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From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest) To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: movies-digest V2 #11 Reply-To: movies-digest Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk movies-digest Friday, May 1 1998 Volume 02 : Number 011 Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie? Hmmm...... Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! [MV] Re: LOST HIGHWAY [MV] Intelligence in Sci-Fi Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! [MV] The Movie Report#140, 4/30/98 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 01:27:51 +1000 From: Graeme MacKeachie <bran@rainbow.net.au> Subject: Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! Rick Zamora wrote: > How about these for titles, these are older films; Sybil, All About > Eve, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and Fear Strikes Out. Hi Rick, Think you might be getting "All About Eve" confused --- don't you mean "The Three Faces of Eve", with Joanne Woodward? Jayson, As to your original request, most films I would have suggested have already been put forward, but a few others I can suggest: -- Fritz Lang's "M", with Peter Lorre -- almost *anything* by Alfred Hitchcock, but especially "Rope", "Stage Fright", "Vertigo", "Psycho", "Marnie" and "Frenzy" -- "Swoon", the early-90s version of the Leopold and Loeb story -- Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" (*definitely* the Robert Blake version!) -- "Seven" (or "Se7en", as they insisted on writing it on the posters!) (hmmmm.... anyone else notice a serial-killer theme developing here?!!) It really depends on what slant you need on "psychology". Because it makes for higher drama, my impression is that movies tend to go for what would be termed more "abnormal" pychology. But my last three suggestions: since I personally believe some of the best insights come through satire and levity, I definitely think you should check out a little-known Robert Altman film called "Beyond Therapy" (a very black farce lampooning psychotherapy, with a truly spectacular cast headed by Jeff Goldblum and Julie Haggerty); Stuart Smalley's "Stuart Saves the Family" (the Stuart Smalley character fiercely bursting balloons and rabbit-punching the sacred cows of pop-psychology); and (of course!) Mel Brook's "High Anxiety"! FWIW. - -- Graeme [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 10:37:49 -0500 From: Rick Zamora <ricknpj@mcia.com> Subject: Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! >>Hi Rick, Think you might be getting "All About Eve" confused --- don't you mean "The Three Faces of Eve", with Joanne Woodward? FWIW. - -- Graeme<< Thanks Graeme, I stand corrected on that. I was close though...or does that just count for horseshoes and hand grenades? :) Laters, Rick [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 15:04:33 -0400 From: Mel Eperthener <bcassidy@usaor.net> Subject: Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! At 01.27 AM 01/05/98 +1000, Graeme wrote: >But my last three suggestions: since I personally believe some of the best >insights come through satire and levity, I definitely think you should check >out a little-known Robert Altman film called "Beyond Therapy" (a very black >farce lampooning psychotherapy, with a truly spectacular cast headed by Jeff >Goldblum and Julie Haggerty); Stuart Smalley's "Stuart Saves the Family" (the >Stuart Smalley character fiercely bursting balloons and rabbit-punching the >sacred cows of pop-psychology); and (of course!) Mel Brook's "High Anxiety"! On that note, let's not forget What About Bob? or Shakes the Clown. And it may be pushing it, but we have Pacific Heights, The Cable Guy, and the classic Arsenic and Old Lace with, uh, "unbalanced" characters. Regards, - --Mel - --Mel Eperthener president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty email: bcassidy@usaor.net gowanna@australiamail.com http://www.webz.com/gowanna 419 Butler Street PO Box 95184 Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 (412) 781-6140 (412) 781-6380 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE ____________________________________________ That was a wicked googly! --Jerry Seinfeld, AMEX commercial ______________________________________________ [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 22:43:16 +0100 From: "Toni S." <tonis@dircon.co.uk> Subject: Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie? Hmmm...... White Nights starred Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshinakov, not Billy Crystal. GARY ZEIG wrote: > Think about this for a moment. > You have a great premise for a movie....two men both unsure about who's the > father of the child > One comic, one serious...You have two good actors in Robin Williams (whom I > personally feel is a true talent) > and Billy Crystal, who is obviously respected enough in the industry to be > given the honor of hosting the Academy Awards....You hype it pretty well on > tv commercials. Yet it flops big time! Why??? > Is this because something was lacking in the movie(maybe it just wasn't > funny enough or it didn't know what it wanted to be, comedy or drama), or > was the problem something else...Can't put my finger on it-but you wonder > when you think about how Robin had big hits with his Toys movie and Mrs. > Doubtfire (A great movie, for sure), and even a minor hit with Flubber. > Billy had a minor hit with Gregory Hines (White Knights, right?) and of > course a big hit in the hilarious Throw Momma From the Train, with Danny > Devito. > Even think Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, and it was a pretty big hit. > Just wondering..... > > GRZ > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 16:38:05 -0600 From: "NCC2000" <ncc2000@mcn.net> Subject: Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_01BD7456.59B84560 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gregory Hines starred with Billy Crystal in Running Scared. I think this is the only movie they have done together. Nelson - ---------- > From: Toni S. <tonis@dircon.co.uk> > To: movies@lists.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... > Date: Thursday, April 30, 1998 3:43 PM > > White Nights starred Gregory Hines and Mikhail Baryshinakov, not Billy Crystal. > > GARY ZEIG wrote: > > > Think about this for a moment. > > You have a great premise for a movie....two men both unsure about who's the > > father of the child > > One comic, one serious...You have two good actors in Robin Williams (whom I > > personally feel is a true talent) > > and Billy Crystal, who is obviously respected enough in the industry to be > > given the honor of hosting the Academy Awards....You hype it pretty well on > > tv commercials. Yet it flops big time! Why??? > > Is this because something was lacking in the movie(maybe it just wasn't > > funny enough or it didn't know what it wanted to be, comedy or drama), or > > was the problem something else...Can't put my finger on it-but you wonder > > when you think about how Robin had big hits with his Toys movie and Mrs. > > Doubtfire (A great movie, for sure), and even a minor hit with Flubber. > > Billy had a minor hit with Gregory Hines (White Knights, right?) and of > > course a big hit in the hilarious Throw Momma From the Train, with Danny > > Devito. > > Even think Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, and it was a pretty big hit. > > Just wondering..... > > > > GRZ > > > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > > [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] > > > > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] - ------=_NextPart_000_01BD7456.59B84560 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><head></head><BODY bgcolor=3D"#FFFFFF">Gregory Hines starred with Billy = Crystal in Running Scared. I think this is the only movie they have done = together. Nelson ---------- > From: Toni S. = <tonis@dircon.co.uk> > To: movies@lists.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't = Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... > Date: Thursday, = April 30, 1998 3:43 PM > > White Nights starred Gregory = Hines and Mikhail Baryshinakov, not Billy Crystal. > > GARY = ZEIG wrote: > > > Think about this for a moment. > = > You have a great premise for a movie....two men both unsure about = who's the > > father of the child > > One comic, one = serious...You have two good actors in Robin Williams (whom I > = > personally feel is a true talent) > > and Billy Crystal, = who is obviously respected enough in the industry to be > > = given the honor of hosting the Academy Awards....You hype it pretty well = on > > tv commercials. Yet it flops big time! Why??? > = > Is this because something was lacking in the movie(maybe it just = wasn't > > funny enough or it didn't know what it wanted to be, = comedy or drama), or > > was the problem something else...Can't = put my finger on it-but you wonder > > when you think about how = Robin had big hits with his Toys movie and Mrs. > > Doubtfire = (A great movie, for sure), and even a minor hit with = Flubber. > > Billy had a minor hit with Gregory Hines (White = Knights, right?) and of > > course a big hit in the = hilarious Throw Momma From the Train, with Danny > > = Devito. > > Even think Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, and it was = a pretty big hit. > > Just wondering..... > > > = > GRZ > > > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, = send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > > [ = (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com = &= nbsp; ]<= br>> > > > > [ To quit the movies mailing = list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > [ = (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com = &= nbsp; ]<= /p> </body></h= tml> - ------=_NextPart_000_01BD7456.59B84560-- [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Apr 1998 18:24:10 -0400 From: GARY ZEIG <mlz@nauticom.net> Subject: Re: [MV] Why in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm...... >Gregory Hines starred with Billy Crystal in Running Scared. I think this >is the only movie they have done together.Nelson ----------> From: Toni S. ><tonis@dircon.co.uk>> To: movies@lists.xmission.com> Subject: Re: [MV] Why >in the world wasn't Fathers Day a more popular movie?Hmmm......> Date: >Thursday, April 30, 1998 3:43 PM> > White Nights starred Gregory Hines and >Mikhail Baryshinakov, not Billy Crystal.> > GARY ZEIG wrote:> > > Think >about this for a moment.> > You have a great premise for a movie....two >men both unsure about who's the> > father of the child> > One comic, one >serious...You have two good actors in Robin Williams (whom I> > personally >feel is a true talent)> > and Billy Crystal, who is obviously respected >enough in the industry to be> > given the honor of hosting the Academy >Awards....You hype it pretty well on> > tv commercials. Yet it flops big >time! Why???> > Is this because something was lacking in the movie(maybe >it just wasn't> > funny enough or it didn't know what it wanted to be, >comedy or drama), or> > was the problem something else...Can't put my >finger on it-but you wonder> > when you think about how Robin had big hits >with his Toys movie and Mrs.> > Doubtfire (A great movie, for sure), and >even a minor hit with Flubber.> > Billy had a minor hit with Gregory Hines >(White Knights, right?) and of> > course a big hit in the hilarious Throw >Momma From the Train, with Danny> > Devito.> > Even think Bill Murray in >Groundhog Day, and it was a pretty big hit.> > Just wondering.....> >> > >GRZ> >> > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe >movies" ]> > [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com > ]> > > > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send >the message "unsubscribe movies" ]> [ (without the quotes) to >majordomo@xmission.com ] > You're right Nelson. Running Scared is the movie I was thinking about. Sorry for the confusion. GRZ [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 15:31:48 -0400 (EDT) From: gswarthout@cyberdude.com Subject: Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! "Beyond Therapy" is one of the movies I should have walked out of. Mind-numbing tripe. ---- you wrote: > At 01.27 AM 01/05/98 +1000, Graeme wrote: > >But my last three suggestions: since I personally believe some of the best > >insights come through satire and levity, I definitely think you should check > >out a little-known Robert Altman film called "Beyond Therapy" (a very black > >farce lampooning psychotherapy, with a truly spectacular cast headed by Jeff > >Goldblum and Julie Haggerty); Stuart Smalley's "Stuart Saves the Family" > (the > >Stuart Smalley character fiercely bursting balloons and rabbit-punching the > >sacred cows of pop-psychology); and (of course!) Mel Brook's "High Anxiety"! > > > On that note, let's not forget What About Bob? or Shakes the Clown. And it > may be pushing it, but we have Pacific Heights, The Cable Guy, and the > classic Arsenic and Old Lace with, uh, "unbalanced" characters. > > Regards, > > --Mel > > > --Mel Eperthener > president, Gowanna Multi-media Pty > > email: bcassidy@usaor.net > gowanna@australiamail.com > > http://www.webz.com/gowanna > > 419 Butler Street > PO Box 95184 > Pittsburgh, PA 15223-0184 > (412) 781-6140 > (412) 781-6380 > 1-888-45-GOWANNA -- TOLL FREE > ____________________________________________ > That was a wicked googly! > --Jerry Seinfeld, AMEX commercial > ______________________________________________ > > > [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] > [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] - ----------------------------------------------------- Get free personalized email at http://email.lycos.com [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 13:38:07 +0200 From: Jakob Straub <jakob.straub@nothing.lake.de> Subject: [MV] Re: LOST HIGHWAY > I watched Lost Highway by the way and will give my opinion about it > when I get back. I haven't had time to think about it and it > certainly needs thinking about. David Lynch always manages to leave > me with one awful image that makes me shiver and I guess the old > coffee table through the head is the one for this movie. I watched this movie several times and I like it, but I can't say why. I would agree that you can think a long time about it. I could not state what it was all about, but it is pretty strange. David Lynch did a great job when he was playing with the "suggested violence": you do not see how something violent happens, you just see Fred with blood in the face, the man lying there with the table in his head etc. The end is left open, but I interpret it as follows: the auto-mechanic (Billy was his name, right ?) is changing into Fred again. Therefore the police won't arrest him for killing Mr Eddy, and he will return home and have his wife back again - everything will be just like in the beginning. All he experienced was like a horror-trip - maybe that's why the soundtrack has "The Perfect Drug" by Trent Reznor on it. By the way, the soundtrack is tremendous. Yours truly, Jakob [jakob.straub@nothing.lake.de | http://www.lake.de/home/lake/nothing/] ._,_, ,/'`'=. ().-=-.() "If you don't get a goodnight-kiss, c _','| |=. .=| your dreams will be Kafka-like." jgs \\_// ( _0_ ) --Calvin & Hobbes `"` `"""""` - -====================================================================- [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 21:40:33 EDT From: GeminiJef <GeminiJef@aol.com> Subject: [MV] Intelligence in Sci-Fi In a message dated 98-04-29 10:30:40 EDT, you write: << You should definitely see Dark City then as I found it to be very intelligent and thought provoking...and well...just really cool! Great movie with some amazing images and a great storyline IMHO >> Ditto "Gattaca"! I expected little from this incredibly well-crafted yet simple film about the idea of genetic engineering and how it would effect a genetically inferior outcast (played by Ethan Hawke) living in a future society of genetically superior perfectionists. It also has parallels to Orwell's 1984. Brilliant movie. - -jjj [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 May 1998 21:46:25 EDT From: GeminiJef <GeminiJef@aol.com> Subject: Re: [MV] I NEED YOUR HELP! And lest we forget, "Harvey" with Jimmy Stewart and his 6 foot 3 and 1/2 foot Pooka Rabbit. In a message dated 98-04-30 17:38:17 EDT, you write: << On that note, let's not forget What About Bob? or Shakes the Clown. And it may be pushing it, but we have Pacific Heights, The Cable Guy, and the classic Arsenic and Old Lace with, uh, "unbalanced" characters. >> [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 01 May 1998 19:51:42 -0600 From: "Gregory A. Swarthout" <gregorys@xmission.com> Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#140, 4/30/98 > From: Michael Dequina <michael_jordan@geocities.com> > > T H E > M O V I E > R E P O R T > #140 > APRIL 30, 1998 > > Sorry for getting this out a bit late... A couple of hours ago I just > hosted a live chat with Michael Jordan (incredibly hectic)... > > Just 15 more shopping days left until my 22nd... (if you need gift ideas, > let me know... ;-)) > > =>T H I S W E E K<= > M O V I E S > -He Got Game > -The Object of My Affection > -Sliding Doors > -Tarzan and the Lost City > V I D E O > -Anastasia > -The Jackal > > Select reviews are available at Hollywood Hotline on CompuServe and: > http://www.HollywoodHotline.com > ...on Albany Online at: > http://www.AlbanyOnline.com > ...and the Eyepiece Network at: > http://www.eyepiece.com > > Mr. Brown's Movie Site and The Movie Report are in serious need of your > help. Visit: > http://members.tripod.com/~MrBrown/support.html > > For that, links to the official websites of all the current films, past > reviews, exclusive Hollywood event photos, live MovieChat, movie discussion > board, movie theme MIDI files, Trivia Blitz, and more, visit Mr. Brown's > Movie Site at: > http://welcome.to/mrbrown > Please don't forget to sign the guestbook... > > all movies graded out of four stars (****) > > ~~~ > > =>M O V I E S<= > N E W R E L E A S E S > > He Got Game (R) *** > The tagline for He Got Game--"the father, the son, and the holy > game"--provides a very clear and accurate ordering of writer-director Spike > Lee's concerns in the film. While the game of basketball is the film's > unifying subject, this uneven but engrossing drama is foremost an > exploration of a father-son relationship. > The father in question is Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington), a prison > inmate who is granted a temporary release to convince his son Jesus > (Milwaukee Bucks guard Ray Allen), high school senior and hoops superstar, > to attend the governor's university alma mater the following school year. > The task is not quite as easy as it sounds, for Jake's relationship with > his son became virtually nonexistent following the death of Jesus's mother > and Jake's imprisonment. The issue of reconciliation is what drives He Got > Game, and Lee deftly escalates the emotional stakes by gradually revealing > Jake and Jesus's turbulent past and the tense circumstances that ultimately > led to their estrangement. > When staying with the driving father-son dynamic, He Got Game often > achieves moments of power, buoyed by a predictably strong performance by > Washington. Allen is relaxed and assured in his acting debut, but his work > suffers away from Washington; when he is called on to carry scenes on his > own, he tends to stiffen up, and his line delivery comes off a bit flat. > As such, he is a slightly less-than-commanding presence during the > Jake-less scenes, in which Jesus deals with other pressures, such as his > sports-agent-pushing girlfriend Lala (Rosario Dawson) and Chick (Los > Angeles Laker forward Rick Fox), a baller from a prospective university, > who tempts Jesus with horny groupies. Granted, the air of doubt works in > showing how vulnerable Jesus is to pressure, but it also diminishes > audience interest and involvement. > To be fair, Washington also suffers away from Allen, but this is because > of the comaparatively weak material he is saddled with. Jake's unlikely > friendship with Dakota (Milla Jovovich), a prostitute who lives in the > apartment next door, is completely superfluous, not to mention > unconvincing; Lee offers no insight as to how or why Jake would develop any > feelings, deep or otherwise, for her. Lacking in any payoff, and > showcasing an awful performance by Jovovich, this subplot just about begs > to be completely cut out. > He Got Game could have used a clearer focus, but what does come sharply > into view registers strongly: not just Jake and Jesus, but their and, above > all, Lee's passion for the game of basketball. From the majestic, Aaron > Copland-scored opening shots of people of all ages and places shooting > hoops to the halftime cameos by various NBA stars (yes, including _him_, > who gets the honor of delivering the film's title line) to the late > glimpses of Jesus and Jake alone on different courts, Lee shows how easy it > is to fall under the sport's spell. Audiences may leave He Got Game not > exactly loving the film, but it is quite possible that they could grow, to > quote the NBA's promotional slogan, "love this game." > > The Object of My Affection (R) *** > Sliding Doors (PG-13) *** > Frothy romantic comedies have become so commonplace at the cinema that > filmmakers now generally resort to gimmicks to set their films apart. Two > romantic comedies currently in release, The Object of My Affection and > Sliding Doors, each employ a twist that gives its film a certain > uniqueness, but in both cases the gimmicks work. > The Object of My Affection roughly fits the romantic comedy mold. It has > its share of humorous moments and a romantic issue at its heart, which is > where its twist lies. After being jilted by his lover Dr. Robert Joley > (Tim Daly), gay elementary school teacher George Hanson (Paul Rudd) moves > in and instantly becomes best friends with social worker Nina Borowski > (Jennifer Aniston). When Nina discovers that she is pregnant by her > less-than-reliable boyfriend lawyer Vince McBride (John Pankow), she asks > George to be the child's acting father. His acceptance, not surprisingly, > leads to some emotional complications for the both of them. > More of a surprise is that these complications don't necessarily come > dressed in laugh-ready packages. Director Nicholas Hytner and writer Wendy > Wasserstein, working from the novel by Stephen McCauley, while frequently > throwing in a comic zinger or situation or two, deal rather seriously with > the relationship issues being raised. While this approach will certainly > disappoint those looking for a lark like Aniston's Picture Perfect, it was > perhaps the best way to go. To go for cheap laughs would have been to > cheapen the characters, in particular Nina, whose ever-growing but hopeless > love for George achieves true poignancy. Adding to the poignancy is the > terrific, natural chemistry between Aniston and Rudd; even though one knows > a romance is impossible, they are such a perfect screen match that one > cannot help but develop a rooting interest for their coupledom. I just > wish that the character of Vince was better written. One minute he's a > jerk, the next he's surprisingly gentle; he doesn't quite make sense, and > as such, Nina's initial devotion to him doesn't quite either. > On paper, the twist of Sliding Doors appears too high-concept for its own > good. Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow, sporting the flawless British accent she > adopted in Emma), freshly fired from her job at a PR agency, rushes to > catch the next train home. The doors on the train car close just as she > reaches them. But wait--the film rewinds, and suddenly Helen manages to > squeeze her way into the train as the doors close. From here on out, > Sliding Doors intercuts between the parallel tales of the two Helens: Helen > "A," who misses the train, and Helen "B," who makes the train. > Helen "B," having made the train, arrives home in time to find her live-in > boyfriend Gerry (John Lynch) in bed with sultry, slightly unhinged former > flame Lydia (Jeanne Tripplehorn). In a tiff, Helen leaves him, gets a > makeover, and starts a relationship with James (John Hannah), a friendly > Scottish gent she met on the train. Helen "A" not only misses the train; > she is also mugged, which makes her arrive home long after Gerry and > Lydia's tryst, of which she remains not-so-blissfully unaware. In > following the two Helens, writer-director Peter Howitt shows how one > simple, chance occurrence can alter the course of a person's life. > Or does he? What makes Sliding Doors so unique and rather > thought-provoking is how Howitt holds true to the idea of chance while at > the same time subscribing to that of destiny. The two stories are > distinctly different, but Howitt comes up with clever "intersections" > between the plots, with certain touchstone events occurring in both stories > (albeit in slightly altered ways), believably showing how, no matter what > happens, the hand of fate is inescapable. Also inescapable is the type of > person one is, and this is best exemplified by Gerry, who is a cheating > lout in both stories--which is the film's one problem. Although he appears > to have some genuine fondness for Helen, he is on the whole an unappealing > character, making the story of Helen "A" less vibrant and involving than > the "B" tale, which is highlighted by Hannah's delightfully witty James. > Ultimately, however, the effectiveness of The Object of My Affection and > Sliding Doors is not due to the gimmicks themselves but the filmmakers who > use them with care, intelligence, and style. If it weren't for their > talent and savvy, the two films could have easily fallen into the gimmicky > romantic comedy scrap heap, an undistinguished group that includes the > execrable likes of Made in America and Mrs. Winterbourne. And for that, > every moviegoer in the world owes a debt of gratitude. > > IN BRIEF > > Tarzan and the Lost City (PG) no stars > One review of 1994's Sylvester Stallone-Sharon Stone actioner The > Specialist called that superstar team-up "the acting equivalent of the > Hindenburg meeting the Titanic." If that's the case, then the pairing of > hack-tors Casper Van Dien (Teen Beat-ready block of meat from Starship > Troopers) and Jane March (last seen delivering what should have been a > career-ending performance as three characters in the atrocious Color of > Night) is the acting equivalent of armageddon meeting the end of the > universe. In this horribly conceived and executed update of Edgar Rice > Burroughs's classic character, the King of the Jungle (Van Dien) returns to > his African homeland to prevent some treasure hunters from finding the > sacred lost city of Opar; following him to the jungle is his loyal fiancee > Jane (March, thankfully keeping her clothes on for a change). > Tarzan and the Lost City, directed by Carl Schenkel, is the latest in > what's becoming a most unwelcome annual cinematic tradition--the horrid > jungle adventure (the most recent entrants being last year's Anaconda and > 1995's unspeakable Congo). There are lousy, sub-Lost in Space effects; > cheap gorilla suits; flat-out atrocious performances (Van Dien's > barely-there, why-the-hell-even-bother attempt at a British accent makes > Kevin Costner look like Meryl Streep); and, worst of all, a lack of genuine > thrills. Tarzan swings on vines and everything else, but there's nothing > exciting about anything, certainly not the boring, anti-climactic "climax" > in a pyramid. The audience of ten with whom I saw the film got the most > amusement from Van Dien's hilariously delivered animal noises and sloppily > dubbed Tarzan call. If this is truly, as the Warner Bros. publicity > machine stated, "A new Tarzan for a new generation," then everyone falling > into the Generation X category should be incredibly offended. I know I am. > > IN CURRENT RELEASE > (full reviews of the following in past MRs and at the listed URLs) > > -As Good as It Gets (PG-13) *** <MR#124, 1/5/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt27.html#asgood > -Barney's Great Adventure--The Movie (G) ** <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#barney > -The Big Hit (R) ** 1/2 <MR#139, 4/23/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#bighit > -The Big Lebowski (R) *** 1/2 <MR#129, 2/5/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt28.html#lebowski > -The Butcher Boy (R) *** 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#butcherboy > -Chinese Box (R) ** <MR#134, 3/13/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt30.html#chinesebox > -City of Angels (PG-13) ** 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#angels > -Dangerous Beauty (R) ** <MR#120, 12/5/97> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt26.html#dangerous > -Fireworks (Hana-Bi) *** 1/2 <MR#138, 4/16/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#hanabi > -Good Will Hunting (R) *** 1/2 <MR#122, 12/18/97> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt26.html#gwh > -Lost in Space (PG-13) * <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#lost > -Major League: Back to the Minors (PG-13) no stars <MR#139, 4/23/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#ml3 > -Mercury Rising (R) * 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#mercury > -Niagara Niagara (R) *** <MR#134, 3/13/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt30.html#niagara > -Nightwatch (R) ** <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#nightwatch > -The Players Club (R) ** 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#players > -A Price Above Rubies (R) * 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#rubies > -Primary Colors (R) *** <MR#136, 3/27/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt30.html#primarycolors > -Scream 2 (R) *** 1/2 <MR#121, 12/10/97> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt26.html#scream2 > -Sonatine (R) *** <MR#138, 4/16/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#sonatine > -The Spanish Prisoner (R) *** 1/2 <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#prisoner > -Species II (R) * <MR#138, 4/16/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#species2 > -Titanic (PG-13) **** <MR#121, 12/10/97> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt26.html#titanic > -Two Girls and a Guy (R) ** <MR#137, 4/10/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt31.html#2girls > -Wild Things (R) *** 1/2 <MR#135, 3/19/98> > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt30.html#wildthings > > O N T H E H O R I Z O N > FRIDAY > > Black Dog (PG-13) > The trailer line says it all: "Patrick Swayze, Randy Travis, and Meat Loaf > in a film from the director of Passenger 57." > > Dancer, Texas Pop. 81 (PG) > Four friends (Breckin Meyer, Peter Facinelli, Ethan Embry, and Eddie > Mills) contemplate leaving their small hometown after graduating from high > school. > > He Got Game (R) *** <see above review> > Denzel Washington turns in another strong performance, and Milwaukee Bucks > guard Ray Allen makes a solid acting debut in Spike Lee's engrossing, if > unfocused, hoops-themed drama. > > Les Miserables (PG-13) *** <full review in MR#139, 4/23/98; and at > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#lesmiz> > Handsome, well-acted, but emotionally distant adaptation of Victor Hugo's > classic novel. Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Thurman, and Claire Danes > star. > > Shooting Fish (PG) ** 1/2 <full review in MR#138, 4/16/98; and at > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt32.html#fish> > Amiable British comedy about a pair of orphaned con artists (Dan Futterman > and Stuart Townsend) and the fetching young med student (Kate Beckinsale) > they hire to help them out. An appealing cast almost makes up for the lack > of big laughs. > > Wilde (R) > The life of poet and playwright Oscar Wilde (Stephen Fry). > > ~~~ > > =>V I D E O<= > N E W T H I S W E E K > > Anastasia (G) *** <full review in MR#119, 11/26/97; and at > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt25.html#anastasia> > Fox made an entertaining, if unspectacular, attack on Disney's animation > empire with this musical about the titular lost daughter (spoken by Meg > Ryan, sung by Liz Callaway) of the last Russian czar. Stunning visuals and > a couple of memorable songs (the Oscar-nominated "Journey to the Past" and > the should've-been-nominated "Once Upon a December") highlight the film, > which is available in both pan-and-scan and letterboxed edition. (20th > Century Fox Home Entertainment) > > The Jackal (R) ** <full review in MR#118, 11/20/97; and at > http://members.tripod.com/~mrbrown/movierpt25.html#jackal> > Unexciting reworking of 1973's The Day of the Jackal, with former Irish > terrorist Richard Gere hunting down assassin Bruce Willis. (Universal > Studios Home Video) > > A L S O N E W T H I S W E E K > > Kiss or Kill (R) > Australian noir in which two con artists (Frances O'Connor and Matt Day) > go on a bloody road trip. (October Home Entertainment) > > Telling Lies in America (PG-13) > Sleazemeister Joe Eszterhas took a break from the one ingredient that made > him a very rich man--sex--to write this semi-autobiographical tale in > which the son (Brad Renfro) of a Hungarian immigrant (Maximilian Schell) > hooks up with a slick disc jockey (Kevin Bacon) in the 1960s. A pre-Ally > McBeal Calista Flockhart also stars. (BMG Independents) > > ~~~ > > =>N E X T W E E K<= > > More reviews, including: > -Deep Impact > -Woo > > 'til then... > > __________________________________________________________ > > Michael Dequina > Chat Forum Host, The Official Michael Jordan Web Site > http://jordan.sportsline.com > > mj23@michaeljordanfan.com > michael_jordan@geocities.com | mrbrown@ucla.edu > > >My personal WWW sites< > Mr. Brown's Movie Site: http://welcome.to/mrbrown > Michael Jordan Beyond the Court: http://fly.to/michaeljordan > A Michael Jordan Fan's Heartbreak: http://fly.to/mj23 > Personal Page: http://welcome.to/w3md > >Other WWW sites I work on< > CompuServe Hollywood Hotline: http://www.HollywoodHotline.com > Albany Online: http://www.AlbanyOnline.com > Eyepiece Network: http://www.eyepiece.com > > "I didn't know what to expect. It's like something you chase > for so long, but then you don't know how to react when you > get it. I still don't know how to react." > --Michael Jordan, on winning his first NBA championship in 1991 > ...or, my thoughts after meeting him on November 21, 1997 > __________________________________________________________ [ To quit the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe movies" ] [ (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ End of movies-digest V2 #11 *************************** [ To quit the movies-digest mailing list (big mistake), send the message ] [ "unsubscribe movies-digest" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]