Production Company(ies)
Am Psycho Productions, Lions Gate Films, Muse Productions,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Sierra de Organos, Sombrerete, Zacatecas, Mexico
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1990
 

 
Genre(s)
Crime/Mystery & Thriller
 
Keyword(s)
starring Johannes Krisch, Andreas Lust, Irina Potapenko, Ursula Strauss, Johannes Thanheiser, Hanno Pöschl, directed by Götz Spielmann, written by Götz Spielmann, Crime, Mystery & Thriller, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Nicolas Rapold, Ben Kenigsberg, Joshua Rothkopf, Derek Malcolm, Peter Bradshaw, Lee Griffiths, David Harris, Mattie Lucas, Robert Koehler, Emanuel Levy, MPAA rating, produced by Sandra Bohle, Mathias Forberg, Götz Spielmann, Heinz Stussak, Johannes Krisch as Alex, Andreas Lust as Robert, Irina Potapenko as Tamara, Ursula Strauss as Susanne, Johannes Thanheiser as Grandfather Hausner, Hanno Pöschl as Konecny
 

Cast & Crew

Johannes Krisch

Andreas Lust

Irina Potapenko

Ursula Strauss

Johannes Thanheiser

Alex

Robert

Tamara

Susanne

Grandfather Hausner

Johannes Krisch – Alex
Andreas Lust – Robert
Irina Potapenko – Tamara
Ursula Strauss – Susanne
Johannes Thanheiser – Grandfather Hausner
Hanno Pöschl – Konecny
Sandra Bohle – Producer
Mathias Forberg – Producer
Götz Spielmann – Producer, Writer, Director
Heinz Stussak – Producer

 

Götz Spielmann

Götz Spielmann

Sandra Bohle

Mathias Forberg

Götz Spielmann

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Götz Spielmann
 
Writer(s)
Götz Spielmann
 
Producer(s)
Sandra Bohle, Mathias Forberg, Götz Spielmann, Heinz Stussak

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Nicolas Rapold

Ben Kenigsberg

Joshua Rothkopf

Derek Malcolm

Peter Bradshaw

Film Comment Magazine

Time Out

London Evening Standard

Guardian

Little White Lies

REVANCHE
 All Critics (83) | Top Critics (36) | Fresh (80) | Rotten (3)
 “It works because Spielmann has established that we’re not watching belabored dramatic trajectories collide, but an encounter between two people in miles-away mindsets.”
 
 July 1, 2013
 
 Nicolas Rapold
 Film Comment Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ben Kenigsberg
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Joshua Rothkopf
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Gotz Speilmann’s film is well-made, aptly characterised and seems frighteningly true to life.
 
 May 6, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 It has a distinctive sort of Euro-hardcore sheen, mainly due to the superbly lucid, diamond-hard cinematography from Martin Gschlacht.
 
 April 30, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Peter Bradshaw
 Guardian
 TOP CRITIC
 Aided by a terrific performance from Krisch and an exceptional ensemble cast, Revanche is a beautifully crafted psychological thriller that should firmly place Götz Spielmann on the world cinema map.
 
 April 30, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Lee Griffiths
 Little White Lies
 TOP CRITIC
 Revanche has two meanings in German: revenge or a second chance. Both are apt in this beautiful, haunting and touching film.
 
 October 3, 2019
 
 David Harris
 Spectrum Culture
 A slow-burning thriller, both lovely and haunting; hammering home the point that sometimes man’s greatest enemy is himself.
 
 June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Mattie Lucas
 The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
 Revanche proposes a way out for some of its characters and some of the emerging impasses in European filmmaking.
 
 October 2, 2017
 
 Robert Koehler
 Cinema Scope
 Impressive noir film that befits Greek tragedy as it travels deep into sublime territory.
 
 June 18, 2012 | Rating: A-
 
 Dennis Schwartz
 Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
 Austria’s nominee for the Best Foreign Language Oscar is a precise and effective psychological thriler
 
 June 15, 2011 | Rating: B+
 
 Emanuel Levy
 EmanuelLevy.Com
 Here justice moves slowly, and in mysterious ways – and Spielmann’s final reckoning of accounts, though unexpected, is subtly satisfying.
 
 July 13, 2010
 
 Anton Bitel
 Eye for Film…

 

Plot
Michael “Jay” Cochran has just left the Navy after 12 years. He’s not quite sure what he’s going to do, except that he knows he wants a holiday. He decides to visit Tiburon Mendez, a powerful but shady Mexican businessman who he once flew to Alaska for a hunting trip. Arriving at the Mendez mansion in Mexico, he is immediately surprised by the beauty and youth of Mendez’ wife Miryea. Their attraction to each other is undeniable, but Cochran is aware that Mendez is a powerful, vindictive, and very possessive man who does not tolerate betrayal.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The performances in Revanche are described as “terrific” and “exceptional,” particularly that of Johannes Krisch as the lead character Alex.
 

 
Götz-Spielmann.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Independent Film Channel, Channel, Four Fourth Floor Pictures,
 
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Lake James, Burke County, North Carolina, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1990
 

 
Genre(s)
Action/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Sean Connery, Alec Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Joss Ackland, directed by John McTiernan, written by Larry Ferguson, Donald Stewart, Action, Adventure, PG, box office performance, $119.1M, reviewed by Bill Cosford, James Berardinelli, Gene Siskel, Sheila Benson, John Hartl, Peter Travers, Eddie Harrison, Mike Massie, Sarah Cartland, Calum Marsh, Gary Thompson, Tom Clancy novel adaptation, submarine thriller, Cold War, Soviet submarine, CIA agent, innovative stealth technology, defection, suspense, firepower, espionage, political maneuvering, technology, intelligence, patriotism, global message, human drama, technical dazzle, old-fashioned brio, Boys’ Own, low-key approach, magnetic performance, edge-of-your-seat suspense, high-stakes, confined locations, tension ratcheting, underwater canyon, sonar ping, Soviet Union, U.S
 

Cast & Crew

Sean Connery

Alec Baldwin

Scott Glenn

Sam Neill

James Earl Jones

Captain Marko Ramius

Jack Ryan

Captain Bart Mancuso

Captain Vasily Borodin

Admiral James Greer

Sean Connery – Captain Marko Ramius
Alec Baldwin – Jack Ryan
Scott Glenn – Captain Bart Mancuso
Sam Neill – Captain Vasily Borodin
James Earl Jones – Admiral James Greer
Joss Ackland – Ambassador Andrei Lysenko

 

John McTiernan

Larry Ferguson

Mace Neufeld

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John McTiernan
 
Writer(s)
Larry Ferguson, Donald Stewart
 
Producer(s)
Mace Neufeld

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 8 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Best Achievement in Sound Editing Winners, Oscar Nominees, Oscar Winners
 

Top Reviews

Bill Cosford

James Berardinelli

Gene Siskel

Sheila Benson

John Hartl

Miami Herald

ReelViews

Chicago Tribune

Los Angeles Times

Seattle Times

THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER
 All Critics (73) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (9)
 If you liked the Cold War, you’ll love The Hunt for Red October.
 
 August 18, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Bill Cosford
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Coupled with Connery’s magnetic performance, that’s enough to make The Hunt for Red October as watchable today as it was during its 1990 release.
 
 October 8, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 Clancy is known for writing difficult books, but the movie makes plausible a preposterous situation because of Baldwin’s convincing, low-key approach to being a film hero.
 
 February 11, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 You may not be limp from accumulated tension when this hunt is over, but its cautiously upbeat global message leaves a satisfying glow and it operates with a crackerjack premise.
 
 February 11, 2015
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 An exciting techno-suspense thriller with a hollow center.
 
 February 11, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
 
 John Hartl
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Though Hunt shows fitful signs of life, it lacks the human drama of Das Boot, the technical dazzle of The Abyss and the old-fashioned brio of Run Silent, Run Deep.
 
 February 11, 2015
 
 Peter Travers
 Rolling Stone
 TOP CRITIC
 …The Hunt for Red October still makes sense in a Boys’ Own way even if the hopeful world described has long vanished…
 
 May 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 With enough of a corkscrew plot to keep anyone guessing and with plenty of edge-of-your-seat suspense, this high-stakes espionage thriller never misses a beat.
 
 September 14, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 With a chilly majesty to its scale despite its confined locations, this is a supremely confident film with the courage of its convictions as the story slowly and steadily unfolds. 30 years on it still packs a powerful punch, the tension ratcheting.
 
 November 10, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Sarah Cartland
 Caution Spoilers
 It’s to McTiernan’s credit that so much of this is made intense. Every silence on board the Russian sub, whether they’re squeaking through a narrow underwater canyon or sending out a single sonar ping, seems occasion to hold your breath.
 
 October 18, 2018
 
 Calum Marsh
 Esquire Magazine
 the kind of action thriller that is rarely made today-one that emphasizes intellect and logic, intuition and political maneuvering over might and brawn
 
 September 17, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Kendrick
 Q Network Film Desk
 The Hunt for Red October is a happy cinematic event, the first motion picture that allows us to experience the sweaty-palm thrills of the Cold War without worrying that the world will blow up this year.
 
 February 11, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Gary Thompson
 Philadelphia Daily News…

 

Plot
In November 1984, at the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union creates a new nuclear submarine that runs silent due to a revolutionary propulsion system. The Russian submarine Captain, Marko Ramius (Sir Sean Connery), defects. His goal is taking it to the U.S. to prevent the Russians from using it to start nuclear war against the U.S.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about The Hunt for Red October.
 

 
John-McTiernan.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Zentropa Entertainments, Film i Väst Zentropa International, Sweden
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Miramax Films
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1989
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, Laura San Giacomo, directed by Steven Soderbergh, written by Steven Soderbergh, produced by Bobby Newmyer, John Hardy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by tt stern-enzi, David Stratton, Richard Corliss, Variety Staff, Geoff Andrew, Nell Minow, Rene Jordan, Taylor Baker, Milana Vujkov, Matt Brunson, Jennie Livingston, Margaret Pomeranz, R rating, relationships, sex, marriage, lawyer, therapist, videotape, neurosis, human sexuality, ensemble acting, independent film, middle class
 

Cast & Crew

James Spader

Andie MacDowell

Peter Gallagher

Laura San Giacomo

Ron Vawter

Graham

Ann

John

Cynthia

Therapist

James Spader – Graham
Andie MacDowell – Ann
Peter Gallagher – John
Laura San Giacomo – Cynthia
Ron Vawter – Therapist
Steven Brill – Barfly

 

Steven Soderbergh

NA

Bobby Newmyer

John Hardy

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Steven Soderbergh
 
Writer(s)
NA
 
Producer(s)
Bobby Newmyer, John Hardy

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
15 wins & 24 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

tt stern-enzi

David Stratton

Richard Corliss

Variety Staff

Geoff Andrew

WXIX-TV

At the Movies

TIME Magazine

Variety

Time Out

SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE
 All Critics (52) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (2)
 Such a fascinating film…it shows you what happens if people who start out small get to grow in the industry…
 
 March 16, 2021
 
 tt stern-enzi
 WXIX-TV (Cincinnati, OH)
 TOP CRITIC
 I was disappointed. I think it’s been overhyped and I can’t understand why people rave about it the way they do.
 
 February 16, 2018
 
 David Stratton
 At the Movies (Australia)
 TOP CRITIC
 What amazes is that at just 26, Soderbergh displays the three qualities associated with mature filmmakers: a unique authorial voice, a spooky camera assurance, and the easy control of ensemble acting.
 
 December 9, 2011
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a sexy, nuanced, beautifully controlled examination of how a quartet of people are defined by their erotic impulses and inhibitions.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The actors are superb; working from Soderbergh’s funny, perceptive, immaculately wrought dialogue, they ensure that the film stimulates both intellectually and emotionally.
 
 June 24, 2006
 
 Geoff Andrew
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 Still provocative.
 
 June 19, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Movie Mom
 TOP CRITIC
 Demonstrates that it’s not a lack of money, rather intelligence that makes a memorable film. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 June 15, 2022
 
 Rene Jordan
 El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
 Episode 8: Sex, Lies and Predator
 
 August 28, 2021 | Rating: 96/100
 
 Taylor Baker
 Drink in the Movies
 Spader’s truth-fetishist Graham was a harbinger of things to come, as the first of Gen X hit their teens (…) [acquiring] the possibility to interact with the simulacrum.
 
 August 1, 2021
 
 Milana Vujkov
 Lola On Film
 It’s impossible to overstate the importance of sex, lies, and videotape when it burst onto the scene in 1989.
 
 June 16, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 No one is easily let off of Soderbergh’s directorial hook — not his characters, not the audience, not this reviewer.
 
 May 20, 2020
 
 Jennie Livingston
 OutWeek
 [It’s] something that is intensely interesting for most of us yuppies.
 
 February 16, 2018
 
 Margaret Pomeranz
 At the Movies (Australia)…

 

Plot
John and Ann Mullany, a junior partner at a law firm and a housewife respectively, are a young, upwardly mobile couple, who most would deem to have a perfect life. Ann’s outward perfection belies the fact that she is in therapy, dealing with the stress over worrying about global issues with which she has little to no control. She does not see certain things with which she does have control being problems in her life, namely her sexual repression or her disinterest in sex as an activity, that is until it manifested itself in this stress which in turn is having, what she believes, a negative impact on her marriage. What she is unaware of is that, long before her stress began, John embarked on an affair with her sister, bartender Cynthia Bishop, who she doesn’t admire as being too “loud”. John reconnects with a close friend from college named Graham Dalton, who, to John, appears to have lost his way in life in the years that they have not been in touch. Graham, via the method in which he deals with his emotional and sexual problems – which is also believes is being totally forthright to all concerned – has a profound effect on Cynthia, John and Ann, who in turn, especially Ann, have a profound effect on him.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises James Spader’s performance as the “truth-fetishist” Graham, calling him a “harbinger of things to come” for the Gen X generation.
 

 
Steven-Soderbergh.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Forty Four Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Côte d’Azur, France
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1988
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Michael Caine, Steve Martin, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers, Barbara Harris, Ian McDiarmid, directed by Frank Oz, written by Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Mount, Sheila Benson, James Berardinelli, Jonathan Rosenbaum, David Robinson, Variety Staff, Rene Jordan, John Ferguson, Sean Mulvihill, Matt Brunson, David Nusair, Sean Axmaker, PG, con artist, French Riviera, winner-takes-all competition, swindling, deception, comedic jousting, chemistry, Bedtime Story, conman flick, Michael Ballhaus, Dippety-Doo, larceny, physical comedy, Miles Goodman, caustic new gags, effective ending, brightened up script, French resort, lowbrow tactics, duplicitous talents, luxurious coastal resort, fruits of his deceptions, competitor, Freddy Benson, impinge on his own work, get rid of him, confidence, needlessly spun out, implausible, various twists, very physical comedy, pleasant score, wonderfully crafted, charming remake, outrageous behavior, French Riviera, big belly laughs, superb work, measured restraint, unabashed brazenness, bullheaded improvisation, flimflam Olympics
 

Cast & Crew

Steve Martin

Freddy Benson

Michael Caine

Lawrence Jamieson

Glenne Headly

Freddy Benson

Lawrence Jamieson

Janet Colgate

Inspector Andre

Fanny Eubanks

Steve Martin – Freddy Benson
Michael Caine – Lawrence Jamieson
Glenne Headly – Janet Colgate
Anton Rodgers – Inspector Andre
Barbara Harris – Fanny Eubanks
Ian McDiarmid – Arthur

 

Frank Oz

Dale Launer

Bernard Williams

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Frank Oz
 
Writer(s)
Dale Launer, Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning
 
Producer(s)
Bernard Williams

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

John Mount

Sheila Benson

James Berardinelli

Jonathan Rosenbaum

David Robinson

Empire Magazine

Los Angeles Times

ReelViews

Chicago Reader

Times (UK)

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (5)
 Steve Martin does his shtick to perfection and Michael Caine unveils some adroit comic timing in this charming but mediocre comedy.
 
 March 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 John Mount
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Blithe, reasonably witty, with as many story twists as a Riviera roadway, its greatest assets are its glorious look (courtesy of Michael Ballhaus’ exceptional camera work) and Michael Caine, his hair full of Dippety-Doo, his heart full of larceny.
 
 March 13, 2021
 
 Sheila Benson
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Unfortunately, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels isn’t quite clever enough to justify the full 110-minute running length. There’s a point at which it starts to feel like it has overstayed its welcome.
 
 March 13, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 The various twists seem needlessly spun out and implausible, although Martin is allowed to show off his brand of very physical comedy to some advantage, and Miles Goodman contributes a pleasant score.
 
 March 13, 2021
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The writers, Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning, have brightened up their 1964 script in collaboration with Dale Launer with some caustic new gags and a more effective ending; and Frank Oz’s direction keeps the comedy zapping along at a fine pace.
 
 December 31, 2017
 
 David Robinson
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 A wonderfully crafted, absolutely charming remake of the 1964 film Bedtime Story.
 
 December 31, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is much less sadistic, and much more inventan than Bedtime Stories. [Full review in Spanish]
 
 July 7, 2022
 
 Rene Jordan
 El Nuevo Herald (Miami)
 Harmless, knockabout fun.
 
 March 13, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 John Ferguson
 Radio Times
 All these years later Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is still a practically perfect comedy, brimming from scene to scene with outrageous behavior amidst the gorgeous scenery of the French Riviera.
 
 February 1, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Sean Mulvihill
 FanboyNation.com
 Bright performances define this film as much as the big belly laughs.
 
 January 25, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 …a deliberately-paced yet consistently entertaining comedy that benefits substantially from Caine and Martin’s superb work…
 
 December 12, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Wit and culture and measured restraint take on unabashed brazenness and bullheaded improvisation in a crazy cartoon of the flimflam Olympics…
 
 December 16, 2017
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Stream on Demand…

 

Plot
Wealthy native Brit Lawrence Jamieson, living in Beaumont-sur-Mer on the French Riviera, earns most of his money through big cons on wealthy unsuspecting women. With the help of his associates, corrupt Police Inspector Andre, who provides him most of his intel, and his butler Arthur, he pulls scams such as pretending to be a foreign deposed Prince who needs money to finance a secret war to liberate his people. Beaumont-sur-Mer, and thus his world, is invaded by brash American Freddy Benson, another con man whose targets are also wealthy unsuspecting women. Lawrence believes Freddy is the Jackal, a con man whose true identity is unknown, but who is known to be working his way through Europe. While Lawrence works on thousands of dollars per scam, Freddy works only on tens or if he is lucky hundreds of dollars. Lawrence’s efforts to get Freddy out of his territory are unsuccessful, so when Freddy figures out that Lawrence is a con man like he is, he decides to blackmail Lawrence to work under him to learn the art of the sophisticated and thus earn more lucrative con. Eventually, Lawrence and Freddy have a difference in how to operate their joint cons, so they issue each other an ultimatum: the person who is able to con a mark out of fifty thousand dollars first will get the French Riviera as their territory, with the other having to leave forever. Who they choose is naive and slightly bumbling American “soap Queen” Janet Colgate, who has just arrived in the area. The nature of how each tries to get the fifty thousand dollars from Janet changes over time, each needing to play off the other’s con. But their focus may change with more information learned about the situation, as well as some external factors they did not anticipate.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises the “winning chemistry” between Michael Caine and Steve Martin in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.
 

 
Frank-Oz.jpg