Justine Mattera Movies
- 2007
Indie stalwart Abel Ferrara helms this quirky comedy about the goings-on at a downtown cabaret. Willem Defoe stars as Ray Ruby, the proprietor of a joint where all of the dancing girls have big dreams of working their way up to bigger and better things. But trouble begins to brew when money suddenly comes between Ray and his two associates, played by Bob Hoskins and Matthew Modine. Asia Argento and Drea de Matteo also star. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, (more)
- 2001
Made for television, Submerged is the true story of the U.S.S Squalus, a submarine which was immobilized some 230 feet below the Portsmouth Naval Yard in 1939. Taking into account the 59 crew members on board, a daring and dangerous plan was hatched to expedite a rescue, using a diving bell for that purpose. Inasmuch as this constituted the first rescue of a living crew from an American submarine (and, incidentally, the first time that such an event was covered live on television), there is little doubt as to the outcome, though enough suspense is engendered by the central situation that one wonders why it was deemed necessary to include a sappy romantic subplot. Sam Neill heads the cast as "Swede" Momsen, the grizzled old Naval officer who stage-managed the rescue. Based on Peter Maas' book The Terrible Hours, Submerged originally aired May 20, 2001 on NBC. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
