Philippe Martinez Movies

Ridiculed and dismissed by his contemporaries due to his outrageous warnings about the dangers of Global Warming, a once-respected professor and academic hatches a deadly experiment designed to prove his theories in this thriller starring Val Kilmer and Armand Assante. James Pettis is a man on the brink. After publishing a pair of alarmist books claiming that Global Warming would hasten the collapse of humanity and bring about the end of the world as we know it, Pettis the laughing stock of the academic community. But even after losing everything, Pettis remained convinced that his theories were sound. Then, one day, Pettis bursts into the Tampa Tribune claiming that he can prove his hypothesis in no uncertain terms. In a bit to regain his status in the Global Warming community, Pettis has set up an experiment: six unsuspecting people have been lured into a "Steam Room" where the temperature will gradually rise, providing undeniable proof of Pettis' theory that rising temperatures on the planet's surface would send humanity spiraling into chaos. Should the Tampa Tribune fail to print his theories on the front page of their next edition, Pettis' unwitting lab rats will die a slow and excruciating death. Now it's up to Detective Jack Mancini to figure out whether Pettis is bluffing, or if he actually put the lives of innocent civilians in danger in a mad bid to prove his point about the dangers of Global Warming. But Detective Mancini has only two hours to discern whether the "Steam Room" is indeed real, or the manipulative creation of a delusional psychopath: does his risk his life and the lives of others to rescue people who may only exist in Pettis' mind, or does he take the madman at his word and do everything in his power to appease him? The clock is ticking, and the only way out of this deadly maze is for Detective Mancini to engage in an intellectual game of cat-and-mouse against an opponent who truly has nothing left to lose. Eric Roberts and Patrick Muldoon co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Screenwriter turned filmmaker Jonathan Hensleigh (The Punisher) delivers a tale inspired by true events that follows two couple's trek through the cannibal-infested jungles of New Guinea in search for Michael Rockefeller, the lost beneficiary of the Rockefeller estate whose fabled to still be living in the wild after his disappearance during a 1961 expedition. Reportedly holding more than a few ties to Ruggero Deodato's cult jungle gross-out Cannibal Holocaust, Hensleigh's film stalled in distribution limbo after making its rounds on the festival circuit. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Van Wilder 2: The Rise of Taj collaborators Mort Nathan and Kal Penn team up once again for this comedic tale of two office workers who transform their once-stuffy workplace into the most happening hot-spot in town after sending their uptight boss on a sordid sex cruise. When business takes a turn for the better and unprecedented profits begin to roll in, the raucous duo quickly learns that you don't necessarily need to kiss up to the boss to get ahead in corporate America. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Five longtime friends enjoy a few days of celebratory carousing as they try to forget their adult responsibilities in this slice-of-life comedy drama from director/writer/actor Edward Burns. Paulie (Burns) is a working-class guy from Long Island who has learned that his longtime girlfriend (Brittany Murphy) is pregnant, and he decides he should do the right thing and marry her. Paulie has asked several of his best friends to stand with him at the wedding, and shortly before the big day, they get together at a local watering hole to give Paulie a proper send-off. Over the course of a weekend, the guys knock back a lot of beer, play a little softball, swat some golf balls, head out fishing and share their thoughts, with each man having some unresolved baggage to deal with. While Paulie is excited about his upcoming marriage, he's scared of how parenthood will change his life. His older brother, Jimbo (Donal Logue), has been arguing with his wife and spending his time in topless bars, but inside he's worried about the fact his wife hasn't been able to get pregnant, and he's convinced it's his fault. Des (Matthew Lillard) is a seemingly happy husband and father, but he seems to be more interested in getting his old rock band back together than spending time with his family. Mike (Jay Mohr) wants to settle down and have kids, but he can't imagine doing so with any woman other than the girl who dumped him some time ago. And while T.C. (John Leguizamo) goes out of his way to like one of the guys, he doesn't have the nerve to tell his best friends that he's gay. The Groomsmen received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The protégé of the most skilled mischief maker in college history sets his sights on England's prestigious Camden University to offer an informative course in advanced-level shenanigans in this sequel to the 2002 Ryan Reynolds hit that finds that film's co-star Kal Penn crossing the pond to realize his true party potential. Van Wilder's former assistant has learned the ways of the master, and now he's prepared to share his newfound knowledge with the stuffy students of the school known more for academia than rowdy mischief. Of course, by now Taj (Penn) knows that where there's a will there's a way, and there are plenty of fun-loving misfits at this esteemed institute of higher learning who are just looking for an excuse to ditch their studies and blow off a little steam by embracing their inner Van Wilder. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A vicious serial killer is broadcasting his brutal slayings live on the Internet for all to see, and the only hope to put an end to his voyeuristic killing spree is a morphine-addicted detective in this thriller from Ghost Story director John Irvin. The technologically savvy madman has struck once again, and with each killing, drug-addicted detective Charlie Daines (Armand Assante) is coming one step closer to discovering the killer's true identity. As the clock on the next murder counts down, Detective Daines realizes that the killer has begun to take his investigation personally. Upon realizing that the hunter has become the hunted, Detective Daines sets out on a desperate mission to find the killer before he himself is slaughtered live on camera for all the world to see. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Action star and goofball extraordinaire Jean-Claude Van Damme returns in this gritty tale of revenge between the Los Angeles mob and an invading Chinese Triad. The "Muscles From Brussels" stars as Ben Archer, an ex-mob tough guy whose wife is savagely murdered after she brings home an orphaned child who happens to be a Chinese kingpin's daughter. Racked with grief, Archer is forced back into the mob life as Van Damme stacks up the dead bodies until he finally comes face to face with his wife's killer in an explosive match to the death. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

When a drifter named Simeon arrives in a small seaside town, it takes the locals some time to warm up to him. Eventually they do, but he carries a secret that could threaten everyone who comes into his path-including his new companions. Out of Season features Dennis Hopper and Gina Gershon. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

As a notorious crime lord, Christo (Simon Majiba), is about to be released from a South African prison and Alex Laney (Christopher Lambert) is hired to protect corrupt accountant Robert Nile (Dennis Hopper), who has a history with Christo. With Nile's adult daughter (Diane Kruger) in tow, they go to a small village in the remote outback to await a showdown with the mystically-gifted killer. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide

A woman blowing off steam after a bad day inadvertently signs out a death warrant on a number of people close to her in this suspense drama. Anna (Camilla Overbye Roos) has not been having a good time of it lately: she's been chewed out by her boss, she's had an argument with her best friend, her husband keeps making eyes at a waitress, she's been having trouble with her babysitter, and even the checker at the supermarket is giving her static. Decidedly unhappy, Anna stops by a neighborhood bar and has a few cocktails; after the alcohol has gone to her head, she starts discussing her problems with a mysterious stranger who tells her he can do something about all the people who are bothering her if she'll simply sign her name on a cocktail napkin. Anna does so, and promptly forgets about it, waking up the next morning with an industrial-strength hangover. However, a few days later Anna's boss is killed, and over the next few days several other people with whom Anna was cross start dropping like flies. Anna realizes that the mysterious stranger had her sign out a contract on everyone who wronged her, and now she must find him before anyone else dies -- or he comes back to murder her and close the circle. The Contract also features Jeff Fahey, Louise Fletcher, Andrew Keegan, and Amy Weber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

An attempted black comedy, Getting In endeavors to satirize the cut-throat competition surrounding the medical school admissions process -- a struggle that in this case literally turns deadly. Gabriel Higgs is an aspiring medical student, not out of a great dedication to his craft but due to pressure by his parents, who expect him to follow the long-standing family tradition of attending Johns Hopkins and embarking upon a prominent medical career. However, a poor showing in the admissions test and several other mishaps conspire to place Gabriel on the school's waiting list. Desperate to gain entrance to the school before being disinherited, Gabriel takes to bribing his fellow waiting-list candidates to ensure his admission. But when the students at the top of the waiting list start turning up dead in rather nasty ways, Gabriel finds himself in real trouble. He must discover who is committing these crimes before he is blamed -- or becomes the next victim himself. Easily forgettable, the film is mainly notable for featuring early performances by future television stars Matthew Perry and Calista Flockhart, and for being the directorial debut of Doug Liman, who would receive critical acclaim for his second film, Swingers. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide