Xander Berkeley
- 2008
- PG13
- AddTakento Queue
An ex-soldier (Liam Neeson) traveling through Europe embarks on a frantic quest to rescue his daughter (Maggie Grace) after the young girl is abducted by slave traders in District B13 director Pierre Morel's contemporary thriller Taken. Robert Mark Kamen joins the screenwriting team, which also includes Morel and longtime collaborator Luc Besson, who produces as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, (more)
- 2008
Set against the sun-soaked backdrop of an East Texas community that's bucking under the weight of a serious meth epidemic, David Pomes deep woods family drama details the struggle of an abused and alienated teen boy to reconnect with his long lost father. Before they can make personal amends, however, both father and son will have to overcome their respective addictions to the crystal meth. Anson Mount, Xander R. Berkeley, and Ryan Donowho star. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anson Mount, Xander Berkeley, (more)
A structural engineer (Anthony Hopkins) and an ambitious young district attorney (Ryan Gosling) become locked in a deadly battle of wits when the former is found innocent in the attempted murder of his wife in director Gregory Hoblit's tense tale of courtroom mind games. Ted Crawford (Hopkins) is an engineer who lives with his wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), in the couple's lavish Southern California home. One day, after carefully planning out the details to ensure that there is no way he can be convicted of murder, Ted shoots his wife in a blatant attempt to kill the woman. When head hostage negotiator Rob Nunally (Billy Burke) arrives on the scene to speak with Ted, he is shocked to find that the victim of the shooting is in fact his longtime lover. Though Jennifer survives the trauma of being shot in the head at close range, she hovers comatose between life and death as star prosecutor Willy Beachum (Gosling) reluctantly accepts the case while preparing to leave the Los Angeles criminal court system behind for a more promising career at a posh private law firm. Though the DA (David Strathairn) vehemently resents Beachum's lofty plan for departure, the hotshot young lawyer remains convinced that he can expedite the apparently open-and-shut case and be on his way to greener pastures in one week's time at the very most. Beachum's swelling ego betrays him, however, as his future boss Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike) begins to turn up the heat and fracture mechanics specialist Ted chooses to represent himself at the trial knowing well that a career spent spotting structural flaws in aeronautical systems has instilled him with just the kind of argumentative skills needed to riddle the swaggering young lawyer's "foolproof" case with doubt. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, (more)
In this gentle coming-of-age drama, an adult man reflects nostalgically on his youth, when he spent countless hours working at his father's garage and buddied around with a fast friend. Eighteen-year-old Matt was intelligent, sweet-natured, and a recent high school graduate, his pal Schultz three years older, a high school dropout, and a laborer at his abusive father's construction business. Just as Matt longed with great passion and drive to leave the confines of his hometown and realize his passion and driving force, Schultz wanted to do everything in his power to simply escape from the domineering and repressive shadow of his father. Matt realized that the decision to leave the garage would put his dad in dire straits, which greatly complicated his decision. Then an unforeseen tragedy changed everything. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabriel Marantz, Corby Griesenbeck, (more)
Just how far will some guys go to pay off a debt? Frank (Jason Lee) and Eddie (Crispin Glover) are a pair of inept would-be wise guys trying to scare up enough money to get out of the small Texas town they call home. They think their ship may have come in when Spider (Pruitt Taylor Vince), a local crime boss, offers them a big payday to drive a truck full of bootlegged cigarettes into Mexico. Frank and Eddie jump at the chance, but soon discover they're been made patsies in a scam when the truck turns out to have been booby-trapped, and by the end of the day they owe Spider a quarter-million dollars. Desperate to raise the cash, Eddie, a part-time gravedigger, hears that an exotic dancer with a rich sugar daddy has recently died, and was buried wearing a valuable diamond necklace. Frank and Eddie then hatch an elaborate scheme to exhume the stripper, swipe the necklace, and hold her remains for ransom. Drop Dead Sexy was the first directorial credit for writer and producer Michael Philip. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Crispin Glover, Jason Lee, (more)
An orphaned drifter recently released from the hospital and seeking gainful employment finds that sometimes fate can play cruel tricks on the desperate in a tightly wound tale of adultery, deception, and murder starring Peter Coyote and Lucas Black. Nat Banyon (Black) is an orphan just looking to get back on his feet after an extended convalescence in a Wyoming hospital. When by chance Nat spots a bad car accident and bravely acts to save the life of the car's eccentric driver, Herman Finch (Coyote), the grateful wheelman kindly extends an offer of work to the young drifter, with the understanding that room and board will be provided free of charge. Assigned the task of cleaning up Finch's rundown Deepwater motel in exchange for a street-worthy car, Nat sets about performing his duties while slowly becoming aware that, in this ramshackle motel, nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lucas Black, Peter Coyote, (more)
When a diverse group of lifelong friends comes together to celebrate the marriage of devoted couple Elise (Amy Adams) and Michael (Adam Garcia), the mixed-up relationships of the past pave the road to a weekend no one is likely to soon forget in the feature debut from filmmaker Matthew Cole Weiss. The setting is Los Angeles, CA, and the event is the wedding between a man and a woman who always seemed destined to be together. Unfortunately, all relationships can't be as healthy as Elise and Michael's is, and though best man and maid of honor Rich (Aaron Stanford) and Samantha (Melissa Sagemiller) seem to be preparing to take the plunge, the same certainly cannot be said for neurotic actress Lana (Mena Suvari). A free-spirited soul who has experienced flings with a variety of wedding attendees including the hapless Pockets (Jon Abrahams), alcoholic actor Simon (James Van Der Beek), and manic children's television program host Donovan (Ethan Embry), Lana attempts to sort out her past flings as lovelorn agent Quentin (Colin Hanks) pines for the bride's sister and the estranged father of the groom attempts to reconnect with his long-lost son. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Adams, Adam Garcia, (more)
A fictionalized account of one of America's most groundbreaking sexual harassment lawsuits comes to the screen in this hard-hitting drama. In the late '80s, Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron) fled her abusive husband, and needed to find a way to support her two children. Aimes returned to her hometown in Minnesota and followed the lead of her old friend Glory (Frances McDormand), who had bucked tradition and found a job in the iron mines that had long provided employment for much of the community. Aimes found honest labor and a living wage working the mines, but she also discovered she was working with men who were uncomfortable working with women (whose right to work in the mines had been mandated by law almost 15 years prior), and didn't care to show them much respect. However, as Aimes found herself the growing target of sexist jokes and abhorrent behavior, she found that many of her female co-workers were reluctant to stand beside her, afraid of losing a good-paying job at a time when they were increasingly hard to find. But as a personal crisis became a public war of words, Aimes became the center of a nationwide controversy when she attempted to file a class action sexual harassment suit against the mine owners, which put her and her family in a position of scrutiny beyond her worst expectations. North Country also stars Sean Bean, Sissy Spacek, and Woody Harrelson. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlize Theron, Frances McDormand, (more)
- 2003
Featuring a mixture of live-action and animation, this quirky comedy comes from director Robert M. Young (Caught). Robert Knott and Xander Berkeley star as Dobbitt and Hanrahan, two working stiffs who have left their families and homes behind for jobs in a strange factory that produces ambiguous products. Against an animated backdrop, the two bunkmates are forced to work under a conniving supervisor who is intentionally manipulating the men. Also featuring Berkeley's real-life spouse, Sarah Clarke, Human Error (formerly titled Below the Belt) screened as part of the Frontier program at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xander Berkeley, Tom Bower, (more)
Four Los Angeles friends discover that a triangle isn't necessarily limited to three sides as their lives, loves, and lofty aspirations slowly meld into one remarkable example of life in one of the most remarkable cities on planet Earth. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Spencer Garrett, Michael Marich, (more)
The second season of the FOX series 24 comes to DVD on this seven-disc set from 20th Century Fox Home Video. Originally aired from 2002-2003, season two takes place on Day Two from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. (encompassing a full 24-hour period). Each episode is presented with a widescreen anamorphic transfer and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Sound in English. A Spanish-language soundtrack, closed captions, and English and Spanish subtitles are also available. Special features include commentary on six episodes, 44 deleted scenes with optional commentary, and multi-angle functions. The featurettes are "On the Button: The Destruction of CTU," "Making of an Episode: Production," and "Making of an Episode: Post-Production." ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Dennis Haysbert, (more)
In this visually striking tale of adventure, Ruth (Maria Bello) is an American widow who during the 1930s travels to China in hopes of making her late husband's dream a reality by bringing Chinese pandas to the United States. Ruth is awed by the striking beauty of China and discovers several of the rare pandas as well as a number of other unusual animals; however, Ruth learns that the Chinese government is lax in their protection of wildlife, and that hunters are making short work of the pandas. China: The Panda Adventure was shot and originally released in the high-definition IMAX film process. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Bello, Xander Berkeley, (more)
- 2001
In the first episode of a two-part story, Aquaman, ruler of Atlantis, threatens to wreak vengeance against the surface-dwellers who are despoiling his domain. At the suggestion of Justice League member Superman, Aquaman agrees to argue his case before the World Assembly. But sinister forces conspire to send Aquaman off the "deep end" again -- and this time, the whole world may suffer horribly. The Flash and Hawkgirl do not appear in this story arc. Both episodes of "The Enemy Below" were released on DVD in tandem with another Justice League two-parter, "In Blackest Night," in April of 2003 under the umbrella title "Justice on Trial." ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Rummel, Kristin Bauer, (more)
George Hickenlooper directs this psychological drama about an impoverished writer lost in a world of money, power, and male escorts. Though happily married with a young child, Byron Tiller (Andy Garcia) is struggling to make ends meet as a novelist. His last work, called "Hitler's Child," had an ignoble run in the bookstore bargain bins and his editor is not interested in his latest work about migrant workers. One day, he is approached by a dapper Brit named Luther Fox (Mick Jagger) who actually read Tiller's last opus. Luther explains that he runs an escort agency named Elysian Fields, which caters to rich women looking for intelligent companionship. Desperate for any kind of income source, Tiller takes the job while keeping the whole thing a secret from his loving wife (Julianna Margulies). He soon is rubbing elbows with the beautiful wife (Olivia Williams) of an aging Pulitzer Prize-winning writer. Gradually, Tiller finds himself immersed in this strange new world that he cannot quite understand, much less explain to his spouse. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger, (more)
- 2001
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Aquaman, ruler of Atlantis, has become convinced that the surface dwellers of earth are conspiring against him and threatens to wreak a horrible vengeance. As it turns out, however, Aquaman is being victimized by certain of his own underwater subjects -- and among them may be his own son. Needless to say, the members of the Justice League (minus the Flash and Hawkgirl, who do not appear in this story arc) take it upon themselves to correct this situation and save the world both above and below the waves. Both episodes of "The Enemy Below" were released on DVD in tandem with another Justice League two-parter, "In Blackest Night," in April of 2003 under the umbrella title Justice on Trial. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Rummel, Kristin Bauer, (more)
This six-disc set from 20th Century Fox contains every episode from the first season of the award-winning suspense series 24. All the episodes are rendered in a transfer that preserves the original broadcast aspect ratios. English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital Stereo. Supplemental materials include an alternate ending for the season finale, an introduction from series star Kiefer Sutherland, and a television advertisement for season two of the show. This is a superb set for fans of the series. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kiefer Sutherland, Leslie Hope, (more)
Director Mike Figgis helmed this ground-breaking experimental feature, filmed with four synchronized digital video cameras in four separate locations. The story, outlined in advance but otherwise improvised, was enacted in a single continuous take, like a stage play, with the unedited images from all four locations presented on the screen at once. Figgis and his crew chose the best single run-through, and the result is the film's final release version. The story focuses on four main characters around the casting sessions for a film called Bitch of Louisiana to be directed by Lester Moore (Richard Edson): Alex Green (Stellan Skarsgard), the studio executive overseeing Moore's project; his wife Emma (Saffron Burrows); gangster Lauren Hathaway (Jeanne Tripplehorn); and her unfaithful lover Rose (Salma Hayek). These characters' paths cross as murder, infidelity, and dirty dealings are interrupted by an earthquake and its aftershocks. Time Code 2000 also features Kyle MacLachlan, Holly Hunter, Julian Sands, Steven Weber, Danny Huston, Viveka Davis, and Laurie Metcalf. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Xander Berkeley, Golden Brooks, (more)
Jackie Chan has often played a fish out of water, but he's rarely found himself so far upstream as in this comic adventure, in which he puts his fighting skills to the test in the Old West of the 1850s. Lo Fong (Roger Yuan), onetime captain of the Chinese Imperial Guard, has traded upholding the law for smuggling opium. Needing some operating capital, Lo Fong kidnaps the Emperor's daughter, Princess Pei Pei (Lucy Liu), and takes her to America. When the Emperor sends his best men to find her, Chon Wang (Chan), one of the Emperor's less distinguished guards, insists on joining them; he feels at fault for Lo Fong's capturing the Princess, and he wants to make amends. However, while the rescue party scours the West, Chon Wang gets separated from the group and soon becomes lost. When he crosses paths with Roy O'Bannon (Owen Wilson), a bright but arrogant train robber, the two become unlikely allies. While Shanghai Noon was billed as Jackie Chan's follow-up to Rush Hour, his first successful American-made feature, it was actually filmed in Canada, as was Chan's breakthrough film in America, the Hong Kong-backed Rumble in the Bronx. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jackie Chan, Owen Wilson, (more)
Jean-Claude Van Damme returns as cybernetic warrior Luc Deveraux in this sequel to the 1992 action hit. After barely surviving his experiences as a part-human/part-robot Universal Soldier, Luc has opted to stay out of the front lines and work with a military project to refine and perfect the system. However, something goes wrong (as they so often do in films like this), and S.E.T.H. (Michael Jai White), the android supercomputer leading the new breed of soldiers, suddenly develops a murderous mind of his own. Soon S.E.T.H. is leading his fellow war machines on a rampage, and Luc is the only one who can stop them. The supporting cast includes Heidi Schanz and wrestling star Bill Goldberg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, (more)
Best-selling author Tom Clancy was executive producer of this made-for-TV spy thriller, which debuted on ABC in 1999. In the year 2005, the FBI has established a special division --"Netforce" -- to investigate crimes committed using the Internet. Agents Alex Michaels (Scott Bakula) and Steve Day (Kris Kristofferson) are put on the case when software genius Will Stiles (Judge Reinhold) designs a Web browser that allows him to hack into Netforce's computer system and take control of the entire Internet for his own purposes. The supporting cast includes Brian Dennehy, Joanna Going and C.C.H. Pounder. While this was originally billed as "Tom Clancy's Netforce," Clancy neither wrote the screenplay nor directed the film; Netforce was written by Lionel Chetwynd and helmed by Robert Lieberman. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Scott Bakula, Joanna Going, (more)
Renowned Greek filmmaker Michael Cacoyannis wrote and directed this adaptation of the classic final drama by playwright Anton Chekhov, set in 1900. Lyubov Ranevskaya (Charlotte Rampling) left Russia to escape troubling memories of the death of her son. Now her family is riddled with debt and Lyubov and her teenaged daughter Anya (Tushka Bergen) have come home to the family estate, looking for a way to pay their bills. Much to their dismay, the Ranevskayas are forced to sell their land to Lopakhin (Owen Teale), a crude businessman who intends to build a housing development in what was once the family's cherry orchard. The international cast also includes Alan Bates as Lyubov's brother Gaev, Katrin Cartlidge as Lyubov's ward Varya, and Michael Gough and Frances de la Tour as the family's servants. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charlotte Rampling, Alan Bates, (more)
This noir crime drama set in Arizona and updated for post-modern sensibilities is similar in tone to other hip B-movie homages such as Bad Lieutenant (1992), Pulp Fiction (1994) and the previous year's award winning L.A. Confidential (1997). Ray Liotta stars as Phoenix police detective Harry Collins, a good-hearted cop with an understanding bartender (Anjelica Huston) and a gambling problem that's gotten him $32,000 in debt to a bookie, Chicago (Tom Noonan). Although Chicago offers to forgive Harry's debt in exchange for a murder, and Harry's crooked partner Mike (Anthony LaPaglia) offers to kill Chicago, Harry refuses their generosity, insisting that he will never welsh on a bet or betray a friend. Instead, Harry devises a plan to rip off a sleazy loan shark and strip club owner, Louie (Giancarlo Esposito) with the help of Mike and two fellow corrupt cops, James (Daniel Baldwin) and Fred (Jeremy Piven). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ray Liotta, Anjelica Huston, (more)
- 1998
Carter (Noah Wyle) is pressed into service as tour guide for the family of Ruth Johnson (Anne Pitoniak), who was born at Chicago's County General exactly 100 years ago. Meanwhile, Carol (Julianna Margulies) cares for eight-year-old stalker victim Wilson (Jesse James Unterthiner); Benton (Eriq La Salle) has second thoughts about a cochlear implant for his son, Reese; and the relationship between Benton and Corday (Alex Kingston) reaches an impasse. Originally telecast as the 100th episode of ER, "Good Luck, Ruth Johnson" is catalogued as number 101 in the series' syndication package. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This powerful HBO biographical drama recounts the rise and fall of Walter Winchell, a gossip columnist and reporter who changed the face of news reporting. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stanley Tucci, Glenne Headly, (more)
New Zealand screenwriter Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show) made his feature directorial debut with this science fiction drama, set in a future when one's life is determined by genetic engineering rather than education or experience. The wealthy can choose the genetic makeup of their descendants. People are designed to fit into whatever role is decided before birth. But what happens when someone desires another way of life? Citizens in this impersonal future-world are fashioned as perfect specimens, so those in the natural-born minority are viewed as inferior to the pre-planned perfect specimens (aka "Valids") who dominate. One of the natural-borns (aka "In-Valids"), Vincent Freeman (Ethan Hawke), has several defects (poor vision, emotional problems, and short 30-year life expectancy), but he also develops a different outlook on his pre-ordained fate. He yearns to break free from society's constraints, and he dreams of a journey into space as a Gattaca Corp. navigator. To accomplish his goal, he enlists the aid of DNA broker German (Tony Shalhoub) and makes contact with Jerome Morrow (Jude Law), who was paralyzed in an accident and is willing to sell his superior genetic materials. Vincent assumes Jerome's identity and is scheduled for a flying mission. However, a week before his flight, a Gattaca mission director is murdered, and all members of the program are the suspects. Meanwhile, he develops a romantic interest in a beautiful Valid, Irene (Uma Thurman), prevented from going into space because of her heart defect. Tracked by a relentless investigator who is methodically jigsawing all the pieces together, Jerome finds his aspirations dissolving into stardust. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman, (more)
