Barbara Hershey

[3] In this TV movie from producer Irwin Allen (The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno), several inhabitants of a small fishing town debate whether or not their dam is about to break after several weeks of rain. The mayor refuses to believe the town is in danger until the flood waters are upon them. In typical Irwin Allen fashion, we get an all-star (B-level, since …

[7] Michael Douglas stars as a white-collar divorcee who experiences a series of compounding frustrations on the way to his daughter’s birthday party. Eventually, his character snaps and begins reacting violently to every transgression, big or small. Whether it’s being denied a fast-food breakfast sandwich, being stuck in traffic due to a road closure, or being confronted by gang members, Douglas brings the guns out. …

[7] Barbara Hershey plays a single mother who is repeatedly sexually assaulted by an invisible force. I was impressed with how brutal and explicit the attacks are, right down to some creepy special effects that simulate the squeezing of Hershey’s breasts by unseen hands. Though the rapes are supernatural, they’re among the most terrifying I’ve seen on film, due largely to Hershey’s fearless performance. The …

[8] Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, and Frank Whaley play tight-knit German teenagers rebelling against the growing Nazi party by embracing a counter culture of long hair and banned U.S. swing music. But as each of the boys is pressured into joining Hitler’s Youth organization, difficult and deadly decisions are made. Swing Kids is surprisingly dark for a film hiding under a Disney-esque veneer. And …

[8] SPOILER REVIEW: Natalie Portman is incredible in Black Swan, the story of a ballerina who must tap into her ‘dark side’ to play the Swan Queen in a New York City performance of Swan Lake. Portman’s performance is a variation on Ingrid Bergman’s in Gaslight, another psychological thriller where you’re never quite sure if things are really happening or if our protagonist is going …