Paul Kurta Movies
- 2007
This typically iconoclastic FX network comedy-drama series was dedicated to the proposition of "Stealing the American Dream." The Malloys were a family of "travellers", roving con artists who lived perpetually on the fringes of society and just outside the reach of the law. After years of running scams and fleecing the unsuspecting, Wayne Malloy (Eddie Izzard) began to wonder if it was all worth the effort. At the same time, Wayne's drug-addict wife Dahlia (Minnie Driver) had been released from prison after a two-year stretch, and was raring to go back on the road with her husband and her equally disreputable children Sam (Aidan Mitchell), Cael (Noel Fisher) and Dehliah (Shannon Marie Woodward). While barreling through the Southland in their RV, the Malloys were involved in a traffic accident (not their fault, for a change!) in which the other drivers, a married couple, were killed. Rifling through the dead motorists' belongings, Wayne and Dahlia discovered that the victims were Doug and Cherein Rich, an upper-middle-class couple who'd just purchased a mansion in a gated community somewhere in Louisiana. Thus handed an opportunity to start life anew, the Malloys "became" the Riches and moved into that selfsame mansion, using their conning-and-hustling skills to convince their new neighbors that they were whom they claimed to be. Carrying the charade to the ultimate, Wayne, alias Mr. Rich, sweettalked his way into a job with family lawyer Hugh Panetta (Gregg Henry), while Dahlia found work as a dental hygienist and the kids tried to fit in at the local high school. Of course, there was always the possibility (or rather the likelihood) that the Malloys would revert to their old dishonest ways, especially whenever the former crooked associates would breeze into town. Forever playing fast and loose with manners, morals and audience expectations, the weekly, 60-minute The Riches made its cable-TV bow on March 12, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
"Being a vampire sucks." This pretty much summed up the attitude of the protagonist of this heady CBS mixture of suspense and the supernatural. Alex O'Loughlin starred as LA private detective Mick St. John, who'd become an "undead" vampire way back in 1947 thanks to his fang-bearing former wife Coralyn (Shannyn Sossamon. Though obliged to drink blood and avoid sunlight to survive (luckily he was impervious to such usual vampire repellants as wooden stakes and garlic), Mick made the best of a bad situation by taking a job that allow him to work nights and to spend his days sleeping in a freezer; and, good-hearted soul that he was, Mick sidestepped the embarrassing necessity of killing people for their blood by forming a strong friendship with morgue attendant Guillermo (Jacob Vargas), who provided him with an endless supply of fresh corpses. Against his better judgment, Mick fell in love with a mortal, intrepid girl reporter Beth Turner (Sophia Myles), who worked for the Buzzwire news service and who frequently accompanied Mick during his investigations. Rounding out the regular characters were Mick's mentor and best friend Josef (Jason Dohring), a remarkably well-preserved 400 year old vampire who supported his luxurious lifestyle as a professional fund trader, and who lacked Mick's compassion for human beings but was willing to avoid biting necks when Beth was around; and police lieutenant Carl Davis (Brian White), who by default was the only entirely normal character on the show. Curiously, the vampiric elements of the series took a back seat to the detective work, which followed the "procedural" format of such series as Law&Order and CSI. Created by Ron Koslow of Beauty and the Beast fame, Moonlight first flapped its wings on September 28, 2007. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alex O'Loughlin, Sophia Myles, (more)
A dying man entrusts a straight-shooting police detective with the key to a timeless mystery, thrusting the unsuspecting lawman into a deadly world where everyday objects have an unusual influence over reality as the result of an inexplicable rift in time and space. By all accounts the Sunshine Motel was one indistinguishable from any one of the countless other roadside lodges which dot Route 66. On the typical morning of an otherwise ordinary day, however, the contents in room ten of the Sunshine Motel are suddenly transformed into indestructible objects of immeasurable value. There's a comb with the power to stop time when the user runs it through their hair, and a pair of glasses that can inhibit combustion anywhere in a twenty-yard radius. When Police Detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause) is given the most powerful of all the objects - the key to room ten - he is quickly targeted for death by the various cabals that seek to collect the objects; some of the cabals want to collect to objects to achieve their own nefarious means, others simply to prevent them from falling into the wring hands. Things go from bad to worse for Detective Miller when his young daughter disappears in the room and he must race to solve the mystery of this strange phenomenon before he is caught in the crosshairs and his little girl disappears forever. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Krause, Julianna Margulies, (more)
Season one of Veronica Mars finds both the title character (Kristen Bell) and her ex-sheriff father, Keith (Enrico Colantoni), regarded as lepers in the affluent community of Neptune -- and it's all because Keith made public his suspicion that Jake Kane (Kyle Secor), the town's richest man, killed his own daughter (and Veronica's best friend), Lilly (Amanda Seyfried). Hoping to find Lilly's murderer and redeem her father's reputation, 17-year-old Veronica assists Keith in his efforts to run a private detective agency -- and while in school, she tirelessly crusades for justice as a reporter for the student newspaper. Early in the season, Veronica finds herself with two loyal allies when she protects nerdy new kid Wallace (Percy Daggs III) from school bully Weevil (Francis Capra) -- and then, in the spirit of "fair and balanced" dispersion of justice, she clears Weevil from an unfounded charge of theft. Meanwhile, several of Veronica's fellow Neptunians display bizarre behavior suggesting that they know more about Lilly's death than they're willing to admit, notably Lilly's seriously disturbed brother, Duncan (Teddy Dunn), and his wealthy, arrogant best friend, Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring). Also, Veronica finds time to delve into the mystery of her mother, Lianne (Corinne Bohrer), who for apparently no reason had abandoned her family a year earlier. And all the while, Veronica does the "Nancy Drew" bit, 21st century style, using her acute detecting skills to restore shattered reputations, expose the dangers of cult worship, and gather vital clues pertinent to kidnappings, switched-at-birth cases, instances of alleged sexual harassment, and illegal fight clubs. The season ends with the episode "Leave It to Beaver," in which Veronica at long last has the opportunity to solve Lilly's murder -- but in so doing she may betray the trust of one near and dear to her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, (more)
- 2004
The weekly, hour-long series Veronica Mars starred Kristen Bell as the 17-year-old title character, formerly the most popular girl in her high school in the affluent community of Neptune. Ever since her sheriff father, Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni), was fired and publicly disgraced for daring to suggest that Jake Kane (Kyle Secor), the town's wealthiest man, may have been responsible for the murder of his own daughter, Lilly (Amanda Seyfried), Veronica had been a social pariah, shunned by all of the "right" people and the "coolest" kids -- including her former boyfriend, Lilly's troubled brother, Duncan (Teddy Dunn). Determined to solve the murder of her best friend Lilly and clear her father's name, Veronica became a crusading reporter for her school newspaper, under the watchful eye of journalism teacher Mallory Dent (Sydney Tamiia Poitier). She also moonlighted as a private eye, helping her dad Keith run his private detective agency, Mars Investigations. In so doing, Veronica forced many of her antagonists in Neptune to face up to the unpleasant truths hidden away in their own souls, and also dug up more than a few inconvenient skeletons in a few high-maintenance closets. The cast included Percy Daggs III as Wallace Fennel, the nerdy new kid in school who became the closest ally of fellow outcast Veronica; Jason Dohring as Logan Echolls, the wildly undisciplined son of Neptune's two resident movie stars, Aaron and Lynn Echolls, and Duncan Kane's closest friend; and Francis Capra as punkish Eli "Weevil" Navarro, head of the school's most feared gang, the PCH Biker Boyz, who through a series of fascinating plot contrivances found himself begrudgingly helping Veronica in her crusade to see that justice was served at all times. Veronica Mars made its UPN network bow on September 22, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
New York City may be the city that never sleeps, but that means some people have to stay awake all night to look after the folks whose days begin after the sun goes down; this made-for-premium-cable drama looks at a group of cabbies trying to get by while working the night shift. The Lady Luck Cab Company is a taxi service run by Box (Sarita Choudhury), who inherited the failing business from her late father and is struggling to keep it afloat against long economic odds as Lady Luck's drivers work long shifts in some of the Big Apple's less picturesque neighborhoods. Hershey (Danny Glover), one of Lady Luck's drivers, was once a professional boxer, but when his athletic career went south, so did his wife, and now he drives a hack while trying to romance George (Pam Grier), a good-looking waitress who likes Hershey, but is frustrated with his schedule, which rarely allows him a night off. This is bad news for Hershey, since Ralph (Paul Calderon), a regular at the diner where George works, has been making a play for her as well. Another driver, Salgado (Michelle Rodriguez), is a short-fused Latin American woman who is frequently the victim of sexual harassment from her customers, which makes her all the more difficult to be around. Jose (Bobby Cannavale) thinks he's hit the jackpot when he discovers a briefcase full of cash has been left in his cab, though he has reason to believe it's stolen. And Rasha (Sergej Trifunovic), a refugee from Bosnia, is still tormented by the violence that cost his family their lives, and has trouble concentrating on his driving, leading him into more than one auto accident. While the drivers deal with their individual dilemmas, all of them are suddenly wary of their customers, thanks to reports of a serial killer preying on New York's cab drivers. Produced for the Showtime premium cable network, 3 A.M. was screened at the Sundance Film Festival prior to its broadcast debut, where it earned an enthusiastic reception. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danny Glover, Pam Grier, (more)
This romantic comedy in the vein of There's Something About Mary and American Pie concerns the story of Michael Delaney (Jerry O'Connell), a struggling cartoonist who makes a bet with seven buddies over who will be the last to marry. Several years later, the pot has boiled down to two: Michael, who is battling gambling debts in Las Vegas, and diehard bachelor Kyle Bremmer (Jake Busey), who is a self-proclaimed ladies' man. Michael tries to get Kyle to wed within 30 days in order to rescue himself from financial turmoil. When Natalie (Shannon Elizabeth) enters the picture as Kyle's new intended bride (as set up by Michael), she and Michael end up falling for one another, setting up a competition for her affections by the two men. Tomcats is the feature directorial debut for screenwriter Gregory Poirier. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jerry O'Connell, Shannon Elizabeth, (more)
- 1999
Co-writer director Martin Davidson, who previously made a name for himself in rock-fuelled features such as The Lords of Flatbush (1974) and Eddie and the Cruisers (1983), creates this wistful melodrama about a middle-aged widower looking back with tinges of regret at his abandoned musical career. Armand Assante stars as Vince, a former neighborhood idol and lead singer in his moderately successful doo-wop band. But instead of pursuing stardom, he married and got a job as a bartender in order to support his three kids; his eldest son is a cop with a family of his own, his middle child is a 20-something trying to start out with his band, and his youngest, Tina, spends her days in and out of hospitals suffering from leukemia. Though Vince has not dated since his wife died of cancer, he finds himself attracted to motor mouth nurse Joanne (Diane Venora). Later, Vince and his old friends from his defunct group visit the glitz and glamour of Atlantic City and reminisce about old times. Looking for an Echo was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Armand Assante, Diane Venora, (more)
- 1995
The Alien Nation series continues with this made-for-television science-fiction thriller. In keeping with the original premise, the film is set in the near future on a planet Earth that is integrated with aliens. Alien detective Francisco and his human partner Sikes return, this time to investigate a mysterious child and her keeper. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
A funky little record shop provides the setting for this youthful comedy that centers on the workers there as they try to help poor Joe Anthony LaPaglia), the manager who really wants to buy the place, recoup his losses after his well-meaning, but dim-bulbed employee Lucas (Rory Cochrane ) steals his savings and loses it all in Atlantic City while trying to increase it twofold at the gaming tables. If they cannot come up with the loot, the mega-chain Music City will buy it. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anthony LaPaglia, Rory Cochrane, (more)
- 1992
A vigilante (Anthony LaPaglia) who is systematically killing the crime lords in control of the Chicago mob crosses paths with a veteran detective (Louis Gossett Jr.) in this made-for-cable thriller. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Louis Gossett, Jr., Anthony LaPaglia, (more)
This riveting, fact-based made-for-cable drama follows the fight of Air Force widow Janet Harduvel to clear the name of her late husband, a pilot who died when his F-16 crashed. The official cause of the mishap was listed as "pilot error," but Harduvel refuses to believe this and so launches her own investigation. She soon discovers that the problem was with the plane itself and that the Air Force is trying very hard to conceal crucial facts. Despite the bureaucracy and obstacles, the determined widow continues fighting until she finds herself facing down a major military contractor, General Dynamics, in court. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura Dern, Robert Loggia, (more)
William Petersen's High Horse Films produced this romantic comedy that endeavors to recall the glory days of Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Petersen stars as Joey Coalter, a roving adventurer who has been married to his wife Chris (Sissy Spacek) for almost thirteen years but has rarely been home. During that time Chris has become fed up with Joey's cavalier ways. But it comes as a complete shock to Joey when, while talking to a group of cowpokes about Tahitian women somewhere on the prairie, he receives a wedding invitation sent by his daughter Beth (Olivia Burnette) that announces the wedding of Chris to dull business man Walter Humphrey (Brian Kerwin). Beth hopes the surprise wedding invitation will prod Joey to try to get back together with Chris. Chris hopes so too, as Joey drops what he is doing and takes off to stop Chris's pending nuptials. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- William L. Petersen, Sissy Spacek, (more)
- 1991
Shot over the course of several live appearances by comedic performance artist Eric Bogosian, Sex, Drugs, Rock & Roll is a filmed record of the Off-Broadway stage show of the same name. Against an economical, minimalist set, suggestive of harsh urban environments, Bogosian performs a number of satirical monologues, becoming a number of widely varied characters simply by assuming a different voice and physical stance. The characters sketched provide a cross-section of life in the big city, from a loquacious panhandler working the crowd on the subway, to a wealthy, high-powered entertainment lawyer closing a big deal while juggling the demands of his wife, his new mistress, and his racquetball partner. Other segments include the retelling of a raucous, drug-filled bachelor party, a radio interview with a hypocritical, pretentious, faux-environmentalist rock star, the gleeful confession of an unrepentant Casanova, and the rambling, paranoid musings of a downtown artist. Director John McNaughton and cinematographer Ernest Dickerson vary the visual style from monologue to monologue, using camera movement and changes in composition to reflect the mood of the piece while remaining true to the simplicity of the theatrical conception. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eric Bogosian
Set at a Southern college during the 1950s, three co-eds (Ally Sheedy, Virginia Madsen and Phoebe Cates) re-assess their values in light of the burgeoning civil rights movement. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ally Sheedy, Virginia Madsen, (more)
- 1988
- R
Two brothers (Richard Gere, Kevin Anderson) have inherited a large farm (once voted "Farm of the Year") from their father, but cannot keep it afloat. When the farm goes bankrupt, the pair decide to torch the place and take off across the Midwest, fleeing the law to become folk heroes for many rural farmers in the area. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Gere, Kevin Anderson, (more)
- 1987
- R
Better known as It's Alive III, Island of the Alive details the further exploits of the murderous mutant infants introduced in director Larry Cohen's It's Alive! (1974). Said infants are shipped off to a desert island, where they are completely cut off from civilization. The government intends to eliminate the penned-up infants, but Michael Moriarty, the father of one of the babies, organizes a protest against this wholesale slaughter. It is clear to anyone who can read that director Cohen is drawing parallels between the quarantined children and society's treatment of AIDS victims. The strength of Cohen's direction and storytelling prowess is slightly weakened by some inadequate special effects in the closing scenes, wherein the babies reproduce and wreak havoc on the Mainland. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Karen Black, (more)
Brian Dennehy plays a Wambaugh-type cop who has flourished as a novelist. At the moment, however, Dennehy is suffering from a profound case of writer's block. Coming to the rescue, as it were, is professional hit man James Woods. Recently dumped by his boss, above-suspicion business executive Paul Shenar, Woods is anxious to tell his life story to Dennehy, in hopes of striking it rich with a tell-all bestseller. Shenar, however, takes a dim view of Woods' indiscretions, and for a while it looks as though it's curtains for both Dennehy and his teenaged daughter Allison Balson. Screenwriter Larry Cohen has claimed that Best Seller was based on Strangers on a Train. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Woods, Brian Dennehy, (more)
- 1987
A divorced dad and son attempt to build on their newly resurrected relationship by heading back to pop's hometown in up-state Maine. When he gets there, he finds that all the townspeople have turned into 300-year-old vampires. Some say that director Larry Cohen intended the vampire community to be a parody of old-blooded Republicans who so often rule in small-town America. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Andrew Duggan, (more)
When a group of miners discovers a mysterious but delicious white substance bubbling up from the earth, a conglomerate markets the gooey, addictive fluff as a dessert in this tongue-in-cheek horror spoof from former NBC scriptwriter Larry Cohen. When a new product called "The Stuff" begins eating into the market share of traditional frozen desserts, the dairy industry hires former FBI agent Moe Rutherford (Michael Moriarty) to investigate the competition. With the assistance of deposed ice-cream magnate Chocolate Chip Charlie (Garrett Morris), Rutherford discovers that the substance is actually a sentient entity that takes over its victims' minds while eating away at their bodies from the inside. Meanwhile, young Jason (Scott Bloom) realizes that his family's strange behavior has something to do with the dessert product in their refrigerator that refuses to stay in its carton, and he launches a campaign to destroy the threatening confection. Soon Rutherford and Jason must team up with Nicole Kendall (Andrea Marcovicci), The Stuff's unwitting advertising mastermind, and Vietnam vet-turned-militia leader Colonel Spears (Paul Sorvino) to save America from its own sweet tooth. Sorvino and Moriarty would go on to co-star in NBC's hit police procedural, Law & Order. Icy-eyed As the World Turns hunk Brian Bloom appears alongside his brother, Scott Bloom. The Stuff's television connections also extend to cameos from Clara Peller, pitchwoman for the Wendy's "Where's the beef?" campaign, and Abe Vigoda of Barney Miller fame. Actresses Brooke Adams, Tammy Grimes, and Laurene Landon also appear in parodic commercials for the titular dessert. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, Andrea Marcovicci, (more)
Unlike other films by this title, the subject matter of Larry Cohen's murder mystery is a dastardly film director whose last movie plummeted at the box office in spite of flashy special effects. He wants to climb back up from this failure, so when he murders an aspiring actress in a Soho apartment, in a twist of his already twisted mind, he throws himself into a scheme to film a re-creation of the murder. As the movie plot, which is the director's plot, becomes more and more convoluted, he gets the detective assigned to the case to take part in his scheme and even gets the dead actress' husband to act out her murder in front of the camera. Laced with black humor and unexpected turns in the action, this director keeps the movie going, thanks to real director Larry Cohen who actually keeps the movie going. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoe Tamerlis, Eric Bogosian, (more)
- 1985
- R
Based on a play by Kevin Wade, this comedy stars Brooke Adams as a television producer who demands commitment from her free-spirited lover (Ben Masters). ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Masters, Brooke Adams, (more)
In this violent, off-beat thriller, a toddler witnesses a gang murder. As a result, the hit man sets off in search of the hapless boy and his mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Carlisle, Brad Rijn, (more)
Genre pioneer Larry Cohen, who broke new horror ground with the killer-baby hit It's Alive!, takes a stab at the giant-monster scenario with this enjoyable low-budget exercise. The title refers to the winged Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, represented here as a dragon-like flying lizard (thanks to some quaint but amusing stop-motion animation from David Allen), who decides to take up residence in the art-deco spire of the Chrysler Building, taking frequent jaunts in the midday sun to nip the heads off various hapless New Yorkers. The resulting bloody mess confounds detectives Shepard (David Carradine) and Powell (Richard Roundtree), who are already scratching their heads over a series of bizarre ritual murders linked to a secret Aztec cult. Into the picture comes the film's protagonist -- neurotic, sweaty, paranoid crook Jimmy Quinn (Michael Moriarty, in a tour-de-force performance), a two-bit wheel-man with aspirations of becoming a jazz pianist. After a botched diamond heist leads Quinn to Q's lair, his attempts to go straight take a side-turn as he decides to extort from the city an enormous sum in exchange for directions to the monster's nest. A few sneaky deals later, the location falls into Shepard's hands, and he leads a paramilitary assault on the Chrysler Building, where the creature's humongous egg is about to hatch. Rude, edgy, fast-paced, and peppered with witty dialogue (most of which can't be repeated here), Cohen's script retains the spirit of classic monster movies like The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, injecting it with tough, gangster-movie moxie. Moriarty's unbelievable performance -- one of three collaborations with Cohen -- finds him chewing acres of scenery as a contemptible, loud-mouthed goon who's too funny to hate; Moriarty also composed and performed two schizophrenic piano numbers for the film. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Moriarty, David Carradine, (more)
