American Graffiti 1973  PG, 110 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: George Lucas
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Cindy Williams, Paul Le Mat, Harrison Ford, Mackenzie Phillips, Kathleen Quinlan, Joe Spano, Candy Clark, Wolfman Jack, Charles Martin Smith, Bo Hopkins, Beau Gentry, Manuel Padilla Jr.
"Cruising" in the early 1960s on a hot summer night is the setting for this story of an end-of-summer good-bye as one of the group is leaving for college in the morning. It is an insightful glimpse of high-school seniors in a more innocent era before the Vietnam controversies when "Wolfman Jack" introduced their songs and represented their cultures. The five Academy Award nominations included Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actress (Candy Clark).
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Apollo 13 1995  PG, 145 min.
Genre: Adventure / Drama
Director: Ron Howard
Cast: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathleen Quinlan, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Emily Ann Lloyd, Joe Spano, Xander Berkeley, Miko Hughes, Max Elliott Slade, Jean Speegle Howard, Tracy Reiner, Chris Ellis
Often, real life is better than fiction. This true story of the ill-fated, 1970's Apollo 13 space mission that suffered an explosion in the command module, is gripping from beginning to end. "Houston, we have a problem" is the message sent from the astronauts–mission leader Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon), and Fred Haise (Bill Paxton)–while on their lunar landing mission. At Mission Control, leader Gene Kranz (Ed Harris) and the original mission commander Ken Mattingly (Gary Sinise) work together with technicians and scientists to bring the crew home alive. The film won Academy Awards for Best Film Editing and Sound and had several nominations, including Best Picture and Supporting Actor (Ed Harris).
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Blessed Art Thou 2000  PG-13, 92 min.
Genre: Comedy
aka: A Question of Faith
Director: Timothy J. Disney
Cast: M.E. Hackett, Bernard Hill, Paul(2) Guilfoyle, Daniel von Bargen, Joe Spano, Naveen Andrews, Michael Cudlitz, Brent Hinkley, Lupe Ontiveros, Kenneth Tigar
The quiet, California monastery is shaken when Brother Anselm (M.E. Hackett) claims to have been visited by the angel Gabriel–and is now a pregnant woman. The event causes the monks to reevaluate their lives and beliefs. The director is Walt's great-nephew.
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 The Break Up 1998  R, 101 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Paul Marcus
Cast: Bridget Fonda, Kiefer Sutherland, Steven Weber, Penelope Ann Miller, Tippi Hedren, Hart Bochner, Brent Briscoe, Sarah DeVincentis, Susan Barnes, Leslie Stefanson, Tom Harrison, Hal Landon Jr., Joe Spano, Jack Shearer, Tommy Townsend
Frank Dade (Hart Bochner) physically abuses his wife, Jimmy (Bridget Fonda), himself, and others as well. But it is not until dead bodies start showing up that Jimmy flees for her life.
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A Call to Remember 1997 R, 101 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Bender
Cast: Blythe Danner, Joe Mantegna, David Lascher, Kevin Zegers, Rita Zohar, Joe Spano, Blu Mankuma, Ingrid Kavelaars, Kevin McNulty, Christian Tessier
Both Paula (Blythe Danner) and David Tobias (Joe Mantegna) lost previous spouses in Nazi concentration camps. Now, it is the late 1960s, and they are married and raising two sons. But Paula's smothering love is ruining relationships. She must come to terms with her death camp experiences if her present-day family can move on to make its own choices.
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The Great Los Angeles Earthquake 1990  TV, 106 min.
Genre: Action / Drama / Thriller
aka: The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake
Director: Larry Elikann
Cast: Joanna Kerns, Dan Lauria, Bonnie Bartlett, Lindsay Frost, Alan Autry, Joe Spano, Holly Fields, Stephen Elliott, Robert Ginty, Silvana Gallardo, Michael T. Weiss, Richard Masur, Ed Begley Jr., Charles Siebert
In this TV miniseries, Los Angeles seismologist Dr. Clare Winslow (Joanna Kerns) identifies the time and location for the major quake that will flatten the city. But, her warnings about "The Big One" go mostly unheeded, and disaster inevitably strikes.
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 Hollywoodland 2006  R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Allen Coulter
Cast: Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Robin Tunney, Bob Hoskins, Lois Smith, Molly Parker, Ted Atherton, David J. MacNeil, Dash Mihok, Kevin Hare, Kathleen Robertson, Joe Spano, Jeffrey DeMunn
Based on events following the death under questionable circumstances of George Reeves (Ben Affleck) who had played Superman on the popular TV show, this film shows how Reeves' mother Helen Bessolo (Lois Smith) hires private detective Louis Simo (Adrien Brody) to uncover the facts surrounding her son's death. Suspects rise to the fore. Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) heads the list as the lover Reeves dumped after a 10-year affair, and her husband, MGM studio executive Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), is also in the running–along with Reeves' new fiancee Leonore (Robin Tunny). The film goes back and forth between scenes of Simo's investigation and past events in Reeves' life showing just what a complex person he was.
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Logan's War: Bound by Honor 1998 R, 90 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Michael Preece
Cast: Chuck Norris, Eddie Cibrian, Joe Spano, Jeff Kober, R.D. Call, Brendon Ryan Barrett, James Gammon, Vinnie Curto, Devon Michael, Antoni Corone
Several years ago, when Logan (Eddie Cibrian) was ten, his family was murdered by gangsters and he was the only survivor. Logan has since been preparing, with the help of his uncle (Chuck Norris), to avenge the deaths.
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Primal Fear 1996  R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Cast: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, Stanley Anderson, Terry O'Quinn, Steven Bauer, Joe Spano, Andre Braugher, Tony Plana, Jon Seda, Maura Tierney, Reg Rogers
An ambitious defense attorney, Martin Vail (Richard Gere), defends teenage, altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) who is accused of the gruesome murder of an archbishop (Stanley Anderson). Once into the case, Vail learns that the prosecuting attorney will be his ex-lover, Janet Venable (Laura Linney), and that the archbishop was involved in deviant sexual activities.
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Roadie 1980  PG, 105 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Alan Rudolph
Cast: Meat Loaf, Kaki Hunter, Art Carney, Gailard Sartain, Joe Spano, Alice Cooper, Roy Orbison, Hank Williams Jr., Blondie
The rock star, Meatloaf, and a groupie set out to meet Alice Cooper and along the way get involved in some bizarre escapades. This film actually has a cult following–go figure!
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Ticker 2001  R, 92 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Albert Pyun
Cast: Tom Sizemore, Dennis Hopper, Steven Seagal, Jaime Pressly, Nas, Rosanda "Chilli" Thomas, Peter Greene, Kevin Gage, Michael Halsey, Norbert Weisser, Joe Spano, Ice-T
Terrorists led by Swann (Dennis Hopper) conduct a series of bombings, and two cops (Tom Sizemore and Steven Seagal) are hot on the trail. Explosions are frequent in this lame action flick.
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| 1. American Graffiti (1973)
2. Apollo 13 (1995)
3. Blessed Art Thou (2000)
aka: A Question of Faith
4. The Break Up (1998)
5. A Call to Remember (1997)
6. The Great Los Angeles Earthquake (1990)
aka: The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake
7. Hollywoodland (2006)
8. Logan's War: Bound by Honor (1998)
9. One Is a Lonely Number (1972)
10. Primal Fear (1996)
11. Roadie (1980)
12. Ticker (2001)
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