Joshua Leonard Movies
Joshua Leonard melded his prior indie film experience on- and off-camera and achieved unexpected fame in the low-budget horror blockbuster The Blair Witch Project (1999). After doing theater as a child, Leonard worked in production, as well as acting, in independent and experimental films in New York. Cast as the steadfast cameraman Josh in The Blair Witch Project, Leonard balanced shooting the film's 16mm footage with improvising the increasingly-eerie turn of events, along with fellow cast members Heather Donahue and Michael Williams -- according to directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez's fleeting instructions. Savvily-marketed through an Internet site as a "documentary" about an actual, lethal legend after its buzz-generating midnight debut at the Sundance Film Festival, The Blair Witch Project became an enormous summer hit, frightening audiences with its all-too-real sense of impending -- if unseen -- danger. Fans expressed relief that Leonard and his cohorts had not in fact come to their ends in the Maryland woods. After his sudden exit from The Blair Witch Project, Leonard continued working on independent films and moved to L.A. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi
- 2011
- R
Actress Vera Farmiga makes her feature directorial debut with this adaptation of Carolyn S. Briggs' autobiography, This Dark World: A Memoir of Salvation Found and Lost. Haunted by a low sense of self-worth ever since her childhood in the 1960s, Corrine finds her happy family falling apart by the time she reaches high school, and seeks comfort in the arms of talented young guitarist Ethan. Later compelled to join a tight-knit fundamentalist community that offers both security and spiritual nourishment, Corrine and Ethan discover a sense of peace that ultimately proves short-lived once the more conservative tenets of the congregation start to take priority. Her illusions of the ideal faith-based community shattered, Corrine begins to question her entire belief system as her life starts to unravel once again. Joshua Leonard and John Hawkes co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joshua Leonard, Norbert Leo Butz, (more)
Vacationing college students fight a shiver of sharks after traveling to an island getaway and being surrounded by the ferocious man-eaters in this sun-soaked shocker from director David R. Ellis (Final Destination 2, Snakes on a Plane). The moment Sara (Sara Paxton) and her friends arrive at her parent's Louisiana lake house, the party is in full gear. Everyone is swimming in the salt-water lake and having a blast until Malik (Sinqua Walls) loses his arm in what initially appears to be a tragic wake-boarding mishap. Determined to get him to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible, Malik's friends fire up the speedboat and hit the water full throttle. It isn't until they're far from shore that the reality of the situation finally dawns on them -- the lake is teeming with hungry sharks, and a tiny speedboat isn't about to stop them from getting their next meal. Suddenly, a severed arm is the least of their worries. As the feeding frenzy begins, Sara and her pals realize that their only hope for survival is to swim for their lives and reach the beach without becoming fish food. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dustin Milligan, Sara Paxton, (more)
A tall tale turns out to have long-term consequences in this dark comedy-drama. Lonnie (Joshua Leonard) used to dream of being a musician, but reality stepped in and now he's working a dreary day job and married to Clover (Jess Weixler), who is finishing her law degree. Lonnie and Clover are also the parents of a six-month-old daughter, and between work, school and looking after the baby, their free time has all but disappeared, which means Lonnie never gets to jam with his loser buddy Tank (Mark Webber). One day, Lonnie decides he just can't bear another day at work so he tells his boss that the baby is sick and he can't come in. Lonnie enjoys his day off so much that he chooses to skip work again the next morning, but this time his excuse ups the ante and leads him down a path that he won't be able to easily explain to his employers, his co-workers or Clover. Adapted from a story by T.C. Boyle, The Lie was the first feature film from director Joshua Leonard, who also plays Lonnie. The film received its world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joshua Leonard, Jess Weixler, (more)
An angry foodie develops a taste for violence in this darkly witty thriller from writer and director Joe Maggio. Peter Grey (James Le Gros) is a chef who thinks he has what it takes to become a multi-media celebrity -- he runs a popular restaurant, he's the host of a cable television series called "The Feast," and he's in talks to design and endorse a line of high-end cookware. But while he knows food, Peter is also pompous, self-righteous and convinced he's smarter than everyone around him; Peter wants "The Feast" to carry a responsible environmental message, but his producer at the network (Mario Batali) just wants something that will attract viewers and advertisers, and pairs Peter with a pretty but thick-headed co-host, Peg (Megan Hilty). Peter is near the end of his rope when a well-known cuisine blogger, T.J. Franks (Joshua Leonard), gives his restaurant a scathing review, and soon "The Feast" is cancelled, the cookware company passes on its contract with Peter, and his restaurant closes due to bad business. Peter is certain Franks is to blame for this sudden flood of bad luck, and he kidnaps the blogger, determined to get some revenge, served bloody. Bitter Feast was an official selection at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- James LeGros, Joshua Leonard, (more)
A couple hatches a highly dubious scheme to put the spark back in their marriage in this independent comedy drama. Annie (Katie Aselton) and Darren (Dax Shepard) have been married for seven years, and they love each other as much as the day they were wed; they're affectionate, have fun together, and enjoy games such as crossword puzzle races. They would seem to have a perfect relationship, except for one thing -- they haven't had sex in ages, and seem to have lost all interest in making love with one another, no matter how they try to put each other in the mood. Hoping to put some adventure back into their lives, Annie and Darren come up with an unusual idea -- they each get one night in which they're free to find someone and have sex with them, scot-free. But is this going to help their relationship, or is it just going to turn a small problem into a big problem? The Freebie was the first directorial assignment for actress Katie Aselton, who also plays Annie (and is married to another actor and filmmaker, Mark Duplass); the film was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kathryn Aselton, Dax Shepard, (more)
My Effortless Brilliance writer/director Lynn Shelton takes the topic of male bonding to new extremes with this comedy about two best friends who make an unusual pact that both may soon come to regret. Back in college, Andrew and Ben were inseparable. Years later, Andrew comes knocking on Ben's door and discovers that his former roommate is all grown up -- married and planning to have a baby. Meanwhile, Andrew never settled down at all, and has spent the past decade partying and traveling the world. Both men experience a mini existential crisis when they see what their own lives lack, and their dissatisfaction manifests itself in a strange way, when a drunken conversation about the upcoming amateur porn festival spirals into a contest of one-upmanship, with each guy daring the other to star together in a gay adult film. Two straight guys having sex together on film will surely be the hit of the festival -- and besides, it isn't a gay thing, just an artistic experiment! Strangely enough, even after sobering up the next day, neither Andrew nor Ben is willing to back down from their unique proposal. As the friends put their dignity, heterosexuality, and Ben's marriage in jeopardy to pursue their strange project, underlying issues about growing up, being friends, and the fear of a passionless life begin to creep into the picture. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Duplass, Joshua Leonard, (more)
Filmmaker Aaron Rose celebrates the independent spirit of D.I.Y. (do-it-yourself) culture in this documentary detailing how a group of like-minded American artists emerged from the underground in the early 1990s to have an enormous impact on the worlds of fashion, film, art, music, and pop culture in general. With virtually no connection to the mainstream art world, the ten artists featured in Beautiful Losers somehow managed to become the strongest creative voices of their generation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
One of the most notorious slasher films of the 1980s returns to terrorize filmgoers with this blood-soaked remake that proves just how horrifying high school dances can truly be. Donna Keppel (Brittany Snow) has survived a terrible tragedy, but now the time has come to leave the past behind and celebrate her senior prom in style. When the big night finally arrives, Donna and her best friends prepare to enjoy their last big high-school blowout by living it up and partying till dawn. But while Donna is willing to look past her nightmares and into a brighter future, the man she thought she had escaped forever has returned for one last dance. An obsessed killer is on the loose, and he'll slay anyone who attempts to prevent him from reaching his one and only Donna. Who will survive to see graduation day, and what will Donna do when she's forced to confront her greatest fear? Scott Porter, Jessica Stroup, and Dana Davis co-star in the slasher remake that will have tuxedo-clad teens everywhere nervously looking over their shoulders as they file out onto the dance floor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brittany Snow, Scott Porter, (more)
A man who can't walk meets a woman who envies his condition in this offbeat black comedy. Isaac Knott (Nick Stahl) lost the use of his legs when he was eight years old in an auto accident that also claimed the lives of his parents. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, Isaac has enjoyed a successful career as the host of a talk show on a New York City public radio outlet. One day, Isaac is told an odd story about a man who arrived at a local hospital and demanded to have his legs amputated; the man was part of a secret subculture of able-bodied folks who wish to be paraplegics, using wheelchairs when they can and attempting to deaden their legs through artificial means. Isaac becomes fascinated with the idea of these wannabes, and begins studying the phenomenon for a piece on his show. Isaac's research leads him to Fiona (Vera Farmiga), a sexy but mysterious blonde who collects and restores Chinese art. Fiona is also the owner of a wheelchair she doesn't really need, and Isaac, who is increasingly attracted to her, wants to know all about her role in the fake-paraplegic underground. However, Fiona isn't about to give away any of her secrets for free, and Isaac discovers that the exchange of information and trust goes deeper the longer they know one another. The first feature film from writer and director Carlos Brooks, Quid Pro Quo received its premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nick Stahl, Vera Farmiga, (more)
- 2008
A successful Los Angeles lawyer discovers that a short-term affair could have long-term consequences when a woman he had a brief affair with claims that she's currently pregnant with his unborn child. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joshua Leonard, Agnieszka Grochowska, (more)
A woman (Azura Skye) becomes pregnant with the first child of the post-nuclear apocalypse era in director Jim Torres' feature adaptation of a 1987 play by Ron Harris. Desperate to provide a better life for her unborn child, the expectant mother joins a band of survivors two decades after the unthinkable became a devastating reality. Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project), Nathan Baesel (Invasion), Reg E. Cathey (The Wire), and Diane Salinger (Carnivale) co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Azura Skye, Joshua Leonard, (more)
The warm-hearted drama Country Remedy concerns an ambitious doctor who must leave the familiar environs of the city in order to tend to a clinic in a rural North Carolina town. While there, he learns that he has been concentrating on the wrong elements in his life. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cameron Bancroft, Bellamy Young, (more)
An unexpected transformation helps a workaholic attorney learn that there's more to life than the courtroom in this remake of the 1959 Disney canine classic of the same name. Deputy District Attorney Dave Douglas (Tim Allen) takes his job in the halls of justice very seriously -- so seriously in fact that his wife and family see considerably less of their frequently-absent husband and father than they would prefer. When a case involving an animal laboratory finds the distracted dad once again taking an extended leave of absence from his frustrated family, Douglas' luck takes a turn for the worst after he is inadvertently infected by a top-secret genetic-mutation serum that transforms the two-legged lawyer into a four-legged sheepdog. Though his current situation has its drawbacks to be sure, the fly-on-the-wall perspective afforded to Douglas in his newfound state alerts the well-intending father and husband that all is not well on the home front. Moved by the unfulfilled needs of his neglected family and determined to become a better father if he can only shed his winter coat, Douglas' unique new vantage point could offer just the motivation needed to bring the nefarious forces behind the serum to justice and win back his wife and kids once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tim Allen, Robert Downey, Jr., (more)
A handful of college students looking for a good time are thrown into a world of danger in this homage to the slasher film cycle of the 1970s and '80s. Ben (Joel David Moore) has just been given his walking papers by his girlfriend and is deeply depressed. Needing a pick-me-up, Ben and his friend Marcus (Deon Richmond) head to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and take in a "Haunted Swamp Tour," with master of ceremonies Shawn (Parry Shen) guiding guests through a spooky patch of bayou country. Along the way, Ben and Marcus meet a pair of half-bright exotic dancers, Misty (Mercedes McNab) and Jenna (Joleigh Fioreavanti), as well as Marybeth (Tamara Feldman), a pretty girl who is secretive about her past. As they tour the swamp, Shawn tells his customers about the local legend of Victor Crowley, a deformed man who was taunted by the other children living near the swamp until he was nearly bludgeoned with an axe by his father while trying to open the door of their burning shack. While Ben and Marcus don't think much of the story at first, it doesn't take long before they have serious reason to believe Victor Crowley is still at large -- and is looking to settle some old scores. Hatchet received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joel David Moore, Tamara Feldman, (more)
A deadly form of madness has taken over Cunningham Mental Hospital, and it's not just the patients whose sanity is slipping in this dark thriller from director William Butler. Cunningham is infamous for housing some of society's most dangerously psychotic criminals, and when a staff nurse is murdered, newly hired psychiatry intern Clark Stevens (Joshua Leonard) begins to sense that the staff is being held in the grip of a deadly madness. As Clark begins an investigation into the murder, his research begins to yield ominous answers that may be better left unexplored. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An aspiring musician on the brink of stardom attempts to do battle with his personal demons before they finally get the best of him in an emotional musical drama from filmmaker Rebecca Cook. John Livien (Jason Behr) is a struggling New York City rocker who, along with band-mates Owen (Dominic Monaghan) and Robby (Joshua Leonard) sense that they are onto something big. Though Livien's devoted girlfriend Emi (Sarah Wynter) and hard working manager Brea Ally Sheedy do their best to support the band and provide the volatile singer with a comfortable environment in which to create, the prospect of standing face-to-face with his own worst inner fears may be enough to drive the increasingly unstable Livien to the point of no return. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jason Behr, Dominic Monaghan, (more)
A struggling actor decides to quit the business in the most permanent way possible in this dark comedy drama starring Paul Rudd, Donal Logue, and Mackenzie Astin. Dismayed at his lack of success onscreen and depressed by his lackluster personal life, actor Paul Miller (Rudd) announces that in two days time he will take his own life. Hiring a documentary crew to follow him as he says his goodbyes and prepares to take the final plunge, Paul steps to center stage for a starring role in the film that finds him seeking meaning and hope in the brief 48 hours before his scheduled demise. As the clock winds down and the crew nervously prepares for Paul's big send-off, one question remains -- will Paul have the courage to see his final role through to the bitter end? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Rudd, Donal Logue, (more)
A formerly remote house and shed used for bloody satanic rituals involving children is now in the middle of a burgeoning Australian suburb. The long-abandoned house is bought by Lynn (Belinda McClory), an unsuspecting American, who moves into it with her teenaged son Danny (Joshua Leonard) and her two small children. It's not long before Danny becomes aware that something is watching them from the woods; and soon after tree roots take on lives of their own and entangle the family members, who, upon escaping, think the attacks are normal for the local plant life. But when the two children begin summoning the demons from Hell in the shed, Danny and Lynn enlist the help of a maniac to stop them from opening a gate to Hades. ~ Buzz McClain, Rovi
This gang warfare drama is from director Scott Kalvert, whose previous film was the controversial and violent The Basketball Diaries (1995). In the sweltering summer of 1958, Leon (Stephen Dorff) and Bobby (Brad Renfro) are leaders of the Brooklyn street gang known as the Deuces. When their brother Alley Boy died from an overdose, the two toughs vowed to keep narcotics out of their turf, but now they're being muscled by a new and more powerful gang called the Vipers, fueled by drug money and led by mobster Fritzy Zennetti (Matt Dillon). As a vicious gang war heats up that will determine Brooklyn's future, a romance develops between Bobby and Annie (Fairuza Balk), the leader of a girl gang. Deuces Wild co-stars Frankie Muniz, Balthazar Getty, Max Perlich, Drea de Matteo, Deborah Harry, Vincent Pastore, Joshua Leonard, James Franco, and Johnny Knoxville. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, (more)
As America geared itself for another possible armed conflict in Iraq, the HBO cable service offered a dramatization of events surrounding the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Originally telecast on December 8, 2002, Live From Baghdad recounted the efforts by the CNN network to be first on the scene when hostilities broke out in the Gulf in late 1990. Inaugurating round-the-clock coverage of the warfare with the invasion of Kuwait, dauntless CNN producers Robert Wiener (Michael Keaton) and Ingrid Formanek (Helena Bonham Carter), aided and abetted by on-the-scene reporters Bernard Shaw (Robert Wisdom), Peter Arnett (Bruce McGill), and John Holliman (John Carroll Lynch), among many others, represented the only American news service on the scene during the first night of bombing on January 16, 1991. Not only does Live From Baghdad celebrate the heroism (and meticulous fairness) of the CNN crew, but it also vividly demonstrates how a tiny but tenacious basic cable channel managed to out-scoop the Big Three networks, thereby becoming one of the most powerful and influential journalistic forces in the world. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Keaton, Helena Bonham Carter, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rachael Leigh Cook
Writer and director Allison Anders, who used the world of rock & roll as the backdrop for her films Border Radio, Grace of My Heart, and Sugar Mountain, returns to the music scene for this tale of a woman struggling to come to terms with an emotionally devastating past. Sherry McGrale (Kim Dickens) is a punk-influenced singer and songwriter whose angry, deeply personal music has begun to win her a national following, though the demons that fuel her art are playing havoc with her life, as she drowns her sorrows in drugs and alcohol and fills a growing police blotter with arrests for disorderly conduct. Sherry is winning significant airplay for a song about the brutal rape of a young woman, and rock journalist Owen (Gabriel Mann) convinces his editor Pete (Rosanna Arquette) to assign him a major story on Sherry when he tells her he knows the truth about Sherry's own rape as an adolescent, which inspired the song. Owen is forced to run interference with Chuck (Don Cheadle), Sherry's manager and former boyfriend who is fiercely protective of his fragile client, but Owen is still able to meet with the singer. However, Owen finds that Sherry either can't or won't remember most of the details of the brutal and degrading assault, and she doesn't want to discuss the heavy toll it's taken upon her. Influential experimental rock group Sonic Youth contributed several original compositions for the film's score; Sherry's singing voice was provided by Kristen Vigard, who performed on the soundtrack of Grace of My Heart. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kim Dickens, Gabriel Mann, (more)
The Blair Witch Project's Joshua Leonard stars in this offbeat independent comedy, the sophomore directorial effort from filmmaker Irving Schwartz. Leonard plays Nick, a mild-mannered guy who finds himself thrust into a madcap cross-country adventure after a case of mistaken identity. Along the way, Nick runs into a menagerie of oddball characters ranging from a serial killer to Death himself. LArceNY costars Andy Dick, Tyra Banks, and rapper-turned-actor Heavy D Myers. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi
- Starring:
- Audrey Marie Anderson, Robert Bagnell, (more)
- 2001
Actor-turned-director Murray Fahey set this haunted house horror flick in the suburbs of Australia. The film opens with brash American Lynn Graham (Belinda McClory) moving into her new suburban dream home with her three kids, including teenaged Danny (Joshua Leonard). Unfortunately, the house -- which has been abandoned for the past 30 years -- has long been rumored to be haunted after the murder of a pair of children. Soon friends and associates are being dragged to their own deaths by killer sentient weeds that emerge from under the house. The younger two children become obsessed, and the neighbor's cute daughter Bronwyn (Lauren Hewett) goes from being Danny's potential first love to being his killer. This film was screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joshua Leonard, Belinda McClory, (more)
This military drama is based on the true story of Carl Brashear, who was the first African-American to serve as a diver in the United States Navy. Brashear (played by Cuba Gooding Jr.) was born to a poor farming family in the deep South, and joined the Navy in hopes of bettering himself. When Brashear applies for diving school, he first encounters Master Chief Billy Sunday (Robert De Niro), a gruff and tyrannical diving instructor who holds absolute sway over his charges. Sunday does little at first to encourage Brashear's ambitions, and the would-be diver discovers racism in the military is an ugly fact of life when his white comrades refuse to share barracks with him. But Brashear's courage and determination make an impression on Sunday, and the two men become allies as Brashear must fight prejudice, military bureaucracy, and even a crippling injury in order to realize his dreams. Originally announced under the title Navy Diver, Men of Honor also features Hal Holbrook, David Keith, Michael Rapaport, Charlize Theron, and Powers Boothe; Bill Cosby served as an executive producer for the project. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding, Jr., (more)
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