Rainn Wilson Movies
Best known for playing über-nerd Dwight Schrute on the NBC comedy The Office, actor Rainn Wilson parlayed a Broadway career into screen work that began with a role on the daytime soap One Life to Live. Bit parts in features such as Galaxy Quest and Almost Famous soon followed before Wilson landed the part of apprentice mortician Arthur on HBO's Six Feet Under during the show's third season. After Six Feet Under bowed in 2005, Wilson was cast in his most prominent role to date, the aforementioned Dwight Schrute, the resident oddball on the critically acclaimed U.S. version of The Office. Wilson so embraced the part that he even personally penned a weblog by the character on the NBC website. In 2006, Wilson was the fourth lead in Ivan Reitman's fantasy romantic comedy My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and a year later he scored his first starring feature role in the children's sci-fi adventure The Last Mimzy. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide- 2003
CEO Lawrence Hammond (John Sanderford) and his trophy wife Erin (Darby Stanchfield) are murdered after being lured to a vacant lot. With only the CEO's bizarre last words as a clue, Monk (Tony Shalhoub) figures out that Erin, and not Lawrence, was the murderer's target. And there's more: Erin's death may be linked to baseball star Scott Gregorio (Christopher Wiehl), who is currently poised to break the single-season homerun record. Finding a kindred spirit in Gregorio, Monk races to reveal the killer so that the ballplayer will pull himself out of a potentially devastating slump. The detective hits upon the solution under the unlikeliest of circumstances--while he is (ineptly!) umpiring a Little League game. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
While investigating the death of a grotesquely disfigured man who might or might not have been pushed off a six-story building, Grissom (William L. Petersen) begins experiencing hearing problems. It soon develops that Grissom is suffering from hereditary otosclerosis, which may eventually lead to total deafness. Elsewhere, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) investigates the point-blank shooting of a man in the parking lot of the bar which he frequented. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Described as a modern-day Hollywood version of Day for Night, director Steven Soderbergh's first digital video production was also shot employing a modified version of the frills-free Dogma 95 rules set forth by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, allowing a relatively small budget of about two million dollars. Julia Roberts and Blair Underwood star, respectively, as Francesca and Calvin, actors performing in a motion picture directed by David Fincher and co-starring Brad Pitt (who play themselves). Woven in and out of the film production story thread are several other subplots including one about a lovelorn woman, Linda (Mary McCormack); the self-absorbed Gus (David Duchovny); and a husband, Carl (David Hyde Pierce), whose wife (Catherine Keener) is falling for Calvin. Described initially as a follow-up to Soderbergh's independent breakout hit, sex, lies and videotape, Full Frontal isn't a sequel in the strictest sense of the word and is only thematically related to the earlier film in its exploration of voyeurism and sexuality. The film also stars Brad Rowe, Enrico Colantoni, and Nicky Katt. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Duchovny, Nicky Katt, (more)
Taking his cue from such 1970s horror classics as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) and The Hills Have Eyes (1977), animated rocker Rob Zombie goes celluloid with the throwback shocker House of 1000 Corpses. Running low on gas as they travel the highways of America in search of the ultimate roadside attraction, a group of teens pull into Captain Spaulding's (Sid Haig) museum of oddities (which also offers fried chicken and gasoline) only to become obsessed with uncovering the mystery of a legendary local maniac known only as Dr. Satan. When an attractive and mysterious hitchhiker subsequently offers to give the thrill seekers a personal tour of Dr. Satan's old stabbing grounds, a breakdown forces them to take refuge with a group of menacing oddballs as a fearsome storm rages outside. As the evening progresses and the backwoods hosts' Halloween festivities become ever more threatening, the teens soon realize that the legend of Dr. Satan may hold a bit more contemporary weight than any of them had previously thought. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, (more)
- 2001
The "signature killer," who has been plaguing the CSI by leaving behind frustratingly tiny bits of evidence at each crime scene, strikes again. Grissom (William L. Petersen) is more convinced than ever that the elusive killer has a working knowledge of forensic procedure -- even to the point of planting contrary evidence that he (or she) knows will be dismissed. As if Grissom doesn't have enough trouble, the FBI insists upon taking over the investigation -- with CSI unit member Sara (Jorja Fox) as bait for the murderer. This was the final episode of CSI's first season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
Several recent parolees have been bumped off for no discernible reason. The most recent victim was an old friend of Herbal Thought (Alimi Ballard), prompting Max (Jessica Alba) to join Logan (Michael Weatherly) in investigating the killings. Pretty soon, Max realizes she is being stalked by a shadowy figure who calls himself "The Street Sweeper" (Rainn Wilson) -- but is he the killer, and how did he obtain such remarkable powers? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Studio mogul Joe Roth returns to his roots as a director with this romantic comedy co-written by Billy Crystal and starring Roth's longtime friend Julia Roberts. Crystal stars as Lee, a studio publicist desperately trying to keep several facts secret from reporters during a high-profile motion picture's press junket. Among the developments that Lee is trying to obscure from view: the film's eccentric director (Christopher Walken) has essentially hijacked the $87 million movie and isn't allowing anyone to view it. Also, the film's high-profile, real-life married co-stars Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) have acrimoniously split since filming (over Gwen's adulterous affair with Latin lover Hector (Hank Azaria). Lee has led the press to believe that reconciliation is imminent, when in fact Gwen hates Eddie more than ever. Lee's secret weapon in his campaign of misinformation is Gwen's long-abused sister Kiki (Julia Roberts), who works as the pampered star's personal assistant while secretly pining for Eddie, who might just notice Kiki now that she's lost 60 pounds. America's Sweethearts co-stars Alan Arkin, Seth Green, and Stanley Tucci. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, (more)
