Actor Danny DeVito (1944)

The One and Only Ivan (2020) is an American fantasy drama film based on the 2012 children’s novel of the same name by Katherine Applegate. Directed by Thea Sharrock and written by Mike White, the film follows Ivan, a gorilla who has spent 20 years as the main attraction at a circus located inside a shopping mall in Central Florida. Alongside his fellow animal performers – wise elephant Stella, spoiled poodle Snickers, spunky chicken Henrietta, toy fire truck-riding rabbit Murphy, anxious sea lion Frankie, and ...

The American fantasy adventure comedy film, Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), was directed by Jake Kasdan. Along with co-writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, Kasdan masterfully crafted a story that follows Spencer Gilpin, Anthony ‘Fridge’ Johnson, Martha Kaply, and Bethany Walker. The group reunites over Christmas break after being away from each other during their first semester of college. However, not everything is as it seems for Spencer, who feels ...

Dumbo (2019), an American fantasy period adventure film directed by Tim Burton and written by Ehren Kruger, is a live-action adaptation and reimagining of Walt Disney’s 1941 animated feature film of the same name. Based on the novel by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, it takes place in 1919 Sarasota, Florida. Equestrian performer and World War I amputee Holt Farrier has returned to his previous employer, the Medici Brothers’ Circus, which is run by Max Medici. ...

Smallfoot (2018), an animated musical comedy, is a joint production of Warner Animation Group and Zaftig Films, and was released by Warner Bros. Pictures. The Yetis reside in a secluded village atop a Himalayan mountain, hidden beyond the clouds. Migo, a yeti who adheres to the ancient law held by their leader, the Stonekeeper, is faced with a dilemma when he becomes distracted by the Stonekeeper’s daughter, Meechee, and misses hitting the gong that ‘wakes up the sun’. During his gong-ringing lessons, Migo spots a plane crash nearby and discovers a human (‘smallfoot’), thought by yetis to be mythical. Despite his efforts to inform the ...

Animal Crackers (2017) is an animated comedy-fantasy film directed by Scott Christian Sava and Tony Bancroft, written by Sava and Dean Lorey and based on the animal-shaped cookie. In 1962, brothers ‘Buffalo’ Bob and Horatio Huntington run a successful traveling circus together, despite their contrasting personalities. After one of their shows, Esmerelda, the circus’ fortune teller introduces her beautiful niece Talia to the brothers in hopes of finding her ...

The Lorax (2012), an animated musical comedy, was created by Illumination Entertainment and released by Universal Pictures. Young Ted Wiggins resides in Thneedville, a city enclosed by walls where all plant life is artificial. His crush on Audrey prompts him to seek out a ‘real tree’ to impress her. His grandmother, Norma, shares the story of the Once-ler, who holds knowledge about the trees’ disappearance. Venturing beyond Thneedville, Ted is met with a barren and polluted outside world. He locates the Once-ler and after multiple visits, convinces him to recount the tale of the trees. On another trip away from town, Ted encounters Aloysius ...

Be Cool (2005) is an American crime comedy film based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name. It serves as the sequel to Leonard’s 1990 novel Get Shorty, which was also adapted into a film in 1995. The story centers around Chili Palmer, a mobster who becomes disenchanted with filmmaking and turns to the music industry following the public murder of his friend Tommy Athens, who owned a struggling record label. Chili offers to help Tommy’s widow, Edie Athens, revive the business which is in debt to hip-hop producer Sin LaSalle for $300,000. ...

Big Fish (2003), directed by Tim Burton and based on the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, follows the life of Edward Bloom. At his son William’s wedding, Edward reminisces about the day Will was born, claiming to have caught a giant catfish with his wedding ring as bait. Growing up, Will often heard these fantastical stories, but never believed them to be true. This caused a rift between him and his father. However, when Edward is diagnosed with cancer years later, Will and his pregnant wife Joséphine visit Edward at their ...

Anything Else (2003) is a romantic comedy film by American filmmaker Woody Allen. Jerry Falk and David Dobel, who bond over their shared profession as struggling comedy writers in New York City, quickly become close friends. While both are Jewish, they have differing beliefs – with David being an atheist. As they spend time together, they discover that they share a multitude of neuroses. Despite the age gap of forty years (with Jerry being twenty-one and David being sixty), they engage in deep conversations about life in the park. Though Jerry writes full-time and is even working on a novel, David still holds onto ...

Heist (2001) is an American heist film written and directed by David Mamet. The story follows Joe Moore, the leader of a team of skilled thieves consisting of Bobby Blane, Donnie ‘Pinky’ Pincus, and Joe’s wife Fran. During a jewelry store robbery in New York City, Joe’s uncovered face is caught on camera as he attempts to distract the store’s last employee. Knowing that both the photo and a witness can identify him, Joe decides to retire from crime and escape with his wife on their sailboat. However, this doesn’t sit well with Mickey Bergman, Joe’s fence who runs a garment ...

Sofia Coppola’s film, The Virgin Suicides (1999), follows a group of men in Grosse Pointe, Michigan as they reflect on their memories of the enigmatic Lisbon sisters. These five teenage girls are a point of fascination and longing for the neighborhood boys, who remember them from their youth. The Lisbon sisters, Therese, Mary, Bonnie, Lux, and Cecilia, were unattainable due to their strict Catholic parents and were often the subject of the boys’ conversations and dreams. After Cecilia’s suicide attempt, her therapist suggests that she could benefit from more social interaction with boys her age. ...

The American legal drama film, The Rainmaker (1997), was both written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It is based on the 1995 novel of the same name by John Grisham. Unlike many other graduates from Memphis State University Law School, Rudy Baylor finds himself without a well-paying job and instead takes on part-time positions at a local bar. In dire need of employment, he meets the bar’s owner, J. Lyman ‘Bruiser’ Stone, who is known for being a ruthless but successful ambulance chaser. After hiring Rudy as an associate, Bruiser explains that ...

Set in 1953 Los Angeles, L.A. Confidential (1997) is a classic neo-noir crime film directed, produced, and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The story follows the LAPD as they work to repair their public image after years of corruption. Sergeant Edmund Exley, known for his ambition and drive, is constantly compared to his late father who was also a well-respected detective. It is believed that his father’s killer goes by the name ‘Rollo Tomasi’, a symbol of all elusive criminals. Meanwhile, narcotics sergeant Jack Vincennes is more interested in chasing fame and collaborating with tabloid journalist Sid ...

Mars Attacks! (1996), an American black comedy science fiction film, was directed by Tim Burton and co-produced by Larry J. Franco. When Earth is suddenly visited by a massive fleet of flying saucers from Mars, President James Dale addresses the nation. Among those following the developing story are talk show host Nathalie Lake and her boyfriend Jason Stone, who try to take advantage of the situation with an interview featuring Professor Donald Kessler, Dale’s scientific advisor. However, their plans are interrupted by a broadcast from the Martian leader. As the ...

Get Shorty (1995), an American gangster comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by Scott Frank, is based on Elmore Leonard’s novel of the same name. Ernesto ‘Chili’ Palmer, a loan shark and movie enthusiast from Miami, faces trouble when his leather jacket is taken by rival mobster Ray ‘Bones’ Barboni. In retaliation, Chili retrieves it and breaks Bones’ nose. However, Bones later tries to ambush him at his office, only for Chili to shoot first and graze Bones’ ...

Tim Burton directed Batman Returns (1992), a superhero movie with a screenplay by Daniel Waters. Set in Gotham City, the film tells the story of two wealthy parents who reject their deformed son Oswald and leave him to be raised by penguins in the sewers. Thirty-three years later, during the holiday season, a powerful businessman named Max Shreck is kidnapped by the Red Triangle gang – a former circus troupe known for abducting children across the country – and taken to an abandoned zoo. The leader of the gang, Oswald (now going by the name Penguin), uses evidence of ...

Director Brian De Palma brought to life Wise Guys (1986), an American dark comedy about two men at the bottom of a Newark Mafia hierarchy. Harry Valentini and Moe Dickstein, an Italian American and a Jewish friend respectively, worked for Castelo by completing mundane tasks like caring for his goldfish or testing bullet-proof jackets. Despite their lowly positions, they had big dreams of opening a unique Jewish-Italian deli. Unfortunately, their boss and fellow gang members looked down on them and often made fun of their aspirations. During a trip to the racetrack with Castelo’s violent henchman Frank ‘The ...

The American action-adventure romantic comedy, The Jewel of the Nile (1985), was directed by Lewis Teague and produced by Michael Douglas, who also took on the lead role. After six months since their original adventures in Romancing the Stone, Joan Wilder and Jack Colton’s relationship had grown dull. While docked at a port in the South of France, Joan – battling writer’s block – yearned to return home to New York, but Jack preferred aimlessly sailing on his boat, the Angelina. At a book signing event, Joan crossed paths with Omar Khalifa, a ...

Johnny Dangerously (1984) is an American crime comedy that cleverly mocks the popular gangster movies of the 1930s. In the film, a pet shop owner catches a young boy stealing a puppy in 1935. Wanting to steer the child away from a life of crime, he recounts a tale through a flashback to 1910. This story follows Johnny Kelly, a poor but righteous newspaper boy in New York City, who is desperately trying to raise enough money for his mother’s surgery. Unfortunately, their family has fallen on hard times since Johnny’s father was put to death and his mother has resorted to doing laundry for others to support her sons. While Johnny’s younger brother ...

Romancing the Stone (1984), a romantic comedy-adventure film, was directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Diane Thomas. The film stars Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, and Danny DeVito. Joan Wilder, a successful yet lonely romance novelist in New York City, sets out to meet her editor, Gloria, after completing her latest novel. On her way, she is given a letter from Mrs. Irwin, her neighbor and the sister-in-law of Eduardo ...