Billy Asher Movies
Director Jean-Baptiste Andrea's wicked, jet-black comic thriller Big Nothing stars Friends mainstay David Schwimmer as Charlie Wood, a onetime American professor now married to a policewoman, Penelope (Natascha McElhone) and living in Oregon. As the story opens, Charlie takes a job as a telephone operator at an Information Technology call support center, but is promptly fired for making offensive comments to a customer. One of Charlie's shadier co-workers, Gus Dickinson (Simon Pegg) wheedles him into his plan to blackmail a priest, Rev. Smalls (Mitchell Mullen) by using "inside" information from the company that demonstrates the minister's obsession with internet porn. Thus begins an endless series of Mametian twists and turns involving double-cross, mistaken identity, forced drownings, poisonings, infidelities and cold-blooded mariticide, as the men attempt to collect on the money but run head-first into one outrageous conflict after another. Alice Eve, Mimi Rogers and Jon Polito co-star; Andrea and William Asher co-authored the script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Schwimmer, Simon Pegg, (more)
A family making their annual Christmas pilgrimage to Grandmother's house finds their journey taking an ominous turn when they attempt to take an unfamiliar shortcut in this low-key chiller from first-time director Jean-Baptiste Andrea. For 20 years, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) has driven the same, mind-numbingly familiar route to the annual holiday gathering, but the discovery of an unfamiliar shortcut simply proves too enticing for the loving but strained father to resist. As the road grows increasingly dark, the eerie sight of a young woman carrying a small infant sets into motion a horrific series of roadside deaths that finds the family's numbers quickly dwindling. Though there are no other travelers on the long and dark stretch of road, the appearance of a menacing black hearse seems somehow connected to the spectral woman and her child. Could it be that a vengeful entity was the previous victim of a roadside accident, returning to torment any trespasser who happens to wander down her silent stretch of road, or could the answer to the horrific mystery lie deep within the conscience of one of the few remaining family-members? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Wise, Alexandra Holden, (more)
- 1988
- PG
In this sci-fi adventure a courageous crewman fights to stop a mutiny and save the ship from the deadly Kalgan space pirates. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reb Brown, John Phillip Law, (more)
