Scarlett McAlister Movies
The investigation into a disturbing murder takes a heavy emotional toll on the detective attempting to overcome a personal tragedy while simultaneously chasing a cold-blooded killer in this thriller from first-time producer/editor/director Russ Pond. Detective Paul Gruning was still wrestling with some intensely personal issues when he was summoned to the home of a slain college professor, and as he surveys the scene of the crime his mental malaise only intensifies. The professor's body lies lifeless on the floor of the kitchen, and his wife Emma doesn't seem capable of offering coherent answers to the questions posed by the detective. Frustrated by his subsequent inability to elicit answers from either the professor's resentful son Andrew or his lab-assistant and house guest Rachel, Detective Gruning is troubled to realize that nearly everyone involved has a sufficient motive for murder. But with each interview he conducts, the facts seem to shift. So which version of reality can he trust as the truth? As the stakes are raised, it doesn't take long for Detective Gruning to realize that failure to solve the case could very well cost him his life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James MacDonald, Jim Blumetti, (more)
- 2007
Michael Rooker and Rance Howard star in co-directors Terry Leonard and Thadd Turner's take on the adventures of a legendary old-west gunfighter and his quick-draw compatriots. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker
The next generation of weaponry is here, and when Ted Billings (Glenn Morshower) goes toe-to-toe with a murderous group of terrorists who are willing to do anything and everything to possess such power, it's going to take a small army to ensure the safety of the entire planet. Billings has turned traitor to some of the most feared men alive, and if Vice President of Security Emily Johnson (Yancy Butler) and her mercenary ex-boyfriend Eugene "Vash" Vasher (Lou Diamond Phillips) don't act fast, Billings will soon be dead. Thankfully for Billings, "Vash" is the best in the business. Now, as the fearless freelance soldier gathers a talented team of weapons experts and experienced troops to protect Billings despite their personal distaste for the man, the fight is on for a secret that could revolutionize modern warfare. As bullets fly from every side and loyalties are tested by greed and survival instinct, the race is on to ensure that this groundbreaking weapon doesn't fall into the wrong hands. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
An aspiring astronaut who was forced to forsake his dream of exploring space in order to save the family farm begins building his own personal rocket as a means of reaching the stars in this quirky rural drama starring Billy Bob Thornton. There once was a time when Charlie Farmer (Thornton) seemed like a shoo-in for NASA's esteemed astronaut training program. An Air Force pilot who held a degree in aerospace engineering, Charlie was well on his way to blasting off when a family crisis grounded his celestial aspirations. Of course, Charlie's feet may be firmly planted on terra firma these days, but his thoughts are constantly ascending into the clouds and beyond. It's been ten long years since the man who would navigate the stars began tending to the family farm, and during that time, Charlie has dedicated every moment of his spare time to building the rocket that will one day launch him into space. Though his devoted wife, Audie (Virginia Madsen), the pair's three children, Sunshine, Stanley, and Shepard, and even his father-in-law, Hal (Bruce Dern), all support Charlie in achieving his lifelong goal of becoming the nation's first independent astronaut, a last-minute hitch on the eve before the big launch unexpectedly stalls Charlie's countdown. It seems that Charlie's quest to obtain a substantial amount of high-grade rocket fuel has attracted the attention of not only the FBI, but the CIA, the FAA, and the United States military as well. Now, as the powers that be attempt to ground Charlie, citing concerns for civilian safety, a media frenzy descends upon the once-quiet farm as the reluctant renegade hero vows to show his children just how far one's courage and willingness to pursue one's own ideals can get a person when one refuses to give up hope. Northfork writing/directing duo Mark and Michael Polish team up to tell the tale of a man considered an oddity by his neighbors, a criminal by the government, and an inspiration by the media and the people. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, (more)
A quiet community reveals an ugly underside in the wake of a horrible crime in this independent drama. Robbie Levinson (Seth Peterson) and Trey McCoy (Brian J. Smith) are a gay couple who've been together for six years; they've been sharing a comfortable home in suburban Dallas most of that time, and are planning to get married once the legalities work themselves. Robbie and Trey are good neighbors who get along well with the other folks in the community until Chris Boyd (Chad Donella) moves in next door. Chris is a youth pastor at a church run by his father (Bruce Davison), a fundamentalist Christian who preaches often and with great vehemence about the evils of homosexuality. Chris doesn't keep his feelings about gays to himself, and when Trey is found dead in a nearby park, the victim of a sadistic beating with a baseball bat, Robbie believes Chris may be involved. However, Chris' father and mother provide an alibi for him, and the police hand the case from Detective Fisher (Farah White), who investigates hate crimes, to Sgt. Esposito (Giancarlo Esposito) in the homicide department. Robbie is appalled to discover he's now the leading suspect in the murder, and begins making his own investigation into Trey's death. Hate Crime was the first feature film from writer and director Tommy Stovall. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Seth Peterson, Chad E. Donella, (more)
Director Ron Howard turns to the Western genre in this tale of a father and daughter who are brought together under difficult circumstances. Samuel Jones (Tommy Lee Jones) is a man living in New Mexico in the 1880s. He had abandoned his family years before to live and travel with a band of Apaches, but his conscience has finally gotten the better of him and he's decided to return home. Jones, however, does not receive a warm welcome upon arrival -- his wife has died and his daughter Maggie Gilkeson (Cate Blanchett), now grown and raising two children with her husband Brake (Aaron Eckhart), has no desire to see the man who left her mother to fend for herself. As Jones prepares to depart on a note of bitterness, a band of ruthless bandits, let by Army deserter Chidin (Eric Schweig), descends upon the homestead, murdering Brake and kidnapping his 15-year-old daughter Lily (Evan Rachel Wood). While Maggie feels no desire to forgive her father, she realizes he's her best hope to track down the criminals who took her child, and Jones and Maggie team up to find the bandits before they can disappear into Mexico. The Missing was based on the novel The Last Ride by Thomas Eidson. Val Kilmer and Jenna Boyd highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, (more)
Kirk Davis' debut feature Screen Door Jesus charts the uproar that breaks out when the image of Christ appears on a screen door in a small Texas town called Bethlehem. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
A so-called anarchist gets an unexpected crash-course in living on the edge in this independent comedy drama. Puck (Devon Gummersall) is a college dropout and self-styled political radical who lives with a handful of friends in an anarchist commune near Plano, TX. Puck's roommates and fellow semi-revolutionaries include aging hippie Johnny Red (John Savage), man-crazy feminist Karla (Gina Philips), DJ and ladies' man Sweeney (Johnny Whitworth), and cheerful mischief maker Double Dee (Steve Van Wormer). While Puck and his pals enjoy engaging in occasional acts of creative vandalism, their sense of anarchy is more a matter of personal choice than a genuine threat against the larger standing order. That begins to change when the mysterious Johnny Black (Dylan Bruno) ingratiates himself into the commune. Johnny Black's political agenda is significantly more aggressive than that of Puck and his friends, and his willingness to use violence to achieve his ends disturbs Puck, as Black not only takes control of the group, but adds guns, explosives, and sabotage to their formula. Puck also finds himself torn between his commitment to his ideals and his infatuation with Jody (Katherine Towne), whose sexual appetites run counter to her public reputation as a Christian and Young Republican organizer. Taking its title from William Powell's infamous book of the same name (which the author has since come to repudiate), The Anarchist Cookbook was the first feature film from writer and director Jordan Susman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Devon Gummersall, Dylan Bruno, (more)
