Camilla Overbye Roos

A man is forced to examine his headlong dive into chemically induced oblivion when he starts dragging someone else along with him in this independent drama. Dorian (Kirk Harris) is a gifted surgeon who has a severe problem outside the operating room -- he is an alcoholic and cocaine abuser who is quickly losing his grip on his habit. Stumbling from all-night benders and reckless sexual escapades into surgery, Dorian's habits have begun to worry his on-and-off girlfriend, Megan (Laurie Baranyay), and even his drug dealer, Teddy (Eric Roberts). Megan introduces Dorian to her close friend Anna (Camilla Overbye Roos), who recently lost her son in an auto accident. Anna immediately falls for Dorian and willingly follows him into his netherworld of decadence, but before long, Dorian begins to see where his lifestyle is taking both Anna and himself, and he realizes they both need to change before it's too late. Intoxicating was scripted by leading-man Kirk Harris and was adapted from a story written by Harris and director Mark David. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A woman blowing off steam after a bad day inadvertently signs out a death warrant on a number of people close to her in this suspense drama. Anna (Camilla Overbye Roos) has not been having a good time of it lately: she's been chewed out by her boss, she's had an argument with her best friend, her husband keeps making eyes at a waitress, she's been having trouble with her babysitter, and even the checker at the supermarket is giving her static. Decidedly unhappy, Anna stops by a neighborhood bar and has a few cocktails; after the alcohol has gone to her head, she starts discussing her problems with a mysterious stranger who tells her he can do something about all the people who are bothering her if she'll simply sign her name on a cocktail napkin. Anna does so, and promptly forgets about it, waking up the next morning with an industrial-strength hangover. However, a few days later Anna's boss is killed, and over the next few days several other people with whom Anna was cross start dropping like flies. Anna realizes that the mysterious stranger had her sign out a contract on everyone who wronged her, and now she must find him before anyone else dies -- or he comes back to murder her and close the circle. The Contract also features Jeff Fahey, Louise Fletcher, Andrew Keegan, and Amy Weber. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Based on a true incident from 1960, White Squall is the story of the tragic sinking of the Albatross, a prep school educational two-masted schooner, during a Caribbean storm. Screenwriter Todd Robinson wrote the script after meeting one of the tragedy's survivors, Chuck Gieg. In the film, Gieg (Scott Wolf) is the narrator. He and his fellow students, whose parents have paid handsomely for their schooling, which combines classroom work with real-life adventure, are introduced to their grizzled seafaring captain, Christopher Sheldon (Jeff Bridges). Gieg is initially skeptical of Sheldon's authority, but he gradually comes to see the captain as a model of manhood. The other boys aboard include Frank Beaumont (Jeremy Sisto), a self-absorbed snob; Dean Preston (Eric Michael Cole), a troublemaker and bully; Tod Johnston (Balthazar Getty), a returning student; and the naïve Tracy Lapchick (Ethan Embry). John Savage plays the pompous English teacher aboard the ship. Various incidents establish the boys' insecurities and relationships with the authorities -- and foreshadow their eventual fate. The killer squall comes up quietly but soon turns deadly, and the boys are forced to go beyond their privileged upbringings and deal with real danger. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

A detective plagued by headaches goes to a hypnotist and relives his investigation into a serial killer case in Lars von Trier's first feature, The Element of Crime. Fisher (Michael Elphick), a retired policeman, returns to Europe at the behest of his mentor, Osborne (Esmond Knight of The Red Shoes). Osborne, the author of an influential textbook called The Element of Crime, has given up his investigation into the Lotto Murders, in which a number of lottery ticket salesgirls have been killed and mutilated. The new chief of police, Kramer (former Benny Hill Show regular Jerold Wells), is a trigger-happy lunatic who objects to Fisher's methodical approach to crime solving. Osborne, meanwhile, seemingly losing his grip on reality, insists that the killer, Harry Grey, died in a car crash. Using Osborne's methods, Fisher tries to delve into the mind of Grey by following the path of a trip the killer took three years earlier, while Osborne was investigating him. Along the way, Fisher hooks up with a prostitute, Kim (Me Me Lai), who also has a link to Grey. As he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, Fisher finds himself taking on more and more aspects of the killer's persona. Von Trier uses a traditional film noir style voice-over, while visually, his film is a monochromatic sepia tone with occasional flashes of fluorescent blue. This film brought von Trier international attention, paving the way for his success with Zentropa and The Kingdom. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide