Corrente, Michael

Outside Providence

Outside Providence was written by the Farrelly Brothers, known for the outrageous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary. On the surface, Outside Providence seems to be of the same ilk--there's a three-legged, one-eyed dog, physical humor with a kid in a wheelchair, and a character nicknamed Jiz, among other things. But despite all that, the movie is an almost-gentle coming-of-age comedy, something like a suburban New England Amarcord with a lot of unrepentant drug humor. The plot doesn't sound promising: pothead Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to prep school by his father (Alec Baldwin), who wants to keep him out of trouble. But a fair amount of smoking and boozing goes on at that school, too, despite the watchful eye of the administrators. Dunphy also falls for Jane (Amy Smart), a richer and smarter girl whom he wins over. All this could just as easily be the plot of some mediocre Porky's rip-off, but the Farrelly Brothers' script has the grit of real experience, while the direction (by Michael Corrente) and acting carefully avoid smirks and easy gags; the movie is funnier for it. Baldwin initially seems miscast, but over the course of the film delivers a solid performance; Hatosy and Smart are sincere and unaffected. The result is a low-key, modest, but genuinely affecting movie about surmounting class differences and coping with loss--that also has a lot of jokes that push the boundaries of political correctness. Quite a balancing act. --Bret Fetzer

From the hit-making Farrelly Brothers -- the guys who brought you THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY -- OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE stars Alec Baldwin (THE EDGE, MERCURY RISING) in an outrageously funny story about a kid who's grown up with nothing but a broken home, a three-legged dog, and a full-blown attraction to trouble! Everything changes for Timothy Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy -- ANYWHERE BUT HERE, THE FACULTY), however, when he crashes into a parked police car ... prompting his loudmouthed old man (Baldwin) to ship him from their blue-collar town to a snobbish prep school! But even though he's out of place, outclassed, and seriously outnumbered, nothing could have prepared Tim's new classmates for him! Also featuring Amy Smart (VARSITY BLUES), George Wendt (TV's CHEERS), and a great soundtrack of '70s hits, this acclaimed hit brings you more of the sidesplitting laughs you expect from a Farrelly Brothers comedy!

A Shot at Glory

Brooklyn Rules

If Brooklyn Rules, a tale about a trio of good fellas making their way through the mean streets of that New York borough, just happens to remind you of the work of Martin Scorsese, you're not the only one. But even if it's not the most original film in cinematic history, director Michael Corrente's 2007 effort is entertaining enough to hold one's attention for most of its 99 minute running time. Michael (Freddie Prinze Jr., who also supplies the voice-over narration), Bobby (Jerry Ferrara, Entourage's Turtle), and Carmine (Scott Caan, son of James) are the kind of punks who stole money from the church collection plate when they were Catholic schoolboys. Cut to the 1980s, when they're in their twenties, still close pals but following divergent paths: Michael, a smart, ambitious Columbia undergrad, plans to become a lawyer, while nerdy skinflint Bobby ("You're so cheap, if you saw a sign that said 'free slaps in the face,' you'd be the first in line," says Mike) hopes to land a gig at the post office, and the narcissistic Carmine is falling in with the wrong crowd, courtesy of Caesar Manganaro (Alec Baldwin), a captain in the Gambino crime family. Needless to say, conflicts ensue, as Michael scores a WASP girlfriend (an underused Mena Suvari), a mob war breaks out (based on real events, including the murder of big boss Paul Castellano and the ascension of John Gotti), violence strikes tragically close to home, and the f-word is employed liberally. Corrente does a nice job of evoking an era in which Billy Idol and Culture Club ruled the airwaves and Cabbage Patch Dolls were all the rage; and writer Terence Winter, a veteran of The Sopranos, has an ear for colorful, pithy dialogue ("That cardigan makes you look like the Italian Fred MacMurray"… "Depressed? She wouldn't be happy sitting in the lap of Jesus"). But a largely unsatisfying ending underscores the fact that Brooklyn Rules is nothing to go to the mattresses for. Extras including commentary by Corrente and Winter and a video accompanying the Rolling Stones' "Sympathy for the Devil," which is featured on the soundtrack. --Sam Graham

A gripping tale of three life-long friends struggling with relationships responsibility and loyalty on the mean streets of 1980 s-era Brooklyn NY. When the violent influence of the mafia becomes a factor in their friendship lives will be threatened as the fond memories of the past begin to give way to a potentially grim future.Produced and directed by Michael Corrente (Outside Providence American Buffalo) and written by Emmy Award Winning writer Terence Winter (The Sopranos)System Requirements:Run Time: 99 minutes Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 897246001041

American Buffalo

Two-time Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman and two-time Emmy winner Dennis Franz ("NYPD Blue") deliver tour-de-force performances as volatile small-time hustlers in this edgy electrifying story of trust betrayal and loyalty gone dangerously awry. American Buffalo is a riveting study in human virtue and vulnerability from Pulitzer Prize-winning writer David Mamet (Wag the Dog The Edge The Untouchables) and director Michael Corrente.For down-and-out junk dealer Don (Franz) life goes from unlucky to unbearable when he discovers that the rare buffalo head nickle he just sold for $90 is worth ten times as much! Refusing to let himself be out-swindled Don enlists the help of a young protege (Nelson) in a scheme to steal the coin back. But their plans are suddenly altered by the intrusion of Teach (Hoffman) a disturbingly aggressive would-be thief who badgers Don into cutting him in on the heist - a decision that carries explosive consequences for everyone involved.System Requirements:Starring: Dustin Hoffman Dennis Franz and Sean Nelson. Directed By: Michael Corrente. Running Time: 93 Min. Color. This film is presented in "Widescreen" format. Copyright 2000 MGM Studios.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 027616857651 Manufacturer No: 1001445

David Mamet's hit play from the 1970s has made it to the screen with its grim humor intact. The story of a robbery that never actually happens, the three-character drama focuses on a set of small-timers looking for a big score: Donny (Dennis Franz), who runs a junk shop; his jittery young assistant, Bobby (Sean Nelson); and Teach (Dustin Hoffman), a card-playing pal of Donny's with a nose for a shifty deal. Donny has accidentally sold a rare buffalo-head nickel to a customer not realizing what it's worth, and so he and Bobby are planning to steal it back--and Teach wants a piece of the job. Mamet's trademark testosterone-fueled jabber is less about crime than about the ways men talk to--and at--each other. Hoffman is grungily appealing as a guy who always goes a step too far, while Franz brings a quiet power to his role as a man who always knows more than he says. --Marshall Fine

Outside Providence

Outside Providence was written by the Farrelly Brothers, known for the outrageous comedies Dumb and Dumber, Kingpin, and There's Something About Mary. On the surface, Outside Providence seems to be of the same ilk--there's a three-legged, one-eyed dog, physical humor with a kid in a wheelchair, and a character nicknamed Jiz, among other things. But despite all that, the movie is an almost-gentle coming-of-age comedy, something like a suburban New England Amarcord with a lot of unrepentant drug humor. The plot doesn't sound promising: pothead Tim Dunphy (Shawn Hatosy) gets sent to prep school by his father (Alec Baldwin), who wants to keep him out of trouble. But a fair amount of smoking and boozing goes on at that school, too, despite the watchful eye of the administrators. Dunphy also falls for Jane (Amy Smart), a richer and smarter girl whom he wins over. All this could just as easily be the plot of some mediocre Porky's rip-off, but the Farrelly Brothers' script has the grit of real experience, while the direction (by Michael Corrente) and acting carefully avoid smirks and easy gags; the movie is funnier for it. Baldwin initially seems miscast, but over the course of the film delivers a solid performance; Hatosy and Smart are sincere and unaffected. The result is a low-key, modest, but genuinely affecting movie about surmounting class differences and coping with loss--that also has a lot of jokes that push the boundaries of political correctness. Quite a balancing act. --Bret Fetzer

Federal Hill

A Shot at Glory

Brooklyn Rules

A Shot at Glory [Region 2]

American Buffalo [Region 2]

David Mamet's hit play from the 1970s has made it to the screen with its grim humor intact. The story of a robbery that never actually happens, the three-character drama focuses on a set of small-timers looking for a big score: Donny (Dennis Franz), who runs a junk shop; his jittery young assistant, Bobby (Sean Nelson); and Teach (Dustin Hoffman), a card-playing pal of Donny's with a nose for a shifty deal. Donny has accidentally sold a rare buffalo-head nickel to a customer not realizing what it's worth, and so he and Bobby are planning to steal it back--and Teach wants a piece of the job. Mamet's trademark testosterone-fueled jabber is less about crime than about the ways men talk to--and at--each other. Hoffman is grungily appealing as a guy who always goes a step too far, while Franz brings a quiet power to his role as a man who always knows more than he says. --Marshall Fine