Haley’s career enjoys a rebirth

The Life After: Todd Field’s erotic, disturbing drama of suburban angst, “Little Children,” which arrives Tuesday on DVD, was one of 2006’s most acclaimed films. It received three Oscar nominations: adapted screenplay for Field and Tom Perrotta, who penned the novel; actress for Kate Winslet; and supporting actor for Jackie Earle Haley, as a convicted sex offender who has returned home after serving a prison sentence. Despite its accolades, and awards, the film made only $5.5 million in the U.S.

“Little Children,” though, rejuvenated Haley’s career. The former child star of “The Day of the Locust,” “The Bad News Bears” and “Breaking Away” had suffered the slings and arrows of a dormant acting career for over a decade. Now based in San Antonio, Haley had moved behind the camera as a producer and director of TV commercials.

But Hollywood knocked on his door in 2005 when he landed a role in the ill-fated remake of “All the King’s Men” and then gave the performance of his career in “Little Children,” for which he won several critics group awards, including the New York Film Critics Circle’s. He has three films in production.

A midnight classic

The Bewitching Hour: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” may be the most famous midnight movie in history, but it is actually Chilean-born Alejandro Jodorowsky who is considered the father of the midnight movie.

Anchor Bay’s “The Films of Alejandro Jodorowsky” features his most famous midnight flick, the 1970 cult film “El Topo,” as well as 1973’s “The Holy Mountain” and his first film, 1968’s “Fando y Lis,” which caused such a riot at a film festival in Acapulco that he had to be smuggled out in a limousine.

‘Aliens’ will land

The Swan Song: In fall 2005, Anna Nicole Smith began work on her last feature film, “Illegal Aliens,” which makes its DVD debut Tuesday. She also had a financial stake in the movie, and her late son, Daniel, was an associate producer on the low-budget sci-fi comedy from Vermont-based filmmaker David Giancola.

Described as a combination of “Charlie’s Angels” and “Men in Black,” the farce revolves around three aliens who transform themselves into buxom beauties and arrive on Earth to protect the inhabitants from evil intergalactic forces.

“Illegal Aliens” will have its world theatrical premiere at the Cannes Film Market in May.

-- Susan King