Eugene Mazzola Movies

Part narrative, part documentary, and part animation, What the #$*! Do We Know?! was filmed with the intent of expressing the neurological processes and so called "quantum uncertainty" of life. With the help of a directorial triumvirate consisting of Betsy Chasse, William Arntz, and Mark Vicente, Marlee Matlin stars as Amanda, whose uninspired daily routine is abruptly altered into a chaotic, Alice in Wonderland-style reality, complete with quirky characters and wildly different perspectives on life. As Amanda falls deeper into the experience, she's forced to drastically reconsider her perceptions of interpersonal relationships, men, and the fundamental principles of life. What the #$*! Do We Know?! is supplemented by a host of mystics and scientists, who are interviewed intermittently throughout the film for their wisdom and knowledge concerning religion, science, the thin line between them, and the consequences of blurring that line. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide

Adventures in Spying brings the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew formula kicking and screaming into the 1990s. During the dog days of his summer vacation, young Bernie Coulson tumbles to the fact that one of his neighbors is a presumed-dead fugitive drug lord. Since no adult is going to swallow this story, Bernie is forced to rely upon his preteen friend Jill Schoelen to help him get the goods on the criminal. There's a $50,000 reward at stake-which seems like small potatoes as the kids confront one life-threatening situation after another, compounded by a preponderance of crooked authority figures. The adult cast of Adventures in Spying is certainly eclectic enough, ranging from onetime John Cassavetes associate Seymour Cassel to none other than G. Gordon Liddy as the bad guy! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Aloha Summer is set in 1959 Hawaii. The six teenaged protagonists are drawn from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, resulting in the expected prejudices, hostilities and misunderstandings. The story's focus is on Chris Makepeace, an Italian-American lad who learns by means both soft and hard how to get along with, and understand, those different from himself. A few Kung-Fu scenes are thrown in whenever the action threatens to flag. While bereft of surprises, Aloha Summer is a magnificently photographed delight for surf-movie aficionados. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Billy (Jimmy McNichol, Kristy's younger brother) knows something is wrong when he comes home and finds that his batty, sexually repressed Aunt Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell in a stellar performance), has ruthlessly murdered the TV repairman -- not because he was inept or overcharged, but because she was overcharged and he managed to resist her advances. A gay-bashing detective (Bo Svenson) ignores the bare facts and single-mindedly plans to pin the murder on Billy for hanging out with a sexually suspect basketball coach. Meanwhile, Aunt Cheryl is doing everything to keep her little Billy at home (she has raised him since his parents were killed in a blazing car accident when he was 14 and does not want him to leave for college), even going to the trouble of lacing his milk with sickening substances so he is not well enough to go out. She also undermines his big game when the basketball scouts will be recruiting for college teams and manages to cause the gory disappearance of most of the cast members before the final scene plays out and an interesting identity is revealed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Ben Gazzara stars in this low-level depiction of legendary gangster Al Capone, who rose to command the mob underworld in 1920's Chicago. Born in Brooklyn, Capone joins his first gang at the age of 11. From there, he graduates to the infamous "Five Points Gang" run by Johnny Torrio (Harry Guardino). After moving to Chicago a few years later and wiping out Torrio's crimeboss uncle, Capone becomes Torrio's right hand man. Capone becomes head of the area's prostitution and racketeering business, but, as his mind deteriorates from syphillis, so does his empire. There's not much to recommend here, aside from a surprisingly good appearance by Sylvester Stallone as fellow gangster Frank Nitti. Gazzara is frankly awful in the title role and producer Roger Corman uses stock shootout footage from other gangster films, including footage of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre from his own, earlier movie on the subject. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide

Four Girls in Town is essentially an excuse by Universal-International to test out several of their newer contractees. The plot is motivated by a worldwide movie talent hunt, which naturally arouses the attentions of a bevy of pretty young aspiring actresses. The four girls of the title are Kathy Sonway (Julie Adams, who'd been appearing in films since 1950), Ina Schiller (Germany's Marianne Cook, nee Koch), Maria Antonelli (Italy's Elsa Martinelli) and Vicki Dauray (Gia Scala, also from Italy but herein portraying a Frenchwoman). Conducting the screen tests is budding director Mike Snowden (George Nader), who predictably falls in love with one of the hopefuls. Some laughs are had at the expense of Universal's rival 20th Century-Fox in the person of Helene Stanton, cast as a Marilyn Monroe clone named "Rita Holloway". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Based on the Holy Scriptures, with additional dialogue by several other hands, The Ten Commandments was the last film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The story relates the life of Moses, from the time he was discovered in the bullrushes as an infant by the pharoah's daughter, to his long, hard struggle to free the Hebrews from their slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. Moses (Charlton Heston) starts out "in solid" as Pharoah's adopted son (and a whiz at designing pyramids, dispensing such construction-site advice as "Blood makes poor mortar"), but when he discovers his true Hebrew heritage, he attempts to make life easier for his people. Banished by his jealous half-brother Rameses (Yul Brynner), Moses returns fully bearded to Pharoah's court, warning that he's had a message from God and that the Egyptians had better free the Hebrews post-haste if they know what's good for them. Only after the Deadly Plagues have decimated Egypt does Rameses give in. As the Hebrews reach the Red Sea, they discover that Rameses has gone back on his word and plans to have them all killed. But Moses rescues his people with a little Divine legerdemain by parting the Seas. Later, Moses is again confronted by God on Mt. Sinai, who delivers unto him the Ten Commandments. Meanwhile, the Hebrews, led by the duplicitous Dathan (Edward G. Robinson), are forgetting their religion and behaving like libertines. "Where's your Moses now?" brays Dathan in the manner of a Lower East Side gangster. He soon finds out. DeMille's The Ten Commandments may not be the most subtle and sophisticated entertainment ever concocted, but it tells its story with a clarity and vitality that few Biblical scholars have ever been able to duplicate. It is very likely the most eventful 219 minutes ever recorded to film--and who's to say that Nefertiri (Anne Baxter) didn't make speeches like, "Oh, Moses, Moses, you splendid, stubborn, adorable fool"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide