Samantha Janus Movies

First time writer-director James Marquand's feature debut, the steel-tough crime thriller Dead Man's Cards, marks one of the venerable British actor Tom Bell's final onscreen roles prior to his death in 2006. The tale unfolds in the seedy Merseyside borough of Liverpool, where Tom Watts (James McMartin), a former pugilist forced to retire from an eye injury sustained in the ring, accepts a position as a bouncer at a dilapidated nightclub run by Billy the Cowboy (Bell). Tom's wife, upset by his new occupation and embarrassed by the discovery of her husband's sexual impotence, abandons him. Meanwhile, at work, Watts is immediately befriended and mentored by his co-bouncer, Paul (Paul Barber), who has become implicated with a shady element thanks to his ex-girlfriend's involvement with the cocaine pusher Romeo Brown (Andrew Simister), a slimy thug in hock to the gangster and cocaine boss Chongi (Mark Russell). The latter attempts to strongarm Paul and then Tom into joining his security firm; when both refuse, Chongi grows psychotically hostile and plans to rub out both men with the help of a trained assassin. He doesn't count, however, on Tom's decision to stop him in his tracks. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Devastated by the recent death of his best friend, a successful London publisher travels to the countryside determined to find true meaning in his life. Charlie (Jason Flemyng) is a thirty-something publisher with a high-paying job and a beautiful girlfriend. Yet despite having all the creature comforts, Charlie can't help but feeling something is missing from his life. When his best friend dies, Charlie gets in his car and heads for the countryside. Upon checking into a lonely hotel with a landlocked lighthouse, Charlie encounters a series of extraordinary, everyday people who will change his life forever, including an ethereal waif named Grace (Kirsty Mitchell) who has been awaiting the arrival of her one true prince. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

John Godber scripted and made his directorial debut with this adaptation of his 1984 play about an amateur rugby team. Decorator and ex-Rugby League player Arthur (Gary Olsen) accepts a high-stakes bet from Reg Welch (Tony Slattery), manager of the tough Cobbler Arms team. Arthur must train a team to beat the Cobbler Arms, and he chooses the weak Wheatsheaf Arms losers, a motley crew who would rather quaff at the local pub. They're uncooperative -- until Arthur introduces them to their new fitness instructor, attractive gym-owner Hazel (Samantha Janus of the Game On comedy series). The training sessions get underway, with Arthur keeping his big bet a secret from all concerned. Set in West Yorkshire, the film was actually shot in Cardiff, Wales. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi