Joe D'Angerio Movies

Love, Lies and Murder is based on a true story that began its tragic unspooling on March 19, 1985 in Garden Grove, California. 23-year-old wife and mother Linda Brown is murdered. She leaves behind her computer-consultant husband Clancy Brown, her 17-year-old sister (Sheryl Lee), a 14-year-old stepdaughter (Moira Kelly) from her husband's previous marriage, and an 8-month-old infant. When police investigate, the stepdaughter confesses to the killing. This closes the case--until Mr. Brown callously marries his late wife's sister, and doubts begin to stir as to whether or not the stepdaughter was coerced into confessing. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Quentin Tarantino scripted this wild and wooly blend of action and dark comedy, which reached theaters a year before his breakthrough hit Pulp Fiction. Clarence Worley (Christian Slater) is a well-meaning but socially unskilled comic-shop clerk whose idea of a big night out is catching a Sonny Chiba triple-feature at a downtown grindhouse. Clarence is celebrating his birthday in just such a manner when he meets a beautiful girl named Alabama (Patricia Arquette), and it's love at first sight for both of them. Clarence's enthusiasm isn't dampened much when he discovers Alabama is actually a prostitute who was paid by his boss to bump into him; she's only been in the business for a few days, and is more than eager to give up streetwalking to be with Clarence. However, Alabama is certain her pimp, Drexl (Gary Oldman), will not be happy; he's an ill-mannered sort with mob connections and a fondness for violence. Chivalrous Clarence offers to break the news to Drexl and collect her belongings, but he doesn't tell her he also plans to kill Drexl while he's there; a melee breaks out that leaves Drexl and his henchmen dead. Clarence grabs a suitcase that he thinks contains Alabama's clothes, but he discovers it instead holds five million dollars' worth of cocaine. The couple hits the road for California, planning to sell the dope and enjoy the good life in South America with the proceeds, but soon a group of very unhappy underworld characters are after them, as well as the police. True Romance also stars Dennis Hopper as Clarence's father, Christopher Walken as a mob boss who wants his cocaine back, Brad Pitt as a cheerful stoner, and Val Kilmer as the ghost of Elvis Presley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The further misadventures of bumbling Los Angeles police Lieutenant Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) are chronicled in this third installment in the popular Naked Gun comedy series. This by-the-numbers entry begins with Drebin as a happily retired house-husband called back into action when an evil terrorist organization threatens Los Angeles. As in the other Naked Gun films, this plot is merely an excuse for an unhinged, rapid-fire succession of gags, ranging from satirical lampoons of cop movies to broad slapstick, all played with a perfectly straight face. Nielsen provides his familiar combination of complete witlessness and oblivious dignity as Drebin, and the film attempts to match the earlier Naked Gun films -- and the Police Squad! television series that inspired them -- in the number of jokes. However, the film proved less successful than its predecessors, as some viewers found that the freewheeling comic style of the earlier films had solidified into its own formula, now mildly entertaining but disappointingly predictable. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Director and screenwriter Walter Hill returns to one of his favorite themes -- desperate and violent men using force to escape from an unforgiving environment -- in this action drama set behind bars. Monroe Hutchen (Wesley Snipes) was once a promising heavyweight contender until he was convicted of murder and sentenced to life without parole at the Sweetwater maximum security prison in California. Now, Hutchen boxes behind bars, and he's become the champion of a loosely organized prison fighting circuit. When heavyweight champion James "Iceman" Chambers (Ving Rhames) enters Sweetwater after being convicted of rape, Hutchens finds the serious competitor in the same lockup for the first time, though Chambers scoffs at the jailhouse champ. After Hutchens challenges the arrogant Chambers to a bout, aging mafioso Emmanuel "Mendy" Ripstein (Peter Falk) swings a deal that will earn Chambers an early release from prison and pull in a million dollars in bets from guards and inmates if the two men will meet in the ring for a last-man-standing bout without referees. Undisputed also features Michael Rooker, Fisher Stevens, rapper Master P, and former Yo! MTV Raps host Ed Lover. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) has been given his next command by Saunders (Paul Blackthorne). Saunders wants Ryan Chappelle (Paul Schulze) dead. Palmer tells Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) the bad news, and then it's a race against the clock to find Saunders before the deadline for delivering Chappelle's body, at 7:00 a.m. Jack tells Tony (Carlos Bernard), who realizes that they need to change Chappelle's security clearance. Jack then takes Chappelle aside and tells him the shocking news. Since Chappelle has no past connection to Saunders, Jack realizes that the demand must be due to Chappelle's work on the money trail. He has Chappelle transfer those files to Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub), who finds an encrypted bank account. Chappelle tries to leave CTU, and when Jack stops him, he claims he was just going outside to smoke. As Chloe cracks the code and finds a Los Angeles address for Saunders, Jack takes Chappelle to the trainyard where his body is to be delivered, just in case the CTU team, led by Chase (James Badge Dale) and Tom Baker (Daniel Dae Kim), doesn't get to Saunders in time. Back at the Chandler Plaza Hotel, Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth) has an emotional phone conversation with Tony. She then offers the suicide capsules to the infected guests. One guest, Kathy McCartney (Brigid Brannagh), comes forward to tell Michelle that the man she spent last night with is no longer in the hotel, and Michelle realizes that he must have left after the virus was released, but before CTU arrived to seal off the building. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Palmer (Dennis Haysbert) decides he will not give in to Saunders' (Paul Blackthorne) latest demand, to release the names of all of America's foreign operatives. He also refuses to leave L.A., despite Aaron's (Glenn Morshower) plea. Two new symptomatic cases of the virus have turned up in the city. Tony (Carlos Bernard) gets a call from Michelle (Reiko Aylesworth). They both break down when she tells him that her test results are back and she doesn't have the virus. She's being taken to a quarantine area for further observation. Having failed to keep Jane's (Alexandra Lydon) abduction a secret, Jack (Kiefer Sutherland) resumes questioning her. He plays her a tape of her father making threats, and shows her horrifying video from the Chandler Plaza Hotel. She finally admits that she has an emergency phone number, and agrees to call her father. When she does, Saunders quickly realizes that the call is being monitored, and tells Jane to put Jack on the phone. He warns Jack to release Jane unharmed, reminding Jack what he's capable of. Jack responds coolly, "You know what I'm capable of, too." The call enables CTU to close in on Saunders' location, and a team is sent there. Kim (Elisha Cuthbert) is assigned to escort Jane back to CTU headquarters. Chloe (Mary Lynn Rajskub) is horrified to discover Adam's (Zachary Quinto) sister on the list of infected people. As CTU closes in on Saunders, he seems remarkably unconcerned. Jack is outside with a bullhorn, reminding him that Palmer will no longer give in to his demands, and that CTU has Jane in custody. Jack orders him to surrender, but he has other ideas. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) is a veteran boxing trainer who has devoted his life to the ring and has precious little to show for it; his daughter never answers his letters, and a fighter he's groomed into contender status has paid him back by signing with another manager, leaving Frankie high and dry. His best friend and faithful employee Eddie Dupris is a former fighter who Frankie trained. In his last fight, Eddie suffered a severe injury, a fact that brings Frankie great guilt. One day, Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) enters Frankie's life, as well as his gym, and announces she needs a trainer. Frankie regards her as a dubious prospect, and isn't afraid to tell her why: he doesn't think much of women boxing, she's too old at 31, she lacks experience, and has no technique. However, Maggie sees boxing as the one part of her life that gives her meaning and won't give up easily. Finally won over by her determination, Frankie takes on Maggie, and as she slowly grows into a viable fighter, an emotional bond develops between them. When a tragedy befalls one of the three characters, each comes to a decision that shows how the relationships in the film have changed them. Adapted from a short story by F.X. Toole, a former corner man with years of experience in the fight game, Million Dollar Baby also stars Morgan Freeman, Anthony Mackie, and Mike Colter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi