Brendan Sexton III Movies

This searing direct-to-video drama from director Ryan Barton-Grimley begins with an ugly situation: a well-to-do couple gets taken hostage in their posh home by a burglar. The night then grows ever more volatile as old secrets and thinly-veiled motives rear their heads and threaten to permanently destroy the victimized pair's future as a married couple. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Set on a small parcel of land in American-occupied Afghanistan and taking place over the course of 24 hours, D.J. Paul's feature directorial debut, B.O.H.I.C.A. (an acronym for "bend over, here it comes again"), follows the bizarre events that unfold when four U.S. Army Reservists assigned the thankless task of protecting a radio tower realize that they have actually come under attack by an Afghani militia. Realizing that they're more likely to die of boredom than enemy gunfire in their barren surroundings, the soldiers settle into a monotonous routine until the U.S. Air Force mistakenly airdrops a keg of beer right next to their outpost. Hours later, after a beer-fueled day of banter and bonding, an Afghani militia descends from the mountains to wage a vicious attack. Perhaps with a little luck, the soldiers will be just sober enough to shoot straight, and live to tell their tale another day. Adam Rodriguez, Nicholas Gonzalez, Matthew Del Negro, Brendan Sexton III, and Kevin Weisman star in a film that exposes the absurdity and futility of war while paying playful homage to the men and women who feel compelled to fight it. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two brothers dutifully working the days away at the family carpet business attempt to assert their independence by going to work for the king of Long Island wedding videographers, only to find their new careers floundering when they are forced to move into a cramped studio apartment. It's been five years, three months, and 26 days since Anthony and Carmine Marconi went to work at their father's carpet store, and now both brothers are beginning to fear that their lives have hit a standstill. When he's not slaving away full-time amidst endless yards of carpet, Anthony is attempting to balance a full load of classes at the local community college. Meanwhile, brother Carmine is hoping to strike it rich by playing the tables in Atlantic City and buying scratch-off cards. One day, during a routine carpet installation, the brothers' fate takes an unexpected turn when they cross paths with Maurice "Mo" Brown -- a fast-talking wedding-video producer with some flashy toys and sexy "secretaries." Though Anthony and Carmine miraculously manage to land positions as Mo's new assistants, their father doesn't take the news too well; he immediately slaps them each with a 500-dollar-a-month boarding fee.

Now, for the first time in their lives, Anthony and Carmine are on their own, and they're working for a certifiable lunatic who calls wedding shots like he's Cecil B. DeMille and flies into an uncontrollable rage at the sight of his alcoholic ex-partner and wife, Sonya -- the in-house wedding photographer. To make matters even worse, Anthony has started an affair with Sonya's assistant and Carmine has just screwed up the audio on the wedding vows. With time running out before Mo catches wind of the latest disaster, Anthony and Carmine will have to work overtime if they hope to keep their jobs and save their necks. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A socially isolated woman still haunted by the disappearance of her three-year-old daughter 15 years ago obsesses over the prospect that a troubled young woman whom she has recently befriended may in fact be her long-lost daughter in The Lake House director/screenwriter David Auburn's affecting psychological drama. Sigourney Weaver stars as the long-grieving mother, and The Devil Wears Prada's Kate Bosworth stars as the mixed-up teen who becomes the object of the dejected woman's hopeful fixation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A seven year-old boy who believes he has killed his older brother flees to Coney Island in director Joanna Lipper's remake of the 1953 classic that Francois Truffaut once credited with sparking the French New Wave film movement. Young Lenny is about to turn twelve. Since their father is in prison and their mother works long hours at a nearby nursing home, Lenny and his younger brother Joey often spend long portions of the day unsupervised. In order to celebrate his birthday, Lenny and his friends make plans to ride the world famous Cyclone rollercoaster at the Coney Island amusement park. Joey too wants to ride the Cyclone, but he is too small and won't be permitted onboard even if he does tag along. When Joey defies Lenny's order to stay at home, the scheming older sibling concocts an elaborate prank in order to teach his insolent sibling a message. Much to Lenny's horror, however, the innocent prank goes frightfully awry and Joey now believes that he has killed his older brother. Realizing just how much trouble the terrified Joey could get himself into without proper supervision, Lenny soon sets out for Coney Island in a desperate quest to rescue him before events take a truly tragic turn. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Alicia Goranson, Brendan Sexton III, and David Eigenberg star in director Adrienne Weiss' affectionate tale of sisterly devotion versus romantic yearning. By day, Queens native Myra (Goranson) has a reputation as hard-working firecracker of an office clerk who's not afraid to speak her mind, but by night, the outwardly hardened office worker goes soft as she lovingly caters to the needs of her artistically driven but emotionally unstable brother Ludlow (Sexton III). As Myra's burgeoning relationship with kind-hearted office employee Reggie (Eigenberg) begins to take a turn for the serious, the resulting tug of war waged for Myra's affection finds the emotional Ludlow lashing out and attempting to sabotage his sister's burgeoning romance. Though Myra's devotion to her troubled brother has always thus far resulted in a virtually non-existent social life, the prospect of following her strong feelings for the sweet and sensitive loner finds the encumbered sister struggling to find a comfortable middle ground between her senses of love, responsibility, and freedom. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Writer/director Brad Anderson, known for whimsical romantic comedies like Next Stop, Wonderland, was inspired by the astonishing, creepy visage of an abandoned mental hospital in Danvers, MA, to make the intense psychological horror film Session 9. The film stars the redoubtable Scottish actor Peter Mullan (from Ken Loach's My Name Is Joe) as Gordon Fleming, a new father struggling to keep his asbestos removal company afloat. Desperate to bring in some money, the normally deliberate and careful Gordon gets the contract by promising that his company can clear out the creepy deserted building in a week's time. Assisted by his right-hand man, Phil (David Caruso), Gordon hires a crew and, pressed by the nearly impossible deadline, gets the hazardous work underway. But each man on the crew harbors a dangerous secret, and it's only a short time before the haunted atmosphere of the asylum -- where cruel and primitive means were used to control unstable patients -- begins to work its dark spell on them. Session 9 was one of the first feature films shot using Sony's 24P HD video, which shoots at 24 frames per second, like film, as opposed to the 30 frames per second of conventional video. The filmmakers used the same camera that George Lucas would later use to film Star Wars: Episode II. Using this technology, Anderson and director of photography Uta Briesewitz were able to produce the uniquely effective, deep-focus images in Session 9 using mostly natural light. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Based on a true story, this drama was adapted from the life of Brandon Teena, born Teena Brandon, a woman who chose to live her life as a man and suffered tragic consequences as a result. In 1993, 20-year-old Brandon (Hilary Swank) leaves Lincoln, Nebraska for the nearby community of Falls City, where she sports a crew cut, favors jeans and boots, and is regarded as a man by most of the people in town. While Brandon's friend Lonny (Matt McGrath) warns her that sexual outsiders aren't looked upon kindly in Falls City, she develops a reputation for being something of a ladies' man, and is soon living with a single mother named Candace (Alicia Goranson). But when Brandon meets teenage Lana (Chloe Sevigny), the two become romantically involved almost immediately. Brandon makes friends with Lana's mother (Jeanetta Arnette) and a burly ex-con named John (Peter Sarsgaard). John and his buddy Tom (Brendan Sexton) run with a rough group of men who like to drink and carouse, and they accept Brandon as one of their own. However, when Brandon ends up in jail on a traffic violation, her secret comes out, and, while Lana stands by Brandon's side, John and Tom feel betrayed -- and their anger soon boils over into violence. A distinguished feature debut for director Kimberly Peirce, Boys Don't Cry was enthusiastically received in its showings at 1999 film festivals in Venice, Toronto, and New York. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Garret Williams made his directorial debut with this tale of an urban black couple trapped in a desert town of rednecks. Byron (Terrence Howard) and Nina (Nicole Ari Parker) are driving a BMW from Chicago to L.A. when they experience a back-road breakdown. Teen Mooney (Brendan Sexton III) tows them to a white-trailer-trash town where they're charged $500 for repairs. When the BMW dies again, they stay overnight in a motel, and the situation soon gets grim. The characters in this low-budgeter were first introduced in a 1996 short. Spark was shown at 1998 film festivals (Sundance, Berlin). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Gena (Aesha Waks) is a 16-year-old girl whose mother has fallen into a coma; with her immediate family unable to watch over her, it's decided that she'll spend the summer with her Uncle John (Paul Lazar). Gena takes a part-time job at a beauty parlor and makes friends with a girl named Jane (Summer Phoenix). Jane, however, is not an especially good influence; she's a recent runaway from a halfway house and is looking for her missing brother Sonny (Sam Rockwell), a convicted felon. When Jane disappears, Gena searches for her and is led into a netherworld of drugs, crime, gang violence, and sexual initiation. This independent drama was screened at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival; Heather Matarazzo of Welcome to the Dollhouse appears in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Three women living in New York City find their lives coming together as they try to resolve personal issues and (just as important) find an apartment. Colleen (Lucy Knight) is a single mother trying to support her daughter while getting her career as a photographer off the ground. Kacey (Erin Norris) is a teenage bisexual who lost both her girlfriend and her dog. And Kate (Sara Paul) has decided to break free from her boyfriend so she can devote more time to her music. All three women are apartment hunting, and by the end of the story they are sharing a flat together. A, B, C ... Manhattan was the second film in director Amir Naderi's proposed trilogy of stories about New York City, preceded by Manhattan by Numbers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A funky little record shop provides the setting for this youthful comedy that centers on the workers there as they try to help poor Joe Anthony LaPaglia), the manager who really wants to buy the place, recoup his losses after his well-meaning, but dim-bulbed employee Lucas (Rory Cochrane ) steals his savings and loses it all in Atlantic City while trying to increase it twofold at the gaming tables. If they cannot come up with the loot, the mega-chain Music City will buy it. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi