Joe Lisi Movies

Inspired by the beloved segment of the Walt Disney classic Fantasia, The Sorcerer's Apprentice moves the setting of the story to modern-day Manhattan, where decidedly average teen Dave Stutler (Jay Baruchel) hones his magical powers under the tutelage of master sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicolas Cage). Malevolent wizard Maxim Horvath (Alfred Molina) is determined to claim New York City as his own. And Horvath isn't alone in his diabolical endeavor, because by joining forces with the sinister sorcerer, pop illusionist Drake Stone (Toby Kebbell) aspires to gain powers beyond his wildest imagination. Realizing that he can't take on Horvath and Stone alone, Blake recruits Stutler as his reluctant assistant and begins training him the battle that will determine the fate of the Big Apple. Teresa Palmer and Monica Bellucci co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In the summer of 1977, a serial killer who called himself Son of Sam (real name David Berkowitz) held New York City in terror as he went on a killing spree, periodically writing letters to New York's media in which he took full responsibility for the murders and made clear that he intended to kill again. Spike Lee's Summer of Sam deals in part with this crime spree, but it mostly looks back at the fearful impact of his crimes on New York's collective consciousness. Vinny and Dionna (John Leguizamo and Mira Sorvino) are an unhappy young married couple living in the Bronx; Vinny often cheats on Dionna but is wracked with guilt about it, while Dionna fears she lacks the looks or allure to hold onto a man. Ritchie (Adrien Brody) is a neighborhood kid turned punk rocker (complete with a fake British accent); he has a band and a girlfriend (Jennifer Esposito) but also makes money as an exotic dancer at a gay club. And Luigi (Ben Gazzara), a longtime leader of organized crime in the Bronx, is approached by the police, with whom he generally has a less cordial relationship, to help them find the killer, as the citizens of some neighborhoods barricade their streets in fear that he will strike there next. Meanwhile, a tortured psychopath named David Berkowitz (Michael Badalucco) seethes with rage in his gloomy apartment and receives messages from a demonic dog who commands him to kill and kill again. Spike Lee's first film without a primarily African-American cast (though bearing the unmistakable New York stamp that's one of his hallmarks), Summer of Sam was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Simone (Jimmy Smits) pulls in hoodlum Jimmy Liery (Christopher Meloni) when neighbors complain about gunfire. Jimmy is allowed to walk -- but he doesn't get far, and Diane (Kim Delaney) is upset at Liery's ultimate fate. Elsewhere, Martinez (Nicholas Turturro) takes a troublesome kid (Javier Núñez) under his wing; Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) blames Fancy (James McDaniel) when he is passed over for promotion; and an artist (Michael David Lally) reluctantly agrees to wear a wire in order to trap a group of murderous mobsters. New York Police Commissioner Howard Safir appears as himself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jealousy, infidelity, and a missing finger are the key ingredients in this dark independent comedy. Carol (Caroleen Feeney) and Glenn (Liev Schreiber) are a young couple whose first baby is due any day now. The last few months of her pregnancy have left Carol with little desire for sex, much to the annoyance of Glenn. As Carol is chopping carrots while making dinner, Glenn surprises her with a hug; she's so startled that the knife misses its mark and she instead slices off Glenn's pinky. The finger flies out the window, which sends both Glenn and Carol out into the street to look for it. The search for the lost digit leads to an argument, with Carol accusing Glenn of infidelity and Glenn accusing Carol of intending to hack off his penis instead. Carol finds the finger, but she holds it hostage until Glenn will name the other women he's been sleeping with. Eventually, the argument finds its way over to the home of Carol's best friend Pam (Cynthia Watros). It seems that Pam is also having marriage problems; she's jealous of her husband Nick (Michael Rispoli), but the truth is that Pam is the one who has been unfaithful. Nick, however, shows up just as Pam is making her confession to Carol. Glenn, meanwhile, just wants his finger back. His and Hers also marked the screen debut of noted actor and playwright Danny Hoch as Lenny. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Character actor Steve Buscemi made his debut as a writer and director with this seriocomic tale of a guy who is going through something but doesn't know just what it is. Tommy is a 31-year-old auto mechanic who lost his last job after "borrowing" 1,500 dollars from the cash register and heading to Atlantic City, where he wasted no time losing it all at the tables. The fact that he can't get his own car to run isn't impressing any prospective employers, so Tommy spends much of his time at the Trees Lounge, a local watering hole conveniently located downstairs from his apartment. Eventually Tommy lands some work driving an ice cream truck and becomes acquainted with his ex-girlfriend's 17-year-old niece, Debbie (Chloë Sevigny). When they half-heartedly fall into a romance, it's just one more thing for Tommy to be confused about. Buscemi draws upon a rich cast of supporting actors, including Elizabeth Bracco, Anthony LaPaglia, Carol Kane, Debi Mazar, Samuel L. Jackson, and Mimi Rogers. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The fourth season of NYPD Blue begins with a clean-and-sober Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) finally coping with the death of his son Andy Jr., but obsessing over the care given his baby boy, Theo -- so much so that it seriously affects his work. On the verge of proposing to Diane Russell (Kim Delaney) -- who, like Sipowicz, is still trying to get over her booze habit -- Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits) inherits an apartment building and immediately clashes with the eccentric nephew (Willie Garson) of his benefactor. A body in a trunk shows up in the wrong precinct, causes all sorts of red tape. And Greg Medavoy (Gordon Clapp) decides to go on a diet. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, Fraser's (Paul Gross) former lover Victoria (Melina Kanakeredes reveals her true colors when she kills her former partner Jolly (Denis Forest) and frames Fraser (Paul Gross) and Ray (David Marciano) on a charge of passing stolen money. But is it truly her scheme to destroy Fraser, or does she have something entirely different in mind. A shocking denoument may spell the end of Fraser and Ray's careers--not to mention their friendship. First broadcast on Canadian television, this episode made its US debut on June 2, 1995. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

A large, dysfunctional family awaits word on a loved one's fate in this domestic drama starring Susan Sarandon as Mag Singer, mother of seven sons. One, Percival (Matt Keeslar) is serving in the Marine Corps, and when news comes that his barracks in the Middle East has been bombed by terrorists, Mag's family assembles at her home, anxious for more information. In the meantime, a series of old wounds are reopened and healed. The prodigious Singers include the father, Patrick (Sam Shepard), unhappily estranged from Mag and prone to bouts of hysterical blindness, and Alfred (Robert Sean Leonard), the responsible, sober eldest, who is engaged to divorced mother Cynthia (Marcia Gay Harden). There's also Simon (Nick Stahl), the intellectual Izzy (Sean Astin), two twins, and guilt-wracked Gideon (Jason London), a track star who outshone Percival athletically, inspiring the latter to join the military. While the Singers deal with minor crises like a neighbor's dog that repeatedly attacks Simon, Percival's fate looms, and Mag deals with her fear by cleaning out the ramshackle garage and drinking Tequila with her daughter-in-law to be, Cynthia, with whom she's surprised to find much in common. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

In this comedy, bumbling Harlem barbers Dr. Dre and Ed Lover are shipped off to the police academy by their frustrated boss, Nick (Jim Moody). However, when a crooked land developer threatens to forcibly take over their ex-boss' land, it is up to Dr. Dre and Ed to use their new-found police powers to stop him. A number of well-known rap artists make appearances in this film, including Queen Latifah, Humpty Hump, Kriss Kross, B-Real, and Ice-T. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi

Jack Dobson (James Belushi) is lying down, bleeding and dead, in a deserted clearing in the woods: "Yeah, that's me. No wife, no kid. Just one 9-millimeter bullet lodged in my chest." The voice from the corpse then introduces the audience to the area of his demise --Palm Beach, a town where everyone "leads three lives: public, private, and secret." Dobson is a homicide detective in Palm Beach who takes advantage of his position to bed a variety of women, while his brother Michael (William Russ) prepares to run for public office. One of Dobson's lovers is imported New Yorker Ellen (Lorraine Bracco). She sees Dobson leave a parking lot with a waitress and before long the waitress turns up dead. Dobson investigates the murder and determines that a serial killer is on the loose. When more women turn up dead with connections to Dobson, the finger of guilt points not only to Jack but also to his partner Steve (Tony Goldwyn), Steve's wife Beth (Faye Grant), and even his respectable senatorial candidate brother. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi