Robert Costanzo Movies
Actor Robert Costanzo is generally typecast an urban Italian-American, prone to mouthing such lines as "You gotta problem with that?" Costanzo began popping up with regularity in such films as Saturday Night Fever in the late '70s. The first of his many TV-series stints was as plumber Vincent Pizo, the blue-collar father of Travolta clone Joe Piza (Paul Regina), in 1978's Joe and Valerie. He retained his man-of-the-people veneer as maintenance engineer Hank Sabatino in the weekly series Checking In (1980), Lt. V.T. Krantz in the 1990 TVer Glory Days, and the voice of Detective Bullock in Warner Bros.' Batman: The Animated Series (1992). In 1995, Robert Costanzo joined the cast of television's NYPD Blue as Detective Giardella. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2011
- PG
- Add Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer to Queue Add Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer to top of Queue
Megan McDonald's popular series of children's books comes to life on the big screen in this family-friendly adventure that finds mischievous third grader Judy Moody experiencing a summer she'll never forget. School is out, and with the endless possibilities that summer has to offer, Judy (Jordana Beatty) plans to have fun in the sun with her best pals Rocky and Amy. And right after learning that Rocky and Amy will both be leaving town with their families until fall, Judy finds out that her own parents are taking a trip to sunny California without the kids. At first Judy grows depressed at the thought of spending the summer at home with her little brother, Stink (Parris Mosteller), and their friend Frank Pearl, but once their aunt Opal (Heather Graham) arrives, things quickly start to look up. Later, after making a list of dares to spice up their summer at home, Judy and her friends discover you don't have to travel far to find real fun, because every day is an adventure if you want it to be. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jordana Beatty, Heather Graham, (more)
- 2007
Omid Shabkhiz's crime film Banished stars Nariman Norouz as professional killer Charlie Vespa who walked away from his life in the mob in order to raise his family. When an acquaintance from his old life orders the deaths of Charlie's wife and child, Charlie sets off on a quest to settle the score. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nariman Norouz, Peter Banifaz, (more)
R&B star Usher Raymond plays his first starring role in this story which blends crime with romantic comedy. Darrell (Usher Raymond) is a successful club DJ who one night unexpectedly rescues a woman from a dangerous situation. It turns out the woman in question is the wife of Frank Pacelli (Chazz Palminteri), one of New York City's most powerful mobsters. To show his appreciation, Pacelli gives Darrell a job -- serving as bodyguard for this beautiful daughter, Dolly (Emmanuelle Chriqui). A short-lived romance blooms between Darrell and Dolly, but it isn't long before the couple are quarreling, which makes Pacelli more than a bit unhappy with his new hire. However, Pacelli also has a mob war and a disloyal and ambitious young lieutenant to deal with, and Darrell soon finds Pacelli's problems become his problems too. Also starring Kevin Hart and Robert Davi, In the Mix was produced under the title Dying for Dolly. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Usher Raymond, Emmanuelle Chriqui, (more)
- 2005
- PG
A handful of men begin behaving like children when their kids enter a Boy Scout competition in this family-friendly comedy. Ever since he was in fifth grade, Phil Davis (Greg Germann) has been coming in second place to Ace Montana (Marc Raymond) whenever they've been in some sort of competition together, and now that Phil and Ace are both middle-aged fathers, history seems to repeat itself when Brady (Adam Hicks), Phil's son, loses the city junior basketball championship to a team featuring Ace's boy. When Phil learns that Brady will be going up against Ace's son again in his Boy Scout troop's annual Pinewood Derby race, Phil decides it time to end the Davis family's losing ways once and for all, and with help from his childhood friends Blaine (Ross Brockley) and Jimmy (Perry Anzilotti), Phil sets out to build the perfect Pinewood derby car -- whether or not that's what Brady has in mind. Produced with the cooperation of the Boy Scouts of America, Down and Derby also stars Lauren Holly, Pat Morita, and Hunter Tylo. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Greg Germann, Lauren Holly, (more)
- 2003
- PG
- Add Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman to Queue Add Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman to top of Queue
Batwoman makes her grand entrance in the feature-length animated adventure Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. While Batman tries to figure out the new crime fighter's secret identity, Batwoman exposes an arms smuggling operation conducted by the Penguin. Soon Batwoman is captured by Bane and Batman has to choose whether or not he can trust his new mysterious ally. Featuring the voices of Kelly Ripa, Kyra Sedgwick, and Hector Elizondo. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Conroy, Kyra Sedgwick, (more)
- 2003
Was Abby's (Maura Tierney) bipolar brother piloting the plane that has plunged into Lake Michigan? As Abby agonizes over this possibility, other dramas play themselves out at the ER. A teenaged driver who may have deliberately run down her taunting classmates is brought in; Chen (Ming-Na) reveals a hidden chapter of her past; and the disabled Romano (Paul McCrane) reacts violently to some bad news about his future as a surgeon. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Rob Reiner directs Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson in Alex & Emma, a romantic comedy about an author and his secretary. Gangsters will kill Alex (Wilson) in 30 days if he doesn't pay back his gambling debts. The only way he can do that is to finish his new novel. He hires sassy court stenographer Emma (Hudson) to transcribe his dictation. The film intercuts between the two of them writing the story, and the story within the story. Hudson plays three roles in the film, and Wilson plays two. Sophie Marceau and David Paymer round out the cast. The premise is (very) loosely based on a series of events that befell Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Hudson, Luke Wilson, (more)
Home Improvement's Richard Karn lends his talents to this family-oriented animal-sports adventure from the producers of another animal-sports picture, Air Bud. MVP II: Most Vertical Primate picks up the story line of the first film in the series, MVP: Most Valuable Primate, but transfers its star monkey from the suburbs to the city, and switches his sport of choice from hockey to skateboarding. MVP II opens with the lovable Jack being ousted from his hockey team, the Seattle Simians, and having to hit the road after being falsely accused of league misconduct. Jack ends up in the city, where he's befriended by Ben (screen newcomer Scott Goodman), a homeless skateboarder, and Ollie (Karn), a skate shop owner. Jack proves to be as adept at mastering the half-pipe as he does at delivering a slap shot, and before long, he and Ben are crashing amateur skateboarder competitions all over the country. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cameron Bancroft, Richard Karn, (more)
Noted baseball fan Billy Crystal directed this made-for-cable drama set in the summer of 1961, as two of the strongest hitters in the major leagues, Mickey Mantle (Thomas Jane) and Roger Maris (Barry Pepper), find themselves neck and neck in a battle to break Babe Ruth's long-standing record for most home runs in a season. Both men were playing for the New York Yankees at the time, and as the two men came within grasping distance of Ruth's record, their loyalty as friends and teammates was put to the ultimate test. 61 also features Richard Masur, Bruce McGill, Anthony Michael Hall, and Renee Taylor; the scenes set in Yankee Stadium were filmed at Michigan's Tiger Stadium, shortly after the Detroit Tigers shuttered the venerable playing field and relocated to a newer facility. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Barry Pepper, Thomas Jane, (more)
The Last Producer stars Burt Reynolds (who also directed) as burned-out Hollywood movie mogul Sonny Wexler. Once the fair-haired boy of Tinseltown, Wexler finds himself persona non grata in a city now run by younger, leaner, hungrier, and more ruthless studio CEOs. In a last-ditch comeback effort, Sonny tries to purchase a script from a novice scrivener that bids fair to be the hottest property in years. Unfortunately, the hero may be beaten to the punch by a nasty upstart executive who will stop at nothing -- not even murder -- to get his hands on the script. Most of the film is devoted to Sonny's frantic efforts to raise the necessary 50,000 dollars from his alleged friends, his estranged family members, and a handful of raffish-looking types with mob connections. And believe it or not, this is a comedy. Evidently intended for theatrical release, The Last Producer made its first appearance via the home-video market in Europe in 2000. The film was not widely shown in America until its USA Network cable-TV debut on February 6, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds
- 2000
Three young, mischievous boys get more than they bargained for in this 2000 film directed by Eric Hendershot. Brad's sister Becky gets hired to babysit by star NBA basketball player Mosiah "The Messiah" Jackson (Reggie Theus), who happens to live nearby. Brad and his two friends decide to play a prank on Becky by leaving a ransom note and taking the baby, which they hide in one of the cars in the professional athlete's garage. After the infant unexpectedly (to the boys, at least) "makes a mess," the boys quickly decide to end the prank, leaving the baby in the car as they go back into the house to let Becky in on the joke. But a desperate and not so bright car thief named Jack (Joe Piscopo) breaks in and steals the car, along with the baby. Jack -- who was actually blackmailed into stealing the hoopster's vintage Rolls Royce by a pair of mafia goons -- has a change of heart after discovering that not only did he steal the wrong car but he inadvertently kidnapped the star's infant. While he decides what to do with the baby, the two goons learn of the kidnapping and decide to find Jack, take the baby from him, and put a ransom on the infant. Meanwhile, Brad and his friends attempt to track down the baby and return him to Becky before Mosiah and his wife return home from their night out. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
- Starring:
- Julie Hagerty, Joe Piscopo, (more)
Bob Koherr directed this predictable parody of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, offering variations on the film's familiar scenes, plus satirical jabs at other titles, including Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers, Forrest Gump and Nell. Tarantino's hit men are replaced here with exterminators Jimmy (Paul Dinello) and Julius (Tommy Davidson). Subbing for Marsellus and coke addict Mia are compulsive eater Mimi (Julie Brown) and her husband Montello (Robert Costanzo). Instead of coffee-shop thieves Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, writer wannabe Bunny Roberts (Sandra Bernhard) arrives with the Forrest Gump-like Bumpkin (Dan Castellaneta). Psychos Nicky (Matthew Glave) and Vallory (Pamela Segall) disrupt the criss-crossing storylines, and so do nuns with guns. At the Independent Cafe, employees are costumed like various characters from independent films. The talented Juliette Lewis is mocked by Pamela Segall in a re-creation of a Natural Born Killers scene, and Kane Picoy impersonates Christopher Walken. When Plump Fiction played theatrically, it was accompanied by a three-minute short film Swing Blade (a spoof of Swingers and Sling Blade). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tommy Davidson, Julie Brown, (more)
- 1998
- R
Life among insecure, middle-aged character actors, former New Yorkers in L.A., is the main plot focus of this Philip Frank Messina comedy about four friends who want the same role in the next Martin Scorsese gangster flick. Balding Johnny DiMartino (Robert Costanzo) is so excited by the news of a possible part as Al Capone in a Scorsese film that he informs ladies' man Dorian Masstandrea (Jon Tenney), who cheats on his wife Samantha (Elle Macpherson). Dorian immediately makes moves to get his own audition. Johnny goes to Armand (David Strathairn) for coaching in Sicilian characteristics, and he worries that his look-alike, Rudy Ptak (Jon Polito) will get the part. Steve Hersh (Adam Arkin) tries to get through to Scorsese, although his wife Joanne (Laura San Giacomo) is convinced he doesn't have a chance. Cameos by Bill Murray and Scorsese (portraying himself at the audition). Shown at the 1998 Santa Barbara Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Adam Arkin, Robert Costanzo, (more)
In this family canine comedy, a sequel to Air Bud (1997), Josh Framm (Kevin Zegers) finds it a problem when his widowed mother, Jackie (Cynthia Stevenson), starts seeing the community's new veterinarian, Patrick Sullivan (Gregory Harrison). Sullivan gives a football to Josh's golden retriever Buddy, and the athletic animal is soon girding for the gridiron. Coach Fanelli (Robert Costanzo) adds Josh as back-up quarterback to the jr. high team, and an accident takes Josh off the bench and onto the field. Meanwhile, two devious dognappers (Nora Dunn, Perry Anzilotti) see news footage of Buddy playing basketball and make plans to spirit him away to a Russian circus. Four dogs performed the tricks seen here. The character of Air Bud was created by Kevin DiCicco, but Buddy died not long after the first movie. The original basketball-shooting Buddy, a popular half-time attraction prior to the first film, achieved a lifetime total of some 22,000 baskets. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Zegers, Cynthia Stevenson, (more)
If given the chance, would Batman have the hots for Lois Lane? Would Lex Luthor get along well with The Joker? And what, if anything, would be left for Robin to do? All these questions and more are answered in this conflation of two of the most venerable comic book legends, The Batman Superman Movie. Up to his old tricks, The Joker has stolen a priceless statue from the Gotham City museum. When Batman learns that the green figurine is made of Kryptonite, however, he knows this isn't your ordinary evil caper. The Caped Crusader sets off for Metropolis to tell the Man of Steel the news, and along the way, he falls for the beguiling beauty of Lois Lane. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kevin Conroy, Tim Daly, (more)
- 1997
Future ER costar Erik Palladino makes a return appearance as Danny, the juvenile-delinquent son of Frank's current amour Dana. At the suggestion of Murphy (Candice Bergen), Frank (Joe Regalbuto) arranges for Danny to get a security job at "FYI", where the boy's innate intimidation skills come in quite handy. Alas, Frank's gesture of goodwill may well backfire when both Murphy and Danny end up at the gaming tables in Atlantic City. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
Refusing to face up to his drinking problem, Bailey (Scott Wolf) has been "expelled" from his own family. Before long, even such friends and intimates as Coach Petrocelli (Dan Lauria) and Callie (Alexondra Lee) have turned their backs on Bailey. His efforts to "prove" that everyone else is overreacting result in an unpleasant misadventure with baby brother Owen--and a near-fatal accident with Sarah (Jennifer Love Hewitt). Elsewhere, Claudia (Lacey Chabert) poses some sensitive questions about her late father; and Julia (Neve Campbell) is briefly reunited with her former flame Griffin (Jeremy London). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1996
- PG13
This made-for-cable comedy centers on the romantic travails of Michael Makeshift (Jason Alexander), a schnook who just can't get over the fact that his girlfriend dumped him. To make matters worse, his gross and sloppy landlord is bugging him for long-overdue rent. Things for Michael's brother Reggie (James Woods) are much better. He is planning to rob the credit union where his own mother (Beau Arthur) works. His new wife Valerie (Lolita Davidovitch) has no idea what Reggie is planning and so is puzzled when Michael comes to stay with her. She also does not know that Reggie has paid Michael for the favor. Despite his well-laid plans, things go badly for Reggie when his henchmen mutiny and force him to reveal that the clueless Valerie carries the security codes they need to pull off the job in her suitcase. Thus begins a merry chase. While Michael helps Valerie escape, he reveals the truth about Reggie. At the same time, she become increasingly attracted to her new protector. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Alexander, Lolita Davidovich, (more)
- 1996
Ira Buchman (John Pankow), the ex-gambler cousin of Paul Buchman (Paul Reiser), falls off the wagon and returns to the racetracks and gaming tables. Before long, Ira is lavishing expensive gifts on Paul and Jamie (Helen Hunt) -- but there's a hidden price tag. Of course, none of this intrigue does the Buchmans' shaky sex life any good. And what about the 4,000-dollar bath? ~ Rovi
- 1996
- R
In this Quentin Tarantino-style blood-drenched pseudo-film noir, Denis Leary plays a hood named Johnny who, after getting out of prison, dedicates himself to exacting revenge on mobsters who brutally injured his father. Ned Lynch (Larry Bishop, who wrote the screenplay) attacked Johnny's father, causing him to become permanently brain-dead. Johnny travels in a limousine and targets those who he believes may be responsible in a series of killings that take place on Father's Day. His main target is Frank (Joe Mantegna), but he is not certain that Frank is responsible for what happened to his father. Johnny, who has taught himself psychology in prison, takes Frank to a sex therapist, Dr. Diane Leah (Annabella Sciorra), as part of his cat-and-mouse game, in hopes of eventually learning the identity of his father's attacker. ~ Michael Betzold, Rovi
- Starring:
- Denis Leary, Joe Mantegna, (more)
A trip to the attic of his new house lands young Brandon and his loyal dog in a magical world ruled by a wicked queen. There he meets a captive prince and vows to help the youthful prince relocate a powerful sword and prevent it from falling into the queen's greedy hands. This fantasy adventure is aimed at younger audiences. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Swoosie Kurtz, William McNamara, (more)
Actor Billy Crystal co-wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy. Forty-something couple Andy (Joe Mantegna) and Liz (Cynthia Stevenson) are about to be married, and as they gather with their friends for dinner not long before the wedding, they are told the story of their mutual friends Mickey (Billy Crystal) and Ellen (Debra Winger) as a cautionary tale of where a relationship can go wrong. Mickey is a top referee with the NBA who has traveled to Paris to bury his father, who wanted to be laid to rest with his Army buddies from World War II. The body is somehow lost in transit, and Mickey has an argument with Ellen, who works for an American airline in France. However, she likes his sense of humor, he is taken with her, and after a few days together in Paris, they decide to marry. However, once they return to Mickey's home in the United States, things get complicated; she's not so sure that she cares for his bachelor apartment ("a shrine to watching ESPN"), or juggling her career against his, while both have problems with their respective families. Several major basketball stars and sports figures appear in Forget Paris as themselves, including Charles Barkley, Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Marv Albert. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Billy Crystal, Debra Winger, (more)
- 1995
It isn't precisely "You show me mine, I'll show me yours" when Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) tries to get even with Chandler (Matthew Perry) for accidentally seeing her topless in the shower. Joey (Matt LeBlanc) discovers that his dad (Robert Costanzo) is having an affair with a gorgeous pet mortician, leading to a curious family showdown. And Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) latest boyfriend is a know-it-all shrink named Roger (Fisher Stevens). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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