Actor George Clooney (1961)

Syriana (2005), an American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir See No Evil. The movie was filmed in over 200 locations across five continents, including the Middle East, Washington D.C., and Africa. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gaghan revealed that the film draws from his personal experiences meeting and interviewing powerful figures such as oil owners, media moguls, lobbyists, ...

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) is a heist comedy directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by George Nolfi. Terry Benedict tracks down all eleven members of Danny Ocean’s crew, demanding the return of the $160 million they stole from his casinos plus an additional $38 million in interest. The deadline for repayment is two weeks. With only half of the money on hand, the group devises a plan to pull off a heist in Amsterdam to avoid trouble with authorities in the United States. A man named Matsui tips them off about the whereabouts of the first ever issued stock ...

Intolerable Cruelty (2003), an American romantic comedy directed by the Coen brothers, follows Donovan Donaly, a TV soap opera producer who discovers his wife Bonnie with an ex-boyfriend. After filing for divorce, Bonnie hires Miles Massey, a renowned divorce attorney known for his ‘Massey pre-nup’ which guarantees airtight prenuptial agreements. As Donaly is left bankrupt from the settlement, private investigator Gus Petch captures wealthy and married Rex Rexroth in a drunken affair with a blonde. When Gus presents the video to Marylin Rexroth, a woman infamous for marrying for money, she demands a hefty ...

Solaris (2002) is an American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Soderbergh and produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau. Clinical psychologist Dr. Chris Kelvin receives a message from his scientist friend Dr. Gibarian, through emissaries for DBA, the corporation running a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. Gibarian asks for Kelvin’s help in understanding an unusual phenomenon, but refuses to disclose further information. DBA is faced with uncertainty about what steps to take next, as ...

Welcome to Collinwood (2002), the American caper comedy film written and directed by Anthony and Joe Russo. The plot follows Cosimo, who gets arrested with Toto while attempting to steal a car. In prison, he meets an elderly inmate who mentions the ‘Bellini’ – a perfect heist that he couldn’t complete due to a life sentence. With hopes of pulling off this elusive crime, Cosimo solicits his girlfriend Rosalind’s help in finding someone willing to take his place in jail for a sum of money. Rosalind and Toto reach out to Basil, Leon, Riley, and ...

The American biographical spy film, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), follows the fictional life of Chuck Barris, who aspired to be a famous television personality. Initially rejected by the women he desires, he moves from Manhattan to become an NBC page, but is ultimately let go. He then becomes Dick Clark’s personal assistant on American Bandstand in 1961, where he writes the hit song ‘Palisades Park’ and becomes involved with Penny Pacino. Eventually, Chuck pitches his idea for The Dating Game at ABC and receives $7,500 to create a pilot. However, ABC ultimately chooses to produce Hootenanny instead. After being ousted from a bar for ...

Spy Kids (2001), an American spy action comedy film, was a collaborative effort between Robert Rodriguez who co-produced, wrote, edited, co-composed and directed the movie. Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez lead a double life as spies while protecting their two children, Carmen and Juni. Their work at the Organization of Super Spies (OSS) usually involves desk jobs but they are called back to active duty when agents go missing. Their prime suspect is Fegan Floop, a children’s TV host who has allegedly turned his victims into ‘Fooglies’, creatures featured on his show that Juni is an avid fan of. In their absence, the children are entrusted to their uncle ...

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Ocean’s Eleven (2001) is a heist comedy film featuring professional thief Danny Ocean. After serving four years in a New Jersey prison, Ocean heads to Los Angeles to reunite with his colleague Rusty Ryan. The two then travel to Las Vegas to seek the financial support of their wealthy friend Reuben Tishkoff. Their goal is to pull off a daring multi-million dollar heist, targeting three of Tishkoff’s rival Terry Benedict’s casinos: the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand. Knowing that the casinos are required to have enough cash to cover all bets placed by patrons, ...

Fail Safe (2000), a televised broadcast play, is based on the Cold War novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. Taking place during the height of tensions between the United States and Soviet Union in the early-to-mid-1960s, an unidentified aircraft approaches North America from Europe. In response, U.S. Vindicator bombers from Strategic Air Command (SAC) are sent to their designated fail safe positions near the Russian Far East. These bombers have strict orders not to continue past their fail safe points without receiving a specific attack code. Although the initial ...

The film O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) is a clever mix of satire and drama, written, produced, co-edited, and directed by the talented duo Joel and Ethan Coen. Three prisoners – Pete, Delmar, and their leader Ulysses Everett McGill – flee from a chain gang in order to find a hidden fortune before the area is flooded. Along the way, they receive help from a blind man on a railway handcar who warns them that their reward may not be what they expect. Seeking refuge at Wash’s home – Pete’s cousin – the trio incurs the wrath of Sheriff ...

The Perfect Storm (2000), an American disaster drama film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, is based on the 1997 creative non-fiction book of the same name by Sebastian Junger. In October 1991, the commercial swordfishing boat Andrea Gail returns to port in Gloucester, Massachusetts with a poor catch. Boat owner Bob Brown mocks Captain Billy Tyne for his ‘cold streak’. Determined to prove himself, Billy convinces the crew to join him for one final late-season fishing trip. They venture out beyond their usual grounds on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, leaving ...

American filmmaker David O. Russell released Three Kings (1999), a darkly humorous war movie based on a story by John Ridley. Set after the Gulf War, it follows a group of bored U.S. soldiers tasked with wrapping up loose ends. To pass the time, they throw wild parties at night. Among them is Major Archie Gates, an Army Special Forces soldier who trades sex for stories with journalist Cathy Daitch. Their escapades are interrupted by Adriana Cruz, a TV reporter assigned to their unit. During a search of an Iraqi officer, Sergeant First Class Troy Barlow and his best friend ...

The Thin Red Line (1998), an American epic war film by Terrence Malick, is the second adaptation of James Jones’ 1962 novel. Private Witt of the United States Army goes AWOL in 1942 and lives amongst Melanesian natives in the South Pacific. However, he is eventually discovered and confined on a troopship by First Sergeant Welsh. Due to his actions, Witt is not allowed to rejoin his unit and is instead assigned as a stretcher bearer for an upcoming campaign. C Company, led by Capt. James Staros, has been called to Guadalcanal to reinforce the efforts in securing ...

Out of Sight (1998) is an American crime comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Scott Frank, adapted from Elmore Leonard’s 1996 novel of the same name. Jack Foley, a career bank robber, is serving time at Lompoc Penitentiary in California alongside his partner Buddy Bragg. During his time there, he befriends Glenn Michaels – a jittery petty criminal who never takes off his sunglasses – and Richard Ripley, a wealthy white collar criminal from Detroit. After Foley saves Ripley from being ...

The Peacemaker (1997), an American political action thriller directed by Mimi Leder, marks DreamWorks Pictures’ first film. During an Eastern Orthodox baptism celebration in Pale, Bosnia, the moderate Bosnian Finance Minister, who had been advocating for peace in the Yugoslav Wars, is assassinated. At a missile base located in Kartaly (Chelyabinsk Oblast), Russia, ten nuclear warheads from a SS-18 Satan ICBM are being loaded onto a train headed for a dismantling facility. However, Russian Army General Aleksandr Kodoroff and his rogue Spetznaz unit take control of the train and transfer nine of the warheads to ...

Batman & Robin (1997) is a film based on the popular DC Comics characters created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. As the last installment of Warner Bros.’s initial Batman series, it follows the dynamic duo as they face off against a new villain, Mr. Freeze. The icy adversary has been causing chaos with his diamond thefts, leading Batman and Robin to a showdown in the natural history museum. During their confrontation, Freeze makes a daring escape with an even bigger diamond, leaving Robin frozen and Batman unable to pursue him. However, as they dig deeper into ...

One Fine Day (1996), directed by Michael Hoffman, is an American romantic comedy-drama film. It follows the story of Melanie Parker, an architect who experiences a rough start to her day when she is running late to drop off her son Sammy at school. This delay is caused by fellow divorced father Jack Taylor, a New York Daily News reporter, who forgets to bring his daughter Maggie to school and is left with no choice but to take care of her for the morning. The children miss out on a Circle Line boat cruise that was part of their school field trip due to their tardiness. Realizing they both have hectic schedules, the ...

From Dusk till Dawn (1996), a thrilling American action horror film, was both directed and written by esteemed filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino. In the opening scene, fugitive brothers Seth and Richie Gecko commit a violent robbery at a liquor store that results in the deaths of a clerk and Texas Ranger. As they flee, they accidentally cause the building to explode. Later on, while hiding out in an inn room, Seth is livid to discover that his brother has killed a hostage they had taken. In another part of town, Jacob Fuller, a pastor struggling with grief ...

ER (1994–2009) is an American medical drama television series created by novelist and physician Michael Crichton. The show aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009, and had a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. Produced by Constant C Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television, ER follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) at Cook County General Hospital in Chicago. Throughout its run, the show tackled various critical issues faced by the department’s physicians and staff. It holds the title of being the second longest-running primetime medical ...