Michael Weston
Milo Ventimiglia (of the blockbuster TV series Heroes), headlines this dark crime thriller, which marks the sophomore directorial outing of Marc Schoelermann, following the 2006 telemovie Hexxx. Ventimiglia portrays a young intern, newly arrived at the University Hospital in Philadelphia, who stumbles onto a psychopathic group of colleagues playing a vile game. They regularly select one of their members (on a rotational basis) to commit the "perfect murder," while the rest use forensic methods to try to determine exactly how the homicide was executed. Alyssa Milano (of TV's Who's the Boss? and Charmed) co-stars as Ventimiglia's fiancée, while thesps Johnny Whitworth and Lauren Lee Smith are among the perpetrators. Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor (of Crank fame) scripted. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Milo Ventimiglia, Michael Weston, (more)
A successful 30-year-old (Zach Braff) with a the perfect girlfriend (Jacinda Barrett) and a lucrative outlook on life struggles with the increasing pressures of adulthood as he weighs the merits of settling down with the woman who loves him against risking it all to be with a comely co-ed (Rachel Bilson) in director Tony Goldwyn's remake of Gabriele Muccino's 2001 comedy drama. Crash and Million Dollar Baby screenwriter Paul Haggis adapts a script originally penned by Italian filmmaker Muccino, and Casey Affleck, Blythe Danner, Eric Christian Olsen, and Tom Wilkinson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Braff, Jacinda Barrett, (more)
The romantic comedy Wedding Daze stars Jason Biggs as Anderson, a young man all set to ask his girlfriend to marry him when, during the actual proposal, she dies. After spending a year in a depression, Anderson impulsively asks a waitress named Katie (Ilsa Fisher) to marry him even though they have never met. When she surprisingly agrees, the two must deal with the reactions of their respective friends and families. The supporting cast includes Joe Pantoliano as Katie's convict father. Michael Ian Black, formerly of The State and Ed, made his directorial debut with this film. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jason Biggs, Isla Fisher, (more)
The General Lee is back and so are the Duke boys in this big-screen adaptation of the hit TV series, brought to you by Jay Chandrasekhar of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe. Set in the "present day," the story follows Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) as they cruise around Hazzard County and wreck havoc in their classic 1969 Dodge Charger. Together with their scantily clad cousin Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshining Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), the two good old boys battle the corrupt county commissioner Boss Hog (Burt Reynolds) when he and local Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (M.C. Gainey) threaten to take away the family farm. John O'Brien has the lone writer's credit on the film, though additional uncredited rewrites were handled by the Broken Lizard gang. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott, (more)
- 2004
Not long after being voted "employee of the month" at a suburban Mega-Mart retail store, Edna Coruthers (Marie Cheatham) is killed in what appears to be a freak accident. Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is called in to investigate by the store's security manager Joe Christie (Enrico Colantoni), who suspects foul play. The assignment proves most distasteful for Monk, inasmuch as Christie is his ex-partner, who'd been thrown off the force for stealing drugs. Despite his animosity toward Christie, Monk manages to figure out that Edna was, indeed, murdered--but NOT for what seems to be the most obvious motive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In the wake of his success on the hit NBC sitcom Scrubs, actor Zach Braff made his debut behind the camera writing, directing, and starring in this bittersweet romantic comedy. Braff plays Andrew Largeman, a young man who has just received word of his mother's passing. With this news, Andrew returns to the town in which he grew up, where he is greeted by his father, Gideon (Ian Holm), a psychiatrist. In addition to mourning the loss of his mother, Andrew is also attempting to adjust to life without the emotionally numbing antidepressants that he has recently opted to discontinue using. Gradually, with the absence of the pills, his reconnection with his past, and the introduction of Sam (Natalie Portman), a woman who would seem to have little in common with him, into his life, Andrew is able to see the potential for some positive changes. Also starring Jean Smart and Peter Sarsgaard, Garden State was once titled Large's Ark and premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, (more)
- 2003
Daphne (Jane Leeves) is convinced that Frasier's reception to unveil a painting will be as big a disaster as most of his parties. Thus, she suggests to Niles (David Hyde Pierce) that they hold the festivities at their home. As the evening progresses, Daphne proves (much to her dismay) that she can be just as big a social screw-up as any other member of the Crane family. The only person who manages to avoid the chaos is the guest of honor artist Mike Shaw (Harve Presnell) -- who, like Daphne's mother Gertrude (Millicent Martin), would rather watch a televised boxing match than put up with the artistic elite. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Millicent Martin, Harve Presnell, (more)
- 2003
The first feature from writing/directing team Oren Goldman and Yariv Ozdoba, Final Draft is an insider-comedy about a pair of guys who have been friends since childhood and now, as adults, dream of making it as Hollywood screenwriters. Marty was born in Israel and maintains a somewhat cynical view of the world. Harry, on the other hand, grew up in New York and is slightly more wide-eyed. To bide their time before hitting the big time, the two have resigned themselves to editing home videos of bar mitzvahs and weddings. In addition, Harry works nights teaching Jewish folk dancing classes. But everything takes a positive turn when the guys discover they have a drug dealer in common with a bigwig at Misney studios. When they suddenly find themselves with a meeting scheduled with an actual Hollywood executive and no script to pitch, Harry and Marty scramble to come up with the perfect idea. Also starring Emily Bergl and Laura Jordan as the guys' love interests, Final Draft was shot digitally and premiered at the 2003 Victoria Film Festival in Victoria, British Columbia. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Weston, Hamish Linklater, (more)
Three strangers' lives converge when pitted against a corrupt hospital administration in this film about the hope that people find in each other. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rachael Leigh Cook, Michael Weston, (more)
Tori Spelling, Drew Carey Show stalwart Diedrich Bader, and SNL alum Chris Parnell team up for this wacky takeoff on B-movies, written and directed by Bill and Ted co-creator Chris Matheson. True to its title, Evil Alien Conquerors involves the efforts of Matheson and Parnell's bickering characters to eliminate every member of the human race, out of fear that they themselves will be annihilated by The Croker, a giant monster intent on intergalactic domination. Evil Alien Conquerors played various festivals before its video release. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
A school nerd is granted his heart's desire -- but at what price? -- in this teen horror flick. Brett (Michael Weston) is continually picked-upon and cast out of his school's various elite social circles, even as he worships popular-girl Samantha (Alexandra Holden) from afar. But after finding a strange package granting him three wishes, however, Brett finds the tide turning in his favor: suddenly, he and Samantha are dating, and he's the envy of every jock in the school. Not coincidentally, his scenester classmates start dying, one by one, and this -- combined with the fact that he won the favors of Samantha through mystical means -- begins to weigh heavily on Brett's mind as he plans a confrontation with the elusive killer. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
Based on the novel by John Katzenbach, author of Just Cause (1995), this prison camp drama combines elements of A Soldier's Story (1984) and the classic Stalag 17 (1953). Colin Farrell stars as Lt. Tommy Hart, a second-year Harvard Law School student who enlists to fight in World War II but ends up being taken prisoner by the Germans. When a murder at the Nazi-run Stalag Luft 13 leaves a black Tuskegee airman named Lt. Lincoln Scott (Terrence Dashon Howard) accused of the crime, high-ranking prisoner (and fourth-generation war hero) Col. William McNamara (Bruce Willis) persuades camp commandant Col. Werner Visser (Marcel Iures) to allow the prisoners to hold their own trial. Hart is recruited to defend his fellow officer, but as he reluctantly investigates, he discovers that not all of his fellow allied soldiers are fighting the same war and that his "client" may well have been framed. In the meantime, it becomes apparent that McNamara is using events to mask his true intent, a mission to destroy a nearby munitions plant that he still intends to carry out despite his incarceration. Hart's War (2002) co-stars Vicellous Shannon, Cole Hauser, Rory Cochrane, and Jonathan Brandis. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, (more)
An aspiring musician becomes one of the most famous bartenders in New York in this high-spirited comedy-drama. Small-town girl Violet Sanford (Piper Perabo) dreams of making a name for herself as a singer and songwriter, so she moves to New York City in hopes of landing her big break. Needing to support herself until stardom rolls around, she takes a job as a barmaid at a new nightspot called Coyote Ugly, where the owner Lil (Maria Bello) and the staff of attractive young women dance on the bar, flirt with the mostly male clientele, sing along with the jukebox, and goad the customers into matching them shot for shot. Soon, local media pick up on the bar's success, turning the staff into unexpected celebrities, a situation that presents its own set of problems. Coyote Ugly also stars John Goodman as Violet's straight-laced father, Adam Garcia as a customer Violet becomes involved with, and Tyra Banks, Melanie Lynskey, Bridget Moynahan, and Izabella Miko as the barmaids; action-film titan Jerry Bruckheimer produced. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Piper Perabo, Adam Garcia, (more)
While lots of people dream of winning the lottery, one man hatches a more ambitious plan than just buying a ticket and hoping for the best in this satiric comedy. Russ Richards (John Travolta), a weatherman on a local TV station in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, sells snowmobiles on the side, but both careers are in a rut thanks to an unusually warm winter. Russ's girlfriend Crystal (Lisa Kudrow) appears on the State Lottery's weekly televised drawing, pulling the numbered balls out of the rotating bin. With the help of a few of his less scrupulous friends - among them sleazy strip joint proprietor Gig (Tim Roth), small time hood Dale The Thug (Michael Rappaport), and Crystal's sleazy cousin Walter (Michael Moore) - Russ figures out a way to rig the drawing and have Crystal pull numbers that they happen to own. However, Russ discovers that making the scheme work and keeping everyone quiet about it is more trouble than it's worth. The supporting cast includes Chris Kattan, Ed O'Neill, and Bill Pullman; Nora Ephron, who previously worked with Travolta on the comedy hit Michael, directed. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, (more)
- 1999
Premiering in the dramatic competition at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, Getting to Know You is director Lisanne Skyler's first narrative feature, following her 1995 Sundance Film Festival documentary No Loans Today. The film takes place in one afternoon at a bus depot where Judith (Welcome to the Dollhouse's Heather Matarazzo) and her brother Wesley wait for the bus. There Judith meets Jimmy (Michael Weston), a kid with a great imagination and nowhere to go. Jimmy tells Judith stories about the lonely people who are sitting at the depot, and his tall tales become flashbacks in the film. As the story progresses, Jimmy and Judith start falling in love and finally reveal the secrets of their own lives: Jimmy's father was a cop who was killed in a simple domestic disturbance call, and Judith lives with her aunt following a spousal argument that put Judith's father in prison and her mother (Bebe Neuwirth) in a mental institution. ~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heather Matarazzo, Zach Braff, (more)
