Eugene Musso Movies
John Dahl's mob comedy You Kill Me stars Ben Kingsley as Frank Falenczyk, an alcoholic mob hitman who is ordered into AA by his boss (Philip Baker Hall). In order to clean up, he goes to San Francisco and successfully starts tw12-stepping with the help of his sponsor (Luke Wilson). Eventually Frank gets a job at a mortuary, where he falls in love with Laurel (Téa Leoni). Soon his new existence is threatened when people from his old life start showing up. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Kingsley, Téa Leoni, (more)
Three twentysomethings learn the hard way about how to behave in a cemetery in this independent horror story. Harris (Dominic Purcell), Sid (Marcus Thomas), and Kira (Josie Maran) are three longtime friends who are reunited under unfortunate circumstances when their pal Devin dies in an auto accident. After attending Devin's funeral, the three stage an impromptu wake at a nearby roadhouse, and after lots of drinking they return to his grave to pay their final respects. Sid finds a note on Devin's grave which contains what appear to be lyrics to a song; the revelers begin singing the song and dancing around the cemetery, trampling the nearby graves. It isn't long before Devin's friends discover they've made a serious mistake; the poem they sang was actually a magic spell, and by reciting it as they disrespect the dead they've awakened angry spirits, who begin terrorizing them in their homes. Worst of all, paranormal investigator Vincent (Tchéky Karyo) informs Harris that there's only one sure way to stop the ghosts from bothering them -- death. The Gravedancers received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dominic Purcell, Josie Maran, (more)
- 2006
- R
- Add Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon to QueueAdd Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon to top of Queue
A small-town serial killer with a curious penchant for self-promotion unleashes a blood-soaked frenzy of terror in his violent effort to become the best-known slasher in horror history. On the surface, Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) is just your average, everyday guy whose lofty dreams for the future drive him to excel at his chosen profession. But Leslie's chosen career path is a far cry from that of your typical middle-class wage earner; his ultimate goal is to follow in the footsteps of his mentor, notorious serial killer Eugene (Scott Wilson). He's not shy about his malevolent ambitions either. In fact, in order to better document his impending murder spree, Leslie has offered budding filmmaker Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) and her dedicated crew unprecedented access to his life as he sets into motion a plan designed make to make the formidable feats of Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers look like a mere warm-up for the homicidal hysteria that's about to unfold. Along the way, Leslie will even be so cordial as to teach Taylor and her crew the tricks of the trade while candidly deconstructing the many myths and archetypes of his murderous occupation. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, (more)
A regular guy adds some much-needed drama to his life in this comedy. Peter Rooker (Marcus Thomas) is a man who has come to a crossroads in his life -- he's just been given his walking papers by his girlfriend, has lost interest in his job, and is looking for something new in his life. Filled with ennui, one evening Peter walks into a small theater where a community drama company is holding auditions for a production of Cyrano de Bergerac. While Peter has no acting experience and stumbles through his impromptu audition, director Edwina (Clare Higgins) thinks there's a great Cyrano lurking inside him, and gives him the title role. Before long, Peter has gained a new circle of friends, dominated by eccentric small-time actors Michael (John Corbett) and Grace (Amy Smart), who are playing Christian and Roxanne, and a new enthusiasm for life. But as it happens, both Peter and Michael have become infatuated with Grace, and as Peter tries to find a way to win her attention, Edwina begins to wonder if casting Peter was such a good idea after all. Bigger Than the Sky was the first dramatic feature from actor-turned-director Al Corley. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcus Thomas, John Corbett, (more)
David Mamet wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his play about a man who suddenly stumbles into a new and dangerous life. Edmond Burke (William H. Macy) is on his way home from work one evening when he impulsively stops to have his fortune read by a woman who informs him, "You are not where you belong." When he does arrive home, Edmond soon falls into an argument with his wife (Rebecca Pidgeon), and he storms out into the city, where he stops at a bar for a few drinks. There, Edmond finds himself talking with a man (Joe Mantegna) who freely shares his racist views about the role of African-Americans in society, and suddenly Edmond begins letting go of the sense of self-control that has always governed his actions. After a crawl through the city's underbelly of watering holes, strip clubs, gambling dens, and brothels, Edmond comes face to face with the violence of this world, and unexpectedly finds himself responding in kind. Edmond also stars Julia Stiles, Denise Richards, Mena Suvari, Bai Ling, and Dylan Walsh; it was directed by Stuart Gordon, who worked often with David Mamet during their early days at Chicago's Organic Theater Company. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William H. Macy, Julia Stiles, (more)
A group of disparate characters look for understanding and compassion in the midst of a lonely holiday season in this comedy drama. Rose (Susan Sarandon) is a middle-aged divorcée whose mother is in the hospital with an advanced case of Alzheimer's disease; while Rose wants one more chance to tell her mother that she loves her, the woman doesn't even know who she is anymore. Mike (Paul Walker) is a police officer who has become the obsessive focus of an elderly waiter, Artie (Alan Arkin), who is convinced Mike is the reincarnation of his late wife. Meanwhile, Mike is engaged to marry the beautiful Nina (Penélope Cruz), but he's so consumed with jealousy and suspicion that she's not sure if she can go through with the wedding. And Jules (Marcus Thomas) is a street hustler who has only one fond memory of Christmas -- ending up in an emergency room, where the staff was holding a party. Jules wants to relive the experience, and is even willing to injure himself to do so. Noel was the first directorial effort from actor and playwright Chazz Palminteri. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penélope Cruz, Susan Sarandon, (more)
A handful of disgruntled bank employees decide to stage a robbery, but with no plans of doing it together, in this comedy. Sheila (Alicia Silverstone) is a teller at a small town bank who reaches her breaking point when her boyfriend, Rick Becker (Joshua Leonard), who also happens to be her boss, breaks up with her after three years of stringing her along, both emotionally and professionally. In order to get revenge against Rick, Sheila decides to rob the bank, but come the night of the heist, she discovers she wasn't the only person with similar plans that evening. Stuart (Paulo Costanzo) wants some adventure in his life, and plans to loot the bank vault to finance a gambling vacation in Las Vegas with his brother Max (David Krumholtz). And put-upon teller Jason (Woody Harrelson) wants to clear out the safety deposit box of foul-tempered local tycoon Charles Merchant (John Cleese), not knowing that Shmally (Rachael Leigh Cook), a clerk at a clothing store with a score to settle against Merchant, already has her own plans for dealing with him. Scorched was shot in 2001, but didn't play in American theaters until 2003, though it did enjoy a run in Europe during the interim. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachael Leigh Cook
The exciting and dangerous world of professional bull riding provides the backdrop for this drama about the pull between romantic love and a brother's loyalty. Ely Braxton (Marcus Thomas) dreams of being a star on the professional rodeo circuit, and even though he's learned from experience that bull-riding is a dangerous and potentially life-threatening sport, a long hospital stay after an accident in the ring hasn't dulled his enthusiasm. Ely's father was a champion rider, and his older brother Hank (Kiefer Sutherland) is a rodeo clown who looks after Ely as best he can. But family bonds are tested when Ely falls for a woman Hank is in love with (Daryl Hannah), and Ely isn't sure if he can count on his brother's support as he prepares for the most important ride of his life. Ring of Fire also features Pete Postlethwaite, Melinda Dillon, Bo Hopkins, Russell Means, and Molly Ringwald. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcus Thomas, Kiefer Sutherland, (more)
Rage, jealousy, murder, and Eastern European automotive engineering combine in this offbeat black comedy. Verplanck, NY, is a small town north of Manhattan that has the dubious distinction of being the Yugo capital of America; the ill-fated import compact was first test-marketed in Verplanck, and nearly everyone in town drives one. So no one finds it unusual when a yellow Yugo is seen floating in the river, though seeing someone trapped inside is out of the ordinary. Verplanck's chief of police, Wyatt Rash (Danny De Vito), discovers that the deceased driver was a prominent local citizen, Mona Dearly (Bette Midler), and the evidence suggests that Mona's death was no accident. But the investigation into Mona's murder is hampered by one rather significant detail: nearly everyone in town hated Mona and wanted her dead. She alienated her son Jeff (Marcus Thomas) and his business partner Bobby (Casey Affleck). Bobby's girlfriend Ellen (Neve Campbell) (who is also Rash's daughter) is convinced that Mona would have tried to drive a wedge into their relationship. Mona's husband Phil (William Fichtner) couldn't stand her and fell into an affair with Rona (Jamie Lee Curtis), the waitress at the local diner. And even Rash's sidekick, Deputy Feege (Peter Dobson), spent too much time on the wrong end of Mona's temper to care that she's dead. Before long, the question is no longer who is a suspect, but who isn't? Drowning Mona was directed by Nick Gomez, who earned positive notices for his independent films New Jersey Drive and Illtown. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, (more)
When new evidence confirms that he was framed, reporter Harry Barber (Woody Harrelson) is released from prison after serving two years. He then goes on to demonstrate repeatedly that he is the dumbest, most masochistic noir hero since Adam ate the apple. His original plan, to leave Palmetto, is foiled when he runs into his girlfriend Nina (Gina Gershon), a successful sculptor who truly loves him. Unfortunately, he also runs into Rhea Malroux (Elisabeth Shue), a conniving femme fatale and wife of a dying millionaire, who offers him $50,000 for a small part in a phony kidnapping of her stepdaughter Odette (Chloe Sevigny. Feeling that he is owed something for his lost two years, and blinded by Rhea's sexuality, Harry agrees to participate even after he realizes he was set up from the very beginning. Complicating matters for himself, he also accepts an offer from the DA to serve as press liaison on the case. As the kidnapping careens out of control, Harry's involvement follows the same trajectory. His downfall is that he thinks he's clever, but his ability to think rationally is compromised from the start and worsens from there. ~ Steve Press, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson, Elisabeth Shue, (more)
