Misconceptions on AllMovie Misconceptions (2008)

This lighthearted comedy pokes fun at the culture wars, and the debate over same-sex parenting. Southern gal Miranda is an Evangelical Christian with all the social and political beliefs dictated by her church, but when she gets what she's sure is a message from God, she does a 180 and decides to become a surrogate mother for a married gay couple from Boston. It's a weird enough situation as it is, but things get even crazier for Miranda when one of her baby-daddies-to-be decides to come down South for a visit -- and won't leave!

Happiness Runs on AllMovie Happiness Runs (2010)

A young man raised in a polygamous cult struggles to escape with his childhood love. Victor (Mark L. Young) may have been raised in a hippie commune, but he never bought into the philosophy laid out by shady guru Insley (Rutger Hauer), who uses a technique called "running" to entrance and seduce his devoted female followers. Becky (Hanna Hall) was fortunate enough to get out of the cult while she was still young, but now her father is terminally ill and she must return to care for him. Victor has always loved Becky, and now he's being haunted by psychic visions of her untimely death. Meanwhile, the adults in the community remain blind to the damage that exposure to sex and drugs has had on their self-destructive offspring. Now Victor wants out, and he wants to take Becky with him. In order to finance their flight, he starts selling pot. When that plan backfires and Becky falls into a downward spiral, Victor resorts to desperate measures in a last-ditch effort to save her life.

Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema on AllMovie Gangster's Paradise: Jerusalema (2008)

An uneducated gas station attendant with a taste for the finer things in life turns to crime as a means of making ends meet, only to find himself on a dangerous collision course with the biggest drug dealer in town. All Lucky Kunene wanted out of life was a house by the water, a beautiful wife, and a 7-series BMW. Unfortunately, Lucky hails from a poor Soweto family, and his application for a university grant has just been refused. Dejected at the thought of spending the rest of his life pumping gas, Lucky teams up with his best friend, Zakes, to start stealing cars. At first the endeavor proves remarkably lucrative -- providing Lucky with enough cash to purchase a refrigerator, a nice suit, a classy wardrobe, and a hi-fi stereo system -- but before long the two thieves realize that their profile is becoming dangerously high, and that in order to avoid arrest they will have to relocate. Five years after moving to Hillbrow, Lucky and Zakes are the operators of a deadbeat taxi service. Their criminal lifestyle has gotten them nowhere, and rival taxi gang members are literally gunning for them night and day. Lucky shares a cramped apartment with 20 other people, mostly junkies, prostitutes, and immigrants with nowhere else to go. Though their existence seems bleak, the group manages to pool their resources and form the Hillbrow People's Housing Trust. But just as Lucky enters into the world of real estate, local detective Blackie Swart makes it his mission to capture the so-called "Hoodlum of Hillbrow" and Nigerian drug kingpin Tony Ngu lays claim to the city. With two of the city's most notorious criminals both preparing for the ultimate showdown, Detective Swart will have to work overtime in order to prevent the streets from becoming a virtual war zone.

the Thorn in the Heart (2009)

Filmmaker Michel Gondry turns from the playful semi-surrealism of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep to the personal story of a beloved family member in this documentary. Suzette Gondry is Michel's aunt and a retired schoolteacher; she educated children in rural communities in France from 1952 to 1986. While Suzette was committed to the education of all her students, she was a particularly close with one in particular -- her son, Jean-Yves, with whom she's had a loving but sometimes combative relationship. Michel accompanies Suzette on a journey in which she visits the many schools where she taught -- or the sites where those schools once stood -- and speaks of her experiences. She also meets some of her former students, and it's clear they recall Suzette as a woman with a kind heart but a strong will, and her determination earned her the enmity of a few of her charges. L'Epine dans le Coeur (aka The Thorn in the Heart) was an official selection at the 2009 BFI London Film Festival.

Udaan on AllMovie Udaan (2010)

A young man must defend his dreams against a father who barely knows him in this coming-of-age drama from India. Rohan (Rajat Barmecha) is a bright, sensitive youngster who dreams of becoming a writer some day. Rohan has spent eight years in a boarding school, but when he's unexpectedly expelled, he comes home to Jamshedpur and his father (Ronit Roy) who is practically a stranger to him. Rohan is introduced to Arjun (Aayan Boradia), a half brother he didn't even know he had, and learns that his life is about to change -- rather than studying literature, his father has decided he will focus on engineering, and he'll be performing manual labor in father's steel mill in his spare time. Between his job and his new academic commitments, Rohan's life is turned upside down, and he must learn to assert himself around a man who wants to reshape him into his own image. The first feature film from director Vikramaditya Motwane, Udaan was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.

Tales From the Script on AllMovie Tales From the Script (2009)

While the director is usually seen as the key creative figure behind a film, it's the screenwriter who writes the story that puts a picture into motion, and 46 noted scenarists offer an inside look at the art and industry politics of working in Hollywood in this documentary. Ranging from Academy Award-winning veterans to budding writers who've just gotten their feet in the door. Tales From the Script gives these artists a chance to talk about the craft of screenwriting, its place in the filmmaking process, and the paradox that while a movie may start with a great script, that doesn't mean that what was written will necessarily show up onscreen. (As Dennis Palumbo, who wrote My Favorite Year, puts it, "Writers are egomaniacs with low self-esteem.") Including exclusive interviews with William Goldman, Frank Darabont, Paul Schrader, Larry Cohen, David S. Ward, Ron Shelton, and John Carpenter, Tales From the Script received its world premiere at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Zenith on AllMovie Zenith (2010)

This complex, highly cerebral sci-fi thriller concerns a father and son, each situated in two separate time periods - one inhabiting the present, and another living forty years in the future. Each senses the same conspiracy afoot, and begins searching for answers; instead of attaining deeper insights into external events, the men find that their investigations drive them into states of endless introspection. Ultimately, each must grapple with the same Faustian bargain - and each makes a very different choice.

Mugabe and the White African on AllMovie Mugabe and the White African (2009)

Robert Mugabe's rule as president of Zimbabwe has been wildly controversial, with his economic plans generally held responsible for the nation's hyperinflation and massive unemployment, while Mugabe has also been accused of widespread human rights violations. One of Mugabe's most notorious programs has been his policy of seizing farms owned by white Africans and turning them over to individuals affiliated with the Mugabe government; many of these nationalized farms have been put in the hands of people with little practical background in raising crops, with the nation's agricultural base thrown into chaos. Many white land owners in Zimbabwe have fled the country, but 75-year-old Michael Campbell is a veteran family farmer who has chosen to stay and fight; rather than turn over his property, Campbell has taken his case to an international court, accusing the government of Zimbabwe of racial discrimination and violation of his human rights by claiming ownership of his rightful property. Filmmakers Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson profile Campbell and present an indictment of the abuses of the Mugabe administration in the documentary Mugabe and the White African, which was an official selection at the 2009 Hot Docs International Film Festival.

All About Evil on AllMovie All About Evil (2009)

A novice director teams up with some folks dying to get into the movies in this comedy thriller. Deborah (Natasha Lyonne) is a socially awkward librarian whose father runs the Victoria Theater, a crumbling old movie house favored by film buffs. When Deborah's dad dies unexpectedly, the family inherits the theater, and while Deborah wants to keep it open, her mother would rather sell it to developers eager to open a Bed, Bath And Beyond in the neighborhood. An argument between Deborah and her mom turns violent, and Deborah ends up killing her; a surveillance camera captures the bloody assault and by accident it's projected onto the screen at the Victoria, where the jaded movie geeks eat it up. Suddenly Deborah decides she's found her calling as a filmmaker, surrounding herself with a retinue of eccentric would-be stars and shooting bloody horror flicks on shoestring budgets. But what her fans don't know is that Deborah isn't using a special effects man, and the bloody killings in her film are the real thing. All About Evil features a handful of cult film favorites in supporting roles, among them John Waters regular Mink Stole and Cassandra Peterson (better known as "Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark"). Director Joshua Grannell is better known in his native San Francisco as drag performer Peaches Christ, and "Peaches" makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Only When I Dance on AllMovie Only When I Dance (2009)

Filmmaker Beadie Finzi follows two teenage dancers from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro as they fight to take control of their own destinies by rising though the ranks of an international ballet competition. Should they succeed, it could mean the opportunity to start a new life for their families in a place where there are greater options for the future, and less chances of being drawn into the dangerous world of gangs and drugs.

Brotherhood on AllMovie Brotherhood (2009)

Two neo-Nazi recruits enter into a homosexual relationship that threatens to be their undoing when they are forced to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Danish serviceman Lars (Thure Lindhardt) is about to be promoted to sergeant when vicious rumors force him to turn his back on the military. Subsequently moving back home with his conservative parents, Lars finds their repeated attempts to cover up the incident repellant, and soon falls in with a local group of racist radicals fronted by the aptly nicknamed Fatso (Nicolas Bro). Fueled by his frustration with both the military and his parents, Lars is eventually seduced into the group, quickly ascending to "A" rank despite the repeated objections of senior member Jimmy (David Dencik), who believes that his devoted younger brother should have been honored with that distinction instead. Later going to live in a secluded summer cottage owned by the board chairman, Lars slowly starts to form a connection with Jimmy, who has been assigned the task of renovating the remote vacation home. Their defenses crumbling, the two men eventually become lovers. But Lars' disillusion with the group is growing, and when they begin turning their hostilities from immigrants to gays, he realizes that he and Jimmy's days as neo-Nazis are numbered.

The Sound of Music on AllMovie The Sound of Music (1965)

One of the most popular movie musicals of all time, The Sound of Music is based on the true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Julie Andrews stars as Maria, a young nun in an Austrian convent who regularly misses her morning prayers because she enjoys going to the hills to sing the title song. Deciding that Maria needs to learn something about the real world before she can take her vows, the Mother Superior (Peggy Wood) sends her off to be governess for the children of the widowed Captain Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer). Arriving at the Trapp home, Maria discovers that her new boss is cold and aloof, and his seven children virtual automatons-at least, whenever the Captain is around. Otherwise, the kids are holy terrors, as evidenced by the fact that Maria is the latest in a long line of governesses. But Maria soon ingratiates herself with the children, especially oldest daughter Liesl (Charmian Carr), who is in love with teenaged messenger boy Rolf. As Maria herself begins to fall in love with the Captain, she rushes back to the Abbey so as not to complicate his impending marriage to a glamorous baroness (Eleanor Parker). But the children insist that Maria return, the Baroness steps out of the picture, and Maria and the Captain confirm their love in the song "Something Good." Unhappily, they return home from their honeymoon shortly after the Nazis march into Austria. Already, swastikas have been hung on the Von Trapp ancestral home, and Liesl's boyfriend Rolf has been indoctrinated in the "glories" of the Third Reich. The biggest blow occurs when Von Trapp is called back to active duty

Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers on AllMovie Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers (2010)

This documentary takes a hard hitting look at the Portland roller derby team the Roller City Rollers, whose beloved sport combines feminine kitsch with no-mercy toughness and athleticism. Detailing the history of the team, the documentary interviews the group's members, who discuss the way the sport has affected their lives, confidence, and more.

Down Terrace on AllMovie Down Terrace (2009)

A family on the wrong side of the law has some serious business to attend to in this black comedy from British filmmaker Ben Wheatley. Karl (Robin Hill) followed his father, Bill (Robert Hill), into the family business, which in this case happens to be organized crime, and their occupational hazards become obvious when the two return to the family home after a few days in jail. Bill is convinced that one of their associates has been talking to the police, and whoever it is needs to be silenced as soon as possible, but first they have to figure out who is the snitch. As Karl and Bill ponder the likely suspects as their allies stop by the house to check in on them -- including well-connected Uncle Eric (David Schaal), shady nightclub manager Garvey (Tony Way), crooked politician Councilor Berman (Mark Kempner), and enforcer Pringle (Michael Smiley) -- Karl gets some unexpected news from his girlfriend, Valda (Kerry Peacock), who announces that she's pregnant with his child. Karl isn't certain he's ready for the responsibilities of parenthood, and Bill and his wife, Maggie (Julia Deakin), aren't very excited about being grandparents, but the upcoming addition to the family becomes a secondary concern after Bill decides he's figured out who's the rat in the organization. Down Terrace screened at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival.

Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel on AllMovie Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel (2009)

For good or ill, there's no arguing that few magazines have had as great an impact on American culture as Playboy, which helped launch several major salvos in the sexual revolution and broke down barriers about what was acceptable to show and say in print. But while the magazine's founder and publisher, Hugh Hefner, has a well-deserved reputation as a free speech advocate and a man who embraces the good life in every way he can, the person behind the carefully cultivated public image remains a mystery to many. Filmmaker Brigitte Berman presents an in-depth portrait of a man who has quietly promoted many causes other than wine, women, and song in the documentary Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel. In addition to chronicling the rise of his publishing empire, the film explores how he's used his success to promote causes he believes in, such as racial equality, reproductive freedom, First Amendment causes, fighting the anti-Communist blacklist, and equality for women. Created with Hefner's participation and featuring interviews with Mike Wallace, Jesse Jackson, George Lucas, Jim Brown, Pete Seeger, Dick Gregory, and James Caan, Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.

Circle on AllMovie Circle (2008)

Six graduate students studying the childhood home of a notorious serial killer get to spend some quality time with their murderous subject when he escapes from custody and returns to the place where his reign of terror began. James Bennett (Silas Weir Mitchell) claimed numerous lives before being locked away in a maximum security mental hospital, and when he senses an opportunity for escape, he takes it. Meanwhile, a group of college students working on their thesis papers arrive at James' childhood home in hopes of discovering just what could have turned a normal young boy into such a ruthless killer. As the killer makes his way home, Dr. Green (Gail O'Grady) leads the FBI and U.S. Marshals on a frantic race to track Bennett down, and stop him from claiming any more lives.

The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden on AllMovie The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden (2013)

Filmmakers Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller investigate an intriguing historical mystery that still remains unsolved nearly 100 years after the fact in this documentary featuring the voices of Cate Blanchett, Diane Kruger, Thomas Kretschmann, Connie Nielsen, Gustaf Skarsgård, Sebastian Koch, and Josh Radnor. The macabre story begins in 1929. Determined to seek out the solitude that would free him up to become a great philosopher, German physician Friedrich Ritter (Kretschmann) and his lover Dore (Blanchett) set sail for deserted Floreana Island. A tiny enclave in the Galapagos Islands, it was the kind of picturesque paradise that takes some people a lifetime to find. Yet their solitude was short-lived, because once the press caught wind of the couple's extraordinary adventure, curious newcomers such as the adventuresome Wittmer family from Germany and Austrian Baroness Eloise von Wagner Bosquet (Nielsen) decided that they, too, should experience life on Floreana Island. Unfortunately, there would never be enough resources on this tiny archipelago to sustain the dreams of everyone involved, and later when some of the islanders begin vanishing without a trace, the truth about what really transpired in the middle of the Pacific Ocean would become the stuff of legend.

La Teta Asustada on AllMovie La Teta Asustada (2009)

Director Claudia Llosa follows her award-winning feature directorial debut, Madeinusa, with this stark meditation on a grim period of South American history in which approximately 70,000 people were murdered between the years 1980 and 2000. Fausta (Magaly Solier) has fallen ill with a disease passed down from mother to daughter through breast milk. But Fausta's affliction isn't biological; it strictly affects Peruvian women who were raped or abused during those two terrible decades of persecution. While those days are long gone, Fausta stands as a living reminder of the horrors that once plagued her country, her malady a deep-rooted fear that stripped the young innocent of her soul. After Fausta's mother dies, the horrified girl is forced to confront her greatest fear by staring straight into the black heart of her own paranoia. Now, as Fausta sets out to discover her own path to freedom, she inserts a potato into her vagina in order to protect her body from unwanted intruders.

Waiting for Armageddon on AllMovie Waiting for Armageddon (2008)

Filmmakers Kate Davis, David Heilbroner, and Franco Sacchi aim to clarify the abstruse relationship between Christian Zionists and Jews while encouraging dialogue between dissenting groups with this documentary examining the possibility that a substantial American voting block is attempting to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of international holy war. By speaking with Evangelicals in their homes, at conferences, and even during a tour of the site in Israel where they believe Jesus Christ will return to Earth, the filmmakers intertwine Jewish and Christian Zionist perspectives to explore the unique alliance between Evangelical Christians and Israel that could lay the groundwork for the battle of Armageddon. Interviewees include Connecticut evangelicals James and Laura Bagg, McAlester, OK-based Evangelicals Tony and Devonna Edwards, and Salem, OR-based doctor H. Wayne House, each of whom believe we are living in the end times, and that they will all be raptured into the heavens when Christ returns and humanity enters into a violent seven-year period known as "The Tribulation."

The Trouble With Terkel on AllMovie The Trouble With Terkel (2010)

Though done in a seemingly family-friendly visual style with outwardly adorable CG-animated characters (its trailer sarcastically boasted, "Eureka proudly presents the cutest family film of the year"), this English-language production from Denmark travels the South Park and Meet the Feebles route. In other words, directors Stefan Fjeldmark, Kresten Vestbjerg Andersen, and Thorbjørn Christoffersen contrast the movie's innocent appearance with the crude, violent, and occasionally gory antics of its nutty characters, to ironic (and blackly comic) effect. The story concerns Terkel, a sixth-grade pariah who gets taunted and tormented by two relentless bullies, until he figures out a cunning way to vent his rage by poking fun at his best friend's obese girlfriend. She responds by jumping out a window to her death, but this has the unforeseen effect of increasing Terkel's popularity. Terkel takes to chugging booze and wielding firearms, and life seems like it couldn't get any better. But when he begins receiving bizarre anonymous death threats, and finds that he can't confide in his obnoxious sister or drunken uncle, he's forced to turn to his stoned-out hippie teacher for solace and direction.

Spring Fever on AllMovie Spring Fever (2009)

Two men find that desire takes them places they didn't intend to go in this independent drama from China. Lin Xue (Jiang Jiaqi) is a teacher who is married to Wang Ping (Wu Wei), but she's convinced he's being unfaithful to her, and she hires Luo Haitao (Chen Sicheng) to trail him and find out what he's been doing. It turns out that Lin's hunch is correct and Wang is having an affair with another man, Jiang Cheng (Qin Hao); Luo provides Lin pictures of them having sex, and one evening Wang brings Jiang home to dinner, telling his wife that he's an old friend he hasn't seen in years. While Lin plays it cool at first, in time Wang discovers she knows about his lover, and she angrily confronts both Wang and Jiang. As Lin and Wang's relationship crumbles, Luo discovers he's become disinterested in his girlfriend (Tan Zhuo) and is increasingly obsessed with Jiang. Chun Feng Chen Zui De Ye Wan (aka Spring Fever; the original title translates as "A Night Deeply Drunk on the Spring Breeze") was the first feature film in three years from director Lou Ye, who found himself at odds with Chinese authorities after his previous feature, Summer Palace, and shot this feature in defiance of government censure.

Children of Invention on AllMovie Children of Invention (2008)

A family faces the unexpected consequences of chasing the American dream in this independent drama. Elaine Cheng (Cindy Cheung) is an Asian-American single mother who has recently moved to Boston with her two kids, ten-year-old Raymond (Michael Chen) and eight-year-old Tina (Crystal Chiu). Elaine's financial situation is precarious, and when she loses her job, the family is evicted from their home and begin squatting in a flat in an unfinished apartment building. As Elaine struggles to maintain a stable home life for her children, she takes a job related to a questionable pyramid scheme; Raymond and Tina are left to their own devices most of the day, and he passes the time creating makeshift inventions he dreams will someday make him rich. When Elaine is arrested as the police shut down the pyramid scheme, Raymond becomes the head of the household and must use his wits and resourcefulness to care for himself and his sister. Children of Invention was the first feature film from writer and director Tze Chun; it was adapted from his 2007 short film Windowbreaker and was an official selection at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.

The Taqwacores on AllMovie The Taqwacores (2010)

Director Eyad Zahra teams with writer Michael Muhammad Knight for this drama about a Pakistani-American engineering student who falls in with a tightly knit group of Muslim punk-rockers. Attending school in Buffalo, NY, college student Yusef moves into a house occupied by Muslim punks, who introduce him to Taqwacore -- an emerging scene that's gradually gaining momentum across the country. The more Yusef learns about Taqwacore, the more he begins to question his own faith. This film is inspired by Knight's novel of the same name, which was originally distributed via free Xerox copies in true punk fashion.

After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United on AllMovie After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United (2010)

To be certain, there are few early 21st century social challenges as daunting as living as an Arab in the predominantly Jewish nation of Israel. But such is the situation that around 1.4 million Israeli citizens of Arabic ethnic origin are facing -- continually struggling to maintain their cultural identities despite pressure to conform or blend in. One area in which cultural assertion continues to take place is on the soccer field; Israelis are overwhelmingly passionate about the game, and it's a noteworthy fact that an Arabic league called Bnei Sakhnin (also known as the Sons of Sakhnin United) won the prestigious Israeli Cup in 2004. This victory -- even more than the existence of the team per se -- soon came to represent a potential bridge of peace between Hebrew and Palestinian cultures. As directed by Christopher Browne, the documentary After the Cup: Sons of Sakhnin United observes the Sakhnin team in the season immediately following the pivotal win, amid the realization that this season may be their final one in the public spotlight. Yet the team hardly goes through the season without obstacles: they must grapple with a dearth of funding, vast inexperience, conflict building between the coach and star player, and the sudden onslaught of pressure to transcend overwhelming public expectations. Browne observes the team and its members on the most intimate of levels and spares no detail or insight.

Salt of This Sea on AllMovie Salt of This Sea (2008)

A woman confronts the realities of life in the occupied Palestinian territories in this drama. While she was born and raised in New York, Soraya (Suheir Hammad) is of Palestinian heritage and has long dreamed of returning to the land of her ancestors. When Soraya learns that her grandfather bequeathed her a bit more than 15,000 dollars that he left in a bank account in Ramallah, she decides it's time to make a pilgrimage, especially since the inheritance can pay for a long stay in the country. However, Soraya arrives in Israel to find that immigration personnel and border guards are not helpful to tourists of Palestinian blood, and it takes no small amount of determination before she arrives in Ramallah. There, Soraya meets Emad (Saleh Bakri), a handsome Palestinian student who has a scholarship waiting for him at a university in Canada, but Israeli immigration authorities refuse to grant him a visa. Soraya and Emad bond over their frustrations at the injustice they see around them, and when she learns that the money in her grandfather's account (and all other Palestinian accounts at the bank) was forfeited after the establishment of the nation of Israel, they decide to take action. Soraya, Emad, and his friend Marwan (Riyad Ideis) plan to stage a bank robbery, in which they'll take only the amount deposited by her grandfather as a protest against the discriminatory policies that have become a part of daily life under occupation. Milh Hadha Al-Bahr (aka Salt of This Sea) was the first feature film from writer and director Annemarie Jacir.

White Wedding on AllMovie White Wedding (2009)

Devoted groom-to-be Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi) sets out on a 1,800-kilometer South African road trip in order to give his fiancée, Ayanda (Zandile Msutwana), a European-style dream wedding, but finds that getting there won't be easy thanks to his best friend, Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo), and a wandering English doctor named Rose (Jodie Whittaker). Meanwhile, as Ayanda begins to question Elvis' commitment, her opinionated mother weights in with her own thoughts about choosing European tradition over African tradition, and a handsome old boyfriend shows up with a suspicious agenda.

o-be Elvis (Kenneth Nkosi) sets out on a 1,800-kilometer South African road trip in order to give his fiancée, Ayanda (Zandile Msutwana), a European-style dream wedding, but finds that getting there won't be easy thanks to his best friend, Tumi (Rapulana Seiphemo), and a wandering English doctor named Rose (Jodie Whittaker). Meanwhile, as Ayanda begins to question Elvis' commitment, her opinionated mother weights in with her own thoughts about choosing European tradition over African tradition, and a handsome old boyfriend shows up with a suspicious agenda.

The Dry Land on AllMovie The Dry Land (2010)

A soldier comes home from the war but can't find peace in his heart and mind in this independent drama. James (Ryan O'Nan) returns to his hometown in Texas after serving a long hitch in Iraq, and is warmly welcomed by his wife, Sara (America Ferrera), and best friend, Michael (Jason Ritter). However, his homecoming party is awkward and it's clear James is not the same as he was before he left. Sara's father, David (Benito Martinez), arranges for James to get a job working beside Michael at a meat processing plant, but when an argument with a co-worker turn violent, James' life goes into a tailspin and Sara leaves him. James still hasn't come to terms with his experiences in Iraq, and a reunion with one of his Army buddies, Raymond (Wilmer Valderrama), convinces him he needs to make contact with Henry (Diego Klattenhoff), a fellow soldier who was part of an incident that scarred them both. The Dry Land was the first feature film from writer and director Ryan Piers Williams, and received its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Picture Me on AllMovie Picture Me (2009)

This documentary based on interviews, backstage footage, and personal video diaries follows the rise of model Sara Ziff as she and then-boyfriend Ole Schell use a camcorder to document her career from her start as a newly discovered 18-year-old to her success as an in-demand model, flying all over the world and pulling in six figures before her 20th birthday. Through intimate, first-hand accounts from Ziff's peers in the business, the film also touches on issues in the modeling industry such as eating disorders, drug use, sexual harassment, and the increasing demand for adolescent models.

The Kids Grow Up on AllMovie The Kids Grow Up (2009)

Having previously documented his relationship with his own father in the 2005 film 51 Birch Street, filmmaker Doug Block turns his lens on his teenage daughter, Lucy, as she prepares to depart for college and begin a new chapter in her life. Throughout Lucy's childhood, Block would speak frequently with his daughter on camera. Distraught at the thought of no longer living under the same roof as his beloved daughter, the probing father captures a pivotal moment of transition in his family's history. The filmmaker becomes the subject, however, when his wife weighs in with her own opinions on why he's having such a difficult time letting go. Later, when Lucy leaves and the house turns quiet, Block's wife succumbs to serious depression as she attempts to adjust to life in an empty nest.

The Living Wake on AllMovie The Living Wake (2007)

A self-proclaimed artist and genius who has elevated his drab existence into a personal mythology organizes his final party, a living wake, in director Sol Tryon's absurdist black comedy. K. Roth Binew (Mike O'Connell) is about to live his last day. Abandoned by his father (Jim Gaffigan) as a young lad, Binew was raised by his nanny, Marla (Diane Kagan), and gradually grew to gain an appreciation for the arts. Though he would personally never complete a single work of art, he nevertheless considers himself an artist and has recently been told by his doctor that he will shortly expire of some mysterious, unnamed disease. Upon being informed of his dire situation, Binew boards his rickshaw and requests that his biographer and driver, Mills Joaquin (Jesse Eisenberg), transport him around town so that he may make his final arrangements. As the day wears on, Binew and Joaquin visit the local "liquirsmith" to procure spirits, arrange a Viking-style funeral for the eccentric "artist," and steal a goat for a personal picnic. Later, after Binew is attacked by his neighbor (Eddie Pepitone) and has his attempt to donate books at the local library refused, he hands out invitations to his final party. It is there that Binew will perform a short piece for his audience, and summarily drop dead on the spot.

Death Race 2000 on AllMovie Death Race 2000 (1975)

Cult hero Paul Bartel directed this low-budget satire in which America's passion for cars, violence, and sporting events are finally brought together in one convenient package. In the not-so-distant future, the United States has become a totalitarian regime overseen by the charming but sinister Mr. President (Sandy McCallum), who, in order to satisfy the masses' need for entertainment (and to quench their thirst for violence), has created a new national sport -- the Death Race, a nationwide road rally in which the winner is not determined by who finishes first, but by who scores the most points along the way by running over hapless pedestrians. Aspiring champions Machine Gun Joe Viterbo (Sylvester Stallone), Calamity Jane (Mary Woronov), Nero the Hero (Martin Kove), and Matilda the Hun (Roberta Collins) are all looking to take the top honors away from Frankenstein (David Carradine), a half-man/half-machine who has been built to be the best racer on Earth and can outrun and outkill anyone on the circuit. However, not everyone likes the Death Race, and revolutionary leader Thomasina Paine (Harriet Medin) wants to sabotage the event in the name of restoring democracy; her plan is to foil Frankenstein's expected victory by smuggling her daughter Annie (Simone Griffeth) into Frankenstein's race car as his navigator. Featuring David Carradine at the height of his Kung Fu fame (and Sylvester Stallone a year before Rocky), Death Race 2000 was a major drive-in hit in 1975; Bartel and Carradine teamed up for another road race movie, Cannonball, a year later, and a semi-sequel,

Violet Tendencies on AllMovie Violet Tendencies (2010)

A self-proclaimed "fruit fly" is searching for the straight man of her dreams in this outrageous comedy. Violet (Mindy Cohn) works as a public relations representative at a fashion agency, and nearly all her friends are gay men who adore her warmth, her accepting nature and her blunt sense of humor. Violet loves her friends, who are loyal and supportive, but as she's about to turn 40, Violet is ready to meet some men who might have a romantic interest in her. However, she almost never meets heterosexual men in her line of work, and the efforts of her friends Riley (Samuel Whitten) and Markus (Casper Andreas) to find her a "fag stag" -- a straight guy who enjoying hanging out with gay men -- are little short of disastrous. Salome (Kim Allen), a model who works at Violet's firm, tells her if she ever wants to find a husband she has to quit spending all her time with her gay friends, and when an online dating service matches Violet with Vern (Armand Anthony), a nice guy from the Midwest who takes an immediate liking to her, she starts cleaning up her act and keeping her old pals at a distance. But should Violet turn her back on the people that have always stood beside her -- especially since Vern is caring and loving but not at all interesting? Violet Tendencies was directed by Casper Andreas, who also co-stars as Markus.

Handsome Harry on AllMovie Handsome Harry (2009)

A man seeking to escape the past realizes that he'll first have to confront the present after receiving a desperate call from a friend on his deathbed. Harry Sweeny (Jamey Sheridan) is an aged but handsome divorcée with a grown son and a small business. He lives a comfortable life in a small town, where his main source of entertainment is stopping by the local diner to flirt with pretty waitress Muriel (Karen Young). But Harry's life hasn't always been this easy, and after getting a call from Tom Kelly (Steve Buscemi) he starts to remember why. Tom isn't long for this earth, and before he goes he seeks forgiveness from David Kagan, a fellow crewman that he and Harry knew from their Navy days. Unable to say no to an old friend, Harry sets out on a reluctant search for David, visiting old friends and drudging up painful memories in the process. Why does Tom feel like he needs David's forgiveness to pass on, and whose redemption is Harry searching for anyway?

Paper Man on AllMovie Paper Man (2009)

Jeff Daniels, Emma Stone, Ryan Reynolds, and Lisa Kudrow headline co-writer/directors Michele and Kieran Mulroney's affectionate comedy drama detailing the unlikely friendship between a failed writer (Daniels) and the Long Island high school girl (Stone) who teaches him what it really means to take responsibility in life. Meanwhile, the author's long-suffering wife casts a disapproving gaze, and an imaginary superhero weighs in with his own take on the unusual bond.

Don McKay on AllMovie Don McKay (2009)

First time writer/director Jake Goldberger takes the helm for this thriller about a man who returns to his hometown after receiving a letter from his high school sweetheart, who claims to be dying. It's been 25 years since Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) turned his back on his hometown, and he never imagined he would ever return. But when a letter from his former girlfriend Sonny (Elisabeth Shue) appears in Don's mailbox, he can't resist visiting his old flame one more time, before her light disappears forever. When Don comes home and realizes that his memories of Sonny don't match up with the woman she is now, it quickly becomes apparent that he harbors a shameful secret from years gone by. Meanwhile, Sonny's doctor (James Rebhorn) and caretaker (Melissa Leo) don't warm quickly to the returning visitor, and a chance run-in suddenly compounds Don's buried secret.

GhettoPhysics: Will the Real Pimps and Hos Please Stand Up? (2010)

Documentary filmmakers William Arntz and E. Raymond Brown draw parallels between Wall Street power players and ghetto pimps through interviews with such outspoken celebrities as Ice-T, KRS-One, Too Short, and Dr. Cornel West. Animations and satirical dramatizations portray how the same power techniques implemented by pimps to keep their employees under control are being emulated by the powers that be in order to keep the general public sedate, and real-life pimps offer compelling insight into the complex power dynamics that help to ensure that the person holding the most cash always comes out on top.

The Two Escobars (2010)

Andrés Escobar was one of Colombia's best and most respected athletes, a gifted soccer player whose strong character made him a role model and who led his team to a spot in the World Cup in 1994. Pablo Escobar was not related to Andrés, but they came to know each other well -- Pablo owned the team Andrés played for, and bankrolled the recruiting drive that helped make them one of the world's best. But while Andrés was seen as a hero, Pablo made his money as a large-scale drug trafficker, and he got involved in professional soccer because he loved the game but also needed to launder his ill-gotten fortune into a legitimate business. Pablo created an image for himself as a Colombian Robin Hood, opening clinics, creating low-cost housing, and building soccer fields for the poor, but he and his henchmen were willing to use violence to achieve their ends, and when Andrés fumbled an important game during the 1994 World Cup games, he learned a painful lesson about loyalty among Escobar's underlings. Filmmakers Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist share the remarkable true story of two very different men whose love of a game brought them to good and bad ends in the documentary The Two Escobars. The Two Escobars received its world premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Dreamkiller on AllMovie Dreamkiller (2010)

A revolutionary form of psychotherapy designed to rid patients of their phobias yields deadly results when test subjects begin dying in the same manner as their worst fears. When the Nazis were at the height of power, Adolf Hitler began working with doctors Carl Clauberg and Joseph Mengele to develop a weapon capable of inducing psychosis in enemy combatants. In 1945, Hitler's concentration camps were liberated, and Allied forces were said to have confiscated and destroyed all evidence of the experiments. Flash forward to the new millennium, when some of the most respected doctors on the planet unveil their latest project -- the F.R.I.T. program. Though the doctors are confident that the F.R.I.T. program can help patients to conquer their greatest fears, the public isn't convinced. Their skepticisms are confirmed when the test subjects begin perishing under mysterious circumstances. Someone -- or something -- is preying on their deepest, darkest fears, and now the race is on to save the rest of the patients before it's too late.

BoyBand on AllMovie BoyBand (2010)

A hunky high school quarterback walks off the gridiron to start the world's very first boy band with the help of his mom's entrepreneurial-minded boyfriend.

The Freebie on AllMovie The Freebie (2010)

A couple hatches a highly dubious scheme to put the spark back in their marriage in this independent comedy drama. Annie (Katie Aselton) and Darren (Dax Shepard) have been married for seven years, and they love each other as much as the day they were wed; they're affectionate, have fun together, and enjoy games such as crossword puzzle races. They would seem to have a perfect relationship, except for one thing -- they haven't had sex in ages, and seem to have lost all interest in making love with one another, no matter how they try to put each other in the mood. Hoping to put some adventure back into their lives, Annie and Darren come up with an unusual idea -- they each get one night in which they're free to find someone and have sex with them, scot-free. But is this going to help their relationship, or is it just going to turn a small problem into a big problem? The Freebie was the first directorial assignment for actress Katie Aselton, who also plays Annie (and is married to another actor and filmmaker, Mark Duplass); the film was an official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Carbon Nation on AllMovie Carbon Nation (2010)

Filmmaker Peter Byck profiles a variety of eco-friendly innovators across the United States, from scientists to everyday people, in this solutions-based documentary.

Catch and Release on AllMovie Catch and Release (2007)

A woman faced with a tragedy discovers the man she loved was not all she imagined him to be in this romantic comedy-drama. Grey (Jennifer Garner) was a beautiful woman who found the man of her dreams in Grady Douglas, and was looking forward to spending the rest of her life with him until he suddenly died only a few days before they were to be married. With her wedding turned into an impromptu funeral, Grey is emotionally devastated but has to deal with the practicalities of her new life alone, including moving out of the house she shared with Grady. Short on cash and in need of emotional support, Grey moves in with two longtime friends, sloppy but philosophical Sam (Kevin Smith) and well-meaning but tightly wound Dennis (Sam Jaeger). Grey also finds herself often chatting with Fritz (Timothy Olyphant), Grady's best friend, through she's always regarded him as a sleazeball. As time passes, Grey discovers that Grady had a secret life he never shared with her -- including a young son from a previous relationship -- and as she tries to come to terms with the past of her former fiancé, she struggles to put her new life on track, and finds herself reevaluating her long-held feelings about Fritz. Catch and Release was the first directorial effort from screenwriter Susannah Grant, whose script credits include Erin Brockovich, 28 Days, and In Her Shoes.

Bitch Slap on AllMovie Bitch Slap (2009)

A sex-bomb, a psycho-slut, and a stripper find their attempt to extort a powerful underworld kingpin spiraling out of control in this outrageous homage to the exploitation films of yesteryear. They thought it was a foolproof plan, but these three bad girls are about to see just how bad things can get when the truth comes out, allegiances start to shift, and other desperate criminals attempt to muscle in on the take. Later, the stakes are raised when it's revealed that the entire plan was a setup. With the fate of the world resting in their not-so-delicate hands, these three violent beauties are about to discover that everything they thought they knew about the job is wrong, and that their may be an extraterrestrial invader lurking in their midst.

Great Directors on AllMovie Great Directors (2009)

Ten of the world's great filmmakers discuss their art, their influences and their creative motivations in this documentary. In Great Directors, Angela Ismailos chats with a handful of talented and influential movie directors, among them Bernardo Bertolucci, Catherine Breillat, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Todd Haynes, Richard Linklater, Ken Loach, David Lynch, John Sayles, and Agnès Varda. Along with discussing the particulars of their work (often illustrated by relevant film clips), the directors also talk about artists and events that have made a lasting impact on them, films they hope to make in the future (all ten directors were still at work at the time the film was shot), issues that are important to them (creative and otherwise), and other filmmakers that they like (or hate). Ismailos' first feature film, Great Directors received its world premiere at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.

Nénette et Boni on AllMovie Nénette et Boni (1996)

Nenette (Alice Houri) is a 14-year-old girl with an attitude problem who runs away from her boarding school only to knock on the door of her older brother Boni (Gregoire Colin). Boni has his own problems most of which center around an erotic fixation with the baker's sexy wife (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi). He is very reluctant to take Nenette in. Then he finds out she is pregnant. As their relationship grows and adjusts, each begins to understand what maturity it takes to bring a new life into the world. Claire Denis, best known for her film Chocolat, directed. This French film won top honors at the 1996 Locarno Film Festival.

Off and Running on AllMovie Off and Running (2009)

An intimate and earnest examination of race, gender identity, and the definition of "family," this sociological documentary chronicle filters said themes through the eyes of Avery Klein-Cloud, an intelligent and generally well-adjusted teenager from Brooklyn with decidedly unusual circumstances. Though African-American herself, Avery grew up with two Jewish lesbian foster mothers, who also adopted two boys, one Korean and the other of mixed ethnicity. Encouraged by both mothers to get in touch with her biological mom for the first time, Avery writes a letter to the woman, but this decision sparks a profound identity crisis in Avery and contributes to increasingly disturbing behavior. As she questions who she is, she also begins spending lengthy periods of time away from home, drops out of school, and suffers from feelings of isolation and abandonment -- and her plan to attend university on a track-and-field scholarship seems increasingly unlikely. What therefore commences as a meaningful journey of self-enlightenment regresses into a far more dangerous personal crisis for the young woman.

The People I've Slept With on AllMovie The People I've Slept With (2009)

A pregnant woman (Karin Anna Cheung) embarks on a quest to find the identity of her baby's father. While looking back through her wild sexual past, however, she finds answers to questions more complex than determining paternity as she gets to know her previous conquests.

Neshoba: The Price of Freedom on AllMovie Neshoba: The Price of Freedom (2010)

Neshoba County was a quiet part of Mississippi that suddenly faced the scrutiny of the world in 1964 when three civil rights activists -- Jewish New Yorkers Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman and African-American Mississippian James Chaney -- were captured by members of the Ku Klux Klan after they were arrested for speeding. The three men were found murdered after a careful search, but despite overwhelming evidence, three of the Klansmen who committed the crime went free when their jury could not deliver a verdict. One of them, Edgar Ray Killen, bragged at length to friends and acquaintances about his role in the murder, and in 2004 a group of Mississippians came forward to demand a new trial for Killen, hoping to see justice done at last. However, bringing Killen to trial proved no simple task; filmmakers Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano examine the crimes of 1964, the efforts to retry Killen, the mixed emotions of the community, and the curious life of the unrepentant racist criminal in the documentary Neshoba. The film was an official selection at the 2009 San Francisco Documentary Film Festival.

The Trials of Muhammad Ali on AllMovie The Trials of Muhammad Ali (2013)

This documentary focuses on Muhammad Ali's refusal to serve in the military during the Vietnam War -- a decision that cost him his heavyweight title.