Andre Jacobs Movies
The many emotional scars left by South Africa's history of institutionalized racism come under the microscope in this drama. As South Africa comes to terms with the legacy of apartheid, their government has created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in which the perpetrators of racial violence and injustice must come face to face with their victims if they are to be forgiven for their crimes. Langston Whitfield (Samuel L. Jackson) is an African-American journalist who is assigned to cover these hearings by The Washington Post; Whitfield doubts the efficacy of this process, and sets out to interview Col. De Jager (Brendan Gleeson), a notorious former officer of the South African police who was famous for his violence against blacks in order to put this method to the test. While in South Africa, Whitfield meets Anna Malan (Juliette Binoche), an Afrikaner poet who is covering the hearing for a radio station and is both appalled and disturbed by the details of the violence inflicted against her countrymen. After striking up a friendship, Whitfield and Malan become romantically involved as they try to come to terms with their feelings about what they've learned. Also screened under the title Country of My Skull, In My Country was adapted from a book by South African author Antjie Krog. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Samuel L. Jackson, Juliette Binoche, (more)
This British drama tells the story of a soldier who escaped captivity after a mission gone-awry. Paul McGann plays Corporal Chris Ryan, one soldier in a crew sent on a mission to destroy SCUD missiles after Saddam Hussein threatened Israel. Ryan's team was attacked, leaving several dead and the rest in captivity. Ryan was the only one to escape -- and recount the tale. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1994
- R
Set in New England but actually filmed in Africa for some strange reason, this derivative demon-possession opus is one of the less-inspired releases from Roger Corman's direct-to-video outfit New Horizons. The story involves an occult soiree at the palatial home of a phony-baloney psychic, where an arcane recitation summons the feral demon Asmodeus, who appears under the pretense of answering some pressing questions about the afterlife. Instead, the nefarious visitor decides to commit a serious social blunder by possessing one guest after another, setting them at each other's throats until nearly everyone is dead -- not even the family dog is spared from demonic possession. By the time the police arrive, the sole survivor (Dirk Benedict), who is also the only genuine psychic in the bunch, is blamed for the murders. Essentially a tired Exorcist knockoff (the kind which even the Italians had given up on making a decade before), this shabby, poorly-written mess also borrows the standard '80s slasher-movie convention of requiring its characters to behave like absolute morons in order to propel the plot. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- PG13
The search for Ali Baba's fabulous lost treasure provides the framework for this adventure. The seekers are a notorious arms smuggler and beautiful woman who endure many dangers in pursuit of their desired goal. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
This adventure is yet another adaptation of Richard Connell's enduring 1924 tale The Most Dangerous Game. The tale is set in contemporary times and centers on four bored business executives who are looking to do something a little more exciting on their latest African excursion than shoot mere animals. They begin by luring an innocent, unemployed journalist into playing a little mock hunting game using paint pellets for bullets. At first all involved are using phony bullets, but then, the group leader, Eric Du Pont, quietly loads real bullets into his gun and begins killing the others one-by one, leaving the survivors to begin blaming the journalist who must now run for his life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1990
- R
In this action adventure, American mercenary Jake Cody is in charge of locating a band of murderous rebels who have killed the leader of an African nation and stolen the gold that was to help its ailing economy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Ryan, Andre Jacobs, (more)
- 1990
- R
While in Africa, a pregnant American (Jenilee Harrison) is cursed by a village witch doctor (Dumi Shongwe) after interrupting a tribal ceremony. Soon after, she is visited by a sea-demon who terrorizes her friends. The film, which shares little with the others in the series, was originally titled Panga. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
The Emissary is a second-echelon knock-off of The Ambassador (1984), itself a reworking of Elmore Leonard's 52 Pick-Up. While in Africa on a goodwill tour, an American politician and his wife are victimized by Soviet spies. Threatening to reveal horrible secrets about the politician's past, the Russians insist that he turn over top-secret documents. But this could trigger a nuclear war, so a lot of heavy soul-searching is in order. Robert Vaughn is the biggest "name" in the largely European and South Africa cast. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Le Platt, Terry Norton, (more)
