Actress Maria Bello (1967)

The American sports drama film McFarland, USA (2015), directed by Niki Caro, follows the story of football coach Jim White in his new job at McFarland High School. After losing his previous position due to an outburst that led to a player’s injury, White and his family move to the predominantly Latino community of McFarland, California. Adjusting to their new neighborhood proves difficult and the family laments not being able to afford a home in nearby Bakersfield. White starts off as assistant football coach but ultimately loses his coaching status after pulling injured player Johnny Sameniego from a game, which ...

Big Driver (2014) is an American crime thriller television film based on the novella of the same name by Stephen King, which was published in his collection Full Dark, No Stars (2010). Tess Thorne, a successful crime-mystery writer, receives an invitation to meet her fans at a library in upstate Massachusetts. Despite her fear of flying, she chooses to drive to her engagements rather than fly, even for long distances. During one such event, organized by Ramona, she is offered a quicker route home. However, this route takes her through a remote rural location where her car runs over nail-studded planks on the ...

Prisoners (2013), a thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Aaron Guzikowski, follows the Dover and Birch families as they celebrate Thanksgiving in Conyers, Pennsylvania. The festivities take a dark turn when young girls Anna Dover and Joy Birch go missing after playing near a parked RV. Detective Loki responds to a police call about the vehicle and apprehends its occupant, Alex Jones. However, during questioning, Loki realizes that Alex’s low IQ makes him an unlikely kidnapper and finds no evidence of the girls in his RV. Turning his attention to ...

The Company Men (2010), an American drama film written and directed by John Wells, follows the story of Bobby Walker. When his employer, the publicly held shipbuilding corporation GTX, undergoes downsizing during the recession, Walker finds himself among the many employees who are let go. As a white-collar worker with a high salary and family to support, he struggles to maintain his lavish lifestyle after losing his job. Despite receiving outplacement services from GTX, Walker is unable to secure another corporate position and gradually has to give up luxuries like his country club membership and Porsche. Eventually, he ...

Rebecca Miller’s film, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), follows the tumultuous life of its titular character. Growing up as the youngest and only girl in a large Christian family, Pippa’s childhood was overshadowed by her neurotic mother Suky’s obsessive focus on her appearance. As a teenager, Pippa learns that her mother self-medicates with amphetamines to cope with intense mood swings. Seeking refuge from her dysfunctional family, she moves in with her aunt Trish and her partner Kat, who live in a lesbian menage. However, when Trish discovers Pippa’s involvement in erotic photo shoots ...

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), an American action adventure fantasy film directed by Rob Cohen, is a story about a warlord who becomes the Dragon Emperor and unites China’s kingdoms to form an empire. The warlord then leads a civil war to establish the Qin dynasty and burns books and scrolls in the process. He also orders the construction of the Great Wall of China and buries his enemies’ remains underneath it. In addition, he discovers how to control fire, water, earth, wood, and metal using traditional Chinese elements known as Wuxing. However, fearing that his death will undo all he has ...

The American docudrama disaster film, World Trade Center (2006), was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Andrea Berloff. It portrays the harrowing experience of a team of New York City police officers during the September 11 attacks, when they became trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. Dispatched to Downtown Manhattan on that fateful day, members of the Port Authority Police received news en route that both towers had been hit by planes. Led by Sergeant John McLoughlin, a veteran of the 1993 bombing, a group of volunteers including officers ...

Assault on Precinct 13 (2005), a 2005 action thriller directed by Jean-François Richet and starring Ethan Hawke and Laurence Fishburne, follows Detroit Police Department Sergeant Jake Roenick in the aftermath of a failed sting operation. Struggling with substance abuse, he clings to his mundane position as desk sergeant at Precinct 13, which is set to close down. On New Year’s Eve, Roenick, along with officer Jasper O’Shea and secretary Iris Ferry, are left to cover the shift. When psychiatrist Alexandra Sabian ...

The American satirical black comedy film, Thank You for Smoking (2005), written and directed by Jason Reitman, follows the story of Nick Naylor. As a Big Tobacco spokesman, Naylor relies on ‘research’ from the ‘Academy of Tobacco Studies’, where he serves as vice-president. Despite increasing pressure from anti-tobacco campaigns and declining numbers of young smokers, Naylor remains confident in his job. He meets regularly with his friends – firearm lobbyist Bobby Jay Bliss and alcohol lobbyist Polly Bailey – playfully referring to themselves as the ‘Merchants of Death’ or ...

The film Secret Window (2004) is a psychological thriller featuring Johnny Depp and John Turturro. Written and directed by David Koepp, it is based on Stephen King’s novella Secret Window, Secret Garden. After finding his wife Amy in an affair with their friend Ted, mystery writer Mort Rainey seeks solace in his cabin at Tashmore Lake, while Amy remains in their home. Although they have been separated for six months, Mort has yet to finalize their divorce due ...

NCIS (2003–2024), the inaugural installment in the NCIS media franchise, is an American military police procedural television series. The show follows a fictional team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and seamlessly blends elements from military drama, police procedural, and comedy genres. Recently, CBS had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate the show’s 20-year milestone with an Anniversary Special. Over the years, NCIS has captured the hearts of countless viewers and consistently garnered high ratings for CBS. As we look forward to introducing new shows, titles, and talent on our network, it is with a heavy ...

Payback (1999) is an American neo-noir action thriller film written and directed by Brian Helgeland in his directorial debut. Porter, a career thief and former U.S. Marine, has been shot and betrayed for $70,000. Following months of recovery, he takes matters into his own hands, using a series of petty thefts and short cons to obtain cash, a new suit, and a revolver. He had previously stolen $140,000 from a local Chinese Triad with the help of his partner-in-crime Val Resnick. However, things took a turn when Val manipulated Porter’s wife Lynn into thinking that he was having an affair with Rosie, a call girl he ...

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 ...