Beatriz Baz Movies
Three loosely interrelated stories of dysfunctional relationships are played for edgy laughs in this dark comedy drama from writer and director Don Roos. An unexpected assignation between stepsiblings Mamie and Charley results in Mamie becoming pregnant, with the child being put up for adoption shortly after birth. Twenty years later, Mamie (Lisa Kudrow) is approached by Nicky (Jesse Bradford), an aspiring filmmaker with an abrasive personality who claims to know where her long-lost son is living. However, there's a catch -- Nicky wants to shoot the reunion for the student film he's working on, and won't tell her about her child unless she agrees, though her lover, Javier (Bobby Cannavale), attempts to work out a compromise. Meanwhile, Charley (Steve Coogan), now out of the closet, has a longstanding relationship with Gil (David Sutcliffe), and the couple are involved in a legal battle over whether or not Gil's donated sperm produced a baby who has been adopted by a lesbian couple they know (Laura Dern and Sarah Clarke). And finally, Jude (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a bohemian malcontent who becomes involved with Otis (Jason Ritter), a sexually ambiguous rock musician. Otis has a difficult relationship with his father, Frank (Tom Arnold), but when Jude meets Frank, she likes him fine -- in fact, she soon falls in love with him and leaves Otis for his dad. Happy Endings had its world premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Arnold, Jesse Bradford, (more)
- 2003
American independent filmmaker Melody Gilbert directs and produces the documentary Whole, an actual exploration of people obsessed with losing a limb. Her subjects all share the same desire to remove one of their limbs, but in many cases it's men who wish to be rid of a leg. The topic is rightfully difficult to address, as it lacks both proper scientific terminology and scholarship by medical professionals. In the U.K., Beatriz Baz is stricken with the affliction which has caused him to purposefully contract frostbite in his left leg, while George Boyer from Florida tried to shoot one of his legs with a gun and Kevin Davidson arranged to get his leg surgically removed. Subjects Kees and Dan are known as "wannabe amputees," who have their legs but remain tormented by this unstudied behavior pattern. Gilbert gains some authoritative commentary from Dr. Michael First. Whole was screened at the IFP Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Boyer, Dr. Michael First, (more)
One of four low-budget Mexican horror productions to star an ailing Boris Karloff in a supporting (but top-billed) role, this odd little number features the horror legend as the dying forebear of an eccentric family, whose heirs descend like vultures on his palatial home when they learn of his impending demise... which apparently occurs shortly after their arrival. Little do they realize that their plucky patriarch has laid some elaborate traps for them, employing his collection of life-size automatons. The cast wanders about through dimly-lit sets for what seems like an eternity before being slain by the wind-up robots in a variety of gory ways, but the violent, bloody climax comes far too late to rescue viewers from the endless drudgery. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
