Sharon Bialy Movies

The desperate survivors of a new ice age contend with sickness and infighting while attempting to contact the inhabitants of another outpost that's gone mysteriously silent in this claustrophobic thriller from writer/director Jeff Renfro (One Point 0, Civic Duty). Mother Nature has cast an icy spell over the earth once again, driving the few remaining pockets of humanity deep underground. Under the leadership of Briggs (Laurence Fishburne), the inhabitants of Colony 7 have managed to endure against all odds. They've been maintaining close contact with Colony 5, the only other dominion known to have weathered the chilling winds above, when their radios go mysteriously silent. Determined to find out exactly what happened in Colony 5, Briggs ignores the objections of his vocal rival Mason (Bill Paxton), assembles a team, and ventures out to investigate. By the time Briggs and his crew discover exactly what they're dealing with at Colony 5, however, their own base may have already been compromised. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

One of several fascinating original series from cable's American Movie Channel, Breaking Bad was produced by Vince Gilligan of X-Files fame. Former Malcolm in the Middle regular Bryan Cranston starred as high school chemistry teacher Walter White, who at age 49 was told that he was suffering from terminal lung cancer--even though he'd never smoked a cigarette in his life. Unable to pay for his medical treatment or provide for the future financial security of his pregnant wife Skyler (Anna Gunn) and his son Walt Jr. (RJ Mitte), the latter a victim of cerebral palsy, Walter began moonlighting at a car wash. When this proved inadequate to make ends meet, Walter entered into a slighly unholy alliance with former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). Using Walter's chemical knowhow, the two partners set up a crystal meth lab, with Walter supplying and Jesse dealing. Now the unfortunate Mr. White found himself straddling two worlds, one legitimate, one definitely not. Adding to Walter's crown of thorns was the omnipresence of his brother-in-law Hank (Dean Norris), a DEA agent who'd been trying to bust Jesse for several months--and who of course had to be kept completely in the dark as to Walter's new "sideline." Breaking Bad debuted on January 20, 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on the Oscar award winning film of the same name, Crash follows the lives of a seemingly unconnected group of people living in Los Angeles. At first, none of the very different lives led on screen seem to overlap, from hotshot record producer Ben Cendars (Dennis Hopper) to hair-trigger cop Kenny Battaglia (Ross McCall). But as the underlying tensions between class, race, gender, and politics find their way into everyday situations, it soon becomes apparent that all of these characters are inextricably linked, for better or for worse. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

A chance run-in with an old college roommate becomes the catalyst for healing in writer/director Mike Binder's tale of friendship and understanding in post-9/11 New York. When the Twin Towers went down on that fateful morning in 2001, Charlie Fineman (Adam Sandler) lost everything that he had to live for. Five years have passed since Charlie lost his family, and now the once-successful and sociable man has become a withdrawn shadow of his former self. When fate brings Charlie and his former college roommate Alan Johnson (Don Cheadle) together once again on a Manhattan street corner, Alan is shocked to see just how far his old friend has fallen. Though on the surface it would appear that Alan has it all, the pressures of his family and career have been weighing heavily on the successful dentist and loving father's shoulders as of late. At that pivotal moment when Charlie and Alan both need a trusted friend to help them work through the seemingly insurmountable challenges they face in life, the restorative power of a rekindled friendship provides just the lifeline needed to move forward into the future with hope and optimism. Jada Pinkett Smith, Liv Tyler, Saffron Burrows, and Donald Sutherland co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

One of the many 24-style series of the 2006-2007 season, wherein crucial plot points were revealed with exasperating coyness on a weekly serialized basis, and in which every single solitary character seemed to have something to hide, Jericho made its CBS debut with one of the most startling openers in TV history. As prodigal son Jake Green (Skeet Ulrich) returned to his hometown of Jericho, KS, after an unexplained five-year absence, he spotted what seemed to be a nuclear mushroom cloud blooming on the horizon, hundreds and hundreds of miles away. At first glance, it looked as though the super-powers were at war, but it would later be revealed that the attack was the work of terrorists -- though how many terrorists, no one knew. Whatever the case, Jericho was completely cut off from the rest of the world, and no one had any idea what fate held in store for them: another bomb, perhaps; or starvation; or slow death from radiation? Jake's father Johnston Green (Gerald McRaney), the mayor of Jericho, valiantly tried to keep the community together and to avert wholesale panic, endeavoring to maintain radio contact with the rest of the country and the world, and organizing searching parties to glean new information about the apparent nuclear holocaust. Meanwhile, Jake was uncomfortably reunited with two former lovers: Emily Sullivan (Ashley Scott), now engaged to another man, and local schoolteacher Heather Lisinski (Sprague Grayden). Weaving in and out of the story was a newcomer to Jericho, the enigmatic Mr. Hawkins (Lennie James), who claimed to be a cop from St. Louis, and who somewhat suspiciously was a veritable fountain of information about nuclear fallout and post-apocalyptic survival techniques. Jericho began weaving its multitude of tangled plot webs on September 20, 2006. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Directed by Stephen Herek, Man of the House follows hard-nosed Texas Ranger Lt. Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones) in an undercover job as a cheerleading coach. Though his assignment is fairly cut-and-dried -- after witnessing the murder of a federal informant, a group of cheerleaders from the University of Texas need temporary protection -- he ends up forming a variety of unexpected and decidedly less simple relationships. Aside from his immersion into the struggles and triumphs of the UT cheerleading squad (Monica Keena, Kelli Garner, Christina Milian, Paula Garces, and Vanessa Ferlito), Roland finds himself dealing with a strong attraction to college professor Molly McCarthy (Anne Archer). Formerly titled Cheer Up, Man of the House also features supporting performances from Brian Van Holt, Shea Whigham, and Paget Brewster. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

An egotistical TV reporter learns to appreciate the good things in life thanks to an eccentric, homeless clairvoyant in this old-fashioned romantic comedy from director Stephen Herek (Mr. Holland's Opus). Seattle native Lanie Kerrigan (Angelina Jolie) has spent most of her adult existence trying to live down her gawky, geeky adolescence: She toils for hours at the gym to keep cellulite at bay; she's managed to snag an engagement to a star baseball player (Christian Kane); and through her chipper puff pieces on the nightly news, she's cultivated a loyal following of couch potatoes who pester her for autographs. She's ready to take the next step to national news when her boss suggests she further hone her skills with ace cameraman Pete Scanlon (Edward Burns), who also happens to be an old flame of Lanie's. Her comfortable but shallow existence begins to change the moment she and Pete do a story on Prophet Jack (Tony Shaloub), a sage soothsayer who spouts unusually accurate predictions to passers-by in exchange for spare change. Jack offers up the theory that Lanie will not get her cushy promotion; in fact, he says she'll die within a week. When Jack's other prophecies start coming true, Lanie starts living each day as if it were her last -- much to the dismay of her co-workers and her fiancé. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

A man convinces his wife to participate in one of his sexual fantasies and lives to regret it in the farcical comedy The Sex Monster. Marty (Mike Binder) is a building contractor who is married to a beautiful woman named Laura (Mariel Hemingway). While reasonably happy in his marriage, Marty has always had a fantasy about having a menage a trois, and when he starts to feel his sex life with Laura is getting stale, he suggests they bring in another woman and give it a try. Laura is reluctant at first, but Marty refuses to drop the subject and eventually she relents, and a second woman is introduced to the bedroom. However, Marty is soon too tired to continue with the fun, and Laura and her new friend go on without him. While she's coy about it at first, it quickly becomes obvious Laura enjoys adding another woman to the mix a lot more than Marty does, and she starts aggressively pursuing new female companions. While Laura doesn't mind if Marty joins in, she and her partners seems to be enjoying themselves enough that's he feels like a fifth wheel, since Laura seems to have much clearer ideas about female eroticism than he does. Mike Binder wrote and directed The Sex Monster, as well as playing the male lead; Stephen Baldwin also appears in a supporting role. Despite its subject matter, this film features little nudity, with the sexual escapades discussed or inferred rather than shown. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Loosely based on a true account, this family drama centers on a group of aimless Hawaiian teens who with the support of two inspirational teachers turn their lives around by building a solar powered car and racing it across the Australian outback during the World Solar Challenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Writer/director Gus Van Sant's early bid for big-time commercial success -- a success he didn't manage to achieve until Good Will Hunting -- is based on Tom Robbins' 1976 feminist bestseller. Uma Thurman plays Sissy Hankshaw, a woman born with very large thumbs. After her parents (Grace Zabriskie and Ken Kesey) take her to a doctor (Buck Henry), who offers her parents no remedy for their daughter's condition, the film races ahead to the 1970s. Sissy is now a popular feminine hygiene spray model for a product called Yoni Yum, the product of a company owned by The Countess (John Hurt in drag). Sissy travels to the Rubber Rose beauty ranch, also owned by The Countess, to shoot a Yoni Yum commercial. At the ranch, she makes the acquaintance of the inscrutable Chink (Pat Morita) and Bonanza Jellybean (Rain Phoenix). But under the nose of The Countess, the cowgirls on the ranch are talking mutiny, with the women trying to liberate the Rubber Rose Ranch from the chains of patriarchal oppression. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

After several weeks filming The Scout in the late 1970s, star Peter Falk and director Howard Zieff abandoned the project. Two decades later, writer Andrew Bergman gave his original script to Albert Brooks and Monica Johnson, who polished it as a vehicle for Brooks and director Michael Ritchie. Brooks stars as Al Percolo, a talent scout for the New York Yankees whose latest recruit (Michael Rapaport) has just vomited on the field and fled. Sent to Mexico as punishment by his boss (Lane Smith), Percolo finds phenomenal young pitcher Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser). Before he can get back to the Big Apple, however, Percolo gets pink-slipped by the Yankees, so he offers Nebraska as a free agent. After a stellar tryout, Nebraska is signed for millions. Soon after, he starts to exhibit odd behaviors that may be linked to psychological problems. A psychiatrist (Dianne Wiest) hired by the ball club wants Nebraska in daily therapy, so Percolo ends up babysitting a mentally unstable pitcher. Brooks's normally winning mix of laughs with psychological insights didn't add up to box office or critical success, despite cameos from real-life sports figures such as George Steinbrenner and Steve Garvey. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

A young man learns to let nothing stop him from realizing his ambitions in this drama, based on a true story. Ever since he was a little boy, Rudy Ruettiger (Sean Astin) has dreamed of attending Notre Dame University, and playing on the Fighting Irish football team. However, Rudy's dream doesn't seem very practical; Daniel (Ned Beatty), his father, works in a steel mill and can ill afford to send his son to Notre Dame, while Rudy's grades are not especially impressive, and standing a shade over five feet tall and weighing a little over 100 pounds, Rudy is hardly built for the gridiron. However, with the help of Father Cavanaugh (Robert Prosky), a sympathetic priest, Rudy is admitted to nearby Holy Cross, and in his junior year manages to squeak into Notre Dame as a transfer student. Rudy works as an assistant to the football stadium's groundskeeper, Fortune (Charles S. Dutton), to pay his tuition (often sleeping in Fortune's office since he can't afford a room), studies diligently, and appears at tryouts for the football team. Rudy is made a member of the practice team, which means he's little more than a human tackling dummy, but Coach Ara Parseghian (Jason Miller) is impressed with Rudy's devotion and determination, and pledges that he'll allow him to dress for one game before he graduates, so his name can be recorded as an official member of the team. However, the arrival of a new coach and a tough season that allows for few unnecessary players may put a stop to Rudy's dreams within sight of the finish line. Rudy also stars Jon Favreau, Lili Taylor, and Scott Benjaminson. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this comedy, police detectives on the trail of a dangerous criminal are confronted with a new and unexpected danger: a typical suburban family. Osborn (Robert Davi) is a underworld figure with plenty of blood on his hands who, in hopes of keeping his dealings quiet, is operating out of an unassuming home in the suburbs. The police are determined to put Osborn behind bars, so rough-hewn veteran cop Jake Stone (Jack Palance) and his young partner Tony Moore (David Barry Gray) are assigned to stake out Osborn's home, and they get permission to keep watch from the house next door, which belongs to the Robberson family. However, Jake and Tony soon discover that this prime location may be more trouble than it's worth; Norman Robberson (Chevy Chase) is a dunderhead addicted to TV police shows who insists on helping whether it's a good idea or not, mother Helen (Dianne Wiest) keeps pestering Jake about why he shouldn't smoke, teenage daughter Cindy (Fay Masterson) develops a furious crush on Tony, and five-year-old son Billy (Miko Hughes) wants the cops to play vampire with him. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi