Ben Cross

An assassin posing as a trade-show producer fixes his crosshairs on a Middle Eastern oil minister while maintaining his cover by organizing a high-profile wedding in this satirical action comedy starring John Cusack, Hilary Duff, and Marisa Tomei. A private American corporation run by a former U.S. vice president (Dan Aykroyd) is occupying the war-torn nation of Turaqistan, but a powerful Middle Eastern oil minister is preventing them from taking total advantage of the situation. In order to gain a monopoly on the lucrative opportunities that Turaqistan has to offer, the CEO of the corporation hires an evenhanded hitman named Hauser (Cusack) to take the oil minister out of the picture. Now, in order to carry out the contract without a hitch, Hauser will pose as the corporation's trade-show producer. The stakes are high and the potential for disaster is evident, though if Hauser can successfully organize the wedding of Central Asian pop-star Yonica Babyyeah (Duff), he's got a good chance of pulling it off. But sexy and resourceful left-wing reporter Natalie Hegalhuzen (Tomei) is determined to uncover the truth about what's happening in Turaqistan, and the moment she does, this carefully constructed scheme will crumble like a house of cards. Joshua Seftel directs a screenplay co-written by Mark Leyner, Jeremy Pikser, and producer/star John Cusack. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Set in the year 1882, director Pinchas Perry's adaptation of Irvin D. Yalom's fictional 1992 novel finds a depressed Friedrich Nietzsche seeking out the advice of pioneering psychoanalyst Josef Breuer for help in battling mental malaise. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Like Lassie, another famous Hollywood pooch with a long shelf life, Rin Tin Tin was actually portrayed by numerous onscreen canines over the decades, but unlike Lassie or Benji, the first Rin Tin Tin actually experienced fantastic offscreen adventures to rival anything in the movies, before graduating to silver screen stardom. As directed by Danny Lerner, this fact-based drama recreates those events onscreen. The tale begins with Lee Duncan, a France-stationed World War I corporal who rescues a German Shepherd mother and her three puppies from a bombed-out European dog kennel. He gives the mother and two of the pups away to different owners, but keeps the third puppy (his favorite) for himself, and names the spunky canine Rin Tin Tin, after a toy that French children commonly gave to soldiers around the turn of the century. The general of the base expressly forbids Lee from keeping a high-strung dog on the premises, but Lee finds a solution by befriending one of the POWs - German dog trainer Nikolaus Egger, who agrees to train the animal despite initial resistance. Egger teaches Rin Tin Tin such amazing feats as rescuing wounded soldiers from the battlefield; later, the dog accompanies Lee back to the states and graduates to movie stardom in 14 features from 1920-31. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The muscle-bound Swedish screen icon Dolph Lundgren, who rose to fame as boxer Ivan Drago in Rocky IV and held the title role in The Punisher, makes his sophomore directorial effort with the straight-to-video actioner The Russian Specialist (aka The Mechanik), a U.S./German co-production. Nick Cherenko (Lundgren), a Soviet Special Forces agent living and working in Russia, must flee the country when bloodthirsty gangsters massacre his wife and child. On the lam with his safety on the line, Cherenko escapes to Los Angeles, where he slips into a quiet, nonchalant life as an auto mechanic -- that is, until he is offered a massive amount of blood money to hunt down a kidnapper who abducted a young Russian heiress and to bring the girl back to the arms of her parents unscathed. Cherenko refuses -- until he discovers, by wild coincidence, that the kidnapper is the same Mafioso who rubbed out his next of kin. Packing heat, Cherenko does an about-face and hightails it to Russia to see that justice is served. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Planned for years, but plagued by problems such as the death of director John Frankenheimer before production had even begun and the exiting of star Liam Neeson, the fourth installment of the Exorcist saga finally got off the ground with Paul Schrader (Affliction, Auto Focus) behind the camera and Stellan Skarsgård filling the shoes left empty by Neeson. But the pitfalls didn't stop there, as Morgan Creek decided against their initial approach assigned to Schrader after seeing his finished cut, and hired Renny Harlin to reshoot the film with extra gore and head-spinning nastiness. The first prequel in the series, Exorcist: The Beginning is based upon events occurring before the first film. Playing the character made famous by Max von Sydow in the earlier films, this entry finds Skarsgård as a young Father Merrin facing true evil for the first time in Africa in the wake of World War II. When a young local boy begins to behave strangely, it becomes more and more apparent to Merrin that the child is a victim of demonic possession. Boasting a first-time screenplay by best-selling novelist Caleb Carr (The Alienist), Exorcist: The Beginning features a supporting cast headed by Izabella Scorupco (GoldenEye) and James D'Arcy (Master And Commander). ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

This drama was the ninth in a series of made-for-TV features dramatizing famous stories from the Bible. Solomon (Ben Cross), the son of David (Max Von Sydow), inherits his father's kingdom and becomes the ruler of Israel. While Solomon consolidates power through his marriages, it is his intelligence, sense of justice, and desire to see his people live in peace that earns him the respect and admiration of his subjects. Solomon also stars Vivica A. Fox as the Queen of Saba, Anouk Aimee as Bethsabea, and Maria Grazia Cucinotta as Abishag. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adventure lovers longing for an invigorating dose of cinematic excitement are invited to embark on a thrilling quest for a mythical treasure in this globetrotting tale starring Ben Cross, Peter Weller, and Ione Skye. John and Michael Shannon (Weller and Cross respectively) are estranged siblings with the common goal of traveling to the Sahara to unearth the mythical Tower of the Firstborn. When John goes missing on his quest, his daughter, Diane (Skye), abandons her post in the secret archives of the Vatican to follow the clues that could save her father's life. Now, as Diane teams with Dr. Neal Hogan (Guy Lankester) to find her father in the vast desert landscape, the secret of Christianity's greatest mystery is finally within reach. Acclaimed composer Ennio Morricone provides a sweeping score for this tale of ancient intrigue and breathtaking excitement. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When an earth woman discovers she is carrying an alien's child, tensions between humans and the out-worlders rapidly escalate towards all-out war. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Ten years ago Oxford archaeology professor Robert Rylands suddenly and mysteriously left the college and the town to embark upon a long journey. His sudden return creates quite a stir, and most of this English-language Spanish drama, based on a novel by Javier Marias, centers on the effect it has upon those who know and love him. As soon as he arrives, Rylands heads straight for the police department and sits down to tell a policeman and good friend about his adventure. The plot then moves to Alfred, a fellow lecturer who lives with Jill, his sister and her daughter, Sue. Juan, a Spanish guest lecturer is also staying with them. Jill is worried about Alfred who has been suffering from a bizarre illness that causes him to faint and makes it difficult for him to use his left hand. She finds Rylands' sudden reappearance most distracting. Somehow the lives of Rylands, Jill and Alfred are connected, and both Sue and Juan decide to find out how. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This WWII-set romantic drama centers on a British officer whose visit to a Sicilian village becomes an unforgettable experience after he falls in love with a local beauty. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This compilation tape consists of three episodes from the USA Network's Ray Bradbury Theater syndicated television series. All of the episodes have to do with Mars exploration or Martian beings. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide