Val Lauren Movies

A spitfire coffeehouse poet catches the attention of a conservative publisher, only to find that her attempts to get him to take part in an underground poetry-reading contest mask a much deeper motivation in the feature directorial debut of longtime television writer E. Paul Edwards. To Jake Thompson, poetry is the purest way of expressing his inner rage. Marni Elliot is an attractive publisher who is drawn to Jake's use of words, and convinced that he could take home the top prize at the Los Angeles Poetron -- a competitive poetry contest that has set the underground literary community ablaze. Though Jake at first refuses on the grounds that competition spoils the purity of art, he is intensely drawn to Marni and soon relents after the pair fall into bed together. When Marni reveals to Jake that she is HIV-positive, he quickly breaks the relationship off. As the Poetron draws near and Jake learns that he will be competing against Marni's former lover, however, he comes to realize that he cannot get the publisher out of his mind, and that his sympathy for her condition has helped him to overcome his anger as it transforms him into both a better poet, and a more capable competitor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A pair of impulsive young men take different paths on the road to maturity in this drama, the first feature film from actor-turned-filmmaker Scott Caan. Rusty (Shawn Hatosy) and Dallas (Caan) are two buddies in their early twenties who live on the rundown underside of Los Angeles; they both have an appetite for alcohol and trouble, and would probably be in jail if it weren't for Rusty's understanding mother, Mary (Kelly Lynch). Mary is worried about her son, and when she begins dating an analyst, Bob (Jeff Goldblum), she persuades him to take Rusty on as a patient. As Rusty begins to work through the demons that have raged within him since the death of his father when he was a child, he begins putting his life on a more positive path. Dallas, however, is drawn deeper into a life of crime, and he wants Rusty to join him for a potentially risky job. Dallas 362 also features supporting performances from Marley Shelton, Selma Blair, Freddy Rodriguez, and Heavy D. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Directed by Josh Rofé, The Gray In Between centers around Cully (Rofé), a mischievous teen whose exploits are suddenly curtailed after being shot in the back. Permanently paralyzed and deeply depressed, the now wheelchair-bound Cully finds solace in Julie (Natasha Gregson Wagner), an older friend who agrees to take him in. The Gray In Between also features Billy Kay, Kyle Sabihy, and Amanda Plummer. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi