LL Cool J Movies

In this broad fish-out-of-water comedy, Nisi (Halle Berry) and Mickey (Natalie Desselle) are African-American women with two ambitions -- marry rich men who will give them lots of money, and open the world's first combination hair salon and soul food restaurant. However, eligible bachelors and business opportunities are in short supply in Decatur, Georgia, so when Nisi hears rapper Heavy D is auditioning dancers in Los Angeles for an upcoming video and concert tour, the pair hit the road for California. They fail the audition but are approached by a man named Antonio (Luigi Amodeo) with a business proposition. Antonio is the chauffeur for Mr. Blakemore (Martin Landau), a millionaire in poor health. As a young man, Mr. Blakemore was in love with a black maid who worked in his household; Antonio and Blakemore's nephew Isaac (Jonathan Fried) think Nisi bears a resemblance to the girl Blakemore once loved, so they offer her a hefty payment plus room and board to pose as the granddaughter of Blakemore's lost love. Nisi and Mickey believe that this ruse is intended to make Blakemore feel better, but in fact Isaac wants to get his hands on his uncle's fortune, and he hopes that Nisi's presence will make him easier to manipulate. Meanwhile, Nisi and Mickey look like a hurricane that hit a cut-rate clothing store, so manservant Manley (Ian Richardson) teaches them social graces and gives them advice on how to dress. In time, Manley and Mr. Blakemore become friends with Nisi and Mickey; the men learn to be less stuffy and enjoy life, while the ladies become more respectable. B.A.P.S. stands for "Black American Princesses." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Darin Scott made his directorial debut with this neo-noir crime drama set in South Central L.A. and featuring Cynda Williams in a dual role. Back in L.A. after serving time on drug charges, Daryl Allen (Bokeem Woodbine), who narrates, plans to open a nightclub, and a pal offers to bankroll the business. Daryl drives his buddy to the bank, unaware he's taking part in a robbery. He's sent back to the slammer for a long stretch, and during that period his girlfriend (Cynda Williams) marries. Released after five years, Daryl is unemployed when he meets Vanessa Dietrich (Williams), who gets him work as a limo driver. Vanessa and Daryl are targets of a hitman, and Vanessa tells Daryl she suspects her ex-lover Ahmad (Basil Wallace). What Daryl doesn't know about Ahmad and Vanessa may turn out to be his undoing. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Although mako sharks are among the fastest and deadliest predators in the ocean, they're not as smart as humans -- at least, they weren't. However, Dr. Susan McAlester (Saffron Burrows) has been using mako sharks as her test subjects for research on the regeneration of human brain tissues. McAlester has altered the DNA of several sharks, raising them close to the level of human intelligence; the sharks have also become faster and stronger in the process. While these DNA experiments have yielded fascinating results, they're also of questionable ethics and legality, earning her the distrust of several members of her crew, including shark authority Carter Blake (Thomas Jane and cook "Preacher" Dudley (LL Cool J). The financial backers of these experiments have also expressed skepticism, so when McAlester is ready to perform some major tests, financier Russell Franklin (Samuel L. Jackson) arrives for the occasion. McAlester and her team are delicately extracting brain tissue from one of the altered makos when the animal regains consciousness - and becomes very angry. The shark not only attacks the researchers but also damages the floating lab, leaving the crew aboard a literally sinking ship, with the makos eager to go a few rounds - in an arena that favors sharks. Deep Blue Sea was directed by Renny Harlin, and filmed in Mexico at Fox Studios Baja in the underwater filming facilities created for James Cameron's Titanic. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Corruption is the law of the land in the every-city of Edison, and the only soul brave enough to peer into the fire and face the wrath of an entire squad of corrupt cops is a fresh-faced journalist in this neo-noir thriller from television director-turned-feature helmer David J. Burke. Joshua Pollack (Justin Timberlake) has discovered a glitch in the system, and as a fledgling journalist he sees it as his duty to expose the corruption. When Pollack misjudges the depth of the authoritative decay and his girlfriend is hospitalized following a brutal attack by the alliance of crooked cops known as F.R.A.T., he soon decides to take action and prove that even those who believe themselves to be above the law still aren't beyond its reach. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This is the seventh movie in this horror series and a 20th anniversary follow-up to John Carpenter's Halloween (1978), arguably the most influential horror film of the '70s, a film that set the standard of horror for the next two decades and catapulted the career of Jamie Lee Curtis. Newspaper clippings review the murders 20 years earlier by Michael Myers, including one stating Laurie Strode (Curtis) died in a car accident. Actually, she faked her death to hide from Michael, changed her name, and became headmistress at a Southern California boarding school attended by her son, teen John (Josh Hartnett). On Halloween, with most of the school staff and students away on a Yosemite camping trip, John plans a "romantic" evening with several of his classmates -- his girlfriend Molly (Michelle Williams), Charlie (Adam Hann-Byrd), and Sarah (Jodi Lyn O'Keefe). Laurie, meanwhile, has her own date with school-counselor Will (Adam Arkin); on their date, she reveals some of the secrets of her past life to Will. Meanwhile, masked Michael (Chris Durand) evades security guard Ronny (LL Cool J) -- and the nightmares begin anew. Curtis' mother, Janet Leigh, appears in a cameo role as the school secretary. The music score by John Ottman features orchestral variations on the 1978 score composed by Carpenter. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The opening episode of House's second season finds misanthropic medico Greg House (Hugh Laurie) still mulling over the possibility of rekindling his romance with lawyer Stacy Warner (Sela Ward)--and never mind that Stacy is very much a married woman. The major medical crisis of the evening concerns death-row inmate Clarence (LL Cool J), who collapses shortly after claiming to hear the voices of all his victims. Despite the stiff opposition of Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein) and Foreman (Omar Epps), House and Stacy conspire conspire to sneak Clarence into the clinic so that House can save his life in time for the execution! And in another development, Cameron (Jennifer Morrison) finds herself peculiarly incapable to inform her patient (Christie Lynn Smith) that she has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In-between rappin' numbers by groups like Run-DMC and The Fat Boys, an almost unnoticeable plot unfolds as manager Russell (Blair Underwood) desperately looks for funding to press more records for Run-DMC's first hit. This gets him into deep water when he borrows from the wrong man and then is left behind after his performers hit the charts and are off on a better life. But all is not lost, after more rap and rock by everyone, the clan returns with salvation at hand. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A woman learns to love life when she finds out she won't be around long in this comedy. Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) lives in New Orleans, where she works in the cookware department of an upscale gourmet supply shop. While Georgia carries a torch for Sean (LL Cool J), one of her co-workers, she doesn't have the nerve to tell him, and despite her estimable skills in the kitchen, she lives frugally and doesn't put her talent to use. Georgia's good friend Rochelle (Jane Adams) often tells her that life is short and she needs to live a little, but she doesn't pay her much mind until a visit to the doctor reveals that Georgia has a very rare medical condition, and only has three weeks to live. Throwing caution to the wind, Georgia cashes out her life savings and heads to Europe for a last bit of revelry. She checks into a four-star hotel, trades her drab clothes for haute couture, finds herself flirting with a handsome and powerful politician (Giancarlo Esposito), convinces the head of a cooking supplies firm (Timothy Hutton) that she's a high-powered executive from a rival company, and makes friends with a four-star chef (Gérard Depardieu). But when Sean learns the truth about Georgia's condition, he sets out to find her before their chance at romance has passed. Directed by Wayne Wang, Last Holiday is a remake of a 1950 British comedy, which starred Alec Guinness as a salesman with a few weeks to live. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A love affair with a drug dealer's squeeze lands an L.A. dee-jay (rap artist LL Cool J) in a heap of trouble. Soon he finds himself not only running from the crooks, but the cops as well. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide