Matt Battaglia Movies
- 2007
President Palmer struggles with a response to the nuclear attack, while Fayed prepares to launch four more assaults. Meanwhile, Walid endangers himself by spying for the FBI. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
The unexpected death of a close friend prompts a group of developmentally arrested twenty-somethings to move beyond their youthful indulgences and face the frightening prospect of entering into the adult world in director Michael Oates' heart-rending but good-humored coming of age tale. The funeral of their faithful high-school pal Bender just days away, college hopeful Mitch (Kip Pardue), hard-working Stan (Eddie Kay Thomas), and perpetually wasted Dixon Josh Cooke) come together to pay tribute to their fallen friend by tooling around their old home town and straining to top their notorious high-school hi-jinks. Their lives seemingly pre-destined to follow some invisible but unwavering path, Mitch and Stan watch over their volatile friend Dixon as the troubled walking time-bomb attempts to bury his guilt for being at the scene of the accident but unable to save Bender's life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eddie Kaye Thomas, Kip Pardue, (more)
Action hero Steven Seagal goes behind bars -- though don't worry, he isn't really a bad guy -- in this action thriller. Sascha Petrosevitch (Seagal) is an FBI agent working undercover to infiltrate a gangland kingpin's operations. While Petrosevitch is able to gain the trust of one of the gangster's lieutenants, Nick Frazier (Ja Rule), things go haywire during an FBI raid, and Petrosevitch takes several slugs in the back as he struggles to maintain his cover. Eight months later, Petrosevitch and Frazier are serving time together in the newly refurbished Alcatraz Penitentiary, as Petrosevitch secretly continues his investigation. Prison warden Hubbard (Stephen J. Cannell) is arranging for the execution of convicted killer and thief Lester (Bruce Weitz), and U.S. Supreme Court justice Jane McPherson (Linda Thorson) has announced she will attend as a witness. But Hubbard's assistant Donny (Morris Chestnut) has devised a secret plan -- it seems Lester stole and stashed away 200 million dollars in gold before he was arrested, and Donny, along with an underground SWAT team, takes control of the prison and takes Hubbard, McPherson, and the other assembled dignitaries hostage, demanding to be told where Lester has hidden his fortune. Now Petrosevitch must drop his cover and persuade his allies within the prison -- including Frazier and Little Joe (Michael "Bear" Taliferro) -- to join him in a desperate bid to foil Donny and free the hostages. Half Past Dead also features Nia Peeples, Kurupt, Tony Plana, and Claudia Christian. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Seagal, Morris Chestnut, (more)
A revered Dallas law professor is brutally murdered and District Attorney -- and possible Senate candidate Edward Mills (James Russo) -- has vowed to find the killer. Meanwhile, the homicide squad is busy trying to stop a serial killer targeting the city's prostitutes. Dallas homicide detective Amanda Reeve (Rachel Hunter) has her hands full with both cases, but finds herself in physical and emotional danger when she encounters two lovely lesbians who are suspects in the professor's death. As the foul nature of the professor's true nature is revealed, Amanda becomes confused by the increasingly complicated case, which soon includes her former lover, Assistant D.A. Cobb (Matt Battaglia), as a suspect. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Russo
- 1997
The "thing" of the title is a strange skin condition on a delicate part of Ross' anatomy. While Ross (David Schwimmer) consults Phoebe's herbalist, Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is torn between two boyfriends with similar qualifications but vastly different professions. And Monica (Courteney Cox) wonders if Pete (Jon Favreau) is getting serious...even as Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) calmly begins planning Monica's wedding. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Originally made for and aired on the Movie Channel, but then released to video, this action thriller features Burt Reynolds as a mercenary who gets revenge upon the quartet of corrupt government officials who send him and his squad on a mission to Bosnia and then plan to kill him. Originally, these high-ranking politicos told Jerome "Raven" Katz (Reynolds) that his mission was to go to the war-torn country to steal a Soviet gadget designed to commandeer control of any of the world's computer defense networks. Katz succeeds, but only he and one other, Martin Grant, survive. Realizing that his was meant to be a suicide mission so that the crooks could sell the invention to Iran, he keeps the machine and tries to sell it himself. Grant protests, and a fearsome fight erupts. After that, word is passed that both men are dead and that each of them carries one half of the invaluable device. But both men are very much alive. Years pass and Grant gives up the mercenary business to settle down to a peaceful California lifestyle with his lover Cali. Raven has not changed and stalks Grant in hopes of getting the second half of the decoder. While slowly closing in on Grant, Raven is also methodically murdering the four crooks who betrayed him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Matt Battaglia, (more)
In this suspense thriller, Mariel Hemingway plays Nova, a television gossip reporter. During a broadcast, she jokingly says that every good-looking man in Los Angeles is gay; a few days later, she's attending a concert by her mother, an aging rock star, and meets an attractive man named Nathan who wants to prove her theory incorrect. Nova and Nathan have a one-night stand, but he mysteriously disappears afterward -- which is particularly upsetting when Nova discovers she's pregnant. Nova decides to keep the baby, but while this would give her plenty to think about by itself, she soon has a lot more on her mind when a mysterious stranger begins murdering her friends, and a stalker begins following her, making her wonder if she could be next to die. Kiss of a Stranger also features Dyan Cannon, David Carradine, and Corbin Bernsen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mariel Hemingway, Corbin Bernsen, (more)
