Paul Geier Movies
- 2001
A prep school student is murdered, apparently without motive. Further investigation reveals that the boy's wealthy father, Peter Wilder (Henry Woronicz), was being blackmailed over a sordid incident in his past. The key to solving this case is in the hands of a "mystery woman" -- if only the detectives and the D.A.'s office can find her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
The detectives and the lawyers again run up against the brick wall of military jurisprudence while investigating the death of a Navy pilot. McCoy finally narrows the suspects down to the dead man's lover, also a pilot. Unfortunately, the Navy and the Judge Advocate General form a united front to block further investigation -- and, perhaps, to prevent justice from prevailing. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
A janitor is found murdered in a college science laboratory. The prime suspect is a student employee (Mark Bateman) with a troubled past. In a spectacular, suspenseful, and emotional climax, the D.A.'s office goes after a college scientist (John Bedford Lloyd) indulging in experimental drug research -- a prosecution which hinges upon a suppressed medical report. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A Brooklyn cigar shop is the setting for this drama from director Wayne Wang that interweaves the stories of several characters that have fractured family relationships in common. Harvey Keitel is Auggie Wren, poetic owner of the Brooklyn Cigar Company, a store that he considers the center of the world -- a place where all of humanity eventually parades through. One of his regular customers is Paul Benjamin (William Hurt), a writer and a broken shell of a man whose pregnant wife was shot and killed near the store. When Paul's life is saved one day by a young black man named Rashid (Harold Perrineau, Jr., the writer and his rescuer strike up a friendship and begin searching for Rashid's long-lost father (Forest Whitaker). At the store, Auggie is surprised by the appearance of Ruby (Stockard Channing), an ex-girlfriend who informs him that her pregnant, drug-addicted daughter Felicity (Ashley Judd) may also be his -- and is in dire need of help. Screenwriter Paul Auster based the script for Smoke on a 1990 short story he wrote for "The New York Times." He also wrote and directed the film's sequel (of sorts), Blue in the Face (1995). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Hurt, Harvey Keitel, (more)
Director Ron Howard's drama follows a beleaguered reporter during a hectic 24 hours at a New York City tabloid. Michael Keaton stars as Henry Hackett, a metro editor for the struggling New York Sun. Hackett is being wooed by the Sentinel, a more upscale paper, but he's addicted to the adrenaline-stimulating, breakneck pace of the Sun's newsroom, much to the consternation of his pregnant wife Martha (Marisa Tomei. Hackett is currently pursuing a story of two minority youths who have been arrested for the murders of two men. He learns that the police think that the killings may be a mob hit. In the court of public opinion, however, the innocent suspects are being judged as guilty, and the police may bow to the pressure. As Hackett and his staff desperately work all the story's angles to find the truth, several other dramas unfold. Top editor Bernie (Robert Duvall) learns that he has prostate cancer, and tough publisher Alicia (Glenn Close) wonders if her lack of popularity is due to her cost-cutting, her personality, or the fact that she's a woman. In their only collaboration, screenwriter David Koepp co-wrote the script with his brother Stephen Koepp, a senior editor at Time magazine. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Robert Duvall, (more)
- 1993
In this fourth-season opener of Law & Order, Robert Klein guest stars as controversial, confrontational TV talk show host Rick Mason. During one of Mason's broadcasts, a guest is murdered on the air (and this show was telecast long before the Jenny Jones affair). The DA's office endeavors to prove that Mason provoked the tragedy -- and that, in so doing, he is himself an accessory to murder. Jill Hennessy and S. Epatha Merkerson join the regular cast as, respectively, Assistant DA Claire Kincaid and police lieutenant Anita Van Buren. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
Summoned to an expensive Upper West Side elementary school, detectives Greevey (George Dzundza) and Logan (Chris Noth) find a young pupil in a semi-comatose state. The investigation leads to prominent therapist Jacob Lowenstein (David Groh), a chronic philanderer, and Lowenstein's wife Carla (Marcia Jean Kurtz), who shows signs of being severely battered. After the death of the Lowensteins' daughter, assistant D.A. Stone (Michael Moriarty) realizes that the only way to find out who was responsible is to turn the defiantly protective Mrs. Lowenstein against her control-freak husband -- or vice versa. Clearly inspired by the infamous "Steinberg Case," this was the Law & Order telecast which prompted the series' producers to include a disclaimer at the beginning of each subsequent "based on fact" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The omnibus film New York Stories is the product of three powerhouse filmmakers. The film is divided into three stories, each exploring a different aspect of life in the Big Apple. Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorcese, is a Dostoevsky-like tale of the rarefied Art World, with Nick Nolte as a self-indulgent abstractionist who loves Rosanna Arquette, but can't bring himself to lie to her about her negligible artistic talents. Life Without Zoe, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, is more than a little reminiscent of Kay Thompson's Eloise stories, with 12-year-old Zoe (Heather McComb) running amok at the Sherry-Netherland hotel while her parents are embarked upon a world-girdling vacation. The last and is Woody Allen's Oedipus Wrecks, wherein a schnooky lawyer (guess who?) inadvertently "creates" the Jewish Mother From Hell: thanks to a misguided magic trick, Allen's mama (the incomparable Mae Questel) becomes a huge spectral vision on the New York skyline, telling everyone within earshot about her son's inadequacies. The cinematographer lineup on New York Stories includes Nestor Almendros, Vittorio Storaro and Sven Nykvist. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Rosanna Arquette, (more)
This offbeat police thriller with heavy doses of humor was written by John Patrick Shanley, the former playwright who wrote Cher's hit romantic comedy Moonstruck. Kevin Kline stars as Nick Starkey, a brilliant former New York City police detective who has been exiled to the fire department because of his unorthodox ways. He's called back to service by his police commissioner brother Frank (Harvey Keitel) in the hopes that he can find a bizarre serial killer who's been murdering one woman a month. Nick's condition to agreeing to help is that he gets to cook dinner for Frank and his snooty wife Christine (Susan Sarandon), a former girlfriend of his. Ultimately, Nick uses his Zen-like intuition and some high-tech computer hardware (with prominent product placement plugs) to find the killer, pausing to have an affair with the mayor's beautiful daughter Bernadette (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. In the improbable conclusion, Nick figures out the exact day the killer will strike and the exact apartment! January Man is too tongue-in-cheek to be taken seriously as a thriller. In addition to Keitel and Sarandon the stellar supporting cast includes Rod Steiger as the mayor and Danny Aiello as a tough police captain who rails against Nick's "beatnik" ways. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, (more)
Oscar-nominated in 1961 for his performance as pool hustler Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler, Paul Newman won that award a quarter century later when he reprised the role in The Color of Money. At the end of The Hustler, Felson was banned for life from playing the game professionally. In the intervening years, he has become what the despicable George C. Scott was in the 1961 film: a front man for younger hustlers, claiming the lion's share of the winnings. His latest "client" is arrogant young Tom Cruise, who is goaded into accepting Felson's patronage by his avaricious girl friend Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Cruise learns not only the refinements of the game, but also the dirty trickery that will help him lure in the suckers. As Cruise becomes successful on these terms, Felson seethes with jealousy, hitting the bottle and carelessly allowing himself to fall victim to another hustler. He tells Cruise to get lost, and vows to make an honest comeback. It is inevitable from this point onward that the younger and the older player will square off in a game for the biggest stakes of all: Fast Eddie Felson's self-respect. Both the original Hustler and The Color of Money were based on novels by Walter Tevis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, (more)
- 1971
In this character study set in the late '60s, a New York lawyer finds himself feeling bored and oppressed by his conventional middle-class life in the Establishment. Deciding it is time for a change, he leaves his wife, and takes up with a hippie chick. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Preventing Julia (Grayson Hall) from curing Jeb (Christopher Pennock), Nicholas (Humbert Allen Astredo) warns her not to meddle with the affairs of the Leviathans. Maggie (Kathryn Leigh Scott) and Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) rescue Quentin (David Selby) from his "grave." Ordered to use Carolyn (Nancy Barrett) in the Leviathan ceremony, Jeb smashes the box and the altar -- and suffers mightily for his act of courage. This episode was originally telecast on March 6, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
As Sky (Geoffrey Scott) stands guard over the kidnapped Julia (Grayson Hall), Jeb (Christopher Pennock) demands that she cures him of being a Leviathan. Quentin (David Selby) tries to rescue Julia, but he is intercepted by the army of zombies, who bury him alive. This episode first aired on March 5, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Jeb (Christopher Pennock) summons a four-man army of zombies to kidnap Julia (Grayson Hall). Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) again succumbs to his instincts and bites Megan (Marie Wallace); she dies, only to rise again as a full-fledged vampire. This episode originally aired on March 4, 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
