Steven Bauer Movies
With the sort of GQ looks that command attention both onscreen and off, longtime actor Steven Bauer has come a long way since making an impression in Brian De Palma's controversial 1983 crime drama Scarface. A native of Cuba whose family fled to Miami shortly after Fidel Castro came to power in 1956, Bauer began his education at Miami-Dade Community College, where a walk-on role in the play Summer and Smoke sparked a lifelong love of acting. He transferred to the University of Miami and continued to hone his craft in such plays as Of Mice and Men, and by the time he moved to New York, Bauer was ready to study under the tutelage of acclaimed acting coach Stella Adler. It was during this time that auditions for Scarface were announced, and with his confidence bolstered by a handful of supporting roles in film and television, Bauer proved that he could hold his own opposite Al Pacino. Cast as the titular character's close friend and partner in crime, the young actor's powerful performance drew a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Although the film's notable violence and profanity ultimately provoked a backlash from both Hollywood and the viewing public, Bauer's career maintained its upward trajectory when, the following year, the handsome rising star took the lead in the romantic thriller Thief of Hearts.Throughout the '80s, roles in such high-profile films as Running Scared (1986) and Gleaming the Cube (1989) helped maintain Bauer's presence on the big screen, but it was a role in the 1990 television miniseries Drug Wars: The Camarena Story that earned him his second Golden Globe nomination and proved he could give a commanding lead performance. Increasingly relegated to low-budget thrillers and forgettable, straight-to-video fare, he had occasional roles in such films as Raising Cain (1992) and Wild Side (1995). In 2000, Bauer shared a Screen Actor's Guild award for Best Ensemble Performance in the acclaimed Steven Soderbergh crime drama Traffic, in which the actor portrayed jailed drug kingpin Carlos Ayala. The roles that immediately followed, however, seemed to offer Bauer little room to expand his talent, though his performance in the popular, but short-lived TV series UC: Undercover at least served to keep him in the spotlight before joining an impressive cast in the 2003 Bob Dylan drama Masked and Anonymous. Married to actress Melanie Griffith for the majority of the '80s, the couple divorced in 1987. Bauer married Ingrid Anderson in 1989. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
When a woman murdered over fifteen years ago is again found dead, a small-town Arizona policeman (John Beck) must solve the case without stepping on the tender toes of procedure, courtesy of a federal agent from Phoenix (Steven Bauer). ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Beck, Steven Bauer, (more)
- 1985
Alfred Hitchcock Presents is the portmanteau pilot film for the subsequent TV revival of Hitchcock's celebrated anthology series of the 1950s and '60s. Four short tales are presented, each of them remakes of earlier Alfred Hitchcock programs. "Incident in a Small Jail," originally presented in 1961 with John Fiedler in the lead, stars Ned Beatty as a traveling salesman who finds himself sharing a jail cell with an accused rapist -- the target of an angry, indiscriminate lynch mob. "Man from the South," based on an oft-adapted Roald Dahl piece, stars John Huston as a cagey gambler who makes a grisly wager with novice Steven Bauer. The original 1959 Hitchcock version of this tale starred Peter Lorre and Steve McQueen; featured in the cast of the remake are former Hitchcock movie leading ladies Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren, as well as Hedren's daughter Melanie Griffith. "Bang, You're Dead" is a taut, tension-filled tale of a child who wanders around town with a loaded gun. The child is a little girl (Bianca Rose), but in the initial 1961 version the protagonist was a boy, played by Billy Mumy (who appears in this remake in a small role). The final playlet, "The Unlocked Window," is an abbreviated version of a story first shown on The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in 1965. Bruce Davidson is featured in a virtual reprise of that beloved old Hitchcock protagonist Norman Bates. Each of the four stories in Alfred Hitchcock Presents had its own director -- in order of appearance, they are Joel Oliansky, Steve De Jarnatt, Randa Haines, and Fred Walton -- and all were narrated by co-star John Huston. The late Alfred Hitchcock opens and closes each playlet via colorized footage from the original series -- a bizarre touch that "The Master" might have approved of. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A man discovers his past hasn't just caught up with him -- it's taking him on a cross-country road trip in this edgy comedy. Level-headed Ben (Patrick Swayze) gives his less-than-stable girlfriend Lulu (Melanie Griffith) her walking papers and heads out to California, in hopes of breaking into the movie business as a screenwriter. Seventeen years later, Lulu checks out of a mental hospital and appears at Ben's doorstep in Los Angeles, claiming that she was pregnant at the time they broke up and that she was forced to put their child up for adoption; after all these years, Lulu has decided it's time they paid their son a visit. Lulu forces Ben to drive her to Wisconsin in search of their son, while Ben's wife Claire (Penelope Ann Miller) hops on a plane to Wisconsin in hopes of capturing Lulu upon arrival. Forever Lulu marked the directorial debut of screenwriter John Kaye, who also penned the original screenplay; the film was backed by Green Moon, the production company founded by leading lady Melanie Griffith. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Melanie Griffith, Patrick Swayze, (more)
A woman looking to prove her courage and resourcefulness discovers she may have dug herself in too deep in this suspense thriller. After leaving her unfaithful husband, Estela Duarte (Yareli Arizmendi) is looking for a job to help support her children. She has a knack for writing, but the only job available to Estela in journalism is with a low-rent tabloid. She accepts the position and is soon assigned to cover a series of bizarre murders, in which a number of seemingly well-to-do women have been killed and mutilated. As she digs into the case, she finds herself often conferring with Carlos Ibarra (Steven Bauer), a police detective investigating the murders. Estela notices she's dug up some information that has escaped Carlos' attention and they strike up a deal -- if she helps him, he'll tell her all there is to know about the case, but on the condition that she doesn't report all the facts until the killer is behind bars. But while the cop and the reporter respect one another, Carlos knows how to protect himself and Estela doesn't -- which can make things dangerous when you're tracking a homicidal maniac. Bloody Proof also stars Olivia Hussey as Estela's best friend, Laura; a Spanish language version of the film was shot at the same time, and released under the title El Grito. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Olivia Hussey, (more)
Two vengeful assassins are loose on the streets of New Orleans and are looking to systematically murder some of the elite Special Crimes Agents responsible for sending them to prison. Now only the two leaders of the highly trained corps will be able to stop the slaughter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Davi, Brigitte Nielsen, (more)
In the tradition of Alfred Hitchcock comes this neo-noir, murder-mystery thriller concerning a jaded LAPD detective attempting to solve a series of perplexing missing-person cases. Harry Boyd (Michael Paré) is in a tight jam; not only is he recovering from a serious injury, but should he fail in apprehending the culprit responsible for terrorizing the city, he may well lose his job. Meanwhile, as Harry walks a careful line with his loudmouth, lowbrow partner Bob (Charles Arthur Berg), he receives a disturbing piece of news: His ex-wife's teenage niece Grace (Jen Graham) has gone missing, apparently the victim of the kidnapper who haunts the city shadows. Later, Harry's ex-wife Nicole (Theresa Russell draws suspicion by returning from Las Vegas with shady new boyfriend Rick (Steven Bauer) and displaying some seriously bizarre conduct as the pair begins their own investigation. As Grace's drunken, short fused father Charlie (James Russo) become a prime suspect in the case, Harry attempts to gather evidence while resisting the advances of Bob's overly persistent, ex-stripper wife Zoey (Julie St. Clair), who longs to seduce her husband's partner, and refuses to take no for an answer. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Paré, Teresa Russell, (more)
When a mob mule carrying five million dollars in cold hard cash suddenly goes missing, the kingpin awaiting the substantial delivery discovers that he isn't the only one searching for the missing money in this quirky crime comedy starring Armand Assante, Steven Bauer, John Heard, Nicole Eggert, and Joe Piscopo. Tony Thick is a mobster who was expecting a lucrative visit from Los Angeles-based delivery man Lenny Long. But Lenny has failed to show, and now the impatient Mafioso suspects that the courier may have met with foul play. Hoping to find out the whereabouts of his cash as quickly as possible, Tony sends his henchman Shady to L.A. to recover the tidy sum. Little does Shady realize he's about to run into a whole cast of crazies who seem to be on the same mission. From Lenny's desperate wife to his scatterbrained mistress, his bodybuilding brother, and one seriously eccentric neurosurgeon, this exhausting money run seems to get more outlandish with each passing day. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicole Eggert, Steven Bauer, (more)
A man turns to crime in the name of justice in this hard-hitting drama. Michael (Boris Kodjoe) was a good father and a law-abiding citizen until the day his seven-year-old son was accidentally killed in an exchange of gunfire between two gangs of drug dealers. Michael became obsessed with seeing the gunmen brought to justice, but when the murder charges were dropped and the shooters were given a short sentence for drug possession, Michael decided to take matters into his own hands. Michael commits a crime so that he will be placed in the same prison as the men who took his son's life; once there, he can take their lives in exchange for the life they took. But Michael seriously underestimates the ruthlessness of the prison population and must fight for his own survival before he can carry out his plan. Doing Hard Time also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Steven Bauer, and Sticky Fingaz. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 1992
In this road drama, a depressed ex-daredevil is hired to drive an experimental stunt car across the country to L. A. He is accompanied by a country-singer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
When a tyrannical regime forces its brutalized citizens into rebellion, their fate lies in the hands of one man -- a lawyer. Far from being a mere ambulance chaser, this attorney sacrifices his own life in an epic battle for justice. Among the cast of El Grito are Ricardo Blume, Jorge Guerra, Jose Maria Salcedo, Hugo Soriano, Julio Vega, and Maria Antonieta Perez. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Though based on fact, the two-part TV movie False Arrest plays more like one of those Linda Blair "babes in prison" flicks. Donna Mills plays Joyce Lukezic, a well-off Phoenix businesswoman/homemaker accused of murder. She knows, and we know, that she didn't do it. The double homicide was the handiwork of her sleazy husband Robert Wagner, who works diligently behind the scenes to make certain his wife is convicted. And with the "guilty as charged" verdict, he leaves Joyce high and dry at the end of part one. Part two of False Arrest was telecast three days later, with Joyce fending off hostile and sexually abusive inmates, courting a nervous breakdown, and battling to have her conviction overturned. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A streetwise cop infiltrates a Los Angeles car-theft ring after a high-speed accident on the freeway reveals a violent turf war between two all-girl gangs. When Lieutenant Baynes (Stephen Bauer) assigns Brandy Martinez (Melina Lizette) the task of going undercover to gather evidence against notorious chop shop owner Mama (Olivia Brown), Brandy befriends a former car thief named Eva Strong (Kenyetta Letheridge). But Brandy soon discovers that the real menace isn't Mama, but a dangerous criminal named Knight (Anthony Ray Parker). Knight owes a sizable debt to the international mob, and in order to pay them off he schemes to eliminate the competition. Fortunately for Brandy, she isn't the only undercover cop keeping shady company; Carlo (Sevier Crespo) has been out on the streets investigating Knight, and when Knight makes his ultimate play for power the two desperate cops must rely on each other in order to survive. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Olivia Brown, (more)
- 2009
- PG13
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Jimmy Nickerson, fight coordinator on such films as Raging Bull and Rocky, takes the directorial reins for this tale of a self-destructive amateur boxer seeking to follow in his father's footsteps by making a name for himself in the ring. Hector Villa (Kuno Becker) may have the spirit of a winner, but his better judgment is consistently clouded by his anger. Though Hector picks fruit on the Texas ranch of Big Al Stevens during the daylight hours, nightfall finds the migrant laborer earning more than a day's pay by fighting for cash in local bars and converted barns. When Hector's mother, Rosa, falls ill, her loyal son takes as many fights as possible in order to pay for her expensive heart medication. But Big Al's son Robert is the undefeated champ of the local boxing scene, and when Big Al learns that Hector may be capable of delivering the blow that could dethrone his son, he has his henchmen beat Hector and leave him for dead in the Mexican desert. Now homeless and penniless on the desolate streets of Mexico, Hector is forced to literally fight for his life. When Hector learns that his mother has died, he seeks out local fighting legend Billy Jenkins in hopes that the grizzled former boxer and trainer will help him develop the skills needed to settle the score with Big Al and Robert. The man who once served as Robert's coach before learning that the unscrupulous young fighter was "on the juice," Billy knows that there is no way Hector could beat an opponent with such an unfair advantage. Upon learning that Big Al has accepted Hector's challenge to take on his son Robert thanks to the persuasive efforts of the migrant community, Hector and Billy begin training for the fight that could make or break Hector's future career in the ring. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kuno Becker, Bruce McGill, (more)
- 1989
- PG13
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Gleaming the Cube does for skateboarding what Over the Top did for arm wrestling -- i.e. not a hell of a lot. Christian Slater is the skateboarding star, playing Brian Kelly, a sneering and laconic teen outcast. He feels left out and envious of his adopted Vietnamese brother Vinh's (Art Chudabala) success as an honor roll student and as the center of attention in his family. When Vinh commits suicide, Brian is suspicious and rolls away on his skateboard to find out what really happened -- and ultimately to avenge his murder. Brian's investigation is aided and abetted by a sardonic detective named Al Lucero (Steven Bauer), a collection of skateboard aficionados, and an incredibly attractive Vietnamese girl, Tina (Min Luong). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christian Slater, Steven Bauer, (more)
- 2005
- R
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Georgina Garcia Riedel's comedy How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer stars Lucy Gallardo, Elizabeth Peña, and America Ferrara as three generations in a family. Teenager Blanca (Ferrara) detests the boys in her small town and takes on a boyfriend from another town in the hopes that he might be different. Her mother, Rosa (Peña), is so sexually frustrated that she begins to put the moves on her best friend's husband, a man who has had an ongoing problem with sexual fidelity. Rosa's mother, Dona (Gallardo), embarrasses her daughter by refusing to settle down into a quiet elderly life. The 80-year-old takes driving lessons from a local gardener, although their relationship turns out to be far more. This film was screened in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- America Ferrera, Elizabeth Peña, (more)
- 1994
- R
Sexual harassment and revenge are the themes of this thriller. A secretary is murdered in a New York office building. In L.A. Ashley, who works for an advertising agency, is at an office party.There she surreptitiously has sex with a fellow employee. Michael Miller just moved from New York to be the new marketing head. With him he brings his pregnant wife and his daughter Emily. Soon after his arrival he begins harassing Ashley culminating in an attack in an elevator. She goes to court charging him with sexual harassment, but because she has a reputation for making it with others in the office, loses. Despondent, she offs herself in a car crash. Ashley's sister is livid and decides she will avenge her sister's death by ruining Michael. First she gets a job at the agency. Next she seduces Michael and video tapes him making love to her. Mayhem ensues when she repeatedly blackmails him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Tahnee Welch, (more)
Director Tim Hunter (The River's Edge) and screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi (Casino) join forces for this fact-based crime thriller detailing the downfall of Miami's hottest nightclub. Chris Troiano (Jason Gedrick) owns the trendiest nightclub in all of South Beach; a place where the line always winds down the block and only the most beautiful people make it past the velvet rope. Andy (Donnie Walhberg) is Troiano's right-hand man, and whatever the boss says, goes. Lately, the local law enforcement has been snooping around the club, an unsettling fact that doesn't set well with the steroid shooting club owner. The cops know that Troiano is crooked, and it's only a matter of time before he slips. When he does, the storm that follows will blow in from a direction Troiano never anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
John Terlesky directs Lou Diamond Phillips in the action thriller Malevolent. Police officer Jack (Phillips) has been under investigation since he was forced to shoot a man in the line of duty. His problems are exacerbated when someone begins making it appear that he is responsible for a series of murders. The only person he can trust to help him clear his name is a stripper (Kari Wuhrer). ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Kari Wuhrer, (more)
Enigmatic rock legend Bob Dylan stars as an enigmatic rock legend (talk about a casting coup!) in this purposefully eccentric satiric comedy. Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) is an unscrupulous concert promoter who has figured out a way to cash in on the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that plague his nation, which is being torn apart by civil war and political revolution. Sweetheart has decided he will stage a massive benefit concert, though the unnamed charity would appear to be his checking account. Sweetheart hires television producer Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange) to help promote the show and sell it as a nation-wide cable-cast event, while Sweetheart pulls a few strings to arrange for the perfect headliner -- Jack Fate (Bob Dylan), a legendary songwriter who is currently serving a term in prison. With Fate out from behind bars, Sweetheart and Veronica set out to sell their grand spectacle to the world, though one determined investigative journalist (Jeff Bridges) has set out to throw a spenner into the works of Uncle Sweetheart and his epic fundraiser. Marking the directorial debut of comedy writer Larry Charles, Masked and Anonymous also features Penelope Cruz and Luke Wilson; the film was shown in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, (more)
- 1998
Criminal factions wage war over control of Florida's underground economy of drugs and guns in this crime thriller. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kely McClung, Miguel M. Delgado, (more)
A suspended FBI agent (Shannon Tweed) teams up with her ex-lover to nab a criminal in this soft-core item from Ralph S. Portillo, the director of Midnight Temptations and Malibu Summer. Tweed, a former Playboy model, is the undisputed queen of direct-to-video dreck in the '90s, appearing in over 45 films. Fernando Allende, Steven Bauer, and Jay Baker co-star, and genre enthusiasts will recognize Hugo Stiglitz from Incubo sulla Citta Contaminata and Guyana, Cult of the Damned. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Shannon Tweed, Fernando Allende, (more)
In this lurid direct-to-video crime thriller a Las Vegas policeman's superiors send him to hide out at a Navajo reservation after he states his determination to testify against the gangsters who killed his partner. There he gets involved with an Indian lady-police-officer and starts investigating a series of strange ritual murders. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Steven Bauer, Irene Bedard, (more)
- 2003
- R
Nola (Emmy Rossum) is a Kansas teen who runs away to New York City to escape an abusive stepfather. Once she gets to the big town, she sets about looking for a job and for her father, whom she's never met. She attacks both tasks with fierce determination, but has little success, until she stumbles upon a greasy spoon near Union Square where the eccentric owner, Gus (Sam Coppola), immediately takes a liking to her. Soon, she's waitressing at the diner and crashing in a room upstairs with the handsome fry cook, Ben (James Badge Dale), who also goes to law school when he feels like it. Nola spends her spare time using the phone book in an effort to track down the man she knows only as "Hutch." Things look up for Nola when she meets the sassy owner of the diner, Margaret (Mary McDonnell), who also runs a very classy escort service. Margaret sees something in Nola, and hires the girl as her assistant. As Nola's relationship with Ben gets more intimate, she tells him about her dream of being a successful songwriter. But things take an ugly turn when one of Margaret's escorts, a transsexual named Wendy (Michael Cavadias) offends a rich and powerful client, Niles (Thom Christopher). Niles is determined to have his revenge, and tries to use his media contacts to have an exposé written about Margaret's business. But the reporter assigned to the story, Leo (Steven Bauer), turns out to be an old friend of Margaret's. Nola, the feature debut of writer/director Alan Hruska, a former trial lawyer, had its world premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emmy Rossum, Mary McDonnell, (more)
