Arleen Sorkin Movies

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was the founder of the People's Party of Pakistan and the patriarch of one of the nation's most powerful political dynasties, and when he fell from power after a spell as Pakistan's first democratically elected prime minister, he made a surprising decision -- he groomed his daughter Benazir Bhutto to move into Pakistan's political arena rather than his son. Benazir was bright (she studied at Harvard and Oxford), personable, and had a campaigner's instincts, but it was anyone's guess how successful any woman could be in a Muslim nation where the authority of women was still questioned. In 1988, Benazir was voted prime minister of Pakistan, but was removed from office in 1990 under allegations of corruption she insisted were politically motivated; she was voted back into office in 1993, but further scandals once again drove her from office in 1996, and she eventually fled the country despite her popularity with voters. In 2007, Benazir Bhutto returned to Pakistan, hoping to run for office and reassert the power of democracy at a time when Muslim fundamentalist leadership threatened to move political progress backward, but her assassination in December 2007 put an end to that dream. Filmmakers Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara tell the story of the first woman elected to lead a Muslim nation in the documentary Bhutto, which explores the history of Pakistani politics, Benazir's relationship with her controversial family, the scandals that surrounded her, and her tragic death. Bhutto received its North American premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In the conclusion of a two-part story, the Justice League races against time to deactive the time bombs that the Joker has planted all up and down the Las Vegas strip. Ultimately the explosives are neutralized, and four of the five members of the Joker's Royal Flush Gang have been disposed of -- but there's still one ace up the villain's sleeve. As the story races to its climax, two of the League members, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern, suddenly begin to see one another in a whole new light. ~ Rovi

If given the chance, would Batman have the hots for Lois Lane? Would Lex Luthor get along well with The Joker? And what, if anything, would be left for Robin to do? All these questions and more are answered in this conflation of two of the most venerable comic book legends, The Batman Superman Movie. Up to his old tricks, The Joker has stolen a priceless statue from the Gotham City museum. When Batman learns that the green figurine is made of Kryptonite, however, he knows this isn't your ordinary evil caper. The Caped Crusader sets off for Metropolis to tell the Man of Steel the news, and along the way, he falls for the beguiling beauty of Lois Lane. ~ Michael Hastings, Rovi

Bud Cort's directorial debut is a dark comedy about a romantic obsession that leads to tragedy, featuring a wide array of cameo performances including James Brolin, Carol Kane, Rhea Perlman, Martin Mull, Andrea Martin, Woody Harrelson, Timothy Leary, and Gena Rowlands. Cort is Ted Whitley, a local poet celebrity in Venice Beach, California, who spends his time drifting along the boardwalk and delivering his beat poetry inspirations at a local dive. As he sits on a pier composing his latest art work, a vision of incredible beauty --Linda Turner (Kim Adams)-- strolls by in a bikini and Ted is immediately smitten. Linda turns out to be the manager of the agency that Ted has used to try to find a new apartment. He flatters her with his attentions and his poetic rambles. For her part, she likes Ted but doesn't consider him romantic material. Ted misinterprets Linda's friendliness for amorousness and when Linda tries to back off from Ted, Ted cannot be stopped. His out-of-control obsession for Linda turns Linda's once-friendly demeanor into one of terror. But Ted continues stalking her until tragedy strikes. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Sylvester Stallone gives comedy another try in this farce set in the 1930s. Angelo "Snaps" Provelone (Stallone) is the wealthy and powerful head of the Chicago mob, but his ailing father (Kirk Douglas) doesn't approve of his life in crime, and on his deathbed, Dad makes Snaps promise to go straight. Determined to honor his late father's wishes, Snaps decides to go into banking -- just as his life has fallen into chaos. Anthony Russano (Vincent Spano) informs Snaps that he's hijacked $50,000 of his money and wants to marry his daughter. Snaps discovers that his daughter Lisa (Marisa Tomei) is actually involved with the chauffeur, Oscar (Jim Mulholland), but Anthony's girlfriend Theresa (Elizabeth Barondes) has convinced her beau that Snaps is her father. Snaps hopes to use this misunderstanding as a way of getting his money back, but in the meantime, he has to deal with a wary banking board, rival mob boss Vendetti (Richard Romanus), prissy elocution coach Thornton (Tim Curry), and Snaps' one-time girlfriend Roxanne (Linda Gray). Oscar's stellar supporting cast includes Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, Harry Shearer, Eddie Bracken, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Bruce Davison. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Made for television, From Here to Maternity is an hour-long satire on 1980s self-involvement. The three ladies who are "with child" in the story have mixed feeling about their pregnant state. Part of the problem lies in their husbands and/or boyfriends, who aren't prepared for the responsibilities of fatherhood. Carrie Fisher, Arleen Sorkin and Lauren Hutton are the women in question. Among the clueless male characters are the ever-reliable Griffin Dunne and TV-star-to-be Paul Reiser. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi