Steve Pearl Movies

Originally slated to make its Fox network bow on September 25, 2007, but held up due to production problems, New Amsterdam was rushed onto the network's schedule during the 2008 Hollywood writers' strike, with only eight of the propose thirteen episodes in the manifest. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau starred as John Amsterdam, an NYPD homicide detective who somehow always found himself assigned to cases involving supernatural or paranormal activity. Though most of his colleagues didn't know it, John came by his sensitivity for other-worldly manifestations honestly: He himself was an "immortal", and had been since 1642. At that time, John was a Dutch soldier serving in the colony of New Amsterdam; in the line of duty, he sacrificed his life to save a Native American girl whose tribe was being massacred. The grateful girl cast an ancient spell on John, allowing him to live forever; the spell could only be broken if John, in true "Flying Dutchman" fashion, were to find his One True Love. While this backstory explained the tinge of sadness in the modern-day John Amsterdam's eyes--after all, over the past 367 years he had outlived everyone whom he ever cared about--it did not quite explain how he'd been able to keep his immortality a secret for so long. At any rate, at the time of the series' premiere John had just experienced an epiphany, indicating that the end of his life was near and that he would soon find both closure and that elusive True Love--but not before a lot of traditional cop-show violence and Highlander-style special effects. Others in the cast included Stephen McKinley Henderson as all-wise jazz club owner Omar, the only person who knew the truth about John; Zuleikha Robinson as John's feisty NYPD partner Eva Marquez; and Alexie Gilmore as Dr. Sara Dillane, who spent much of her time trying to figure out why John had recovered so miraculously after she'd declared him dead of heart failure. Swedish film director Lasse Hallstrom, whose previous credits included What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules and Chocolat, served as New Amsterdam's co-executive producer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

When two school-aged best friends (Daniella Monet and Alona Tal) botch their high school's chance of winning a free concert from wildly successful boy band 5 Leo Rise (real-life boy band the Click Five), they hatch a brilliant plan to make up for their embarrassing mistake in this carefree teen comedy from director Andrew Waller. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Writer/director Russell DeGrazier makes his feature debut with this dark tale of four twentysomethings and the destructive relationships between them. Originally titled Stalk, the film concerns the decidedly ungentlemanly behavior of Matthew (The In Crowd's Matthew Settle), part-time alternative-newsweekly columnist, part-time rude-boy radio talk-show host, and full-time torch-carrier for ex-girlfriend Liz (Gretchen Mol). In keeping with her "been there, done that" stance on their relationship, Liz objects to Matthew's obsessive displays of affection (parking his car outside her apartment for hours on end, attempting to break down her door). Luckily, two forces intervene: her friend Corey (Samantha Mathis) and her current boyfriend, Matthew's editor Garrett (Tom Everett Scott). In a chance meeting at a local watering hole, Corey befriends the tortured Matthew, and the two begin an intensely carnal relationship that not only distracts him from stalking Liz but also -- as an added bonus -- makes Liz jealous. Unfortunately, Garrett is still worried that Liz's loose-cannon ex might still be hung up on her, so he begins his own cat-and-mouse game with Matthew. Attraction premiered at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide

The title adequately sums up the plot of this bittersweet drama. The guys are Lenny and Joey. Lenny is going out with Rhonda whom he met in a planetarium; they believe the stars govern their destiny together. Meanwhile Joey is busy sleeping with a series of women named Cindy. He is unconscious of the fact that he does this to ease the hurt of his failed relationship with a girl named Cindy. The two buddies spend most of the film talking about their lives in a variety of urban settings. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen presents snippets of the x-rated acts of a dozen stand-up comedians, filmed live on an evening in 1988 at New York's Minetta Lane Theater. Tim Allen and Chris Rock have since gone on to fame and fortune in TV and movies, and Jackie the Jokeman Martling is a member of radio star Howard Stern's troupe. The other performers, including Ben Creed, Thea Vidale, and John Fox, are likely to be unfamiliar to all but a handful of viewers. The film's producers maintain that these performers are legends on the regional comedy club circuit, but that the "adult" content of their material keeps them off cable comedy and talk shows. Based on what we see of their routines, it's obvious why. Not only is the humor almost entirely about sex, much of it seems intentionally calculated to offend. It should be reported that the audience eats it up. The film only has an 88 minute running time, so the comics rotate on and off stage at a rapid clip. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide