Michael Risley Movies
Four friends are swept up in a treacherous game of intrigue and betrayal during a Monday night poker game gone terribly awry. Every Monday night, Aaron Tyler (Johnathon Schaech) and his friends get together for a friendly game of poker. They've had the same routine for years, and it's always been a low-key affair. But tonight's game of poker will be anything but routine, because after accidentally killing a burglar who was sneaking into Aaron's house, the boys attempt to cover up the crime by quietly disposing of the corpse. When the dirty deed is done, the friends take a pledge of silence, agreeing to take the secret to their graves. But someone else knows exactly what they've done, and as the murderous game of revenge gets underway, the friends realize that their horror has just begun. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnathon Schaech, Judy Reyes, (more)
A man learns the hard way just how bad he's been to his girlfriend in this independent drama laced with dark humor. Conrad (Michael Rodrick) is a high-strung, impulsive man who shares a home with his fiancée, Jennifer (Debbie Rochon). While their relationship has not always been cordial, Conrad crosses a line when he discovers a pornographic videotape has been left at his front door -- and that Jennifer is the female lead in the movie. A violent quarrel follows, ending with Conrad raping Jennifer. Furious, Jennifer soon gets revenge by cutting off Conrad's penis with a pair of scissors, and then holding his member for ransom. While Conrad is told by a surgeon that his penis could possibly be reattached, Jennifer wants 10,000 dollars for the organ, money he doesn't have, and he discovers she fully intends to use this situation to settle a large number of old scores. Nowhere Man also features a cameo appearance from Troma Team Pictures head Lloyd Kaufman in a rare non-comic role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rodrick, Debbie Rochon, (more)
There's an old joke that goes "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get you," and this independent thriller puts a new and frightening spin on that notion. Jackson (Michael Risley) has a good job with a computer firm and a solid relationship with his fiancée Kim (Adrienne Shelly), but that begins to change one day when Jackson notices things on his desk aren't where they're supposed to be. Jackson wonders if someone is playing tricks on him when he starts getting vaguely threatening messages in his e-mail, and he sees a television commercial advertising a new fragrance for women, Revolution #9, that he's convinced is filled with messages directed specifically at him. Kim is worried that something is wrong with Jackson, and urges him to see a psychiatrist, but Jackson is convinced that someone is determined to hurt him. After his fears cost him his job, Jackson is diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, but he refuses to believe it, certain that the doctors are in cahoots with whoever has been after him, and he tries to track down Scooter McCrae (Spaulding Gray), the director of the TV spot for Revolution #9, in a bid to find out the truth about what's been happening. Revolution #9 was written and directed by Tim McCann, and premiered (in rough-cut form) at the 2001 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Risley, Adrienne Shelly, (more)
