Actor Chazz Palminteri (1952)

Arthur and the Invisibles (2006) is a French live-action/animated film directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker Luc Besson. The movie is based on Besson’s children’s book series, which includes Arthur and the Minimoys and Arthur and the Forbidden City. Set in Northeastern Connecticut during the year 1960, the story follows 10-year-old Arthur Montgomery as he lives with his grandmother Daisy on a quiet farm. His grandfather, Archibald, has recently gone missing and his parents are away searching for work. While listening to Daisy’s ...

An American drama film, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006), is based on a memoir written by Dito Montiel. The story follows Dito’s youth in Astoria, New York during the 1980s. In present day (2005), we find Dito living in Los Angeles and working as a successful writer. Upon the urging of his mother, Flori, and friend, Nerf, he returns to his childhood home in Astoria when his father falls ill. The movie shifts between present day and flashbacks of Dito’s memories from the summer of 1986. During this time, Dito meets up with Nerf in a parked car to talk without interruption, since it wasn’t ...

The crime thriller film, The Usual Suspects (1995), directed by Bryan Singer and written by Christopher McQuarrie, follows a group of criminals. One of them, Dean Keaton, is found dying on a ship in San Pedro Bay after a confrontation with a mysterious figure known as ‘Keyser’. The ship is set on fire, leaving only two survivors: Arkosh Kovash, a Hungarian mobster with severe burns, and Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, a con artist with physical disabilities. U.S. Customs agent Dave Kujan flies from New York City to Los Angeles to interrogate Verbal while FBI ...

Bullets Over Broadway (1994) is a comedic, crime-themed film helmed by acclaimed director Woody Allen. It tells the story of David Shayne, an aspiring playwright who moves to New York City in 1928 with high hopes for his newest work, God of Our Fathers. In his search for financial backing, he is persuaded by producer Julian Marx to hire Olive Neal, the girlfriend of notorious gangster Nick Valenti, for a minor role. Despite Olive’s lack of talent and Shayne’s mounting frustration, he finds solace in casting faded star Helen Sinclair as the lead and dieting British actor Warner Purcell. However, complications ...

Oscar (1991) is an American comedy film directed by John Landis. It is a remake of the 1967 French film of the same name, but with a setting in Depression-era New York City. In the prologue, gangster Angelo ‘Snaps’ Provolone promises his dying father to leave his life of crime behind and turn over a new leaf. A month later, Snaps begins his day at his mansion, where he has an important meeting scheduled with prominent bankers. He plans to donate a large sum of cash and secure a spot on the bank’s board of trustees, fulfilling his promise to lead an honest life. As he prepares for this meeting, ...