Mark de Carlo Movies
A kid who hates ants finds himself living among the six-legged critters in this computer-animated comedy-adventure. Lucas Nickle (voice of Zach Tyler Eisen) is a ten-year-old boy whose family has just moved to a new town, and Lucas isn't enjoying it much -- he hasn't made any friends yet, his big sister ignores him, his parents (voices of Larry Miller and Cheri Oteri) are occupied with their upcoming vacation in Mexico, and his loving but slightly crazy grandmother (voice of Lily Tomlin) is convinced space aliens are casing out the neighborhood. To make matters worse, the local bully has found Lucas and is making his life miserable, so the boy looks for someone he can push around -- and he soon finds a large colony of ants in his yard. Lucas takes out his frustrations by stomping, drowning, and burying the bugs, little realizing the ants see him as a threat to their safety and aren't about take his attacks lying down. Zoc (voice of Nicolas Cage) is a "wizard ant" who creates a formula that shrinks Lucas to the size of an insect, and the tiny boy is brought before the leader of the Ant Council (voice of Ricardo Montalban) and the Queen of the Colony (voice of Meryl Streep) to answer for his crimes against the ants. Showing compassion, the queen sentences Lucas not to death, but to live among them and see how difficult their circumstances can be. Nurse Ant Hova (voice of Julia Roberts) is put in charge of looking after Lucas, and with the help of Scout Fugax (voice of Bruce Campbell) and Forager Kreela (voice of Regina King), Lucas gets an eye-opening picture of how the other half lives -- just in time for Lucas to help the ants in an all-out battle against Stan (voice of Paul Giamatti), a pest-control man brought in to get rid of the bugs. Produced by Tom Hanks, The Ant Bully was written and directed by John A. Davis, who handled the same chores on the film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, (more)
- 2005
- NR
One of the most respected names in adult entertainment decides to go out with a bang in this laugh-filled mockumentary. Chuck Steak (Mark de Carlo) is a veteran director and producer of porn movies and has grown tired of the business. Deciding that it's time to move on, Steak wants to back out of the adult industry on a high note and begins making plans for his final picture, "Touché," a sci-fi tinged private-eye story with (of course) lots and lots of sex. Hiring two of his favorite actors for the leads -- longtime sex goddess Roxy Free (Priscilla Barnes) and disproportionately endowed Lance Long (Adrian Zmed) -- Steak starts shooting "Touché" with a documentary filmmaker capturing the proceedings for posterity, but it doesn't take long for anything that could go wrong to start doing just that. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2005
- PG
Can an East Coast mob mechanic find happiness in the most straight-laced community in America? Carmine "Beans" Pasquale (Mark De Carlo) is a gangster from New Jersey who is pinched by the FBI and learns the only way he can avoid spending the rest of his life in jail is to tell the cops all he knows about his boss, Angelo Marcello (Michael Kagan). However, Pasquale knows if he talks to the Feds, Marcello's top hit man, Little Nicky Cappuccino (Joe Maruzzo), will see to it that he never speaks (or breathes) again. To ensure Pasquale's safety, the FBI enroll him, his wife, Gina (Jeanette Puchich), and their teenage son, Vincent (Clay Taylor), in the Federal Witness Protection Program. Now known as George Cheeseman and supposedly hailing from Nebraska, Pasquale is relocated to Moab, UT, a quiet Mormon enclave where the new family feels very much out of place. As Pasquale learns to live without a strong cup of coffee while working a nine-to-five job, his aggressively friendly neighbors struggle to make the new folks in town feel welcome. Mobsters and Mormons was written and directed by John E. Moyer, a Utah filmmaker who has made a number of offbeat comedies pertaining to the Church of Latter Day Saints. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark de Carlo, Jeanette Punich, (more)
The animated holiday comedy Santa vs. the Snowman tells the tale of a snowman who, feeling like he wants to be more a part of the holiday season, impersonates the world famous Santa. Soon the powers that be in the North Pole decide to stop the snowman. This film was produced by Steve Oedekerk, who created the series Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jonathan Winters, Ben Stein, (more)
- 2002
Originally filmed as a pilot for a Nickelodeon cable network TV series, the computer-animated feature Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius turned out so well that it was decided to release the film theatrically in 2001. One year later, things came full circle, and the weekly, half-hour TV version of Jimmy Neutron was unveiled by Nickelodeon. The title character was a ten-year-old inventor, living in the sitcomish town of Retroville with his mom, dad, and robot dog Goddard. Together with his colorful schoolmates -- many of them even geekier than he was -- Jimmy was regularly called upon to save his family, his town, or his world by concocting a whole slew of intricate gadgets, some of which actually worked properly. Created by John A. Davis and Steve Oedekerk, the weekly version of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius premiered on September 6, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Debi Derryberry, Frank Welker, (more)
Anthony (Vincent Pagano) is a white fledging actor who is in a happy relationship with Alissa (Victoria Rowell), who is beautiful, gainfully employed, and black. In spite of being sharply reminded that it has been 30 years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Anthony is reluctant to introduce her to his large traditional-minded family. Yet when Alissa does accompany Anthony home when his grandfather dies, he learns that race is only one of many issues this eccentric family contends with; two of Anthony's cousins are under the mistaken belief that they are wanted by the mob, his uncle talks endlessly about his testicles, and his aunt takes Alissa aside and tells her that the only way to survive in this wacky family is to drink. A Wake in Providence was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Pagano, Victoria Rowell, (more)
- 1998
This short, made-for-cable parody is a Scary Movie style spoof of Steven Spielberg's WWII epic Saving Private Ryan. Over-the-top phallus jokes make up the majority of the eight minute film, as the plot follows a group of soldiers searching for not just their missing comrade, but his lost genitalia as well. While labeled by some as being in poor taste, Saving Ryan's Privates generated a cult following for providing laughter amidst the hype for such a serious movie. The short film is frequently erroneously referred to as a porn title. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Appearing as contestants on the prestigious but low-rated TV academic quiz show "Knowledge Fever", Cory (Ben Savage), Shawn (Rider Strong) and Topanga (Danielle Fishel) score a hit with their wisecracks and hilarious cultural references. In fact, the producers are so impressed that they invite the trio to make a return appearance. Flattered by all the attention, Cory and his friends are blissfully unaware that the producers plan to "dumb down" all future quiz questions in order to keep the threesome coming back week after week. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
In this fourth episode in the "Angel" saga, beautiful former tough-gal Molly Stewart works as a police photographer. In her off hours she is romantically involved with a radio personality. Her new life is going well until an old buddy shows up. Molly's pal is playing groupie for a travelling band and is in love with the group's lead singer. Trouble arises when Molly is sent out to photograph a murder victim and she discovers it is her friend. This prompts her to resume her "Angel" persona and go undercover to flush out the killer. This time, however, instead of being Angel the hooker, she becomes a groupie for the same band her friend had followed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darlene Vogel
The idea of fusing teen sex-comedy and horror genres into a boffo box-office bonanza seems like classic braindead Hollywood-think... but somehow, beyond all reason, the makers of this film manage to pull it off. Much of the credit goes to director Fran Rubel Kuzui (Tokyo Pop) who chooses wisely to let the jokes and action rip by so quickly that viewers won't have time to realize there's practically nothing going on. Also excellent is Kristy Swanson as the bubble-headed cheerleader who learns from a Van Helsing-ish stranger (Donald Sutherland) that she's, like, the reincarnation of this pure female warrior and stuff, destined to rid the world -- or at least the Valley -- of vampires. No sooner is the Buffster being schooled in the ways of vampire butt-kicking (much to the consternation of meek pretty-boy beau Luke Perry) than the lead vampire (Rutger Hauer) and his leering cronies show up -- and leading up the pack is none other than Pee-Wee Herman himself, Paul Reubens. Fans of this film's popular TV offspring will appreciate the fang-sharp humor but may be surprised to find little evidence of the spooky atmosphere that permeates the series -- though there are some inspired moments, particularly the ridiculous death-by-ruler scene. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristy Swanson, Donald Sutherland, (more)
- 1988
- R
Dr. Bob Frankenstein (Mark Blankfield) is the great-great grandson of his legendary relative Victor in this horror spoof. He uses the basement of General Hospital for his experiments to create what he hopes will be the perfect human. Kathy Shower plays the female psychiatrist Alice Singleton, with Irwin Keyes as the monster. This one is so bad it's good, and Leonard Maltin's searing critical indictment makes it a must-see. It has been called the worst English language Frankenstein film ever made, elevating it to near cult status. Bobby "Boris" Picket appears and reprises his smash Halloween hit The Monster Mash. Nudity and profanity resulted in the feature's R rating. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Blankfield, Leslie Jordan, (more)
