Alla Korot
- 2007
- PG13
Two happily married expectant parents get more than they bargained for after hiring a free-spirited Ukrainian housekeeper to help clean up their suburban palace in Killer Wave director Kevin Connor's playful domestic comedy. Marsha and David McMillan (Cynthia Preston and Larry Dorf) are about to have their first child, yet despite their excitement at the prospect of becoming parents, their home is in a hopeless state of disarray. Realizing that their only hope for tidying up before the big arrival is to hire an experienced housekeeper, Marsha and David agree to give the job to voluptuous Ukranian Sophia Petrenko (Alla Korot). When the infectiously friendly housekeeper begins inviting her relatives from the old country to come experience the good life in America, however, Marsha and David find their home overtaken by strangers just at the time when it should be getting baby-proofed. Mindy Sterling, Howard Hesseman, Richard Riehle, and Roddy Piper co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Larry Dorf, Cynthia Preston, (more)
A structural engineer (Anthony Hopkins) and an ambitious young district attorney (Ryan Gosling) become locked in a deadly battle of wits when the former is found innocent in the attempted murder of his wife in director Gregory Hoblit's tense tale of courtroom mind games. Ted Crawford (Hopkins) is an engineer who lives with his wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), in the couple's lavish Southern California home. One day, after carefully planning out the details to ensure that there is no way he can be convicted of murder, Ted shoots his wife in a blatant attempt to kill the woman. When head hostage negotiator Rob Nunally (Billy Burke) arrives on the scene to speak with Ted, he is shocked to find that the victim of the shooting is in fact his longtime lover. Though Jennifer survives the trauma of being shot in the head at close range, she hovers comatose between life and death as star prosecutor Willy Beachum (Gosling) reluctantly accepts the case while preparing to leave the Los Angeles criminal court system behind for a more promising career at a posh private law firm. Though the DA (David Strathairn) vehemently resents Beachum's lofty plan for departure, the hotshot young lawyer remains convinced that he can expedite the apparently open-and-shut case and be on his way to greener pastures in one week's time at the very most. Beachum's swelling ego betrays him, however, as his future boss Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike) begins to turn up the heat and fracture mechanics specialist Ted chooses to represent himself at the trial knowing well that a career spent spotting structural flaws in aeronautical systems has instilled him with just the kind of argumentative skills needed to riddle the swaggering young lawyer's "foolproof" case with doubt. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, (more)
- 2003
When her new boss, Larry (Johnny Sneed), loses his soul to a demon, Paige (Rose McGowan) is forced into an unholy agreement, one that will undoubtedly cause far more harm than good. In other developments: baby Wyatt seems to be using his inherent magic skills to sabotage his mother Piper's (Holly Marie Combs) social life. Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) is forced to collaborate with her rival columnist at the "Bay Mirror." And in their ongoing efforts to protect Wyatt from demonic harm, Chris (Drew Fuller) and Leo (Brian Krause) are hurtled back to the prehistoric era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Dorian Gregory, (more)
- 2001
After a five-year absence, Sherry Stringfield returns to ER in the role of Dr. Susan Lewis -- the same week that series regular Erik Palladino makes his farewell appearance as Dr. Dave Malucci. In Chicago to interview for a job at another hospital, Lewis drops into County General to see her former "crush" Greene (Anthony Edwards) -- and is offered a position in County's ER when Weaver (Laura Innes) fires one employee and kicks another one "downstairs." Naturally, Lewis welcomes the chance to come home -- but what will Greene's current spouse, Elizabeth (Alex Kingston), think? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Set in a high-price Malibu community, this made-for-TV drama wallows in a multitude of extramarital affairs, corporate intrigue and elegant back-stabbing, with murder the logical extension to all the hanky-panky. Characters crucial to the plotline are a cop posing as an auto mechanic, and a sexy nanny who intends to break up her best friend's marriage. The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying, a sure sign that the film was actually the pilot for an unsold series. Written and produced by Dynasty veterans Richard Shapiro and Esther Shapiro, The Colony was originally consigned to a "dog day" timeslot on July 4, 1996, by its parent network ABC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Brian Bloom, (more)
