Guy J. Louthan Movies
- 2013
- R
- Add The Call to Queue
An emergency operator receives a desperate call from a kidnapped teen, and races to locate the young victim while facing a terrifying killer from her own past in this thriller from director Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Session 9). Jordan Turner (Halle Berry) is a 911 operator in the Hive -- the bustling Los Angeles headquarters for emergency operators. Her job is extraordinarily stressful, though the camaraderie she shares with co-workers Flora (Denise Dowse) and Marco (José Zúñiga) helps Jordan to stay sharp and focused during those long nights on the phone. The veteran operator experiences a debilitating bout of self-doubt, however, after making a thoughtless mistake that results in the brutal murder of a young girl at the hands of a sadistic prowler. Six months later, Jordan is taking a group of young trainees on a tour of the Hive when an inexperienced operator receives a frantic call from Casey (Abigail Breslin), a terrified teen who is locked in the trunk of a speeding car after being abducted in a parking lot. Unfortunately, Casey is calling from a disposable phone with no chip, making it impossible for the operator to trace the call. Instinctively taking over the situation, Jordan does her best to calm Casey so that she can provide clues that will help authorities, including Jordan's police-officer boyfriend Paul (Morris Chestnut), identify the car and rescue the frightened abductee. With each passing minute the danger grows, and the hope for a happy outcome fades. Meanwhile, when the kidnapper (Michael Eklund) finds Casey's hidden phone, an ominous exchange with Jordan leaves her convinced that he's the same man who killed the other young girl six months prior. Horrified to discover just what's at stake should she fail to save Casey, the haunted operator takes the situation into her own hands, only to realize she may have unwittingly become the killer's next victim. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Ambitious journalist Robert Torres (Dougray Scott) travels from London to Spain in order to research controversial Opus Dei founder Josemaría Escrivá (Charlie Cox) for an upcoming book, but hits a dead end when his secretive father, Manolo (Wes Bentley), refuses to speak as an official source. Later, as Robert searches desperately for the answers, he discovers that his father and Josemaría grew up together in the same town, and forged a powerful friendship while attending seminary school together. But at some point their paths diverged; Manolo went to fight in the Spanish Civil War as Josemaría embraced his faith. When Manolo fell for a stunning revolutionary (Olga Kurylenko) who shunned his affections in favor of a powerful military man (Rodrigo Santoro), his fate was sealed by his uncontrollable rage. But it's never too late to forgive, and now if Manolo can accept the dark truth about his difficult past, he may have one last shot at redemption. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charlie Cox, Wes Bentley, (more)
- 2010
It's a fiasco caught on film when a shady financing deal lands an enthusiastic production crew in the heart of Romania, and each set-up proves more disastrous than the last in this showbiz comedy starring Jennifer Tilly, Danny Huston, Elizabeth Hurley, and Jason Flemyng. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2006
- R
- Add The Half Life of Timofey Berezin to Queue Add The Half Life of Timofey Berezin to top of Queue
First-time writer/director Scott Burns spins this suspenseful yarn about a nuclear technician who has a curious encounter with a notoriously violent Russian gangster (Nikolaj Lie Kaas). The year is 1995, and Timofey (Paddy Considine) is a nuclear power-plant worker in post-Soviet Russia. After being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation while working to avert a disaster, Timofey discovers that the authorities have deliberately misled him about the severity of his exposure, and that he will likely die in just a few days. Determined to provide for his wife (Radha Mitchell) and young son before he succumbs to the effects of radiation, Timofey absconds with a small amount of weapons grade plutonium, straps the vial to his body, and makes his way to Moscow in hopes of making a quick and profitable sale in the criminal underground. This is the "new Russia," where everything has its price, and Timofey is determined to secure his family's future even if he himself has none. Oscar Issac and Jason Flemyng co-star in a film produced by Section Eight and Beacon Pictures for HBO Films, and distributed by Picturehouse. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paddy Considine, Radha Mitchell, (more)
A seemingly insignificant act may cause the fabric of history to unravel in this sci-fi adventure. Charles Hatton (Ben Kingsley) owns and operates a successful firm known as Time Safari. Thanks to time travel technology developed by Hatton's employee Sonia Rand (Catherine McCormack), Time Safari allows big game hunters to journey back to prehistoric days and shoot living, breathing dinosaurs. Rand picks out the dinosaur in question, who is soon to die, and creates a floating walkway for the hunters, so the impact of their presence will not be felt by the land around them. But on one expedition, things go horribly wrong when a nervous hunter steps off the walkway and crushes a butterfly, a tiny act that proves to have massive consequences over the course of several million years. As the earth's climate and animal life begin to mutate due to this shift in natural history, Time Safari's leading hunting guide, Travis Ryer (Edward Burns), works beside Rand in a desperate attempt to halt the "ripples of time" before modern civilization completely collapses. A Sound of Thunder was based on a classic short story by pioneering science fiction author Ray Bradbury. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Edward Burns, Catherine McCormack, (more)
When the notoriously evil Chucky doll and his lover gave birth, they had no idea that their spawn would grow up to be a peace-loving kind of guy; however, that's exactly what Glen turns out to be: a gentle soul who is horrified at what he has been told about his family. After hearing the news of a film being made about his parents' murderous legacy, Glen sets off for Hollywood, where he promptly brings Chucky and Tiffany back to life. Far from diving into doting fatherhood, Chucky is seriously disappointed in his son's lack of inherent evil and tries his best to impart his vast knowledge of all things malevolent before Glen becomes some sort of do-gooder. Elsewhere, Tiffany finds that she will be played by Jennifer Tilly in their movie and doesn't hesitate to let her son in on their family's most cherished tradition -- killing sprees. Directed by Don Mancini, Seed of Chucky features Brad Dourif returning as the voice of Chucky, while Tilly plays both herself and Tiffany. The offspring of the evil pair, Glen, is voiced by Lord of the Rings star Billy Boyd. Cult film director John Waters also makes an appearance, as does hip-hop artist Redman. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, (more)
Has a star's desire to fully embrace a sinister role led her into madness? Rebecca Fairbanks (Elizabeth Hurley) is a well-known actress trying to get her career back on track after taking several years off. Fairbanks is returning to the screen in a role she's long wished to play -- Belle Gunness, a notorious real-life mass murderer who went on a well-documented killing spree in the 19th century. As the film's shooting schedule wears on, Fairbanks becomes romantically involved with her leading man, Jake Fields (Jeremy Sisto), but Fields and his friends on the production staff begin to question her stability when she starts wearing her costumes at all times, living on the sets, and tries to live as the character of Guinness. Fairbanks' behavior becomes all the more disturbing when members of the crew start falling victim to a murderer. Coincidentally, The Method (also known simply as Method) was Elizabeth Hurley's first film project after taking a two-year break from her acting career following the birth of her son in the spring of 2002. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Elizabeth Hurley, Jeremy Sisto, (more)
Directed by Jaume Balagueró, Darkness follows father and husband Mark (Iain Glen), his wife (Lena Olin), and their two children (Anna Paquin and Stephan Enquist) on their move to an outwardly quaint country home. Though the initial housewarming party is widely celebrated by neighbors, their houseguests become steadily fewer as a series of creepy happenings indicate that the house is home to more than their family. Sure enough, the lights begin to flicker incessantly on and off, while Mark's Huntington's disease makes a comeback after a ten-year dormancy. Regina (Paquin) expects that the problem stems from the house itself, but no one believes her. Determined to prove her case (particularly after mysterious noose marks begin to appear on her brother's neck), Regina decides to pay a visit to the man (Fermi Rexach) who built the house to begin with. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Anna Paquin, Lena Olin, (more)
- 2000
- R
- Add Committed to Queue
Heather Graham stars in this indie exploration of love and marital commitment directed by Lisa Krueger. A hardcore believer in the sanctity of marriage, plucky Joline (Graham) is stunned when her husband Carl (Luke Wilson) abruptly dumps her, leaving only a vaguely-worded note to explain himself. Undaunted, Joline leaves New York to look for her man and discovers him in the wild west of El Paso, Texas, after meeting a bevy of ne'er-do-wells and weirdos along the way. She discovers that Carl is shacked up with a beautiful Hispanic woman named Carmen (Patricia Velasquez). Meanwhile, Joline's flirtatious brother Jay (Casey Affleck) shows up from the Big Apple to look after his sister. Later, two men enter Joline's life. One is Neil (Goran Visnjic), Carl's hunky, beguiling neighbor, who increasingly becomes the object of Joline's affection, and Grampy (Alfonso Arau), an aging Mexican medicine man who becomes Joline's spiritual guide. This film was screened at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
- Starring:
- Heather Graham, Casey Affleck, (more)
- 2000
- R
Noted record producer and musician Glen Ballard (who has collaborated with Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, No Doubt, and Aerosmith) wrote this drama which offers an insider's look at the long, hard road to the top of the music business. Kennedy (Jimmy Tuckett) is the frontman of a struggling rock & roll band who have come to Los Angeles in hopes of making it big. Kennedy's brother, King (Brad Hunt), is the band's manager, but while the group works hard, they have little to show for it, and King seems to alienate more industry bigwigs than he's won over. The members of the band are also having a hard time keeping body and soul together; they not only have to work day jobs to support themselves, but to pay clubowners, who often charge musicians for the "privilege" of playing a well-known venue. Mondo (Rodney Eastman), the drummer, brings even more problems into the picture when he starts dealing hard drugs to earn money. Finally, the band attracts the attention of a powerful and well-known record producer, but there's a catch -- he's only interested in Kennedy, and wants him to ditch the rest of his band. Clubland also stars Lori Petty, Heather Stephens, and Scot James; the film also features cameo appearances from Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Terence Trent D'Arby. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Detective Jean Martin (Linda Hamilton, in her first TV movie) isn't happy at the LAPD sex crimes unit and gets a transfer to robbery/homicide, where she's partnered with Dan Collins (Jeff Fahey) and Lt. Gil Suggs (Coolio). As a single mom, Martin tries to raise her young son (Tim Redwine) and engage in a few fleeting moments of romance, while simultaneously tracking down violence-prone, death-dealing teen bank robbers. Filmed in LA, this TV movie premiered January 15, 1998. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Linda Hamilton, Jeff Fahey, (more)
- 1998
In the third Decline of Western Civilization documentary, Penelope Spheeris (The Little Rascals) filmed four bands (Final Conflict, Litmus Green, Naked Aggression, The Resistance) in 35mm and Dolby, and she also segues into social commentary on homeless kids in Los Angeles, interviewing some who left broken homes or abusive parents. With conversations covering everything from alienation to alcoholism, Spheeris talks to teens living on the street or squatting in abandoned buildings. Other individuals interviewed include an unstable mother, an LAPD officer, and a paralyzed youth living on a disability. Winner of the "Freedom of Expression" Award at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Final Conflict, Litmus Green, (more)
The black sheep son of a wealthy family sinks deeper into corruption the harder he tries to pull himself out in this drama. Richter Boudreau (Eric Stoltz) is a small-time film critic with a checkered past and some bad debts who decides to return to his old home town of Tulsa in hopes of getting his life back in order, much to the dismay of his mother Cynthia (Mary Tyler Moore), who is sick of lending him money and would prefer to have nothing to do with him. Richter still carries a torch for his one-time girlfriend Vicky (Deborah Kara Unger), who these days is married (not especially happily) to Ronnie (James Spader), a low level drug dealer with loftier criminal ambitions. Richter owes Ronnie money from a long time ago and isn't in a position to say no when Ronnie asks him to help with his latest scheme; Cherry (Joanna Going), a stripper, was a witness to the murder of a prostitute, and since the killer, Bedford Shaw (Marco Perella), is the son of the richest and most powerful man in town, Harmon Shaw (James Coburn), Ronnie feels that this information has remarkable blackmail potential. Richter finds himself caught up in Ronnie's plan while fully aware of the danger of tangling with Harmon Shaw. He also finds himself falling into ill-advised romance with Cherry. Keys to Tulsa was the first directorial effort for producer Leslie Greif; Cameron Diaz and Michael Rooker also appear in supporting roles. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Eric Stoltz, Cameron Diaz, (more)
Director John Dahl's The Last Seduction is an updated film noir centering around a seductive, cheerfully lethal femme fatale. Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) talks her gullible, easily manipulated, doctor-husband Clay (Bill Pullman) into pulling off a $700,000 drug deal to pay off his gambling debts. But while Clay is in the shower, Bridget quietly leaves with the money. She ends up in a bar in a small town where she meets Mike (Peter Berg) and uses him to further her scheme to keep the money and get rid of her inconvenient husband. Linda Fiorentino was championed by many critics for a Best Actress Academy Award nomination, but neither she nor the movie could be nominated since the film had made its debut on cable television. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, (more)
Writer/director Rusty Cundieff's satire of gangsta rappers, focusing on a hiphop trio who release a Christmas album called "Ho Ho 'Hos." ~ Nicole Gagne, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rusty Cundieff, Larry B. Scott, (more)
This interesting action-horror film stars Mario Van Peebles as a tough cop who becomes the latest recruit in a secret faction of the police which not only operates on the fringes of the law, but is also composed entirely of werewolves. Horror fans who choose to embrace the fundamental goofiness of this premise will find an interesting blend of hyperkinetic John Woo-style action, comic-book fantasy, and good old-fashioned monster mayhem. Inducted into the league of lycanthropic lawmen by one of its more aesthetically pleasing members (Patsy Kensit), Van Peebles partakes of a drug which, like the others on the squad, brings out his animal instincts and endows him with superhuman strength and agility (as well as some unsightly body hair). Despite some touches of black comedy, director Anthony Hickox plays the material fairly straight, with a strong emphasis on slick, tightly edited action sequences. Originally produced for HBO, this was later released on video with some of the gorier footage restored. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mario Van Peebles, Patsy Kensit, (more)
Though it's been a year since her death, Ed (Steve Buscemi) is still pining over his deceased mother (Miriam Margolyes). Enter a firm called Happy People Ltd, which for a hefty fee will bring Ed's mom back to life. He ponies up the money, and miracle of miracles, mother returns. At first all is bliss. But eventually dead old mom begins acting very strangely. Her habit of eating bugs is only the tip of a bizarre iceberg. Can things get any weirder? They do, when Ed's "pal" Rob (John Gries), whom mother had sent to jail during her first life, comes calling. The supporting cast includes the likes of Ned Beatty, John Glover, and Rance Howard (Ron's dad). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Steve Buscemi, Ned Beatty, (more)
Marc Rocco's gritty drama Where the Day Takes You stars Dermot Mulroney as King, a street-smart hustler who acts as a father figure to a motley collection of young runaways. Among the people in his sphere are the young self-destructive drug addict Greg (Sean Astin), self-hating gay prostitute Little J (Balthazar Getty), and newcomer Heather (Lara Flynn Boyle). The film is structured as a series of flashbacks triggered by King's conversations with a prison psychologist (Laura San Giacomo). Included in the impressive cast are such soon-to-be-famous names as Will Smith and Ricki Lake, and the already established Kyle MacLachlan, Christian Slater, and Alyssa Milano. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sean Astin, Lara Flynn Boyle, (more)
In this lively crime thriller, luckless ex-con Harry Talbot wins several thousand dollars and a luxury car in a poker game. He is delighted, having no idea that the others let him win because the trunk of the Lincoln contains the remains of Gordo. No, Harry is finally feeling lucky and in his shiny convertible sets off across the country in search of more card games. While driving, he picks up a lovely hitchhiker named Kit. She is out on a personal vendetta and is pursued by her grandmother, a crime boss, and her dim-bulbed cousin Danny. Realizing that he is a gambling addict, Kit manipulates him into driving to a certain mob-operated casino where she plans to off her father's killer. Things get more sticky when a gangster informs the card sharps who put Gordo in the trunk, that the deceased is carrying a key to a safe-deposit box containing a vast amount of money. They immediately set out after Harry as he fatefully heads for the gambling house. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michael Madsen, Patricia Arquette, (more)
- 1992
- PG
When Sal (Dennis Farina) and his friend Charlie (Leo Rossi) are cheated out of $10,000 of borrowed money in an implausible money-making scheme, the two must flee to Los Angeles to avoid the wrath of the gangster debt collectors. Once there, they become embroiled in an underhanded scheme that leaves them running from the FBI and the mob. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi
- Starring:
- Dennis Farina, Leo Rossi, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- William Petersen, Sissy Spacek, (more)
- 1991
This program features a music video and footage shot during the making of the video. ~ Rovi
- 1990
- R
Deceptions, a made-for-cable below-average erotic thriller, tells the familiar story of a homicide cop who falls for a beautiful suspect. When wealthy socialite Adrienne (Nicollette Sheridan) kills her husband Douglas (Marshall Colt), she claims self-defense. Nick Gentry (Harry Hamlin), the cop assigned to the case is suspicious but becomes obsessed with the sensual young woman. There is little new here and director Ruben Preuss spends little time with plot or character development, depending on the audience's interest in the extremely attractive cast, including Hamlin and Sheridan who were married at the time. Both Hamlin and Sheridan give stilted, wooden performances and surprisingly generate very little heat in their love scenes. Deceptions is a remarkably predictable, non-erotic thriller with little to recommend it. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi
- Starring:
- Harry Hamlin, Nicollette Sheridan, (more)
- 1989
- R
While investigating a bizarre series of slayings, reporter Clay Dwyer (Mark Thomas Miller) begins to suspect his tenant (Brion James) of being a vampire, and indeed, the man soon turns Dwyer's mother (Jeanne Bates) into one of the undead. Though Clay is able to kill the original blood-sucker, he just can't bring himself to off good old Mom. ~ John Bush, Rovi
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.