David Caruso

Kirkbride Mental Health Hospital, built in 1871 is being reclaimed as a town hall and renovated after being closed down nearly fifteen years earlier in 1985. Hazmat Elimination Company, an asbestos removal company run by Gordon Fleming (played by Peter Mullan) and his associate Phil (played by David Carusoe), are the first to start on the renovation of the building. The film opens with a lightly humoured tour through the asylum led by Bill Griggs (a cameo by Paul Guilfoyle) as Gordon and Phil get their first glimpse of the aforementioned mad house. Distracted by ghastly rooms and one hallway in particular, Gordon hears a voice call out to him but is snapped back to reality by partner Phil. After the heebie-jeebies have been established cut to a scene of Gordon sitting alone in his truck as he fawns over pictures of his newborn and watches her and his wife as they play out front of their home. This scene is cut short by terrible screams and a haunting feeling that perhaps all is not well in the Fleming household. Now cue Gordon's employees: Hank (played by Josh Lucas), Gordon's nephew Jeff (Brandon Sexton III), and Mike (Stephen Gevedon) a former lawschool student who's father was the district attorney who indirectly led to the closing of Kirkbride through a patient's lawsuit in 1984. As the film glides along with horror stories of old, employee banter, and Gordon's increasingly distant behaviour, Mike finds some old recorded sessions (labeled 1-9) in an office while checking a generator and Hank stumbles upon coins from the 1800's in another part of the building. Mike begins stealing time away from the job to sneak downstairs and listen to the recorded sessions which are centered around patient #444 Mary Hobbes, a patient with multiple personalities. As the week continues Gordon becomes more irritable, Mike continues deeper into the sessions and Hank heads back late at night, for the silver dollar payload, and mysteriously disappears. After Hank's disappearance the rest of the crew becomes more and more edgy as the week continues. Gordon's history with his distant wife comes to light, Phil's anger and impatience with Gordon becomes a factor and all the while Mike gets closer and closer to the end of the sessions with Mary Hobbes. You begin to see the number 444 show more often in the film on rooms and tombstones, and Gordon reveals to Phil that he hit his wife by accident that night after their tour of the asylum. Phil goes to Mike with this news recommending that Gordon could use some time off, all the while unbeknownst to them Gordon listens from around the corner. Just then Hank is found wandering the halls by Jeff. As Jeff runs to tell the others Hank disappears again and the manhunt is on. With flaring tension between Phil and Gordon, Mike and Jeff swimming in a sea of apprehensive paranoia and the manhunt for the missing Hank, the story reaches its climax with a shot of each character alone against the unseen villian. The film is tied together as a replacement employee for Hank arrives for work and searches the seemingly abandoned Hospital for Gordon and the others. Come to the room where Hank lies on the floor still breathing, Phil telling Gordon to wake up , and the arrival of the new employee. It is revealed through flashbacks that Gordon has now killed each one of his employees, nephew, wife and child. The stress of life had caught up with Gordon and after killing the man who had just arrived and realized his deadly misgivings; the film ends with Gordon apologizing to his dead wife on a broken phone and the voice who has been calling to him throughout the film is revealed as Simon, Mary Hobbes' third personality. Simon caps the movies finish as he speaks on the the final recorded session as the one who "live(s) in the weak, and the wounded."

San Francisco Assistant District Attorney David Corelli (David Caruso) is called to the murder scene of prominent businessman Kyle Medford, found bludgeoned to death in his home by an antique hatchet. Police detectives Bob Hargrove (Michael Biehn) and Petey Vesko (Ken King) find photographs in Medford's safe of Governor Lew Edwards (Richard Crenna) having sex with a prostitute, later identified as Patrice Jacinto (Angie Everhart). During questioning, Patrice reveals that other women and she were paid by Medford to have sex with wealthy men at his beach house in Pacifica. She also informs them that the most desired prostitute among the clients was a woman known only as "Jade". In a private meeting with Governor Edwards and aide Bill Barrett (Holt McCallany), Corelli is warned not to make the photographs public. Corelli is then almost killed when his brake line is deliberately cut and his vehicle goes out of control while driving down a steep hill. The detectives find fingerprints on the hatchet belonging to Katrina 'Trina' Gavin (Linda Fiorentino), a clinical psychologist and former lover of Corelli's who eventually got married to his close friend, defense attorney Matt Gavin (Chazz Palminteri). When interviewed at a police station, Katrina explains that Medford gave her a tour of his antique collection on the day in question, but claims that she had nothing to do with his death. At Medford's beach house, Corelli and the detectives find various drugs, alcohol, and sex toys, as well as hidden video cameras. They conclude Medford was recording the sex sessions to blackmail the men. Corelli is shocked to discover Katrina on one of the tapes; the revelation renews the detectives' interest in her as a suspect. Patrice arranges to meet Corelli at a restaurant to discuss Jade's identity, but she is murdered in a hit-and-run attack by an unknown assailant driving a black 1993 Ford Thunderbird. Corelli, witnessing the murder first-hand, chases the assailants' vehicle in vain. The detectives discover the Gavins own a similar Thunderbird, so they suspect Katrina of killing Patrice, but when they find the actual vehicle used in the hit-and-run abandoned, someone appears to be trying to frame Katrina. Katrina is again brought in for questioning and this time is shown the sex tape. Matt, in his capacity as her attorney, ends the interrogation before she fully explains her involvement. When confronted at their home, Katrina admits to her husband that she did have sex with the man on the tape, due in part to her knowledge of Matt's many affairs of his own with various women. Katrina visits Corelli at his apartment and tries unsuccessfully to seduce him. She admits having felt sexually liberated by sleeping with several men at the beach house. Meanwhile, the only witness to identify Katrina at the Pacifica beach house, a man named Henderson, is found murdered. Corelli informs the detectives at the crime scene that Katrina could not have killed Henderson because Corelli and she were together at the time. Back at his apartment, Corelli is met by Matt, who holds him at gunpoint and angrily accuses him of having sex with Katrina. He denies it and persuades Matt that his wife's life is in danger. They hurry to the Gavin home, where Detective Hargrove, Pat Callendar (David Hunt) and governor's aide Barrett have come to kill Katrina and search for the incriminating photos of the governor. Callendar is shot by Matt, but Barrett manages to escape. In the meantime, Hargrove is trying to rape and kill Katrina, but Corelli and Matt arrive and Hargrove is shot and killed by Matt. Corelli goes to Governor Edwards for a guarantee of Katrina's safety by leveraging his possession of the photographs. The governor denies any knowledge of Hargrove or Callendar's actions, but insinuates they were both acting on his behalf. In the final scene, as she gets ready for bed at home, Katrina finds photographs laid out in her bathroom of her having sex at the beach house. Matt admits to Katrina that he was the one who killed Medford, certain that Medford eventually would blackmail them both. He then tells Katrina to "introduce me to Jade" the next time they "make love".

Wayne 'Mad Dog' Dobie (Robert De Niro) is a shy Chicago Police Department crime scene photographer who has spent years on the job without ever drawing his gun; his colleagues jokingly call him "Mad Dog". Detective Pavletz (Anthony Cannata) is Wayne's colleague. Wayne and his partner Mike was called upon at 2 am to cover a car shooting. Wayne finds one dead body in the car and one in the trunk, and determines the shooter's hand to be covered in blood, due to blow backs. Wayne saves the life of mob boss Frank Milo (Bill Murray) during a hold-up in a convenience store (Wayne had gone there to get a Twinkie for Pavletz. it turns out the shooter from the car shooting was jacking the store and Mile happened to be in it and was taken hostage (while the owner of the store was shot), when Wayne walks in). Wayne calms the shooter down and allows him the escape through the back door, saving Milo's life. Wayne leads a lonely life and yearns for some meaningful relationship. Milo sends his guy Harold (Mike Starr) to invite Wayne to his party. Milo tells Wayne that his therapist made him realize that what Wayne did was very brave and compassionate. Milo does his own stand-up comedy act in his club and Wayne is very honest to him and says that maybe he can do a few jokes at his own expense. Milo likes his honesty and says that he always like people when they are upfront and straight with him. he doesn't like sneaky liars. Milo spends the whole night with Wayne, exchanging jokes and Milo learns that Wayne wishes that he was brave, and a real artist. He offers Wayne a gift in return: for one week, he will have the "personal services" of Glory (Uma Thurman), a young woman who works as a bartender at Milo's club. Wayne goes to work and finds that the shooter from the night before is found dead in a dumpster. Wayne sees Milo's hand in it. He comes back home and wants Glory to leave. But Glory tells him that her brother owes Milo and unless he pays up, she is the trade. So, if Wayne sends her back, Milo will add another few months to her trade with him. Wayne is next door neighbor to Lee (Kathy Baker), who is in an abusive relationship with Andrew (Tom Towles), but Wayne is too timid to help her. Mike stands up to Andrew and makes him walk away from Lee without a fight. Wayne learns that Glory is trying to pay off a personal debt (Glory's brother borrowed money from Milo and couldn't pay back. So, Milo took over the business and used it for his illegal ops, and her brother tried to commit suicide. That's when Glory went in, asked Milo to spare his life and offered to serve Milo in any way he wanted) and wants nothing to do with Milo after the debt is paid off. After an awkward start, where Wayne thinks Glory does sex jobs for Milo, but Glory says that she was sexually assaulted one time while doing a job for Milo, but otherwise she only delivers things and what happens is up to her. Wayne tries to have sex with Glory, but fails, as he hasn't had sex in many years. They get talking instead. Glory offers to pose nude for Wayne as his muse, and that's how Wayne is able to have sex with her. Wayne realizes that he is in love with Glory, but Milo comes by and reminds Frank that he has 3 days left with her. Milo also warns Glory not to take advantage of Milo's generosity. Wayne wants her to move into his apartment, but Milo has no intention of letting Glory go. Milo sends Harold to enforce the threat. Wayne's partner, Mike (David Caruso), saves Wayne from Harold and fights him off. Milo asks Wayne to serve him instead of Glory for 1 yr, and pick up his phone whenever he calls, but Wayne cannot give up his integrity either. Milo says that Wayne has to pay $40,000 (he reduces the price from $75,000 since Wayne saved his life) to give Glory her freedom. Wayne has 3 days to give the money or give up Glory. Wayne does not reveal the ask to Glory or to Mike and says that Milo backed off. Wayne empties his bank account and borrows money from his friends (telling them about an investment scheme). When Mike finds out he refuses to help out Wayne as he doesn't think buying Glory from Milo is the right approach. Glory catches Wayne counting cash in the bathroom and figures out the deal. She asks Wayne to save his money and goes back to her apartment as Milo will never let her go. Wayne does his best to get the money but falls short by $12,500. Milo had arrived with his troops to enforce the deal, but Mike shows up with a bunch of cops for the showdown. Knowing that Mike can't protect him, he courageously stands up to Milo himself (He asks Milo to fight him for Glory) and ends up brawling with Milo in the street. Glory intervenes suspecting that Milo might kill Wayne. Seeing that the two are in love with each other, Milo concedes and makes peace with Wayne and lets Glory go with no strings attached.

A cat burglar is forced to steal Da Vinci works of art for a world domination plot. Eddie Hawkins, called Hudson Hawk has just been released from ten years of prison and is planning to spend the rest of his life honestly. But then the crazy Mayflower couple blackmail him to steal some of the works of Leonardo da Vinci. If he refuses, they threaten to kill his friend Tommy. —Harald Mayr <marvin@bike.augusta.de>

The result of an experiment gone awry, Julius is the perfect male specimen who goes looking for his long-lost twin, Vincent, who was left at an orphanage because of his puny form.

In a New York City dance club, a teenage Chinese girl, named Tyan "Tye" Hwa (Sari Chang), meets and dances with a teenage Italian boy, Tony Monte (Richard Panebianco), much to the consternation of the many other Chinese and Italians in the club. Tye's protective older brother, Yung Gan (Russell Wong), and his friends chase Tony out of the club and through the streets. Tony makes it to Canal Street, the dividing line between Little Italy and Chinatown, and thinks he is safe. After some hesitation, the Chinese gang crosses the border and chases Tony through Little Italy. When Tony runs into an alley and finds a locked gate, it looks like he is about to be beaten with bats and chains. Just then, Tony's older brother, Alberto "Alby" Monte (James Russo), and his friends show up. A fight ensues, but police arrive and everyone runs away. The next day, Tye's girl friends encourage her to go back to the club to see if Tony is there. However, Yung Gan tells her to socialize in their own neighborhood or stay home. Meanwhile, Alby comes into the pizzeria where Tony works and tells his brother to stay out of Chinatown. A Chinese restaurant, the Canton Garden, has just opened in Little Italy, replacing an Italian trattoria. A Chinese gang, led by Yung Gan, comes into the restaurant demanding weekly protection money, telling the owner that being in Little Italy does not mean he can avoid the paying the gang. They steal the $150 in the cash register and tell the owner to bring the remainder owed in the morning. However, when they get back to their car, an Italian gang arrives and starts beating them up. An older Chinese man, named Gung Tu (James Hong), tells Yung Gan that he must be patient. Twenty years ago, the Italians "owned" forty blocks north of Chinatown, but now they only "own" three. Gung Tu predicts that in five years, the Italians will be completely gone, but in the meantime, he advises that peace is good for the neighborhood and bloodshed is bad. Yung Gan heeds the advice and tells the other gang members not to fight the Italians or give the Canton Garden owners any problems. That night, as Tye sits on the fire escape outside her family's apartment, Tony comes into the alley and properly introduces himself. He invites Tye to meet him the next night at the 13th street subway station. Tye and Tony go to the Midtown Cat Club (where no one knows them) where they spend the entire night dancing together. The next day, Alby visits Enrico Perito (Robert Miano), a middle-aged businessman, in Little Italy. Perito tells him that the problem with the Chinese will be handled and to stay out of it. That night, a group of Chinese youth throws a bomb into the Canton Garden restaurant. Upset over the damage to people and stores on the block, Alby gets a gun and goes to Chinatown to retaliate. Also angry about the bombing, Yung Gan and the Chinese gang confront the rogue gang members who threw the bomb. The two factions of the Chinese gang get into a knife fight just as Alby and his friends drive up, firing a machine gun. When the Chinese run away, the Italians give chase. Alby gets cut by a Chinese teenager with a knife. Alby's friend, Johnny Mercury (David Caruso), fires his machine gun into all the buildings in the area. The wise elder Gung Tu meets with Enrico Perito, saying they must control their youth. Later, Yung Gan stabs the young man who threw the bomb into Canton Garden. When the man pulls the knife out of his stomach, Alby and a group of Italians come up from behind and stab him in the back, killing him. They hang his body from power lines over the intersection. The next day, Tony and Tye meet for dinner. She worries what will happen if people find out about the two of them. He tells her nothing matters but the two of them and they cannot let others run their lives. That night, they make love for the first time. The next day, Johnny Mercury begins harassing the owner of the Canton Garden, who has a food booth at an Italian street fair. Tony tells Mercury that the Chinese do not deserve to be harassed. Mercury wonders why Tony is suddenly defending the Chinese. Tye and Tony meet in an alley, but Yung Gan and other gang members catch them together and pull a knife on Tony. Two policemen on horseback arrive, telling them to go their separate ways. As they walk back home, Yung Gan slaps Tye in the face. Some Chinese gang members stab Alby in the stomach and he dies in the hallway of his apartment building. At Alby's funeral, Enrico Perito promises vengeance for Alby's death. Tony questions how killing someone else will bring his brother back. After the funeral, Tony stands in front of Tye's apartment building, yelling for her to come to him. She rushes outside into his arms. Yung Gan confronts her, but Tye says she loves Tony. Yung Gan orders her back inside, saying they are going back to Hong Kong, but she refuses. Yung Gan tells Tye she is no longer Chinese. Tye and Tony walk through the streets together, openly showing affection for each other. One of the rogue Chinese gang members shoots both Tye and Tony in the middle of the street, killing both of them.

A drifter returns to his Florida hometown only to discover that his father, the local mayor, was mysteriously murdered during his absence. Vowing to find the killer and avenge his father's death, he starts his own investigation. Returning to the small Florida town where he grew up, Billy Turner (Nelson) learns that his father has been killed. With little help from the police, Billy will take matters into his own hands and go up against a ruthless local mob boss in a desperate search to find the killer. —leopardo_delle_nevi

If you met Ray and Mickey Davis, you'd swear they had a perfect marriage. But if you read Mickey's diary, you'd know that unrest is lurking just beneath the surface. A woman trapped in a boring marriage begins an affair with a handsome man who seems able to read her mind. She doesn't know that he has broken into her house and read her diaries, where she has recorded her deepest thoughts and fantasies. —<paultb@voicenet.com>

A young man joins a training school with dreams of becoming a Navy pilot but struggles with a harsh instructor who is determined to teach him a lesson.

A Vietnam War veteran named John Rambo finds out that an old war buddy died from the effects of Agent Orange and makes his way to Hope, Washington, on foot in the early 1980s. Assuming Rambo is a vagrant, the local sheriff, Will Teasle, takes him to the edge of town and orders him to leave. Rambo is arrested after he turns around and heads back into town. Rambo becomes defiant while being processed at the police station, and Teasle's deputies-led by the cruel chief deputy Art Galt-abuse him, bringing back memories of the torture Rambo suffered in Vietnam. After battling his way out of the sheriff's office, Rambo takes back the knife that was taken from him and runs into the woods. Teasle sets up a search team that includes a helicopter, dogs, and rifles. Galt attempts to use a sniper rifle to kill Rambo from the helicopter while flagrantly disobeying Teasle's orders. The pilot momentarily loses control of the helicopter after Rambo hurls a rock at it. In a gorge below, Galt loses his footing and dies on the rocky rocks. Rambo tries to turn himself in to Teasle, claiming that Galt's death was an accident and that he does not want any more trouble, but he is shot at by the deputies and runs away. Despite learning that Rambo is a Medal of Honor recipient and Green Beret warrior, Teasle keeps looking for him. By employing guerrilla warfare, Rambo defeats every deputy. Rambo corners Teasle, puts a knife to his throat, and threatens him with "a war [Teasle] will not believe" if he does not give up the chase because the deputies are injured and unable to continue. He then withdraws deeper into the forest. Along with Col. Sam Trautman, Rambo's former commanding officer and mentor, the Washington State Patrol and Washington National Guard are sent to help Teasle. Teasle rejects Trautman's advice that Rambo will move on and be able to be arrested anywhere without any problems if he stops. Rambo refuses to surrender when Trautman tries to reach him via radio, accusing Teasle and his deputies of abusing him and saying that they "drew first blood." A National Guard unit encircles Rambo at the entrance to an abandoned mine. Rambo appears to be killed when the guardsmen fire a rocket launcher, destroying the mine entrance, despite Teasle's orders to wait for him. Teasle yells at the guardsman for defying his commands and insists that their commander, Clinton Morgan, unearth Rambo's remains. Rambo, on the other hand, escapes the mine via a ventilation shaft, takes control of a military truck that is loaded with ammunition and an M60 machine gun, and then returns to Hope to exact revenge by causing as much damage as he can. Rambo shoots the sheriff's station, blows up a gas station, destroys a sporting goods store, and cuts off power to most of the town in an attempt to divert the attention of the authorities. Knowing that Teasle is outmatched, Trautman makes another attempt to persuade her to leave Rambo. Perceiving Rambo's outburst as a personal assault, Teasle disobeys Trautman's orders once more and attempts to pursue Rambo on the station's roof. However, Rambo is able to shoot Teasle and cause injuries during a gunfight. Rambo is about to kill Teasle when Trautman shows up and reminds him that he is the last member of his group and threatens to kill him unless he surrenders. Rambo rants about the atrocities of war and his horrific experiences, such as witnessing his friends die in Vietnam, receiving bad treatment upon his return, losing his job, and being forgotten in spite of his sacrifices. Rambo sobs as he describes how a Viet Cong child soldier used a shoeshine box wired with explosives to kill a close friend. Teasle is taken to a waiting ambulance for hospital transport, while Rambo surrenders and is taken into federal custody after being consoled by a visibly distressed Trautman.