Peter Hoffman Movies

Joseph Kahn's adaptation of William Gibson's seminal cyberpunk novel Neuromancer tells the tale of Case, a computer hacker who has been rendered physically incapable of doing his work after stealing from an employer. He meets a powerful man who cures Case, and then has him performing some dangerous missions in cyberspace. Soon, Case begins to question whom his benefactor works for. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Based on a story of the same name by Dashiell Hammett, the crime thriller The House on Turk Street was directed by veteran filmmaker Bob Rafelson. Cello-playing cop Jack Friar (Samuel L. Jackson) searches for a teenage runaway on Turk Street and ends up in the home of an elderly couple (Joss Ackland and Grace Zabriskie). The house also turns out to be the headquarters for a gang of criminals who are planning a bank robbery, and Jack is quickly held hostage. When Jack is left alone with gang member Erin (Milla Jovovich), he teaches her to play the cello and the two share a mutal attraction. Meanwhile, Erin continues to manipulate gang leader Tyrone (Stellan Skarsgard), violent thug Hoop (Doug Hutchison), and inside man David (Johnathan Higgins). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The makers of this laudatory documentary have caught filmmaker Aki Kaurismaki at work on his film La Vie de Boheme. Aki and his brother Mika have, between them, completely revitalized Finland's native film industry, and their wild, anarchic films have delighted audiences while smashing through old storytelling conventions. They are unusual in being considered as artistically advanced as they are popular with viewing audiences (one of their more successful comedies was Leningrad Cowboys Go America, about a crew of clueless Finnish country-western musicians). Various dignitaries in the modern film world offer their tribute to this exuberant and prolific filmmaker in French or English, and the filmmaker himself offers insights into his views and motivations. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Originally a nine-hour British miniseries, this film on the last four decades in the life of Richard Wagner may have taken its long-winded cue from the lengthy operas of the famous 19th-century German composer and musical theorist -- the Ring des Nibelungen is 14-15 hours in itself, divided into four separate operas. This biographical film begins when Wagner is first recognized for his work, yet in that same year, 1848, he was forced out of his homeland for his radical politics (he supported the unification of separate kingdoms under one Germany) and settled in Zurich for awhile. Focusing on character traits that are well-known and would not endear him to anyone, the film details his bigotry (a confirmed anti-Semitic), his insensitivity, and his obsession with money -- he went after the bottom line even if it meant losing friendships or ruining his marriage. Although Wagner is known for his music theory and the contribution he made to opera during his lifetime, very little attention is given to his actual works in this film. Venerable British thespians (Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joan Plowright, and Richard Burton as Wagner) light up the cast but not always with the same brightness. In the final analysis, the slow-paced story is simply too long in the telling, and even the visually sumptuous costumes and production design cannot make up for a slow script, uneven acting, and problems in direction. The film version runs 300 minutes. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide