Brian Vander Ark Movies
Brian Vander Ark is better known as the lead singer of the rock group The Verve Pipe. He has made a couple of appearances in films directed by Matthew Leutwyler. In 2001 Vander Ark appeared in his biggest scale movie to date alongside Mark Wahlberg, Rock Star. ~ All Movie Guide
A shattered family man seeks comfort in the arms of an exotic dancer after his unfaithful wife files for divorce and seeks full custody of their young daughter in this dark drama from director Damian Skinner. Andrew never suspected that his wife was cheating on him, and when she finally dropped the bomb it was devastating. Now his entire life is about to change forever, and his only means of coping with the pain is to escape into a dangerous world of addiction and sexual experimentation. Seduced into self-destruction by a beautiful but dangerous beauty, Andrew abandons sobriety as he struggles to find his way in a world gone to ruin. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Chester Prince, Eliza Swenson, (more)
A gruesome thriller based on actual events, director Damien Skinner's Red Ridge tells the tale of a man who comes face to face with true evil while traveling through Texas to meet his estranged wife. Brandon Miller may not have kept his promise to stay sober, but he's determined to keep the promise he made to estranged wife Alicia to meet her at her cabin on the Texas-Mexico border. Upon taking a short cut though the remote town of Red Ridge, however, Brandon quickly becomes caught up in horrifying circumstances beyond his control. Alicia's sister Dawn and her boyfriend were also on their way to the cabin, and had previously attempted to take the same shortcut as Brandon. Unfortunately the traveling couple made the mistake of picking up a pair of sadistic hitchhikers named Lalo and Ness, two men with a serious torture fetish. When Brandon spots Dawn's car in Red Ridge, he suspects that something may be amiss and stops to look for her. Thus begins a terrifying journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche, a place from which few get out alive, and those who do will be forever changed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Chester Prince, Louis Herthum, (more)
A road trip rolls through a small town where the line between the dead and the living has become a bit problematic in this horror parody. A handful of twentysomethings are driving to Galveston, TX, in an RV to attend the wedding of a close friend. After a long day on the road, the travelers find themselves in a tiny town called Lovelock, where the only available accommodations are at a bed and breakfast run by the eccentric Mr. Wise (David Carradine). One of the kids, Johnny (Oz Perkins), notices that Mr. Wise is carefully looking after a small box; curious about its contents, Johnny opens it, only to unleash a torrent of evil spirits who turn the local rednecks into bloodthirsty creatures hovering somewhere between life and death. Dead & Breakfast features supporting performances by Portia de Rossi, Diedrich Bader, Jeremy Sisto, and David Carradine's daughter Ever Carradine; co-star Oz Perkins is also the offspring of a well-known actor, Anthony Perkins. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ever Carradine, Brent David Fraser, (more)
Loosely inspired by the true story of the heavy metal band Judas Priest, this music industry fable from director Stephen Herek is based on a script by actor-turned-writer/director John Stockwell. Mark Wahlberg stars as Chris Cole, a wannabe rock star who works by day as a copy machine repairman and by night as the lead singer of Blood Pollution, a Pennsylvania tribute band that imitates the best-selling heavy metal rockers of Steel Dragon. Although he's supported by his girlfriend Emily (Jennifer Aniston), Chris is devastated when his friends kick him out of the band he founded. His humiliation doesn't last long, however, as Chris soon learns that he's been tapped to replace the lead singer of Steel Dragon, literally becoming a rock star overnight. Chris soon has everything he's ever wanted but is disappointed to discover that being a superstar isn't everything it's cracked up to be. Rock Star was produced under two other titles, "Metal God" and "So You Want to Be a Rock Star." ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
An idealistic, thirty-five year old corporate writer struggles with feelings of inadequacy while pondering just how his successful brother is viewed as a "failure" in the eyes of their parents in director Mitchell Bard's existential workplace comedy. Del Richards writes for American Homework, a trade magazine that specializes in home improvement. Divorced from his wife Kate, with whom he shares joint custody of the pair's lovable greyhound Sam, Del begins to have doubts about his future at American Homework when the magazine owner's duplicitous son takes over the day-to-day operations of the publication. With a rival corporation eyeing American Homework for takeover and the mental health of his ageing mother rapidly deteriorating after the death of his father, Del must now consider an offer to help expedite the takeover despite the fact that it may mean moving to another town and away from everyone he has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A novice filmmaker finds himself dealing with both personal and professional dilemmas when his life takes some unexpected turns in This Space Between Us. Alex (Jeremy Sisto) is a director whose first feature has received a frosty reception from the Hollywood brass, and the best job his agent can find him is directing a TV movie reuniting the cast of Punky Brewster. Alex decides it's time to give up on Los Angeles and heads to his old stomping grounds in the San Francisco Bay area, through his memories of his days there are now bittersweet following the death of his wife, Maggie (Vanessa Marcil). Alex is soon reacquainted with several of his old flames, including French artist Zoe (Clara Bellar), cheery high school pal Arden (Poppy Montgomery) and rich but flaky Paternelle (Alex Kingston). He also finds that his best buddy from school, Jesse (Erik Palladino) is still feuding with his old rival Sterling (Vincent Ventresca), who is now a city supervisor. This Space Between Us features cameo appearances from musicians David Charles Lowery (of Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven) and Brian Van Der Ark (of The Verve Pipe). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeremy Sisto, Vanessa Marcil, (more)
A film student discovers the action movie project of his dreams is happening around him in real life in this offbeat independent drama. Alex (Erik Palladino) is a nerdy student studying film production and not doing especially well with it. One day, Erik and his roommate Lars (Billy Jayne) discover they have a new neighbor, an attractive and self-confident woman named Blue (Jennifer Rubin). After they share a few beers and discover a mutual fondness for the films of Sam Peckinpah, Alex makes a startling discovery about Blue -- she's a hired killer, who has a hit scheduled the following week in Miami. After that, Blue plans to get out of the business and leave the United States for good. Alex has a brainstorm: he'll tag along for Blue's last "project" with a camera and make a documentary about her. Blue agrees to cooperate, but en route Alex finds out more about Blue than he was planning on, and when the killing doesn't go smoothly, he finds himself suddenly aiding Blue and not just recording her actions. Jennifer Rubin gives a standout performance in this film, which also features Brian Vander Ark from the rock band The Verve Pipe in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Rubin, Erik Palladino, (more)
