James Bradford 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
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, (more)
The murderous Evelyn (Anna Chappell) runs her own version of the Bates Motel, a series of run-down units set on a mountainside. After the batty Evelyn finds her daughter performing a Satanic ritual in the basement, she stabs her to death and then invents a story for the suspicious sheriff. A number of people arrive for the daughter's funeral and they are put up at the motel. Evelyn, meanwhile, tries terrifying her guests with hordes of rats and nasty bugs. When this isn't enough, she decides to up the terror factor by using her sickle, exterminating the guests instead of the bugs and rats. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Thurman, Anna Chappell, (more)
Based on a true story, Mrs. Soffel is set in Pittsburgh near the dawn of the 20th century. Peter Soffel (Edward Herrmann) is the warden of a top security prison, and his wife Kate (Diane Keaton) often comes by to read the Bible aloud to the inmates, despite her fragile health. While making her rounds, she makes the acquaintance of the Biddle Brothers, Ed (Mel Gibson) and Jack (Matthew Modine), who are sentenced to death for murder and robbery. Ed has become something of a celebrity thanks to his letter-writing campaign, in which he appeals in the letter-to-the-editor columns of the popular press to stay the execution of his brother and himself. His good looks, intelligence, and charm make a strong impression on Kate, whose marriage offers her little excitement. In time, Kate finds herself falling in love with Ed, and she discovers that she's unexpectedly receptive to his suggestion that she help him escape. Mrs. Soffel was the first American film from noted Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson, (more)
This TNT miniseries stars Alec Baldwin as Robert Jackson, the Supreme Court justice who served as the head prosecutor for the war crimes tribunal that took place in Nuremberg after the horrors of WWII and the Holocaust. The film follows Jackson from his preparations for the trial to the outcome of the trial itself, paying particular attention to the interplay between Jackson and the Nazi thugs he is trying to prosecute. Brian Cox co-stars a Hermann Goering, Hitler's right-hand man, while Christopher Plummer plays British prosecutor Sir David Maxwell-Fyfe, and Jill Hennessey portrays Elise Douglas, Jackson's invaluable secretary and sometime lover. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Baldwin, Jill Hennessy, (more)
- 1999
An important moment in Canadian history is brought to the screen in this drama drawn from historical documents of the period. In 1838, Francois-Xavier Bouchard (Francis Reddy) is a member of a group of French-Canadian rebels calling themselves Les Patriotes, who are hoping to remove the British-based government from Lower Canada (now known as Quebec). Having just returned to Canada after a brief exile in the United States, Bouchard aligns himself with Les Patriotes against the advice of his family, who fear for his safety. Their fears prove well-grounded when Bouchard is captured in a raid on a British stronghold, and after an attempt to escape to America, Bouchard is subjected to a trial he feels has been fixed from the start. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francis Reddy, David Boutin, (more)
- 1984
Luke Duke (Tom Wopat) unknowingly drinks pond water that has been contaminated by a genetic-drug spill. As a result, Luke undergoes a total change in personality: He's unbelievably nasty to friends and family alike--and even worse, he becomes a "rat" with women. But the limit is reached when Bad Luke cooks up a scheme to rob the bank owned by Boss Hogg (Sorrell Booke) and pin the blame on his own kinfolk. The final fistfight between Luke and Bo is worth the price of admission alone. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The true story of an upset victory that helped change the sport of golf forever provides the basis for this period drama. Francis Ouimet (played by Shia LaBeouf) was born in 1893 to a working-class family in Massachusetts, and grew up fascinated by golf. However, at that time golf was considered a pastime of the wealthy and privileged, and British and Scottish players dominated the professional game. Ouimet's familial home was near the Brookline, MA, Country Club, and over the stern objections of his father, Francis got a job there as a caddy. Honing his skill in his spare time, Francis displayed a tremendous natural talent for the game and an understanding of its strategies, and 1913 he became the first amateur to play in the U.S. Open, held at the Brookline Country Club. Ouimet's presence was considered little more than a novelty at the time; Harry Vardon (Stephen Dillane), a British champion with six tournament victories under his belt, was considered a shoo-in to win, with Ted Ray (Stephen Marcus) his only serious competition. However, Vardon, a fellow working-class boy who had overcome tuberculosis to become Britain's premier professional golfer, had more in common with Ouimet than anyone expected, and the tournament unexpectedly became a hard-fought competition between an established star and a promising unknown. Directed by Bill Paxton in his second directorial effort, The Greatest Game Ever Played also stars Elias Koteas as Francis' father, Josh Flitter as the ten-year-old boy who becomes Francis' caddy, and Peyton List as Sarah Wallis, Francis' sweetheart. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shia LaBeouf, Stephen Dillane, (more)
- 1964
This drama is set in an Ozark mountain community where a family is frequently assisted by an amiable old mountain man nicknamed "The Shepherd," who is actually the grandfather to the clan. Unfortunately, his son deserted the family after his young wife died in childbirth. The young son survived though and has now grown up and fallen in love with a pretty young woman who has, unfortunately, been betrothed to another. One day the other man hears a young man bragging about a bank robbery. He tells the sheriff who ends up shooting the robber during a scuffle. This tragedy inspires the Shepherd to admit that he is the grandfather to the clan. He then shares his other deep secret: he has a gold mine that has been steadily producing for many years. He ends up bequeathing the mine to his grandson's family. Later he reminds his grandson and his beloved that a betrothal is only a verbal agreement while love creates a binding contract. This frees the two to marry and share their new-found wealth with the whole community. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
