Joe Phelan Movies
Five American college students experience a particularly bad trip while vacationing in Ireland and partaking of the local hallucinogenic fungi in director Paddy Breathnach's tripped-out tale of sex, drugs, and slashers. Upon arriving in Ireland to go camping with their old college buddy Jake, Americans Tara, Troy, Holly, Bluto, and Lisa and their host eagerly set out into the wilderness in search of some magic mushrooms. As the trip starts to take hold and the group gathers around the campfire, Tara begins to wonder if she took too strong of a dose after Bluto goes missing, and she feels as if she's somehow witnessed his death. When other members of the group go missing as well, it begins to appear that someone is stalking the group and taking murderous advantage of their altered state. Could it be that this is just a simple case of hallucinogenic panic, or is there an element of truth to Jake's troubling stories of mutilated bodies and unsolved murders in the Irish countryside? The only way to be certain is for Tara to fight for her life and try to maintain her sanity until the morning sun rises and the reality returns. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lindsey Haun, Jack Huston, (more)
In this modern noir-style drama, Claire (Elizabeth Rossa) is a former police officer who has drifted into an aimless funk. Her former husband Steve (Chris Byrne), however, pulls her out of her depression when he calls her, seeking her help. Steve has become the key suspect in the murder of a wealthy musician (Noel Harrison); it seems among the pianist's many eccentricities, he decided to embrace a life of celibacy. However, his wife Allison (Jennifer Starr) had no interest in putting her sexual appetites on hold, and was dallying with a number of men, including Steve. While Steve admits his affair with Allison, he states emphatically that he is innocent of the murder, and Claire begins to search for whoever might be responsible for the crime. Noel Harrison, who plays the murdered musician, had a briefly successful career as a musician in the late 1960's and enjoyed a hit single with his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne." Harrison wrote and performed several original songs for The Murder In China Basin, which was screened at the 1999 Dances With Films Festival of the Unknowns. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Noel Harrison, Elizabeth Rossa, (more)
Julianna Margulies and Ivan Sergei star in this romantic comedy about a wedding gone awry when the bridegroom's recovering alcoholic brother reveals that he slept with the bride years previously. The revelation causes groom John to get cold feet and the bride's controlling mother Carol (Dixie Carter) to have a conniption fit. Can the resulting damage be mended? ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julianna Margulies, Ivan Sergei, (more)
In this noir thriller, Silas Cooper stars as Patrick, a milquetoast, white-collar banker who has more than a few startling secrets. For years, Patrick has been embezzling funds from the bank where he's employed, then using the money to finance his hobby of collecting expensive vintage costumes from movies. Patrick's "dealer" is restaurant owner Gaz (Joseph Pilato), a fence who obtains most of the pieces illegally. In moments of solitude, Patrick enjoys wearing the original fashions, but his obsession backfires one night when he witnesses a murder from his window. Though he wants to report the perpetrator to the police, Patrick fears that he'll be exposed as a criminal. When the killer -- stick-up artist Zack (Rupert Green) -- and his sexy girlfriend Deena (Jennifer Starr) move into the neighborhood, Patrick is powerfully attracted to the manipulative Deena, and he becomes involved in the couple's criminal activities. Meanwhile, Gaz schemes to steal back Patrick's valuable secret wardrobe. Writer-director Norman Gerard teamed again with actress Jennifer Starr for another mystery, The Murder in China Basin (1999). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Silas Cooper, Jennifer Starr, (more)
- 1988
- R
After discovering they have photographed an actual murder taking place, a couple of Venice Beachies attempt to solve the crime in this mystery-comedy. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Hennessy, Scott King, (more)
- 1988
This derivative campus-slasher nonsense (released directly to home video) pits a houseful of sorority sisters against a generic black-clad killer, who manages at least some degree of variety in his methods, which range from simple strangulation to the slashing of throats with an LP record. The usual barrage of red herrings is employed, while the vacuous potential victims inexplicably remain at the murder site and wait patiently to be killed. This, of course, provides ample screen time for the young ladies to disrobe -- which they do quite frequently. Despite a fairly slick look, this is merely a jumble of worn-out slasher clichés -- all of which had already become tiring ten years prior to this film's release. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
This psychological drama is set in the lonely desert flats of rural Nevada, and centers on the quiet torment of a young man who thinks about leaving his contemptuous, cheating wife and moving to Reno before he goes over the edge completely. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeff Osterhage, Lisa Blount, (more)
When friends Larry (Tom Shell), Steve (Daniel Hirsch), and Rip (Jared Moses) decide to celebrate their survival game victory by heading out to the California backwoods to camp and party, they accidentally stumble across the hideout of a group of murderers. With the sinister killers on their trail, the group must fight to stay alive in a real game of survival. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Hirsch, Kelli Maroney, (more)
