Balthazar Getty Movies
Often playing characters with a sensitive demeanor lurking beneath a brooding surface, Balthazar Getty is an actor whose offscreen life has boasted as much drama as his onscreen work. Born in Los Angeles, CA, on January 22, 1975, Balthazar Getty's father was John Paul Getty III, the grandson of famous oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, and a notorious figure in his own right after his ear was cut off by kidnappers in 1973. John Paul Getty III suffered a debilitating drug overdose in 1980 which left him in a wheelchair, and in time he and his wife Gisela Zacher split up; Gisela remarried in 1988, to wedding translator and musician Olaf Kraemar. In 1989, a casting agent spotted young Balthazar Getty in his art class at school, and invited him to audition for a film role. Getty was then cast in the 1990 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies as Ralph, the child who struggles against the baser impulses which have overtaken his peers. Due to extensive post-production work on Lord of the Flies, Getty's second film -- a made-for-cable adaptation of The Turn of the Screw -- actually appeared first, but his work in Flies was well received and it wasn't long before more and bigger roles came his way. Getty won key roles in smaller independent projects such as Dead Beat and Where the Day Takes You as well as bigger-budget films, including Natural Born Killers, White Squall, and Lost Highway. However, the lure of the Hollywood high life took its toll as Getty's star rose; his family had a history of drug abuse, and Getty himself became addicted to heroin, only narrowly avoiding arrest in the fall of 1998, according to published reports. After this incident, Getty made a new commitment to health, and after kicking his habit began working steadily again in 2000 and 2001, appearing in the acclaimed independent films The Center of the World, MacArthur Park, and Four Dogs Playing Poker; Getty also tried his hand at working behind the scenes, serving as both star and executive producer of Shadow Hours. ~ All Movie Guide
- 2003
Marisol Nichols guest stars as Bianca, a visitor from the future who materializes in the present-day P3 club -- then promptly robs Whitelighter Chris (Drew Fuller) of his powers. Leo (Brian Krause) soon discovers that Bianca is a part of a family of assassin witches, and that dire consequences lie ahead for everyone concerned unless she restores Chris' skills posthaste. Meanwhile, Paige (Rose McGowan) seriously considers moving out of the mansion and moving in with Richard Montana (Balthazar Getty); Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) wants to join Jason (Eric Dane) in Hong Kong in hopes of restoring their relationship; and Piper (Holly Marie Combs) worries that her romance with a firefighter will cause a rift between herself and her son, Wyatt. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2004
Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) dons some revealing harem duds when she is forced to take the place of a genie that she has released from a bottle. Whitelighter Chris (Drew Fuller), knowing full well that he'll never be born unless he reunites his future parents, Piper (Holly Marie Combs) and Leo (Brian Krause), asks the genie-fied Phoebe to help him in this endeavor -- but things don't work out entirely as planned. Meanwhile, Paige (Rose McGowan) begs Richard (Balthazar Getty) to purge himself of his obsession with his inborn magic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Drew Fuller, (more)
- 2003
The love Paige (Rose McGowan) expresses for her new sweetie, Richard Montana (Balthazar Getty), embroils the Charmed Ones in a deadly "magic feud" between the Montanas and the Callaways. Things reach the crisis stage when Richard's dead lover Olivia Callaway (Rachelle Lefevre) takes over Paige's (Rose McGowan) body. Elsewhere, Leo (Brian Krause) is suspicious when Chris (Drew Fuller) embarks on a secret Whitelighter mission to the Underworld; and Phoebe's (Alyssa Milano) empath powers cause her to obsess over her sisters' innermost feelings -- and to talk about them at great and tiresome length! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2003
When her new boss, Larry (Johnny Sneed), loses his soul to a demon, Paige (Rose McGowan) is forced into an unholy agreement, one that will undoubtedly cause far more harm than good. In other developments: baby Wyatt seems to be using his inherent magic skills to sabotage his mother Piper's (Holly Marie Combs) social life. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is forced to collaborate with her rival columnist at the "Bay Mirror." And in their ongoing efforts to protect Wyatt from demonic harm, Chris (Drew Fuller) and Leo (Brian Krause) are hurtled back to the prehistoric era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2003
Emerging from the mansion's plumbing system, the legendary Lady of the Lake (Danielle Bisutti) solicits the aid of the Charmed Ones to protect the enchanted sword Excalibur. As a result, innumerable strange characters -- possessing powers ranging from evil to really evil -- show up at mansion, hoping to pull the fabled sword from the fabled stone. As it turns out, the only one capable of pulling it off (or should that be "pulling it out"?) is Piper (Holly Marie Combs), who now must locate Excalibur's rightful owner before the sword's power overwhelms and destroys her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2004
Using the "Book of Shadows" (without permission, of course), Richard Montana (Balthazar Getty) tries to free himself from the power of his family's karma -- despite the possible negative consequences on himself and his sweetheart, Paige (Rose McGowan). In another affair of the heart, Jason (Eric Dane) goes ballistic and breaks up with Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) when he learns the truth about the Charmed Ones. Also, Piper (Alyssa Milano) learns from Chris (Drew Fuller) that she must vanquish the Swarm Demons, the last remaining threat to her son, Wyatt -- but this will prove a difficult if not insurmountable task, since killing one Swarm Demon instantly creates two more in its place! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Drew Fuller, (more)
- 1994
- R
This drama combines elements of humor and sarcasm to chronicle to story of a charming serial killer in Albuquerque circa 1965. It is loosely based on a true story, a story that is said to have inspired Charles Manson. Kit is the narcissistic pathological liar and killer with a love of women. His story is told by his former follower Rudy. Kit lived to deceive. He would spend hours with makeup, hair dye and elevator boots to make himself resemble Elvis. He would say anything to get a woman into bed. He becomes romantically involved with Kirsten, a kindred spirit from a wealthy family. She is as manipulative as he and soon demands he prove his love for her. Kit trustingly tells her of a recent murder he performed. He had already confided in Rudy, but she figured he was lying. Kirsten uses the information to keep Kit close to her. She also tries to get rid of Rudy by messing up his relationship with Donna. Kit and Kirsten continue their increasingly intense game. It culminates in murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Ramsay, Balthazar Getty, (more)
Set the day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, December focuses on five prep-school students (Wil Wheaton, Balthazar Getty, Brian Krause, Jason London and Chris Young) who are of enlistment age. Though encouraged by their headmaster to enter the army, the boys are wary of battle, and discuss the pros and cons of the situation. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Jason London, (more)
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, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Brad Renfro, (more)
- 1994
- R
The secret longings of three young, hip L.A. couples provides the impetus of the conversations in lightweight drama which focuses upon the issue of commitment. One member of each couple, Suzanna and Dodger, Alicia and Robert, and Michelle and Charles secretly carries a torch for former lovers. It seems that while Suzanna begs for Dodger's attention, he is still attracted to Alicia, who's pregnant with Robert's child but hesitates to tell him because Robert is attracted to Michelle who is with Charles who still yearns for Suzanna. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Heather Graham, James LeGros, (more)
The hard-drinking patrons of a small-town dive bar are forced to fight for their lives when a vicious family of flesh-eating creatures arrive looking for their latest meal in a fast and fun horror romp filmed as part of HBO's Project Greenlight series and starring Balthazar Getty, Judah Friedlander, Henry Rollins, and screen veteran Clu Gulager. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Henry Rollins, (more)
Founder of the Slamdance Film Festival Paul Rachman makes his feature-length debut with this tale of dishonor among thieves, solidly in the vein of 1994's Shallow Grave. When four friends (Olivia Williams, Balthazar Getty, Daniel London, and Stacy Edwards) travel to Buenos Aires to crash a wedding reception, they have more on their mind than just a lively evening of free drinks and the Chicken Dance. With the aid of ace thief Felix (Tim Curry), they steal a precious Degas statuette from the mansion owner hosting the shindig and abscond to L.A. Unfortunately, the objet d'art is nowhere to be found, and the covert dealer (Forest Whitaker) who's expecting it is none too pleased. He demands that they come up with the piece or $1,000,000 immediately. To solve their problem, the four compadres take out life insurance policies on each another and plot out which friend is going to die in order to proffer the heist money. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Williams, Balthazar Getty, (more)
This chilling sci-fi drama is set in a sun-ravaged world no longer protected by the ozone layer. Human life has managed to continue, but it isn't easy. The tale centers on the insanely brilliant Hank Symes, a scientist who disregards the rules of his laboratory and swipes some biological materials and uses them to build the house he hopes can save humanity. Unfortunately, something goes horribly wrong and he becomes a mutant while the house itself turns into a living, unfriendly organism. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Tchéky Karyo, (more)
In this action-adventure story, Thomas Taylor (Christian Slater) is a master thief who was caught red-handed during a robbery and ended up in prison. Convinced he was pushing his luck, Taylor began pursuing a new career on the other side of the law as a paramedic when he's approached by one of his old partners and brought in on a robbery that could earn them a million dollars in cash. However, after Taylor and his cohorts pull the job, they discover the cash has been marked, and they find themselves at the mercy of Mark Cornell (Val Kilmer), an FBI agent gone bad. Produced under the title In God We Trust and shown on television as Run for the Money, Hard Cash also features Daryl Hannah, Bokeem Woodbine, and Balthazar Getty. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Val Kilmer, Christian Slater, (more)
Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, the sprawling six-part, 12-hour TV miniseries Into the West covers 65 years of American history, from the first major migration westward in the mid-1820s to the massacre at Wounded Knee in the early 1890s. The story is largely seen through the eyes of two protagonists (and their families): Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle), a wheelwright who leaves his Virginia hometown and his family's business in 1827 to seek his destiny in the company of legendary mountain man Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin); and Loved by the Buffalo (George Leach), a Lakota Sioux holy man who spends a lifetime seeking the answers to his profound and disturbing images about the future of his country -- and his people. Eschewing the usual "old-age makeup" route often pursued in epic tales of this nature, the main characters are played by progressively older actors in the course of the story: for example, Loved by the Buffalo is portrayed by no fewer than four different performers! In a more traditionalist How the West Was Won vein, the miniseries is festooned with major stars, some cast in very brief roles: among these are Josh Brolin, Keri Russell, Matthew Modine, Beau Bridges, Gary Busey, Tom Berenger, and Judge Reinhold. Nor is How the West Was Won the only inspiration for the multi-plotted storyline: other films echoed and emulated throughout the saga include The Iron Horse, The Big Trail, Westward the Women, The Searchers, and Dances With Wolves. As mentioned, the story is divided into six parts: "Wheel to the Stars," in which the fates of Jacob Wheeler and Loved by the Buffalo become forever intertwined; "Manifest Destiny," chronicling the first major trek to California; "Dreams & Schemes," wherein the Lakota lands are despoiled by Gold Fever and war breaks out between the North and South; "Hell on Wheels," chronicling the postwar chaos and the coming of the railroad; "Casualties of War," wherein the conflict between Native Americans and the white man results in wholesale bloodshed -- and, surprisingly, a "counter-revolution" of compassion and understanding; and "Ghost Dance," the last great stand of the Lakota, which brings the story full circle. Largely filmed in the Canadian Rockies over a six-month period, and utilizing the talents of six directors, Into the West premiered June 10, 2005, on the TNT cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthew Settle, Josh Brolin, (more)
A violent, effects-heavy science fiction adventure, Judge Dredd depicts a nightmarish future in which overcrowded cities are terrorized by brutal gun battles and policed by "Judges," law officers who act as judge, jury, and executioner. Sylvester Stallone stars as Judge Dredd, a punishing enforcer with an unswerving dedication to law and order. Little does Dredd know that a nasty villain (Armand Assante) and a corrupt Judge (Jurgen Prochnow) are plotting to take over the city and plan to frame Dredd for murder in order to prevent him from interfering. Dredd winds up in prison, but he fights back with the help of Judge Hershey (Diane Lane), his partner and romantic interest, and Fergie (Rob Schneider), his friend and comic relief, developing a plan to clear his name and stop the bad guys. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, (more)
An everyday hero recalls his life as he's forced to look death in the eye in this adventure drama. Jack Morrison (Joaquin Phoenix) is a young firefighter who is a member of Ladder Company 49, led by Capt. Kennedy (John Travolta), a tough but compassionate man who looks upon his fellow firefighters as a family. While battling a blaze, Morrison finds himself trapped inside a burning building, and as Kennedy and his men try to find a way to rescue him, Morrison looks back on his life and how he came to choose such a dangerous career. Ladder 49 also features Jacinda Barrett and Brooke Hamlin as, respectively, Morrison's wife and daughter. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joaquin Phoenix, John Travolta, (more)
Harry Hook directed this second screen adaptation of William Golding's cult novel about a group of British schoolchildren who revert to savagery when marooned on a deserted island. The new adaptation replaces British school children with a group of American military cadets and instead of a shipwreck, their plane crashes into the sea. The children swim ashore onto an island and try to fend for themselves, with the only surviving adult wracked with fever and crazed with pain. As the children get the feel of the island, the group separates into two different camps: Ralph (Balthazar Getty) and his followers prefer to act civilized and want to expand their efforts toward finding a way off the island; on the other hand, Jack (Chris Furrh) and his band revert to painting their faces, carrying spears and exploiting the island for survival. When the chances for rescue become less and less likely, the two factions go to war with each other, with tragic results. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Chris Furrh, (more)
Five years after the critical and commercial disappointment of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, director David Lynch returned to the big screen with this cryptic thriller about confused identities and erotic obsession. Fred (Bill Pullman) is an avant-garde jazz saxophonist who shares a luxurious but fashionably barren house with his wife Renee (Patricia Arquette). Fred suspects that Renee may be unfaithful to him, but realizes he has bigger things to worry about when a series of videotapes appear at his door that prove someone is watching his home from the outside and inside. When Renee is found murdered, Fred finds himself behind bars, but one morning Fred is no longer in his cell. He has seemingly been transformed into Pete Drayton (Balthazar Getty), a young auto mechanic who foolishly allowed himself to get involved with the wife of gangster Dick Laurent (Robert Loggia), a luscious blonde named Alice who looks exactly like Renee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Pullman, Patricia Arquette, (more)
Playwright Tyrone Atkins lost a promising career in theater and film -- as well as his home, his belongings, and (for a time) his freedom -- when he became addicted to crack cocaine. After conquering his habit, Atkins used his experiences living on the streets as the basis for this story about a group of homeless addicts attempting to hold on to the last shreds of their dignity. Cody (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) was once a respected jazz musician, but after getting hooked on crack, Cody abandoned his wife and son and now lives in a makeshift hut in Los Angeles's MacArthur Park. Cody scrapes up enough money to feed his habit through petty crime and acting as a go-between for more privileged users willing to pay a premium to him rather than hunt down hard-nosed dealer Freddie (B-Real). Cody's friend Blackie (Miguel Nunez) gets along in much the same way, but he finds himself in hot water after he takes off with the money of downwardly mobile TV actor Steve (Balthazar Getty), who gave him a handful of cash to score drugs for him. Cody is forced to take a long look at his responsibilities when he's confronted by his son Terry (Brandon Adams), whom he hasn't seen in years; Cody also runs into Karen (Rachel Hunter), once a fellow addict, who wants him to know there is a way out of the cycle of addiction. MacArthur Park's supporting cast also includes Julie Delpy, Lori Petty, Ellen Cleghorne, David Faustino, Sticky Fingaz, and Sydney Tamia Poitier, while R&B star Macy Gray contributed to the soundtrack; the film was enthusiastically received in its screenings at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Jefferson Byrd, Brandon Adams, (more)
- 1991
- PG
Scott Glenn is H.D., a champion rodeo rider whose career is ruined after being gored by a bull. He returns home to discover things have drastically changed -- the family farm has been abandoned, his old girlfriend Julie (Kate Capshaw) is a now a widowed mother, and his sister Cheryl (Tess Harper) has put his father (Ben Johnson) in a nursing home. H.D. rescues his father from the home and returns him to the ranch. But when H.D. leaves the farm to visit Julie, his father seeks out Cheryl. Cheryl retaliates by threatening to return her father to the nursing home and sell the ranch. At this point, H.D. takes notice of rodeo contest which would give him $100,000 if he can ride four bulls for a total of 32 seconds. H.D. bonds with his father as he gruelingly prepares for a return to the rodeo to win the contest and buy the ranch. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Glenn, Kate Capshaw, (more)
A frenetic, bloody look at mass murder and the mass media, director Oliver Stone's extremely controversial film divided critics and audiences with its mixture of over-the-top violence and bitter cultural satire. At the center of the film, written by Stone and Quentin Tarantino, among others, are Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Visually overwhelming, Robert Richardson's hyperkinetic cinematography switches between documentary-style black-and-white, surveillance video, garishly colored psychedelia, and even animation in a rapid-fire fashion that mirrors the psychosis of the killers and the media-saturated culture that makes them popular heroes. The film's extreme violence -- numerous edits were required to win an R rating -- became a subject of debate, as some critics asserted that the film irresponsibly glorified its murderers and blamed the filmmakers for potentially inciting copy-cat killings. Defenders argued that the film attacks media obsession with violence and satirizes a sensationalistic, celebrity-obsessed society. Certain to provoke discussion, Natural Born Killers will thoroughly alienate many viewers with its shock tactics, chaotic approach, and disturbing subject matter, while others will value the combination of technical virtuosity and dark commentary on the modern American landscape. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, (more)
