Susan Varon Movies
- 2004
Actor Carmine Famiglietti and director Matthew Bonifacio team up to write the script for the comedy drama Lbs. Famiglietti stars as Neil Perota, an Italian man with a food addiction who weighs more than 300 pounds. Following a heart attack, he realizes that he needs to do something soon or his health will deteriorate. But since he still lives at home in Brooklyn, he can't seem to make the lifestyle changes required to lose weight. After his sister's wedding, he leaves the city and stays in a trailer in the woods. Living by himself, he tries to reclaim his life. Meanwhile, his friend is also suffering from a different kind of addiction. Carmine Famiglietti is also a songwriter, comedian, and member of the Queens-based rap group the Ha Ya Doin' Boys. Lbs. premiered at the Sundance Film Festival as part of the American Spectrum competition. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carmine Famiglietti, Michael Aronov, (more)
Director Roger Michell follows up the hit romantic comedy Notting Hill (1999) with this thought-provoking thriller. Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson star, respectively, as Gavin Banek and Doyle Gibson, two New York men whose lives become accidentally intertwined in a Good Friday fender bender on the FDR Drive. Late for a crucial appointment, hotshot lawyer Gavin tosses Doyle a blank check and leaves the scene, while Doyle, whose car is inoperable, is late for a court-appointed custody hearing. A recovering alcoholic, Doyle's tardiness doesn't sit well with the judge, who - sick of waiting for Gipson - grants custody to Doyle's ex-wife in Doyle's absence. The situation worsens when it becomes evident that Doyle has an equally important file belonging to Gavin, which proves that an elderly man gave Banek's firm power-of-attorney over his foundation. So begins an escalating war of words and deeds between the two men. Soon, egged on by an associate (Toni Collette), Gavin hires a "fixer" (Dylan Baker) to destroy Doyle's credit, forcing Doyle to fire back with some cunning moves of his own. Changing Lanes co-stars William Hurt, Sydney Pollack, and Toni Collette. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, (more)
- 1995
After being tied up by a burglar at the shoe store, Al (Ed O'Neill) claims to be so traumatized by the experience that he is afraid to wear shoes. Actually, this is a clever ploy to bilk an insurance company out of thousands of dollars. Unfortunately for Al, a relentless insurance agent dogs his trail to make certain that he is truly incapable of donning shoes--and even more unfortunately, Al is slated to bowl in a tournament where the judges frown upon barefoot contests. The two traditional Queen sports-event songs (YOU know the titles), heard in the network version of this episode, were replaced by stock music in the syndicated version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Versatile Canadian comedian Martin Short plays a 10-year old boy in this comedy aimed at younger audiences. The tale is told in flashback to another little boy. Clifford is a manipulative brat. Clifford really wants to visit Dinosaur World in Los Angeles. Clifford wants to go so badly that he manages to force the Hawaii bound plane he and his parents are on to land in L.A. His parents need to attend a convention in Hawaii so they leave him with his Uncle Martin who despises children. Martin's fiance adores kids, so he pretends to be ecstatic about Clifford's visit. He must also pretend that Clifford is the angel child he isn't. Because Martin reneges on a promise to take him to Dinosaur World, Clifford begins an elaborate plot for revenge. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Short, Charles Grodin, (more)
Martin Scorsese explores the life of organized crime with his gritty, kinetic adaptation of Nicolas Pileggi's best-selling Wiseguy, the true-life account of mobster and FBI informant Henry Hill. Set to a true-to-period rock soundtrack, the story details the rise and fall of Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian New York kid who grows up idolizing the "wise guys" in his impoverished Brooklyn neighborhood. He begins hanging around the mobsters, running errands and doing odd jobs until he gains the notice of local chieftain Paulie Cicero (Paul Sorvino), who takes him in as a surrogate son. As he reaches his teens, Hill (Ray Liotta) is inducted into the world of petty crime, where he distinguishes himself as a "stand-up guy" by choosing jail time over ratting on his accomplices. From that moment on, he is a part of the family. Along with his psychotic partner Tommy (Joe Pesci), he rises through the ranks to become Paulie's lieutenant; however, he quickly learns that, like his mentor Jimmy (Robert DeNiro), his ethnicity prevents him from ever becoming a "made guy," an actual member of the crime family. Soon he finds himself the target of both the feds and the mobsters, who feel that he has become a threat to their security with his reckless dealings. Goodfellas was rewarded with six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture; Pesci would walk away with Best Supporting Actor for his work. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, (more)
