Carla Gugino Movies
Whether she is appearing in a frothy television comedy or an intense movie drama, Carla Gugino creates interesting and believable characters. A native of Sarasota, FL, Gugino spent most of her youth being shuttled by her mother to various locations in California. At age 15, she and her mom were living in San Diego, when Gugino was convinced to try a modeling career in New York City. She succeeded, but soon found the fast pace of high-fashion modeling too much for her and moved to Los Angeles, where she took advice from an aunt, model Carol Merril, best known for her work on Let's Make a Deal game show, and enrolled in acting classes to study under drama coach Gene Bua. Gugino quickly found her calling as an actress and she threw herself into her studies. Because she was so young, her mother insisted that Gugino study only six months in Los Angeles and then return to San Diego. Just before the time period ended, Gugino made her film debut in the comedy Troop Beverly Hills (1986). More features followed, until she got her first supporting major role, that of Norma in the Robert De Niro/Leonardo Di Caprio drama This Boy's Life (1993). Her next co-starring role came in Miami Rhapsody (1995). Gugino interrupted her film career to play a co-starring role on the Michael J. Fox sitcom Spin City. She found she missed working in films and left the series. Her other television credits include the British miniseries The Buccaneers and television movies for the HBO and Showtime cable networks. As her film career progressed, Gugino kept landing increasingly meaty roles. In 1998, she starred opposite Nicolas Cage in Brian De Palma's action thriller Snake Eyes. Later following with roles in both Spy Kids and The One (both 2001), Gugino continued to gain wide exposure. Subsequently proving she had what it takes to thrill in the two Spy Kids sequels, Gugino was later cast as the eponymous character in the 2003 action/crime hybrid series Karen Sisco. Based on the character originally essayed by Jennifer Lopez in the 1998 Steven Soderbergh film Out of Sight, the show followed the exploits of a tough but sexy US Marshal as she chased fugitives along Miami's Gold Coast. That same year Gugino could also be spotted in a duel role in director Keith Gordon's The Singing Detective. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide- 2010
A sequel to his own ensemble comedy Women in Trouble, writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez's Elektra Luxx opens a month after the events of the first film to offer a glimpse into the harried life of the titular character -- a porn actress (Carla Gugino) whose life descends into chaos when she discovers she's pregnant. Timothy Olypahnt, Alicia Silverstone, and Justin Kirk co-star in a sequel also featuring numerous actors from the original film. A third installment, tentatively titled Women in Ecstasy, is scheduled to follow in quick succession. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino
- 2008
The feature debut of director Tim Chambers, this sports drama stars Carla Gugino (Spy Kids) as Cathy Rush, a women's basketball coach in the early 1970s. With almost no resources for the sport, Rush is hired by a small college and commits herself to turning a nearly nonexistent team into a national competitor. With sheer determination, the coach inspires her team to reach for the stars. ur Lady of Victory also stars Ellen Bustyn and Marley Shelton. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Boreanaz, Carla Gugino, (more)
- 2007
When Yom Kippur rolls around and Ari chances into "Medellin" producer Nick Rubenstein at temple, the announcement that the long-in-gestation biopic is back in production prompts the dedicated agent to try and clinch Vince for the lead before sundown. As Amanda wrestles with the prospect of working so closely with Ari, Vince and the crew head out for some fun at the racetracks. Feeling bad that his horse will likely be put down after finishing as an also-ran, Drama purchases the steed without realizing just how expensive it is to board and care for a proper racehorse. Meanwhile, as the "Medellin" deadline draws near, Eric bypasses Amanda in order to close the deal and inadvertently sends the whole situation spiraling into chaos. By the end of the evening Vince is off the project and officially dumped by Amanda both personally and professionally. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
As Vince and Amanda attempt to resume their professional relationship after an impromptu hook-up, Eric becomes suspicious of the pair's post-coital glow and Drama incurs the wrath of UFC Champion Chuck Liddell after becoming convinced that Pauly Shore is about to play a practical joke on her for his new hidden camera show. Back at Ari's house, Mrs. Ari is visibly agitated by the announcement that her husband's boorish college buddy is dropping by for a visit, but soon finds her worst fears lessened when the frat boy-turned-dot com millionaire proves uncharacteristically civil. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
Amanda attempts to get a concrete answer from Vince regarding the period film as Barbara leans on Ari to fire an unqualified agent and a new honesty policy finds professional relationships heating up to a passionate pitch. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
When Vince's birthday rolls around and his new agent Amanda presents him with courtside tickets to a Lakers game and an offer to star in an upcoming adaptation of an Edith Wharton novel, a chance connection with his old agent Ari causes the upcoming star to experience doubts about his current career trajectory. Upon taking his seat at the game, Vince is discomforted to notice Ari across the court. Still longing to win back his old client, Ari convinces Vince to join him for a friendly birthday meal, and is somewhat taken aback when Vince shows up with E in tow. But it's going to take more than a human buffer to sideline the determined Ari, and before the meal is over he tells Vince that his dream project, "Medellin," is one again on the fast track to production. Though Amanda is vehement that "Medellin" will never happen, she is troubled to note that he seems to be second-guessing his decision to take her on as his manager. Meanwhile, as Turtle and Drama draw up plans for Vince's surprise birthday party, they realize that the only way to overcome their financial restraints and hold the party in a suitable venue is to land a sponsor for the big event. Of course the party is a massive success, but before the night is over Ari and Amanda will go toe to toe in front of Vince in a desperate attempt to win him over once and for all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2007
As Amanda attempts to press Vince about the Sam Mendes project, all Vince can think about is his upcoming trip to Wine Country with Eric and Sloan. Meanwhile, Drama and Turtle take Ahnold for a stroll in the dog park hoping to make a hit with the ladies, and Ari steps up his efforts to sign A-list scribe Jay Lester before having a serious crisis of conscience. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
CBS' spin on ABC's Lost for the 2005-2006 TV season was the weekly, hour-long sci-fi effort Threshold. The crash-landing of an alien spacecraft in the Atlantic Ocean prompted the government to engage the services of a crack team of specialists, who were obliged to investigate the incident and explore its possible ramifications -- all in secret, of course, lest the populace get panicky. It soon developed that the spacecraft was the vanguard for an extraterrestrial invasion -- and more ominously, the aliens' presence caused the team members to experience bizarre physical and biological reactions (it seemed that exposure to the aliens' signal had the power to reconfigure one's DNA!). The investigative team was led by über-intellectual risk analyst Dr. Molly Anne Caffrey (Carla Gugino), and consisted of sardonic, witty, fiercely independent forensic microbiologist Nigel Fenway (Brent Spiner of Star Trek fame); former "special-ops" troubleshooter Cavennaugh (Brian Van Holt); politically ambitious Deputy National Security Advisor J.T. Baylock (Charles S. Dutton); pugnacious party-animal math and language expert Arthur Ramsey (Peter Dinklage); and timid, neurotic astronautical engineer Lucas Pegg (Rob Benedict). Created by Bragi F. Schut, Threshold was first telecast on September 16, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Brian Van Holt, (more)
- 2003
The ABC cop series Karen Sisco was based on characters created by novelist Elmore Leonard, as visualized in Steven Soderbergh's 1998 theatrical feature Out of Sight. In the role originated on film by Jennifer Lopez, Carla Gugino starred as Karen Sisco, one of the toughest (and certainly the sexiest) U.S. Marshals working the Miami gold coast. Patrolling a beat from Palm Beach to South Beach, Karen used brains, brawn, and sheer chutzpah to bring criminals to heel. All of this was most disconcerting for Karen's father, veteran private detective Marshall Sisco (Robert Forster), who had hoped that his darling daughter would have picked a less risky profession -- and, on a more personal level, wished that Karen would exercise better discretion in her choice of boyfriends. Karen Sisco premiered October 1, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Robert Forster, (more)
- 1999
The Yuletide Season is anything but merry for Emily (Carla Gugino), who is forced to take charge of her nephew J.T. (Evan Sabara) and niece Alanna (Mae Whitman) when their drug-addicted mother (Laura Dern) O.D.'s and the kids are dispossessed. When it looks as though the kids will be sucked into the merciless maelstrom of the foster-care system, Emily packs them up and heads out of her home state, ending up in a little town that happens to be named Bethlehem Even though the authorities have been temporarily left behind, Emily will need a miracle to keep her family together. Enter a versatile guardian angel (Patty Duke), who assumes a variety of earthly guises to save the day for Emily, J.T. and Alanna--and also orchestrates a romance between Emily and a sympathetic local cop (David Conrad). Based on a novel by Marilyn Pappano, A Season for Miracles first aired as a CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on December 12, 1999. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, David Conrad, (more)
A retired soldier (Gerald McRaney) is driving his family from Texas to California. As they cross the desert, they are terrorized by a gang of heroin-dealing bikers who kidnap his teenage daughter and take her across the Mexican border. He follows them to their hideout and devises a plan to rescue his daughter. ~ Brian Gusse, All Movie Guide
- 1993
In this drama set in the mid-1950s, Alexi (Balthazar Getty) is a typical teenager who loves rock & roll. Unfortunately, he lives in the U.S.S.R., where rock music is looked at as a degenerate fad of the decadent West. Luckily, Alexi's Uncle Dimitri (Armin Mueller-Stahl) is a music salesman who sometimes travels outside the country; he smuggles in some rare Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley singles for his nephew, and before long, the aspiring classical musician is ready to rock until the break of dawn. Alexi and his buddies Sasha (Jason Kristofer), Yuri (Hugh O'Conor), and Vlad (Colin Buchanan) dream of becoming the first garage band to play the big beat behind the Iron Curtain, and Sasha begins bootlegging the cream of Alexi's record collection for an eager audience of fellow Soviet hepcats. Alexi also teaches some Jerry Lee and Fats Domino licks to Valentina (Carla Gugino), a pretty girl whom he's tutoring in piano, but her father Kirov (Donald Sutherland) is not at all amused and wants to know how the new scourge of America's youth has made its way into Russia. Red Hot was the feature-film debut for director Paul Haggis, best known for his work on the TV series thirtysomething. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Balthazar Getty, Carla Gugino, (more)
- 1992
- Add Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story to QueueAdd Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story to top of Queue
Adapted from Robert Sam Anson's fact-based book Best Intentions, Murder without Motive stars Curtis McClarin as Harlem teenager Edmund Perry. A brilliant student, Perry is transferred from the inner city to an exclusive prep school principally attended by whites. Ten days after graduating with honors, the 17-year-old Perry is killed by a white undercover policeman, who claims he was attacked by Perry and his younger brother Jonah (Guy Killum). Though unsparing in its indictment of racism and police brutality, the Murder without Motive attempts to be fair to both sides, showing the many external pressures which led both killer and victim to their fatal meeting in the spring of 1985. This made-for-TV film was first shown January 6, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1989
Given the size of his schnoz, it shouldn't be surprising that ALF would be pressed into service as a modern-day Cyrano de Bergerac. This is just what happens when a shy, tongue-tied Jake begs ALF to write love letters on Jake's behalf to a girl named Laura (played by future Karen Sisco and Threshold star Carla Gugino). Trouble ensues when ALF falls for Laura himself! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
300's Zack Snyder brings Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' critically acclaimed comic book Watchmen to the big screen, courtesy of DC Comics and Warner Bros. Pictures. Set in an alternate universe circa 1985, the film's world is a highly unstable one where a nuclear war is imminent between America and Russia. Superheroes have long been made to hang up their tights thanks to the government-sponsored Keene Act, but that all changes with the death of The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a robust ex-hero commando whose mysterious free fall out a window perks the interest of one of the country's last remaining vigilantes, Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley). His investigation leads him to caution many of his other former costumed colleagues, including Dr. Manhattan, Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), Sally Jupiter (Carla Gugino), and her daughter, The Silk Spectre (Malin Akerman). Heralded for bringing the world of superheroes into the literary world, Watchmen gave the super-powered mythos a real-life grounding that had been missing in mainstream comics to that point. The film adaptation had languished in one form of development hell or another for years after the book's release, with various directors on and off the project, including Terry Gilliam, David Hayter, and Darren Aronofsky, as well as Paul Greengrass, whose eventual dismissal stemmed from budget conflicts with the studio. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malin Akerman, Billy Crudup, (more)
Filmmaker Sebastian Gutierrez writes and directs this ensemble comedy following ten Los Angeles women over the course of 24 hours. When porn starlet Electra Luxx (Carla Gugino) discovers that she's pregnant, her wild world of pleasure and excess is suddenly turned upside down. Subsequently stuck in an elevator with neurotic Doris (Connie Britton), Electra realizes she's standing at a pivotal crossroads in life. Meanwhile, adult film up-and-comer Holly Rocket (Adrianne Palicki) struggles with her reluctance to go girl-on-girl in front of the cameras by putting on a private show with her sexy friend Bambi (Emmanuelle Chriqui), a therapist (Sarah Clarke) turns to the bottle after discovering her husband has been unfaithful, a flight attendant (Marley Shelton) applies for membership in the Mile High Club with a famous passenger, and a precocious teen (Isabella Gutierrez) realizes that the adults in her life aren't nearly as well adjusted as they'd like her to believe. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carla Gugino, Emmanuelle Chriqui, (more)
Jon Avnet's thriller Righteous Kill stars Al Pacino and Robert De Niro as a pair of Big Apple police officers investigating a series of murders committed by a serial killer. Carla Gugino co-stars as a crime-scene investigator who has romantic ties to De Niro. 50 Cent, Donnie Wahlberg, Brian Dennehy, and John Leguizamo co-star. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, (more)
Forest Whitaker, Kim Basinger, Jay Mohr, Danny DeVito, Nick Cannon, and Carla Gugino star in director Mark Rydell's ensemble addiction drama detailing the manner in which gambling and drugs affect a variety of people's lives during the weeks leading up to a championship college basketball game. Carolyn (Basinger) is a struggling novelist whose addiction to the slots drives her to deceive her husband Tom (Liotta). Though Carloyn claims to be working on her latest manuscript at a nearby coffee shop, the reality of her situation is decidedly more desperate. Meanwhile, local maintenance worker Clyde (Whitaker) stands at the sidelines of the basketball court cheering for his little brother Godfrey (Cannon) while keeping his lingering gambling debts a well-guarded secret. In another part of town, the ageing Detective Bruner (Kelsey Grammer) methodically trails malevolent bookie Victor (Tim Roth) as Victor's small-time counterpart Augie (Mohr) patiently waits for his ship to come in. As the big game draws near and casino magician Walter (DeVito) befriends gambling-addicted novelist Carolyn, all of these disparate characters slowly come together on a tragic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Basinger, Nick Cannon, (more)
Director Ridley Scott spins this yarn concerning a Harlem drug kingpin (Denzel Washington) who smuggles heroin into the country by hiding it in the bodies of U.S. soldiers killed during battle in Vietnam. There was a time when no one noticed reserved driver Frank Lucas (Washington), but when the criminal kingpin he was charged with transporting through the city streets suddenly dies, Lucas seizes the opportunity to build his own criminal empire. In the following months, Lucas solidifies his status as Harlem's most innovative drug dealer by delivering a product that is purer than the competitors' and cheaper, as well. When innovative businessman Lukas attempts to go semi-legit by becoming one of the Manhattan borough's biggest civil supporters, however, street-savvy outcast cop Ritchie Roberts (Russell Crowe) begins to sense a sizable shift in the hierarchy of the drug underworld. But Roberts is one of the few honest detectives operating within a corrupt system, and as he sets out to investigate the case, crooked detective Trupo (Josh Brolin) does everything in his power to compromise the integrity of his idealistic counterpart. Upon clearing all of the usual Mafia-connected suspects, Roberts begins to believe that a previously unknown black power player has come out of the woodwork to dominate the local drug trade. While Roberts and Lucas may be operating on opposite sides of the law, the one thing that both men have in common is a strict code of ethics that separates them from their opportunistic colleagues. Now, as a confrontation between the two men becomes inevitable and the fate of each becomes inexorably tied to the other, it gradually becomes apparent that only one of them will emerge from the conflict victorious. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, (more)
A former high-school hockey star handicapped in a tragic car accident becomes an unlikely ally to a crack team of determined bank robbers in this thriller starring Jeff Daniels and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. When his promising career on the ice is suddenly cut short, former athlete Chris Pratt (Gordon-Levitt) goes to work as a janitor in a local bank. Cleaning floors soon gives way to criminal enterprise when the onetime puck-slinger is recruited to help clean out the very bank that employs him. Screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight and Minority Report) makes his directorial debut, working from his own original screenplay. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jeff Daniels, (more)
A woman who joins the undead against her will seeks vengeance against the ghouls who transformed her in this thriller. Sadie Blake (Lucy Liu) is a journalist who becomes acquainted with a group of beautiful but doomstruck partiers while following a story, led by the charismatic Bishop (James D'Arcy). While Sadie is taken with Bishop's good looks and sinister charm, she senses there's something dangerous about him, but it's not until she wakes up in the city morgue that she learns his secret -- Bishop is a vampire, and Sadie has joined his underlings as one of the undead. Angry and betrayed, Sadie is determined to stop Bishop and his compatriots, and she prowls the city with bow and arrow, ready to stake them from a distance when she spies them. Sadie finds an unlikely ally in her crusade in Detective Rawlins (Michael Chiklis), a police investigator whose daughter was transformed into a night creature by Bishop. However, Sadie is finding it increasingly difficult to resist her growing thirst for the blood of the living, becoming the sort of being she has grown to hate. Also featuring Carla Gugino, Robert Forster, and Nick Lachey, Rise: Blood Hunter received its world premiere with a special midnight screening at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucy Liu, Michael Chiklis, (more)
The Eisner Award-winning comic series Sin City comes to life in this live-action feature adaptation from director Robert Rodriguez and creator Frank Miller. Interweaving multiple storylines from the series' history, this violent crime noir paints the picture of the ultimate town without pity through the eyes of its roughest characters. There's the street thug Marv (Mickey Rourke), whose desperate quest to find the killer of a prostitute named Goldie (Jaime King) will lead him to the foulest edges of town. Inhabiting many of those areas is Dwight (Clive Owen), a photographer in league with the sordid ladies of Sin City, headed by Gail (Rosario Dawson), who opens up a mess of trouble after tangling with a corrupt cop by the name of Jackie Boy (Benicio Del Toro). Finally, there's Hartigan (Bruce Willis), an ex-cop with a heart problem who's hell-bent on protecting a stripper named Nancy (Jessica Alba). Featuring a who's who supporting cast that includes Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Devon Aoki, and Nick Stahl, Sin City promises to be one of the most direct translations from page to screen of a comic series, with shots and dialogue adapted straight from the original comic's panels. Rodriguez quit the Director's Guild when they refused to let Frank Miller co-direct the film, a deal hashed out after the two collaborators developed and shot the opening scene utilizing a green-screen process to harness the stark, black-and-white look of the books as a litmus test for the rest of the production. Quentin Tarantino was brought in and reportedly paid one dollar to direct an extended scene between Del Toro and Owen that amounts to one issue of The Big Fat Kill miniseries. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Alba, Devon Aoki, (more)
From director Keith Gordon (Mother Night, A Midnight Clear) comes this American feature adaptation of the 1986 BBC miniseries, The Singing Detective. Robert Downey Jr. returns to the big-screen for the first time since 2000's Wonder Boys as Dan Dark, a novelist who is hospitalized with a severe case of psoriasis. As he lays in bed, Dark hallucinates that he is actually a World War II-era private dick embroiled in an oddball web of mystery, intrigue, and musical numbers. Written by the late Dennis Potter (Pennies From Heaven, Gorky Park) and co-starring Mel Gibson, Robin Wright Penn, Katie Holmes, and Adrien Brody, The Singing Detective premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Downey, Jr., Robin Wright Penn, (more)
Following up on his directorial debut, Joe the King, actor-turned-sometimes director Frank Whaley made this gritty character study of a man consumed by anger. Working as a clerk at a supermarket, Jimmy (Whaley) makes it a practice to steal anything and everything he can get away with, usually cases of beer. At home, he supports his neglected wife (Carla Gugino), his infant daughter, and his foul-tempered invalid grandmother, whom he has been caring for since he was a teen. A compulsive complainer, Jimmy is vitriolically bitter about his lack of a childhood. His latest dream, one in a series of failed schemes to make it big, is to be a standup comedian. Yet Jimmy's idea of a schtick is less one-liners and gags than a prolonged confessional rant about his marriage, the loss of his parents, and his grandmother. As the film progresses, Jimmy's monologues grow darker and ever more sinister. This film was scheduled to be screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frank Whaley, Carla Gugino, (more)
A couple running a rideshow discover the find of a lifetime, only to realize it could well be the death of them in this horror story. Angus Shaw (Rufus Sewell) and his wife, Lillian (Carla Gugino), run a travelling carnival which barnstorms the countryside in the early 1900s. The Shaws' circus includes a sideshow which promises much in the way of monsters and human oddities, but for the most part delivers second-rate actors dressed up in costumes or using smoke-and-mirrors effects to fool the customers. Lillian herself offers the most spectacular illusion, posing as a fake mermaid. One night, Angus offers a helping hand to an aging sailor (Aubrey Morris), and the old salt offers to show Angus and Lillian something truly amazing -- a real, honest-to-Pete mermaid (Rya Kihlstedt). Astounded by what he's seen, Angus decides the fortune he could make exhibiting a real mermaid is too great to resist, and he steals the creature from the sailor. Angus and Lillian waste no time booking passage to the United States with their find, but en route to America they discover this mermaid is hardly a benign creature -- she has a taste for human blood, and soon the ship's crew is shrinking at an alarming rate. Lillian also finds herself developing a strange psychological bond with the mermaid, a connection more powerful than her vows to her husband. She Creature was produced for the Cinemax premium cable service as part of a series of "Creature Features" produced by special effects wizard Stan Winston and former American International Pictures head Samuel Z. Arkoff, most of which were inspired by horror films AIP made in the 1950s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rufus Sewell, Carla Gugino, (more)
