Gene Rosow Movies
- 2009
The expression "common as dirt" wouldn't exist if there weren't an awful lot of dirt in this world. But is there as much as we think -- or even as much as we need? And what's been happening to it? Dirt is the outer layer of the Earth and the place where nearly all the world's vegetation comes to life, but the 20th Century was a bad time for dirt -- the rise of corporate farming practices have led to reliance of fertilizers with negative long-term effects on the soil, while clear-cutting of rainforests and global warming are making it harder to grow the food the world needs, making workable soil an increasingly scarce commodity. Filmmakers Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow offer a witty but incisive look at dirt, what's in it, how it's used and how we must protect it in the documentary Dirt! The Movie. Adapted in part from the book Dirt! The Ecstatic Skin of Earth by William Bryant Logan, Dirt! The Movie received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
This children's story of a dog and a dolphin borrows heavily from family movies of the past. Zeus is a dog who follows a neighbor, a marine biologist named Mary Beth (Kathleen Quinlan), to work one day. Aboard a ship, the dog meets Roxanne, a dolphin that Mary Beth is studying. When she sees the dog riding on the dolphin's back, she decides to study their friendship. A villainous fellow researcher, Claude (Arnold Vosloo), tries to steal her research, but he is thwarted by the dolphin, the dog, and the dog's young owner, Jordan (Miko Hughes). Terry (Steve Guttenberg), Jordan's father, is a songwriter who still pines for his dead wife. Jordan, together with Mary Beth's daughters, try to ignite a romance between their parents, who are both unattached. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Guttenberg, Kathleen Quinlan, (more)
- 1997
In this first tape of the three-tape documentary Roots of Rhythm, host Harry Belafonte traces the roots of the musical form that has come to be called Latin music. From its origins in Africa and Spain, Belafonte details the evolution of the rhythms that would eventually be carried across the sea on slave ships. Featuring archival clips of early Latin superstars, the video sets the historical stage for a thorough exploration of this passion-filled musical form. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Belafonte, Gloria Estefan, (more)
- 1997
In the second tape of the three-tape documentary Roots of Rhythm, host Harry Belafonte leads the viewer on a tour of the blossoming of Latin music in the Cuban and Caribbean cultures. Featuring performances by some of the best known Latin performers including Tito Puente, Desi Arnaz, and Ruben Blades, this volume sets the stage for the explosion of Latin flavored music into the world of popular culture. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gloria Estefan, Dizzy Gillespie, (more)
- 1997
In this final volume of the three-tape documentary Roots of Rhythm, host Harry Belafonte chronicles the rise to fame and fortune of Latin-influenced performers. As in the first two volumes, Roots of Rhythm, Vol. 3: To the Top of the Charts features the performances of some of the leading lights in the field of Latin music including Dizzy Gillespie, King Sunny Ade, the Miami Sound Machine, and many more. ~ Sean Hurley, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harry Belafonte, Gloria Estefan, (more)
Espionage, personal integrity, and political commitment are the main themes running through this French thriller that chronicles a young man's journey from idealism to disillusionment and maturity. The story is set in the 1980's in Tel Aviv and follows the exploits and moral conflicts of Attal, a Jew who left his family in France on his eighteenth birthday to pursue a career as an agent in Israels' Institute for Intelligence, the Mossad. At first, his missions do not bother his conscience; he performs them for the good of Israel. But, as time passes, Attal must face more moral dilemmas as the work becomes more subversive and dishonest. He must ultimately decide whether to follow the his personal ideals, or be part of a system which promote immoral acts in the name of idealism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yvan Attal, Dan Toren, (more)
- 1994
- PG13
Playwright Sam Shepard wrote and directed this bizarre combination of western film revisionism and Greek tragedy. Silent Tongue (Tantoo Cardinal) is a mute Kiowa who is raped by Eamon McCree (Alan Bates), the owner of the Kickapoo Traveling Medicine Show. Eamon attempts to make up for his crime by marrying her, hoping for forgiveness. Instead, Silent Tongue enacts a bitter retribution through her two daughters, Awbonnie (Sheila Tousey) and Velada (Jeri Arredondo). Awbonnie, as the film begins, has already died, but her grieving husband Talbot (River Phoenix) refuses to let her go, dragging around her corpse. To assuage Talbot, his father Prescott (Richard Harris) sets out to purchase Velada from Eamon, thinking that only Awbonnie's sister can replace her in Talbot's eyes. But Velada's half-brother Reeves (Dermot Mulroney) protests the attempted transaction. As a result, Prescott kidnaps Velada and flees, with not only Reeves and Eamon chasing him, but also Awbonnie's ghost. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alan Bates, Richard Harris, (more)
- 1992
Dom DeLuise hosts this star-studded homage to the comedy genius of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
