Costas Mandylor Movies
Costas Mandylor initially launched a career as a soccer player, then gravitated to film acting when debilitating shin injuries spelled an end to his tenure on the field. Raised in Australia as the son of Greek immigrants, Mandylor first caught the attention of the American public and press in the summer of 1991, when People magazine christened him one of 1991's 50 Most Beautiful People in the world, and cited his contribution to that year's "young gangsters" crime saga Mobsters (as Frank Costello) as a star-making turn. Mandylor soon began to specialize in ethnic roles that took full advantage of his Mediterranean extraction, and that spanned a wide array of genres -- from biopic (The Doors, 1991) to farce (Soapdish, 1991) to psychological thriller (The Pledge, 2001). On the small screen, Mandylor had a regular role as Officer Kenny Lacos on the small-town drama Picket Fences (1992-1996), and he also appeared in a recurring part on the family drama 7th Heaven (2004-2006). His popularity increased in the late 2000s when he played a forensic specialist in chapters three and four of the Saw series of slasher films. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
Inspired by the epic Old English poem of the same name, director Robert Zemeckis's digitally rendered film follows the Scandinavian hero Beowulf (Ray Winstone) as he fights to protect the Danes from a ferocious beast named Grendel (Crispin Glover). Though at first Grendel seems invincible, Beowulf eventually manages to defeat him in a desperate battle to the death. Devastated by her son's violent demise at the hands of Beowulf, Grendel's mother (Angelina Jolie) sets out in search of revenge. Later, Beowulf faces the biggest challenge of his life when he attempts to slay a powerful dragon. Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Alison Lohman, John Malkovich, and Brendan Gleeson co-star in an epic fantasy adventure penned by Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, (more)
- 2002
All loyal Charmed fans are aware that Leo Wyatt (Brian Krause), the Whitelighter (guardian angel) of the Charmed Ones, is the spirit of a man who passed away in 1942. In this episode, Leo's previous life catches up with him, as two soldiers who fought with Leo in WWII return from the dead with revenge in mind. Unless Leo takes drastic quickly, his wife, Piper (Holly Marie Combs), will be the latest "casualty." Meanwhile, the demon-possessed Cole (Julian McMahon) connives to remove his new bride, Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), from her sisters' good influence. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
A high-profile magazine editor is framed for murder after refusing the advances of a powerful billionaire's brother in this thriller starring Beverly Hills 90210's Jason Priestley and Showgirls' Elizabeth Berkley. When V Magazine editor Tyler Nobel arrives at work on what seems to be an average morning, the discovery of a detailed sex diary on her desk reveals a young woman involved with a wealthy society man whose underworld connections raise dark implications. Realizing that the man mentioned in the diary is reclusive billionaire J.C. Peck, Nobel's hunger for a high-profile, international cover story finds her making the acquaintance of a J.C.'s younger brother Mark at a party. Though Mark draws Tyler to his remote country estate with the pretense of offering a private meeting with his brother, his advances toward Tyler once they reach the estate turn aggressive and she is forced to knock her assailant unconscious in order to escape. Arrested the following morning for Mark's murder, Tyler must launch her own investigation if she is to reveal the true killer and discover the fate of the sex-diary's mysterious author. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Berkley, Jason Priestley, (more)
- 1995
- R
During a big barroom brawl, petty crook Martin accidentally shoots the son of a crime lord and flees to the relative safety of a remote northern California logging community in this taut drama. In the little town, he takes over an abandoned hunting cabin, changes his name and begins working as a logger. Eventually he meets, Anna, a lovely young widow and her teenage son, Jeff. The disparate twosome fall in love, but Martin tells Anna nothing about his past. She has a good effect on him and he tries to live a decent life. Unfortunately, a crooked sheriff learns the truth and begins trying to blackmail him. He also meets opposition with his crew boss Max, Anna's suspicious brother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Megan Gallagher, (more)
A group of special Navy officers are assigned to a cruise ship to look out for the daughter of an important man. Their mettle is put to the test once the voyage is underway when a band of terrorists take over the liner and capsize it. The situation is further exacerbated by the presence of a nuclear warhead set loose in the seas around them. The film's eclectic cast includes Costas Mandylor, Finola Hughes, and James Coburn. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
Somewhat based on the life of author Anais Nin, this beautifully photographed erotic outing from director Zalman King (Wild Orchids, 9 1/2 Weeks) tells the story of an aspiring American writer who comes to Paris to hone her craft and ends up exploring the full extent of her sexuality. Initially, Elena's dream was to become a writer of serious literature, but that of course does not happen overnight. In the meantime there are expenses to be met, so when a wealthy and extremely handsome French novelist (whom she has been secretly watching every morning as he rows up and down the Seine) offers her a small fortune to write erotic stories, what can she do but accept the offer? She quickly discovers however, that it's difficult to write of life's sensual pleasures when one has not experienced them and so, sets off to educate herself. Her schooling leads her to a variety of steamy situations and locales with an equally broad assortment of tutors. Though filled with all the bells and whistles expected of such a film, which was originally rated NC-17 but later released on video with a tamer R-rated version, King's film has been widely panned by critics as ostentatious, trite, and worst of all, not nearly as sexy as it tried to be. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Audie England, (more)
"It feeds on fear!" read the advertising tagline for this Roger Corman-produced shocker. What could be scarier than a rogue crocodile, except maybe a rogue dinosaur? How about a combination thereof -- a DinoCroc? Hoping to create a cheap alternative to expensive prescription medicines, the greedy Gereco Corporation genetically manipulates a small supply of DNA from a prehistoric creature called the Sarcosuchus. Suddenly revived and very hungry, this ancient "DinoCroc" kills indiscriminately (in some very gory scenes that border on the grotesquely hilarious), but has a special fondness for human flesh. Professional herpetologist and crocodile hunter Dick Sydney (Costas Mandylor) is brought in from Australia to stop the rampaging beast, with the grudging assistance of female scientist Paula Kennedy (Joanna Pacula) and the more willing cooperation of Sheriff Harper (Charles Napier) and his ever-imperiled daughter, Diane (Jane Longnecker). Along the way, the viewer is treated to gratuitous dollops of sex and bad language, which along with the excessive violence earned the film an R rating in its original form. The climax is right out of the movie Them, with a bit of urban legend-spinning thrown in. Filmed under the title PrimeEvil, DinoCroc was given a very, very limited theatrical release before it aired over the Sci-Fi Channel on April 24, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Charles Napier, (more)
- 2006
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Michael Ironside, Costas Mandylor, and Alexandra Paul attempt to avert disaster when a volatile volcano threatens to turn New York City to ashes in director Robert Lee's made for television disaster film. A volcano has been discovered beneath the Big Apple, and it's about to blow. As the impending eruption continues to build in intensity, a bold group of unlikely heroes band dig a series of underground tunnels designed to safely filter the lava away from residential areas. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Alexandra Paul, (more)
- 1998
- R
In this drama, a popular writer fights for justice after he realizes that he helped convict the wrong man during a murder trial. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Craig Sheffer, Costas Mandylor, (more)
A weekend retreat turns into a fight for their lives when a group of five hard-partying college students crosses paths with a demented gang of motorcycle marauders and their hideously disfigured leader in this tale of terror featuring Picket Fences star Costas Mandylor. The lake may be calling, but the crystal clear water turns blood red when the sadistic Dr. Chopper and his band of nurses begin stalking the students to harvest their body parts. After endless years of transplants, Dr. Chopper and the nurses have been rendered psychically repulsive and mentally unhinged, and the only way for the creepy crew to keep themselves alive is to harvest the body parts of their victims. When Jessica and her friends are stalked through the woods and locked away in Dr. Chopper's blood-soaked lair of doom, their only hope for survival is to turn the tables on their captor and kill or be killed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A highly classified government experiment to restore hearing to the deaf leaves one frightened patient fighting for her life in director Andrew Baknar's fact-based thriller starring George Takei, Lucy Jenner, and Costas Mandylor. Fifteen deaf patients were selected for a series of complex medical procedures designed to bring the sense of sound back into their lives. When all was said and done and the failed experiment came to a close, only one of the 14 patients survived to tell their harrowing tale. Now, with their secret about to be revealed, the government sets out to find this terrified survivor and erase all evidence that she ever existed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor
- 1998
Essentially a feature-length episode of NBC's long-running series Law & Order, this crime and courtroom drama marks the return of Chris Noth (Detective Mike Logan) to Manhattan's 27th precinct. For the past three years, Logan has been stuck on Staten Island, the result of an incident in which he lost his temper. Regretting his outburst, Logan yearns to return to his home station. A murdered hooker's body found floating in the harbor may provide the key to his return. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chris Noth, Dabney Coleman, (more)
- 1995
A woman is hunted by a killer in this made-for-TV drama. Jennie Garth stars as Meg Crane, a beautiful and strong woman who escapes a serial killer (Costas Mandylor). Neither are through with each other yet though -- she is determined to catch him and he is determined to finish the job. Peter Outerbridge stars as her boyfriend and Billy Dee Williams is the city-slick cop. Garth also served as a creative producer. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennie Garth, Costas Mandylor, (more)
- 1995
- R
Set in a post-WWIII world, this action fantasy centers on the deadly struggle between a great warrior and the villainous overlord who stole the warrior's lover and brutally murdered his father. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Gary Daniels, (more)
War is brewing between rival crime families and caught in the middle is Tony Civiano (Costas Mandylor). Pulled in one direction by his mob family ties, and in the other by his desire to be a modern day civic leader and business owner, it seems that Tony has a choice between informing for the police and giving up his life for the mob-but Tony isn't on either side, he is on his own. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Carol Alt, (more)
The Bronx bakery owned by the family of Marco Poloni (Costas Mandylor) is on the verge of bankruptcy, and Marco's Uncle Fab (David Proval) is poised to sell the place to a nationwide donut chain. To save the establishment and keep it in the family, Marco enters the "Golden Whisk Dessert Competition," hoping to win the 250,000-dollar grand prize. He further persuades the restaurant's brilliant pastry baker Grace Carpenter (Lauren Holly) to be his partner in the contest, to which she agrees, even though she's fed up to the gills with Marco's explosive temper. Grace isn't the only person who's annoyed at Marco; one of the competing contestants is his former food academy classmate (and now his bitterest enemy) Jacques du Jacques (Andrew Lauer), while among the judges is Marco's onetime teacher and mentor Emile Fragonard (Jean-Pierre Bergeron), who had washed his hands of his contentious student years earlier. And then there's the matter of Grace's jealous boyfriend. A joyous reunion for ex-Picket Fences co-stars Lauren Holly and Costas Mandylor, the made-for-cable Just Desserts premiered February 8, 2004, on the Hallmark Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lauren Holly, Costas Mandylor, (more)
A worldly vampire falls for the daughter of a high profile scientist who's currently researching immortality for the Illuminati in this independent horror thriller starring Katherine Hawkes, Daniel Goddard, and Costas Mandylor. Who would have thought that the Illuminati would become the vampire kingdom's main competitor in the quest to exploit and rule all of mankind? After exploiting the population through war, poverty, disease, and drugs, the clandestine organization attempts to gain immortality through science to no avail. Perhaps the solution to their problem lies with Alex, a debonair vampire who has fallen deeply in love with Estelle after meeting the ethereal beauty at the opera. But Alex doesn't want to welcome Estelle into his coven; he'd rather sacrifice his immortality to raise a family with her and take one last shot at living a normal life. Later, after an intense round of negotiations, the Illuminati agrees to find a cure for Alex's vampirism in exchange for the bite of immortality. What happens next, neither side could have seen coming. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Katherine Hawkes, Daniel Goddard, (more)
In this fictionalized account based on true figures, a foursome of young thugs decides to team up and take control of New York's east side from the aging bosses who control it. Bugsy Siegel (Richard Grieco) and Frank Costello (Costas Mandylor) control the physical elements of the operation, while Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater) and Meyer Lansky (Patrick Dempsey) bring up the business end. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey, (more)
Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) is back, and this time he's concocted his deadliest set of traps yet in this gore-soaked sequel written by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, and directed by Saw II's Darren Lynn Bousman. Picking up directly where its predecessor left off, Saw III finds Jigsaw near death and fighting to stay alive for one final game. Determined to show his protégé, Amanda (Shawnee Smith), what it truly means to carry out his deadly game, the ailing Jigsaw instructs his apprentice to kidnap unsuspecting doctor Lynn Denlon (Bahar Soomekh) in order to ensure that he survives long enough to see how his latest victim Jeff (Angus MacFadyen) fares when faced with the prospect of imminent death. As Lynn and Jeff both struggle to beat the clock and carry out their tasks before Jigsaw draws his final breath, a much larger plan begins to emerge that shows just how cunning the legendary killer can truly be. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, (more)
Just when audiences thought they'd heard the last of the demented killer Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), here comes Saw IV, continuing his trap-filled legacy -- this time, targeting the last remaining officer who has touched the case, SWAT Commander Rigg (Lyriq Bent). As FBI agents Strahm (Scott Patterson) and Perez (Athena Karkanis) begin to dig through the remains of Jigsaw's crime-scene hideout, a new puzzle presents itself, with Rigg as the pawn in another deadly game filled with moral quandaries and torture-filled traps. At stake is the life of his superior officer Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) as well as his friend and fellow cop Eric Matthews (Donnie Wahlberg), whose abduction by a now-dead Jigsaw triggers an obsession in Rigg that will haunt him til the grisly end. Director Darren Lynn Bousman returns to the series after helming both Saw II and III, with a script penned by Feast writers Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tobin Bell, Costas Mandylor, (more)
Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) might be dead, but his traps live on in this fifth Saw entry, which finds the series' production designer David Hackl at the helm for his debut directing gig. Costas Mandylor reprises his role as Hoffman, the detective whose involvement in the string of grisly murders turns out to be more than meets the eye. Picking up where the fourth entry left off, Hoffman is revealed to be a hidden accomplice in Jigsaw's grisly games of death, which look to be continued by the lawman. The plot bounces back and forth from the beginning of their relationship to the present, as Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) delves farther into the case. Also in the cast are Dexter's Julie Benz and One Missed Call's Meagan Good as victims of another one of Jigsaw's lessons in morality. Saw IV scribes Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan return to pen the screenplay for the Twisted Pictures/Lionsgate co-production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tobin Bell, Julie Benz, (more)
- 2009
- R
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Lionsgate's money-making franchise is back with this sixth entry in the Saw film series. The editor for all of the previous films, Kevin Greutert, makes his directorial debut with this picture, once again written by Feast writers, Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Costas Mandylor, Tobin Bell, (more)
Also known as Scent of Murder, this made-for-TV thriller stars Sherilyn Fenn as Brenna Shaw, professional dog trainer and search-and-rescue expert. While exploring a wooded area with her faithful K-9 dog team, Brenna witnesses the latest crime of a vicious serial kidnapper-murderer (James McGowan). Managing to rescue the villain's youthful captive, Brenna and her team return to home base, where her boss Chris Milos (Costas Mandylor) is anxiously waiting. Before long, the deranged kidnapper embarks upon a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, intending to add Brenna and Chris to his long list of victims. Adapted from a novel by Cynthia G. Alwyn, Scent of Danger first aired by the Animal Planet cable network on October 20, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Costas Mandylor, (more)
