Nick Chinlund Movies
Nick Chinlund's handsome, rugged exterior makes him an ideal candidate for roles in such high-profile, high-octane releases as Con Air and Tears of the Sun, so casting directors may be tempted to steer him toward films that make use of his somewhat imposing physical presence; nonetheless, the talented stage and screen actor also possesses the chops needed to highlight such little-seen indies as Amy's Orgasm and Chutney Popcorn. That rare combination offers great potential for crossover appeal, so audiences on both sides of the blockbuster spectrum can find reasons for appreciating an actor of Chinlund's caliber. The New York native started out as a jock, but his aspirations on the court were sidelined by a college basketball injury; however, it didn't take long for him to see the silver lining in his career-halting accident, and he soon veered toward acting. Though Chinlund would remain at Brown University in the following years, a shift toward drama classes soon convinced him that his future didn't lie on the well-polished planks of the basketball court, but the well-worn boards of the theater stage. Roles in such Williamstown Theater Festival productions as Mother Courage and Little Oedipus helped the fresh-faced hopeful make a name for himself in the theater community, and shortly after graduation, Chinlund opted to kick-start his feature career by making the move to Los Angeles. In addition to an impressively creepy early role in a pair of X-Files episodes entitled "Irresistable" and "Orison," Chinlund also made a mark in such features as Lethal Weapon 3, Bad Girls, and Eraser. While small-screen roles in episodes of Third Watch and Buffy the Vampire Slayer found Chinlund continuing to make a name for himself among television viewers, his performances in such character-driven dramas as A Brother's Kiss and Once in the Life saw the emerging actor eschewing more action-oriented fare in favor of roles in more down-to-earth features. Though supporting roles in Training Day, Below, and Tears of the Sun did find Chinlund's visibility rising among the multiplex set, it was his participation in such efforts as Goodnight, Joseph Parker (in which he played the eponymous character) that seemed to draw him the most praise from critics. In 2004, Chinlund rejoined Below director David Twohy for a role opposite action icon Vin Diesel in the eagerly anticipated Pitch Black sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- R
Mick (Michael Raynor) and Lex (Nick Chinlund) are a pair of brothers who grew up in Harlem under circumstances that were difficult at best. Their mother Doreen (Cathy Moriarty) was a diabetic with a drinking problem and difficulty in saying no to men. While she wasn't a prostitute, she grew dependent on the little gifts her lovers would bring by, and as kids, Mick and Lex learned to accept this as the way things were. One night, Mick and Lex were taking a walk in the park when they were accosted by a cop who molested the younger Mick. Lex, older and strong as a grown man, attacked the cop, which led to a stay in a reform school. Years later, Mick is himself a policeman; while he's tried to bury the childhood incident in his past, he still shows emotional scars and is sexually dysfunctional. Lex, however, has taken the more dramatic slide. Since his stay in reform school, Lex has been in and out of trouble; today he has a combative relationship with Debbie (Rosie Perez), his girlfriend and the mother of his child and a going-nowhere job driving a bus. He also sells drugs for local dealer Lefty Louie (John Leguizamo), but has developed enough of a habit that his sales don't begin to compensate for the amount he uses himself. Mick tries to look out for his big brother, but it might be too late to save him. A Brother's Kiss was based on a play by writer/director Seth Zvi Rosenfeld, who grew up in the same neighborhood as actor Michael Raynor; Raynor and Nick Chinlund were also friends as children. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Chinlund, Michael Raynor, (more)
A woman who gives advice on relationships for a living is trying to make sense of her own problems with the opposite sex in this independent romantic comedy. Amy (Julie Davis) is a single woman in her mid-twenties who has recently published a self-help book called Why Love Doesn't Work, in which she discusses why a woman doesn't need a husband or a boyfriend to feel fulfilled. But Amy isn't so sure she believes her own advice, and after four years without a steady relationship, she wants a man in her life. Feeling conflicted, Amy isn't sure where to turn or with whom she can discuss her relationship issues; she ends up sharing her problems with a priest (Jeff Cesario) who mans the confessional at a nearby Catholic church, even though Amy is Jewish. As Amy's book hits the stores, Janet (Caroline Aaron), a friend who works as a publicist for her publisher, snags Amy an appearance on a radio show hosted by Matthew Starr (Nick Chinlund), a popular but foul-mouthed "shock jock." Matthew is exactly the sort of man Amy warns her readers to stay away from, so she isn't sure why she finds herself attracted to him -- or why he seems to be interested in her. Amy's Orgasm was written and directed by Julie Davis, who also stars as Amy; the film was enthusiastically received in its screening at the 2001 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julie Davis, Nick Chinlund, (more)
A man of the cloth takes up arms to avenge the violent murder of his wife and child in this made for television western starring Kevin Sorbo, Wings Hauser, and Cynthia Watros. Preacher (Sorbo) has just watched helplessly as his wife and child are brutally gunned down by ruthless land baron Colonel Cusack (Hauser) and his murderous henchmen. Later, when the holy man-turned-bounty hunter runs into head thug Quinn (Nick Chinlund), he rents a room from a lonely single mother (Watros) and methodically sets about plotting his revenge. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Sorbo, Cynthia M. Watros, (more)
Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, Andie MacDowell, and Drew Barrymore are the stars of this Western whose main gimmick is making heroes into heroines. They all start out as prostitutes, as Cody (Stowe) shoots a drunken colonel who attempts to molest Anita (Masterson). She is about to be lynched for defending her friend when the other "bad girls" ride in and rescue her, pursued by detectives. The rest of the film follows their adventures as they get caught up in hostage situations, bank robberies, shootouts, and romantic interludes with handsome young cowboys with never a hair out of place or an unsightly smudge of Western dust. Amazingly, all four former prostitutes are able to ride, shoot, rope, and fight as well. Bad Girls is not likely to be thought of as a realistic view of how women lived in the Old West. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Madeleine Stowe, Mary Stuart Masterson, (more)
Reflecting studio executives' taste for material that crosses genres, this film from director David Twohy and co-screenwriter Darren Aronofsky mixes the war movie and supernatural thriller genres. After they rescue a trio of survivors that includes a nurse, Claire Page (Olivia Williams), from a British hospital ship sunk by the Nazis, the crew of the American submarine U.S.S. Tiger Shark comes to believe that their vessel is haunted. The unexpected death of their commander forces first officer Lt. Brice (Bruce Greenwood) to take command, trying to avoid a German destroyer on the hunt for his ship, while investigating the series of mysterious incidents that are terrifying his crew. Is the Tiger Shark haunted, or is there something otherworldly inhabiting the waters where the sailors are currently trapped? Originally entitled "Proteus," this project was slated to be Aronofsky's follow-up to Pi (1998), but the writer/director opted to helm Requiem for a Dream (2000) instead. Below co-stars Scott Foley, Zach Galifianakis, Dexter Fletcher, and Holt McCallany. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Olivia Williams, (more)
- 2000
A nervous Scooby Gang finally has reason to celebrate when Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) pulls through her brain cancer surgery. Just as her mother is returning to health, however, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) must confront her ailing relationship with Riley (Marc Blucas) and come to grips with the sick behavior he's been exhibiting. After the relieved couple enjoy their first romantic evening in ages, Riley sneaks away in the night to a vile brothel where human beings pay vampires for the thrill of being bitten. Spike (James Marsters) -- himself smitten with the Slayer -- takes it upon himself to tell Buffy about her boyfriend's deception. Spike leads her straight to the charnel house of ill repute, where she glimpses Riley in the throes of his new hobby. She flees, then learns the history of such sordid institutions from Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and Anya (Emma Caulfield). Buffy returns to the brothel and burns it to the ground, shocking her friends with her vehemence. When she and Riley finally hash things out, he reveals that his nocturnal activities were an attempt, however pathetic, to find the one thing Buffy hasn't been giving him: a sense of being needed. He then delivers the ultimatum that unless she gives him reason to do otherwise, he's going to leave on a demon-hunting expedition to Belize the very next day. A hurt, angry Buffy takes out her frustrations on the keepers of the vampire whorehouse, then receives a stern warning from Xander (Nicholas Brendon) to make sure she won't regret it if she lets Riley walk away. The Slayer runs a desperate race to reach Riley before he leaves, but she arrives just in time to see his helicopter disappearing into the night. Meanwhile, an impassioned Xander reaffirms his love for Anya. Originally broadcast December 19, 2000, on the WB network, "Into the Woods" marked episode 88 of the cult-favorite series. Although this marks Marc Blucas' final appearance as a regular cast member, the actor would reprise his role as Riley Finn the following season in "As You Were." ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2000
As the hospital-bound Joyce (Kristine Sutherland) continues to battle her brain cancer, she's unaware that several of her fellow patients are people driven insane by having their mental energy devoured by the ravenous Glory (Clare Kramer). One such unfortunate tells Dawn (Michelle Trachtenberg) that there's nobody inside of her, but Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) -- eager to protect her sister from the truth that she's actually the human incarnation of the mystical Key that Glory seeks -- reassures the girl that the patient's ramblings mean nothing. Soon, though, the sisters become concerned about their own mother's sanity when the cancer causes Joyce to experience bouts of dementia. Even more acute danger presents itself when an apparent UFO sighting by Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Tara (Amber Benson) turns out to be the arrival of a demon whose breed feeds exclusively on the insane. Xander (Nicholas Brendon) suspects that Glory summoned the demon, but the truth turns out to be more surprising. Meanwhile, the mental patient who unnerved Dawn becomes the creature's first victim. Then Joyce, who has returned home to await surgery, almost falls victim to it in her own bedroom. Buffy defeats the beast with help from Dawn -- and from Spike (James Marsters), who just happens to be in the Summers' basement filching photographs of his beloved Slayer. After the dust settles, a less loopy Joyce tells Buffy that in her altered mental state, she was able to recognize the truth about Dawn. Nonetheless, she declares that Dawn is precious to the world and that Buffy must protect her -- especially if something happens to Joyce. As the Scoobies watch forlornly, Joyce heads into surgery. Meanwhile, Riley remains convinced he's being shut out of Buffy's life and continues his kinky vampire encounters. Originally broadcast November 28, 2000, on the WB network, "Listening To Fear" marked episode 87 of the cult-favorite series. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- 2001
The bodies of two girls are found stuffed in pipes at a rural highway construction site. Investigating, Grissom (William L. Petersen) and Sara (Jorja Fox) determine that the girls were sisters, and that one of them was intimate with a recently paroled convict. Elsewhere, another body found in the woods seems to have been the victim of a hunting accident, but Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) and Nick (George Eads) have their doubts. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The push and pull of familial bonds and clashing cultures sets the stage for the comic drama Chutney Popcorn. Renna (Nisha Ganatra) is a young woman of Indian descent living in New York, where she works as both a photographer and a body artist who creates henna tattoos. Renna is also a lesbian, which does not please her mother, Meenu (Madhur Jaffrey), who prefers to dote on her more traditionally minded (and happily married) daughter Sarita (Sakina Jeffrey). One day, Renna gets some bad news from Sarita: While she and her husband have been trying to have a baby, her doctor has informed that her she is infertile and will never bear a child of her own. Renna volunteers to serve as surrogate mother for Sarita; she wants to help her sister and hopes this will smooth some of the rough spots in her relationship with her mother. But Renna starts to have second thoughts, as her lover Lisa (Jill Hennessy) feels left out of the loop, and Meenu thinks both Renna and Sarita are making a mistake. Nisha Ganatra co-wrote and directed Chutney Popcorn and also plays Renna; the film was enthusiastically received in its screening at the 1999 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jill Hennessy, Nisha Ganatra, (more)
Former war hero Cameron Poe (Nicolas Cage) is sentenced to eight years in prison when he accidentally kills a man in a barroom brawl while defending his pregnant wife. When his release comes through, he's eager to see the daughter he's never met. However, Poe's original flight is delayed, so he's put aboard a flight transporting ten of the most dangerous men in the American penal system to a new high-security facility. One of the criminals, Cyrus "The Virus" Grissom (John Malkovich), is a serial killer and insane genius who has hatched a diabolical plot: with the help of several other hoods, including Diamond Dog (Ving Rhames), Johnny 23 (Daniel Trejo), and Garland Greene (Steve Buscemi), Cyrus and his men will hijack the plane and fly to a neutral nation where they can live as free men. Poe finds himself stuck in the middle; he has to find a way to get home, keep himself alive, look after his cellmate Baby-O (Mykelti Williamson), who will die without proper medicine, and try to help the cops on the ground, including agent Vince Larkin (John Cusack). Producer Jerry Bruckheimer's first film after the death of his partner Don Simpson, Con Air shows he learned well how to assemble the formula all by himself, with plenty of action, stunts, and special effects and not a lot of story to get in the way. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, (more)
In this chilling made-for-cable-television outing, the population of the United States is nearly wiped out by a sexually transmitted disease. In order to stop its spread, those infected are sequestered in special camps. To make sure no infected person is allowed to go free, a group of vigilantes begins terrorizing city streets in search of carriers. The story is based on an off-Broadway play by Alan Browne. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Susan (Teri Hatcher) is more than a little put out when her beau, Mike (James Denton), is arrested for the murder of Mrs. Huber. Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) has a new gardener named Justin (Ryan Carnes) who knows all about her affair with previous gardener John (Jesse Metcalfe) -- and he intends to profit by his knowledge. Bree (Marcia Cross) suspects the worst when she finds a condom, but the truth is even worse than she first thought. Lynette (Felicity Huffman) tries to sabotage her husband when he is offered a job that will consume all his time. And the troublesome Andrew Van De Kamp (Shawn Pyfrom) has a big, big surprise for everyone concerned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1966
No sooner has Sophia (Lesley Ann Warren) moved in with her daughter Susan (Teri Hatcher) than she sets to work stage-managing her daughter's love life -- and, by extension, hopes to reactivate her own. Bree (Marcia Cross) has no idea what her son, Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom), has in store for her; the only one who does know is bound by a vow of silence. Carlos (Ricardo Antonio Chavira) unwittingly drives Gabrielle (Eva Longoria) back into the arms of her stud-muffin lover, John (Jesse Metcalfe). And in a moment of near-fatal weakness, Lynette (Felicity Huffman) thinks kindly of the monumentally unkind Mrs. McClusky (Kathryn Joosten). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Top-notch action sequences and exciting stunt work highlight this fast-moving thriller. John Kruger (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a top agent in the U.S. Marshalls' Witness Protection Program; it's his job to "erase" the pasts of Federal witnesses under his watch and deal with anyone who tries to hurt them. Kruger's latest assignment is to protect Lee Cullen (Vanessa Williams), who while working for a major weapons manufacturing firm discovered evidence that the company was selling new, high-tech weapons to intentional terrorists groups with the cooperation of a faction of enemy agents within the United States government. However, when Kruger discovers that the Witness Protection Program has a rat in the house -- and that rat is his boss, U.S. Marshall Robert Deguerin (James Caan) -- Kruger has to guard his own life while trying to protect Lee's. The supporting cast is highlighted by James Coburn, Robert Pastorelli, and James Cromwell. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, (more)
A loving husband and father finds his promising future transformed into a waking nightmare when he's convicted of involuntary manslaughter after accidentally killing the burglar who broke into his home in this gritty prison drama starring Stephen Dorff and Val Kilmer. Wade Porter (Dorff) would have done anything to protect his family, and when they were threatened he did what any caring family man would have done. But somehow everything went wrong, and now Wade has been sentenced to spend three years in a maximum-security prison. It's a place where the rules of society have been all but forgotten, and in addition to sharing a cell with a notorious mass murderer (Kilmer), Wade somehow incurs the wrath of the sadistic head prison guard (Harold Perrineau). Now, in order to survive the series of vicious beatings orchestrated for the amusement of the guards, Wade realizes that in order to survive the block and get back to his family he will have to become the toughest felon of them all. But even if Wade does manage to live through this harrowing ordeal, what will be left of that loving family man once he's finally released back into civilized society? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Val Kilmer, (more)
- 1998
- R
This "neo-noir comic thriller" from director Amos Poe focuses on struggling actress Eva (Barbara Hershey), a waitress who moonlights by making collections for her ex-husband, loan shark Al (Robbie Coltrane). Her day job is at a Lower Manhattan diner owned by Quint (Ian Hart). Others on the scene are Eva's new boyfriend Zip (John Leguizamo), aspiring actress Myrna (Lisa Marie), Al's girlfriend Simone (Debi Mazar), tough thug Gascone (Ron Perlman), and Al's driver U.B. (David Deblinger). Eva is ready to drop both collecting and acting, dreaming of a picket-fence lifestyle with her son Augie (Zak Kerkoulas), but Al needs her for just one more job -- locating the missing $600,000 stolen from him by Flav (Justin Theroux). Al also plans to stage a production of David Mamet's American Buffalo, and he offers a role to U.B. -- if he will kill Zip. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Hershey, Robbie Coltrane, (more)
The dejected habitués of a run-down New Jersey bar currently teetering on the brink of bankruptcy receive an encouraging boost of morale when a one-time drinking buddy about to get his big break in show-business returns to find the girl he once left behind as the popular stage drama comes to the screen in a film starring Kim Dickens, Debi Mazar, Nick Chinlund, and Paul Sorvino. A locals-only dive where whiskey flows free and evenings pass in a bitter, alcohol-fueled haze, Charlie's Bar and New Crystal Ballroom is a holding tank for lost souls and forgotten dreams. Despite the dreary nature of the place, however, things suddenly start to look up when one-time local Joey Parker returns to his old watering hole in search of the woman he once left behind. It seems that the celebrated crooner from Manhattan has recently been booked for his first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and in order for his success to truly be complete Joey is convinced that he must first wed his long lost love. Now, as the dreams of the weary are re-awakened by the same winds that blew in the man determined to take hold of his fate, the regulars at Charlie's are about to find out why some dreamers are better left asleep. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Chinlund, Paul Sorvino, (more)
Jaimie Alexander and Brian McNamara co-headline the direct-to-video supernatural horror saga Hallowed Ground. When an innocent young lady becomes unwittingly stranded in an American small town, she senses imminent danger, and in fact soon learns of the town's wretched history: it was founded by a bloodthirsty, Satanically-evil preacher with a nasty little taste for committing human sacrifices. The strange townspeople are both heirs to this legacy and accomplices in it - to such a degree that the newcomer must soon flee in terror from the clutches of the hamlet's residents and the pursuit of a possessed, animate scarecrow who wants her dead. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jaimie Alexander, Brian McNamara, (more)
- 2000
Law & Order's 11th season begins with Nora Lewin (Dianne Wiest) taking over as interim D.A. until an official replacement for Adam Schiff can be elected. Lewin's first case concerns a disabled youngster who died of smoke asphyxiation in an apartment fire. Suspects include the kid's parents and one of their neighbors, a person with a history of being in close proximity of suspicious blazes. Astonishingly, A.D.A. Jack McCoy (Sam Waterston), who normally goes for the jugular, believes that "the penalties are too severe" this time around. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Superstars Mel Gibson and Danny Glover return with director Richard Donner for Lethal Weapon 3, the third in the phenomenally successful action series. In this film, Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) is only eight days away from retirement and his partner Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) once again manages to get them both into hot water with the both LAPD and the bad guys, who this time are Jack Travis (Stuart Wilson) and a gang of hoodlums selling armor-piercing bullets. Joe Pesci returns as the fast-talking schmuck Leo Getz. A new addition to the cast is Rene Russo as Lorna Cole, a sergeant from internal affairs sent to investigate Riggs and Murtaugh, but who ultimately ends up falling in love with the caffienated Riggs. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, (more)
- 1995
In this crime thriller, an avaricious married couple get in over their heads when their attempt to extort money from murderers goes terribly awry. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mare Winningham, Nick Chinlund, (more)
Action-adventure director Stanley Tong (Supercop, Rumble in the Bronx) did a change of pace by directing this live-action adaptation of UPA's bumbling, near-sighted Mr. Magoo the animated-series character created during the '40s by John Hubley and others for the cartoon short Ragtime Bear (1949). Millionaire Quincy Magoo (Leslie Nielsen) won't admit he needs glasses, so nephew Waldo (Matt Keeslar) removes obstacles in Magoo's path. At a museum exhibition, when Magoo steps up to cut a ceremonial ribbon but instead severs a power line, it sets in motion events making Magoo the target during an international manhunt -- while he continually escapes mishaps by inches. Greg Burson does the voice of Magoo in animated sequences at the film's beginning and end. During the '50s, the animated character (voiced by Jim Backus) led to two Oscars -- for the jazz-scored Rooty Toot Toot (1952) and the CinemaScope When Magoo Flew (1955). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Kelly Lynch, (more)
- 1994
Dan Breen (Peter Boyle), Sipowicz's AA sponsor, is beaten up by his own son (Enrico Colantoni). Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and Simone (Jimmy Smits) follow the slimmest of clues when the charred body of a pregnant prostitute is found. And Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) and Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) aren't altogether convinced when a two-bit con man (Paul Ben-Victor) insists that he was the brains behind a pawnshop robbery. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Seriously injured in the auto accident that killed her husband, Clare Miller (Dana Delany) has a bizarre near-death experience while on the operating table. Confined to a wheelchair after the tragedy, Clare suddenly discovers that the dream may have been no dream at all: She now has the power to heal. First curing her own physical infirmities, Clare moves on to heal others who are suffering. Unfortunately, these "miracles" are limited: Clare seems totally unable to heal the emotional problems that have distanced her from her friends and loved ones, problems that only seem to be getting worse. First telecast by ABC on March 15, 1999, the made-for-TV Resurrection is a remake of the 1980 Ellen Burstyn film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dana Delany, Brenda Fricker, (more)
- 2006
A clergyman facing a mid-career crisis offers protection to a roaming con-woman who preys on celibates, only to have his life turned suddenly upside down when the woman discovers a damning secret that the holy man had been struggling to keep from his congregation. In an era where church closures, bankrupt dioceses, and religious scandal dominate the headlines, Father Anthony Romano (Nick Chinlund) longs to see his vocation redeemed. Father Romano's subordinate is a die-hard fundamentalist named Stephen. When Stephen attacks a prostitute grifter named Lil (Georgina Cates), Father Romano reluctantly offers the young woman sanctuary in his rectory. Later, Lil discovers a carefully guarded secret in the rectory that could stir up precisely the kind of controversy that Father Romano has been so desperately trying to avoid. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Chinlund, Georgina Cates, (more)
