Saul Rubinek Movies
Born in a German refugee camp, actor Saul Rubinek was raised in Canada, where he began his career. After several years of activity with the Toronto Free Theater, the versatile Rubinek headed for New York, where he worked in repertory and on Broadway. Rubinek's performance as the best friend of religious cult member Nick Mancuso in the little-seen Ticket to Heaven (1981) was a critical coup for the actor, though most mainstream filmgoers ignored the film. A reliable presence in such meaty supporting roles as the Ned Buntline-ish dime novelist in The Unforgiven (1994), Rubinek was equally believable in the starring role of a neurotic, love-hungry Jewish New Yorker in Soup for One (1982). TV credits for Rubinek include the 1989 Diner-style series Men, and the made-for-cable Randy Shilts biopic And the Band Played On (1993). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 2000
Nero Wolfe (Maury Chaykin) is the world's greatest detective, and like any genius, he has his share of idiosyncrasies -- he loves orchids with an unnatural passion, he weighs a seventh of a ton, and--oh yeah--he never leaves his New York brownstone. Instead, he is aided by an army of foot soldiers headed by Archie Goodwin (Timothy Hutton). The film opens when Pete, a young windshield washer, is begged by a woman to call the police. She is then ushered into a car and whisked away. Thinking that she has been kidnapped, Pete gives Nero the scoop in exchange for half the reward money. When Pete later turns up dead, Nero kicks his investigation into high gear. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Hutton, Maury Chaykin, (more)
- 2000
In the concluding half of Frasier's eighth-season opener, outraged lawyer Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) and infuriated plastic surgeon Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) draws up plans to get even with their respective mates Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Niles (David Hyde Pierce) for running out on them (Niles had sped off in the same Winnebago used by Daphne to escape her wedding to Donny). As Donny prepares to sue Daphne for breach of promise, Mel sharkishly promises to divorce Niles, with whom she had earlier eloped -- but only under certain humiliating conditions. Originally telecast as a 60-minute special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Relentless attorney Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) continues to press his lawsuit against Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Daphne (Jane Leeves), accusing Frasier of encouraging Daphne to run out on her wedding to Donny. Hoping to fight fire with fire, Frasier hires an attorney named Abby (Teri Polo), who has a reputation for being even more "down and dirty" than Donny. The fun (?) begins when Frasier starts dating the estimable -- and none too ethical -- Abby. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this whimsical romantic comedy that recalls It's a Wonderful Life, Nicolas Cage plays Jack Campbell, a workaholic bachelor who gets to see what his life might have been like had he stayed with his old sweetheart, Kate (Tea Leoni). Thirteen years before, Jack accepted a brokerage internship that marred his relationship with Kate, under the promise that they would only be separated one year. But much later, Jack has become an urban Wall Street exec with no wife or family of his own, and a mysterious proxy (Don Cheadle) offers him the opportunity to step into the life he left behind. After falling asleep in his posh New York apartment, Jack awakens to find himself in bed with his now-wife Kate, daughter Annie (Makenzie Vega), and a new baby, none of which he has ever experienced in his fast-paced single life. After discovering his "real" life has been eliminated, he begrudgingly tries to fit in with his newly appointed life as a family man. The Family Man also stars Saul Rubinek and Jeremy Piven. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nicolas Cage, Téa Leoni, (more)
The hard-ball gamesmanship and casual character assassination of American politics sets the stage for this thriller from writer and director Rod Lurie. When the Vice President of the United States unexpectedly dies, all eyes in Washington D.C. are on President Jackson Evans (Jeff Bridges) as he chooses a new VP. Sen. Jack Hathaway (William Petersen), a respected career politician enjoying a new swell of popularity after a well-publicized attempt to save a drowning woman, is expected to be Evans' choice, but instead he picks Sen. Laine Hanson (Joan Allen), a decision that raises eyebrows on both sides of the political fence. Veteran power broker Shelly Runyon (Gary Oldman) is vehemently opposed to Hanson's appointment, in part because the Democratic senator was once a Republican, and vows to do everything in his power to prevent her from being confirmed. Runyon and his staff start digging for dirt on Hanson, and soon make a surprising discovery -- her personal morality is called into question when it's alleged that she took part in a group sexual liaison while she was a college student. The Contender also stars Mike Binder as one of Hanson's advisors, Mariel Hemingway as an old friend with a surprising secret, Christian Slater as an ambitious congressmen assisting Runyon, and Philip Baker Hall as Hanson's father; it was the second feature from former film critic Rod Lurie. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, (more)
- 2000
In part one of Frasier?s eighth-season opener, the wedding of Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves) and attorney Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) has come to end before the knot has even been tied as Daphne runs off with her true love, Niles Crane (David Pierce). Left standing in the exhaust fumes of the fugitive couple's Winnebago are both Donny and Niles' vengeful bridge Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams). The upshot of all this is an enormous lawsuit brought against Daphne by Donny and an even more sinister revenge cooked up by Mel. Originally telecast as a 60-minute special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
In the concluding half of Frasier's Emmy-winning season-seven finale, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) tries to bring Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Daphne (Jane Leeves) together for one last fond farewell before Daphne marries Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek). Meanwhile, Daphne's boorish brother Simon (Anthony LaPaglia) continues putting the moves on Roz (Peri Gilpin) -- who, as Donny's ex-girlfriend, is not altogether unresponsive. A shocking revelation about Niles' current companion Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) sets off a chain reaction of calamitous events, culminating in perhaps the series' most famous season-ending cliffhanger. Originally telecast as a one-hour special, this episode has since been reedited as two half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is tired of being considered a stuffed shirt. Offering to throw a bachelor party for Daphne's fiancé Donny (Saul Rubinek), Frasier intends to prove that he's as much a swinger as the next man by booking a stripper -- the sort who brings her own handcuffs and other such things. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) continues to have trouble with the estimable Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams), especially when ex-wife Maris (who had previously used Mel's services as a plastic surgeon) finds out about their relationship. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
With her wedding day rapidly approaching, Daphne (Jane Leeves) finds herself in a court-ordered anger-management therapy program. As her counselor (S. Epatha Merkerson of Law & Order fame) listens with professional detachment, Daphne recounts the events leading up to the outburst that led to her current plight. What it boils down to is this: Daphne may be marrying Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), but her heart still belongs to Niles Crane (David Hyde Pierce). Anthony LaPaglia makes his first series appearance as Daphne's boorish, hard-drinking brother Simon, who turns out to know his sister's heart better than she does. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
"Togetherness" is the theme of the evening, as Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Roz (Peri Gilpin) attend an out-of-town conference, while Niles (David Hyde Pierce) joins his former-cop father Martin (John Mahoney) on a private-eye surveillance session arranged by Donny (Saul Rubinek). Not unexpectedly, nervous Niles drives his dad crazy throughout the stakeout. As for Frasier and Roz, "craziness" of another kind ensues when they are forced to share a room -- and a few other things. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Niles (David Hyde Pierce) is experiencing mixed emotions regarded hotshot lawyer Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek). On one hand, Niles is grateful that Douglas has managed to free him from his contentious wife Maris at the least possible cost. But on the other hand, Douglas has become much too friendly with Niles' "secret love" Daphne (Jane Leeves). Hoping to break up Douglas and Daphne, Niles cooks up a scheme to reunite the lawyer with his former girlfriend -- Roz (Peri Gilpin). Unfortunately, these best-laid plans do not take into account the unexpected presence and interference of Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Saul Rubinek makes his first series appearance as hotshot attorney Donny Douglas. Facing a messy and very expensive divorce from wife Maris, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) hires Douglas, the former boyfriend of Frasier's producer, Roz (Peri Gilpin), to give him the best possible break in the courtroom. But things don't quite break in Niles' favor -- especially after Douglas zeroes in on Niles' "secret love," Daphne (Jane Leeves). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
The Christmas Season is also a time of contemplation for Daphne (Jane Leeves). As she prepares for her marriage to Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), Daphne wonders if the time has come to clear the air concerning Niles' pent-up feelings for her. As for Niles (David Hyde Pierce), it may be a bleak holiday indeed when his current "significant other" Dr. Mel Karnofsky (Jane Adams) tumbles to a lie he has handed her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
In the first half of Frasier's two-part season-six finale, Niles (David Hyde Pierce) remains depressed over the impending marriage of Daphne (Jane Leeves) and Donny (Saul Rubinek) -- at least until he meets an attractive stranger at Café Nervosa. Meanwhile, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) thinks he has finally chosen between Cassandra (Virginia Madsen) and Faye (Amy Brenneman), and Roz (Peri Gilpin) finally gives Bulldog (Dan Tucker) what he wants. Originally telecast as a one-hour "special," this episode has since been re-edited as two separate half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
In the conclusion of Frasier's season-six finale, all three of the Crane men continue to encounter big problems in their respective love lives. Niles (David Hyde Pierce) decides his new girlfriend is too "hip" for his room; Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is caught between two lovers, whose names he can't keep straight; and the relationship between Martin (John Mahoney) and his lady friend Bonnie (Alice Playten) hits a serious snag thanks to Eddie the dog. Originally telecast as a one-hour "special," this episode has since been re-edited as two separate half-hours for syndication. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Niles (David Hyde Pierce) has all the more reason to rue the day that he introduced his "secret love" Daphne (Jane Leeves) to charming attorney Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek) when Donny asks Daphne to marry him. It is especially hurtful to Niles that he has received this news not from Daphne but from well-meaning Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney). But things may not be as bleak as they seem: When Daphne confides to Niles that she has been having dreams about marrying a "mystery man" wearing a red bow tie, guess what happens next. Just guess. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1999
Anxiously preparing for her marriage to lawyer Donny Douglas (Saul Rubinek), Daphne (Jane Leeves) welcomes the assistance, financial and otherwise, of Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and Martin (John Mahoney). In the absence of Daphne's real dad, Frasier revels in his role as "surrogate father" -- and drives Daphne crazy in the process. Meanwhile, Niles (David Hyde Pierce), ruminating over the fact that Daphne will soon be lost to him forever, goes out with another woman (and what a woman!); and Roz (Peri Gilpin) hopes against hope that she will not be asked to serve as a bridesmaid...especially since Donny is her former boyfriend. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
The mystery of the 18-minute-gap in Richard Nixon's White House tapes -- and how it connects to the previously undocumented involvement of two teenage girls in the Watergate scandal -- is the subject of this political comedy. Betsy Jobs (Kirsten Dunst) and Arlene Lorenzo (Michelle Williams) are high school students and best friends living in Washington D.C. in 1972. Betsy is pretty and popular, while Arlene is cute but a bit awkward. Arlene is obsessed with singing star Bobby Sherman, but that comes to a halt when she and Betsy get lost during a school field trip to the White House. A chance encounter with Checkers the dog leads to the girls meeting President Richard M. Nixon himself (Dan Hedaya). In Nixon, Arlene sees a strong, caring man who loves his dog, and she soon develops a furious crush on the president; Betsy is puzzled but remains supportive. Arlene's devotion to the president is rewarded when she and Betsy are named official White House dog walkers; however, when Arlene and Betsy discover that Nixon has a foul mouth and a short temper and, worst of all, kicks his dog, they realize that the President is not all he appears to be. And when they overhear Nixon ranting about Bob Woodward (Will Ferrell) and Carl Bernstein (Bruce McCulloch), a pair of reporters from The Washington Post looking for dirt on the President, Arlene and Betsy decide that they're happy to help. Dick also features Dave Foley as Bob Haldeman, Harry Shearer as G. Gordon Liddy, and Ana Gasteyer as Rosemary Woods. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, (more)
Actor Saul Rubinek made his directorial debut with this crime comedy adapted by Rick Cleveland and from his own 1994 one-act play. Hit man Tom (Joe Mantegna) and his apprentice Jerry (Sam Rockwell), wait in a deserted Chicago bar for the phone-call command to execute the hooded Stanley (Peter Riegert), sitting before them in a chair. To pass the time, Stanley tells a few jokes. Background is established as they make various hits before returning to the situation seen in the opening. The film features highly unusual visual transitions from one setting to another. Shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Sam Rockwell, (more)
Made especially for the USA Network, this action adventure centers on freelance bodyguard and former U.S. Marshal Jack Devlin (Dolph Lundgren and his attempts to protect a young woman from vicious gangsters. Unfortunately, Devlin's ability to do his job is severely restricted after an explosion temporarily blinds him. Suddenly faced with new situations and new fears, Devlin finds his courage tested to its limits as he struggles to protect another innocent mob victim. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dolph Lundgren, Kate Vernon, (more)
- 1997
- R
Two couples share an evening of bad karma in this domestic drama. Matt (Saul Rubinek) is a musicologist who has devised a computer program that can spontaneously compose music; however, one of the first pieces it comes up with features a prominent quote from "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." His girlfriend Kim (Caroleen Feeney) is a computer expert with a nasty sense of humor; Matt thinks she may have fudged his program just to make him look silly. Nancy (Bonnie Bedelia) is a distinguished college professor who has been granted tenure at Harvard. Her husband Wes (David Strathairn) has a fragile ego, and it hasn't been soothed by his recent denial of tenure at the less prestigious institution where he teaches. Nancy and Wes have invited Matt and Kim over for dinner; Nancy and Matt were once lovers, which puts Wes on edge at the outset, and Kim seems to find him an amusing target for her sarcastic sense of humor. Wes finally begins to lose his grip when he discovers that a $50 bill is missing and is convinced that Kim has pocketed it. Kim denies it, but even after the bill turns up, Wes is convinced that she -- or someone -- has it in for him. Bad Manners screenwriter David Gilman adapted this material from his play Ghost in the Machine. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Strathairn, Bonnie Bedelia, (more)
Featuring a real granny knot of a complex plot, this violently hip, hyper-stylish crime thriller follows the exploits of Louis and Dody, two petty unemployed gangsters who get into deep trouble after they steal a job from a crime lord's cousin, whom they have already killed and stashed in the trunk of their car. They start out in Montreal but end up in Toronto to do the assignment. Louis pretends to be the dead man, while another cohort hires the two to kill a one-armed, nutzoid crime lord. En route to their hit, Louis and Dody pick up an old friend to assist them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1996
- R
In this Seattle-set police thriller, a police detective tries to bring a band of adolescent arms dealers to justice. He manages to capture one, but he is under-age and cannot be prosecuted as an adult. Meanwhile someone is quietly slaughtering the youth's gang mates, leaving the police detective to try to save him from the same fate. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Roberts, Nick Mancuso, (more)
- 1995
- R
Set in a future society controlled by the nearly omnipotent Life Corporation, this action drama chronicles the fate of a renegade gun smuggler who sells weapons to a small rebel faction fighting against the huge conglomerate. The gun runner's ordeal begins after he is captured by government officials and killed. As part of a diabolical experiment, they take his still-living brain and place it in his recently-murdered girlfriend's body. Fortunately for the rebels, this action has dire consequences for the Corporation. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Karen Duffy, Matt McCoy, (more)
This Canadian-Japanese co-production uses both vintage historical footage (including armed forces films and period newsreels) and contemporary dramatic reenactments to tell the story of how the scientific and military minds behind the Manhattan Project, under the orders of President Harry Truman (Kenneth Welsh), developed the first atomic bomb. The weapon was first used to attack the city of Hiroshima near the end of World War II, changing forever the shape of modern warfare and bringing fearsome devastation to a previously quiet Japanese city. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
