A great,, sensual film about New Orleans and the south...
Storyville has always been one of my favorite films, and now it is finally coming to DVD. It is an interesting and stylish brew, much as if Tennessee Williams was channeled by David Lynch as told to Woodward & Bernstein. The story revolves around Cray Fowler, a young ne'er-do-well scion of old south wealth, played by James Spader, attempting to unravel a family mystery about his father's suicide, the submerged dealings of the past that built the family fortune, and the present day intrigues of his family and his uncle's drive to have Cray Fowler elected a state senator.
Behind all this is a wonderful cast of characters and a standout performance by Joanne Whalley as a district attorney and former live in lover of Spader's character. Whalley does a fantastic, sensuous southern accent, and the relationship between Whalley and Spader is understated, ironic, and high on heat and barely restrained lust. Just great stuff.
The film is helped immensely by filming on location in New Orleans and southern Louisiana, and the visuals really conjure the Big Easy in heat, of summer and otherwise.
A notable supporting role is that of Spader's estranged wife, a dim witted, greedy and vivacious southern debutante type wonderfully played by Justine Shapiro, who went on to wider fame as the host of the Lonely Planet travel series.
Great fun, very sensual and a wonderful and vastly under appreciated film.
Holds one's attention
Essentially the misadventures of a young man (Spader), acting rather stupidly, this mystery drama at least keeps one watching throughout its running time. It's a semi-thriller about a rich, southern young lawyer running for congress, attempting to uncover the web of deceit that has been spun around him by opponents unknown, following off from his father's death. Spader gives a terrific, ultra cool performance as the hotshot lawyer and is given strong support all round, notable from Jason Robards. Director Frost (who worked with David Lynch on the cult TV series, "Twin Peaks") keeps the plot moving along at a moderate pace, but one can't help but think it could have been better if the plot had revolved around something more substantial that Spader's whim.
Talented actors alive and well in "The Big Easy"!
The past is very much alive and not forgotten in New Orleans. This is one theme of this movie. It also provides an insight as to the sordid business of politics in Louisiana. Solid work from James Spader and from some "Hill Street" actors together with a fantastic soundtrack make this film a great one! Do not miss it!
This movie was fun to watch and very witty. James Spader delivers a terrific performance as usual and Leslie Stefanson also does a fantastic job. The remainder of the cast is funny and slightly strange, which also makes this movie enjoyable.
The film is basically about a bank robbery that is thought to have been committed by Det. John Parker (Spader). As the film progresses, however, the audience is led to wonder whether he was really the one who did the crime. Aided by his love interest, Natalie Wright (Stefanson), he seeks to prove that he is not the thief. After some fun twists and turns in the plot, there is eventually a happy and satisfying conclusion to this fast-paced story.
If you are looking for a film that is fun, witty and thrilling, then I highly recommend that you check... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Rowdy Herrington DVD Release Date: Released the 16 December 2003 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Plot is a good thing with this movie. It's entertaining and worth the price of the video/DVD. It's about a couple working together to legally rob his friend. And it's a good idea with a little twist on the ending that's pretty clever. 'The friend' comes out ahead and clean. The Spader Sex is good and it's filmed well with colors that seem dark. The bad thing about this movie is it's dream sequences: they are 100% dumb; I cannot figure out a reason for them. Viewers understand 'the friend' - Spader - the Dream Lover is living a dream...and we can SEE that it's becoming a nightmare, we don't need foolish clowns cut-ins to bop us on the heads and say, "DREAM!" I personaly find it a tad bit unbeliveable that a hot, sweet Sexy Spader would not be the 'dream' of any woman. The female lead in... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Nicholas Kazan DVD Release Date: Released the 01 June 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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This is a by-the-numbers tale of political chicanery and fallen idealism, but it works because of several strong performances. James Spader and John Cusack play law-school pals whose college idealism quickly falls away once they reach the real world. Playing against type, Spader is the straight arrow who goes on to work for the Justice Department. Cusack is the slippery conniver who parlays a job as an aide to an aging senator (Richard Widmark) into a springboard to elective office, all the while cutting corners, compromising his integrity, and breaking rules. For good measure, there's also romantic backstabbing. The film tends to get a shade heavy on the moralizing as Cusack slides further down the slope to outright corruption; Spader practically carries a sign saying, "I have the moral... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): John Cusack - James Spader Director(s): Herbert Ross DVD Release Date: Released the 20 August 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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James Spader looks like the hardest-working man in show business as the busy, comic-romantic lead in this enjoyable "film blanc" (a tongue-in-cheek phrase coined by film critic Andrew Sarris to describe that genre of movies featuring ghosts in love). Spader plays Stevenson Lowe, heir to a highly respected publishing firm that has recently been purchased by a giant media corporation. Though Stevenson has deluded himself into believing the new owners will allow him to maintain creative control over his family's book line, he soon discovers the unpleasant truth. A ludicrous executive (funny work by Buck Henry) is pushing no-brainer tomes about cats and the female fat cell into the spring list, pushing poor Stevenson into the margins of his own company.
His helplessness has a... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Peter Yates DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2000 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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Winner of the Palm d'Or and Best Actor awards at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, sex, lies, and videotape transformed the independent film industry and turned writer-director Steven Soderbergh into the envy of aspiring filmmakers everywhere. Sly, seductive, and coolly intelligent, the movie explores the sexual shenanigans and personal preoccupations of its four central characters, revolving around a selfish lawyer (Peter Gallagher) who responds to his wife by having an affair with her free-spirited sister (Laura San Giacomo). But when the lawyer's college roommate (James Spader) arrives for an unexpectedly extended visit, the neglected wife (Andie MacDowell) is surprisingly responsive to his seductive hobby of videotaping women as they describe their sexual fantasies. It's his way... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): James Spader - Andie MacDowell Director(s): Steven Soderbergh DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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