Alessandro Fracassi Movies

The war horror hybrid War of the Dead focuses on a platoon of American and Finnish soldiers who, after an ill-advised battle, soon find themselves on the run from soldiers they've already killed. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

The wind whispers ominous warnings of death before a malevolent entity arrives to claim the life of a young girl as director Courtney Solomon brings author Brent Monahan's chilling, fact-based story of supernatural murder to the screen in this tale of terror starring Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek. The year is 1818 and the Bell family is a quiet clan residing on a remote farm in Red River, TN. A normal, loving family by all accounts, the uneventful lives of the Bell family begin to take a dark turn when strange noises around the farm are followed by the arrival of a black wolf with piercing yellow eyes said to strike unspeakable fear into the very soul of all who encounter it. As the sadistic spirit singles out the youngest daughter of the Bell family for torment and her frightened parents search frantically for a rational explanation to the chilling events unfolding in their once-happy home, an eerie, disembodied voice promises death from beyond the grave. With the struggle rapidly turning violent and the Bells' desperate prayers for mercy going unanswered time and again, the shocking murder that followed would prove the only case in recorded American history where the death of a human being was directly attributed to an attack by an evil entity or spirit. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Blood Ties began life as a 4-hour Italian TV movie. The American version, which premiered December 14, 1986 on the Showtime Cable network, runs 125 minutes, and "runs" is the right word. Brad Davis plays an American naval engineer with familial ties to Sicily. Before he can offer a protest, Davis is sucked into the murderous machinations of the mafia. He is expected to win the confidence of his crimefighting Sicilian cousin Tony Lo Bianco-and then murder him. If Davis fails, his own father's life is forfeit. Don't expect any last-minute rescues or easy outs in this one. Featured in the cast are Maria Conchita Alonso and Ricky Tognazzi, son of Ugo. Blood Ties was honored with the "best television production" Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This take-off on the soccer mania that is a part of Italian life centers on the comic presence of its star Diego Abatantuono who plays three different lead roles in the three "acts" that make up the film. In the first story, Donato (Abatantuono) is an out-of-work southerner trying to find his way in the north when he gets into disagreements with a bunch of soccer fans that are against his own, native team. In the next skit, Franco Abatantuono deserts his family, his home, his wife -- everyone -- when he finds out he has won the soccer lottery (he guessed the winning team), and he goes to celebrate at the most expensive hotel he can find. His celebrations are cut short, however, when his friends show up with some unexpected news. In the last story, Abatantuono plays Tirzan, a truck driver who borrows a truck from a friend to be able to get to a big match in Belgium, and then his borrowed truck is stolen in Paris -- should he try to make the match anyway? With Abatantuono's natural ability to chew up northern Italian with a southern dialect, the comic characters take on additional comedic dimensions. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi