"The Master of Disguise" (2002)

Genre: Adventure Comedy
Starring: Dana Carvey, Brent Spiner, Jennifer Esposito, Harold Gould, James Brolin

An Italian waiter fights off a criminal mastermind with his inherited powers of disguise.

"8 Mile" (2002)

Genre: Drama
Starring: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Brittany Murphy, Mekhi Phifer

Rap star Eminem makes a strong movie debut in 8 Mile, an urban drama that makes a fairly standard plot fly through its gritty attention to detail. Jimmy Smith (Eminem), nicknamed B Rabbit, can't pull himself together to take the next step with his career--or with his life. Angry about his alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) and worried about his little sister, Rabbit lets out his feelings with twisting, clever raps admired by his friends, who keep pushing him to enter a weekly rap face-off. But Rabbit resists--until he meets a girl (Brittany Murphy) who might offer him support and a little hope that his life could get better. Under the smart and ambitious direction of Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys) and ably supported by the excellent cast and the burnt-out environment of Detroit slums, Eminem reveals a surprising vulnerability that makes 8 Mile vivid and compelling.

"Shaft" (2000)

Genre: Action Thriller
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Vanessa Williams, Jeffrey Wright, Christian Bale

Up against corrupt cops and venomous druglords shaft is out to make crime pay up. Along the way he's got to track down the only eyewitness who can finger a racist killer. Helping him are a police colleague and a streetwise confidant.