Michael Laurence Movies
Five short stories play out in one room at a New York City hotel in this episodic independent comedy-drama. Stacey (Joelle Carter) wakes up one morning with no clear memory of what happened the night before, but the fact she's sharing a bed with Nick (Matthew Del Negro), a strapping professional football player she barely knows, offers a significant clue. Gretchen (Sarah Bennett) discovers her husband has rented a hotel room without telling her, and she comes to the city to confront Harry (Michael Laurence) about what he's doing; while she thinks he's seeing another woman, the truth is something far more disturbing. Jack (Michael Knowles) is a salesman in town for a convention along with one of his co-workers, Kathy (Robyn Myhr), and he attempts to persuade her to trade their professional relationship for something more intimate. Matt (Todd Swenson) is a guy from out of town who thinks he's in luck when he hooks up with Tracey (Monique Vukovic), but as the evening wears on he realizes he's gotten more than he bargained for. And David (Michael Mosley) has come to the city with his girlfriend Caly (Jennifer Marlowe) to attend his brother's wedding, and the circumstances have brought his insecurities about their relationship to the surface. Room 314 was written and directed by first-time filmmaker Michael Knowles (who also plays Jack) and was adapted from his play. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joelle Carter, Matthew Del Negro, (more)
Jon Dichter directs this taut psychological thriller about a narcissistic man getting his overdue comeuppance from a vengeful telephone operator. Lawyer Gary Wheelan (Michael Laurence) lives the good life -- he has a beautiful wife, a huge bank account, and an excess of young female associates. He is accustomed to getting what he wants, and he tends to have a fit when he does not get it. Dissatisfied with his phone service, he berates the operation with such vituperation that the badly rattled woman (Jacqueline Kim) resolves to fight back. Using a vast computer network, the operator slashes his credit rating, drains his bank account, and eventually ruins his marriage. The formerly smug Gary is soon overwhelmed and frantic as he tries to regain control of his life. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Frances Bay, Brion James, (more)
- 1997
- PG13
In this inarguably bizarre comedy, Larue Maxwell (Will Keenan) is an unfortunate young man suffering from "compulsive reading syndrome," a neurochemical malady that causes him to furiously read as many books as he can, and then destroy them. Larue is released from the mental institution he's called home for some time against the advice of his psychiatrist, Dr. Noguchi (Yukio Yamamoto), who stresses the importance of Larue taking his medication. Instead, Larue throws his pills away and sets out to see the world; however, he is soon attacked by a trematode, a mutated parasite that has grown to fantastic size and has a habit of burrowing into people's bodies after emerging from their toilets. Dr. Noguchi is aware of the trematode and its effects and is trying to find the creature to prevent it from attacking others. While Larue is consumed by the parasitic super worm, he finds himself at the mercy of a number of strangers, including his neighbor Helen, (Shannon Burkett), and Kali (Kymberli Ghee), a woman who is convinced that an Egyptian deity is her husband. Stuart Gray composed the film's original score and performed it with his rock band Lubricated Goat; another musician of note, Kerri Kenny of the band Cake Like, also appears in a supporting role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Will Keenan
A multinational corporation specializing in military defense technology creates an indestructible killing machine for use on the battlefield, only to find out just how effective their monstrous invention truly is after the prototype malfunctions and embarks on a bloody killing spree. Syngenor is a Synthesized Genetic Organism, a scientifically created "Super Soldier" designed by Norton Cyberdyne and possessing powers far beyond that of mortal man. When Syngenor breaks loose from the lab and unleashes hell on the employees of Norton Cyberdyne, scheming executive Paula Gorski (Riva Spier) purposefully allows the killing to continue in order to humiliate Carter Brown (David Gale), the company's powerful CEO. But Paula's plan is about to backfire, because somewhere deep in the bowels of the building, a horde of newly spawned Syngenors are growing more powerful by the minute. If the creatures escape, the city streets will surely run red with blood. Now, the only hope for humanity is for the people trapped in the building to ensure that not one Syngenor manages to escape from the building. Unfortunately, outsmarting the perfect killing machine is no simple task, and it's beginning to feel as if the nightmare has only just begun. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
