Amber Smith Movies
When supermodel Amber Smith decided to leave the catwalks and exotic tropical beaches and head for Hollywood, she was not prepared to be told that she was too tall or too beautiful for many of the roles she desired. It wasn't until Paul Mazursky cast her as a philandering husband's love object in Faithful that the leggy and voluptuous actress got her first break. A native of Tampa, FL, Smith started modelling at age 16. With little more than her determination and a strong resemblence to Rita Hayworth, she went to Paris to learn about modelling and to find work. It took four years and a dye-job (changing her blonde hair to red) to change her luck. In addition to working for Vogue and other fashion magazines, Smith became a popular swimsuit model for Sports Ilustrated, appearing in two consecutive issues of their celebrated Swimwear Edition. Smith was then chosen to be the Vargas Girl of the 1990s by Esquire Magazine. In 1995, Smith posed for a Playboy magazine spread. The acting bug bit after she appeared in two European made-for-television specials: Inferno and one made just for her called Forever Amber. After her appearance in Faithful, she continued to appear in major feature films. In television, Smith made guest appearances on such series as Friends and Just Shoot Me. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2008
Season two of the popular reality show Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew begins with the same premise as the first season: to film the three week rehabilitation process of a group of celebrities, facilitated by widely respected internist and addiction medicine specialist Dr. Drew Pinsky. The celebrities seeking treatment in season two include Rodney King, Tawny Kitaen, and others, as well as the return of season one cast member Jeff Conway. Sober for 13 years, actor Gary Busey also appears as the group's sobriety coach. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Pinsky
- 2001
In this erotic thriller, Alex Sheppard (Amber Smith) is an aspiring disc jockey who has taken a new job at a student radio station at a Los Angeles college. But Alex hasn't come to L.A. just to spin records on the air and further her education -- her sister was recently murdered, and Alex has come to Southern California in hopes of finding the killer. However, Alex's sleuthing turns out to be more dangerous than she imagined when a man claiming to be the murderer begins calling in during her radio show, threatening to kill her before he can be tracked down. Tell Me No Lies also stars Yvette McClendon and Zoe Anderson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amber Smith, Byron Bay, (more)
A man thinks he's found a cheap thrill, but discovers it's thrown him into a world of danger in this steamy drama. A filmmaker (Nero Campbell) who has moved into a new home discovers to his pleasant surprise that his next door neighbor is a beautiful woman (Amber Smith) who isn't inclined to keep her shades drawn. However, one night while watching her, he unwittingly becomes a witness to a murder, and soon the police have named the director as the prime suspect. While he tries to finish his latest project, the filmmaker also has to find a way to prove to the police he's an innocent man -- and convince his wife to ignore his voyeurism and give him a second chance. Previously released under the title Deception, Starstruck also features Ursula Weiss. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amber Smith, Nero Campbell, (more)
- 1997
Monica (Courteney Cox) and Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) are in danger of losing their illegal sublet, thanks to "good samaritan" Joey (Matt LeBlanc). Somehow the girls' salvation rests with Joey's dancing skills. In other news, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) has a more than professional interest in her new massage client Rick (Jason Brooks), and Chandler (Matthew Perry) can't wriggle out of his current arrangement with a workout center. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A family making their annual Christmas pilgrimage to Grandmother's house finds their journey taking an ominous turn when they attempt to take an unfamiliar shortcut in this low-key chiller from first-time director Jean-Baptiste Andrea. For 20 years, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) has driven the same, mind-numbingly familiar route to the annual holiday gathering, but the discovery of an unfamiliar shortcut simply proves too enticing for the loving but strained father to resist. As the road grows increasingly dark, the eerie sight of a young woman carrying a small infant sets into motion a horrific series of roadside deaths that finds the family's numbers quickly dwindling. Though there are no other travelers on the long and dark stretch of road, the appearance of a menacing black hearse seems somehow connected to the spectral woman and her child. Could it be that a vengeful entity was the previous victim of a roadside accident, returning to torment any trespasser who happens to wander down her silent stretch of road, or could the answer to the horrific mystery lie deep within the conscience of one of the few remaining family-members? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Wise, Alexandra Holden, (more)
Bret Easton Ellis' controversial novel about the sexual, emotional, and chemical interactions of a group of wealthy and amoral college students is brought to the screen in this adaptation from writer and director Roger Avery. Sean Bateman (James Van Der Beek) is a student at Camden College, a well-respected private school on the East Coast. Sean is attracted to Lauren Hynde (Shannyn Sossamon), a high minded and seemingly unapproachable coed, while Lauren is infatuated with Victor (Kip Pardue), a handsome but self-centered ladies' man. Lauren's empty-headed roommate, Lara (Jessica Biel), is also attracted to Victor, while he has no qualms about being involved with both. Lauren used to date affected snob Paul Denton (Ian Somerhalder), but Paul, a bisexual, currently lusts after Sean. Meanwhile, friendly campus drug dealer Rupert (Clifton Collins Jr.) finds a ready market for cocaine among his classmates; Sean, a steady customer, finds himself financially embarrassed and begins dealing drugs to help pay off his debts, while leading Paul on for his ready supply of marijuana. The Rules of Attraction also features Eric Stoltz as Mr.
Lance Lawson, Faye Dunaway and Swoosie Kurtz as semi-concerned parents, and Fred Savage as one of Sean's customers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Lance Lawson, Faye Dunaway and Swoosie Kurtz as semi-concerned parents, and Fred Savage as one of Sean's customers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Van Der Beek, Ian Somerhalder, (more)
A man who's devoted his life to running around on his woman finally meets his match in this comedy. Dray Jackson (Bill Bellamy) is a ladies' man par excellence, who never lets the fact that he has a girlfriend, Lisa (Lark Voorhies), get in the way of making time with as many other women as possible. As he spends a typical day going from house to house "visiting" a number of beautiful females, Dray fills his friends David (Pierre Edwards), Kilo (Jermaine Hopkins), and Spootie (A.J. Johnson) in on the finer points of the art of having as many ladies as you want without getting caught. Dray's sister Jenny (Natalie Desselle) and her friend Katrina (Mari Morrow) are at once disgusted and morbidly fascinated with Dray's cheerful, chronic infidelity, and since Jenny is studying anthropology, they decide that Dray's lifestyle would be a worthy subject for research. Deciding to see what would happen if Dray was really put to the test (and maybe teach him a lesson in the process), Jenny and Katrina throw a party, and they invite Dray -- and all the women whose telephone numbers appear in his address book. Max Julien, best known for his role as the ultra-smooth pimp in the blaxploitation classic The Mack, appears as Dray's lady-killing Uncle Fred. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Bellamy, Natalie Desselle, (more)
Based on the best-selling novel by James Ellroy and directed by Curtis Hanson, this award-winning crime drama explores both the dark side of the Los Angeles police force and Southern California's criminal underbelly in the early '50s, when Hollywood was still seen as America's capital of sophistication, glitter, and glamour. Dudley Smith (James Cromwell) is the head of the LAPD and is loyal to his officers and eager to turn a blind eye to violence or corruption within his department, as long as it's the "bad guys" who are getting hurt. Bud White (Russell Crowe) is a police detective whose violent and cynical nature is often at war with his basic sense of decency and justice. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) is a beat cop-turned-detective whose strict by-the-book philosophy and willingness to blow the whistle on other officers is balanced by a shrewd and opportunistic understanding of the internal politics of the department. And Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is a flashy "Hollywood" detective who serves as technical advisor for the TV series Badge of Honor. He is also in cahoots with Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito), publisher of the scandal sheet Hush Hush, who throws kickbacks to Vincennes in exchange for being brought along when showbiz figures get busted. White, Exley, and Vincennes find themselves drawn into a tangled and sticky web of violence and betrayal following a multiple murder at a coffee shop that is believed to be part of an effort by Mickey Cohen (Paul Guilfoyle) to consolidate his hold on organized crime in L.A. This lead appears to be connected to the discovery of a bizarre pornography and call-girl ring operated by Pierce Patchett (David Strathairn), whose women are given plastic surgery so that they more closely resemble well-known movie stars. White's role in the investigation is complicated when he falls for Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger), one of Patchett's prostitutes, who is the spitting image of Veronica Lake. L.A. Confidential was nominated for nine Academy Awards and netted two, with Brian Helgeland honored for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Kim Basinger taking home a statuette as Best Supporting Actress. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, (more)
Based on a best-selling autobiography, this comedy drama is the surprisingly sweet-natured life story of a controversial radio personality. Howard Stern, who stars as himself, is a nerdy New York kid who dreams of a disc jockey career despite being a self-loathing klutz who lacks a traditional broadcaster's voice. A strikeout artist in college, Stern's romantic travails end when he meets and marries Alison (Mary McCormack), a beautiful social worker. Stern's early career at several radio stations is undistinguished. Bored, he makes his life the centerpiece of his show, including his obsessions with sex and bathroom humor, and he finds willing cohorts in news reporter Robin Quivers and producer Fred Norris. After an abortive tenure at a Washington D.C. station that loathes his high-rated antics, he lands at NBC in New York. Again, Stern clashes regularly with executives, especially Kenny "Pig Vomit" Rushton (Paul Giamatti), who runs roughshod over Stern's team. At home, Stern's tendency to discuss the intimate details of his marriage takes a toll, reaching a meltdown when he jokes about Alison's recent miscarriage on-air. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Howard Stern, Robin Quivers, (more)
A hit man discovers the pros and cons of getting to know his victim in this dark comedy. Margaret (Cher) is supposed to be celebrating her 20th wedding anniversary, but she hardly feels like having a party; her marriage is in sad shape, her husband Jack (Ryan O'Neal) has just called to say he's going to be working late (she realizes this means that he's actually with his mistress), and she's sunk into a deep depression that borders on the suicidal. After a long bath, Margaret discovers that she's not alone in the house; Tony (Chazz Palminteri), a hit man, has been hired by Jack to knock her off (Margaret's death would mean a $5 million insurance claim for Jack), and he ties her to a chair, waiting for a call from Jack that signals he's out of town and that it's all right to proceed with the execution. With nothing to do while they wait, Tony and Margaret begin to talk; Margaret starts to feel like death isn't such a good idea after all, while Tony isn't so sure he wants to kill her anymore. Faithful was based on a stage play by co-star Palminteri; Robert DeNiro, who made his directorial debut with A Bronx Tale, written by Palminteri, served as co-producer for this film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cher, Chazz Palminteri, (more)
- 1998
- NR
In this drama, a lawyer puts his career and life on the line after he falls in love with a dangerous woman. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Amber Smith, (more)
