Efrain Figueroa Movies
A deadly seductress sets out to avenge her sister, in the process uncovering a dark conspiracy that makes her question everything she's been fighting for in this action thriller featuring Tom Berenger, Tom Sizemore, William Forsythe, and Michael Biehn. Raina (Stana Katic) was deeply in love with powerful crime boss Virgil Vadalos (Berenger) until she discovered that he was involved with her sister's disappearance. After that, their relationship met a violent end. Now Raina is determined to take out Virgil and his entire crew. With nothing more than unbridled fury and a particularly sharp knife, Raina starts at the lower rungs of Virgil's organization and methodically begins moving her way up through the ranks. But Virgil is no sucker, and in order to stop the slaughter he calls on crooked cop Beck (Paul Sloan) to stop Raina no matter what it takes. Now, as the streets of Los Angeles run red with blood, Raina and Beck discover that in this city, there is no escaping the tyranny of the corrupt. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Paul Sloan, (more)
In the world of the emperor penguin, a simple song can mean the difference between a lifetime of happiness and an eternity of loneliness. When a penguin named Mumble is born without the ability to sing the romantic song that will attract his soul mate, he'll have to resort to some fancy footwork by tap dancing his way into the heart of the one he loves. Directed by Babe mastermind George Miller, Happy Feet tells the tale of one penguin's quest for love, and features an all-star cast of vocal talent that includes Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Elijah Wood, Nicole Kidman, and Brittany Murphy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, (more)
- 2005
- R
- Add ESL: English as a Second Language to QueueAdd ESL: English as a Second Language to top of Queue
An illegal day Mexican laborer and a club-hopping Los Angeles hipster form an unusual connection that leads the lives of both down paths neither could have ever anticipated. Bolivar de la Cruz (Kuno Becker) had just made the arduous journey from Mexico to Los Angeles when the wagon that was transporting him collided with a car driven by restless California club girl Lola Sara (Danielle Camatra). A hard partying twenty two year-old who is struggling to balance her frivolous existence against the stern expectations of her old world mother Consuelo (Maria Conshito Alonso), Lola longs to break away from tradition and wander her own path in life. Now, as Bolivar goes to work as a male stripper and begins living the high life, Lola discovers that she is pregnant and reaches out to her newfound friend for emotional support. Perhaps if these two lost souls from different sides of the same culture can find a common ground, they can finally defeat the demons that threaten to consume them body and soul. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kuno Becker, Danielle Camastra, (more)
- 2002
Abrasive cab driver Ryan Lipe (John Billingsley), who helped the 15th in a previous investigation, is the prime suspect in the deaths of three of his former fares. Offering to help an old friend, Rodriguez (Esai Morales) ends up being accused of taking bribes by the IAB -- and the whole affair smells suspiciously like a set-up. When John Clark Jr. (Mark-Paul Gosselaar) tells Officer Laughlin (Anthony Mangano) to stop hitting on Rita Ortiz (Jacqueline Obradors), Laughlin challenges John to a charity boxing match. Elsewhere, another pugilist denies killing an ex-ballet dancer, and gay cop John Irvin (Bill Brochtrup) reveals his past problems with his ailing father to a sympathetic Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2002
Lopez (Lisa Vidal) tries to force Weaver (Laura Innes) out of the closet with a startling public display of affection. Romano (Paul McCrane) rehires Chen (Ming-Na), who has a long memory when it comes to getting even with Weaver. Abby (Maura Tierney) offers help to her new neighbor Joyce (Christina Hendricks), whose husband, Brian (Matthew Settle), is obviously beating her -- and who is in a severe state of denial. Carter (Noah Wyle) is trapped in the middle of his parents' acrimonious divorce. And should Lewis (Sherry Stringfield) attempt to save the life of a death-row inmate? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
A handful of teenagers learns there can be a dark side to a good time in this independent drama. Mary (Aimee Graham), Tracy (Tricia Dickson), and Sadie (Nicholle Tom) are three girls from wealthy families who are bored, self-consciously hip, and looking for some fun one night. When the girls hear about a rave being held in a massive warehouse in downtown Los Angeles, they decide to join the party, accompanied by Brian (Scott Torrence), a gay friend who loves the high-energy flash of the dance scene. Also on hand for the rave is Daffy (Douglas Spain), an Hispanic teen whose relationship with his father (Steven Bauer) has hit a rough spot -- and whose girlfriend Nette (Tamara Mello) has just learned she's going to have a baby. Also making the scene are Jay (Dante Basco), a youth of Korean descent who is at the rave against the orders of his father; Lazy (Shaun Weiss), a cheerful laid-back stoner; his pal JP (Franco Vega), a young tough with a hair-trigger temper; and Sky (Chris Weber), a dealer who specializes in drugs for the rave clientele. While most of the kids aren't looking for any more than a place to dance and have a good time, by the end of the night the discover they've entered a world more dangerous than they imagined. Rave was the first feature film from director Ron Krauss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Douglas Spain, Aimee Graham, (more)
One of the short stories in a best-selling collection by author Stephen King becomes this mystery adapted for director Scott Hicks by screenwriter William Goldman, who previously transformed a King story into a box-office hit (Misery, 1990). In the summer of 1960, young Bobby Garfield (Anton Yelchin) is sharing adventures with his best friends Carol (Mika Boorem) and Sully (Will Rothhaar) when an enigmatic lodger named Ted Brautigan (Anthony Hopkins) rents a room in his family's boarding house. Bobby's self-absorbed, widowed mother Liz (Hope Davis) couldn't care less about her son, so Bobby, who is being tormented by local bullies, quickly befriends the otherworldly Ted, becoming his confidante, and reading the paper to him to save the aging man's failing eyesight. Soon, Bobby learns that Ted possesses supernatural gifts, has a haunted past, and is being pursued by sinister men whose intentions are unclear. Hearts in Atlantis co-stars David Morse, who appeared in the previous King adaptation The Green Mile (1999), as the adult Bobby. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Anton Yelchin, (more)
A cast of distinguished veterans and promising newcomers headline this stark prison drama from first-time writer-director Jordan Walker-Pearlman. Hill Harper stars as embittered inmate Alex, sentenced to serve time for a rape he claims that he didn't commit. His link to the outside world is his upper-middle class bother Tony (Obba Babatunde), the only family member who's come to visit him in the half-decade he's been in jail. On his latest visit, Alex pleads with Tony to have the rest of the family visit him, admitting that he's in the final stages of his battle with AIDS. Through flashbacks, dream sequences, and real-time encounters, Alex interacts with the people who have shaped his life -- his parents (Marla Gibbs and Billy Dee Williams), his old friend (Rae Dawn Chong), and his therapist (Phylicia Rashad) -- and attempts to overcome the seething anger and resentment that have punctuated his time in prison. The Visit was greeted with much acclaim when it premiered at the 2000 Method Fest Independent Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hill Harper, Obba Babatunde, (more)
Released from prison on his 21st birthday, Antonio (Saved by the Bell's Mario Lopez) pays a visit to his older brother, Horatio (Mark Espinoza), an uptight attorney embarrassed by his Latino heritage. The brothers are connected by their work for crime boss Armando De La Rosa (Efrain Figueroa), for whom Horatio provides "consulting" services and Antonio collects debts. When De la Rosa enlists Antonio to bully the proprietor of a youth shelter off his property to make way for a casino, the young man changes his priorities, thanks in no small part to his friendship with the proprietor (Richard Lynch) and his burgeoning relationship with the old man's granddaughter (Elizabeth Bogush). Together, Antonio and Horatio try to bring an end to De La Rosa's megalomaniacal reign over the neighborhood. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Lopez
- 2000
In the first episode of a two-part story, it is revealed that Jill Kirkendall's (Andrea Thompson) ex-husband, drug trafficker Don Kirkendall (Erich Anderson), isn't dead after all -- and Jill knew it all the time. As Diane (Kim Delaney) tries to find out what Jill is up to, Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) and Jones (Henry Simmons) investigate the beating death of a man in a domestic dispute, which leads to a disturbing case of rape. And in his efforts to cope with his young son Theo's serious medical problem, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) "talks" with his deceased older son, Andy. "Bats Off to Larry" and the subsequent "The Last Round Up" were originally telecast as a single, two-hour "special" episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Migrant worker Roberto Morante (Efrain Figueroa) is disdainful of his son Tino (Carlo Alban), a talented pianist who hopes to study music at a prestigious college. Roberto is of the opinion that Tino should remain with his family and contribute to their meager income. The issue may be forced for the boy when Roberto suffers an injury rendearing him incapable of further work, just as Tino has received a letter of acceptance from the college. Worse still, the boy's hands become so blistered that he may not even pass the audition. How can angel Rafael (Alexis Cruz) help resolve this crisis without hurting either Roberto or Tino in the process? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A man of the cloth finds his faith challenged both by the death of one of his closest relatives and the aftermath of the crime in this thriller. When a man is murdered under mysterious circumstances, his brother, a Catholic priest (Richard Grieco), decides to start his own investigation with the help of his uncle, a detective, in hopes of tracking down the killer. His search for the truth leads him into a local artists' community, but the more he learns, the most he's troubled by what he finds. The Apostate also stars Dennis Hopper, Kristin Miller, and Efrain Figueroa. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dennis Hopper, Richard Grieco, (more)
Although he enjoyed great critical success with crime dramas and slice-of-life pictures, director Barbet Schroeder continued dabbling in the thriller genre with this action-oriented film. Andy Garcia stars as Frank Conner, a widowed San Francisco police officer whose young son Matt (Joseph Cross) is suffering from leukemia. Without a bone marrow transplant, Matt will die, but Frank isn't a donor. In fact, the only potential match is prison inmate Peter McCabe (Michael Keaton), a psychotic but charming serial killer. At first, McCabe refused to participate despite Conner's pleas, but eventually, the convict relents and agrees to the procedure. It is all a ruse, however, as McCabe has discovered a clever way to escape the confines of the operating room where Matt's oncologist, Dr. Hawkins (Marcia Gay Harden) is scheduled to perform the transplant. Faced with the dual nightmare of his son's deteriorating condition and a mass murderer on the loose in a major metropolitan hospital, the frantic Conner finds himself bending and even breaking the law to bring McCabe down and save Matt's life. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Andy Garcia, (more)
- 1997
Simone (Jimmy Smits) pulls in hoodlum Jimmy Liery (Christopher Meloni) when neighbors complain about gunfire. Jimmy is allowed to walk -- but he doesn't get far, and Diane (Kim Delaney) is upset at Liery's ultimate fate. Elsewhere, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) takes a troublesome kid (Javier Núñez) under his wing; Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) blames Fancy (James McDaniel) when he is passed over for promotion; and an artist (Michael David Lally) reluctantly agrees to wear a wire in order to trap a group of murderous mobsters. New York Police Commissioner Howard Safir appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
- R
This comedy-drama concerns a most unusual family of emigres, even by Hollywood standards. Douglas Spain stars as Carlos, a Mexican teenager who has just returned home to L.A. after starring in several low-budget films south of the border. His father, Pepe (Efrain Figueroa), is a Fagin-like pimp who manages a group of boy prostitutes who pose as sellers of maps to the stars' homes on Hollywood street corners. Pepe immediately sets his son to work doing the same, but Carlos has dreams of being a movie star. His goal takes a step closer to reality after he sleeps with Jennifer (Kandeyce Jensen), a soap opera actress who becomes enchanted with Carlos and orders her show's producers (one of whom is her husband) to write a part for the boy on the series. Once he's on his way to becoming a star, Carlos discovers that success has a price tag. Star Maps was the feature debut of writer-director Miguel Arteta, who went on to helm the short-lived series Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000) and his acclaimed second film, Chuck and Buck (2000), an audience favorite and Grand Jury Prize nominee at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Douglas Spain, Efrain Figueroa, (more)
- 1996
This is literally a homemade documentary comprised of home video footage taken by Chris Hume during a year long trip to Cuba where he quietly filmed everything he could find with his Hi-8 camcorder using store-bought tape. Later the films were edited and a professional soundtrack, beginning and end credits, a voice over and other touches were added for big-screen viewing. The result is a moving commentary on the sad, repressive state of mid-1990s, post-Soviet Cuba. Castro still continues his oppressive rule and the country is quickly falling to economic and cultural ruin as the population (only 20% of which still supports Castro). Though he claims that things will soon improve, many hungry, out of work Cubans are unconvinced and so would rather brave the unpredictable shark filled Gulf waters on battered inner tubes than remain in their island homeland. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
We're in Miami Beach this week, where Jessica (Angela Lansbury) is among the guests at a book fair. Also present is Russian detective Sergei Nemiroff (David Ogden Stiers), hot on the trail of the thief who stole a precious Faberge egg from the Hermitage Museum in Moscow. Before long, a murder occurs, and Jessica and Sergei combine their skills to crack the case (but not, hopefully, the egg!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Meticulously researched and elaborately produced, the two-part TV movie Drug Wars: The Cocaine Cartel is based on a true story. In addition, to quote the original print ads, "This is the one we won!" Incorruptible agents of the DEA declare war against Colombia's Medelin drug lords. To undermine the enemy, the Feds launch an undercover operation, targeted at the cartel's refineries. Alex Farina, Dennis Farina and John Glover head the enormous cast, which includes Julie Carmen in a standout performance as a Colombian judge. Filmed in Spain and Florida, part one of Drug Wars debuted January 19, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
For his first directorial project in six years, Robert Towne selected a timeworn romantic-triangle yarn, injecting the material with subtlety and conviction. Tequila Sunrise stars Mel Gibson and Kurt Russell as two lifelong friends who, in true James Cagney-Pat O'Brien fashion, grow up on the opposite sides of the law. One is a retired drug dealer (at least he says he is), the other a "celebrity" cop. Both fall in love with gorgeous restaurateur Michelle Pfeiffer. Veteran movie buffs will enjoy spotting director Budd Boetticher as a judge, and will welcome the presence in the production credits of cinematographer Conrad Hall, who earned an Oscar nomination for his richly textured color camerawork. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, (more)
- 1985
Rock-em sock-em LAPD detective sergeant Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) continues busting heads and breaking arms in pursuit of justice as Hunter begins its second season. Someone is systematically murdering female porn stars, and Hunter and his partner DeeDee McCall (Stepfanie Kramer) are ordered to find out who and why. So Hunter goes undercover at a seedy modelling agency, while McCall dons form-fitting leotards at an exercise club known to be hangout for the porn industry. Several plot twists and double crosses later, Dee Dee finds herself the killer's next target--and Hunter is miles away. Directed by former Starsky and Hutch star David Soul, this episode introduces two new series regulars: Bruce Davison as Captain Wyler, and Richard Beauchamp as Carlos the morgue attendant. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1985
In the final first-season episode of Murder She Wrote, Jessica (Angela Lansbury) travels to Wyoming to attend the funeral of an old family friend. At the same time, a wealthy Wyoming rancher draws up papers leaving his entire estate to a somewhat nasty stranger, completely disinheriting his embittered daughter. Before long, the stranger is found hanging in the rancher's barn--and of course Jessica takes it upon herself to solve the murder, which turns out to have been something of a team effort! Appearing in a key supporting part is William Windom, who would join the cast of Murder She Wrote during its second season in the recurring role of Dr. Seth Hazlitt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
