Diana E. Williams Movies
A man who has developed an unhealthy obsession with a former lover becomes the focus of someone with evil on their mind in this independent thriller. Jeffrey (Daniel Sauli) is an architect who is sharing a flat in New York City with his friend Nicki (Heather Alicia Simms). One day, Jeffrey picks up a handsome man named Rene (Julien Lucas), but after spending the afternoon making love, they're interrupted by Nicki, and with the mood broken, Rene announces he wasn't interested in anything more than a one night stand. Jeffrey can't get his mind off Rene, and when he sees him on the street one day, he follows him. After discovering where Rene lives, Jeffrey learns that one of the apartments in his building has recently become vacant, and he decides to move in. While Nicki and Rene are both outraged by Jeffrey's behavior, which borders on stalking, Jeffrey soon discovers he has more to worry about than what his friends think of him. The previous tenant of Jeffrey's flat has gone missing, leaving his belongings behind, and after a hysterical visit from the missing man's lover, Jeffrey begins to wonder why landlady Gladys (Patti D'Arbanville) was so eager to have him move in right away -- and why she stops by so often. You Belong To Me was the first feature film from writer and director Sam Zalutsky. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patti D'Arbanville, Daniel Sauli, (more)
A despondent Brooklyn housewife whose life has become a boring and predictable routine finds her entire perception of the universe changed upon experiencing a close-encounter in her very own kitchen. Joanne Schwartzbaum (Cara Buono) has been sleepwalking her way through life for as far back as she can remember, but when an alien force reveals itself to her she is instantly snapped out of her complacent existence. Upon seeing a flier for a UFO support group during her weekly outing to the grocery store, Joanne determines to attend the meeting in hopes that it will provide her with a better understanding of her strange experience. When Joanne strikes up a friendly conversation with African immigrant Abraham Kanga (Isaach De Bankole) and realizes that they have both been branded by their extraterrestrial abductors, she enlists the aid of the amiable cab driver and market worker in solving the perplexing mystery. In the days that follow Joanne's frantic sleuthing activities become increasingly troubling to her incredulous husband Brain (David Lansbury), who soon begins to suspect that his wife is having an affair. Later, when Joanne sees a television news broadcast announcing the discovery of an unusual papyrus Egyptian scroll, she enlists the aid of her UFO support group to break into the Brooklyn Art Museum, snatch the curious artifact, and save the human race. Director Barry Strugatz helms a sci-fi spoof that gleefully pays homage to the B-movie hits of yesteryear while offering an absorbing tale of one woman's quest to stave off an impending alien invasion. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cara Buono, Isaach de Bankolé, (more)
Jim McKay follows up on the critical success of his Girls Town (1996) with this sensitively-wrought, finely-etched character study of three teenaged girls living in the Crown Heights section of New York City. Though it is summer, the trio find themselves locked in a demanding rehearsal schedule for their prize-winning marching band. Yet this is one of a sundry responsibilities these girls must shoulder. With their parents over-worked, absent, or in jail, they must take care of all household chores and hold down dreary soul-deadening jobs. To make matters worse, their school is closing down for asbestos removal. Yet the most pressing concern for Maria (Melissa Martinez) is her discovery that she is pregnant, for a second time, after a latex-free tryst with a classmate. She is reluctant to consider an abortion, though the prospect of telling her harried mother seems no less daunting. Her best friend Lanisha (Kerry Washington) is supportive, but Joy (Anna Simpson), the third in the trio, cools to Maria, preferring to retreat into a world of fantasy. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kerry Washington
Are women more attracted to big creepy thugs than to nice guys? Carter (Sean O'Bryan) seems to think so; as a hopelessly nice guy, he's had a long string of unsuccessful relationships with women who thought he was a sweet person and a good friend ... and then left him to get involved with an obnoxious macho side of beef. At 31, he's tired of being a loser in love, so when he becomes infatuated with a woman named Maggie, Carter tries a new approach -- he tries to spark her interest by acting like a slug who couldn't care less about her. The trouble is, for once Carter is chasing a woman who really is looking for a nice guy; more than anything, Maggie wants to meet a man who will treat her right and bring her flowers. A bittersweet romantic comedy, Nice Guys Sleep Alone features a supporting performance from Morgan Fairchild and was screened at the 1999 Gothenburg Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean O'Bryan, Sybil Temchen, (more)
As Kurt Vonnegut once put it, "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be very careful with what we pretend to be." A light variation on this theme is presented in the mock-documentary The Love Machine, in which a filmmaker (played by Marlene Forte) examines several Internet sex sites, and then pays a visit to the people behind the electronic facades. As it turns out, the flesh-and-blood people don't bear a great deal of resemblance to their on-line images or personalities. Gordon Ericksen's satire received its premier at the 1999 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marlene Forte, Gary Perez, (more)
