Evan Astrowsky Movies

Life, it seems, could not possibly improve for Ben Garvey (Paul Walker). Though officially an ex-criminal (a reformed thief), he's worked extra-diligently to bury the past and start over - via a promising job, a gorgeous wife (Piper Perabo) and a lovely daughter. Tragically, though, the past comes back to haunt Ben when others learn of his history and rip his job away; he travels from bad to worse by making the ill-advised decision to join his shyster brother in a "get rich quick" burglary scheme that goes tragically awry, leads to several deaths, and lands Ben on death row, poised for lethal injection. At the last waning moment, however, Ben comes to and mysteriously seems to have survived the needle. On a bizarre note, he finds himself in a rural psychiatric hospital where nothing is what it seems - plagued by demonic images and trailed by a mysterious figure (Lambert Wilson). One of the only sources of hope lies in the gorgeous psychiatrist (Linda Cardellini) who provides Ben with support, counsel and encouragement as he lingers in this odd, inexplicable realm. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Actor-turned-director David Arquette co-scripted and directed this political horror feature concerning a group of friends who are stalked by a psychotic killer with a Ronald Reagan fixation during an outdoor music festival. Lukas Haas, Thomas Jane, Jason Mewes, Paul Reubens, Balthazar Getty, and Jamie King star in a film that was co-written by Darkness Falls screenwriter Joe Harris. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Nick Guthe's darkly comic Mini's First Time stars Nikki Reed as the title character, a manipulative, highly sexualized teenager with parents who fail to offer much structure or guidance. Her stepfather (Alec Baldwin) is rich and dim, and her mother (Carrie-Anne Moss) leads a hard-partying lifestyle. As the relationship between Mini and her stepfather grows more twisted, criminal activity occurs. Luke Wilson appears as a detective investigating the situation, and Jeff Goldblum plays their wealthy neighbor. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The myriad obsessions of a handful of hopeless geeks go under the microscope in this comic mockumentary. At the age of 12, Shawn Anderson (Sean Anders) began collecting frozen food; a little over a decade later, he has over 900 rare entrées in his collection, and works as a dental hygienist to pay for the 14 freezers needed to keep his stash in pristine "never been thawed" condition. Shawn is the president of the Mesa Frozen Entrées Enthusiasts Club, and is attempting to organize the first national convention for frozen-food buffs while trying to keep his collection one step ahead of arch-rival Vince (Mike Gordon). Shawn also leads a punk-rock band, who recently embraced a Christian stance when he discovered that born-again teens were a more lucrative market than crusty punks. One of Shawn's biggest fans is Shelly (Shelly Frasier), a cute but dorky Christian girl who works as a counselor on an abstinence hotline and has joined the frozen entrée club to be near Shawn. Shawn likes Shelly, but is put off by her "wait until marriage" principles. Al (Allen Zwolle), Shawn's bass player, also has a crush on Shelly, and hangs with the club to spend time with her, but isn't so sure about the band's new Christian image, or his job as a combination clown/barber. Meanwhile, Milo (John Angelo), the band's manager, plans ways to propel them to Christian stardom while operating an anti-abortion coffeehouse, the No Choice Café. Never Been Thawed was the first feature film for writer and director Sean Anders, who also played the leading role and helped write the film's music. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Five college buddies retreat to the woods for a little R & R and end up getting a horrific lesson in infectious disease in this low-budget shocker. Cabin Fever stars Rider Strong as the geeky Paul, who hopes to settle in around the campfire with his brash buds Jeff (Joey Kern) and Bert (James DeBello), and make the moves on the nubile-but-shy Karen (Jordan Ladd). Unfortunately, a wayward, forest-dwelling vagrant (Arie Verveen) stumbles into their lives, his skin badly desiccated by a mysterious virus. Fearing for their own lives, the quintet decide to do away with the man, with little success: He stumbles away from the campsite and into a nearby stream, where his disease quickly infects the local water supply. It isn't long before the oblivious co-eds get a taste of the man's illness, and in their desperation, each learns that he or she will stop at nothing to survive. Cabin Fever premiered at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival, where it was snapped up by Lions Gate for a fall 2003 release. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide