 Aeon Flux 2005  PG-13, 95 min.
Genre: Action / Sci-Fi
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Charlize Theron, Marton Csokas, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Okonedo, Frances McDormand, Pete Postlethwaite, Amelia Warner, Caroline Chikezie, Nikolai Kinski, Paterson Joseph
It is 400 years into the future, and disease has taken most of Earth's population. But humans do survive in the city-state of Bregna where the leader of a rebellion, Handler (Frances McDormand), sends Aeon Flux (Charlize Theron) on a mission to assassinate a government leader.
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 Almost Famous 2000  R, 124 min.
Genre: Drama / Musical
Director: Cameron Crowe
Cast: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson, Jason Lee, Patrick Fugit, Anna Paquin, Fairuza Balk, Noah Taylor, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Zooey Deschanel, Michael Angarano, John Fedevich, Liz Stauber, Jimmy Fallon, Mark Kozelek
In the early 1970s, aspiring journalist, San Diego high school student William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is given the choice assignment of writing a "Rolling Stone" article about the rising rock band Stillwater. William joins the band's "Almost Famous" tour, befriends guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) and lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee), falls in love with "band aid" Elaine (Kate Hudson), and sees the real world. But throughout his assignment, William's mother (Frances McDormand) calls him often and warns him to stay away from drugs. The film won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay; both Kate Hudson and Frances McDormand were nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
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 Beyond Rangoon 1995  R, 99 min.
Genre: Drama / Adventure
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Patricia Arquette, Frances McDormand, Spalding Gray, U Aung Ko, Adelle Lutz, Tiara Jacquelina, Victor Slezak, Kuswadinath Bujang, Jit Murad, Ye Myint, Cho Cho Myint, Johnny Cheah, Haji Mohd Rajoli, Azmi Hassan, Ahmad Fithi
An American, Dr. Laura Bowman (Patricia Arquette), takes a terrifying trip into the heart of darkness when she becomes stranded in Burma. Her husband and sons have been murdered, and, as therapy, Laura has joined her sister Andy (Frances McDormand) on a tour of Southeast Asia. Political demonstrations erupt while they are in Burma, and Andy is able to leave the area; however, Laura remains behind after losing her passport. Laura meets a former professor (U Aung Ko) who offers to help her escape to Thailand, but many problems lie ahead on their journey.
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Blood Simple 1984 R, 96 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, M. Emmet Walsh, Samm-Art Williams, Deborah Neumann, Raquel Gavia, Van Brooks, Senor Marco, William Creamer, Loren Bivens, Bob McAdams, Shannon Sedwick, Nancy Finger, William Preston Robertson
Wealthy Texas bar owner Julian Marty (Dan Hedaya) hires private detective Loren Visser (M. Emmet Walsh) to stalk and then kill his wife Abby (Frances McDormand) and her lover Ray (John Getz) who is one of Julian's bartenders. However, the job does not prove as easy as was initially thought, and Visser runs into more than a few problems accomplishing his assignment.
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Burn After Reading 2008  R, 96 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast: George Clooney, Frances McDormand, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Richard Jenkins, David Rasche, J.K. Simmons, Olek Krupa, Michael Countryman, Kevin Sussman, J.R. Home, Hamilton Clancy, Armand Schultz, Jeffrey DeMunn
Ex-CIA analyst Osborne Cox's (John Malkovich) wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) has turned over to her lawyer the CD on which Osborne had listed his finances and his memoirs of days as a government spook. Katie is in love with Harry (George Clooney) and wants the CD to be used as evidence when she divorces Osborne. But, the lawyer loses the CD, and it turns up in the hands of health club workers Chad Feldheimer and Linda Litzke (Brad Pitt and Frances McDormand) who decide to enter the game of blackmail and turn the CD into cash.
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The Butcher's Wife 1991  PG-13, 104 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Terry Hughes
Cast: Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels, George Dzundza, Mary Steenburgen, Frances McDormand, Margaret Colin, Max Perlich, Miriam Margolyes, Diane Salinger, Christopher Durang
Marina (Demi Moore) is a psychic from North Carolina who marries a New York City butcher (George Dzundza) because she thinks he is the one she is destined to marry.
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Chattahoochee 1990  R, 98 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Mick Jackson
Cast: Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Ned Beatty, William DeAcutis, Dennis Hopper, Pamela Reed, M. Emmet Walsh, Lee Wilkof, Gary Howard Klar, Matt Craven
Based on a true story, this film is about the inhumane treatment patients in mental hospitals endured in the 1950s.
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City by the Sea 2002 R, 108 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Cast: Robert De Niro, Frances McDormand, James Franco, Eliza Dushku, William Forsythe, George Dzundza, Patti LuPone, Anson Mount, John Doman, Brian Tarantina, Drena DeNiro
A NYC cop, Vincent LaMarca (Robert De Niro), re-enters his junkie son Joey's (James Franco) life after Joey is implicated in a murder. Because Vincent's own father was executed for kidnap and murder years earlier, Vincent questions whether murder could be a family legacy. 1 User Review
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| | i like | ellie 03/05/2007 | | it was realy good |
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Crimewave 1985 PG-13, 83 min.
Genre: Comedy
aka: Broken Hearts and Noses
The XYZ Murders
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Louise Lasser, Paul L. Smith, Brion James, Sheree J. Wilson, Edward R. Pressman, Bruce Campbell, Antonio Fargas, Frances McDormand, Julius Harris, Richard Bright, Reed Birney, John Hardy
You have to watch closely to have any chance of understanding this one, which involves flashbacks by a Nerd framed for a murder while he sits in the electric chair.
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Darkman 1990 R, 95 min.
Genre: Action / Horror / Sci-Fi
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake, Nelson Mashita, Jesse Lawrence Ferguson, Nicholas Worth, Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi, Jenny Agutter
Darkman (Liam Neeson) is transformed from a mild-mannered scientist into a superhero who avenges his accidental disfigurement by doing away with those responsible. Sequels follow.
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 Fargo 1996  R, 98 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare, Steve Reevis, Kristin Rudrud, John Carroll Lynch, Tony Denman, Gary Houston, Warren Keith, Larry Brandenburg, Bruce Bohne
This film by Joel and Ethan Coen is based on actual events that took place in Fargo, ND. Car salesman Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy) plots to have his wife (Kristin Rudrud) kidnapped so he can collect the ransom from his wealthy father-in-law (Harve Presnell). Frances McDormand won an Oscar as Best Actress for her role as the pregnant policewoman. An Oscar also went to the Coens for Writing, and five other nominations were received, including Best Picture, Director, and Supporting Actor (William H. Macy).
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Friends with Money 2006 R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, Greg Germann, Simon McBurney, Jason Isaacs, Scott Caan, Ty Burrell, Bob Stevenson, Romy Rosemont, Timm Sharp, Hallie Foote, Mitch Rouse
High-school teacher Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) quits her job and goes to work as a maid. Her action causes much concern among her friends who are wealthy, married couples–millionaire Frannie (Joan Cusack) and Matt (Greg Germann), fashion designer Jane (Frances McDormand) and Aaron (Simon McBurney), and scriptwriter Christine (Catherine Keener) and David (Jason Isaacs). Although her friends pity Olivia, will their money really buy happiness for any of them?
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 Hidden Agenda 1990 R, 108 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Ken Loach
Cast: Frances McDormand, Brian Cox, Brad Dourif, Mai Zetterling, Bernard Bloch, Des McAleer, Jim Norton, Patrick Kavanagh, Bernard Archard, Maurice Roeves
Set in the war-like environment of Northern Ireland in the early 1980s, this thriller follows a British investigator (Brian Cox) and an international amnesty group activist (Frances McDormand). They investigate possible cover-ups at Britain's highest level that have also resulted in murder. Good performances make this worth a look.
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Hidden in America 1996 PG-13, 96 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Martin Bell
Cast: Beau Bridges, Bruce Davison, Shelton Dane, Alice Krige, Jena Malone, Josef Sommer, Frances McDormand, Jeff Bridges, Allegra Denton, Nicky Guadagni, Liisa Repo-Martell, James Kidnie
Bill Januson (Beau Bridges) has lost his job at the factory, and now his wife has died of cancer. It is difficult to get needed food and medical treatment, but Bill's pride will not allow him to accept financial assistance. He is determined to prove to his children that they can and will survive on their own.
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Johnny Skidmarks 1998 R, 96 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: John Raffo
Cast: Peter Gallagher, Frances McDormand, John Lithgow, John Kapelos, Jack Black, Geoffrey Lower, Charlie Spradling, Lee Arenberg, David Doty, Michael Beach
Johnny Scardino (Peter Gallagher) is a police crime photographer by day; at night he gets pictures of illicit lovers in a motel room for later blackmailing. Then the bodies of his cohorts in the blackmail scheme start turning up–and it's not a pretty sight. Johnny is soon the only one left, and nobody can be trusted.
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 Laurel Canyon 2002 R, 101 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Cast: Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone, Alessandro Nivola, Lou Barlow, Russell Pollard, Imaad Wasif, Mickey Petralia, Melissa De Sousa
Jane (Frances McDormand), a Los Angeles record producer, has been enjoying houseguests in her Laurel Canyon home. The guests–a British rock band including her boyfriend, Ian (Allessandro Nivola), who is the band's young lead singer–partake in more than a few pot and poolside parties. When Jane's son Sam (Christian Bale) and wife Alex (Kate Beckinsale)–both recent graduates of Harvard Medical School–arrive for a visit, Sam is disturbed by his mother's lifestyle, but Alex is intrigued by this unfamiliar environment.
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Lone Star 1996 R, 136 min.
Genre: Mystery
Director: John Sayles
Cast: Kris Kristofferson, Chris Cooper, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Morton, Elizabeth Pena, Clifton James, Tony Plana, Frances McDormand, Gordon Tootoosis, Stephen Lang
Forty years ago Sheriff Charley Wade (Kris Kristofferson) controlled the Mexican/American border, and now his skeletal remains are found out in the arid Texas desert. The current sheriff, Sam Deeds (Chris Cooper), wants to solve the apparent murder. In the process, he examines the past and falls in love with the girl (Elizabeth Pena) he adored years before. This film is filled with clever plot twists that will keep the viewer's interest.
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Madeline 1998 PG, 89 min.
Genre: Family
Director: Daisy von Scherler Mayer
Cast: Frances McDormand, Nigel Hawthorne, Hatty Jones, Ben Daniels, Stephane Audran, Arturo Venegas, Chantal Neuwirth, Kristian de la Osa, Clare Thomas, Bianca Strohmann
Set in mid-1950s Paris, this film is based on Ludwig Bemelman's popular children's books about the young girls residing at a girls' school run by Miss Clavel (Frances McDormand). The redheaded Madeline (Hatty Jones) is usually in the middle of problems encountered, and this time is no exception as Miss Clavel deals with the possible forced closing of her school.
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 The Man Who Wasn't There 2001 R, 116 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Billy Bob Thornton, Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, James Gandolfini, Scarlett Johansson, Katherine Borowitz, Jon Polito, Richard Jenkins, Tony Shalhoub, Christopher Kriesa
Set in Santa Rosa after World War II, this drama revolves around Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) who is married to Doris (Frances McDormand) and working in his brother-in-law Frank's (Michael Badalucco) barbershop. Ed suspects that Doris is having an affair with her boss, Big Dave Brewster (James Gandolfini). When Ed becomes intrigued by a get-rich scheme, he uses his suspicion to blackmail Big Dave for the $10,000 he needs for the venture. That marks the beginning of many twists and turns in this crime story.
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Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day 2008 PG-13, 92 min.
Genre: Comedy / Romance
Director: Bharat Nalluri
Cast: Frances McDormand, Amy Adams, Shirley Henderson, Lee Pace, Ciaran Hinds, Clare Clifford, Beatie Edney, Christina Cole, Stephanie Cole, Sarah Kants, Tom Payne, Matt Ryan, Mark Strong, Tim Potter, Katy Murphy
This comedy of manners, set in London during 1939, features Frances McDormand as down-on-her-luck governess Miss Guinevere Pettigrew who steals a listing and takes the job of working for American actress and singer Delysia (Amy Adams). Miss Pettigrew begins her 24 hours of managing Delysia's life–especially her men who include Michael (Lee Pace), Phil (Tom Payne), and Nick (Mark Strong). Will Miss Pettigrew be able to solve Delysia's love-life problems and find a good direction for her own life as well?
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Mississippi Burning 1988 R, 127 min.
Genre: Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Director: Alan Parker
Cast: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif, R. Lee Ermey, Gailard Sartain, Stephen Tobolowsky, Michael Rooker, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Badja Djola, Frankie Faison, Kevin Dunn, Tom Mason, Geoffrey Nauffts, Rick Zieff
This is a very good film about three civil rights workers who were killed in Mississippi during the height of racial problems of the 1960s. FBI agents Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Anderson (Gene Hackman), with different backgrounds, arrive to investigate. They overcome their differences and work together, and information from the town sheriff's wife (Frances McDormand) helps in solving the case. The film won an Oscar for Best Cinematography and was nominated for six others, including Best Picture, Actor (Hackman), Supporting Actress (Frances McDormand) and Director.
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 North Country 2005 R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Niki Caro
Cast: Charlize Theron, Elle Peterson, Thomas Curtis, Frances McDormand, Sean Bean, Woody Harrelson, Jeremy Renner, Richard Jenkins, Sissy Spacek, James Cada, Rusty Schwimmer, Linda Emond
Very loosely based on a 1980s' legal case, this is the story of Josey Ames (Charlize Theron) who had left her husband, moved in with her parents (Richard Jenkins and Sissy Spacek), and found work in the Minnesota Iron Range. But hazing, pornographic violence, and sexual threats appear to be the order of the day for the women who are outnumbered by the men in the mines. Josie endures abuse until she hires a lawyer (Sean Bean) to sue for sexual harassment, which marked the first successful case of its kind in the United States. Charlize Theron received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and Frances McDormand was nominated for Best Supporting Actress.
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Palookaville 1996 R, 92 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Alan Taylor
Cast: Adam Trese, Vincent Gallo, William Forsythe, Gareth Williams, Lisa Gay Hamilton, Frances McDormand, Bridgit Ryan, Kim Dickens, Robert LuPone, Nesbitt Blaisdell
Sid (William Forsythe), Jerry (Adam Trese), and Russ (Vincent Gallo) are three lovable losers who try to rob a jewelry store but break through the wall of a BAKERY instead.
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Paradise Road 1997 R, 120 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Bruce Beresford
Cast: Glenn Close, Pauline Collins, Cate Blanchett, Frances McDormand, Julianna Margulies, Jennifer Ehle, Sab Shimono, Wendy Hughes, Johanna ter Steege, Elizabeth Spriggs
Women prisoners in a World War II Japanese internment camp, located on a desolate island, survive brutal conditions in this film written by Director Bruce Beresford.
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Primal Fear 1996 R, 126 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Cast: Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton, John Mahoney, Alfre Woodard, Frances McDormand, Stanley Anderson, Terry O'Quinn, Steven Bauer, Joe Spano, Andre Braugher, Tony Plana, Jon Seda, Maura Tierney, Reg Rogers
An ambitious defense attorney, Martin Vail (Richard Gere), defends teenage, altar boy Aaron Stampler (Edward Norton) who is accused of the gruesome murder of an archbishop (Stanley Anderson). Once into the case, Vail learns that the prosecuting attorney will be his ex-lover, Janet Venable (Laura Linney), and that the archbishop was involved in deviant sexual activities.
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 Raising Arizona 1987 PG-13, 95 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Joel Coen
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman, William Forsythe, Sam McMurray, Frances McDormand, Randall "Tex" Cobb, M. Emmet Walsh
A childless couple, ex-con (Nicolas Cage) and his cop wife (Holly Hunter), decide they want a child. Not being the conventional couple, they find an alternative to adoption–they steal a child. The story goes on from there as the dizzy duo tries child rearing.
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Scandal Sheet 1985 TV, 100 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: David Lowell Rich
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Lauren Hutton, Pamela Reed, Robert Urich, Bobby DiCicco, Trey Wilson, Frances McDormand, Peter Jurasik, Penelope Windust, Rance Howard
Harold Fallen (Burt Lancaster) is the ruthless publisher of a tabloid, and now he is after Ben (Robert Urich)–an actor with an alcohol problem who is trying to make a comeback. Lancaster is very good as the despicable newspaperman.
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Short Cuts 1993 R, 189 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Robert Altman
Cast: Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Jack Lemmon, Frances McDormand, Tim Robbins, Tom Waits, Lily Tomlin, Madeleine Stowe, Zane Cassidy, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn
This is another Robert Altman film, presented in true Altman style, with many story lines played by almost as many stars. It is based on a dozen Raymond Carver stories and involves complex, intersecting tales of middle-class Los Angeles residents during a couple of days. The characters are dysfunctional couples who arrive at crisis points in their lives and do not seem capable of making the right decisions. Altman was nominated for an Oscar for Best Director.
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 Something's Gotta Give 2003 PG-13, 128 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Frances McDormand, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Jon Favreau, Paul Michael Glaser, Rachel Ticotin, Marjie Gum, KaDee Strickland, Jennifer Siebel, John H. Tobin
Aging playboy Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson) actively pursues younger women. But, that changes when he suffers a heart attack while visiting his young girlfriend (Amanda Peet) at her mother Erica's (Diane Keaton) home. Chemistry develops between Harry and Erica, and the young doctor (Keanu Reeves) treating him also takes a romantic interest in Erica. Good moments in this one. Diane Keaton was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar.
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Talk of Angels 1998 PG-13, 97 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Nick Hamm
Cast: Polly Walker, Vincent Perez, Franco Nero, Frances McDormand, Ruth McCabe, Francisco Rabal, Marisa Paredes, Ariadna Gil, Penelope Cruz, Rossy de Palma
During the Spanish Civil War, Mary (Polly Walker) leaves Ireland to serve as a governess for the children of Dr. Areavaga (Franco Nero). Once in Spain, Mary finds herself liberated and now embroiled in the anti-Franco controversy.
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Wonder Boys 2000 R, 112 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Curtis Hanson
Cast: Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Rip Torn, Richard Thomas, Jane Adams, Richard Knox, Philip Bosco, Michael Cavadias, Alan Tudyk, Kelly Bishop, George Grizzard, Bingo O'Malley
Writer/professor Grady (Michael Douglas) had a bestseller seven years ago, but he can't seem to finish his current effort. Grady gets the chancellor (Frances McDormand) pregnant–whose husband (Richard Thomas) is Grady's boss. Grady's agent is hounding him, and his wife has left him. Meanwhile, Grady and a student (Tobey Maguire) embark on a road trip in search of a Marilyn Monroe artifact. Good acting, directing, and story do justice to Michael Chabon's book. Bob Dylan's song "Things Have Changed" won an Academy Award.
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| Oscar: Best Actress for Fargo (1996) |
1. Aeon Flux (2005)
2. Almost Famous (2000)
3. Beyond Rangoon (1995)
4. Blood Simple (1984)
5. Burn After Reading (2008)
6. The Butcher's Wife (1991)
7. Chattahoochee (1990)
8. City by the Sea (2002)
9. Crazy in Love (1992)
10. Crimewave (1985)
aka: Broken Hearts and Noses
aka: The XYZ Murders
11. Darkman (1990)
12. Fargo (1996)
13. Friends with Money (2006)
14. Hidden Agenda (1990)
15. Hidden in America (1996)
16. Johnny Skidmarks (1998)
17. Laurel Canyon (2002)
18. Lone Star (1996)
19. Madeline (1998)
20. The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
21. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
22. Mississippi Burning (1988)
23. North Country (2005)
24. Palookaville (1996)
25. Paradise Road (1997)
26. Primal Fear (1996)
27. Raising Arizona (1987)
28. Scandal Sheet (1985)
29. Short Cuts (1993)
30. Something's Gotta Give (2003)
31. Talk of Angels (1998)
32. Wonder Boys (2000)
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