Mark Amin Movies
- 1996
When young banker Thomas Murray's marriage to the blue-blooded Amanda falls apart, he begins working with his father-in-law Arthur in Paris and ends up finding solace in the arms of the beautiful Katharine. While he is off loving Katherine, Amanda rethinks her position and decides to reconcile with Thomas. Devastated by the discovery of his affair, she attempts suicide. Her father then makes Thomas a potentially lucrative proposition that leaves him faced with a difficult choice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane March, Jean Rochefort, (more)
- 1996
- R
In this Quentin Tarantino-style blood-drenched pseudo-film noir, Denis Leary plays a hood named Johnny who, after getting out of prison, dedicates himself to exacting revenge on mobsters who brutally injured his father. Ned Lynch (Larry Bishop, who wrote the screenplay) attacked Johnny's father, causing him to become permanently brain-dead. Johnny travels in a limousine and targets those who he believes may be responsible in a series of killings that take place on Father's Day. His main target is Frank (Joe Mantegna), but he is not certain that Frank is responsible for what happened to his father. Johnny, who has taught himself psychology in prison, takes Frank to a sex therapist, Dr. Diane Leah (Annabella Sciorra), as part of his cat-and-mouse game, in hopes of eventually learning the identity of his father's attacker. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Denis Leary, Joe Mantegna, (more)
This comedy offers yet another sanitized and very loose adaptation of Mark Twain's dark satire A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. This time, the story centers on Calvin Fuller, a nerdy young adolescent living in Reseda. The gangly, unsure youth is first seen standing at bat, ready for yet another strike out. Suddenly a terrible earthquake hits and as the others run for safety, the hapless Calvin is swallowed up in a gaping chasm. He falls and falls until he finds himself landing on the head of a 6th-century black knight. Upon hearing of his miraculous appearance, the elderly King Arthur, seeing him as the savior Merlin predicted would appear, dubs the boy Calvin of Reseda and invites him to dine with the court. Calvin then begins his knightly training. When the earthquake hit, lucky Calvin managed to grab his knapsack and is therefore able to wow the Arthurians with his futuristic magic that includes an introduction to rock & roll via CD-player, and a wonderful Swiss Army knife. The young wizard also shows them how to make rollerblades. His work wins him adulation and renown, but it also rouses the jealousy of the wicked Lord Belasco who will use any means to take over the throne. Meanwhile, Calvin finds himself falling for young-princess Katey. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
- R
In this psycho-thriller, a little girl and her mother find themselves the focus of a crazed couple's delusions. The horror begins after Cassie has a fight with her husband David and takes off in the car with their young daughter Samantha. Cassie takes a wrong turn and ends up in the home of the evil Mr. and Mrs. Because Cassie and Samantha closely resemble relatives the couple recently lost, the duo hold the frightened mother and daughter captive in their home. Soon the two victims find themselves psychologically and physically abused, particularly Cassie who is threatened with torture and rape. Will David find them before the Scudders kill them both? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Angie Dickinson, (more)
We've all heard of the luck of the Irish, but no one feels very lucky in Las Vegas when the Leprechaun visits Sin City in this, the third feature in the Leprechaun franchise. A Las Vegas pawnbroker buys a statue of a leprechaun from a hobo, but then makes the mistake of taking the gold medal hanging around the statue's neck. Turns out it's no statue after all, and taking away the charmed necklace brings the leprechaun back to life. The mean-spirited little man (played, once again, by Warwick Davis) kills the pawnbroker and sets out to find his pot of gold. However, he forgets that he's left behind a magic coin and when he returns to get it, he discovers it's gone, having been taken by a college student named Scott (John Gatins) who happened upon the shop. While the coin brings a bit of good luck to Scott, things change when he discovers he has a murderous leprechaun on his trail. Leprechaun 3's Las Vegas adventure was followed a year later by the even more unlikely Leprechaun 4: Leprechaun in Space. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warwick Davis
- 1995
- R
This psychological thriller was cowritten by Steven Pressfield, who went on to become a successful novelist with The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000) and historical fiction such as Gates of Fire and Tides of War. Linda Hamilton stars as Lauren Porter, a well-regarded professor of psychology who fears that she may be suffering from multiple personality disorder. As a young girl, she received psychological scars when her mother murdered her stepfather and then committed suicide. She approaches one of her students, Tom Beckwith (James Belushi), a former cop who has quit the force in order to study psychology, and tells him of her concerns. Although he is struggling with his own relationship with his daughter, Beckwith agrees to trail Porter, and before long she has indeed slipped into a totally different personality, that of Lena, a club-hopping swinger. When Lena gets into trouble with a man she's picked up, Beckwith intervenes and receives a brutal beating. Soon, the murder of an investigator and the death of Porter's ex-husband are laid at her feet. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Belushi, Linda Hamilton, (more)
A teenager wins an interactive robot that plays shooting games. Soon it starts loading with real ammo and hunting down other kids. This film is a stupid thriller but still manages to be occasionally fun. ~ Sean D. MacLaggan, All Movie Guide
Inspired by the advent of Seattle's grunge music sound and popular films such as Slacker (1991) and Singles (1992), the Generation X comedy-drama was born. Typified by characters in their early twenties sharing an abundance of education, a lack of career direction, stunted romantic aspirations and an obsession with popular culture, one of the better examples of the genre was Kicking and Screaming. Josh Hamilton stars as Grover, a recent college graduate and aspiring writer depressed over the departure of his girlfriend Jane (Olivia d'Abo) for a fellowship in Prague. Josh's best friends are in a similar predicament. Skippy (Jason Wiles) is a classic slacker couch potato still attending classes despite having graduated, while the philosophical Max (Chris Eigeman) and Otis (Carlos Jacott), a mechanical engineer, both remain unemployed. Tenth-year student Chet (Eric Stoltz), who works at a local bar and has still not finished his education, serves as a cautionary tale for the four unmotivated pals. Kicking and Screaming was the debut of writer and director Noah Baumbach and the first of several cinematic collaborations between him and actors Eigeman and Stoltz. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Josh Hamilton, Olivia D'Abo, (more)
- 1995
- R
The title adequately sums up the plot of this bittersweet drama. The guys are Lenny and Joey. Lenny is going out with Rhonda whom he met in a planetarium; they believe the stars govern their destiny together. Meanwhile Joey is busy sleeping with a series of women named Cindy. He is unconscious of the fact that he does this to ease the hurt of his failed relationship with a girl named Cindy. The two buddies spend most of the film talking about their lives in a variety of urban settings. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Dan Cortese, Jonathan Silverman, (more)
This comedy, set in the barrios East L.A. is loosely based upon Mark Twain's parable The Million Pound Bank Note. The new version tells the tale of Juan Lopez a nice, but uneducated hombre trying to earn enough money to support his little boy. Though Juan was born in the States, he lacks proper documentation and is sent back to Mexico. Now he sells oranges at an intersection. His life looks hopeless when a limousine pulls up and he is handed an envelope containing a check for one million dollars. He is told that he has one month. If he uses the money correctly he will get an award. Juan is suspicious and takes it to his immigration worker who encourages him to check it out. A Beverly Hills banker almost has apoplexy upon examining the check and Juan knows he has the real thing. Now the good-hearted Juan must avoid the temptations, and the greedy people that suddenly surround him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Rodriguez, Polly Draper, (more)
Two young lovers go on the run from the law after a convenience store robbery goes bad in this road movie. Love and a .45 centers on philosophically inclined thief Watty Watts (Gil Bellows), who believes in a little robbery but not real violence. An ill-advised collaboration with a crazed, drugged-out biker (Rory Cochrane) ends badly, however, forcing Watty to go on the run. His girlfriend Starlene (Renee Zellweger) joins him, and the two become media darlings thanks to television coverage of their flight from the law. First-time director C.M. Talkington's combination of violence and ironic attitude recalls both 1970s crime dramas and Quentin Tarantino's violent, quirky takes on the genre. However, the film's warmed-over feel may be redeemed by its irreverent tone and appealing performances, including a self-parodying appearance by Peter Fonda. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gil Bellows, Renée Zellweger, (more)
- 1994
- R
A thwarted leprechaun exacts his bloody revenge in this darkly comic horror film. A thousand years ago in Ancient Erin, there lived a wee Leprechaun who searched for a comely bride. Legend has it that his proper bride would thrice sneeze. Poor Leprechaun did find his sneezing lass, but just before the third achoo, her daddy, the Leprechaun's slave, thwarts his plans. Angry, the wee man vows to exact his revenge upon the man's fairest ancestor 1,000 years hence. Time flies and the movie moves to modern California on St. Paddy's day. The Leprechaun returns to find the lovely Bridget sneezing. Once. Twice. Thrice. He captures hapless Colleen. To her rescue comes her fearless boyfriend Cody who steals a bit of gold from the Leprechaun. Enraged, the greedy greeny begins systematically killing people. Will Cody prevail? ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warwick Davis, Charlie Heath, (more)
Friends star Jennifer Aniston made her film debut in this horror story about a psychotic, six-centuries-old leprechaun on a murder spree throughout North Dakota. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Warwick Davis, Jennifer Aniston, (more)
Filmed just before the Rodney King incident, Extreme Justice is a violent tale of "police procedure" gone bonkers. Troublesome LAPD cop Jeff Powers (Lou Diamond Phillips) is assigned to an elite squad headed by his old friend Dan Vaughn (Scott Glenn). Ostensibly organized to collar violent repeat offenders, Vaughn's men actually comprise a "Death Squad." Always careful to cover their tracks, the squad seldom brings 'em back alive. Powers' dilemma: should he turn in his buddies, or should he uphold their rather direct but undeniably effective deterrent to urban crime? Extreme Justice was withdrawn from distribution after the Los Angeles riots. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Diamond Phillips, Scott Glenn, (more)
This lushly photographed, contemporary film noir tries to substitute looks and unconvincing, contrived plot twists for substance, capturing the look of a film noir but lacking the depth and characterization needed to make the film work. After his father, Mike is killed, Joe Donan (Michael Biehn) finds evidence that his Uncle Lou (James Coburn) in a dual role as Mike and Lou, might have stolen money from his father. Joe hooks up with Lou and his drug-taking lackey, Eddie (Nicolas Cage). Joe also falls for Eddie's beautiful, but devious girlfriend Diane (Sarah Trigger). Joe kills Eddie and gains Lou's confidence, joining him in a diamond swindle. As the unnecessarily complicated plot concludes, Joe learns the shocking truth that he himself has been the victim of a scam. Michael Biehn while a good-looking and competent actor, fails to find the depth necessary to bring his outwardly sophisticated but surprisingly naive character to life. Sarah Trigger is too shallow to make a convincing noir femme-fatale, and her obvious deviousness would fool only the most gullible. Nicolas Cage, in a totally over-the-top performance also fails to give his character any believability or depth. Director Christopher Coppola takes a potentially interesting premise and muddles it with too many plot twists and unconvincing performances. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Biehn, Nicolas Cage, (more)
- 1993
Radio sex therapist Kate Vernon could use a slice of her own advice in the R-rated Dangerous Touch. Against her better judgement, she falls hard for charismatic Lou Diamond Phillips. As the relationship intensifies (and we see plenty of that intensification), Phillips inveigles Vernon in a hellish world of crime, double-cross and death. Why is it that we would know enough not to get in so deep, but the characters on the screen don't seem to have any sort of built-in early warning system? Why? Because someone has to watch movies like Dangerous Touch, and yell such things as "Look Out!" "Don't Trust Him!" and "What the heck were you thinking of?" at the screen. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1993
- PG13
- Add The Philadelphia Experiment 2 to QueueAdd The Philadelphia Experiment 2 to top of Queue
This exciting sci-fi thriller chronicles the further adventures of a 1943 sailor who is thrust into the mid 1980s during an experiment in time travel. Still stuck in his future, the sailor marries and starts a family. His wife dies, and afterward, he begins suffering blinding headaches. Worried, he goes to the scientist responsible for getting him to the future and learns that the scientist has again been toying with his invention. Once again the sailor is caught in a time warp and awakens to find himself several years in the future. By the early '90s, the world has changed dramatically. Now the U.S. is a military state. The sailor cares little for the world's sorry state and is only interested in returning to the '80s to be with his son. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Brad Johnson, Marjean Holden, (more)
- 1992
- R
Anthony Michael Hall and Michael Pare star in this ridiculous rip-off of Top Gun and Rambo III. Hall plays Tom Slade, a Hollywood pretty-boy star who prepares for a film role by hanging around Air Force fighter pilot Paul Watkins (Michael Pare). Of course, Paul resents the Hollywood intrusion, but as the film unravels, he begins to respect Tom Slade. Paul begins by putting Tom through the wringer, and Tom manages to make it through the tough training regimen, but Paul gets his dander up when Tom makes a play for his girlfriend Major Goode (Deborah Maria Moore). Finally, Tom gets to ride in an F-16, and Paul puts on an aerial display that would rival the Blue Angels. Unfortunately, during the stunts the boys are shot down and end up in the Middle East where they are tortured by Bedouins. Tom and Paul have to combine their stunt tricks in order to escape the enemies clutches. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Paré, (more)
Based on Dean R. Koontz's novel Twilight, Servants of Twilight is a made-for-cable horror film about a Christian cult that plots the assassination of a young boy who their leader believes is the Antichrist. A private detective (Bruce Greenwood) is hired to save the boy and his mother from the terrorization of the religious cult. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Belinda Bauer, (more)
- 1991
- NC17
Russell's avowed purpose with Whore was to avoid the glamorous depiction of prostitution common to such slick Hollywood products as Pretty Woman. As played by Theresa Russell (no relation to Ken), the eponymous character lives a hellish existence. Relating her story directly to the camera, Russell introduces us to her no-good former husband (Jason Saucier), her brutish pimp (Benjamin Mouton), and the kinkiest of her "johns." Her one true friend, a bag man named Rasta (Antonio Fargas), also saves her life -- but not her soul. The film exists in three versions: an 82-minute R cut, an 82-minute NC-17 cut, and the 92-minute European version, which sometimes carries a rating, sometimes merely a disclaimer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Theresa Russell, Benjamin Mouton, (more)
- 1991
This sexually-tinged supernatural thriller involves the owner of an art gallery (Mark Hamill) who falls victim to the seductive and dangerous wiles of a coven of suburban witches -- the kind who brew their magic potions in the microwave -- when he enters a torrid affair with the smoldering Cassandra (Appolonia). When their relationship is threatened by a half-hearted devotion to his long-suffering girlfriend (Amanda Wyss), Hamill finds himself the tormented victim of a barrage of hexes, which run the gamut from horrific hallucinations to subversion of his will... and ultimately lead to madness and murder. This is a well-crafted film, but the potential for steamy eroticism is strangely underplayed for a film packaged as an "erotic thriller" -- no doubt due to an obvious lack of sexual chemistry between the two bed-wrestling leads. Perceptive viewers will probably beat the "surprise" climax to the punch. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Hamill, Amanda Wyss, (more)
- 1990
Europeans (and Americans) have a horror of their citizens "going native" in non-Western counties. It is considered to be a form of insanity, demonstrating a lack of character in those who do it. In this story, Anton (Tim Roth), an English writer, visits Ethiopia with his girlfriend Julie (Marie Matheron), and chances upon a house once inhabited by the French decadent poet Rimbaud. Soon enough, he has abandoned her and taken up with the daughter of the impressive old wise-woman who owns the house. He is growing ever more interested in local customs and ways. Despite urgent pleas from Julia, Anton progressively divests himself of his western lifestyle and manners, and eventually heads out into the desert. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tim Roth, Marie Matheron, (more)
- 1990
- R
In this horror film, after his recent divorce, Jason (David Naughton) takes up residence in a converted railroad car with the intention of finishing up his college education. His plans are soon disrupted, however, when the ghost of a vengeful railroad conductor begins to haunt and slay Jason's visitors. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Naughton, Judie Aronson, (more)
- 1987
Moronic teens vacationing in Demonwood Forest are terrorized by a shambling Neanderthal -- not the director, but a big goon in a fuzzy ape suit who attacks George Kennedy and hauls his daughter off into the woods to a fate worse than death... perhaps to a screening of this movie. As it turns out, the rampaging beastie (which looks like a soiled feather-duster on legs) is not the local monster of mountain legend but merely a front for the subterranean activities of a cult of devil-worshipping aliens (they could have just called the tabloids if they needed better PR), who pass the time turning the locals into zombies... not a difficult task, especially with this brain-dead bunch. Cheap sets, dime-store costumes and Dinner Theater thesping lend a certain chintzy Ed Wood charm to the proceedings, but even this level of absurdity can't cover up the fact that the film's investors -- to say nothing of the audience -- probably felt profoundly rooked. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Kennedy, David Michael O'Neill, (more)
