After a stint in prison, Sonny returns to his home in East Texas, determined to repair his relationship with his son. Standing in his way is his brother, who has turned the home into a crumbling meth lab.
Tully Coates, Jr., with his good looks and chiseled body, is the local heartthrob, and while he has a new girlfriend virtually every night, he's incapable of getting close to anyone. His ... See full summary »
The successful life coach Erik Naybor seemingly has everything, but his success covers a dark history, and when his difficult nephew shoots his brother, the challenges starts unfolding.
Director:
Matthew Allen
Stars:
Cary Elwes,
Evan Ellingson,
Illeana Douglas
Rookie lawyer Alec Brno has just been assigned the case of his career: exposing a billion-dollar oil scam led by a ruthless mafia boss. When he reluctantly falls for the gangster's ... See full summary »
A just paroled white neo-nazi and his ruthless girlfriend kill a cop and take an African-American family hostage. Meanwhile the supremacist leader who oversees his criminal empire from behind bars, is not happy. Inspired by real events.
A subversive tale that interlaces five stories set in Los Angeles, where no taboo is left unexplored as each character careens toward a dark and often comic fate.
Drama based on a true story. Rich, high-flying brothers Robert and Andrew Kissel seemingly have everything: beautiful wives who love them, great jobs and huge houses. But beneath the ... See full summary »
ADA Alexandra Cabot from "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" returns as the bureau chief for the group of young ADAs. According to Dick Wolf, "'Conviction' will be a 'charactercedural,' we ... See full summary »
Stars:
Eric Balfour,
Jordan Bridges,
Milena Govich
The story follows a married couple, apart for a night while the husband takes a business trip with a colleague to whom he's attracted. While he's resisting temptation, his wife encounters her past love.
Director:
Massy Tadjedin
Stars:
Keira Knightley,
Sam Worthington,
Eva Mendes
Set during the true and unconscionable Central Intelligence Agency MK ULTRA drug experimentations in the early 1960s, MIDNIGHT CLIMAX follows the journey of Ford Strauss, a brilliant ... See full summary »
Director:
Joseph Sorrentino
Stars:
Anson Mount,
Jaime Ray Newman,
Jason Patric
A lonesome stranger, secure, nerves of steel, must track down and kill a rogue Hitman to satisfy an outstanding debt. But the only information he's been given is a time and location where ... See full summary »
Director:
Nick Stagliano
Stars:
Abbie Cornish,
Anthony Hopkins,
Anson Mount
After a stint in prison, Sonny returns to his home in East Texas, determined to repair his relationship with his son. Standing in his way is his brother, who has turned the home into a crumbling meth lab.
Cook County premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. This excellent feature from first time writer/director David Pomes provides a disturbing look at the horrors of Meth addiction which, until now, has been mostly chronicled - if at all - in documentary films. There have been many excellent features on the highly cinematic issue of drug addiction including to name, but a few of the very best, Leaving Las Vegas, Trainspotting, and Requiem for a Dream. Cook County, while not quite as good as these classics, falls into their tradition.
One reason that Meth addiction seems to be underreported in the media and rarely seen on screen is that it is a problem of rural America. American films are mostly set in urban and suburban areas and often seem to be barely aware of the existence, much less the difficulties and complexities of life in rural America.
The story is a powerful one of a family in the complete meltdown of Meth addiction. The affect of the family crisis on the 6-year-old little girl are particularly disturbing to watch. The script is excellent. The characters and their relationships to each other are well-developed. The acting is excellent - particularly Ryan Donowho is particularly good.
The scenes of the characters using Meth that show how it affects their behavior and judgment are compelling and very believable. There are a few places where elements of the plot are left ambiguous and its difficult to tell if the confusion is the result of poor editing or intentional ambiguity. But these flaws are minor and ultimately unimportant.
This is an important film and it deserves wider distribution since so many people are unaware of the dangers of Meth addiction.
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Cook County premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in Austin, TX. This excellent feature from first time writer/director David Pomes provides a disturbing look at the horrors of Meth addiction which, until now, has been mostly chronicled - if at all - in documentary films. There have been many excellent features on the highly cinematic issue of drug addiction including to name, but a few of the very best, Leaving Las Vegas, Trainspotting, and Requiem for a Dream. Cook County, while not quite as good as these classics, falls into their tradition.
One reason that Meth addiction seems to be underreported in the media and rarely seen on screen is that it is a problem of rural America. American films are mostly set in urban and suburban areas and often seem to be barely aware of the existence, much less the difficulties and complexities of life in rural America.
The story is a powerful one of a family in the complete meltdown of Meth addiction. The affect of the family crisis on the 6-year-old little girl are particularly disturbing to watch. The script is excellent. The characters and their relationships to each other are well-developed. The acting is excellent - particularly Ryan Donowho is particularly good.
The scenes of the characters using Meth that show how it affects their behavior and judgment are compelling and very believable. There are a few places where elements of the plot are left ambiguous and its difficult to tell if the confusion is the result of poor editing or intentional ambiguity. But these flaws are minor and ultimately unimportant.
This is an important film and it deserves wider distribution since so many people are unaware of the dangers of Meth addiction.