Ian Whitcomb Movies
A Sunday afternoon quest to find the perfect American dream home finds a group of wannabe homeowners embarking on a series of strange misadventures in this real estate musical from Slamdance Film Festival founder Dan Mirvish and starring Sally Kellerman, Anne Magnuson, and James Duval. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Rapp, Sally Kellerman, (more)
Peter Bogdanovich turns his sights on the 1920s for a fictitious look at the possible reasons for the death of silent movie producer Thomas Ince (played here by Cary Elwes) after spending a holiday with media tycoon William Randolph Hearst (played by Edward Herrmann). The film begins and ends on Ince's funeral, attended by best-selling novelist Elinor Glyn (Joanna Lumley), who was present when the young producer finally died and who leads the audience through the unsure details of what may have occurred to cause the tragedy. Then, through flashback, we see Elinor arriving on the dock to Hearst's party, which is attended by a number of Hollywood players. Among those in attendance are Ince, his business manager (Victor Slezak), and his irritating mistress (Claudia Harrison. Charlie Chaplin (played by British comic Eddie Izzard) is recovering from a box-office bomb and fearing his 16-year-old mistress is pregnant, not to mention that he is seeing Hearst's lady on the side, the vampish actress Marion Davies (played here by Kirsten Dunst). Also seen are Louella Parsons (Jennifer Tilly), a clumsy movie critic who works for Hearst, and Joseph (Ronan Vibert), Hearst's private secretary. The film was funded in Europe and also includes in its large cast James Laurenson, Chiara Schoras, and Claudie Blakley. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Eddie Izzard, (more)
A tribute to the fabled jazz scene of L.A.'s Central Avenue during the 1930s and '40s, Stanley's Gig opens on a Hawaiian cruise ship where charismatic waster Stanley Myer (William Sanderson) has gotten a gig playing his ukulele for a group of filthy rich businessmen. The gig, arranged by his friend Leila (Faye Dunaway) helps to stem Stanley's overriding debt, but after it ends, he's desperate for another job. He finds one as a recreational therapist at a nursing home, where he wins the affections of all of its residents save for Eleanor Whitney (Marla Gibbs), a faded jazz great who now lives in self-imposed emotional exile. Eventually, a friendship forms between Stanley and Eleanor, and Stanley becomes determined to arrange a return performance for his friend at Honey Brown, the jazz club she used to headline. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William Sanderson, Marla Gibbs, (more)
Adapted from an Ernest Hemingway story by Hemingway's longtime friend and associate A. E. Hotchner, After the Storm spent years in development before filming of the movie version began in 2000, several years after Hotchner's death. Set in the Bahamas in 1936, the story concerns a young fisherman on the lam from gangsters, who stumbles upon a fortune in jewels from a yacht sunk in a recent storm. This sudden windfall results in nothing but unhappiness and betrayal for the fisherman -- and for everyone else who embarks upon the treasure hunt that consumes most of the action. When After the Storm failed to secure a theatrical release, it was licensed to the USA network for its first American TV showing. The R-rated video version was released on May 29, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Benjamin Bratt, Armand Assante, (more)
While the ukulele is often seen as a stunted little brother to the guitar or the mandolin, in fact, the instrument has a rich heritage in ragtime and Hawaiian music, and "Jumpin" Jim Beloff is considered to be one of the modern masters of the uke. The Joy of Uke: A Hands-On Guide to Playing Ukulele offers a beginner's guide to playing the ukulele, demonstrating fretting and strumming techniques, and showing how to play a handful of old-time classics on the instrument, including "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Beloff is also joined by a number of other ukulele enthusiasts, including Ian Whitcomb, Travis Harrelson, and Poncie Ponce. Beloff also shows off his collection of vintage ukes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
