Rick Marotta Movies

Truth proves to be far stranger than fiction when Emmy award-winning television producer Phil Rosenthal answers the call to fly halfway across the globe and adapt his hit television series Everybody Loves Raymond for Russian television. Arriving in Moscow, Rosenthal is greeted by television producers who don't seem to understand his sense of humor, and don't appear particularly eager to receive his input. As his collaboration gets under way, however, Rosenthal quickly realizes that the unusual circumstances surrounding his voyage have all the makings of a classic fish-out-of-water comedy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Two couples share a home but not much else as they try to deal with the trials of parenthood in this half-hour situation comedy. Nerdy white-collar worker Greg Warner (Anthony Clark) and his wife Kim (Jean Louisa Kelly) are first-time parents learning to deal with the responsibilities of a new baby. While they get plenty of advice, they're not sure how much of it they should follow. They're sharing a home with Christine (Liza Snyder), Kim's sister, and her unemployed lout of a husband Jimmy (Mike O'Malley), who seem to think the best solution to any crisis is to park their two kids in front of the television and hope they forget what's bothering them. Yes, Dear debuted on the CBS television network on October 3, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This TV comedy series, an attempt to find humor in 1990s self-help, rehab and recovery programs, focuses on hard-drinking, former actress Billie Frank (Sherilyn Fenn), once the teen queen of primetime soaps, who now works for lowlife "B"-movie producer Harve Schwartz (Richard Lewis). Johnny (Michael Rapaport) is only one of an unending parade of predatory males standing in line to hit on Billie, and viewing the world through an alcoholic haze, she often has to check on the identity of the man next to her when she awakens. Matching Billie, drink for drink, is her mother Trudy (Lynn Redgrave). Sitcom segments are separated by onscreen titles, such as "Mother's Milk -- 80 Proof" and "Going Down -- This Time in the Elevator." Friends intervene to show Billie where she's headed, but their efforts go nowhere. Finally, the "rude awakening" happens when Billie drinks and drives -- and then collides with a fire hydrant. The next step is the first of 12, as she attends an Addictions Anonymous meeting, where Dave (Jonathan Penner) tries to score with her, and she encounters a wild lesbian, Jackie (Rain Pryor). Episodes titled "Lucky for Me Her Breast Exploded," "Three Dykes and You're Out," and "Vagina" followed the August 1, 1998 premiere on Showtime. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Country music star Dwight Yoakam plays a rodeo clown in this actioner. Virgil Kidder is running from his girlfriend and his son. He left them seven years ago and finds a haven working in small-time rodeos. At night he occupies himself with brief, meaningless affairs. As the story really opens Virgil is pushed by his old buddy Brownie to return to Waco and face his past. Among those he must deal with is Sheriff Gil Acuff who blames Virgil for his debilitating rodeo accident. Soon after his arrival to town, Acuff's delusional niece, who thinks she is a vampire, is found dead in Virgil's car with a stake protruding from her chest. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Sex and death are the main themes running through this thriller. Matt Dickson is a former hockey player turned L.A. cop. Since his wife left him he has become a hard-drinking carouser. Dickson is on the trail of Welton, a psychotic boxer, using the names of famous fighters for his aliases has left a grisly trail of dead women found in cheap motels throughout the city. He is assisted by Catherine Briggs, a journalist, who helps him see the connection between these murders and similar ones in the past. But Catherine is not only there to help Dickson. She is also there because of a recent one-nighter Dickson had with her sister. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Controversial and often offensive stand-up comedian Andrew Dice Clay made his debut as a feature film star in this crude comedy. Fairlane is a "rock and roll detective" who works in the music business, has an office on Sunset Boulevard, and drives a 1957 Ford, with clothing to match. He floats through the rock clubs of Hollywood, picking up women and clients, and soon stumbles into a case involving the death of a heavy metal singer, a corrupt music executive (Wayne Newton), the murder of a radio shock-jock (Gilbert Gottfried), and the kidnapping of the jock's daughter (Maddie Corman). Music stars like Sheila E. and Motley Crue singer Vince Neil also have cameos in the film, which attempts to transplant Clay's aggressively obnoxious stage persona into a movie environment. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi