Damir Andrei Movies

A handful of oddballs and misfits cross paths at a motel overlooking one of Canada's more recognizable landmarks in this independent comedy. Phillie (Craig Ferguson) is the alcoholic and deeply depressed manager of the Niagara Motel, a shabby inn a stone's throw from the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls. Phillie's guests at the moment include Michael (Kevin Pollak), a sleazy director and producer of porn videos who is attempting to persuade Loretta (Caroline Dhavernas), a pretty young waitress at a nearby diner, to star in his latest series of adult movies; Denise (Anna Friel) and R.J. (Kristen Holden- Reid), a drug-addled couple struggling to regain custody of their child; Henry (Peter Keleghan) and Lily (Wendy Crewson), whose marriage is already starting to crumble before temptation presents itself to Lily; and Boris (Damir Andrei), the Niagara's short-tempered owner. Over the course of their stays, the folks staying at the Niagara will witness an unplanned kidnapping, meet the motel's in-house prostitute, encounter a down-on-his-luck staple salesman, and get uncalled-for advice from a born-again social worker. Niagara Motel received its world premiere at the 2005 New Montreal Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A minor Bay Area earthquake yields only one fatality: San Francisco philanthropist Henry Rutherford (Ross Petty), who was apparently killed by a falling object. A longtime friend of the Rutherford family, Sharona (Bitty Schram) brings Monk (Tony Shalhoub) along to pay a condolence call to Henry's young widow Christina (Janine Theriault). But as a result of this "friendly" drop-in, Monk begins obsessively dogging Christina's trail, certain that she has committed murder. Amy Sedaris of Strangers with Candy fame makes her first series appearance as Sharona's sister Gail. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Hosted by Lois Larimore, this edition to the popular Age of E series offers an introduction to methods often adopted by those seeking increased knowledge and awareness of themselves. The techniques featured hail from several different philosophies and include meditation, the Ashtanga method of Yoga, numerology, art therapy, hypnosis, the "rebirth" process, and holotropic breathing. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

This video is part of the Inventors' Specials, an award-winning series of programs for children, introducing them to some of the world's leading scientists and inventors. This episode features the great astronomer, Galileo. The account is presented in fictionalized fashion, and focuses on the relationship between Galileo and his apprentice, Cosimo de Medici II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. Many of Galileo's discoveries are illustrated, such as his revolutionary gravitational idea that all objects, regardless of their weight, fall at the same rate of speed. The incredible story is told of Galileo's trial and imprisonment for maintaining that the sun was the center of the universe. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide

Middle-class mom Rose Earl (Kate Jackson) has always had an excellent relationship with her son Bobby (Drew Ebersole), but ever since he entered college (the first in his family to do so) they have been drifting apart. Blame for this rift could very likely be levied upon the "bad crowd" with whom Bobby is travelling. Rose's premonition that her son's new friends aren't the right kind of kids is aroused by several pungent clues, notably her son's sudden academic slump in his sophomore year, and his ever-growing fascination with firearms. Then one morning, the boy completely disappears--whereupon one of his "buddies" surfaces with the claim that Bobby is on the lam from the law. Rose doesn't buy this, and she intends to uncover the truth as to what happened to her son. Originally telecast January 28, 1997 on CBS, the made-for-TV What Happened to Bobby Earl? is based on a true story, the outcome of which is rather bluntly given away by the film's cable-TV rerun title Murder in a College Town. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this Canadian police drama, a lady detective goes undercover to try and trace a huge fortune in stolen church money back by breaking the thief responsible for the heist out of prison and then following him to his stash. Things don't go as planned when the gumshoe realizes that she has fallen in love with the crook. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A plucky seventeen-year old hockey player proves that he is good enough to play on the Canadian national team in this drama. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Two twin brothers, both renowned gynecologists, descend into madness after becoming romantically involved with the same woman in this disturbing, horrific drama. Jeremy Irons delivers a bravura performance as both Beverly and Elliot Mantle, Toronto-based surgeons who operate an exclusive gynecological clinic and share a reputation as brilliant innovators. They also share lovers, as the more aggressive, confident Elliott seduces women and later secretly allows the shier, more intellectual Beverly to reap the benefits. This arrangement is disturbed when Beverly falls in love with their newest conquest, Claire Niveau (Genevieve Bujold), a famous actress with an unusual gynecological deformity. Beverly's relationship with the hard-living Claire leads to him to turn away from Elliot and begin a dangerous involvement with drugs and alcohol. Elliot senses his brother's rapid decline into addiction and paranoia and attempts to save him, only to start falling victim to the same urges. Director David Cronenberg adapted the loosely fact-based tale to his own creepy purposes, tapping into primal fears regarding the uncanniness of twins and male sexual panic. His notorious gore was used sparingly here, however, with the film's most disturbing moments coming through suggestion, as in the display of a group of terrifying surgical instruments created by Beverly in his madness. Cronenberg's expertise with special effects proves crucial, however, as he and his regular cinematographer Peter Suschitzsky seamlessly combine Irons' two performances in a manner unrivalled by any previous depiction of twins. This visual achievement is more than matched by Irons, who delivers what may be his career performance, delineating the twins' differences and similarities and embodying their collapse in frighteningly believable fashion. The subject matter and chilly tone may be too intense for some viewers, but the brilliant central performance and intellectually provocative approach will prove thoroughly absorbing for others. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

The Morning Man is young Bruno Doyon, who despite his youth has been convicted of 22 separate robbery charges. After escaping from jail, the wounded Doyon is aided by a beautiful lady doctor (Kerrie Keane). Promising to reform, Doyon prevents his old cronies from committing a robbery. He then charms his way into a job as a "morning man" (hence the title) on a Quebec radio station, turning himself in to the authorities exactly one year after his escape. This CBC TV movie is based on a true story; who knows how many other deejays out there are convicted felons? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Made for Canadian television, Shell Game stars Brenda Robins as a high-profile defense attorney. Right now, Brenda is defending client Germain Houde, who's been charged with murder. Vital evidence is twisted and tainted by certain interested parties. It is soon obvious that at least one of our protagonists has been set up for a precipitous fall. This Shell Game should not be confused with the 1975 American TV movie of the same name, nor the 1987 weekly series Shell Game ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The "magic" in One Magic Christmas is often (and surprisingly) of the "black" variety. Like Jimmy Stewart before her, worn-out wife and mother Mary Steenburgen wishes that she'd never been born. And like Stewart, Steenburgen is visited by a guardian angel, in this case the western-garbed Harry Dean Stanton. Instead of granting Steenburgen's wish, Stanton shows her what life would be like without Christmas--and that vision is as grim as anything you're ever likely to see in any Holiday film. Throughout the horrendous tragedies heaped upon Steenburgen, we are comforted in the knowledge that Stanton is working in concert with Steenburgen's young daughter. Steenburgen learns her lesson of course, but what a ride! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Certainly the low point in Glenn Ford's acting career, this Canadian production is, nevertheless, one of the slickest-looking slasher films from that subgenre's early-'80s heyday. The plot (what one can make of it) involves an unseen killer stalking a group of college students at the prestigious Crawford Academy. The well-staged murders are mysteriously linked to the slightly off-kilter Virginia (Melissa Sue Anderson, formerly of Little House on the Prairie), whose disturbing past holds the key to the killer's identity. Though this film brought nothing new to the psycho-horror field, it did feature one of the more interesting ad campaigns of the period. One-sheets loudly boasted, "Six of the most bizarre murders you've ever seen!" and barred all late-arriving patrons from entering the theater during the final ten minutes (a promotional stunt stolen from Psycho). This hype proved less than apropos since the murders in question are not particularly bizarre or original (aside from the shish-kabob impalement depicted in the ads), and the film's climax is so painfully contrived that latecomers may be more able to comprehend it than those bemused viewers who watched the film from the beginning. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide