Film Reviews

Most comedians are tortured artists and there are few more tortured than Artie Lange. The 46-year-old veteran comic, former Howard Stern Show star and two-time best selling author has been to hell. But he’s come back, albeit scathed both physically and psychologically, over the last few years. The culmination of Lange’s storied return to the stage takes form Oct. 18 at midnight on Comedy Central, when Artie Lange: The Stench of Failure premieres.

A documentary on Illinois Governor George Ryan, who, with 60 days left in office, makes a decision on the fate of death row prisoners.

A matchbox collection unites a lonely woman and her cat.

Hit man Philip Raven, who's kind to children and cats, kills a blackmailer and is paid off by traitor Willard Gates in "hot" money. Meanwhile, pert entertainer Ellen Graham, girlfriend of police Lieut. Crane (who's after Raven) is enlisted by a Senate committee to help investigate Gates. Raven, seeking Gates for revenge, meets Ellen on the train; their relationship gradually evolves from that of killer and potential victim to an uneasy alliance against a common enemy.

Now in the Far North (i.e. Milan!), Alberto has accepted to manage a program for efficiency improvement in the Italian Post. He devotes all his time and all his energy to this noble task and neglects his wife Silvia, which of course annoys her beyond limits. Things do not fare much better in Castellabate where it is rather Maria, Matta's wife, who gets on his nerves by always blaming him for his lack of ambition. One day, due to a misunderstanding, Mattia is transferred to... Milan! And on whose doorstep does he land? Alberto's of course!

With unprecedented access, this documentary looks into the hidden world of one of Russia's most impenetrable and remote institutions - a maximum security prison exclusively for murderers. Deep inside the land of the gulags, this is the end of the line for some of Russia's most dangerous criminals - 260 men who have collectively killed nearly 800 people. The film delves deep into the mind and soul of some of these prisoners. In brutally frank and uncensored interviews the inmates speak of their crimes, life and death, redemption and remorselessness, insanity and hope. The film tracks them though their unrelenting days over several months, lifting the veil on one of Russia's most secretive subcultures to reveal what happens when a man is locked up in a tiny cell for 23 hours every day, for life. A startling insight into inscrutable minds and the forbidding world they have been condemned to. (Storyville)

Dr. Jung Nam finds a photo album dating back to his days as an intern at the Ansaeng Hospital. This triggers memories of his life. In 1942, as a young medical intern, Jung-Nam's arranged marriage ended when his fiancée, whom he had never met, committed suicide. Later he was assigned to monitor the morgue late at night. There he fell in love with a corpse, which is later revealed as the body of his deceased fiancée. Soon other mysterious events take place in the hospital, involving a young girl haunted by ghosts and a serial killer targeting Japanese soldiers.

A guy who moves back to Portland, Oregon becomes involved in the mystery of his ex-girlfriend's disappearance.

A recovering alcoholic travels to the untamed coast of Patagonia to reconnect with his estranged daughter in this gentle yet deeply resonant drama from Argentine writer-director Carlos Sorin.

Hitler, Nazi propaganda and 1936 Berlin Olympics are put under the microscope to uncover hidden truths and the historical legacy of those games.

McCord's gang robs the stage carrying money to pay Indians for their land, and the notorious outlaw "The Oklahoma Kid" Jim Kincaid takes the money from McCord. McCord stakes a "sooner" claim on land which is to be used for a new town; in exchange for giving it up he gets control of gambling and saloons. When Kincaid's father runs for mayor, McCord incites a mob to lynch the old man whom McCord has already framed for murder.

Weaving together natural history and biography, this film is a fascinating exploration into the unique relationship between humans and whales as told by renowned whale biologist and activist Dr. Roger Payne. A pioneer in whale song research, Payne has passionately promoted the protection of these majestic sea creatures for four decades and continues to do so by studying ocean pollution.

Four kids - Eugen, Wrigley, Bäschteli and Eduard - leave for an adventure around Switzerland, searching for the fabulous treasure of Titicaca Lake, discovered by Fritzli Bühler.

Billionaire cousins Bastiano (Terence Hill) and Antonio (Bud Spencer) are two savvy businessmen, at least in one regard. They want to close a large deal, although they have to fear for their lives because of it since their competition won't even stop at murder. Therefore they have an agency find two look-alikes from the United States, stuntman Elliot Vance (Terence Hill) and the jazz saxophonist Greg Wonder (Bud Spencer). These accept the job offer, initially not knowing why they really have been hired. Nonetheless Elliot and Greg manage to fight their way through all kinds of situations without too much trouble. Additionally they quickly come to like the jet-set life. The resulting damage to their reputation provokes the Coimbras to return to Rio ahead of time. This puts them right into the sights of their enemies, alongside the cousins' look-alikes.

In this irreverent, hilarious, adventurous buddy comedy for audiences of all ages, directed by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears a Who!), two turkeys from opposite sides of the tracks must put aside their differences and team up to travel back in time to change the course of history - and get turkey off the holiday menu for good.