Steven Berkoff Movies
Trained in drama at Ecole Jacques LeCoq and Britain's Webber-Douglas Academy, actor Steven Berkoff made his London stage bow in a 1959 staging of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge. Shortly thereafter, Berkoff formed the London Theatre Group, famed for its risk-taking, experimental theatrical pieces. As a playwright, Berkoff displayed a fondness bordering on obsession with Franz Kafka: among his Theatre Group offerings were such Kafka adaptations as The Trial and Metamorphosis. He has also written such original plays as East, and has expressed his life-and-work philosophies in his books I Am Hamlet (a 1989 celebration of his favorite stage role) and Overview (1994). In films from the 1970's, Berkoff is often as not seen as a villain: A Clockwork Orange, Octopussy, Rambo II. Most filmgoers will remember Berkoff as the despicable white-collar miscreant Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop (1984), while TV fans will recall him as Hitler in the miniseries War and Remembrance. In 1994, Steven Berkoff wrote, directed and acted in the aptly titled film Decadence. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 2011
- R
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A discredited journalist (Daniel Craig) and a mysterious computer hacker discover that even the wealthiest families have skeletons in their closets while working to solve the mystery of a 40-year-old murder in this David Fincher-directed remake of the 2009 Swedish thriller of the same name. Inspired by late author Stieg Larsson's successful trilogy of books, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gets under way as the two leads (Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) are briefed in the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, whose uncle suspects she may have been killed by a member of their own family. The deeper they dig for the truth, however, the greater the risk of being buried alive by members of the family, who will go to great lengths to keep their secrets tightly sealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, (more)
- 2010
Danny Dyer and Sean Pertwee headline this mock documentary comedy examining the tangled aftermath of a bungled movie shoot. The movie was titled "Just for the Record," and it had all the ingredients of a bona fide hit; the director was an eager up-and-comer, the stars were cast, and the new digital camera was cutting-edge technology. Then, it all just fell apart. One year later, a series of interviews reveal that it wasn't just one man's incompetence that sunk "Just for the Record," but a disastrous series of events brought about by everyone involved: the producer cared more about chasing women and swilling booze than making a quality film; the writer managed to read an entire library's worth of screenwriting books without learning how to tell a story; and the manic depressive editor couldn't keep it together long enough to make even one confident cut. Over the course of the cramped, rushed, underfinanced two-week shoot, the project simply collapsed. Fortunately for aspiring micro-budget filmmakers, the entire fiasco was captured on camera so they can avoid making the same mistakes as this crew. Just for the Record co-stars Rik Mayall, Steven Berkoff, and Victoria Silverstedt. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steven Berkoff, Danny Dyer, (more)
American tourist Frank (Johnny Depp) meets a mysterious beauty who drags him into a dangerous world of intrigue and espionage while traveling through Europe in director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's paranoid thriller. When Frank met Elise (Angelina Jolie) on the train, he thought it was a chance encounter. Little did Frank realize it was all part of a much bigger plan, one that would soon find him dodging bullets through both the historic streets of Paris and the winding canals of Venice. Now, the faster Frank and Elise run, the more intense their romance grows. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie, (more)
Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, and Joanne Whalley star in first-time feature filmmaker Malcolm Venville's darkly comic tale of a man who rallies his friends in order to seek revenge against the French waiter who recently slept with his wife. Sexy Beast scribes Louis Mellis and David Scinto pen the screenplay for a film produced by Richard Brown and Steve Golin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, (more)
An amateur Scottish cyclist determined to become the world's fastest rider struggles against his own mental illness and the resentful hostility of sports authorities unwilling to accept his remarkable innovation in this inspirational biopic from director Douglas MacKinnon. When Briton cyclist Chris Boardman took home the gold at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the world was caught off guard; no one had ever suspected that Britain was capable of producing world-class cyclists, yet there was no denying his remarkable numbers. Perhaps no one was more shocked by Boardman's surprise success than unemployed Scot Graeme Obree (Jonny Le Miller), an old riding partner of Boardman's who on more than a few occasions had crossed the finish line before his medal-winning counterpart. Despite his remarkable prowess, however, Obree simply didn't seem to have the fortitude needed to translate his formidable riding skills into a profitable career like his old friend Boardman. His debt piling up and his family in desperate need of some good luck, Obree is determined to take one last shot at the world of cycling with a little encouragement from his longtime friend Malky McGovern (Billy Boyd) and his loving wife, Anne (Laura Fraser). Now, with no official sponsor, no financial backing, no funding to speak of, and a decided lack of experience needed to design the kind of bike he would need for his ambitious, late-career endeavor, the 27-year-old cyclist would build his own revolutionary bike from the ground up and begin the arduous journey to becoming the fastest cyclist in the history of the sport. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jonny Lee Miller, Billy Boyd, (more)
- 2006
- R
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First-time writer/director Scott Burns spins this suspenseful yarn about a nuclear technician who has a curious encounter with a notoriously violent Russian gangster (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). The year is 1995, and Timofey (Paddy Considine) is a nuclear power-plant worker in post-Soviet Russia. After being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation while working to avert a disaster, Timofey discovers that the authorities have deliberately misled him about the severity of his exposure, and that he will likely die in just a few days. Determined to provide for his wife (Radha Mitchell) and young son before he succumbs to the effects of radiation, Timofey absconds with a small amount of weapons grade plutonium, straps the vial to his body, and makes his way to Moscow in hopes of making a quick and profitable sale in the criminal underground. This is the "new Russia," where everything has its price, and Timofey is determined to secure his family's future even if he himself has none. Oscar Issac and Jason Flemyng co-star in a film produced by Section Eight and Beacon Pictures for HBO Films, and distributed by Picturehouse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paddy Considine, Radha Mitchell, (more)
Also (and more pointedly) entitled The Headsman, Simon Aeby's scope period drama Shadow of the Sword uses its narrative to explore conflicts and tensions during the notorious 16th century Inquisition. Nikolaj Coster Waldau and Peter McDonald play Martin and Georg, two men who meet and bond as youths in a European monastery, then part ways and diverge paths; Georg becomes a cleric at a nearby abbey, Martin a soldier in the Army. The adult men reconnect following a fifteen year absence, and not long after, Martin (in the face of overwhelming dissuasion from Georg) falls head over heels in love with Anna - a social outcast because of her father's role as executioner. Martin and Anna marry, and - in a beat that recalls Berlanga's El Verdugo - Martin is forced to enter his father's line of work as a decapitator - a role he performs fluidly and effectively. Trouble brews, however, on two fronts: from Fabio, a handicapped local who covets Martin's new job, and from an Inquisitor (legendary playwright Steven Berkoff) who arrives to oversee George's execution when the local archbishop grows dissatisfied with him - forcing Martin to step in and act as George's salvation. Meanwhile, Brother Bernhard schemes to rob the church of stability. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Peter McDonald, (more)
British filmmaker Malcolm Needs writes and directs the gangster film Charlie, based on the real-life case of criminal gang boss Charlie Richardson. During the early '60s, brothers Charlie (Luke Goss) and Eddy (Langley Kirkwood) ruled the criminal underworld of South London. As he rises in power, Charlie finds himself connected with wealthy white South African businessman Richard Waldeck (Leslie Grantham). Charlie eventually starts to get involved with political crimes involving the ANC and gets caught. While on trial in 1966, his gang resorts to the horrific torturing of his enemies. The witnesses who testify against him are cruelly and unusually punished by Charlie's terror gang, leading to Judge Lawton (Antony Carrick) sentencing him to 25 years. Steven Berkoff and Anita Dobson appear as Charlie's parents. Charlie premiered in the U.K. in February of 2004. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luke Goss, Steven Berkoff, (more)
Australian filmmaker John Duigan directs the romantic war drama Head in the Clouds. Charlize Theron stars as ambitious photographer Gilda Bessé, who lives in France during the 1930s. She shares her stylish luxury apartment in Paris with Cambridge student Guy (Stuart Townsend) from Ireland and refugee Mia (Penélope Cruz) from Spain. When WWII starts, the three close friends are torn apart by different priorities. Thomas Kretschmann also stars as Major Thomas Bietrich. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlize Theron, Penélope Cruz, (more)
Officially based on two of Frank Herbert's science fiction novels, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, this three-part, six-hour miniseries was actually a sequel to the Sci-Fi Channel's multipart adaptation of the original Dune. The story was set in the year 10,103: Having deposed the evil emperor of the desert planet Arrakis, the messianic Paul Atreides (Scott Newman) was firmly installed as the planet's supreme "Muad'Dib," as well as the guardian of Arrakis' life-enhancing spice supply. Unfortunately, Paul's efforts to unify his kingdom have had the residual consequences of bloodshed and tyranny. It fell to Paul's twin children, Ghanima (Jessica Brooks) and Leto II (James McAvoy), to thwart the villainous machinations of the planet's deposed matriarch, Princess Wensicia (Susan Sarandon), and the beautiful but insane Princess Alia (Daniela Amavia). Like the previous Dune miniseries, this one was decked out with superlative special effects, excellent performances, on-target direction, and (most vital for any Herbert adaptation) a thoroughly logical and coherent teleplay. First telecast on March 16, 2003, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune was clearly designed as the pilot for a weekly Dune series. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alec Newman, Julie Cox, (more)
In this gangster farce from first-time writer/director Ky Mo Lab, a pair of Irish pals become embroiled in a murder mystery upon their move to London. When Kenny (Glen Mulhern) arrives in the big city, he's dismayed to find his mate, Byron (Brendan Mackey), on the dole and boozing it up. But he's even more horrified to learn how Byron supplements his dole checks: by working as a rent boy in a gay pub. Despite his trepidation, Kenny soon embarks on a parallel career. But when a rich couple named The Queen (Michael Praed) and Golders Green (Simon Godley) turn up dead, Kenny and Byron think they've found the solution to their financial woes. Rumor has it that Golders Green kept a wad of cash squirreled away in his mattress. Unfortunately, several other colorful low-lives have their eyes on the prize, from The Desperate Dwarf (Raymond Griffiths) to The Iron Lady (Karen Sharman). As the queer corpses continue to pile up, Kenny and Byron wonder whether they'll ever locate the loot -- and whether their newfound occupation has deeper implications. Screened at the Palm Springs Film Festival, Nine Dead Gay Guys marked the feature debut for both Mulhern and Mackey. The character Golders Green is named after the neighborhood where he lives, a historically Jewish area of London. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glen Mulhern, Brendan Mackey, (more)
Popular French filmmaker Gérard Pirès makes his first English-language feature with the slick action heist Riders. The film's confusing title history involves four working titles and an international release under the name Steal. A bleached-blonde Stephen Dorff plays Slim, the leader of an extreme sports criminal gang, consisting of Alex (Karen Cliche), Frank (Steven McCarthy), and Otis (Clé Bennett). They wear stylish clothes, rob banks, and get away on rollerblades. Slim's group is pursued by crazed cop Jake Macgruder (Bruce Payne) and Southern-style villain Surtayne (Steven Berkoff). She Spies actress Natasha Henstridge stars as femme fatale Karen. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Natasha Henstridge, (more)
Attila the Hun, fabled leader of a band of nomadic warriors who fearlessly took on the might of the Roman Empire, has his life story brought to the screen in this two-part miniseries. Attila (Gerard Butler) raised an army from the people of Caspia, and in time created a fighting force so strong that they received an annual tribute from the leaders of Rome as an inducement not to attack. Not all Romans were happy with this situation, and in time it was decided that General Aetius (Powers Boothe), a brave yet unscrupulous leader who attempted to usurp the rule of Empress Placidia (Alice Krige), was the only man who could confront Attila on his own terms. Aetius recognized Attila's skills as a leader, and decided the best way to prevent him from invading Rome was to lead him into an alliance, as Rome and the Huns joined forces against a third nation. But despite their mutual respect, it soon became apparent that only one man could be the undisputed leader in a meeting between Rome and the Huns. Attila also features Tim Curry as Theodosius, Simmone Jade MacKinnon as N'Kara, and Reg Rogers as Valentinian. Attila was first aired on the USA Cable Network on January 30 and 31, 2001.
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Powers Boothe, (more)
- 2001
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Stanley Kubrick was one of the most acclaimed and controversial filmmakers of his generation, but he was also an intensely private man who rarely gave interviews and produced most of his films under a shroud of secrecy, which tended to foster a great deal of rumor and speculation about his working methods. Jan Harlan, who worked as Kubrick's assistant and executive producer on several projects (and was also his brother-in-law), directed this documentary, which offers a rare in-depth look into Kubrick's career as a filmmaker, structured around interviews with a number of actors, writers, technicians, composers, friends, and family who speak on the record about his relentless perfectionism, his creative vision, his life both on and off the set, his relationships with actors, his unrealized projects, and his importance and influence as an artist. Among those who share their thoughts in Stanley Kubrick -- A Life In Pictures are actors Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Ustinov, and Keir Dullea; writers Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Herr; special effects artist Douglas Trumbull; composers Wendy Carlos and Gyorgy Ligeti; filmmakers Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Mazursky, and Sydney Pollack; and Kubrick's spouse Christiane Kubrick. Stanley Kubrick -- A Life In Pictures was originally produced as a television project, to be aired in three parts, though the project was shown in its entirety at the 2001 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, (more)
A kind of "best-of" account of the books of Genesis and Exodus, this two-part NBC miniseries aired in November 2000. Part One, set in the desert, covers the stories of Abraham (Martin Landau), Sarah (Jacqueline Bisset), Isaac (Sean Pertwee), Rebeccah (Diana Rigg), Esau (Andrew Grainger), and Jacob (Frederick Weller) and culminates with the enslavement of Joseph (Eddie Cibrian). Part Two, set in biblical Egypt, focuses on the story of Moses (Billy Campbell) and his deliverance of his people from slavery. Also included in the miniseries' huge and illustrious cast are Alan Bates as Jethro, Geraldine Chaplin as Yocheved, and Jonathan Firth as Joshua. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
- Starring:
- Martin Landau, Jacqueline Bisset, (more)
Joseph Fiennes and Rhys Ifans star in this wacky British comedy-thriller. Hard luck case Pete (Ifans), who is unable to impregnate his hot-to-trot wife Sarah (Sadie Frost), learns that his father's business, which he recently inherited, is saddled with a huge tax debt. At his wits' end, he consults his coke-snorting buddy Sean (Fiennes), who recommends a monetary infusion from local Russian loan shark Mr. Kant (Steven Berkoff) and his over-sexed daughter Masha (Tara Fitzgerald). When Pete and the mobster meet, Masha starts aggressively seducing him. Meanwhile, Sean double-crosses everyone while Sarah just whines. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Joseph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, (more)
Action hero Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in this globe-trotting adventure set in the 1920s. Van Damme plays Alain, a carefree French playboy who makes the mistake of getting involved with the girlfriend of a notorious Mob kingpin. Running for his life, Alain decides to hide out in a time-tested manner -- he joins the French Foreign Legion. Stationed in North Africa, he must deal with a violently psychotic senior officer and troops of bloodthirsty guerillas. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, (more)
Mickey Rourke once again climbs the slippery slope of the erotically extreme in this sequel to 1986's 9 1/2 Weeks. It's been several years since John (Mickey Rourke) parted company with Elizabeth (the character played by Kim Basinger in the original film, although she doesn't appear in this sequel), but he's still obsessed by their passionate encounters. In hopes of finding her, John flies to Paris, where he instead discovers Lea (Angie Everhart), a close friend of Elizabeth's who designs high fashion clothing, and her assistant Claire (Agathe de la Fontaine). Lea is strongly attracted to John, but John is not able to let go of his obsession with Elizabeth so easily; when Lea tells John that Elizabeth has remarried, John begins to responds to her advances and they indulge in a variety of erotic games. However, in time, John learns that Lea can't always be trusted, and he realizes that their affair is not destined to last very long. Another 9 1/2 Weeks was also screened under the title Love in Paris. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mickey Rourke, Agathe de la Fontaine, (more)
- 1997
Quark's unquenchable thirst for profits has potentially deadly consquences this time around, as Quark's cousin Gaila (John Pais) gets tied up with ruthless arms dealer Hagath (Steven Berkoff), who is selling weapons that could very well bring about the Apocalypse. Never one to turn down a dishonest ducat, Quark nonetheless balks at getting involved with Hagarth, but as it happens, he may have no choice. Craggy film noir icon Lawrence Tierney guest stars as The Regent, while series regular Alexander Siddig (using his given name Siddig El Fadil directed. Originally telecast April 7, 1997, "Business as Usual" was written by Bradley Thompson and David Weddle. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Supermodel and sex symbol Cindy Crawford made her acting debut in this high-decibel thriller. Kate McQuean (Crawford) is a lawyer who -- in the course of a divorce proceeding -- attempts to seize a 157-foot freighter docked off the Florida coast in lieu of unpaid alimony. It turns out that the freighter is the current base of operations of Kazak (Steven Berkoff), a former KGB agent who has become an international money laundering expert and leader of a crack terrorist team. As one might imagine, Kazak is not especially happy about possible eviction, and soon Kate has a hefty price on her head. Kate, however, doesn't know the nature of Kazak's business and isn't sure why someone is trying to kill her. Loose cannon police detective Max Kilpatric (William Baldwin) is assigned to protect Kate, and romance begins to bloom as they dodge a remarkable number of bullets and explosions. Fair Game was originally slated to star Sylvester Stallone alongside Crawford (the film's location was moved to Florida at his request); when he dropped out, Crawford found herself co-starring with Baldwin, another model-turned-thespian. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Cindy Crawford, William Baldwin, (more)
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