Deborah Harry Movies
Frontwoman of new wave singing ensemble Blondie, the photogenic Deborah Harry ultimately became a familiar face -- and voice -- on big and small screens alike. Though Harry was able to land small roles in television's Tales From the Dark Side and the independent film The Foreigner (1978), she wouldn't truly prove her acting ability until her role as the wife of a neurotic businessman in 1979's Union City. In 1983, after having penned the soundtrack for 1981's Polyester, Harry starred in the controversial Videodrome, which revolved around a television station's efforts to provoke its viewers to commit murder. Despite a promising beginning, Harry dropped all of her singing and acting commitments to help care for Blondie guitarist Chris Stein after he fell ill in 1984.The mid-'80s found Harry making a series of vocal contributions to film, though. After performing with Jim Henson's Muppets and contributing to the soundtrack of 1986's The Money Pit, Harry would play the title role in Forever, Lulu (1987), which featured Alec Baldwin in his first film appearance. In 1988, Harry could be seen in John Waters' camp hit Hairspray in the role of Velma Von Tussle, proud wife of a rock icon and relentless stage mother. After a brief performance in New York Stories (1989), Harry was, for the most part, heard and not seen in several animated series and various rock documentaries throughout the early '90s. This would change, however, in 1995, when she won critical praise for her portrayal of a world-weary small-town waitress in James Mangold's Heavy. Afterward, the singer/songwriter showed an admirable versatility, and was as enthusiastic about her role in Cop Land (1997) as she was for her part in The Fluffer (2001), a harsh gay & lesbian-themed erotic drama.
The early 2000s proved one of the busiest periods of Harry's film career. After co-starring as a seductive saleswoman in All I Want (2002), Harry went on to perform in Deuces Wild (2002), Spun (2002), Ghostlight (2003), and A Good Night to Die. She also contributed to The Tulse Luper Suitcases, iconoclastic director Peter Greenaway's highly surrealistic franchise. Also in 2003, Harry starred quite successfully opposite rising stars Sarah Polley and Mark Ruffalo in the Spanish/Canadian collaboration My Life Without Me. She would go on to appear in films like Full Grown Men, Anamorph, and Elegy. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 2008
In the mid-1990's, when Rudy Guiliani took over as mayor of New York City, he began a campaign to clean up the city, shutting down many of New York's sex clubs and wilder nightspots while turning the Times Square area into a Disney-friendly tourist destination. However, not every New Yorker was happy about the heavy hand being put upon the city's libertine community (especially given the cleanup's emphasis on gay clubs), and Michael Schmidt, a Big Apple party promoter, began staging regular parties at a Tribeca club called Don Hill's as an act of defiance against the new PG-rated New York. "Squeezebox" was originally intended to be a night where drag queens would give up lip-synching to records for the night and belt out their favorite tunes to the accompaniment of a rock band, but in time it grew into an "anything goes" showcase in which gays, straights, punks and club kids mingled in a party that celebrated freedom and self-expression for all as well as a wild good time. John Cameron Mitchell's acclaimed show Hedwig and the Angry Inch began as a workshop production at Squeezebox, and performers who graced the Squeezebox stage included Deborah Harry, Boy George, Jayne County and Antony Hegarty (who would later gain fame with his group Antony and the Johnsons). Filmmakers Steve Saporito, Zach Shaffer and Sean Pierce tell the story behind New York's wildest party and talk to a number of the people who made it possible in the documentary SqueezeBox, which received its world premiere as a special Midnight attraction at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2008
Filmmaker Douglas Keeve (Unzipped and Seamless) turns his attentions from the fashion industry to a famous New York City landmark that's undergoing a controversial renovation in this portrait of the legendary Gramercy Park Hotel. In it's early days, the Gramercy was a high-society hot spot - the Kennedys once rented out an entire floor, and a young Humphrey Bogart exchanged his wedding vows there. Later, in the 1970s and 80s, musicians, artists, and junkies haunted the hallways, attracted by the management's "anything goes" policy as well as the Gramercy's affordable room prices. Now, as luxury hotelier Ian Schrager prepares for the grand re-opening of the iconic Hotel Gramercy Park, director Keeve attempts to find what kind of impact this posh renovation will have - positive or negative - on the hotel's notorious reputation as a seedy-chic hotspot. Some residents refused to leave during the construction, and many neighbors resent the glossy makeover that the Gramercy is getting. In addition to speaking with the people who live and work at the Gramercy, Keeve also explores the sometimes-tragic story of the Weissberg family. The Weissbergs have owned and lived in the Hotel Gramercy Park for fifty years, and experienced their fair share of both joy and heartache within its walls. As the Weissbergs reflect on the legacy of the Gramercy, viewers are offered an intimate and comprehensive reflection of a place that has become known as a virtual beacon for the creative and cultural elite. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ian Schrager, Paris Hilton, (more)
Adapted from author Philip Roth's novel The Dying Animal, director Isabel Coixet's elegant tale of obsession explores the relationship between a highly respected professor (Ben Kingsley) and an impossibly gorgeous grad student (Penélope Cruz). As their relationship deepens, the professor finds his ego challenged by the girl's enchanting beauty. Dennis Hopper and Patricia Clarkson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penélope Cruz, Ben Kingsley, (more)
A haunted New York City detective must delve into his dark past in order to stop a serial killer whose highly artistic modus operandi seems uncannily similar to that of a madman who stalked the city streets five years prior. When reclusive detective Stan Aubray (Willem Dafoe) gunned down the man suspected of being the "Uncle Eddie" murderer, he thought his nightmare had come to an end. But now a new crop of victims has begun to turn up, each bearing the distinctive mark of the maniac whom everyone had presumed to be dead. Much like the unfortunate victims of "Uncle Eddie," the bodies in this latest batch have been carefully arranged in a manner that reflects the artistic style known as anamorphosis -- where hidden meanings can be revealed by viewing the crime scenes from different perspectives. Could this be the work of a copycat killer, or is it possible that Detective Aubray and his men killed the wrong man on that fateful day five years ago? All signs indicate that the latest killings were carried out with Detective Aubray specifically in mind, prompting him to reexamine the painful questions that he had struggled all these years to suppress. On one side, Detective Aubray faces the scrutiny of a bright young detective (Scott Speedman) who has his own unique ideas about the killings, and on the other, a disturbed young woman (Clea Duvall) who proves a dangerous link to Detective Aubray's mystery-shrouded past. Only by confronting the possibility that he fears most will Detective Aubray finally be able to overcome his own stifling sense of guilt and finally uncover the truth about the most gruesome crimes ever committed in New York City. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Scott Speedman, (more)
- 2007
Few television programs have broken as many taboos as Screw publisher Al Goldstein's groundbreaking late-night cable program Midnight Blue, and in this collection of audacious clips, Goldstein takes a look beyond the porn and politics and into the lives of the era's hottest celebrities. From the notorious "Barbra Streisand Porno Movie" to a visit to the 1979 Hooker's Ball where football legend O.J. Simpson offers his candid views on the sexual state of the nation, these are the interviews that would influence and inspire the celebrity gossip programs for decades to come. After witnessing Go-Go's beauty Belinda Carlisle fly solo in a late-night pleasure session, viewers can get a peek at the infamous Rob Lowe sex tape -- footage that nearly brought the handsome Brat Packer's Hollywood career to a screeching halt. Other guests include Arnold Schwarzenegger, R. Crumb, Tiny Tim, Gilbert Gottfried, Larry Flynt, Debbie Harry, Buck Henry, and vintage commercials for some of New York City's hottest adult sweet spots offer an intimate look at a time when the debauchery of the disco era was at an all-time high. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Al Goldstein, Alex Bennett, (more)
The youthful delusions of a wistful husband and father prompt him to seek out a childhood friend and embark on a soul-searching journey of self discovery to the one place where no adult demands will be made of him in director David Munro's surreal second coming-of-age comedy. Alby (Matt McGrath) is having an early midlife crisis. Convinced that the only way to overcome his current malaise is to seek out his childhood pal Elias (Judah Friedlander) and set out on the open road, Alby leaves behind his wife and son in hopes of recapturing the glory of his youth. Unfortunately for Alby, Elias is all grown up now, and isn't exactly overjoyed to see the "best friend" whose rosy vision of childhood largely came from the fact that he made Elias the unwitting butt of his every joke. When Alby learns that Elias is taking a group of disabled drama students on a trip to the local amusement park, Elias has no choice but to let his pushy pal come along for the ride. What follows is a pensively hilarious look life as seen through the eyes of a man who can't seem to move past his youth, and the effect that a student-clown bartender (Amy Sedaris), a disgruntled former amusement park employee (Alan Cumming), a retired water-park mermaid (Debbie Harry), and a whole host of colorful characters have in helping Alby to bridge the gap between the glory days of his past and an uncertain future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Matt McGrath, Judah Friedlander, (more)
When the power of punk merges with the creative freedom offered by public access television, the programming that follows is sure to turn viewers on to a whole new lifestyle. Now the show that changed the way hip New Yorkers looked at television in the late '70s is back with a vengeance as Glenn O'Brien's TV Party gets ushered into the new millennium along with a little help from old friends Iggy Pop, George Clinton, David Bowie, Mick Jones, and a whole host of the hottest cutting-edge musicians of the era. Co-hosted by O'Brien and Blondie guitarist Chris Stein, TV Party proved that music television doesn't have to cater to the hottest pop sensation of tastiest flavor of the week to make for compelling viewing. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2005
Inevitably recalling his earlier effort, the long-incomplete Downtown 81 (which was eventually finished and issued in 2001), Edo Bertoglio returns to the same subject with this documentary effort. The film, like its predecessor, leads viewers on a tour of the New York avant-garde scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Using archival footage and interviews with such individuals as Deborah Harry, Glenn O'Brien and Victor Bockris, Bertoglio conjures up a re-evocation of the said time and place, and draws on the vivid, colorful and anecdotal recollections of his participants - thus revealing how collective experiences helped shape and define a particular environment and atmosphere in a Manhattan that no longer exists. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Walter Steding, Glenn O'Brien, (more)
Isabel Coixet's Mi vida sin mi (My Life Without Me) is a tale of a woman dying before her time. Sarah Polley plays Ann, a 24-year-old mother of two. Ann is married to Don (Scott Speedman), and they live near Ann's mother (Deborah Harry), who is bitter about the fact that Ann's father is serving a ten-year prison sentence. Ann learns that she has only a few months to live. She makes a series of goals to complete before her time on Earth comes to an end. Among her accomplishments are taking a lover (Mark Ruffalo), finding someone to care for Don, and recording birthday greetings for her two daughters. My Life Without Me was screened in competition at the Berlin Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sarah Polley, Scott Speedman, (more)
- 2003
Iconoclastic director Peter Greenaway begins his most ambitious project to date with this feature, the first in a proposed series of films, television programs, and multimedia projects that examine the contents of 92 suitcases, each revealed by title character Tulse Henry Purcel Luper. Broken into three sections spanning 1928 to 1940, The Tulse Luper Suitcases: Part One follows our young hero from age 10, when he is reprimanded by his father for scrawling some graffiti on a wall in his desolate South Wales neighborhood. Years later, Tulse (JJ Field) is a desert explorer who winds up being further punished by the aptly-named dominatrix Passion Hockmeister (Caroline Dhavernas). Finally, in the film's last section, Tulse is in Antwerp at the start of World War II, where he ends up being imprisoned by Nazis. Told in a fractured, non-narrative style, The Tulse Luper Suitcases also incorporates many inter-titles, superimposed images, an ever-present narrator presented in a picture-within-picture format, intentionally fake-looking sets, and many, many references to other Greenaway films and characters. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- JJ Feild, Valentina Cervi, (more)
For his feature debut, writer/director Christopher Herrmann chose a subject near and dear to his heart. Herrmann had been the biographer and a close friend of renowned choreographer Martha Graham before the dance legend passed away in 1991 at the age of 96. With Ghostlight, Herrmann pays tribute to Graham by recreating the events that preceded Phaedra. Graham is portrayed by drag queen Richard Move (who also co-wrote the script), and Ann Magnuson plays Barbara Rosen, a filmmaker who is permitted to document the process of bringing Phaedra to the stage. Deborah Harry and Mark Morris appear as themselves in cameo roles. Ghostlight screened at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Richard Move, Ann Magnuson, (more)
- 2003
The third installment of screenwriter Peter Greenaway's anticipated 16-episode story finds Tulse Luper, the protagonist, whittling away his time in jail. (In the previous episode, Tulse had been arrested in a bathroom just prior to the German invasion of Belgium in 1940.) Without the company of either of his two lovers, Tulse's favorite activity is posting fictional accounts on his wall in hopes of foretelling his own future, thus cementing his status around prison as a top storyteller. Unfortunately for Tulse, his jailers are less concerned with his innocence than they are with using him for their own nefarious purposes, and do their best to fabricate evidence that Tulse is, in fact, a fascist sympathizer. The cast includes JJ Feild, Drew Mulligan, Debbie Harry, Isabella Rossellini, and Jack Wouterse. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- JJ Feild, Valentina Cervi, (more)
- 2003
- Add End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones to Queue Add End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones to top of Queue
Filmmaker Michael Gramaglia's years-in-the-making biography of the legendary punk band the Ramones entitled End of the Century traces nearly all the various and sundry peaks and valleys which the seminal rockers experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995. Beginning with the band's first concert performances in the mid-'70s, Gramaglia explores the eccentric and highly volatile band members -- in all the various line-ups that were presented over the years -- as the Ramones slowly gained fame for their high energy and high-tempo style of music that would later influence generations of punk rockers around the world. Mixing archival interviews with new interviews of the various surviving bandmembers, as well as interviews with a number of the Ramones' contemporaries, End of the Century encapsulates the East Coast underground music atmosphere of the 1970s and '80s that the band inadvertently shocked into existence. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, (more)
This crime comedy from director Craig Singer is the filmmaker's third independent feature and his second outing with screenwriter Robert Dean Klein and star Gary Stretch, who had contributed to 2001's Dead Dogs Lie, Singer's sophomore effort. Stretch plays Ronnie, a hitman who, three years prior, vouched for his pal and fellow contract killer, August, played by Michael Rapaport (Zebrahead, Mighty Aphrodite). Unfortunately for Ronnie, over the years, August has gotten himself into some trouble and made a few enemies. Now, over the course of one day, Ronnie has to somehow clean up all of August's messes or both men will be facing the consequences of their unhappy bosses. In addition to Frank Whaley and Seymour Cassel, the supporting cast boasts a bevy of 1980s artifacts including Ralph Macchio, Robin Givens, Deborah Harry, and Ally Sheedy. A Cold Day in August screened at Robert De Niro's 2003 Tribeca Film Festival under the title A Good Night to Die. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Rapaport, Gary Stretch, (more)
- 2003
Larry Weinstein's Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold Arlen is about the final years of the great songwriter. As a heavily medicated, elderly Arlen (Paul Soles) goes about his days with his nurse, he remembers his life's accomplishments and imagines performances of some of his most well known songs. Among the singers who appear performing in the film are Rufus Wainwright, Jimmy Scott, and Sandra Bernhard. This film was screened at the Victoria Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Soles, Kim Bubbs, (more)
This gang warfare drama is from director Scott Kalvert, whose previous film was the controversial and violent The Basketball Diaries (1995). In the sweltering summer of 1958, Leon (Stephen Dorff) and Bobby (Brad Renfro) are leaders of the Brooklyn street gang known as the Deuces. When their brother Alley Boy died from an overdose, the two toughs vowed to keep narcotics out of their turf, but now they're being muscled by a new and more powerful gang called the Vipers, fueled by drug money and led by mobster Fritzy Zennetti (Matt Dillon). As a vicious gang war heats up that will determine Brooklyn's future, a romance develops between Bobby and Annie (Fairuza Balk), the leader of a girl gang. Deuces Wild co-stars Frankie Muniz, Balthazar Getty, Max Perlich, Drea de Matteo, Deborah Harry, Vincent Pastore, Joshua Leonard, James Franco, and Johnny Knoxville. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, (more)
The romantic comedy Try Seventeen is a coming-of-age tale directed by Jeffrey Porter. Jones Dillon (Elijah Wood) is a young writer who is living on his own for the first time. Jones continually writes letters to the father he has never met, while his mother Blanche (Elizabeth Perkins) resides in Texas. Enrolled in college, he quickly abandons the stifling dormitory setting and eventually his classes as well. He finds an apartment in an old building in the city and befriends his neighbors. The place is filled with colorful artists and other nonconformist types. Jones gets romantically involved with struggling actress Lisa (Mandy Moore) and photographer Jane (Franka Potente). He buys furniture from Ma Mabley (Debbie Harry) and proceeds to try and lose his virginity while searching for his absent father. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Franka Potente, (more)
- 2002
This two-hour spin-off of the raunchy British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous was originally telecast in the U.K. under the title Absolutely Fabulous: Gay. Now a buyer for Jeremy's, a trendy clothing store, hard-living and hard-drinking Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) comes to New York during Fashion Week in the company of her equally dissolute (and currently unemployed) chum, Edina Moonson (Jennifer Saunders). While Patsy has arrived in the Big Apple for professional reasons, Edina has a personal mission: She intends to locate her long-estranged son, Serge (Josh Hamilton). It's not that Edina is upset with Serge because he's gay -- it's simply that he's not gay enough to suit her offbeat view of the worlds. In between stopovers at fashion shows and upscale bars, Patsy and Edina contact Goldie (Whoopi Goldberg), a gay-couple counselor, hoping that she will help them track down Serge. Unfortunately, Goldie misunderstands and assumes that our two heroines want to get married. And what of the ladies' leftover friends and relatives back in England? As Absolutely Fabulous in New York, this wildly irreverent comedy special made its American cable-TV bow over Comedy Central on February 8, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
A crystal-meth addict struggles to get his next fix as he obsesses over a recent breakup in Spun, a black-comic drug drama from music video director Jonas Akerlund. Rushmore's Jason Schwartzman stars as Ross, a young man who finds his maniacal world crumbling around him over the course of one long weekend. Spun chronicles Ross' travails as he tries to score from his regular dealer, Spider Mike (John Leguizamo), who realizes during Ross' visit that he's misplaced his stash. Indisposed by the frantic drug search, Spider Mike's girlfriend, Cookie (Mena Suvari), enlists Ross to pick up her stripper friend Nikki (Brittany Murphy) from work, and when he grudgingly agrees, he learns that Nikki might have an inside line on some of her own speed, courtesy of The Cook (Mickey Rourke). Meanwhile, two bumbling cops are onto Spider Mike's trail, and in his paranoid-delusional state, he sets out to find out who set him up. Spun premiered at the 2002 CineVegas Film Festival before securing berths at the Sundance, Toronto, and South by Southwest festivals. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Schwartzman, John Leguizamo, (more)
- 2001
- R
The gay adult film industry is the backdrop for this drama focusing on Sean (Michael Cunio), a young gay man who is looking for a job in the movie business. While trying to rent a video of Citizen Kane, Sean accidentally brings home a video from Men of Janus Productions, an outfit that churns out hardcore porn movies with exclusively male casts, finding himself infatuated with Johnny Rebel (Scott Gurney), the film's hunky leading man. Sean lands a job with Men of Janus helping out the camera crew, but he soon finds himself serving a different function on the set -- he becomes the "fluffer," who helps the actors "warm up" for their sex scenes. Sean is more than happy to be working with Johnny, but he soon makes the surprising discovery that Johnny is straight and only appears in gay porn because he can make more money than in heterosexual sex films. What's more, Sean learns Johnny has a girlfriend, Babylon (Roxanne Day), who works as an exotic dancer and is not enthusiastic about her lover's current career. The Fluffer was written and co-directed by Wash West, who previously shot and directed several hardcore gay films himself. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Scott Gurney
- 2000
- Add The Directors: David Cronenberg to Queue Add The Directors: David Cronenberg to top of Queue
For those who enjoy discovering or learning more about directors with unique or even bizarre filmmaking interests, David Cronenberg is a true find. His movie Crash tells the story of a group of people who think sex is best when it involves violent car accidents, his remake of The Fly is an eerie masterpiece combining the disturbing with the comedic, and his film Scanners is a witty satire about the relative madness of society at large. This video, produced by the American Film Institute, includes an interview with Michael Ironside, an actor who appears in at least one of Cronenberg's films. Ironside provides some interesting insights into the "real" David Cronenberg.
~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
The second film from writer/director James Mangold, the corruption drama Cop Land stars Sylvester Stallone as Freddy Heflin, the much-denigrated sheriff of tiny Garrison, NJ, a community which -- thanks to a technicality -- is populated almost entirely by members of the New York City Police Department. When young cop Murray "Superboy" Babitch (Michael Rapaport) becomes embroiled in a controversial shoot-out which leaves two black youths dead, he apparently commits suicide rather than face the wrath of an official investigation. In reality, however, he flees to safety back home in Garrison. In the wake of the controversial events, NYPD Internal Affairs lieutenant Moe Tilden (Robert De Niro) arrives in Garrison to uncover the truth, attempting to enlist Freddy to help watch the watchmen, including Superboy's uncle, veteran cop Ray Donlan (Harvey Keitel); coked-out Gary Figgis (Ray Liotta); and Joey Randone (Peter Berg), the husband of the woman (Annabella Sciorra) Freddy loved and lost. A rich, complex film about redemption, Cop Land's portrayal of Freddy's struggles to prove his worth mirrors Stallone's own return to thoughtful, character-driven drama after years of vacuous action roles. Like Freddy, he faces an uphill battle, fighting for respectability in the face of a superb cast including Janeane Garofalo, Cathy Moriarty, and Paul Calderon. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, (more)
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