Maurizio Tedesco Movies

This warm, earthy and witty comedy from Italian director Massimo Venier observes the events that befall Matteo (Alessandro Tiberi), a 30-year-old college graduate with a mathematics degree. Equipped with a position in the marketing department of a telecommunications firm, he suddenly learns that the outfit is getting ready to cut back on personnel. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Italian director Marco Risi directs this ensemble farce about a series of separate mishaps around a luxurious apartment complex. On New Year's Eve, at the edge of Rome, there is a traffic accident, followed by a soccer team crashing a high-brow ball. Three Mafioso rob a trussed up masochist, and a pair of druggies whacked out on low-grade paint throw dynamite in the heating system. All of these events culminate in one gigantic finale. Kaputt Mundi was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Tired of his troubled marriage and his profession, an overly tense Italian businessman's life changes dramatically after he learns that an aunt has left him property in Istanbul. Francesco Alessandro Gassman(the son of internationally renowned actor Vittorio Gassman) arrives to the Turkish city hoping that he can take care of the matter swiftly and return to Italy. He is surprised to discover that the property is actually one of the last traditional hamams (old-fashioned bath houses) in Turkey. The lawyer in charge of the inheritance seems to dawdle and this frustrates Francesco who is not used to the slow pace of the neighborhood where the bath is located. But then the family that has been running the Turkish bath for his aunt, takes him in and Francesco gradually rediscovers a long-missing sense of family as he accustoms himself to Turkish culture. Matters become complicated though when the couple's daughter Fusun falls for Francesco, who discovers himself increasingly and disconcertingly interested in her darkly handsome brother Mehmet. The Italian decides to remain in Istanbul for a while to help restore the baths. The situation comes to a head when Francesco's wife arrives to make an announcement. The ensuing conflicts cause Francesco great upheaval, but they also lead him to grow in unexpected ways. Having spent two decades in Italy, Turkish-born filmmaker Ferzan Ozpetek brings a sense of realism in observing the cultural differences between Francesco and his adopted family. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Four hard-working, under-appreciated waiters must deal with the rude, demanding middle-class at a wedding anniversary in this Italian comedy. The story is set at Eden, a run-down restaurant that has just been bought by Azzaro. The restaurant staff do not know whether or not they will still have jobs. The new owner brings his family, friends, and some cheesy musicians to celebrate his parent's 50th wedding anniversary. These nouveau riche, who outwardly seem so refined, quickly reveal their true nature once the party gets started. The new boss is a boor, and his father an adulterer, whose wife is severely depressed and becomes increasingly morose. The four waiters have their own problems. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

While it might be said that every bad man has some good in him, the reverse would also seem to be true. In this drama, drawn from several real-life events and based the novel by Andrea Carraro about them, a group of aimless boys take advantage of an unusual situation and wind up committing a heinous crime. While lounging with his new friend Pallesecche (Ricky Memphis), Raniero (Giampiero Lisarelli) and his friends hear that some of the guys are holding two female German tourists captive in the woods. They are invited to "join the fun," and in this movie, the boys do just that - arriving on the scene in plenty of time to participate in the rape of the two girls. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

This bloody, slow-moving occult horror film was directed by Marcello Avallone (Maya). The plot concerns an archaeological dig outside of Rome, where Donald Pleasence unearths a monstrous demon (created by effects-guru Sergio Stivaletti). Murder scenes are swiped from A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Night Has 1000 Eyes and the gore is well-handled, but the demon is rarely shown, and the first hour leading up to all the mayhem is a talky bore. Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti has written over 150 films, including most of the best Italian horror movies of the last quarter-century, but he fumbled the ball with this one. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide