Pia Miranda Movies

A teenage girl confronts the crises of growing up -- some typical, some unusual -- in this drama. Josie (Pia Miranda) is the 17-year-old daughter of Christina Alibrandi (Greta Scacchi), a single mother and member of a large extended family of Sicilian immigrants living in Sydney, Australia. While Josie loves her mother, she's grown weary of her strict family, especially her grandmother Nonna Katia (Elena Cotta). The fact that her relatives still have issues with Christina raising her child out of wedlock hasn't made Josie's life any easier. A good student, Josie has earned a scholarship at a top private school, where she has to deal with Carly (Leeanna Walsman), a racist who often taunts Josie for her Sicilian heritage. Josie is also suffering from the tribulations of teenage romance, as she finds herself attracted to both clean-cut John (Matthew Newton) and working class Jacob (Kick Gurry). Meanwhile, the house is abuzz over a visit from Michael (Anthony LaPaglia), who Josie soon learns is Christina's old flame -- and her father. Looking for Alibrandi was based on a novel for young people by Melina Marchetta, which was a major best-seller in Australia. Marchetta also wrote the screenplay for this film adaptation. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The second and third novels in author Anne Rice's popular book series The Vampire Chronicles provide the inspiration for this horror sequel starring ill-fated actress and recording artist Aaliyah, who was killed in an airplane crash before the film's release. Stuart Townsend is the vampire Lestat, who has awakened from a century-long slumber and turned his considerable energy to rock music. His vampirism identity mistaken for a gothic hard rock publicity stunt along the lines of Kiss or Marilyn Manson, he quickly becomes a pop music sensation. Lestat's powerful music reaches the ear of the slumbering Akasha (Aaliyah), the millennia-old "queen of the vampires" who was the first immortal bloodsucker. Akasha is soon free and embarking on a quest to seize control of the world with Lestat at her side. In the meantime, Lestat becomes an object of fascination for Jesse Reeves (Marguerite Moreau), member of a secret order studying the supernatural called the Talamasca, and a band of ancient vampires come together in an effort to stop Akasha, even though her destruction could potentially cause their own deaths. Queen of the Damned co-stars Lena Olin and Vincent Perez. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide