Craig Bierko Movies

A married father and a swinging single swap bodies after a wild night of drinking, and do their best not to throw each other's lives into complete chaos while scrambling to figure out a way to get back in their own skin. Dave (Jason Bateman) and Mitch (Ryan Reynolds) grew up together. They used to be inseparable, but these days they're lucky if they cross paths every few months. Dave is a successful lawyer and happily married father of three; Mitch is a single sexual dynamo locked in a perpetual state of arrested adolescence. And while Mitch admires Dave for having a gorgeous wife (Leslie Mann), happy kids, and a high-paying job, Dave envies his unhitched pal's freewheeling lifestyle and his ability to bed any woman who shoots him a seductive glance. Then one night, after having a few too many, Mitch and Dave voice their mutual admiration for one another, never once suspecting they might be about to find out how the other half lives. However, upon waking up the following morning, the two lifelong pals discover that they have somehow traded places. At first the thought of getting a momentary reprieve from their regular routines is an amusing novelty, but the longer it lasts, the more they just want their old lives back. Just when it seems that things can't get any more complicated, Dave's stunning legal associate Sabrina (Olivia Wilde) drops a bombshell, and Mitch gets a surprise visit from his estranged father (Alan Arkin). ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Originally titled The Rules for Starting Over, this Fox sitcom starred Craig Bierko) as 35-year-old financier Jack "Gator" Gately. Having gotten married right out of college, Gator was now divorced, and as such obliged to re-enter the "dating scene" that he'd barely been a part of in his bachelor days. Joining Gator in his pursuit of female companionship were his nerdy surgeon pal Freddy Sahgal (Shaun Majumber), likewise recently divorced, and funloving brewery owner Tommy (Johnny Sneed), who'd been married several times previously but had not given up his lifelong quest for the perfect mate. Also a member of this merry band of "unhitched" thirtysomethings was quick-witted Kate (Rashina Jones), recently dumped by her beau after a seven-year relationship. The humor arose from the fact that the protagonists were certainly not naïve in matters of everyday life, but were utterly clueless in the realm of romantic relationships; and oh, yes, there was an abundance of gross-out humor and sex jokes, hardly suprising inasmuch as the series was executive-produced by the inimitable Farrelly Brothers). Created by Mike Bernier and Chris Pappas), Unhitched debuted March 2, 2008. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Spoof series torch-bearer and Airplane! mastermind David Zucker steps back into the captain's chair for yet another round of cinematic shenanigans in the latest installment of the Scary Movie franchise, this time mocking such frightful blockbusters as Saw, War of the Worlds, The Village, and The Grudge. An alien invasion threatens to wipe out the entire human race, but not if Cindy Campbell (Anna Faris) and her nymphomaniac pal, Brenda Meeks (Regina Hall), have any say in the matter. With the clock counting down for all of humankind and the extraterrestrial invasion about to begin, the fearless but slightly dunderheaded heroines are joined by a series of celebrity guests including Dr. Phil, Carmen Electra, Chris Elliott, Shaquille O'Neal, and, of course, Leslie Nielsen in ensuring that the planet remains free of the alien menace and prepared for yet another installment in the over-the-top, pop-culture-deflating satire series. Although two versions of this film officially exist (a PG-13 one and an "Unrated and Uncensored" one -- evidently they skipped the R version), the unrated cut only reportedly features about three extra minutes of screen time, devoted to jiggling and bouncing breast implants. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The true story of an athlete who achieved his greatest success against the most daunting odds of his life is brought to the screen in this historical drama. In the 1920s, James Braddock (Russell Crowe) from Bergen, NJ, was a promising contender in professional boxing; he had strength, spirit, and tenacity, but the combination of a serious hand injury and a 1929 defeat in a bout with light heavyweight champ Tommy Loughran sent his career into a serious tailspin. As Braddock's career in the ring dried up, the Great Depression put a stake through the heart of America's economy, and Braddock found himself working at the New York docks for pitiful wages as he tried to support his wife, Mae (Renée Zellweger), and three children. Desperate for money, Braddock turned to his former trainer and manager Joe Gould (Paul Giamatti), who was unexpectedly able to scare up a bout for him, battling John Griffin at Madison Square Garden. While conventional wisdom had it that Braddock was too old, out of shape, and out of practice to have any chance of winning, he defeated Griffin, and continued beating his opponents with a powerful left hook that had been intensified by years of punishing dock work. In a nation desperate for good news, Braddock's surprising comeback became a tonic to struggling workers and unemployed people, and all eyes were on Braddock when in 1935 he took on powerful heavyweight champion Max Baer (Craig Bierko) in what was both literally and figuratively the fight of his life. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In keeping with his background in television sitcoms, Sam Weisman directs the cameo-filled comedy Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. Dickie Roberts (David Spade) was a child actor on the hit TV show "The Glimmer Gang" and remains remembered for a particular catch phrase. Now in his thirties, he finds work as a parking valet and spends time with other nominal child stars (enter cameos by Danny Bonaduce, Corey Feldman, and the like). Wanting to make a comeback, he manages to get an audition with director Rob Reiner. When the role requires him to be normal, he decides to hire a normal family in order to relive the childhood he missed out on. He ends up with sleazy salesman George Finney (Craig Bierko) and his loving wife, Grace (Mary McCormack). Dickie shares a room with their two kids: sunny daughter Sally (Jenna Boyd) and impressionable son Sam (Scott Tessa). Former child star Alyssa Milano appears as Dickie's girlfriend, Cyndi. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Answering the question of "Where have all the New Wavers gone?" is The Suburbans, a comedy from first-time director Donal Lardner Ward, who also stars and co-wrote the screenplay. In 1981, power pop band The Suburbans had it all -- big hair, skinny ties and a hit record. But they never followed up on their one chart success, and years later, most of the band's members have dropped out of the music business in favor of "real jobs." However, when one of the ex-Suburbans gets married, the four members are reunited at the reception and play their lone hit for old times sake. As fate would have it, one of the wedding guests is Cait (Jennifer Love Hewitt), a young A&R executive who loved the Suburbans as a kid and thinks they could have another shot at the big time. But does pushing-40 bandleader Danny (Ward) really want to put a stake in the heart of his marriage to Grace (Amy Brenneman) for another moment in the spotlight? The Suburbans features a period-appropraite cameo from A Flock Of Seagulls and supporting performances from Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Will Ferrell and Robert Loggia. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Hoping that a Hollywood "superagent" will agree to represent him, Paul (Paul Reiser) heads to L.A. with wife Jamie (Helen Hunt). Upon arrival, the Buchmans immediately adjust to the laid-back ambience of La-La Land. In fact, Jamie is so enchanted by her new, luxurious lifestyle (and the marked absence of maternal duties) that she is reluctant to return to New York. ~ Rovi

Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, The Fisher King) directed this colorful, stylized, pseudo-psychedelic $21-million adaptation of the 1971 Hunter S. Thompson classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream, about stoned sportswriter Raoul Duke, Thompson's alter ego, on a wild drug-crazed road trip, a paranoid plummet into the belly of the beast, with his pal, lawyer Oscar Zeta Acosta. Originally serialized in Rolling Stone (November 1971), the book catapulted Thompson headfirst toward the Kerouac-Mailer-Capote pantheon and jump-started the entire movement of "gonzo journalism." Carrying a suitcase of drugs, Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp with shaved pate) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (Benicio Del Toro) drive a red convertible across the Mojave from L.A. to Vegas, where Duke has an assignment to cover the Mint 400 desert motorcycle race. As the drugs kick in, Duke ventures into voiceover, filling in the blank spots and narrative gaps. "This is not a good town for psychedelic drugs," says Duke, but even so, they consume vast quantities, eventually escalating to ether. Duke notes that with ether "you can actually watch yourself behaving this terrible way, but you can't control it." The two trash their hotel room, and Gonzo goes back to L.A. Thinking the hotel room holocaust will lead to an arrest, Duke begins a drive back to L.A., but after an odd encounter with a highway patrolman (Gary Busey) and a telephone conversation with Gonzo, he returns to Vegas to cover the District Attorney Convention on Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs in the glitzy Flamingo Hotel. This time the drugged-out duo trash their Flamingo room. The crazed carnival atmosphere segues into a carney casino, Bazooko's Circus, where a barker (Penn Jillette) spiels amid aerialists, clowns, and a rotating carousel bar. Gonzo worries over runaway teen Lucy (Christina Ricci), who paints portraits of Barbra Streisand. Soon the hallucinations begin: Duke sees Gonzo transmogrify into a demon with breasts on its back, and an acid vision of a Vegas bar features large legit lounge lizards (courtesy of monster makeup man Rob Bottin). Flashbacks depicting Duke's intro to the drug scene jump back to love-Haight relationships in San Francisco's Summer of Love. Cameos and guest stars include Mark Harmon, Cameron Diaz, Flea, Lyle Lovett, Harry Dean Stanton, Ellen Barkin, Tobey Maguire, and Hunter S. Thompson himself. The film features a Geffen Records soundtrack mixing rock of the period with Vegas lounge tunes. Over the years, various script adaptations came and went as did numerous talents; people connected with past efforts to film Thompson's book include Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and writer-director Alex Cox. Shown in competition at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

An ordinary woman discovers that her life was not always ordinary in this action thriller. Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) is a typical, well-mannered single mother working as a schoolteacher when she isn't looking after her children. Nothing on the surface would seem to be remarkable about Samantha's life, but every once in a while she has vague memories and unexplained impulses that don't add up with her current life experience; she has scars but no idea of how they got there, she suddenly displays a deadly talent for knife-throwing while chopping vegetables for dinner, and when she sees a deer, she suddenly attacks it with her bare hands. When an auto accident and a television news broadcast stirs some more uncomfortable memories, Samantha hires private investigator Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to look into her past and see what he can find. Mitch learns that Samantha isn't really Samantha after all -- her name is Charley and she used to be a professional assassin with a secret government intelligence program. After a severe head injury, Charley developed a case of amnesia, and in time she developed her new personality as Samantha. However, her old boss has kept tabs on her, and now that it looks as if the old Charley is starting to come out again, he sends a pair of hit men after her to see to it that she doesn't remember anything else; soon Samantha and Mitch are on the run, trying to outdistance the killers as they get to the bottom of Charley's secret life. The Long Kiss Goodnight was directed by Renny Harlin, husband of leading lady Geena Davis; this was their second project together, following Cutthroat Island, released the previous year. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Murphy (Candice Bergen) has of late pulled so many practical jokes on her coworkers that she has completely lost whatever newsroom credibility she ever had. The "fun" backfires on our heroine when she is kidnapped by a doltish band of eco-terrorists (including Curtis Armstrong of Moonlighting) fame)--and no one takes her plight seriously! Larry King appears as himself in this episode, which ends on a comically poignant note. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When a string of suspicious art gallery robberies leave the gallery owners with profitable insurance claims, an angered artist sets out to get revenge on the group behind the crimes. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi