Valerie McCaffrey Movies

A group of collegiate American wrestlers encounter a cunning killer while riding the rails though Eastern Europe. When Alex (Thora Birch) and the athletes party so hard that they miss the train to Odessa, a kindly stranger suggests that they take an alternate route. With no other options, the hung-over group boards the next train and hopes for the best. But these weary travelers may never make it to their destination alive, because somewhere on that train lurks a ruthless killer, and tonight he's out for blood. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Inspired by the satirical black comedy Man Bites Dog, emerging film director Thomas C. Dunn's feature debut tells the tale of a young documentary filmmaker who inadvertently captures a murder on camera, and unwisely attempts to blackmail the murderer into becoming the subject of his latest film. Mickey (Wes Bentley) is an aspiring filmmaker who seems to lack a certain sense of inspiration - that is, until he captures elusive serial killer James Lemac (Mark Borkowski) on camera doing what he does best. Realizing the remarkable value of this gruesome footage, Mickey approaches the madman with an offer of creating the ultimate reality show. Should James agree to become part of the project the pair will no doubt become famous, but should he refuse Mickey will immediately hand the footage over to the police. Left with precious little choice other than to play along in Mickey's twisted little game, a reluctant James agrees to grant the filmmaker total access to his grisly excursions. But as the filmmaker and his subject set out to make movie history, the lines of power gradually begin to blur, at times giving James the upper hand. Now, as the psychological game of cat and mouse winds to it's shocking conclusion, Mickey will be forced to confront the darkness that dwells not just in the corroded soul of his subject, but somewhere deep within his own fragile psyche as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Love brings a shiftless young man in touch with the Lord, which proves more than a bit confusing to his family in this independent comedy drama. Joey Vitello (Vincent Pagano) is a guy in his mid-twenties who still lives with his extended Italian-American family and his trying to get his life in order. One day, Joey unexpectedly crosses paths with Mary O'Callahan (Marley Shelton), a girl who was one of his classmates in grade school. While Mary was homely as a child, she grew into a beautiful woman, and as Joey gets caught up on what she's been doing, he learns Mary survived a bout with cancer and credits her survival to a miracle from God. As Joey becomes deeply infatuated with Mary, he finds himself embracing her spiritual beliefs, but as he tries to share his enthusiasm with his family, they seem more than a bit suspicious, and in time decide that maybe they should be able to have a miracle of their own. Jesus, Mary and Joey also stars Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Esposito, Tess Harper, and Stacy Keach. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An ancient Native American spirit in the form of a cloaked skeleton on horseback is hunted by a group of soldiers in this made-for-cable Predator knock-off. Michael Rooker stars as the captain of an elite squad of government assassins that are sent to bring down a deadly and mysterious force that has been decapitating oil refinery workers throughout a nearby chunk of wilderness. Needless to say, when they are faced with the teleporting skills of thier opponent, they soon find that all the training and firepower are nothing when compared to the sword-wielding fury of the Skeleton Man! ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

A young pig fights convention to become a sheep dog -- or, rather, sheep pig -- in this charming Australian family film, which became an unexpected international success due to superior special effects and an intelligent script. The title refers to the name bestowed on a piglet soon after his separation from his family, when he finds himself on a strange farm. Confused and sad, Babe is adopted by a friendly dog and slowly adjusts to his new home. Discovering that the fate of most pigs is the dinner table, Babe devotes himself to becoming a useful member of the farm by trying to learn how to herd sheep, despite the skepticism of the other animals and the kindly but conventional Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell). Because technically impeccable animatronics and computer graphics allow the farm animals to converse easily among themselves, first-time director Chris Noonan can treat the film's menagerie as actual characters, playing scene not for cuteness but for real emotions. The result is often surprisingly touching, with Noonan and George Miller's script, based on Dick King-Smith's children's book and, indirectly, a true story, seamlessly combining gentle whimsy and sincere feeling. These same qualities are embodied by in Cromwell's beautifully understated performance as Farmer Hoggett, which anchors the film. Despite its unlikely premise and low profile, Babe's inspirational story was embraced by audiences and critics, and the movie became an international sleeper that won an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It was followed in 1999 by the less successful Babe: Pig in the City. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

This rental contains both Babe and Babe: Pig in the City

Ray Liotta and Cuba Gooding, Jr. star in this tense crime thriller concerning a small town trash collector whose dangerous plan to impress a pretty girl goes tragically awry. Liam Case (Gooding, Jr.) is a garbage man whose life hasn't quite turned out the way he expected it would. In order to impress the girl of his dreams, Liam plans an elaborate heist that will culminate with him jumping in to save the day at the last minute. When the day of the heist arrives, however, the plan takes an unexpected turn and Liam winds up in the hospital. Upon learning that a mysterious killer has slain the criminal that left both himself and the bank teller for dead during the chaos of the robbery, Liam realizes that the associates of the murdered thief won't stop until they have avenged the death of their fallen partner in crime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

He's hip, he's fly, and he never mixes meat with dairy -- he's the world's first Jewish private eye, and he's out to save the world in this satiric comedy. Mordechai Jefferson Carver (Adam Goldberg) is a super-cool Jewish detective who takes no mess and is always ready to do the right thing for his Torah-reading brothers. But Carver is a lone wolf, and he isn't so sure he's interested in taking an assignment from Chief Bloomenbergansteinthal (Peter Coyote) of the Jewish Justice League -- or at least not until he meets the Chief's gorgeous daughter, Esther (Judy Greer). It seems a mysterious stranger named Damien (Andy Dick) has made it his business to persuade Jewish children to abandon their faith in favor of celebrating Christmas, and it's Carver's job to put an end to Damien's campaign while urging kids to be proud of their Semitic heritage. The Hebrew Hammer also features Nora Dunn as Carver's kvetching mother, and a cameo appearance by Melvin Van Peebles as outlaw blaxploitation icon Sweetback. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Alex Proyas (The Crow) directed this noir-styled futuristic thriller, scripted by Proyas, Lem Dobbs (Kafka), and David S. Goyer (The Puppet Masters). Separated from his wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), amnesiac John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to learn he is wanted for a series of brutal killings -- but he can't remember if he did or didn't commit these murders. Indeed, most of his memories have completely vanished, and he becomes the focus of interest for both mad genius Dr. Schreber (Kiefer Sutherland) and sympathetic detective Frank Bumstead (William Hurt). Attempting to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity, Murdoch encounters a group of ominous beings known as the Strangers, shadow-like figures who have a collective memory and possess the ability to stop time and alter physical reality through a process called The Tuning. Focusing their minds, they are able to change the size and shape of the material world. Murdoch manages to stay a step ahead of his adversaries as he slowly jigsaws together the puzzle of his past-bittersweet memories of his childhood, his love for Emma, and the key to the murders -- while following a labyrinth leading to the Strangers' Underworld, a set inspired by Fritz Lang's Metropolis. Rufus Sewell commented on the Underworld: "When Alex first sent me the sketches for that set, I was more excited than I had been when I read the script. The Underworld was truly remarkable -- a little bit scary, very thrilling, and full of hundreds of bald people." At the Fox Film Studios in Sydney, Australia, where 50 sets were built, three months were spent constructing the set for the Underworld, the largest indoor set ever built in Australia. The production design by George Liddle (Rapa Nui) and Patrick Tatopoulos (Godzilla, Space: Above and Beyond) is a composite of different styles and eras, combining the look of 1940s Manhattan with German Expressionism. The music is by Trevor Jones (G.I. Jane). The film's dedication reads: "In Memory of Dennis Potter with gratitude and admiration." ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

A low-level criminal and a struggling newsman become unlikely partners in this comedy. Franklin Hatchett (Chris Tucker) is a fast-talking hustler who runs a small time ticket-scalping business. A TV news story by reporter James Russell (Charlie Sheen) brings Franklin's business to the attention of the police, and he finds himself under arrest. While being transported by police bus from one lock-up to another, Franklin is handcuffed to Raymond Villard (Gerard Ismael), a high-level jewel thief from Europe. Villard's henchmen stage a raid in which they explode the vehicle, killing most of the passengers (including two cops), but freeing their partner. Franklin is able to escape but learns that he's now wanted as a cop killer. Hoping to clear his name, Franklin approaches Russell with a deal -- if he'll hide him from the police and help him prove that he had nothing to do with the deadly explosion, he'll give the reporter an exclusive story, which could help Russell boost his sagging career. Money Talks also features Heather Locklear as Russell's fiancée Grace, and Paul Sorvino as Grace's father, who is quite impressed by Franklin's story that he's related to Vic Damone. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

John Woo's first Hollywood feature stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, a down-and-out Cajun merchant seaman, who, after saving a young woman, Natasha Binder (Yancy Butler), from a gang of thugs on the streets of New Orleans, agrees to help her search for her father (Chuck Pfarrer), a homeless Vietnam vet. They locate local businessman Randall Poe (Elliott Keener), for whom the vet had been working, and learn that her father has become a victim of wealthy sportsman Emil Fouchon (Lance Henriksen), who, along with his cronies, hunts homeless men as a form of recreation. After Fouchon finds out that the girl is investigating the murder of her father, he arranges for she and Chance to be ambushed, but they manage to escape into the backwoods of Louisiana -- his stomping grounds. Realizing he needs to regroup, Fouchon assembles a private army to invade the bayous. They track the pair to the rustic cabin of Chance's Uncle Douvee (Wilford Brimley), and the real fireworks begin. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide

Director-producer Peter Maris directed this suspense drama based on a script by Frank Kerr. James Macalla (Chris Robinson) is a prominent university researcher whose mysterious death is not investigated to the satisfaction of his distraught wife, Laura (Linda Purl). Laura sets off to find the real killers and discovers that they are linked to a shadowy band of government operators. The group, Viper, is backed by the CIA in its mission of combatting terrorists. But the group has become a rogue operation whose goal involves the killing of university staffers in order to enrich themselves. Laura risks her own life to expose what is happening. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide