Matthew Stone Movies

Death blows in on autumn winds in this apocalyptic zombie shocker featuring David Carradine. The virus came so fast no one had time to prepare. Before the day was over, entire towns were decimated, and large cities became monumental tombs. Left with nothing but fading hope and the will to live, reclusive software consultant Michael (Dexter Fletcher) and temperamental mechanic Carl (Dickon Tolson) lead a small group of survivors into the country in hopes of riding out the coming winter. But now the decaying victims of the plague are reanimating, growing more smart - and vicious - with each passing day. Now, the only hope for the survival of the human race is Phillip (Carradine), a man who refused to leave the city, and has somehow avoided becoming food for the flesh-eating masses. Based on the book by David Moody. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Joel and Ethan Coen take on the classic battle-of-the-sexes screwball comedy with Intolerable Cruelty. George Clooney plays Miles Massey, a high-powered Los Angeles divorce lawyer nearing a midlife crisis . While representing wealthy client Rex Rexroth (Edward Herrmann), Miles meets his match in Rex's gold-digging wife, Marilyn Rexroth (Catherine Zeta-Jones). He's impressed by her similarly heartless ways of using marriage to fuel an expensive lifestyle, but he still defeats her in court. With Marilyn looking to get her revenge and Miles finding himself attracted to her, the two engage in a ruthless romantic pursuit to out-swindle each other. Billy Bob Thornton shows up in a small role as Texas oil tycoon Howard Doyle. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Directed by Stephen Herek, Man of the House follows hard-nosed Texas Ranger Lt. Roland Sharp (Tommy Lee Jones) in an undercover job as a cheerleading coach. Though his assignment is fairly cut-and-dried -- after witnessing the murder of a federal informant, a group of cheerleaders from the University of Texas need temporary protection -- he ends up forming a variety of unexpected and decidedly less simple relationships. Aside from his immersion into the struggles and triumphs of the UT cheerleading squad (Monica Keena, Kelli Garner, Christina Milian, Paula Garces, and Vanessa Ferlito), Roland finds himself dealing with a strong attraction to college professor Molly McCarthy (Anne Archer). Formerly titled Cheer Up, Man of the House also features supporting performances from Brian Van Holt, Shea Whigham, and Paget Brewster. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Originating as (of all things!) a video Christmas card in which Jesus Christ duked it out with Santa Claus, the Comedy Central cartoon series South Park was one of the most outrageous and irreverent adult cable series of the 1990s and beyond -- not to mention one of the funniest. Created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the series took place in the tiny, somewhat inbred village of South Park, CO, where there dwelt a quartet of potty-mouthed fourth graders: sensible but nervous Stan Marsh; neurotic and self-flagellating Kyle Broflovski; fat, obnoxious, and thoroughly me-oriented Eric Cartman; and parka-wearing Kenny McCormick, who never spoke above a mumble -- and who (during the series' first five seasons) was invariably killed off in a grisly manner in each episode ("Oh my God! They killed Kenny! You bastards!"). During season six, Kenny was assumed to be permanently dead, and his place in the foursome was taken by prissy Butters, who openly resented being the obligatory "TV series replacement regular." When Kenny returned in season seven, his "deaths" were far less frequent; reportedly, the producers were sick of figuring out new and unique ways of knocking him off. Though the kids were repulsive, they were none too good for the adults of South Park, who included the whiny, sexually ambivalent schoolteacher Mr. Garrison; Cartman's pushy, hermaphrodite mother, Liane; Kyle's loudmouthed, activist mom, Sheila; and the very stupid police chief Barbrady; and "Mrs. Mayor." The only grownup worth his salt (and pepper) was ex-soul singer "Chef" McElroy (voiced by Isaac Hayes), though his position in South Park as moral authority and the voice of reason was compromised a bit by his overactive libido.

Animated in a deliberately crude, jerky fashion (though brilliantly timed and paced), and featuring characters who resembled kindergarten cutouts, South Park took pride in butchering every sacred cow and toppling every icon known to conservative and liberal alike. The individual episodes managed to find laughs in such otherwise risky topics as homosexuality, mental and physical handicaps, child molestation, AIDs, anti-Semitism, Alzheimer's, global warming, and the war in Iraq. By being an "equal opportunity offender," the series managed to take both sides and no sides in every issue. Also adding to the hilarity were the occasional "guest" appearances by badly drawn (and voiced) celebrities, with Sally Struthers, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck, Mel Gibson, Saddam Hussein, and especially Barbra Streisand among those mercilessly skewered. In addition, the series poked big holes in its "competition," the equally raunchy Beavis and Butthead, by introducing a pair of flatulent cartoon Canadians named Terrance and Phillip. Debuting August 13, 1997, and churning out between 13 and 18 episodes per year, South Park was the archetypal "You Either Love It or You Hate It" cartoon show -- but the majority of viewers loved it! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season two of South Park offers 18 raunchy misadventures with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and (he should live so long!) Kenny. This year's crop includes "Terrance & Phillip in Not Without My Anus" (saving Canada from Saddam Hussein); "Cartman's Mom Is Still a Dirty Slut" (not really -- but she is a hermaphrodite); "Ike's Wee Wee" (Stan doesn't want his brother to "lose it" at his bris); "Chickenlover" (book reports are a cinch if you don't read books); "Conjoined Fetus Lady" (the title character is Kyle's nurse -- and there's even Chinese dodgeball!); "The Mexican Staring Frog of Southern Sri Lanka" (Jesus imitates Jerry Springer as the boys learn about Vietnam); "City on the Edge of Forever" (a missing bus and remembrances of things past); "Summer Sucks" (no fireworks, no Mr. Hat, but plenty of snakes); "Chef's Chocolate Salty Balls" (an independent film festival collides with "The Call of Mr. Hankey"); "Chickenpox" (exposing "the parental conspiracy" and a herpes revenge as a bonus); "Roger Ebert Should Lay Off the Fatty Foods" (an evil planetarium and exploding heads); "Clubhouses" ("Truth or Dare," Colorado style); "Cow Days" (never let cows see a statue); "Chef Aid" (Johnnie Cochran vs. Chef in a copyright suit, and Ozzy Osbourne gives up bats); "Spookyfish" (the one with the goateed Cartman and "hella cool"); "Merry Christmas Charlie Manson" (Charlie escapes, just as the boys visit Mr. Hankey in the Mall of Nebraska); "Gnomes" (a Harbucks coffee shop fights for the hearts and minds of the kids, while the gnomes demand underpants); and "Prehistoric Ice Man" (or "The Thing from 1996!"). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

South Park strikes again for a fourth season, as Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and (temporarily) Kenny assault the ears and eyes with 17 new, even more outrageous episodes. This year's harvest includes "The Tooth Fairy TATS 2000" (Hello, Timmy!); "Cartman's Silly Hate Crime 2000" (Cartman finally gets thrown in the slammer, while his cellmate is going to Disneyworld); "Timmy 2000" (we all see only what we want to see -- even Phil Collins); "Quintuplets 2000" (Grandpa Marsh has a circus in his bedroom -- and his pants); "Cartman Joins NAMBLA" (keep your back to the wall, boy); "Cherokee Hair Tampons" (the herbal remedy racket exposed!); "Chef Goes Nanners" (the KKK won't save the day); "Something You Can Do With Your Finger" (it's called Fingerbang); "Do the Handicapped Go to Hell?" (Cartman sees the light; Satan can't live without Saddam) and its "sequel" "Probably" (Is This Hell? No, It's Mexico); "Fourth Grade" (Timmy enters a strange new dimension); "Trapper Keeper" (the Terminator meets "Bill Cosby"); "Helen Keller! The Musical" (Have you seen it? Neither has she!); "Pip" (Miss Havisham builds the Genesis device -- and don't forget her robotic monkeys); "Fat Camp" (Cartman and Cartman -- twice the fun); "The Wacky Molestation Adventure" (a chilling stopover at Smiley Town and Treasure Cove); and "A Very Crappy Christmas" (Hey gang, let's put on our own cartoon special!). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Kenny may (finally) be dead, but there's still four obnoxious South Park kids on hand as the series enters its sixth season of outrageous hilarity. Join Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Butters in 17 raunchy episodes, including "Freak Strike" (Butters meets Maury Povich); "Jared Has Aides" (or: how to needle a famous sub-sandwich chain without getting sued); "Asspen" (pizzas, french fries, and the dreaded K-13); "Fun With Veal" (save the baby cows and become a terrorist in your spare time); "The New Terrance and Phillip Movie Trailer" (detailing the consequences of giving Russell Crowe his own TV show); "Professor Chaos" (Butters doesn't want to be Kenny, he wants to be a super-villain -- resulting in a really, really lame cliffhanger); "The Simpsons Already Did It" (there's no such thing as a new iconoclastic joke); "Red Hot Catholic Love" (is it recreational, or is it holy law?); "Free Hat" (they've changed Star Wars, and Ted Koppel doesn't get it)"; Bebe's Boobs Destroy Society" (puberty is power!); "Child Abduction Is Not Funny" (except on this show, which also features a guest appearance by the Trojan Mongolian Horse); "A Ladder to Heaven" (with "Kenny" flashbacks and Saddam Hussein's chocolate chips of mass destruction); "The Return of the Lord of the Rings to the Two Towers" (or to put it more simply, "Back Door Sluts 9"); "The Death Camp of Tolerance" (featuring Mr. Slave's intestines); "The Biggest Douche in the Universe" (all this, and John Edward and Rob Schneider too); "My Future Self n' Me" (with 32-year-old Stan and a trip to "The Parental Revenge Center of Western America"); and "Red Sleigh Down" (a "magical Christmas adventure" in bombed-out Baghdad). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Season eight of South Park yields 14 new episodes with Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and "Oh, My God, They Don't Kill Him" Kenny. This year's exercises in uproarious raunchiness include "Good Times With Weapons" (homegrown "anime," complete with ninjas and supernatural powers); "Up the Down Steroid" (Cartman enters the Special Olympics -- and loses); "The Passion of the Jew" (Mel Gibson demands to be flogged good and hard when he comes to town); "You Got F*cked in the Ass" (a tender tale of tragic tap dancing); "AWESOM-O" (the story of a boy and his killer robot); "The Jeffersons" (reverse racism for fun and profit); "Goobacks" (South Park meets The O'Reilly Factor); "Douche and Turd" (don't ask); "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes" (the revenge of the chain-store consumers); "Pre-School" (how to drench a firestarter); "Quest for Ratings" (in which "Super School News" peps things up with panda bears and gratuitous sex); "Stupid Spoiled Whore Video Playset" (Paris Hilton buys Butters -- or is it "Mr. Biggles?"); "Cartman's Incredible Gift" (don't ever screw with a psychic detective); and "Woodland Critter Christmas" (mountain lions vs. messiahs). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Several separate incidents that seem puzzling on their own cohere into a larger logic in this offbeat independent drama. Dr. Mayhew (Anand Rajaram) is stuck in a small room without windows, trying to translate messages in Chinese without knowing a word of the language. A man named Alan goes through a challenging day as he constantly shifts shape (he's played by over twenty actors during the course of the film) while trying to recover the passwords to his computer. The employees of a telephone center are carefully tracing the movements of a handful of people for no clear reason. And a woman who collects and sorts random documents (Tracy Wright) may hold the key to everyone's dilemmas. The first feature film from writer and director Daniel Cockburn, You Are Here was an official selection at the 2010 Toronto Film Festival. It was also one of the final films for Tracy Wright, a frequent presence in Canadian independent films who succumbed to cancer in June 2010. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi