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Here, Sweeney embodies Sister Cecilia, a young woman whom God saved as a child. Father Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) recruited her to serve as a nun in a hospice convent in rural Italy. Father Tedeschi apparently spent the first 20 years of his professional life working in genetics before he found his calling in the cloth. He has recruited other young, fertile women to this convent. Sister Isabella (Giulia Heathfield de Renzi) instantly distrusts Cecilia, whereas Sister Gwen (Benedetta Porcaroli) finds a kindred spirit....

Victoria (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a playwright and professor who hasn’t written anything in years. When taking her teenage daughter, Eleonor (Jessica Lynn Wallace), to the airport for a trip to Machu Picchu by herself, Victoria gets the news that her mother, actress Carmen Crawford (Diane Ladd), has had a stroke. Her brother William (Sam Robards) is concerned, but as a doctor, he is tied up with patients. It doesn’t help matters that he and Victoria are still recovering from the battle scars of being brought up by a famous movie star....

Judy is upset as she argues over who has a say in the wedding plans. As Nancy tries to manipulate the situation by saying her deceased father, Tom (Jonathan Fishman), would agree with these changes, we see the pain in Judy’s eyes at not having her father at the wedding. To mentally escape her tense emotions, Judy imagines herself celebrating her 13th birthday with her parents and best friend, Tova (Stephanie Sherry)....

Abby (Kaelen Ohm) is an alcoholic housewife who takes to her parents’ isolated farmhouse to deal with a struggling marriage. There, she is abruptly held hostage by a wounded drug mule named Bennet (Gord Rand). The situation escalates even further when the town’s corrupt sheriff (Nicholas Campbell) arrives to claim Bennet’s head, peacefully or otherwise. Though Last County is fundamentally a dramatic thriller, the screenplay has no qualms about dipping into humor and even moments inspired by Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns, complete with house sieges and sunset standoffs....

Directed by Matthew Vaughn – who apparently was watching over Guy Ritchie’s shoulder while producing his films, and learned how to ape a certain sensibility while not appearing to try so bloody hard – Layer Cake is a professional piece of work about an unnamed cocaine dealer (referred to in the credits as XXXX and played by Daniel Craig) who’s looking for an easy, safe and early retirement from the business....

Joe Slack’s short film, Love in Motion, has many things going against it, but much could be forgiven if the film had a solid story with strong dramatic conflicts. Unfortunately, it does not. In its fourteen minutes, it manages to hit almost every bad indie romance convention, and instead of creating something fresh with the form, reminds us why formulaic plotting can be so disappointing. Sure, the claymation idea is the novelty here, but it is an idea introduced and then practically abandoned....

MOBILE-FRIENDLY FILM THREAT That’s right, wonderful readers of Film Threat, we’ve got a mobile-friendly site just for you and your cellphone. Most cellphones will automatically be re-directed to the mobile-friendly layout but, if not, you can always just use the URL. As you can imagine, it’s a much simpler look (fewer graphics, text-intensive, etc), but for quick navigation while out and about, it’s dead-on. Need to search for an old review, headline or story?...

In Houston, KLOL drew inspiration from the “Border Blaster” radio stations in Mexico, such as XERA and two others that were run by the famous disc jockey Wolfman Jack, XERF in Via Acuna (near Del Rio, Texas), and XERB, (in Rosarito Beach near Tijuana). Mexican radio stations did not have to adhere to the power limits of U.S. stations. Because of this, they could pump directional radio signals to the north with power up to 65,000 watts....

Sing Sing Sing Sing follows John “Divine G” Whitfield, a falsely convicted murderer serving a very long sentence in Sing Sing Prison along the Hudson River. John and several other inmates participate in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program, which John co-founded. Alan Ng says, “Gotta talk about Colman Domingo, who plays Divine G. He serves as the acting foundation for the film and the other actors.” The Queen of My Dreams The Queen of My Dreams is a multicultural romantic drama....

We flashback to the 1930s, when little Mary Ann (Zia Carlock) accidentally spies her big sister Gracie (Judith Davis) in bed with her boyfriend Abe (Joe Anthony Gordon). Gracie tells Abe about all the dead witches buried on the property, not knowing her little sister is peeking. They both get caught by Gracie’s father, James (Barry Ratcliffe), who goes berserk due to Abe being black while his daughter is white....

Kayden is in the hospital, battered and bruised. Abbie and her parents rush to his side. In the interviewing process with the nurse, we get a glimpse into the sorrowful story of Abbie’s unusual life. Abbie is a bright, beautiful, artistic young girl passionate about animation. She won acceptance into the prestigious California Design Academy, which, in her words, is the “Harvard of Art.” But this places Abbie in a dilemma: Should she live away from the family and pursue her academic ambitions in Los Angeles?...

THE RESULTS: “City Lights” was considered Chaplin’s masterpiece, thanks in good measure to Cherrill’s sympathetic and sincere performance. Cherrill continued in Hollywood and was briefly married to Cary Grant, but her career quickly sank into unmemorable B-movies. Georgia Hale’s career vanished even faster. 2. CHARLES LAUGHTON FOR “DAVID COPPERFIELD” (1935). MGM felt it struck gold when Laughton was cast as Mr. Micawber in the lavish adaptation of the Dickens classic....

Even though most of us may end up falling into the temptation always to mention 007, there are a few unforgettable female gambler characters that will stick to memory far beyond the rolling credits. The author Martim Nabeiro (you can read more about him and what he’s been up to lately right here), sets out to rediscover some fascinating roles played by ladies in casino movies. Jodie Foster in “Maverick” Jodie Foster is no stranger to solid and fierce characters....

Hùng (Alexandre Nguyen) is a trucker who has a close relationship with his 6-year-old daughter. He drops An (Thanh Thán) off at school in preparation for a long haul. But An is promptly kidnapped by goons working for Thai (Ngọc Tỉnh), whose father, Mr. Kwan (Hoáng Phúc), is the mafia boss of the land. But, Hùng uses his special forces training to track down his beloved child. While major impediments are thrown his way, Hùng finds an ally in a female trucker named Bão Vi (H’hen Nie)....

Meanwhile, there is a killer on the loose…or should I say killers? Bodies ripped to shreds show up on the city streets and the nearby forest. Detective Wagner and Sanchez are on the case, but the horrific and brutal nature of the murders makes it challenging to investigate the case, let alone identify the deceased. Terry’s clients include a pregnant teen whose stepmother scolds her like a two-dollar w***e. There’s a wife whose husband takes advantage of her good nature and cheats on her any chance he gets....

Unable to withstand the assault and with casualties mounting, the battalion is in ruins. Berenshtein survives the Nazi onslaught and finds a safe harbor in a local villager’s home. He witnesses the town under German occupation and realizes that the Nazis are searching for him. After some cat and mouse with the enemies, Berenshtein navigates the Ukrainian countryside cautiously. He intends to keep his identity and Jewish ethnicity hidden as long as he can....

The next morning, Amy stays lying in bed, dead from an overdose. Virgil panics, as he is wanted by the police. He snorts some dope, buries his drugs in the yard, and buries Amy in the desert. When he gets back to their house, he finds Jo (Amadeus), Amy’s sister, waiting there. Jo is very religious and has been estranged from her drug-addicted sister. However, it is very important she speak with Amy, when is “Dwayne” expecting her back?...

Once they recover, Marley ships his family to the US for their safety. He and his band, the Wailers, then take off to London to record their new album. They land right smack into the punk revolution, which Marley embraced and later influenced. The Wailers worked on a record that would stand up for the rights of everyone, which became the landmark LP Exodus. They tour the world, sparking a love of reggae music across the globe....

Having suffered from ulcerative colitis for years, spending thousands of dollars on medications that offer little relief, and desperate for a cure, Saffron Cassaday turns to an experimental treatment known as Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT). Ulcerative Colitis is an extremely painful, inflammatory bowel disease. The film follows Saffron as she speaks with doctors about the importance of the “microbiome,” which is the environment of microorganisms in your gut. FMT is a treatment whose goal is to repair and restore the microbiome....

The biggest stars in the world have roles where they let go and ham it up, so, understandably, such a thing happens here. But such a take has a spotty track record. Dennis Hopper’s unhinged acting in Blue Velvet adds menace to the proceedings. But Nicolas Cage’s Wicker Man turn is absurd and unintentionally funny. The six core actors are all over the top. When Rich rants about how a photo resembles her, it feels more like a silly rant than realistically opining over what’s happening....