Nicholas Tabarrok Movies

Joel Thomas Hyne's acclaimed novel about a Newfoundland drug addict's attempts to make sense of his own warped existence serves as the foundation for this poetic yet visceral addiction drama that stars the author himself as the damaged protagonist. Keith Kavanagh (Hyne) is a collection of contradictions; he's a coward, a bully, and a clown all at once, and his life is a mess of complicated relationships. Though he longs to start life anew somewhere else, he lacks the motivation to put any genuine effort into doing so. The only thing that Keith knows is that he wants off of the Rock, and he loves his girlfriend Natasha (Mylène Savoie). The first time we see Keith he is lying motionless and bloodied, quite possibly dead. Though it appears to be the end, this is actually the starting point as the viewer travels back in time to see how Keith began his descent into a life of drug pushing, unfaithfulness, and torture. It's not always a pleasant ride, because despite the fact that Keith can at times be a sympathetic figure, a closer look reveals an impulsive, amoral degenerate who seems hell bent on self-destruction. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A fun-filled camping trip turns into a grueling struggle to survive in this independent thriller. Steph (Stephanie Richardson) is a 14-year-old girl who has been terrified of the water ever since the traumatic death of her father. However, Steph is persuaded by three of her friends -- Alysha (Alysha Aubin), Candice (Candice Mausner), and Morgan (Morgan McCunn) -- to join them for an overnight canoe trip, with Jonah (Guy Yarkoni), Steph's older brother, serving as their guide. What starts as a playful trip down the river takes a sudden and unpleasant turn when an accident claims Jonah's life. Suddenly the four teenage girls are stranded in the wilderness, with no idea of where they are or how to get home. Making the journey all the more perilous is Steph's insistence that they can't leave her brother's body behind. Produced and originally screened under the title Portage, Surviving Crooked Lake was the first feature film from the writing and directing team of Sascha Drews, Ezra Krybus, and Matthew Miller. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Chris Klein, Joe Mantegna, Thomas Michael, and Paolo Mancini star in director Matthiew Klinck's holiday-themed comedy concerning two downsized Easter bunnies whose friendship starts to suffer when the multi-national corporation that owns all holidays decides to make some serious cutbacks. Hank and Mike are the Felix Unger and Oscar Madison of holiday mascots: They may seem like a mismatched pair yet their differences are precisely what's kept them together all these years. While Hank is a hard drinking ladies man, Mike can't seem to look past his own insecurities long enough to realize how truly miserable he is. Once a year, Hank and Mike dutifully venture out to deliver Easter baskets to families everywhere. This year, however, Easter Enterprises has taken a hit, and all "Tier 2" holidays (Christmas and Hanukkah being prime examples of "Tier 1") are fair game for downsizing. Since Hank and Mike work only once a year, their jobs are the first to go. Subsequently relegated to the unemployment office and unable to break free of their furry-tailed past, these two longtime pals are about to discover just how valuable their friendship can be in times of need. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

For its quiet, low-key story, A Lobster Tale travels into a sphere of domestic life rarely glimpsed in contemporary cinema - that of small-town Americana. Colm Meaney stars as Cody Brewer, a Maine lobsterman who sinks into an economic mire when faced with a terrible catch day after day, week after week. His waitress wife also struggles to stay afloat, and his son must fend off against a bully on a regular basis. Then, into this cradle of banal American beauty, an incredible event occurs: a strange, otherworldly moss turns up in one of Cody's nets - a moss with the ability to perform miracles. Though initially its presence causes problems and strain for the Brewer clan, it ultimately demonstrates its ability to not only improve their lives, but the lives of nearly everyone in the hamlet. Alberta Watson (Irish Eyes) and Graham Greene (Northern Exposure) co-star. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

The countdown to Armageddon continues as world leader Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie) brings peace to the world in this installment of the popular Left Behind series inspired by the best-selling books by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. As world peace blossoms and the citizens of the planet attempt to put the horrors of war behind them, American president Gerald Fitzhugh (Louis Gossett Jr.) ensures his country that America will not stand in the way of the historical peace pact. When an assassin's bullet misses its mark and President Fitzhugh gets a horrifying glimpse into the future, he soon realizes that he has left his country defenseless against Nicolae Carpathia's deadly deception. Now, with the future of the entire planet hanging in the balance, President Fitzhugh must place his trust in investigative reporter Buck Williams' (Kirk Cameron) Tribulation Force to battle the powers of evil and dethrone Carpathia before the horrors of the Book of Revelation become reality. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Four people of faith must take it upon themselves to save the soul of humanity in this sequel to Left Behind. When millions of people around the world suddenly disappear into thin air, the entire globe is thrown into chaos, and in the midst of this confusion and uncertainty, Nicolae Carpathia (Gordon Currie), international media magnate and president of the United Nations, steps forward as the leader who will guide all the world's nations in this difficult time. However, television journalist Buck Williams (Kirk Cameron) knows the truth behind what has happened -- the mass disappearances were the result of the Rapture, predicted in the Holy Bible as the beginning of the End Times, and Carpathia is, in fact, the Antichrist. Williams falls in with three remaining believers -- pastor and biblical scholar Bruce Barnes (Clarence Gilyard Jr.), airline pilot-turned-believer Rayford Steele (Brad Johnson), and Steele's headstrong 20-year-old daughter, Chloe (Janaya Stephens). Calling themselves the Tribulation Force, the foursome travel the world, attempting to spread the word about Carpathia and tending to the needs of the wounded; in the course of their work, Buck and Chloe fall in love, while Barnes comes to terms with the loss of his wife and child. But when sinister events occur in Israel at the site of the Wailing Wall, the Tribulation Force suspects Carpathia may have some more unpleasant surprises up his sleeve. Adapted from the popular series of Christian thrillers by Rev. Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force, like the first Left Behind picture, was produced by Christian production company Cloud Ten Productions; both films were first marketed on home video, and later released to theaters to widen their public profile. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A woman accused and her lawyer risk their lives to defend the rule of God in this Christian drama, the third sequel to Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm. In the near future, a One World government led by the despotic Franco Macalousso (Nick Mancuso) rules the globe, and he's taken it upon himself to stamp out fearless Christian activist Helen Hannah (Leigh Lewis), whose followers oppose his leadership. Macalousso has Hannah arrested on charges of crimes against humanity, and attorney Mitch Kendrick (Corbin Bernsen) is given the assignment of representing her in court. Victoria Thorne (Jessica Steen), Kendrick's former girlfriend, has been selected to prosecute Hannah in a trail orchestrated to conform to Macalousso's dictates. But the longer Kendrick spends preparing his defense of Hannah, the more deeply he's touched by her message, and he chooses to ignore his orders and defend Hannah's beliefs by refocusing the case on the existence of God, rather than the supposed crimes of Hannah. Apocalypse IV: Judgment also features Mr. T as J.T. Quincy, one of Hannah's supporters. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide