Gill Holland Movies
A bored and blasé man of faith hits the road and encounters some strange surprises along the way in this independent comedy from filmmaker Todd Rohal. Father William Smoortser (Steve Little), known to his colleagues and students as Father Billy, is a Catholic priest who seems to have become disenchanted with his work; he'd rather tell jokes to his bible study group than actually discuss scripture, and has more interest in the finer points of diner food than Catholic doctrine. Father Billy's superiors decide he needs some rest and recreation, so he invites Robbie Shoemaker (Robert Longstreet) to join him for some camping and canoeing. Robbie used to play guitar in a heavy metal band and was engaged to Father Billy's sister, and to the priest he's always seemed like the epitome of cool. Robbie and Father Billy hit the river and soon have traveling companions in a pair of young Asian women who call themselves Tom Sawyer (Koko Lanham) and Huck Finn (Miki Ann Maddox). But it isn't long before the travelers become lost, and the journey becomes increasingly surreal as Father Billy learns some surprising secrets about Robbie. The Catechism Cataclysm was an official selection at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, (more)
- 2010
Filmmaker Peter Byck profiles a variety of eco-friendly innovators across the United States, from scientists to everyday people, in this solutions-based documentary. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- 2010
Born in a Long Island suburb in 1944, James Slattery immediately felt drawn to the feminine side of life -- to such a degree that he established himself as one of the most iconic of all female impersonators, Candy Darling. As given life by Slattery, this young, sexy, and alluring blonde actress single-handedly overtook Manhattan. She attained her greatest recognition for her portrayals in two Paul Morrissey-directed films: Flesh (1968) and Women in Revolt (1971), both produced by Andy Warhol. Mainstream stardom soon beckoned to Darling, but aside from bit appearances in such productions as Klute (1971) -- and playwright Tennessee Williams's decision to cast her in a production of his Small Craft Warnings -- she continued to suffer from marginalization. Internally, if Darling suffered from an intense and bitter loneliness that propelled her into a life-long search for love, she also wielded boundless courage -- the same courage that enabled her to transform herself from a Long Island-bred young man into a Manhattan glamour goddess. Tragically, she died of lymphoma at age 29, soon after attaining stardom. James Rasin's documentary Beautiful Darling pays unfettered tribute to Darling's all-too-brief life and career, with a combination of current and vintage interview material, rarely seen archival photos and footage, and extracts from Darling's movies. Rasin weaves much of the material around the theme of fidelity to one's true self and deepest convictions, as exemplified by Darling. Morrissey executive produced. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Director and actor Linas Phillips takes his audience on a strange but fascinating cross-country journey in this independent comedy. Linas isn't sure what to do with himself when his girlfriend (who is already married) breaks up with him, his friend tells him he's no longer welcome to sleep on the sofa and he has no idea of where to turn. Stuck in Seattle, Linas wishes he could get out of town, and when he finds "Shorty," a battered 1976 Volkswagen bus that's been customized to significantly reduce its length, he buys the vehicle, hops in and starts heading East, with a vague notion to going to Brooklyn. Over the next ten days, Linas drifts from one side of the country to another, and as he encounters a variety of colorful strangers en route, he begins to embrace the possibilities that come with each turn of the road and begins to believe being on his own isn't as awful as expected. Combining scripted material with improvisation and interactions with random strangers, Bass Ackwards received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Three childhood friends who once made a game out of chasing illegal immigrants back across the border discover they're no more impervious to tragedy than the people they tormented when a quick moneymaking scheme turns suddenly treacherous. Back in high school, Greg, David, and George used to stake out the U.S.\Mexico border, harassing desperate immigrants as they attempted to pass through. When David departed for college the group was split up. But now David's returned, and he's got a plan to heist a truckload of stolen televisions from his father, the owner of a trucking company that dabbles in black market luxuries. If they can turn the televisions around fast, reasons David, they can move to New York City and start a new life. As the plan gets underway the three friends begin to mature, and find their loyalties shifting while becoming more sympathetic to the plight of illegal immigrants. When the cargo of the truck proves to be something far more malevolent than television, the three friends realize that they may have finally gotten themselves into a jam they can't walk away from. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Six questionably-sane individuals all vie for the last remaining room in a posh mental institution in hopes of escaping the pressures of modern living and being gently coddled for the rest of their lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2009
Director Michael Sladek profiles controversial art world figure Mark Kostabi in this documentary exploring the many pitfalls in one man's quest for fame. Back in the 1980s, Kostabi's paintings were all the rage - but how many of those masterpieces were created by other artists from behind the scenes? Shamelessly admitting that he was only in it for the money and audaciously slapping his name on paintings created by others while pocketing the pay, Kostabi eventually burned so many bridges that he found himself stuck on an island without a friend. Now, as the attention-craving artist attempts his big comeback, Sladek uses his lens to show that some old grudges die particularly hard. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An ageing Seattle rocker takes a pair of teens on a camping trip in this warm-hearted coming of age story starring Mark Duplass and Academy Award-nominee Melissa Leo. Sam Bryant (Duplass) isn't exactly the kind of guy a parent would recruit to take their kids on a camping trip; he doesn't have a job, he's still searching for a record deal, and he was nearly homeless until he moved into his aunt's house in the suburbs. But perhaps a change of scenery will do Sam well, and when Oliver (Bret Loehr) and Jake (Carr Thompson) need an adult to supervise their camping trip, Sam reluctantly obliges. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Duplass, Melissa Leo, (more)
- 2008
- NR
This documentary takes a fascinating look at the underground anti-consumerist metal scene that gained popularity in Norway in the 1990s. Led by the messages of bands from the black metal scene, members of the movement eventually followed alleged leader Varg Vikernes to commit such violent acts as burning churches all over the country. Encouraged by fabricated accounts of outlandish and even supernatural activity, members of the movement eventually turned fiction into reality, creating a firestorm of controversy and bringing the stuff of urban legends into the history books. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
Love is in the air thanks to a magic potion whipped up by an imaginative student in this playful independent comedy with music. Timothy (Tanner Cohen) is a bright young man who is attending an upscale private high school, Morgan Hill, thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of his mother (Judy McLane). Timothy is also gay and doesn't care who knows it, which doesn't make him popular with his classmates; his closest friends, a girl nicknamed Frankie (Zelda Williams) and her boyfriend, Max (Ricky Goldman), attend another school. Timothy has a serious crush on Jonathon (Nathaniel David Becker), but Jonathon isn't interested in boys, to Timothy's chagrin. Timothy is cast as Puck in the school's spring musical, a musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and inspired by his character's machinations, Timothy tries to recreate the love potion used in the play. Miraculously, Timothy arrives at a formula that actually works, and after accidentally dousing Max and having to fend off his advances, Timothy sprays Jonathan with the concoction and soon has the boy of his dreams. However, before long Timothy's magic potion gets loose, and things get very lively on campus, among both the students and the teachers. Were the World Mine was the first feature film from director Tom Gustafson, and won the Audience Award at the 2008 Torino International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tanner Cohen, Wendy Robie, (more)
The fates of a Mexican woman sold into sexual slavery, a car thief seeking to go straight, and a Japanese assassin converge on the streets of New York City in director John-Luke Montias' complex crime drama. Lured to New York from Mexico with the promise of a stable restaurant job, Olivia (Jessica Pimentel) finds herself imprisoned in an inner-city bordello and forced into prostitution. She's under the thumb of Albanian pimp Milot (Stivi Paskoski), who has recently dethroned a Chinese mob boss named Eddie Chang (Clem Cheung). Chang is none too pleased to see Milot encroaching on his business, and hires Japanese hitman Tomo (Jun Suenaga) to take care of the competition. Meanwhile, gullible car thief Joey (Montias) bickers with his uncle Jack (Gene Ruffini) about the best way to go legit, and Olivia finds herself in hot water after attacking her latest john, a crooked cop, in a moment of unbridled rage. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jessica Pimentel, Jun Suenaga, (more)
This warm and breezy romantic comedy from director Jay Jonroy explores an interracial romance between the unlikeliest of partners: a Muslim refugee and a New York Jew. David Fine (David Moscow), the host of a Big Apple man-on-the-street TV show called "Sex and Happiness," never expected to meet and fall in love with a Middle Eastern immigrant - particularly given his marital engagement to a Jewish partner, Abby (Callie Thorne). But his path soon intersects with that of Layla, a young woman orphaned when Saddam Hussein's troops gassed the rest of her family. She now lives with relatives in Manhattan, and (unbeknownst to the kinfolk, who believe she's a nursing student) supports herself by collecting under the table for a slightly suggestive dance act - the warm-up for a local belly dancer. With deportation looming, Layla looks for an out; a customs official suggests a marriage of convenience, but that soon becomes unnecessary when Layla meets David and deep, abiding love blooms. . . to the horror of both families. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- David Moscow, Shiva Rose, (more)
A young writer's friendship with a famous author turns sour when he falls for the wrong woman in this independent drama. Sanford Pollard (Rutger Hauer) is a once-famous and successful novelist whose career is in a bit of a slump. Pollard has used his still-impressive literary reputation to land a prestigious teaching position at a major university, where English student and aspiring author Carter Baines (Matthew Davis) is his student and assistant. While it doesn't take long for Baines to discover how petty and manipulative Pollard can be, he's also more than a bit awed by the great man, and feels privileged to be taken under his wing. Pollard has another favorite student, Julia (Dagmara Dominczyk), a beautiful coed who becomes his lover, but as the friendship between Pollard and Baines becomes closer, Julia finds herself increasingly attracted to Pollard's handsome young assistant. For a while, Pollard and Baines share Julia's affections, but when she decides she wants Baines more than Pollard, the older man becomes increasingly angry and vindictive against his charges. The first feature film from director David Langlitz, Mentor received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis, (more)
An engaged couple discovers just how brutal married life can me when their pre-marital counselors turn out to be a embittered husband and wife who've been quarreling ever since they tied the knot 17 years ago in this screwball comedy starring Jane Lynch and Alexie Gilmore. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jane Lynch
A twentysomething misfit dedicates his life to giving the drummer some, even when the drums are only imaginary, in this comedy written and directed by comic Ari Gold. Power (Gold) grew up in a small mining town in New Mexico, where his father (Michael McKean) always imagined his son would one day join him in digging copper from the earth. But Power has a dream of playing the drums, and since he doesn't have a drum kit, he's become a master of "air drums," flailing his arms in the manner of Neil Peart or Keith Moon against a huge but nonexistent set of traps. Power's desire to become the world's greatest air drummer doesn't earn him much respect at home, so he travels to Mexico, where he learns of an air-drumming competition in Newark, NJ. Power hits the road for the garden state and meets Carlos (Steven Williams), a master air drummer who becomes his guide in the art of not really playing. Power also gets some much-needed encouragement from Annie (Shoshannah Stern), a sweet born-again girl living upstairs from him. But when Power learns that his father back home is leading a strike to save jobs for the employees at the local copper mine, winning the title becomes a matter of defending the honor of his family and his hometown, and he dedicates himself to defeating arrogant country music star Dallas Houston (Adrien Grenier), who is favored to win. Adventures of Power also stars Jane Lynch, Travis Johns, and Jimmy Jean-Louis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ari Gold, Michael McKean, (more)
A lonely bachelor battles a spirited canine for the heart of a beautiful girl, in the process realizing that he may have a greater affection for his new girlfriend's four-legged companion than for her beautiful master. The moment that Charlie (Brendan Hines) met Daphne (Malin Akerman), he was convinced that he had finally found the girl of his dreams. There was only one problem: Daphne had a pet dog named "Babydoll" who never left her side. Charlie has a thing about dogs - he hates them. But he's willing to overlook Daphne's inexplicable love for Babydoll if it means getting closer to the woman who holds her leash. Just as Charlie begins to doubt his ability to compete with the true object of Daphne's affections, however, something entirely unexpected happens - the man who once detested dogs realizes that he may not need a girlfriend after all but a companion of the dour-legged variety instead. Could it be that Charlie cares more for Babydoll than he does for Daphne? Now, if he hopes to keep his relationship with Babydoll in good standing, Charlie will have to continue charming Daphne or risk losing the two most important ladies in his life. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Malin Akerman, Brendan P. Hines, (more)
- 2007
Irena Salina directs this feature-length documentary about the industry and consumption of humankind's most precious resource: water. As African villages survive on potentially toxic water supplies out of sheer necessity, Salina explores how the corporate structure has come to control humanity's water supply, creating a dire situation that experts have come to refer to as the World Water Crisis. With issues of pollution, politics, and human rights all coming to a head with the issue, Salina points the finger at the specific corporate and governmental figures responsible for the crisis, and takes a look at how grassroots organizations work to fight the increasing privatization of water, hoping to end the imbalance in access to the precious resource that has already had mortal consequences for so many. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi
- 2006
- Add American Cannibal: The Road to Reality to Queue Add American Cannibal: The Road to Reality to top of Queue
Originally conceived as an instructional video on how to conduct pitch meetings, American Cannibal: The Road to Reality gradually evolved into something far darker. Documentary filmmakers Perry Grebin and Michael Nigro follow aspiring TV writers Gil S. Ripley and Dave Roberts as their failed Comedy Central pilot leads them to try their hand at reality TV. They start out pitching a show about N.Y.C. firefighter trainees at Randall's Island, but eventually decide that they have to push the envelope and come up with something that has more of an edge. They wind up at the office of Kevin Blatt, best known for marketing the Paris Hilton sex tapes, and pitching a show called "Virgin Territory," in which several male contestants, all virgins, compete for the opportunity to lose their virginity to a porn star. Blatt responds positively, but upon reflection, he prefers an idea that Ripley mentioned in passing, pretty much as a joke, for a show called "American Cannibal," wherein contestants would be put on a remote island and deprived of food to the point of starvation, presumably to see which of them would be willing to resort to cannibalism. Ripley and Roberts have qualms about it, but it's Blatt's money, so they begin developing the show, with disastrous results. Grebin and Nigro intercut this narrative with interviews with reality show veterans like Dr. Richard Levak, Jon Murray, and The Daily Show's Lizz Winstead, who discuss the phenomenon of reality TV. The filmmakers appear to be blurring the line between reality and fiction, and rumors have circulated as to the authenticity of their story. American Cannibal: The Road to Reality had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival, in the NY, NY Documentary Competition. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gil S. Ripley, Dave Roberts, (more)
A petty criminal's attempt to turn his life around takes both him and a young boy on an unexpected journey in this independent drama. Twentysomething Daniel Carter (Mark Webber) has been in trouble with the law ever since he was a kid, and his latest misadventure has led him to performing community service at a grade school in the East Village. Daniel strikes up a close friendship with one of the students he's working with, Boone (Antonio Ortiz), an eight-year-old who has shown surprising resilience despite a blighted home environment. When Boone doesn't show up for school one day, Daniel asks some questions and learns his mother has become seriously ill and a foster family has taken him in. Boone is eventually put up for adoption, and Daniel hopes to gain custody of the boy, convinced helping the boy will give him a chance to turn his life around. However, his age and criminal record make Daniel an unfit father in the eyes of the court, and when Daniel's father refuses to help, he has a brainstorm -- Boone has mentioned that he has an older sister in Dallas, so Daniel snatches the boy from his foster parents and hits the road for Texas, planning to reunite Boone with his family. Just Like the Son received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Webber, Antonio Ortiz, (more)
- 2005
A working vacation takes two former lovers into a strange and dangerous place in this offbeat independent thriller. Margaret (Catherine Kellner) is a photographer who has landed an assignment with the federal government to document toxic waste sights along the U.S.-Canadian border. With a long drive ahead of her, Margaret decides she'd like some company, so she asks her former boyfriend Jay (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), who doesn't have much else to do, to tag along. Any hopes Jay held for a reconciliation are dashed when Margaret reveals she's engaged to be married, but that soon proves to be the least of his worries. After driving for a few hours, Jay and Margaret keep getting lost and seem to be going in circles, but no matter how far they drive, their gas gauge never changes. As the landscape becomes more puzzling, so do the people they encounter, who seem at once emotionally distant and menacing. But where have argaret and Jay ended up -- and is there any way they can get out? Road was the first feature film from writer and director Leslie McCleave. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Catherine Kellner, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, (more)
Ishai Setton's comedy drama The Big Bad Swim concerns the people who sign up to attend a beginner adult swim class. Some of the people involved in the class include Amy (Paget Brewster), whose marriage is on the rocks; Jordan (Jess Weixler), a stripper; and the teacher Noah (Jeff Branson), who eventually experiences romantic sparks with Amy. Another subplot involves a documentary film being made about Jordan. The Big Bad Swim had its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paget Brewster, Jeff Branson, (more)
A European exile finds herself a stranger in a strange land when she comes to the United States in this independent romantic comedy-drama. As a man ponders what to do with his family's estate after the death of his grandmother, he thinks back to how she first came to America shortly after World War I. Olaf (Tim Guinee) is a Norwegian-American farmer looking for a wife to share his home on the Minnesota prairie, and with eligible women in short supply locally, he sends away for a mail-order bride. Inge Ottenberg (Elizabeth Reaser) soon arrives at Olaf's doorstep, but while she's pretty, smart, and amiable, he's taken aback to discover she's not Norwegian but German, which after several years of anti-German propaganda does not make her popular with her new neighbors. Inge isn't very good with English, making it even harder to keep her background a secret, and the local pastor, Rev. Sorrensen (John Heard), is so outraged at the presence of a presumed Hun he refuses to perform their wedding. But Inge struggles to make friends with her new neighbors, in particular Olaf's best friend, Frandsen (Alan Cumming), a gadget fancier whose wife, Brownie (Alex Kingston), is better with mechanical items than he is. In time, Inge's cheerful nature and love of music begin to make an impression on the community as she shares her favorite tunes on her ever-present gramophone. Sweet Land was the first feature film from writer and director Ali Selim. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Reaser, Tim Guinee, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.