Grant Russell

Dangerous Beauty -- In the late 1500s, as mistresses to Venice's important men, women lived a regal lifestyle, and were encouraged to read and study at a time when such education was forbidden for most woman.

Double Team -- They're a lethal combination. Jack Quinn (Van Damme) is a world-class counter terrorist. His unlikely partner, weapons specialist Yaz (Rodman), is a free spirit. They don't belong to any army and they don't play by the rules. 'Double Team' is an explosive, high-tech ride.

In Venice in the late 1500s, courtesans were afforded a very special status among women: As mistresses to Venice's most important and wealthy men, they lived a regal lifestyle, and were even encouraged to read and study at a time when such education was forbidden for most woman. Catherine McCormick ("Spy Game," "Shadow of the Vampire") stars as Veronica Franco, a courtesan and poet, who became something of a superstar in her time. Also starring Rufus Sewell ("A Knight's Tale," "Dark City") as the one man she truly loved; Jacqueline Bisset ("The Deep," "Murder on the Orient Express") as her mother, a former courtesan; Moira Kelly (TV's "The West Wing," "The Lion King"); Oliver Platt ("Ready to Rumble," "Three to Tango"); Jeroen Krabbe ("An Ideal Husband," "The Fugitive"); and Joanna Cassidy ("Ghosts of Mars," TV's "Six Feet Under").

Prevented from marrying her nobleman lover (Rufus Sewell) because of her commoner status, real-life historical heroine Veronica Franco (Catherine McCormack) is left with two choices: join a convent or become a courtesan. Following in mother's (Jacqueline Bisset) footsteps, she chooses the latter. Set in 16th-century Venice, this biographical drama follows Franco as she rises to power and fearlessly fights off accusations of witchcraft.