Zoe Carides Movies

From the same production team responsible for the highly regarded 2000 Judy Garland TV biopic comes this equally elaborate and very thorough (if not 100-percent accurate) filmed biography of Lucille Ball. Using the 1960 breakup of the marriage between Lucy and her husband/co-star Desi Arnaz, the film covers 40 years in the life of America's favorite redheaded gal, beginning with her early dramatic aspirations as an acting student (one of her fellow aspirants is Bette Davis) and her emergence as a platinum-blonde chorus girl in such film extravaganzas as Eddie Cantor's Roman Scandals. Once Hollywood is convinced of Lucy's fierce work ethic, and her willingness to do anything -- even allow herself to be caked in mud -- for the good of the picture, RKO Radio inaugurates a star build-up, though poor Lucy never quite gets beyond the B-list of leading ladies. In 1940, she falls madly in love with Desi Arnaz, a sexy Cuban bandleader and scion of an aristocratic family. Despite Desi's imperious nature, and his self-proclaimed "entitlement" to savor the favors of as many ladies as possible, Lucy and Desi are wed. Moving from RKO Radio to MGM during the war years, Lucy becomes a redhead to take better advantage of the studio's Technicolor cameras, and also learns the rudiments of broad slapstick comedy from such masters as Buster Keaton and Red Skelton. Even so, she is considered washed-up in Hollywood by the end of the 1940s, and her union with the constitutionally faithless Arnaz is on the rocks. Coming to the rescue of both Lucy's career and marriage is a new medium called television: With Desi as her creative Svengali, Lucy scales the heights of superstardom as star of the top-rated weekly sitcom I Love Lucy. Alas, the more popular Lucy becomes, the more her marriage to Desi suffers, and the film is unsparing in showing how fame and fortune can be fatal to domestic happiness. In the title role, musical comedy actress Rachel York doesn't resemble the real Lucy all that much, though she gamely recreates such classic I Love Lucy moments as the "Vitameatavegamin" commercial and the grape-stomping orgy. Far better cast is Danny Pino as Desi Arnaz, depicted as an enigmatic blend of Latin charm, filmmaking genius, and sociopathic serial philandering. While the teleplay is an acceptable overview of the subject's life and career, there is little in the film that is not common knowledge to Lucy buffs, save for a re-enactment of the childhood tragedy which left the heroine a mass of insecurities, and Lucy's morbid fear of birds (yes, birds). The three-hour Lucy first aired on May 4, 2003, telecast by Lucy's old home network, CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

It begins as a seemingly cut and dried case of sexual harassment, but the more the conciliator assigned to the case investigates, the more obvious it becomes that either or both side is lying. Based on the premise that survival and success in the '90s is largely based on one's ability to lie brilliantly, the Australian drama follows the ins and outs of a very complex case that begins when recently fired Susy Connor files a formal complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal about an alleged incident in which her employer Gary Fitzgerald grabbed her breasts, whispered suggestive things in her ear and showed her his genitals while working late one night. The married Fitzgerald calls her a liar. Marion is called in to mediate and find the truth. Both parties have creditable character witnesses, and at the same time, both have gaping holes in their stories. Susy's witness is her sister Katie, whom she claims she told all about the upsetting incident. Unfortunately, Susy never said a word and still expects Katie to lie. On the other hand, Gary's witness Vince, his partner, knows that his friend is a notorious womanizer and strongly suspects that Susy tells the truth. Susy, herself, with her sexy dressing, provocative ways and her openness about an active sex-life has the advantage of being a woman as Gary is famed for his macho posturing around the office (a trait that in the hyper-sensitive '90s automatically makes him guilty of lechery). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Australian action movie is based on a popular Australian television series about the Sydney Police Rescue Squad. The squad comes to the big screen with the addition of Officer Lorrie Gordon, a former member of the Drug Squad. After her partner and secret lover was killed on duty, Ms. Gordon has been under the suspicious surveillance of Internal Affairs. Her partner it seems, had been corrupted. At first, Gordon is not welcomed into the rescue squad by Sgt. Mickey McClintock. Then he sleeps with her. She is suspended from the force. Later, during the film's climax, she becomes a civilian heroine when she rescues kindergartners and their teacher from a mad bomber. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this independently produced political thriller, a writer whose book about corporate corruption is about to be released believes that the kidnapping of his son has something to do with that book. What he doesn't know is that the businessmen, unable to tell which of his several girlfriends and female acquaintances are of importance to him, have kidnapped one of them instead, and his son was kidnapped for an entirely different reason. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

When a shopping mall and suburban homes are built on land sacred to the Aborigines, a curse envelopes the residents. The victims are rich kids who dream a Native Australian hands them a magic crystal. When they awaken, the crystal is on the pillow, and the curse begins to take its toll on the spoiled teens. One young man falls victim to a deadly spider, another is killed by an eel while swimming, and yet another young woman dies a horrible death after being ripped apart by a demonic dog. The remaining teens' one hope of survival is an Aboriginal shaman, the only one capable of opposing the stone's deadly power. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide