Ken Schwenker Movies

The spirit of the mega-hit Ghostbusters (1984) is intentionally recalled with this effects-heavy sci-fi comedy from the same director, Ivan Reitman, co-starring Dan Aykroyd and debuting on the 17th anniversary of the earlier film's release. When a meteor bearing single-celled organisms crashes to the Earth, the life forms are initially confined to a cave. Before long the creatures are evolving at an exponentially rapid rate, resulting in fearsome aliens running amok and possibly spelling mankind's doom, or at least the end of man's domination over life on Earth. Investigating the phenomenon is a community college professor, Ira Kane (David Duchovny), his geologist friend Harry Block (Orlando Jones), wannabe fireman Wayne Green (Seann William Scott), and government scientist Allison Reed (Julianne Moore). Evolution also stars Ted Levine, Ethan Suplee, and Katharine Towne. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

After director Alex Cox alienated the powers that be in Hollywood with Straight to Hell and Walker, his anarchic follow-ups to Repo Man and Sid and Nancy, it would be nearly a decade before he made a film in the United States again. After making the critically acclaimed, underseen Highway Patrolman in Mexico, he agreed to direct The Winner, based on the play A Darker Purpose by Wendy Riss. Vincent D'Onofrio stars as Philip, a soft-spoken, rather dimwitted young man who stumbles into an incredible lucky streak in Las Vegas. Every Sunday, he enters the same casino, wins some money, and goes home. While Philip himself is pretty nonchalant about his lucky streak, it earns him the attention of a lot of unsavory characters. Louise (Rebecca De Mornay, who also executive produced the film), a tacky nightclub singer, and her impotent hitman boyfriend, Jack (Billy Bob Thornton), plan to get Philip to fall in love with Louise and offer her a fortune to pay off her debt to the sinister, seemingly omnipotent Kingman (Delroy Lindo), the casino owner who employs Jack. A small-time hood, Joey (Frank Whaley) and his motley crew (Richard Edson and Saverio Guerra) plan to rip Philip off, but their plans are complicated when the antic, impulsively violent Joey begins to feel a strange attraction to his would-be prey. Wolf (Michael Madsen), Philip's thuggish brother (and Louise's former lover) arrives in town, practically guaranteeing some kind of violent showdown. After shooting the film, Cox returned to Mexico to work on his next project. While he was away, the producers then re-edited The Winner without his consent, and replaced the film's soundtrack. Cox has since distanced himself from the final product. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Three of life's losers stage a reunion early in the proceedings of Alligator Eyes. Renewing their long-standing friendship are alcoholic Roger Kabler, his self-defeating pal Allen McCullough, and McCullough's blind former girlfriend Annabelle Larsen. The trio goes on a cross-country trip, reminiscing on their wasted lives as they journey from town to town. Suddenly, out of nowhere, the film becomes a revenge tale, with Larsen searching for her parents' murderers. Then we segue into a series of "sexual manipulation" scenes, apparently orchestrated by unscrupulous psychiatrist John MacKay. Needless to say, the critics were crazy about Alligator Eyes; audiences, confused by the film's abrupt mood swings, were less enthusiastic. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A countrified musician (Gary Knox) cultivates a new, sophisticated image in the Big City. One thing he hasn't refined from his system is the urge to kill. Thus, he's open to the proposition made by the wife (Zoe Tamerlaine Lund) of a very wealthy man (Daniel Chapman). The woman suggests organizing a murder-for-hire operation...and further suggests that her relationship with the country boy need not be confined to office hours. This is certainly a far cry from Double Indemnity. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide