Michael Sinelnikoff Movies

Sin City author Frank Miller's sweeping take on the historic Battle of Thermopylae comes to the screen courtesy of Dawn of the Dead director Zack Snyder. Gerard Butler stars as Spartan King Leonidas and Lena Headey plays Queen Gorgo. The massive army of the Persian Empire is sweeping across the globe, crushing every force that dares stand in its path. When a Persian envoy arrives in Sparta offering King Leonidas power over all of Greece if he will only bow to the will of the all powerful Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), the strong-willed leader assembles a small army comprised of his empire's best fighters and marches off to battle. Though they have virtually no hope of defeating Xerxes' intimidating battalion, Leonidas' men soldier on, intent on letting it be known they will bow to no man but their king. Meanwhile, back in Sparta, the loyal Queen Gorgo attempts to convince both the skeptical council and the devious Theron (Dominic West) to send more troops despite the fact that many view Leonidas' unsanctioned war march as a serious transgression. As Xerxes' fearsome "immortals" draw near, a few noble Greeks vow to assist the Spartans on the battlefield. When King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors fell to the overwhelming Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, the fearless actions of the noble fighters inspired all of Greece to stand up against their Persian enemy and wage the battle that would ultimately give birth to the modern concept of democracy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A quaint small town that hasn't paid taxes since World War II draws the attention of an ambitious tax inspector in this comedy starring Billy Zane and Patrick Bergin. Putterton possesses all the charm of your typical small town without any of the irritations of modern city living: The crime rate is low, the cost of living is minimal, and everyone knows their neighbors by name. Everyone in Putterton is proud that their little corner of the world has retained its old world ambiance, but when beautiful tax inspector Caroline Deville comes to town the atmosphere quickly turns tense. No one in Putterton has paid a penny in taxes since 1945, and despite his best efforts there's nothing that George Putter (Zane) can do to bury this dirty little secret. Just as Deville begins auditing at will and the town teeters on the verge of bankruptcy, however, help arrives in the form of Consumer City President Vernon Fry (Bergion). Consumer City is a giant discount chain with stores all across the country, and Fry is willing to rescue Putterton from financial ruin if the residents will just allow him to open a store in their quiet little burg. The only problem with this solution is that the presence of a garish Consumer City store in town would most certainly detract from the old fashioned atmosphere that that has come to define Putterton. While George and Caroline may have their fair share of differences, the one thing they can both agree on is that Putterton shouldn't bow to Fry and his corporate Goliath. Perhaps if they could just find a way to work together, these two unlikely allies can ensure that Putterton doesn't become yet another indistinctive stretch of strip malls and fast food joints. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

The year is 1948 and the place is Montreal's Mont Royal Park. Chaim Kovler, a Holocaust survivor who has become a journalist for a Yiddish newspaper bumps into Hersh Rasseyner, a rival he had known in Hebrew school. The two went their separate ways when Chaim became an author while Hersh became a rabbi. Both spent time in different camps and emerged with wildly disparate viewpoints. After they finish their initial descriptions of their experiences, their conversation turns to larger philosophical issues and this thoughtful drama follows its many twists and turns as the two debate the nature and the very existence of God and the place of religion, politics and morality in the human experience. Though they never agree philosophically, they do make peace with their personal issues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Television flavor-of-the-month Richard Grieco made his feature-film debut in this juvenile spoof of James Bond films. He plays a high-school senior named Michael Corben who has flunked out of his French class, but has the chance to make up his grade on the French Club's summer trip to Europe. On the airplane booked to transport the French Club to France is another man by the name of Michael Corben, and this man happens to be a super-spy. When he is killed, the hapless high-school senior is mistaken for the real spy by British intelligence. He becomes involved in a mad plot by Augustus Steranko (Roger Rees) in which Steranko and his evil assistant Ilsa Grunt (Linda Hunt) plan to dominate the European continent by converting the gold standard to coins that will bear Steranko's likeness. Corben goes along with it when he is provided with a red sports car, a tuxedo, and some high-tech weapons. Along with all the spy accouterments, he latches onto a sexy helper -- Mariska (Gabrielle Anwar). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

While on the routines of his job, a Montreal policeman (Michael Ironside) is tormented by flashbacks and hallucinations. He eventually traces the bizarre behavior to the LSD experiments of a CIA scientist (Christopher Plummer). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

Criminal Law is an inadvertently legal thriller wherein criminal defense attorney Ben Chase (Gary Oldman) decides to prove that his client Martin Thiel (Kevin Bacon) is in fact a serial killer, despite the acquittal that Ben won for him. When new murders occur, Ben takes matters into his own hands, beginning a psychological battle of wills with Martin. Gary Oldman gives an excellent performance as the criminal defense attorney with a conscience, and Kevin Bacon is intriguing and ambiguous as the killer. The action sequences -- particularly when Ben finds a body in the rain in a deserted park -- are terrific as is the fast-paced direction by Martin Campbell. However, the film cannot overcome its ludicrous premise or its laughable, totally unbelievable courtroom sequences. Criminal Law, if not taken very seriously and with more than a grain of salt, can be entertaining, but it fails miserably when compared to accurate, exciting legal thrillers such as Primal Fear. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide

A Canadian-Australian coproducton which originally aired over Australia's 7 Network, the six-hour miniseries Spearfield's Daughter stars Kim Braden as the title character. The daughter of a prominent and powerful Australian politician (Chris Wiggins), Cleo Spearfield (Kim Braden) incurs her father's wrath by becoming a reporter, with the Vietnam war as her "beat." When not dodging bullets and negotiating rice paddies, Cleo is wooed by two attractive gentemen, gonzo American journalist Tom Border (Steve Railsback) and Murdoch-like British publishing mogul Lord Jack Cruze (Christopher Plummer. Adapted by Jon Cleary from his own novel, Spearfield's Daughter was syndicated to the US beginning the week of May 25, 1986. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This made-for-television film chronicles the life of 19th-century American showman P. T. Barnum. Using flashbacks (and flash forwards) the earliest efforts of his career are shown, through the formation of the "Greatest Show on Earth" with his partner Bailey, with many interesting things in between. ~ Forest Ray, All Movie Guide