Stephen Mack Movies

Socially awkward bartender Twain finds him caught between the girl of his dreams and the one who accepts him despite all of his quirks in director Stephen Mack's independent drama. A talented pianist who refuses to play in public, Twain earns his paychecks by slinging drinks in a cheap restaurant. When he's not serving customers, he's usually behind the bar pining away for Layla, the gorgeous new waitress. And then, just when Twain starts to think that he'll never get a girlfriend, lovely music teacher Julie wanders into his life. Julie loves Twain, faults and all, even supporting him though the toughest of times. It's all going well until Layla starts showing an interest in Twain. With two girls now fighting for his affections, what's a nice guy like Twain supposed to do? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Ralph Bunche was arguably the most distinguished and honored African-American of his generation. Born in 1904, Bunche refused to accept the limitations American society presented to people of color, and at an early age he became an advocate for new possibilities for blacks. He graduated with honors from U.C.L.A. in 1927, and soon after was hired as a professor of political science at Howard University. In the early 1930s, Bunche published an acclaimed and prescient article on the possible impact of fascism in Europe, "A World View of Race," that led to his being hired by Frankin D. Roosevelt to join the U.S. State Department. In 1945, Bunche was named head of the Division of Dependent Area Affairs, making him the first African-American to lead a departmental division of the federal government. In 1946, Bunche was called upon to help write the charter that formed the United Nations, and he negotiated a peace treaty ending the 1948-49 Arab-Israeli War, which earned Bunche the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize. Bunche was also an avid supporter of the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and '60s, but his quiet, dignified manner and belief that blacks should attempt to work within the system to gain social and political equality was seen by many as support of a system that held down minority group members, and his impact as a leader shrank with time. Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey is a documentary that examines Bunche's public and private lives, featuring archival photos and newsreel footage of Bunche, excerpts from his writings and speeches, and interviews with his friends, family members, and colleagues. Sidney Poitier narrates. Produced for public television, Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey was also shown at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This undistinguished horror film by Buddy Cooper focuses in some detail on the blood and gore surrounding the gradual massacre of a group of teens but does not endow the storyline with the same careful attention. The premise is that a father becomes homicidal a good decade after his son accidentally kills his mother while cleaning a gun -- and what happened during those 10+ years or why insanity comes as a rather delayed reaction are not explained. When the son (Matt Mitler) is away at college, he decides to bring along several friends to spend their fall break (the alternate title of this film) taking care of his father's condo at the seashore. Little does the son know that his deranged father is lying in wait to wreak vengeance for the long-ago death of his wife. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Directed by Robert Duvall -- though not his directorial debut, as has sometimes been reported -- Angelo My Love is a semidocumentary study of gypsy life in New York. Real-life gypsy lad Angelo Evans engagingly plays himself: a charming street hustler and con artist. The son of a fortune teller, Angelo is the one truly blessed with a "sixth sense"-about himself, his family and his future. Personally financed by Duvall (whose brothers appear in one delightful sequence), Angelo My Love is a mesmerizing glimpse at a lifestyle often misunderstood and misrepresented by the American mainstream. Be warned, however: the people depicted herein don't mince their words, which is why the film bears an R rating. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi