Actress Gretchen Mol (1972)

Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014) is a popular American period crime drama created by Terence Winter and aired on HBO. It takes place primarily in Atlantic City, New Jersey during the Prohibition era of the 1920s and features Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, a notorious criminal. Winter drew inspiration from Nelson Johnson’s 2002 non-fiction book, Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City, which focuses on the real-life kingpin Enoch L. ...

Directed by James Mangold, 3:10 to Yuma (2007) is an American Western action drama film. It is the second adaptation of Elmore Leonard’s 1953 short story Three-Ten to Yuma, following the 1957 film of the same name. Set in Arizona in 1884, it tells the story of Dan Evans, a poor rancher and Civil War veteran who is in debt to wealthy Glen Hollander. Following Hollander’s warning by burning down his barn and scattering his cattle, Evans and his two sons set out to find their lost herd. They come across Ben Wade and his gang robbing an armored stagecoach ...

Josef Rusnak’s science fiction neo-noir film, The Thirteenth Floor (1999), takes place in a futuristic version of Los Angeles. The main character, Douglas Hall, is the protégé and heir to Hannon Fuller’s multibillion-dollar computer enterprise. Fuller has just completed a revolutionary virtual reality simulation of 1937 Los Angeles, featuring lifelike computer-generated humans. However, when Fuller is murdered while testing the system, Hall becomes the prime suspect due to overwhelming evidence against him. As doubts about his own innocence begin to creep in, Hall must unravel the mystery behind ...

Sweet and Lowdown (1999), a American comedy-drama mockumentary by Woody Allen, tells the story of jazz guitarist Emmet Ray. Inspired by Federico Fellini’s La Strada, the film follows Ray’s rise to fame in the 1930s with his recordings for RCA Victor. However, after his sudden disappearance from the public eye, Ray’s personal life takes a turn for the worse. He struggles with alcoholism and often shows up late or even misses performances with his quintet. In addition, he indulges in lavish spending, womanizing and pimping. When he’s not focused on music or women, Ray spends his time shooting rats ...

Rounders (1998) is an American drama film, directed by John Dahl, that delves into the underground world of high-stakes poker. Mike McDermott, a gifted player and law student in New York City, has his sights set on winning the World Series of Poker. However, at an underground Texas hold ’em game run by Russian mobster Teddy ‘KGB’, Mike’s confidence leads to him losing his entire $30,000 bankroll in one hand. Determined to focus on school and keep his promise to his girlfriend Jo, Mike turns down mentor Joey Knish’s offer to stake him and instead takes on a part-time job. But when his friend ...

Celebrity (1998), an American comedy-drama film by Woody Allen, follows the story of a divorced couple who take different paths in life. Lee Simon, an unsuccessful novelist who turns to travel writing after his midlife crisis and split from his insecure ex-wife, Robin, a former English teacher of sixteen years. As he navigates the world of celebrity journalism, Lee’s search for purpose is hindered by his constant pursuit of fame and struggles with insecurities and neuroses, causing him to miss out on multiple opportunities. As she moves forward, Robin sheds her numerous neuroses ...

The American drama film, The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997), directed by Stephen T. Kay, is based on a 1950 letter from Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac. Presented as a letter from Cassady’s perspective, the movie explores his life before and after his lover Joan’s suicide attempt. Jumping back and forth between these two time periods allows the audience to see Cassady’s active mind and constantly shifting thoughts. The story begins with Cassady sitting outside Joan’s hospital room on the day of ...

The American crime-drama film, The Funeral (1996), directed by Abel Ferrara, centers around the death of one of the three violent Tempio brothers. As his brothers Chez and Ray mourn his passing, they each cope with their grief in contrasting ways – Ray with a cool and calculating demeanor while Chez’s hot temper flares. Flashbacks reveal that Johnny, although a criminal, had a softer side and was influenced by communist meetings he attended as a spy. The primary suspect in his murder is rival gangster Gaspare Spoglia. Determined to seek revenge, both Ray and Chez make a vow to avenge their brother’s ...