Gregory Cook Movies
- 2002
The young man who was stabbed to death outside a pizza parlor is revealed to be N.Y.U. student Andrew Hatcher. Among the clues is the fact that Hatcher's parents were called up on his cell phone -- after his death. The principal suspect would seem to be drug dealer Jimmy Gaines (Gregory Russell Cook), who claims that he found the victim's cell phone in a garbage can. Investigating this alibi, the detectives come across evidence of an attempt to cover up a case of meat contamination. Without revealing more, it can be said that this episode truly lives up to its title. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Eraserhead meets Buck Rogers by way of an MGM musical in this bizarre outer-space saga about Samuel Curtis (Cory McAbee), a galactic truck driver looking to make a killing. The film opens with Curtis landing on the freewheeling, all-male asteroid of Ceres. Before winning a dance contest with his buddy Blueberry Pirate -- who is renowned for smuggling fresh fruit -- Curtis learns from Blueberry about a scheme to give a fetal "real live girl" to the similarly male-dominated planet of Jupiter in exchange for a strapping adolescent known solely as "The Boy Who Actually Saw a Female Breast." He in turn will be sent to the all-female planet of Venus where he will spend his life servicing the planet's occupants. Unfortunately, Curtis is followed by the mysterious self-proclaimed birthday boy Professor Hess, who has a tendency to vaporize any and all who come into contact with him. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival as a part of the Midnight Madness program. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rocco Sisto
Janet McTeer follows up her Oscar-nominated performance in Tumbleweeds (1999) with this period drama set during the 1910s. Dr. Lily Penleric (McTeer), an uptight musicologist, is furious after getting denied tenure again at an elite all-male East Coast university. She promptly quits out of protest, and having nowhere else to go, she joins her sister in a remote mountain school. Her high-minded, refined ways quickly clash with the locals, yet her academic interests are peaked when she realizes that this bucolic mountain culture is thoroughly infused with music that harkens back to traditional English and Scottish folk ballads. After retrieving some tools, including a primitive recording device, from the East Coast, she sets out collecting songs. The locals react with a mixture of amusement, bafflement, and suspicion. Meanwhile, a mining company is strong-arming the impoverished residences into selling their coal-rich land for a pittance. Lily soon realizes that the culture she's seeking to preserve is quickly being torn asunder. Aidan Quinn and David Patrick Kelly also appear in this film, which was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet McTeer, Aidan Quinn, (more)
- 1999
A high school girl is beaten to death, and it looks as if a neo-fascist youth group is responsible. Conventional wisdom is to prosecute the teens who actually committed the crime. But assistant D.A. McCoy (Sam Waterston) aims his sights a bit higher (or, perhaps, lower) by going after Tom Willis (Michael Cumptsy), the adult white supremacist who fomented the violence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- R
- Add What's Love Got to Do with It? to QueueAdd What's Love Got to Do with It? to top of Queue
What's Love Got to Do With It? is the filmed biography of R&B/pop singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett), documenting her efforts to break away from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne). After a few scenes detailing Tina's life as a young singer in Nutbush, TN, she's discovered by Ike Turner, an already established songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Ike takes Tina under his wing and makes her a star, but her fame makes him jealous and abusive, and she has to struggle to break free of his domination. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, (more)
Joe Pesci stars as Louie Kritski, a heartless landlord who has been so negligent in keeping up his ghetto apartment that he is threatened with jail time. The judge gives him another option, which he accepts -- he must live in his rat-infested hell hole until he brings it up to liveable standards. The judge gives him 120 days, during which time Louie meets many of his tenants, including drug dealer Marlon (Ruben Blades). Over time, Louie grows more sympathetic with their problems and sees the results of his own greediness. Unfortunately, Louie's father, Big Lou Kritski (Vincent Gardenia), is the real owner of the property, and he resists his son's entreaties to spend money to clean up the place. Famed screenwriter Nora Ephron co-scripted the story with Sam Simon. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Pesci, Vincent Gardenia, (more)
- 1990
- R
In this actioner, Eddie Baker is brutally murdered by drug dealers. Later expatriate, reformed drug-dealer Superfly is conned into returning to the US from Paris by federal drug agents. He then must let his former cronies know that he wants back into the drug business. Superfly hasn't been a dealer for over twenty-years, and doesn't realize that drug dealing has become a deadly game. His sudden reappearance rouses the suspicion of the two crooked cops controlling the city's drug flow. They are unsure which side of the law he is on and are not anxious to allow him a piece of the action. Fortunately for "Fly" a good buddy fills him in on modern drug trafficking. He decides to go back to Paris, but then the US agents force him to change his plans. Later Superfly is beaten by the drug lord's men and his lady friend is shot. Now nothing will prevent the enraged hero from getting his revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Purdee, Margaret Avery, (more)
