Christ Zois Movies
- 2008
The Chelsea Hotel has long been considered the creative epicenter of New York City, a sort of unofficial gathering point for the most renowned artists and entertainers that the city has to offer. But while the Chelsea Hotel was once considered an impenetrable, untouchable monument to the creative spirit, an early 21st century renovation led many to believe that the new management company had little appreciation for its unique history. Dennis Hopper, Milos Forman, R. Crumb, Ethan Hawke, Grace Jones, and a whole host of Chelsea Hotel regulars all chime in with their fondest memories about the New York landmark, and their thoughts about what may be in store for the iconic building in the future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A twenty-five year old New Jersey man who lives with his parents and can't commit to his longtime girlfriend begins to wonder if he's missing out on something more in life after meeting a bored but beautiful SoHo club hopper and hobnobbing in the Hamptons with a group of jaded sophisticates. Jack (Steve Parlavecchio) works in a New Jersey nursing home. He's always maintained a positive attitude, but lately he's beginning to wonder whether his life has come to a stand still. Despite the fact that Jack and his girlfriend Susan (Stacy Mistysyn) have been dating for seven years now, Jack can't seem to muster the motivation to ask for her hand in marriage. On evening, during a rare outing to a SoHo nightclub, Jack makes the acquaintance of beautiful model Samantha (Jill Wolfe). The encounter leaves Jack wondering if he's settling for something less than he truly deserves, and in the following weeks he begins shunting Susan aside in favor of spending more time with Sam. The entire time, Jack seems entirely oblivious to the fact that the movers and shakers who comprise the Hamptons elite seem just as bored with their lives as he once was with his. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steve Parlavecchio, Arthur Nascarella, (more)
Abel Ferrara directed this erotic thriller adapted by Ferrara and Christ Zois from a short story by science fiction author William Gibson (in his Burning Chrome collection). Global corporations rule the world, and corporate raider Fox (Christopher Walken) and his deputy X (Willem Dafoe) could pocket $100 million if they can get top scientist Hiroshi (Yoshitaka Amano) to defect from one corporation to another. Fox offers singer Sandii (Asia Argento) $1 million to seduce Hiroshi away from his wife, family, and employer. An affair develops between Sandii and X, while she studies facts about Hiroshi's life. She departs on her assignment, but betrayals ensue, with Fox and X soon becoming targets themselves. With opening credits in three languages (English, German, Japanese), the soundtrack features the score-composition debut of hip-hopper Schoolly D, music which plays over a blank screen at the wrap-up (since the film has no closing credits). This Gibson short story was a property once in development by director Kathryn Bigelow. The title story of Gibson's Burning Chrome collection was planned as the second Heavy Metal movie, intended for live-action and scripted but never filmed. Shown in competition at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, (more)
Cult figure Abel Ferrara directed this typically edgy look at an actor whose abuse of alcohol and drugs takes an unexpected toll. Matty (Matthew Modine) is an actor whose career is on the fast track; however, he's not able to handle the pressures of life in Hollywood, so he heads to Miami to recharge his emotional batteries. Given Miami's night life, this might not have been the wisest choice he could have made, as he's soon sunk deep in a sea of drink and drugs. Matty asks his girlfriend Annie (Beatrice Dalle) to marry him, but she turns him down, as she's still bitter about having to have an abortion when he got her pregnant some time back. Matty, however, can barely remember this event. Matty's friend Mickey (Dennis Hopper), a night club owner and video artist, decides that Matty needs to get away from his problems, and they set out for a long night of heavy partying, during which Matty picks up a waitress, also named Annie (Sarah Lassez). Somewhere along the line, Matty drinks so much that he blacks out, and he awakes with no memory of the evening. 18 months later, Matty is clean and sober, living in New York with his new girlfriend Susan (Claudia Schiffer). He can't get Annie out of his mind, and he flies to Miami to visit her, hoping to close some old wounds. But Annie the waitress turns out to have some bad news for him when he arrives in Florida. The Blackout marked the acting debut of model Claudia Schiffer, and, as in several of Ferrara's previous films, seminal hardcore rapper Schooly D contributed several songs to the soundtrack. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
