Mark Roberts Movies
When a devoted mother and wife begins to experience a series of intensely terrifying visions, she soon begins to question her own sanity in a deeply unsettling psychological thriller from first-time feature filmmaker Ariel Vromen. By day Danika (Marisa Tomei) works at the local bank, and by night she assumes the role of loving family-woman to her husband Randy (Craig Bierko) and their three children Brian (Ridge Canipe), Kurt (Kyle Gallner), and Lauren (Nicki Prian). After experiencing a frighteningly vivid hallucination one day at work, the stressed-out twenty-five year old decides to quit her job and spend more time at home with the family. Though she soon opts to seek the help of a youthful therapist, Danika 's paranoia regarding the safety of her children grows increasingly intense as news stations begin to air a series of gruesome crime stories which all seem to concern the harming of young children. As paranoia rapidly morphs into panic and a series of premonitions leaves the fragile Danika an emotional disaster, the now-hysterical mother does her best to discern whether her continuing visions are the result of a deepening mental illness, or some unknown power from far beyond her realm of comprehension. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marisa Tomei, Craig Bierko, (more)
The cult-favorite television series which offered a fun-house version of '70s "after-school specials" returns in this big-screen prequel to the show Strangers With Candy. Middle-aged ex-prostitute, former drug addict and all-around lowlife Jerri Blank (Amy Sedaris) emerges from prison at the age of 46 ready to start her life over again. Jerri arrives at her parents' home to discover that her father Guy (Dan Hedaya) divorced Jerri's mom and remarried before slipping into a coma. Jerri's stepmom Sara (Deborah Rush) decides to let her stay with the family in the hope her presence might bring Guy around, though she doesn't seem very fond of her new "daughter." Jerri decides to complete the education she abandoned years ago by enrolling at Flatpoint High School, where Principal Blackman (Greg Hollimon) has bigger fish to fry than a middle-aged sex offender as a student. It seems Flatpoint's science scores have been dreadful, and only a first-place entry in the county science fair will maintain the school's accreditation. Science fair guru Roger Beekman (Matthew Broderick) is brought in with hopes of creating a winning project, but science teacher Mr. Noblet (Stephen Colbert) objects to using outside talent and starts a separate team of his own, bringing in Jerri to give her something to do. As it happens, Noblet's team comes up with a potential prize-winner with their Soup Can Superconductor, while Beekman foolishly accepts the help of art teacher Mr. Jellineck (Paul Dinello) and ends up with a dance routine instead of a science presentation. Determined to win out over Noblet's team, Beekman tries to get his hand on the plans for Noblet's project by convincing handsome Brason (Chris Pratt) to charm them away from weak-willed Jerri. Strangers With Candy also features cameo appearances from Philip Seymour Hoffman, Allison Janney, Ian Holm, and Kristen Johnston. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Amy Sedaris, Deborah Rush, (more)
College soccer star David Morales (Mario Lopez) loses his scholarship and is compelled to take a job as a courier for an experimental medical laboratory operated by shady Dr. Darabont (John Saxon). The money is terrific and the border crossings from California into Mexico are easy for the charming Latino. But events turn desperate when David is forced to make a hasty delivery of a small cooler that contains something needed by the evil Franco (Richard Lynch), who is being kept alive in a Mexican hospice by the renegade physician Dr. Drake (Nancy O'Dell). If David fails, his mother (Dyana Ortelli) dies. But then the FBI gets wind of the delivery. Now on the run from the Feds, with his mother held hostage by a sex maniac, David teams up with runaway rich girl, Bella (Ali Landry), to get the cooler and its contents to Dr. Drake to keep a villain alive. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Lopez, Tava Smiley, (more)
Released from prison on his 21st birthday, Antonio (Saved by the Bell's Mario Lopez) pays a visit to his older brother, Horatio (Mark Espinoza), an uptight attorney embarrassed by his Latino heritage. The brothers are connected by their work for crime boss Armando De La Rosa (Efrain Figueroa), for whom Horatio provides "consulting" services and Antonio collects debts. When De la Rosa enlists Antonio to bully the proprietor of a youth shelter off his property to make way for a casino, the young man changes his priorities, thanks in no small part to his friendship with the proprietor (Richard Lynch) and his burgeoning relationship with the old man's granddaughter (Elizabeth Bogush). Together, Antonio and Horatio try to bring an end to De La Rosa's megalomaniacal reign over the neighborhood. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Lopez
One of several comedies at the 2000 Method Film Festival to focus on the socio-economic cross-section identified in its title, this film stars Sean Young as a determined Illinois mom who will do anything to provide a college education for her beloved son Mike Tony Denman. The first order of business, however, involves helping Mike avoid serving jail time for a prank he pulled with his inept buddy Lennie (Jacob Tierney). Lennie's grandfather (William Devane) is a high-priced attorney and might be the boys' ticket to beating the rap -- that is, if they can afford him. Their solution: stage a series of robberies around town. After some trepidation, mom and sleazy boyfriend (Jason London) decide to aid and abet the boys as they bumble one not-so-daring heist after another. The title of the film was inspired by the 1957 B-movie of the same name, although this 2000 version bears no common plot elements. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Young, William Devane, (more)
- 1998
Writer-actor-producer Carlos Gallardo wrote and directed this fast-paced, ultra-low-budget ($11,000) action flick about a nameless Mexican intelligence agent (Gallardo) who arrives incognito in a small town, where his attacks on the resident tough guys upset local crime boss Camaro (Oscar Casteneda). Investigating Camaro's link to the assassination of a presidential candidate, the agent gets to know rival crime boss Manco (Miguel Gurza). In truth, Manco is the dead candidate's brother and is secretly conducting his own investigation. Shown at the 1998 Festival Cine Latino. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carlos Gallardo, Alejandra Prado, (more)
Bob Koherr directed this predictable parody of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, offering variations on the film's familiar scenes, plus satirical jabs at other titles, including Reservoir Dogs, Natural Born Killers, Forrest Gump and Nell. Tarantino's hit men are replaced here with exterminators Jimmy (Paul Dinello) and Julius (Tommy Davidson). Subbing for Marsellus and coke addict Mia are compulsive eater Mimi (Julie Brown) and her husband Montello (Robert Costanzo). Instead of coffee-shop thieves Honey Bunny and Pumpkin, writer wannabe Bunny Roberts (Sandra Bernhard) arrives with the Forrest Gump-like Bumpkin (Dan Castellaneta). Psychos Nicky (Matthew Glave) and Vallory (Pamela Segall) disrupt the criss-crossing storylines, and so do nuns with guns. At the Independent Cafe, employees are costumed like various characters from independent films. The talented Juliette Lewis is mocked by Pamela Segall in a re-creation of a Natural Born Killers scene, and Kane Picoy impersonates Christopher Walken. When Plump Fiction played theatrically, it was accompanied by a three-minute short film Swing Blade (a spoof of Swingers and Sling Blade). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tommy Davidson, Julie Brown, (more)
