Joel de la Fuente Movies
Lady in the Water director M. Night Shyamalan puts PG-13 suspense on pause to tell this grim apocalyptic tale about a family fleeing a natural disaster that poses a grave threat to the whole of humanity. Philadelphia high-school science teacher Elliot Moore (Mark Wahlberg) is discussing the disappearance of the bees with his students when the staff is summoned to the theater and briefed about a mysterious event that is currently unfolding in New York City. According to reports, citizens in the vicinity of Central Park have suddenly and inexplicably begun seizing up just before killing themselves by whatever means are at their disposal. As the phenomena begins to spread and talk of terrorism fills the airwaves, Elliot, his wife, Alma (Zooey Deschanel), their friend Julian (John Leguizamo), and his daughter, Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez), board a train bound for the presumed safety of the country. When the train screeches to a halt before arriving at its final destination, however, the frightened passengers are forced to fend for themselves as each consecutive news report paints an increasingly grim picture of the situation in more urbanized areas. Theories abound on what could be causing the unexplainable rash of suicides, but the only thing that everyone seems to agree on is that it's some kind of airborne contagion that is carried in the wind. It would appear that humankind's reign on planet Earth has come to an end, but perhaps if this small band of survivors can find a safe place to lie low until this all blows over, all hope for survival of the species might not be lost just yet. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, (more)
- 2005
In the final episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit's sixth season, the SVU team investigates when two police officers, both former army reservists who'd served in Afghanistan, lash out violently at their wives--after experiencing terrifying hallucinations and exhibiting suicidal tendencies. This bizarre behavior is linked to the anti-malaria drug Quinium, which is now apparently being peddled illegally. The climax finds Assistant DA Novak (Diane Neal) taking an unusually personal interest in proving that the Defense Department knew all about Quinium's disastrous side effects but had refused to reveal their findings; and at the same time, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) has a showdown with his estranged wife. Law & Order regular Fred Dalton Thompson makes a cameo appearance in his familiar guise as DA Arthur Branch. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
This 2005 episode would seem to be inspired by a recent court case in which the defendant's addiction to the Grand Theft Auto video game allegedly resulted in a triple murder. The SVU is surprised when Dickie Stabler (Jeffrey Scapperaota), the young son of detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni), points out that the police photos taken at the scene of a prostitute's rape-murder match the images in a new, particularly violent video game. Following this lead, Stabler and his colleagues arrest a pair of teenage "computer addicts" for the crime. Now it falls to Assistant DA Casey Novak (Diane Neal) to tear apart the argument of defense attorney Oliver Gates (Barry Bostwick) that the youthful killers were unable to separate fantasy from reality--and that the video game itself should be put on trial. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Following up an anonymous tip, Detective Benson (Mariska Hargitay) finds the remains of Jeffrey Ronson, a seven-year-old who vanished in 1980. Subsequent clues suggest that Jeffrey was raped and murdered by Lucas Biggs (John Savage), an ex-ballplayer currently awaiting execution for a string of similar crimes. Problem is, though Biggs has vivid memories of all his victims, he has absolutely no recollection of Jeffrey. As the case progresses, Benson and her boss Captain Cragen (Dann Florek) begin to suspect that the tip to Jeffrey's whereabouts was somehow planted by Biggs as a means of delaying execution--but then another murder neatly explodes this theory. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Despite overwhelming evidence, elderly Jenny Rogers (Melinda Dillon)--whom the SVU team suspects of dealing in illegal painkillers--insists that her son Kevin (Matt Schulze) is not physically abusing her. Even after Jenny's daughter-in-law Carol (Christine Elise) turns up murdered, the old woman refuses to "betray" her son. In his efforts to learn the truth behind Jenny's tragically misguided loyalty, Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) must also wrestle with his own domestic problems. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Cathy Moriarty guest stars as Denise Eldridge, who demands that the SVU file statutory rape charges against Justin Sharp (Jon Foster), the 21-year-old boyfriend of Denise's 15-year-old daughter Carrie (Danielle Pannabaker). It soon becomes obvious that Denise is a neurotic control freak who will do anything to keep her daughter under her thumb--even if it means falsifying evidence to frame Justin. At the precise moment when the both the SVU and the audience are sick and tired of Denise, the woman turns up murdered. Having sided with Carrie because of her miserable experiences with her own overbearing mother, Benson (Mariska Hargitay) must now face the probability that the girl (or her boyfriend) is a murderer. Glenne Headley appears in a pivotal role as a prominent children's-rights attorney. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Comedian Martin Short plays it straight (more or less) in the role of prickly Canadian psychic Sebastian Ballentine (Martin Short). Called into the SVU offices to assist in the search for an abducted teenager, Ballentine quickly drives Detective Stabler (Christopher Meloni) up the wall with his snotty, superior attitude--and his many irritating eccentricities. But Stabler may be able to turn the tables when his colleagues begin to suspect that Ballentine knows a lot more about the kidnapping than he's letting on. A bizarre plot twist caps this offbeat episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2005
When HIV-positive teenager Lisa Downey (Janae Kram) is found murdered, it is revealed that she was carrying her older cousin Allison's ID. Unbeknownst to her family, Lisa had been living a double life as a hooker and porn-film actress, making her connections via the internet. After several suspects are questioned and released, the SVU teams is convinced that they've found their murderer--only to be thrown for a loop when he turns up dead, along with another teenage hooker. This episode is capped with a bravura performance by future Heroes costar Hayden Panettiere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A despondent Brooklyn housewife whose life has become a boring and predictable routine finds her entire perception of the universe changed upon experiencing a close-encounter in her very own kitchen. Joanne Schwartzbaum (Cara Buono) has been sleepwalking her way through life for as far back as she can remember, but when an alien force reveals itself to her she is instantly snapped out of her complacent existence. Upon seeing a flier for a UFO support group during her weekly outing to the grocery store, Joanne determines to attend the meeting in hopes that it will provide her with a better understanding of her strange experience. When Joanne strikes up a friendly conversation with African immigrant Abraham Kanga (Isaach De Bankole) and realizes that they have both been branded by their extraterrestrial abductors, she enlists the aid of the amiable cab driver and market worker in solving the perplexing mystery. In the days that follow Joanne's frantic sleuthing activities become increasingly troubling to her incredulous husband Brain (David Lansbury), who soon begins to suspect that his wife is having an affair. Later, when Joanne sees a television news broadcast announcing the discovery of an unusual papyrus Egyptian scroll, she enlists the aid of her UFO support group to break into the Brooklyn Art Museum, snatch the curious artifact, and save the human race. Director Barry Strugatz helms a sci-fi spoof that gleefully pays homage to the B-movie hits of yesteryear while offering an absorbing tale of one woman's quest to stave off an impending alien invasion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cara Buono, Isaach de Bankolé, (more)
A handful of New Yorkers find their paths crossing in ways that force them to examine their lives in this contemporary drama produced by Ismail Merchant. Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a twentysomething photographer who is supposed to marry her boyfriend, Jonathan (James Marsden), in a month. But Isabel has found herself wondering if marriage is the right thing for her. Meanwhile, her mother, Diana (Glenn Close), a well-known film actress, has learned her husband has been seeing another woman, and while they have an open relationship, Diana finds this hurtful. Over the course of the day, Diana meets Alec (Jesse Bradford), a handsome young actor, and Isabel is introduced to Peter (John Light), a journalist, and both women begin to question their current relationships. The first feature for director Chris Terrio, Heights also stars Michael Murphy, Eric Bogosian, Thomas Lennon, and Rufus Wainwright. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
- 2004
Even while recovering from wounds sustained in a shootout, Detective Fin Tutuola (Ice-T) insists upon following a new lead on a case he'd worked on as undercover cop years before. Having promised a woman who has since been murdered that he would locate her drug-addicted daughter, Tutuola intends to keep his promise, teaming up with rookie narcotics-squad cop Mike Sandoval (Nicholas Gonzalez) for that purpose. Along the way, Fin has a bittersweet reunion with his estranged son Ken (Ernest Waddell) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2001
- R
- Add Personal Velocity: Three Portraits to QueueAdd Personal Velocity: Three Portraits to top of Queue
Three women whose lives have followed very different paths ponder their pasts and their futures in this omnibus film from second-time director Rebecca Miller, adapted from her acclaimed short story collection of the same name. Delia (Kyra Sedgwick) grew up in a fractured household; her mother abandoned the family when Delia was a child, and her father (Brian Tarantina) was a drug-addled loser who could barely be prodded off the couch. When she entered adolescence, Delia realized that she could use her body to get men to do as she pleased. While this gained her a feeling of power and self-sufficiency, it also earned her a reputation as the "class slut," and the end product was her marriage to Kurt (David Warshofsky). Greta (Parker Posey) is the daughter of a successful lawyer (Ron Leibman) who left her mother when she was young and offered Greta criticism rather than affection. Plagued with self-doubt, Greta is squandering her literary talents editing cookbooks and is married to Lee (Tim Guinee. When Thavi (Joel de la Fuente), a respected and successful young novelist, asks Greta to edit his next novel, it forces her to reassess herself on a number of levels. Finally, Paula (Fairuza Balk), yet another product of a fractured family, ran away from her mother and was homeless until she met Vincent (Seth Gilliam), who took her in and became her boyfriend. A year later, Paula is uncertain in her feelings about Vincent, unsettled to learn that she's pregnant, and startled after witnessing a murder while out clubbing with a friend; she hits the road again, and soon picks up a fellow alienated teen, Kevin (Lou Taylor Pucci), who bears the scars of a recent -- and very brutal -- beating. Personal Velocity: Three Portraits was honored with the Grand Jury Prize at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Ventimiglia, Kyra Sedgwick, (more)
- 1997
The parents of a healthy baby boy, Brian and Donna McDermott (Scott Reeves, Martha Byrne) are stunned and grief-stricken when the child vanishes. Making matters worse, the authorities are convinced that Brian and Donna are themselves responsible for their baby's disappearance. Perhaps those same authorities would be better served if they bothered to check out those somewhat shady employees at the local maternity hospital, notably duplicitous receptionist Joan Hollins (Cathy Lee Crosby) -- who in turn is very close with the attorney (Linda Gray) who represents an adoption services that provides newborn white infants to infertile couples...no questions asked. When the Cradle Falls originally aired March 4, 1997, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Reeves, Martha Byrne, (more)
- 1997
Paul McCrane makes his first appearance as the redoubtable Dr. Robert Romano, who in this episode has just returned from a European vacation, his head full of new information about robotics. Elsewhere, Carol (Julianna Margulies) wants to start up a free clinic in the ER. Del Amico (Maria Bello) is in for a surprise when she examines a male patient. After the deposition with the Law family, Greene (Anthony Edwards) demands to know if Chris Law (Joe Torry) had anything to do with beating him up. Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) and Al (Michael Beach) "mix it up" in a bar. And John Carter (Noah Wyle) wonders if he should have stayed in surgery after another doctor steals credit for one of Carter's ER procedures. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Everyone in the ER is on call after a devastating accident involving a police car and a school bus. Carol (Julianna Margulies) may lose her job thanks to the accusations of a drugged-up patient whom she found sprawled in the bathroom in a pool of blood. In trying to stem another patient's bleeding, Jeanie (Gloria Reuben) may have exposed him to AIDs. Greene's (Anthony Edwards) bedside manner deteriorates as his domestic problems increase. And Al (Michael Beach) is fired after revealing that he is HIV-positive. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1994
Hoping to stop Chinatown restauranteur Henry Lee (Yu Kun Lu) from exhorting his fellow tradesmen to rise up against the tyranny of gang boss Charlie Wong (Joel de la Fuente), Wong orders his minions to kidnap Henry's son David (Michael Hong). Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) make it their mission to return David to his family unharmed. This mission, alas, is seriously compromised by the well-intentioned interference of overzealous FBI agents Ford and Deeter (played respectively by Alex Carter and Mark Melymick, in their first joint series appearance). First telecast on Canadian television, this episode made its US network premiere on November 3, 1994. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Gross, David Marciano, (more)
