Chiara Zanni Movies
- 1998
Having just moved to a new town, widow Elaine Freedman (Cheryl Ladd) and her teenage daughter, Justine (Jody Thompson) are greeted by the effusive, terribly nice Dr. Calvin Lawrence (Michael York). Sensing that Justine is bit testy and out of sorts (most kids her age tend to get that way, you know), Dr. Lawrence recommends that she begin taking a special vitamin which he manufactures in his own home. Before long, Justine is the model of perfection -- just like all the other teenagers in town. What no one realizes until it is almost too late is that the kindly Dr. Lawrence is the quintessential control freak, using mind-altering drugs and secret radio waves to create his own "perfect city," where everyone bends to his will. A TV movie variation on the theatrical feature Disturbing Behavior, Perfect Little Angels was based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman, and first aired November 14, 1998, on the Family Channel cable network. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cheryl Ladd, Jody Thompson, (more)
Following memorable roles in the military action-adventures Pearl Harbor (2001) and Black Hawk Down (2001), young actor Josh Hartnett is propelled to romantic leading man status with this semi-autobiographical comedy from screenwriter Rob Perez. Hartnett stars as Matt Sullivan, a young man smarting over the bitter breakup of his most recent relationship. With Lent approaching, Matt decides to observe the 40-day tradition by abstaining from all sexual contact, including self-gratification. Once his odyssey of discipline has begun, he meets the girl of his dreams, while his ex begins campaigning to get him back. Co-starring Shannyn Sossamon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Vinessa Shaw, 40 Days and 40 Nights inspired another round of controversy between distributor Miramax and the Catholic League, which accused the film of being a "vulgar parody" of Lent. The League previously protested the company's releases of Priest (1994) and Dogma (1999). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Hartnett, Shannyn Sossamon, (more)
- 2005
The five female protagonists of DIC's animated TV series TrollZ were, indeed, trolls, with the attendant "big hair" and tiny jewel-like bodies. Living in the town of Trollzopolis, the teenaged heroines--Onyx, Topaz, Sapphire, Ruby and Amethyst--did the usually teenaged troll things for the most part, occasionally combining their unique magic skills into "The Power of 5", emulating the live-action cast of Charmed but with less serious ramifications. Of course, both the TrollZ and their friends and family members were ideally suitable for transformation into toys and action figures. Aimed at a female 6- to 16-year-old demographic, TrollZ debuted over cable's Toon Disney on September 23, 2005. For the benefit of those without cable, the series was also syndicated by DIC on a weekday basis. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexandra Carter, Britt McKillip, (more)
A serial dater afflicted with a lifelong curse of loneliness attempts to win the love of a clumsy but beautiful penguin expert in the one romantic comedy that proves true love never comes easy. As a ten-year-old boy, Charlie (Dane Cook), breaks the cardinal rule of spin-the-bottle by refusing to kiss a demented goth girl. Crushed by the disheartening snub and determined to ensure that Charlie never finds true love, the vengeful brooder places a hex on the cowardly rule breaker that follows him well into his adult life. Flash-forward 20 years, and Charlie is a successful dentist who just can't seem to maintain a stable relationship. Sure he's had his fair share of one-night stands, but these days Charlie is just looking to find a nice girl he can settle down with. One day, while attending an ex-girlfriend's wedding, Charlie realizes that every girl he has ever dated has proceeded to find true love with the very next man they've met. When word gets out that Charlie is something of a lucky charm for women looking to tie the knot, every women within a 100-mile radius comes calling for a one-night stand; and while taking a bevy of beauties to bed is fun for the time being, it doesn't take long for Charlie to realize just how empty sex can be without true love. Upon meeting hard-to-get aquatic bird specialist Cam (Jessica Alba), Charlie begins to suspect that he has found the woman of his dreams. Cam is the kind of woman whom Charlie would be happy to grow old with, but what will come of their relationship if Charlie and Cam sleep together? Now, in order to ensure that Cam doesn't end up with the next guy she meets, Charlie will finally attempt to break the curse that has plagued him since childhood. Perhaps with a little help from smooth-talking ladies' man and sympathetic best friend Stu (Dan Fogler), Charlie will finally be able to experience true happiness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dane Cook, Jessica Alba, (more)
