Buffalo Soldiers 2001  R, 98 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Thriller
Director: Gregor Jordan
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Anna Paquin, Dean Stockwell, Elizabeth McGovern, Gabriel Mann, Leon, Michael Pena, Brian Delate, Shiek Mahmud-Bey, Kick Gurry
Set in West Germany during 1989, this is the story of a U.S. Army supply clerk, Ray Elwood (Joaquin Phoenix), who solves his own problems with boredom by running a lucrative black market involving products ranging from Mop 'n' Glo to heroin.
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La Cucaracha 1998  R, 94 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Jack Perez
Cast: Eric Roberts, Joaquim de Almeida, Tara Crespo, Alejandro Patino, James McManus, Victor Rivers, Michael Pena, Felicia Kamriani, Enrique Rinaldo, Aixa Maldonado, Ana Mercedes, Armando Jose Duran, Fred Herrera, Pelipe De La Rosa, Anselmo Rivera
Eric Roberts portrays down-and-out, exiled American Walter Pool living in Mexico who is offered $100,000 to kill local crime boss Herberto Ortega (Victor Rivers). Whether or not he commits the actual murder doesn't matter; what counts is that he finds some personal redemption in the attempt. While this film may not be for everyone, both fine acting and superb directing work well together in this successful black comedy.
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 Lions for Lambs 2007  R, 88 min.
Genre: Drama / Thriller
Director: Robert Redford
Cast: Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Michael Pena, Andrew Garfield, Peter Berg, Kevin Dunn, Derek Luke, Larry Bates, Christopher May, David Pease, Heidi Janson, George Back, Kristy Wu
This film cuts to three different locations as it targets politicians, journalists, scholars, and the American public. In Washington, D.C., journalist Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) interviews Sen. Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise) on a planned offensive in the war in a northern Afghan province. The film inter-cuts to a California university where Professor Stephen Malley (Robert Redford) tries to encourage his student, Todd (Andrew Garfield), by telling him about two former students–Ernest Rodriguez (Michael Pena) and Arian Finch (Derek Luke)–who are part of that military offensive discussed by Irving. Now the story moves to the mountains of Afghanistan where Rodriguez and Finch are stranded because of the policy shift discussed by Irving and may never be able to return home to their loved ones.
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Love Object 2004 R, 88 min.
Genre: Comedy
Director: Robert Parigi
Cast: Desmond Harrington, Melissa Sagemiller, Rip Torn, Robert Bagnell, Michael Pena, Brad William Henke, Udo Kier, John Cassini, Ellen Greene, Bryan Crump, Lyle Kanouse
Technical writer Kenneth (Desmond Harrington) has no romantic skills–until he becomes obsessively involved with an anatomically correct sex doll he orders over the Internet. Now sexually adept, Ted attracts the attention of co-worker Lisa (Melissa Sagemiller), and his sex doll becomes jealous and coerces Kenneth into acts of violence.
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The Lucky Ones 2008 R, 115 min.
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, Michael Pena, Molly Hagan, Mark L. Young, Howard Platt, John Heard, Arden Myrin, Coby Goss, Vis Brown, Spencer Garrett, Katie Korby, Katherine LaNasa, Conner&William Manning, Glen Allen Pruett
Sgt. Fred Cheaver (Tim Robbins), Sgt. "T.K." Poole (Michael Pena), and Pvt. Colee Dunn (Rachel McAdams) are "the lucky ones" because they made it through Iraq alive and are headed home. When they get stranded at JFK Airport, the relative strangers (they just met on their incoming flight) rent the last available car and set out on a short trip that turns into a much longer one across country. They encounter more than a few problems along the way but end up with a newly found friendship among the three.
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 Million Dollar Baby 2004  PG-13, 132 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Jay Baruchel, Mike Colter, Lucia Rijker, Brian F. O'Byrne, Anthony Mackie, Margo Martindale, Riki Lindhome, Michael Pena, Benito Martinez
Searching for a way to improve her lot in life, wannabe boxer, 31-year-old single-mom/waitress Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) walks into the gym and asks trainer Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) to teach her how to be a viable boxer. Frankie agrees, Maggie makes great strides, the two bond, and, in the process, overcome hurdles of the past. The film received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Director (Clint Eastwood), Actress (Hilary Swank), and Supporting Actor (Morgan Freeman). Three other nominations were received, including Best Actor (Clint Eastwood).
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Observe and Report 2009  R, 85 min.
Genre: Action / Comedy
Director: Jody Hill
Cast: Seth Rogen, Ray Liotta, Michael Pena, Anna Faris, Dan Bakkedahl, Jesse Plemons, John Yuen, Matt Yuen, Celia Weston, Collette Wolfe, Randy Gambill, Alston Brown, Cody Midthunder, Deborah Brown, Aziz Ansari
Dysfunctional Ronnie Barnhardt (Seth Rogen) heads up the mall security at Forest Ridge Mall and lusts after salesgirl Brandi (Anna Faris). When a flasher in the parking lot exposes himself to Brandi, Ronnie comes to her aid hoping to make points with her. The flasher enters the mall and start flashing, which causes the mall's directors to call in the police. Detective Harrison (Ray Liotta) arrives on the scene, and pathetic Ronnie sees his appearance as a chance to show the police department that he should be hired as a police officer if he solves the case before Harrison. And the contest begins with Ronnie constantly getting in the way of the investigation.
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Shooter 2007  R, 124 min.
Genre: Action / Thriller
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Michael Pena, Danny Glover, Kate Mara, Elias Koteas, Rhona Mitra, Jonathan Walker, Justin Louis, Tate Donovan, Rade Serbedzija, Alan C. Peterson, Ned Beatty
Colonel Isaac Johnson (Danny Glover) sets up ex-Marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger (Mark Wahlberg) to take the fall in a job that Swagger thinks is to help prevent the assassination of the President. As he starts to unravel the conspiracy, Swagger goes on the run while being tracked down by numerous law enforcement agencies trying to destroy him before the secrets can be revealed.
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 World Trade Center 2006 PG-13, 128 min.
Genre: Drama
Director: Oliver Stone
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Michael Pena, Maria Bello, Jay Hernandez, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Armando Riesco, Connor Paolo, Patti D'Arbanville, Brad William Henke, Lucia Brawley, Jon Bernthal, Frank Whaley, Donna Murphy
This story of courage and survival relates events during the rescue mission following the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. Port Authority Police Department officers responded to the emergency and went into the building to rescue survivors. While they were inside, the tower collapsed, leaving only Will Jimeno (Michael Pena) and John McLoughlin (Nicolas Cage) alive in the rubble. For 12 hours, while awaiting their own rescue, Will and John talk about their lives and dreams while their wives (Maggie Gyllenhaal and Maria Bello) and families wait for news.
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| 1. Buffalo Soldiers (2001)
2. La Cucaracha (1998)
3. Lions for Lambs (2007)
4. Love Object (2004)
5. The Lucky Ones (2008)
6. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
7. Observe and Report (2009)
8. Shooter (2007)
9. World Trade Center (2006)
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