Andrea Miltner Movies
Mike Mignola's acclaimed comic book series about a creature from Hades who joins the battle against evil arrives on the screen in vivid form in this adaptation directed by distinctive horror filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. During World War II, the Third Reich has joined forces with the evil Grigori Rasputin (Karel Roden), who has used his occult powers to summon up a young demon from the depth of Hell to be used as the ultimate Axis weapon. However, the demonic creature is captured by American forces, and put in the care of Professor Broom (John Hurt), the founder of a top-secret organization called the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. Under Broom's tutelage, the creature develops empathy and a desire to do good while his physical powers and paranormal talents are honed to a fine point. Sixty years later, the demon, now known as Hellboy (Ron Perlman), is part of an elite secret defense team alongside Liz Sherman (Selma Blair), a beautiful young woman who can create fire with her mind, and Abe Sapian (Doug Jones), an aquatic humanoid with the power of telepathy. Despite his many years of fighting for right, Hellboy finds himself facing his greatest challenge when the powerful Rasputin returns, determined to bring the demon back to the forces of darkness so that evil may finally rule the world. Hellboy's supporting cast also includes Jeffrey Tambor, Rupert Evans, and Brian Steele. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Perlman, John Hurt, (more)
- 2003
In the early '90s, after the "Velvet Revolution" threw off Communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia, the city of Prague developed a reputation as the "Second Chance City," a haven for creative individuals with a desire to reinvent themselves in a city going through an exciting evolution of its own. Within a few years, a large number of the American expatriates who'd come to Prague had returned to the land of their birth, but in time, the city experienced the phenomenon of the "rex-patriates" -- folks who'd come to Prague for a fresh start but left for home, only to return to the city for a second "second chance." Rex-Patriates is a mockumentary comedy which follows the misadventures of a handful of Americans giving the Czech capital one last opportunity to fulfill their dreams, including less-than-gifted poet Kranepool (James Babson), theater artist and aging would-be riot grrrl Ewell (Nancy Bishop), sullen mime Klinghoffer (Joel Sugerman), and aggressively optimistic businesswoman Lucy (Ellen Savaria). Rex-Patriates also features Alan Levy, editor of The Prague Post (an English-language newspaper published in the city), as himself in a small role shot shortly before his death. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ellen Savaria, James Babson, (more)
