Bill Duke Movies
Although many would likely recognize
Bill Duke from his roles in such high-profile releases as
Predator,
Menace II Society, and
Red Dragon, perhaps only a few connect the face in front of the camera with the name of the man who also directed such features as
A Rage in Harlem and
Hoodlum. A native of Poughkeepsie, NY, and the first in his family to graduate from college, the actor/director studied speech and drama at Boston University before earning his M.F.A. from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Subsequently penning off-Broadway plays and launching a film career with roles in
Car Wash (1976) and
American Gigolo (1979),
Duke's early breakthrough came with a featured role in the critically acclaimed
Alex Haley miniseries
Palmerstown U.S.A. in 1980. Deciding to refine his skills behind the camera, the burgeoning actor later studied at the American Film Institute, where his student project The Hero earned him a solid reputation as a director to watch. In the years that followed,
Duke earned a reputation as an efficient and effective television director as he took the helm for episodes of
Hill Street Blues,
Fame,
Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, and
Matlock. He soon moved into feature territory with the PBS drama
The Killing Floor (which screened at the 1985 Cannes Film Festival and earned the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival). In 1989,
Duke's adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun showed that, although his directing had thus far been limited to the small screen, he also had the potential to launch a lucrative career in theatrical features.
After acting in such features as
Commando (1985),
Predator (1987), and
Bird on a Wire (1990),
Duke's first theatrical feature,
A Rage in Harlem, was released in 1991. An effective crime drama featuring a gangster's moll, a trunk load of gold, and a slew of unsavory heavies, the film was unfairly interpreted by audiences to be a rip-off of the popular 1989 comedy
Harlem Nights. For the dark crime thriller
Deep Cover,
Duke teamed with future collaborator
Laurence Fishburne for the first time, and after lightening things up a bit with
The Cemetery Club (1993),
Duke earned a direct hit at the box office with the popular sequel
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit the same year. The remainder of the '90s found the actor/director evenly dividing his duties on both sides of the camera, and, in 1997, he re-teamed with
Fishburne for the throwback gangster drama
Hoodlum. With all of his directorial duties,
Duke found little time to accept onscreen roles, though performances in
Payback and
Fever in 1999 reminded audiences that he was still a compelling screen presence.
Duke returned to the small screen the following year to direct an episode of
City of Angels and the Nero Wolfe mystery
The Golden Spiders, and remained in television to shoot episodes of
Fastlane and
Robbery Homicide Division. In 2003,
Duke directed the moving, made-for-TV drama
Deacons for Defense. As roles in
Red Dragon (2002) and
National Security (2003) continued to fuel his feature career,
Duke was also seen on the small screen in episodes of
Fastlane and the
Out of Sight (1998) spin-off
Karen Sisco. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

- 2011
-
When Africans were first brought to the United States as slaves, many slave owners took a strange approach to diving the labor among the humans they owned -- lighter skinned blacks were assigned to work inside the house, performing more precise but less physically demanding chores, while their darker skinned brethren were forced to perform punishing manual labor in the fields. In the 21st Century, a grim vestige of this tradition lives on in African-American culture, as women with dark complexion often find themselves looked down upon by their peers, considered less attractive, less intelligent and less refined than women with a lighter skin tone. A variety of African-American women discuss this phenomenon, sharing their thoughts on the social and cultural implications of this subtle but common form of prejudice, in the documentary Dark Girls. Directors Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry feature interviews with women sharing their own experiences as dark skinned African-Americans, children who reveal how young these beliefs are implanted in girls, and men who share their feelings about women and skin color. Dark Girls was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- 2011
- R
- Add The Big Bang to Queue
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A Los Angeles detective encounters high strangeness in his search for a missing woman and a 30-million-dollar cache of diamonds in this off-beat mystery thriller from Otis director Tony Krantz. Ned Cruz (Antonio Banderas) is the kind of detective people come to when all of their other resources have run dry. Approached by paroled Russian boxer Anton (Robert Maillet) to track down his elusive girlfriend, Lexie (Sienna Guillory), and recover the stash of diamonds she has stolen, Detective Cruz calls on all of his connections to get the job done. Eventually, his investigation leads him from a kinky Hollywood action icon (James Van Der Beek) to a multi-talented pornographer (Snoop Dogg) and a physics-obsessed waitress (Autumn Reeser) with an insatiable sexual appetite. Ned's hard work starts to pay off, however, when he ventures deep into the New Mexico desert, where an eccentric billionaire (Sam Elliott) and a brilliant physicist (Jimmi Simpson) have hatched a plan to recreate the Big Bang. Now, with the cops hot on his tail and a potentially catastrophic experiment unfolding right beneath his feet, Ned races to find the girl and recover the diamonds before the world comes to an end. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Antonio Banderas, Sienna Guillory, (more)

- 2010
- R
- Add Henry's Crime to Queue
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A man who was wrongly accused of bank robbery decides to live up to his criminal record in this romantic crime comedy starring Keanu Reeves, James Caan, and Vera Farmiga. Henry (Reeves) was drifting through life as a toll collector in Buffalo, NY, when one morning he happened across a half-baked bank heist. Unwittingly drawn into the harebrained plan, Henry eventually lands in jail for refusing to identify the robbers, and lands in a cell with amiable con artist Max (Caan), who has grown rather comfortable with life behind bars. According to Max, a man must first have a dream in order to find his purpose, and one year later Henry is a free man with an audacious plan. Since he's already on record as a convicted bank robber, Henry figures he may as well try his hand at the criminal lifestyle. After stumbling across an old underground bootlegger tunnel that connects the bank to an adjacent theater, Henry convinces Max to apply for parole in order to help him execute the perfect robbery. Posing as an actor, Henry lands the lead role in the theater's production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, and begins working with Max to burrow their way into the nearby bank vault. But now the more time Henry spends in the theater, the harder he finds himself falling for his capricious co-star Julie (Farmiga), a development that could very well land them all in jail before the final curtain. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Keanu Reeves, Vera Farmiga, (more)

- 2009
- PG13
- Add Not Easily Broken to Queue
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Director Bill Duke steps behind the camera for this adaptation of the T.D. Jakes novel concerning a newly married couple that finds their union threatened by pressures involving faith, family, and finances. As the couple exchanges their vows, the minister lays a cord around them while uttering the blessing, "a threefold cord is not easily broken." Later, during their darkest hour, the minister's advice to always keep God at the center of their marriage could be the only thing that keeps this troubled pair together. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, (more)

- 2007
- PG13
- Add Cover to Queue
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A woman accused could be either a killer or a victim in this psychological drama from director Bill Duke. Valerie Maas (Aunjanue Ellis) is a God-fearing housewife and artist who one day finds herself in a situation she never imaged possible -- being questioned on murder charges by no-nonsense police detective Hicks (Lou Gossett Jr.) and Simmons (Clifton Davis), a district attorney eager to close this case. As Valerie repeatedly insists she's not a murderer, she tells the story of the last several months of her life. Valerie's husband, Dutch (Razaaq Adoti), is a psychiatrist with a practice in Atlanta who was offered a high-paying job by his old friend Monica (Paula Jai Parker), who works at a hospital in Philadelphia. Dutch takes the job and Valerie dutifully follows, and as she seeks solace in the women's support group at local church, Dutch spends more and more time with drug-abusing Monica, her wealthy but disinterested husband, Kevin (Roger Guenveur Smith), and obsessively womanizing musician Ryan Chambers (Leon). As Valerie's marriage begins to fall apart, she suspects her husband is being unfaithful, but she's shocked to discover the truth is more complicated than she imagined. Cover also stars Vivica A. Fox, Patti LaBelle, and Mya Harrison. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Vivica A. Fox, (more)

- 2007
- R
- Add The Go-Getter to Queue
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For the follow-up to his feature debut, 1999's The Big Split, filmmaker Martin Hynes took on this bittersweet road movie about a teenager responding to the untimely death of his mother. Overcome with grief that he's unequipped to deal with, Mercer (Lou Taylor Pucci) decides to steal a car and hit the open road. Along the way, he discovers himself with the help of a seductress (Jena Malone) and the owner of the car (Zooey Deschanel). The Go-Getter had its premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Lou Taylor Pucci, Zooey Deschanel, (more)

- 2006
-
Lee is appointed to investigate a black-market operation within the fleet after the Pegasus commander is found murdered in his quarters with a cache of cigarettes, liquor and jewelry. ~ Michael Chant, Rovi
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- 2006
- NR
Seven years after seeing his original vision butchered under studio interference as well as his star's, director Brian Helgeland finally was given the chance to piece together his director's cut under the name Payback: Straight Up. Along with reinstating the original third act, this version represents a return to the gritty world of '70s filmmaking that was the groundwork of the production up until Paramount got cold feet and ordered extensive reshoots. The story centers on Porter (Mel Gibson), a thief that is pulled into a heist by his old friend, Val (Brian De Palma regular Gregg Henry), who plans a double cross with Porter's wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger) after showing her a photo of her husband in the arms of another girl (Maria Bello). As they're stealing $130,000 in laundered drug money from Chinese Triads, Lynn shoots Porter in the back and speeds away with Val and money in tow. What they didn't know is that Porter would come back looking for his cut, which has been used to pay off Val's mob debts so he could return to "The Syndicate." Helgeland, the screenwriter for L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, made his directing debut with this adaptation of the novel The Hunter by Donald E. Westlake writing under the pseudonym, Richard Stark. The same novel served as the basis for John Boorman's Point Blank starring Lee Marvin. This version excises Kris Kristofferson's performance entirely and features a new score by Scott Stambler. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, (more)

- 2006
-
Andrea Kalin's documentary The Pact relays the inspiring account of three young African American men from the inner-city projects - Rameck Hunt, George Jenkins and Sampson Davis - who vowed to collectively resist the crime, poverty and drug trade that claimed the lives of so many in the neighborhoods of their youth. The three friends banded together and promised to do anything and everything necessary to each fight their way through undergraduate work and medical school, helping and supporting each other along the way. Years later, with their goals accomplished, the men returned to the communities as accredited physicians and set up inner-city practices, not only aiding residents of the ghetto on a grass-roots level, but inspiring youngsters to stay off of the streets and out of drugs, and to each accomplish their full potential. Kalin filters the account through the eyes of a young man immeasurably touched by the physicians. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. George Jenkins, (more)

- 2006
- PG13
- Add X-Men: The Last Stand to Queue
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The explosive X-Men motion picture trilogy officially draws to a close with this release that finds Rush Hour director Brett Ratner stepping in for Bryan Singer to tell the tale of a newly discovered mutant "cure," and the polarizing effect it has on mutant/man relations. With the pressure on mutants to give up their powers and pledge alliance with the human race reaching a critical turning point, Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) urges tolerance and understanding as his nemesis Magneto (Ian McKellen) gathers a powerful resistance in preparation for the ultimate war against humankind. Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, and James Marsden return to reprise the roles they played in the previous two X-Men films, with Kelsey Grammer and Vinnie Jones joining the cast as Beast and Juggernaut respectively. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, (more)

- 2006
- R
- Add Yellow to Queue
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The follow-up to his feature debut, director Alfred De Villa's Yellow is drama starring Roselyn Sanchez as Amaryllis, an aspiring dancer trying to make it in New York City. After her father unexpectedly commits suicide, Amaryllis leaves her native Puerto Rico for the Big Apple with dreams of stardom. Naturally, she meets more than a little adversity and soon finds herself working as a stripper to make ends meet. But with a cadre of supportive new friends and ample moxie, she just might beat the odds. Also starring D.B. Sweeney, Yellow screened at the 2006 New York Latino Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Roselyn Sanchez, D.B. Sweeney, (more)

- 2005
- R
- Add Get Rich or Die Tryin' to Queue
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Hip-hop star 50 Cent makes his movie debut in this hard-edged urban drama inspired by the rapper's own life. Marcus (Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, aka 50 Cent) grew up in a tough New York neighborhood and was left to fend for himself after the death of his mother when he was a kid. Marcus fell in with a powerful crime boss (Bill Duke) who gave him an opportunity to make a good living -- by selling drugs. While Marcus has misgivings about his life of crime and has an interest in expressing himself as a rap artist, his success as a dealer makes it hard for him to get away from the life. However, when a heist goes wrong and Marcus is shot several times, he has a change of heart and decides to leave his old life behind. He begins pursuing his dream of making it in music, and with the support of his girlfriend (Joy Bryant) he begins recording a demo tape. Marcus' new songs are inspired by the gritty realities of his old life on the street, but just as it looks like he might be able to land a record deal, he discovers that some of his old business associates aren't too happy about Marcus telling folks about their actions. Get Rich or Die Tryin' was directed by Jim Sheridan, best known for his tough but atmospheric stories of life in Ireland (In The Name of the Father, My Left Foot). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Curtis Jackson

- 2003
-
This 60-minute entry in the PBS American Experience anthology chronicles the unorthodox medical partnership between Alfred Blalock, chief of surgery at Johns Hopkins, and Vivien Thomas, a black man with little more than a high school education. When Thomas applied for a janitorial post at Johns Hopkins in the early '40s, Blalock was impressed by the man's medical knowledge and took him on as a technician. Ultimately, it was Thomas who, in 1944, designed the surgical procedure to correct what was then known as "blue baby syndrome." But racial barriers being what they were at the time, his contributions went ignored, and Blalock reluctantly accepted all the credit. It was not until 1976 that the medical profession formally recognized Thomas with an honorary doctorate. Partners of the Heart combines straight newsreel footage and still pictures with dramatized recreations of the events. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Beau James, Chris Haley, (more)

- 2003
- R
- Add Deacons for Defense to Queue
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Inspired by a true story, this made-for-cable drama is set in 1965, not long after passage of the Civil Rights Act. To the African-American citizens of Bogalusa, LA, however, it is "business as usual"; they are still treated like third-class citizens, their fundamental rights as human beings persistently trampled by the white power structure, in general, and the local branch of the KKK, in particular. Like many of the local black men, war veteran Marcus (Forest Whitaker) works in the town's mill for meager wages, and must endure the ongoing humiliation meted out by his white supervisors. But when he is beaten up by the police for the "outrage" of trying to defend his own daughter, Marcus is pushed too far. Encouraged by an idealistic white Northerner (Jonathan Silverman), Marcus organizes the Deacons, an all-black defense group dedicated to patrolling the black section of town and protecting its residents from the more violent aspects of "white backlash." Telecast during Black History Month, Deacons for Defense first aired over the Showtime cable network on February 16, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Forest Whitaker, Jonathan Silverman, (more)

- 2003
- PG13
- Add National Security to Queue
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Adversaries become wary allies in this free-wheeling action comedy. Hank Rafferty (Steve Zahn) is a Los Angeles Police Department officer who finds himself out of a job after he becomes involved in a violent altercation with police academy flunk-out Earl Montgomery (Martin Lawrence), escalating into a media event which brings the LAPD a wealth of bad publicity. Unable to find work, Hank finally takes a job as a "rent-a-cop" with a private security firm -- and discovers to his annoyance that his new partner is Earl. While neither of them are thrilled to be working together on the lowest strata of the law enforcement community, the two find themselves dealing with bigger crime than they expected when they stumble across evidence of a elite smuggling network operated by criminal mastermind Nash (Eric Roberts). Hank and Earl want to put Nash out of business, and they try without success to persuade the police of the importance of the case. But before long they discover it's not just Nash's men who are after them, but two high-ranking LAPD officials, Lt. Washington (Bill Duke) and Detective McDuff (Colm Feore). National Security was directed by Dennis Dugan, who'd previously helmed antic comedies starring Adam Sandler and Chris Farley; this film also marked Martin Lawrence's entry into the elite of Hollywood's comedy stars, with Lawrence taking home a 20-million-dollar paycheck for his work on the picture. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, (more)

- 2003
-
- Add Paper Chasers to Queue
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A film crew sets out on a journey across the country to discover how money is made in the world of hip-hop. Director Maxie Collier takes us inside the process as he selects his Paperchasers crew and travels across the United States, interviewing people making a living off hip-hop, from street rappers selling tapes out of their trunks, to clothing designers, a hairdresser, DJs, record producers, and recording artists. They're all out to make money, and Collier wants to learn how it is done. In Atlanta, the crew catch rap superstar Ludacris and his crew just months before they sign a record deal and blow up. Collier documents his crew's struggles to land interviews with media bigwigs like Rap-A-Lot's J. Prince and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons. Collier also captures the fluctuations in his personal relationships with producer Yvette Plummer, also the mother of his son, and soundman Marquez Edmond (aka "Marquez the Greatest"), as the pressures of making the film wear on the bare-bones crew. Paperchasers, featuring appearances by Fat Joe, Damon Dash, Flava Flav, and James Brown, had its world premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
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- 2003
-
The ABC cop series Karen Sisco was based on characters created by novelist Elmore Leonard, as visualized in Steven Soderbergh's 1998 theatrical feature Out of Sight. In the role originated on film by Jennifer Lopez, Carla Gugino starred as Karen Sisco, one of the toughest (and certainly the sexiest) U.S. Marshals working the Miami gold coast. Patrolling a beat from Palm Beach to South Beach, Karen used brains, brawn, and sheer chutzpah to bring criminals to heel. All of this was most disconcerting for Karen's father, veteran private detective Marshall Sisco (Robert Forster), who had hoped that his darling daughter would have picked a less risky profession -- and, on a more personal level, wished that Karen would exercise better discretion in her choice of boyfriends. Karen Sisco premiered October 1, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Robert Forster, (more)

- 2002
-
- Add Book of Love to Queue
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Subtitled "The Definitive Reason Why Men Are Dogs", Book of Love is a mockumentary following the lives of three L.A. bachelors (Eric K. George, Anthony "Treach" Criss, and (Richard T. Jones) as they recover from a series of unhealthy relationships. The team of average Joes are no match for their manipulative girlfriends (Robin Givens, Mari Morrow, and Salli Richardson) , however, and the over eager men are taken for all they're worth. It's this manipulative, self-serving treatment that drives the young bachelors into behaving like "dogs" themselves. Directed by Jeff Byrd, Book of Love was produced by both BET Studios and 5th Gear Entertainment, and eventually released by Strange Fruit Films. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Eric K. George, Salli Richardson, (more)

- 2002
- R
- Add Red Dragon to Queue
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Following the phenomenal success of The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal, Anthony Hopkins returns as brilliant madman Hannibal Lecter in this thriller based on the novel in which author Thomas Harris introduced the character. Will Graham (Edward Norton) is an FBI agent with a rare gift for tracking serial killers who brought Hannibal Lecter to justice; however, his confrontation with Lecter proved to be a bloody, near-death experience, and afterward Graham retired from the Bureau, moving to Florida to spend his time with his wife, Molly (Mary-Louise Parker), and their son. However, a particularly grisly killer is on the loose, and Jack Crawford (Harvey Keitel), Graham's one-time mentor at the Bureau, asks him to return to duty to find him. The "Tooth Fairy" is a vicious murderer who kills entire families at once, covering the eyes of his victims with bits of a shattered mirror. Graham finds he needs help putting together the pieces of the "Tooth Fairy" case, and he calls upon Lecter looking for advice. Lecter, at once vaguely helpful and self-serving, as usual, offers scraps of information to Graham which help him zero in on the killer. But Lecter knows more than he's telling; the "Tooth Fairy" is actually Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), a troubled and withdrawn man who admires Lecter's violent panache and corresponds with him. Dolarhyde works at a film processing lab, where one of his co-workers, a blind woman named Reba McClane (Emily Watson), seems to be quite attracted to him. As Dolarhyde wrestles with both his murderous impulses and his feelings for McClane, Lecter plays Graham and Dolarhyde against one another so that, as the FBI agent comes closer to catching "the Tooth Fairy," Dolarhyde moves in on his next victim -- Graham's family. Red Dragon marked the second time Harris' novel of the same name had been brought to the screen; five years prior to The Silence of the Lambs, Michael Mann adapted the book for the screen as Manhunter, which starred William Petersen as Graham and Brian Cox as Lecter. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, (more)

- 2001
- R
- Add Never Again to Queue
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Two singles in their early fifties who are convinced love has passed them by find each other -- and then try to figure out what to do next -- in this romantic comedy. Grace Minor (Jill Clayburgh) is a social worker whose personal life has hit the skids. Prompted by her friends Natasha (Sandy Duncan) and Elaine (Caroline Aaron), Grace takes the plunge and sets up a meeting with a man she's found through an Internet dating service. The date is a complete disaster, and Grace, deciding she needs a stiff drink, dashes into the first watering hole she finds. Grace finds herself in a gay bar, where she meets Christopher Roland (Jeffrey Tambor), a full-time exterminator and part-time jazz musician who, after an unsatisfying relationship with a younger woman and a surprising erotic dream, thinks he might be turning gay. Christopher and Grace strike up a conversation and quickly discover they have a great deal in common. They begin dating, but both have been through enough bad relationships in the past that they are determined not to get too serious about this one, even after they discover they get along extremely well in bed. Never Again also features Michael McKean as a cheerful transvestite prostitute and Bill Duke as one of Christopher's bandmates. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Jeffrey Tambor, Jill Clayburgh, (more)

- 2001
- R
- Add Exit Wounds to Queue
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Returning to his action feature terrain after a short hiatus, Steven Seagal plays Orin Boyd, a maverick Detroit detective with an unconventional way of taking down foes. After a failed intervention in a terrorist kidnapping case that humiliates his superiors, Boyd -- who is hailed as a top-drawer investigator but frowned upon for his tactics -- is forced to do time in a tough downtown precinct. After discovering the covert drug operation performed by several corrupt cops at his new assignment, he decides to break the rules yet again. While the cops are planning a massive heroin deal with big-time gangster Latrell Walker (DMX), Boyd finds that Latrell is not who he once was, and Boyd persuades him to assist in bringing an end to the amoral police influence that helped ruin him. Exit Wounds is the second film from cinematographer-turned-director Andrzej Bartkowiak (Romeo Must Die) and also features Tom Arnold, Isaiah Washington, and Jill Hennessy. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Steven Seagal, DMX, (more)

- 2000
-
- Add Echo of Murder to Queue
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Between 1979 and 1981, 29 African-American children were murdered in Atlanta, GA, leading to a statewide manhunt to find the killer and a considerable outcry from a frightened public. Authorities eventually pinned the child killings on one Wayne Williams, who had been charged with two related murders of adult males. However, several years after Williams had been convicted of the killings of the two men and the case on the child murders had been closed, a pair of investigative reporters began looking into the matter, and discovered clear evidence that the investigation of the Atlanta child killings had been grossly mismanaged, and that in all likelihood Williams had nothing to do with the crimes. Who Killed Atlanta's Children? is a made-for-cable dramatization of the investigation by Pat Laughlin (James Belushi) and Ron Larson (Gregory Hines) as they attempt to find out how Williams (Cle Bennett) came to be railroaded for the child slayings and who the real killer might be. Produced for the Showtime premium cable network, Who Killed Atlanta's Children? also stars Bill Duke, Lynda Gravatt, and Sean McCann. Rudy Langlais, who as editor of Spin magazine helped to publish Laughlin and Larson's findings, served as producer on this project. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
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- Starring:
- James Belushi, Gregory Hines, (more)

- 2000
-
Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) is the world's greatest detective, and like any genius, he has his share of idiosyncrasies -- he loves orchids with an unnatural passion, he weighs a seventh of a ton, and--oh yeah--he never leaves his New York brownstone. Instead, he is aided by an army of foot soldiers headed by Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton). The film opens when Pete, a young windshield washer, is begged by a woman to call the police. She is then ushered into a car and whisked away. Thinking that she has been kidnapped, Pete gives Nero the scoop in exchange for half the reward money. When Pete later turns up dead, Nero kicks his investigation into high gear. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
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- Starring:
- Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, (more)