th Precinct police officer Janice Licalsi (Amy Brenneman) on trial for the killing of mob functionary Marino. Despite having suppressed evidence that would have incriminated Janice, Detective John Kelly (David Caruso) testifies on her behalf -- and outside chambers, Kelly tells Robin Wirkus (Debrah Farentino) of his innermost feelings. Elsewhere, the squad investigates a series of robberies targeting drug dealers, and Andy Sipowicz, (Dennis Franz), busy on a case involving a battered wife, must agree to signing a contract with his AA sponsor, Dan Breen (Peter Boyle), before renewing his romance with another recovering alcoholic. With this episode, Gail O'Grady (Donna Abandando), Gordon Clapp (Greg Medavoy), and Sharon Lawrence (Sylvia Costas) graduate from recurring-characters to full "series regular" status. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the final episode of NYPD Blue's first season, Kelly (David Caruso) offers to stand by Janice (Amy Brenneman) as she goes to trial. Later on, Robin (Debrah Farentino) and Kelly have a romantic rendezvous. Meanwhile, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) unearths evidence pertaining to a nearly cold case at an auction, and also tries to make another go of his relationship with Sylvia (Sharon Lawrence). Dominating all these proceedings is the investigation of the killing of a priest. Sherry Stringfield makes her final series appearance as Laura Michaels Kelly. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

NYPD Blue was already off and running in its debut episode, in which Detective John Kelly (David Caruso), in the middle of an acrimonious marital breakup, is faced with the loss of his partner, Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). Kelly's wife, Laura (Sherry Stringfield), is working on her divorce papers with her neighbor Josh "4B" Goldstein (David Schwimmer), who is subsequently the victim of a mugging. Meanwhile, the burned-out Sipowicz gets in dutch with the IAB for putting too much heat on mob boss Giardella (Robert Costanzo), whose partner, Marino (Joe Santos), wants Kelly dead. As the episode draws to a close, Kelly has launched a romance with the woman who may turn out to be his assassin -- and Sipowicz pays a terrible price for his ruthless treatment of Giardella. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Frank Pierson's made-for-cable adaptation of Nicholas VonHoffman's biography, Citizen Cohn stars James Woods as the controversial lawyer Roy Cohn. The film is structured as a series of flashbacks while Cohn lies in a New York hospital dying of AIDS. In the 1940s and early '50s, Cohn became one of the most powerful men in the country after becoming an important associate of Senator Joseph McCarthy (Joe Don Baker) and his Communist witch hunts. The film recounts those turbulent times and features portrayals of such real-life figures as J. Edgar Hoover (Pat Hingle), Dashiell Hammett (Frederic Forrest), Cardinal Spellman (Daniel Benzali), and Walter Winchell (Joseph Bologna). ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi