Salvator Xuereb Movies

Deuce Bigalow star Rob Schneider writes and stars in this comedy about a nerdy con man whose swindling ways ultimately land him a stiff prison sentence. Terrified at the prospect of being raped while serving time, the diminutive convict-to-be enlists the aid of a respected kung-fu expert in teaching him how to properly defend himself. Once inside, however, he finds his kung-fu serving as a catalyst for peace between the many warring factions. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

During the magic act of an illusionist known only as Zephyr (Tom Noonan), a young woman volunteer from the audience disappears in the magician's on-stage cabinet. Unfortunately, the disappearance is permanent, and traces of blood inside the cabinet lead Grissom (William L. Petersen) to suspect that the woman has been killed. The trail of clues leads to a mysterious and spooky mansion, owned by the family of the missing woman. And on another front, Catherine (Marg Helgenberger) is convinced that the apparent fatal drug overdose of rock star Gus Kenyon was actually a meticulously staged murder. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A recent spate of murders, in which all the victims were political activists, sends Logan (Michael Weatherly) on a journey to the deceptively peaceful community of Cape Haven, there to seek out an "Eyes Only" informant. Upon arrival, Logan finds a strange boy named Clyde (Kurt Max Runte) -- who, like the protagonist of the theatrical feature The Sixth Sense, can see dead people. This is but one element in a complex story line, wherein a horrible secret hidden since the technology-destroying "Pulse" is unearthed, and Logan struggles to right a very old wrong. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Actor James Brolin made his directorial debut in this suspense drama about political unrest in Northern Ireland. Gerry and Liam Fallon (Patrick Foy and Salvator Xuereb) are a pair of brothers who, as children, saw their father killed in a street skirmish and have grown up to become gunmen in the Irish Republican Army. When a highly ranked British dignitary is scheduled to visit Belfast, the IRA plan an attack on his motorcade, but after Liam discovers that the politician's wife and children are in the car with him, he tries to stop the planned execution and ends up shooting Gerry and his fellow volunteers. The bombing of the car, however, goes on as planned, killing the diplomat, his family, and several observers. Gerry is sentenced to life in prison, while Liam escapes capture. Following the bombing, a new round of negotiations and an IRA cease fire promises to bring peace to Northern Ireland, but Liam is uninterested in any sort of compromise with British authorities. He organizes a splinter faction of IRA volunteers to step up terrorist actions until Ireland is free. John Hall (Brolin), a former CIA agent from America, lost a sister in the bombing, and wants to help bring Liam to justice. Joining forces with Hall is Gerry, who wants nothing more than to stop his brother's reign of terror and settle down with his girlfriend Mary (Jennie Garth). Hall is able to arrange for Gerry's release in exchange for his help in putting his brother behind bars. James Brolin's son Josh Brolin appears in a supporting role as Pete, one of the IRA terrorists. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Three makes for a dangerous crowd in this darkly comic crime story. Convicted murderer Lewis (Salvator Xuereb) breaks out of prison with Clark (Dan Gunther), who is doing time for computer fraud. The escapees are heading to New Mexico in search of a secret map to a gold mine that was hidden by a prisoner who recently met with a fatal accident. Clark, however, doesn't like Lewis, and Lewis only has Clark around because he's functionally illiterate and needs help reading maps. Meanwhile, George (Rose McGowan), a young woman who never speaks, has hit the highway after lifting the $10,000 that she and her boyfriend Fred (Art LaFleur) were given for a shipment of drugs that they never actually delivered. After Lewis impulsively shoots one person too many, Clark strikes out on his own, and while hitchhiking, he gets picked up by George, who has stolen a car and has a poisonous snake for protection. George learns about Clark's secret gold mine, and eager to get on his good side, she seduces him. While George spells "trouble" so clearly that she should have the word tattooed on her forehead, Clark falls for her like the proverbial ton of bricks; Lewis also finds "romance" of his own with a sleazy woman he meets in a trailer park before meeting up with Clark at the location of the hidden map. Deciding that they work better as a team, Lewis and Clark head out to Mexico in search of the gold, with George tagging along, but what they don't know is that Fred has been following her, convinced that George still has his money. This was Rose McGowan and Salvator Xuereb's second film together, after appearing in Gregg Araki's post-modern road movie The Doom Generation. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This sci-fi thriller takes the Frankenstein story a few steps further and sets it in the near future. Using a variety of human body parts, a scientist (Rutger Hauer) creates Lazarus, a young man (Will Wheaton) with superior mental and physical capabilities. Poor Lazarus would be perfect but for the terrible nightmares that plague him. He does not know of his gruesome origins and so goes to a psychiatrist for answers. But for Lazarus, learning the whole truth may be a dangerous endeavor, not only for him, but for the world. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

An American ex-con gets caught up in a Parisian bank heist that goes wrong in this ultra-violent thriller. Zed (Eric Stoltz), a safe-cracking expert fresh out of prison, travels to France to participate in a robbery planned by his friend Eric (Jean-Hughes Anglade). But first, Zed decides to indulge in some relaxation with a gorgeous, kind-hearted prostitute by the name of Zoe (Julie Delpy). This idyll, however, is interrupted by Eric, who leads Zed and the other criminals on a long night of drinking, drugging, and debauchery. The next day, the thieves find themselves hung over and exhausted, and the plan soon goes disastrously wrong, turning into a hostage situation. Even worse for Zed, he discovers that the lovely Zoe also works as a teller at the bank, forcing him into a tricky moral dilemma. Writer and director Roger Avary, best known as the co-screenwriter of Pulp Fiction, creates a similar combination of black comedy, extreme violence, and hip attitude. Critics of Quentin Tarantino's films raised similar objections to Avary's reliance on bloody violence and a detached sensibility, while the film's fans acclaimed its fast-paced action. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

A frenetic, bloody look at mass murder and the mass media, director Oliver Stone's extremely controversial film divided critics and audiences with its mixture of over-the-top violence and bitter cultural satire. At the center of the film, written by Stone and Quentin Tarantino, among others, are Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis), a young couple united by their desire for each other and their common love of violence. Together, they embark on a record-breaking, exceptionally gory killing spree that captivates the sensation-hungry tabloid media. Their fame is ensured by one newsman, Wayne Gale (Robert Downey, Jr.), who reports on Mickey and Mallory for his show, American Maniacs. Even the duo's eventual capture by the police only increases their notoriety, as Gale develops a plan for a Super Bowl Sunday interview that Mickey and Mallory twist to their own advantage. Visually overwhelming, Robert Richardson's hyperkinetic cinematography switches between documentary-style black-and-white, surveillance video, garishly colored psychedelia, and even animation in a rapid-fire fashion that mirrors the psychosis of the killers and the media-saturated culture that makes them popular heroes. The film's extreme violence -- numerous edits were required to win an R rating -- became a subject of debate, as some critics asserted that the film irresponsibly glorified its murderers and blamed the filmmakers for potentially inciting copy-cat killings. Defenders argued that the film attacks media obsession with violence and satirizes a sensationalistic, celebrity-obsessed society. Certain to provoke discussion, Natural Born Killers will thoroughly alienate many viewers with its shock tactics, chaotic approach, and disturbing subject matter, while others will value the combination of technical virtuosity and dark commentary on the modern American landscape. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Based on a true story, the made-for-TV Fugitive Among Us stars Peter Strauss and Eric Roberts. Strauss plays Max Cole, a police detective obsessed with tracking down a rapist. Cal Harper (Roberts), who is as outgoing and uninhibited as Cole is buttoned-up and repressed, is the number-one suspect. After a two-year pursuit across the Southwest, Cole is close to cornering his quarry--at great personal and emotional expense. Suddenly he is seized with the notion that Harper may not be the man he's looking for, sparking yet another deluge of angst. Full of surprising plot twists and offbeat characterizations, Fugitive Among Us debuted February 4, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

TV star John Stamos makes a game transition to the big screen in Born to Ride. Stamos plays a motorcycle whiz, who in 1939 is assigned to motorize a US cavalry troop. His irreverence and slovenliness makes Stamos a pariah to his superior officer John Stockwell -- and just to complicate matters, both men are rivals for the affections of Teri Polo. All is forgiven during a desperate (and highly unlikely) mission to Spain, wherein Stamos uses his cycle skills to rescue a defecting Nazi scientist. As history, Born to Ride is a bust; as a vehicle for John Stamos, it has its points. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide