Sharif Rashed Movies
- 2004
Matthew (Joel Rosenthal) sets fire to the Mackeys' kitchen, forcing the family to move in with Vic (Michael Chiklis), and making Corrine (Cathy Cahlin Ryan) consider the possibility of putting her son in some type of home. Danny (Catherine Dent) and Julien (Michael Jace) turn again to Taylor (RonReaco Lee) for help in tracking down some stolen booze. Tavon (Brian J. White) regains consciousness, and remembers getting into a fight with Shane (Walton Goggins). O'Brien (Jim Budig) disappears after being targeted by the Armenians, as a few more footless bodies turn up. Aceveda (Benito Martinez) learns that a mole within the treasury department has been feeding information to the Armenians, as they next target the Byz Latz, getting that much closer to Vic and his crew. Vic's slip of the tongue arouses Dutch's (Jay Karnes) suspicion that the Strike Team has some nefarious connection to the missing Armenian loot. The AGC surveillance uncovers a connection between a local gang, the Spook Street Souljahs, and the notorious Horde. Claudette (CCH Pounder) joins the Decoy Squad in an undercover operation to bust a kiddie porn purveyor and learn more about the gangs' planned collaboration. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- 2003
The domestic problems between Andy (Dennis Franz) and Connie (Charlotte Ross), exacerbated by the resentful Theo (Austin Majors) and the colicky baby Michelle, spill over into their work at the 15th. Cases on this week's docket include the beating death of a woman in her own kitchen, and the discovery of a body in an SVU well stocked with picnic supplies. All of this pales into insignificance when Andy's partner, Detective John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), is arrested on a drug charge by the relentless Internal Affairs Bureau. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
Director Wayne Wang and screenwriter Paul Auster had enough storylines and characters left over from their charming comedy Smoke to make another film, so they shot Blue In The Face immediately after Smoke was completed. The film once again centers on the Brooklyn Cigar Store and manager Auggie (Harvey Keitel), although most of the other characters are different. The store owner's frustrated wife Dot (Roseanne) is one of them, and one of the plotlines follows her attempts to seduce Auggie. Madonna, Michael J. Fox, Lily Tomlin, and Lou Reed (as himself) also put in appearances. Blue In The Face was shot without a complete script and presents a unique combination of distinctive performances, oddball characters, improvisations, and raffish scenes. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harvey Keitel, Lou Reed, (more)
The Beatles' early days as a struggling bar band are depicted in this fact-based drama, which tells the little-known story of original member Stuart Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff). A close friend of John Lennon, Sutcliffe acts as the band's original bassist, accompanying them on their early gigs in Liverpool and Hamburg, Germany. The friendship becomes strained, however, when Sutcliffe falls in love with a German art student and starts to question his commitment to the band. With Sutcliffe's story taking center stage, the stories of the more famous Beatles largely fade into the background. The exception is John Lennon, thanks to a fierce performance by Ian Hart, who had previously portrayed the musician in the more intimate and provocative The Hours and the Times. While Backbeat does provide a new perspective on the band's beginning, and numerous opportunities for a group of modern rock musicians to recreate the band's energetic early performances, it never makes Sutcliffe's story seem more than a footnote to musical history. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sheryl Lee, Stephen Dorff, (more)
- 1994
The focus in this episode is on Lt. Anita Van Buren (S. Epatha Merkerson), the boss of detectives Briscoe (Jerry Orbach) and Logan (Chris Noth). During an attempted holdup, Van Buren shoots and kills one of her teenaged assailants. Already racked with guilt, Van Buren must also endure the ordeal of an investigation from the D.A.'s office when evidence indicates that she might have shot an unarmed youth in the back. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Spike Lee and his siblings Cinque Lee and Joie Lee co-wrote this nostalgic but unglamorized look at a family growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s, inspired by their own childhood. Woody Carmichael (Delroy Lindo) is a jazz musician whose career is in a slump; he once made a good living as a session musician, but he has moved away from it to devote himself to more serious music, a choice that has not worked out well from a financial standpoint. His wife Carolyn (Alfre Woodard) works as a school teacher to keep food on the table. The Carmichaels have five children, a bright and introspective daughter named Troy (Zelda Harris) and four sons with a habit of causing trouble, and they all share an apartment in a brownstone in Brooklyn. Crooklyn follows the Carmichaels as the kids learn the funny and painful lessons of growing up, Mom and Dad balance their love for each other against the financial and personal difficulties of the creative life, and they all try to get along with the often eccentric neighbors on their block. Crooklyn's soundtrack is enlivened by classic 70s R&B hits, including selections by Sly and the Family Stone, The Jackson Five, Curtis Mayfield, The Staple Singers, and The Chambers Brothers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alfre Woodard, Delroy Lindo, (more)
