Eric Schwab Movies

Director Brian De Palma turns his lens on the Iraq War with this "fictional documentary" about the experience of U.S. soldiers involved in the conflict. Based on a news item about the rape of an Iraqi schoolgirl by wayward grunts assigned to patrol a checkpoint, the film depicts a scenario not unlike the one De Palma covered in Casualties of War. Shot on high-definition video, Redacted also addresses the ever-evolving manner in which war is covered by the media by focusing on such journalistic innovations as blog coverage and web reporting. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A couple drifts into crime for a few laughs and some fast money, but before long they discover they've gotten in too deep. Georgia (Money Mazur) is a beautiful but unstable woman who claims to be under eighteen and still living at home, though it's hard to say if she's telling the truth. One night, while drinking with friends, she meets Paul (Carmine Giovinazzo), a janitor who intervenes when a drunk propositioning Georgia doesn't seem willing to take no for an answer. Paul and Georgia are both looking for kicks, but not in the usual manner; for fun and profit, Georgia teases men until they make their move, then turns her emotions 180 degrees and screams for help. Paul then comes into the picture, pretending to be the Knight In Shining Armor, and roughs the men up; he takes their wallets in the process, and Paul and Georgia split the money. This small-time con works well enough but gets old before long, and the pair plans a more elaborate scam involving an auto accident. Their target turns out to be a music business executive, Marshal (Vincent Ventresca), who sees through them almost immediately. He can tell, however, that they have a way with a con, and he hires them to work for his record label. Before long, drugs and booze are taking their toll on Paul, while Georgia balks at a blackmail scheme involving city officials who have blocked a building project Marshal is backing. The Learning Curve was the first feature from Eric Schwab, who worked as a second unit director on several films for Brian DePalma. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Brian DePalma directed this taut thriller, set in Atlantic City, where a corrupt cop investigates a political assassination. Outside an Atlantic City arena-hotel-casino, a TV news reporter stands in a pre-hurricane storm to report on the heavyweight boxing match about to begin inside. A transition to the stadium interior focuses on Atlantic City homicide Detective Rick Santoro (Nicolas Cage), a father with a wife and son, yet also a dishonest cop who maintains a mistress and cheerfully accepts bribes. DePalma's Steadicam follows Santoro on a fast-paced tour of the stadium as the laughing, yelling detective travels stairs and hallways, talks to a gal with a between-rounds placard, visits the dressing room of champ Lincoln Tyler (Stan Shaw), rides down an escalator to squeeze money from a small-time hood, enters the arena of 14,000 fight fans, talks on his phone with his girlfriend and wife, and sits ringside next to his lifelong buddy, Navy Cmdr. Kevin Dunne (Gary Sinise). Behind Dunne, the U.S. Secretary of Defense Charles Kirkland (Joel Fabiani) is seated alongside billionaire casino owner Gilbert Powell (John Heard). As the fight gets underway, Dunne abandons his position protecting the defense chief to pursue a suspicious redhead. From his ringside vantage point, Santoro has a close view of the champ, curiously conscious despite taking a kayo punch. At that moment, an assassin fires at Kirkland. Santoro immediately concocts a good cover story for his pal (to explain why Dunne left his post protecting Kirkland). Just after the shooting, Dunne kills a Palestinian extremist, the apparent killer, and Santoro orders the stadium doors locked, hoping he can locate other suspects among the fleeing crowd. One such is Julia Costello (Carla Gugino), an injured woman in a blond wig who spoke with Kirkland seconds before the gunfire. After a video replay reveals the champ took a fall, going down to the floor from a punch that never touched him, Santoro becomes more curious and suspicious, comparing witness accounts, and he attempts to locate Julia, convinced she's the key to truth behind the assassination. As it all comes to a head, Santoro peels through successive layers of corruption, ultimately confronting himself in a self-examination of his own values. Filmed at Montreal's old Forum. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide