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From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest)
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: movies-digest V2 #109
Reply-To: movies-digest
Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
movies-digest Thursday, October 8 1998 Volume 02 : Number 109
[MV] Flesh Gordon
RE: [MV] Flesh Gordon
[MV] Movie News - 10/06/98
[MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 10/06/98
[MV] What Dreams May Come, * 1/2 (out of 4)
[MV] Movie News - 10/07/98
[MV] Mercury Rising
[MV] is it possible
RE: [MV] is it possible
Re: [MV] Mercury Rising
RE: [MV] Mercury Rising Also Wild Things, and a comment on the Ra ting system.
RE: [MV] Mercury Rising Also Wild Things, and a comment on the Ra ting system.
[MV] The Movie Report#161, 10/8/98
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Oct 1998 00:07:18 +0900
From: Honwa Chau <nihonitchy@ibm.net>
Subject: [MV] Flesh Gordon
Did "Flesh Gordon 2" feature a scene where Flesh had to have sex with a
chicken in order to supply power to a spaceship?
It took a genius to write a scenario like that.
itchy
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 09:30:34 -0600
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Flesh Gordon
Yes, it was the drive that was powered by the harnessed energy of sex.
"One day people will be able to screw their way across the galaxy."
Do you remember what Flesh says after doing that deed? He's spitting
feathers out of his mouth as he says, "That wasn't that bad."
Pure Genius,
JKRUDY
- -----Original Message-----
From: Honwa Chau [SMTP:nihonitchy@ibm.net]
Sent: Tuesday, October 06, 1998 9:07 AM
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [MV] Flesh Gordon
Did "Flesh Gordon 2" feature a scene where Flesh had to have sex with a
chicken in order to supply power to a spaceship?
It took a genius to write a scenario like that.
itchy
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 11:29:11 -0600 (MDT)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 10/06/98
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - DreamWorks' "Antz" marched off with an
impressive $16.8 million opening, leading a surprisingly robust
October box office weekend to a nearly $90 million finish. Also
exceeding expectations was Polygram Films' costly Robin
Williams-starrer "What Dreams May Come," which landed in second place
with a studio-estimated $16.1 million. The two newcomers nudged New
Line's action comedy hit "Rush Hour" into third place after two
consecutive weeks at No. 1. Off just 29% to $15 million, the picture
has kicked up $84.6 million to-date.
-=> * <=-
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Ben Stiller, who appeared in three movies this
summer, has been hired to star in "Mystery Men," an offbeat comedy
about loser superheroes. The Universal project begins production Oct.
21 in Los Angeles, with commercials director Kinka Usher helming from
an adaptation of Bob Burden's comic book. Stiller will play Mr.
Furious, the angriest and craziest of a band of self-proclaimed
superheroes. Fueled by a rage that stems from his parents' neglect,
Furious and his not-so-super mates, Blue Raja (Hank Azaria) and the
Shoveler, band to fight their archenemy, Casanova Frankenstein,
played by Geoffrey Rush.
-=> * <=-
* DIED: British actor Marius Goring, best known as Moira
Shearer's love interest in the 1948 dance film "The Red
Shoes," Sept. 30, at his home in West Sussex, England, of
cancer. He was 86.
[<=- Life is just one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead -=>]
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1998 17:05:35 -0600 (MDT)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 10/06/98
The first Star Wars prequel finally has a name: Star
Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace. The title
was announced September 25 on the official Star
Wars Web site.
As previously announced, the film will open in North
America on May 21, 1999.
-=> * <=-
Dimension Films and Edward Pressman Film Corp. are
teaming up for The Crow: Salvation, the third
installment in the popular Crow movie franchise,
according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bharat Nalluri
(Killing Time and Down Time) will direct the movie from a
screenplay written by Millennium scribe Chip Johannessen,
based on a story developed by Matt Greenberg.
The film will focus on a 20-year-old man who is sentenced
to death for a crime he didn't commit. The man returns to
life as a supernatural hero called the Crow in order to seek
vengeance on those who wronged him.
Salvation replaces the now-defunct film The Crow 2037,
which was to have been written and directed by White
Zombie lead singer Rob Zombie. Salvation is expected to
begin shooting in February for a late 1999 release.
-=> * <=-
The on-again off-again Warner Bros. film Superman
Lives is on once again, at least according to a report
by Variety columnist Michael Fleming. Fleming says
the movie, which was canceled due to an escalating
budget and script woes, has been revived thanks to a
new screenplay by Dan Gilroy.
Gilroy has apparently managed to keep the budget of
Superman Lives down while playing up the characters,
something that has given both Warner executives and
would-be Superman Nicolas Cage new faith in the project.
Fleming reports that Cage is eager to appear in the film,
but there's no word if Tim Burton is still interested in
directing.
-=> * <=-
Gore Verbinski, the former commercial director who
helmed the DreamWorks flick Mouse Hunt, will
reportedly be going behind the cameras for Disney's
upcoming big-budget SF film Mission to Mars. The movie is
based on an idea by writer David Goyer and producer Tom
Jacobson.
Mission focuses on two manned flights to Mars, the first a
research and exploration voyage where something goes
drastically wrong. The second is a rescue mission sent to
pick up the survivors of the first and determine what went
wrong.
-=> * <=-
The Mask of Zorro co-star Catherine Zeta-Jones is in
talks with DreamWorks to appear in the upcoming
supernatural thriller The Haunting of Hill House,
according to Variety. Zeta-Jones would play the role of
Theo in the film, which is based on the Shirley Jackson
novel of the same name.
Liam Neeson and Lili Taylor are also attached to star in Hill
House, which focuses on a research team sent to
investigate whether ghosts inhabit a supposedly haunted
house. The film is being directed by Jan De Bont and is
tentatively scheduled for a Christmas 1999 release.
Jackson's Hill House novel was also the basis for the 1963
movie The Haunting, directed by Robert Wise.
-=> * <=-
Rod Steiger, who earned both an Oscar and a Golden
Globe award for acting, is in talks to star opposite
Arnold Schwarzenegger in the supernatural movie End
of Days, according to Variety. The film was scripted by
Andrew Marlowe (Air Force One) and takes place around
the turn of the millennium, when Satan pays a visit to
New York.
End of Days will mark the feature film directorial debut for
Marcus Nispel, who previously made a name for himself in
the music video industry. SF fans may remember Steiger
from his appearance in Mars Attacks! as General Decker.
-=> * <=-
The DreamWorks/Paramount film Deep Impact picked
up $5.1 million dollars in China during the last month,
pushing its overseas gross over the $200 million mark,
according to Variety. The comet-strikes-Earth flick was
especially popular with Japanese audiences, earning $44.6
million during its stay in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Deep Impact also performed well in Germany, the United
Kingdom, Mexico, Australia, Spain, and Italy, although it
apparently didn't strike the fancy of French moviegoers.
As previously reported, the film earned a sizable $140
million during its North American run.
-=> * <=-
Universal Pictures is moving ahead with plans to create
a computer animated feature film that picks up where
the 1931 movie Frankenstein--starring Boris
Karloff--left off, according to published reports. George
Lucas' special ffects company Industrial Light and Magic
will handle the CGI work for the film, which is scheduled
for a summer 2000 release.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ILM visual effects
supervisor Dave Carson and writer Brent Maddock will
direct the picture from a screenplay written by Maddock
and S.S. Wilson. The film reportedly focuses on Dr.
Pretorious, an eccentric scientist searching for the
electrodes that were implanted in the neck of
Frankenstein's monster some 40 years ago.
-=> * <=-
Wolfmill Entertainment, creator of the successful new
animated series Pocket Dragon Adventures, has
acquired the media rights to Warp Graphics'
long-running comic book series Elfquest. Wolfmill
co-founder Craig Miller said his company plans to produce
both an animated feature film and an animated TV series
based on the comic, in a joint venture with Elfquest
creators Richard and Wendy Pini.
The Pinis, a husband and wife team, published the first
Elfquest comic book 20 years ago and are still producing
new issues today. The series focuses on a group of
warrior elves called The Wolfriders--small in stature but
huge in courage--who face a variety of dangers as they
attempt to fulfill their quest of finding other tribes like
their own and discovering the secret of their past.
-=> * <=-
Hudson Leick, best known to SF fans for her role as
Callisto on Xena: Warrior Princess, has joined the
semi-science-fictional movie Chill Factor, according to
Variety. The film stars Skeet Ulrich and Cuba Gooding Jr.
as two men who must keep a deadly substance chilled
below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hugh Johnson is directing Chill based on a script by Mike
Cheda and Drew Gitlin. Peter Firth and David Paymer have
also agreed to appear in the movie. Both Firth and Paymer
can be seen in Disney's upcoming feature Mighty Joe Young.
-=> * <=-
Universal and Imagine Films are reportedly
interested in hiring the writing duo of Peter Seaman
and Jeffrey Price to script the live-action feature
film of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Seamen and
Price have previously written scripts for films such
as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the upcoming The
Wild, Wild the West.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 12:10:57 -0600 (MDT)
From: "Gregory A. Swarthout" <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] What Dreams May Come, * 1/2 (out of 4)
Review by Gregory A. Swarthout
Stars: Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr., Annabella Sciorra, Max von
Sydow. Written by Ronald Bass. Directed by Vincent Ward. Rated PG-13
for thematic elements involving death, some disturbing images and
language.
Chris Nielsen (Robin Williams) dies in an auto accident and, after
roaming the earth for a few days, wakes up in heaven. His vision of heaven,
a favorite painting by his artist wife Annie (Annabella Sciorra), becomes
reality for him. Soon a guide named Albert (Cuba Gooding Jr.) shows up to
help Chris understand what heaven offers and how he can use his world-
creating powers. Annie, having lost her children to another auto accident
four years earlier, becomes inconsolable at the loss of her husband and so
commits suicide. Since she took her own life, she is sent to hell, leaving
Chris without a chance to be with her eternally. But because they are soul
mates, Chris braves a visit to the nether regions in order to see his beloved
one last time.
"What Dreams May Come" is a near-perfect example of style over
substance. The film features astounding, creative visuals, but lacks the
emotion one would expect from a romantic drama. That it is slow and dull
is just its most obvious problem. The filmmakers have turned heaven into a
colorful but dreary place where souls interact with odd detachment, if they
choose to interact at all. Hell is actually presented better, putting to good
use the despair that seems to permeate both realms. Told mainly in intrusive
flashbacks, "What Dreams May Come" is more tiring than inspiring.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 7 Oct 1998 13:52:33 -0600 (MDT)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 10/07/98
HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - When the dust cleared Monday, "Antz" was still
the king (or queen) of the weekend anthill - and by an even wider
margin than originally projected. The DreamWorks computer-animated
insect picture grossed a hefty $17.2 million, $400,000 more than the
studio's Sunday estimate. It easily clinched the record for an
October opening, besting the $16.6 million debut of "Stargate" in
1994. Meanwhile, Polygram revised its figure downward for No. 2
opener "What Dreams May Come" by $300,000 to $15.8 million.
-=> * <=-
NEW YORK (Variety) - "The Impostors" stole the top slot on the
weekend's exclusives roster of limited release movies playing in New
York and Los Angeles. Actor/writer/director Stanley Tucci's
Depression-era comedy about two actors-turned-stowaways sailed away
with $95,221 on seven ocean liners in Gotham and L.A. during its
first outing. "Pecker" remained No. 2 in its second weekend. John
Waters' comedy about a Baltimore photographer who snubs the New York
art world posed for $68,500 in seven studios on both coasts. Last
weekend's No. 1, "Clay Pigeons," was the third most popular
limited-release picture. The Vince Vaughn starrer rang up $58,299 on
eight screens in New York and L.A. Newcomers included "Strangeland,"
which scared up $19,078 on six sites.
-=> * <=-
While his primary focus is centered on preparing to direct
"Fahrenheit 451" for Warner Bros. in May, Mel Gibson may
first take a starring role in "The Million Dollar Hotel" for
German director Wim Wenders, says Variety. In his biggest
play against vanity since "The Man Without a Face," Gibson
might shave his head for the role, which he shoots in
January. "Hotel" stars Jeremy Davies ("Saving Private Ryan")
and Milla Jovovich as two misfits in a seedy hotel whose
lives are turned upside down by a badgering detective (Mel)
trying to solve a possible murder.
-=> * <=-
* DIED: Bruce Williamson, 71, the Noel Coward of American
film critics, of cardiac arrest, Tuesday, in New York. As a
critic for TIME Magazine in the 1960s and then, for the next
31 years (until this fall), for Playboy, Williamson combined
grace, cogency and wit in his writing, helped forward the
career of Kim Basinger (by convincing her to pose for
Playboy) and finessed Brigitte Nielson's introduction to
Sylvester Stallone. A great guy.
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:41:57 -0600
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: [MV] Mercury Rising
Where is everybody today?
I saw Mercury Rising the other day on video. I loved it, but I had never
heard of it before until just the other day so obviously a lot of people
hated it. I'd like to hear any opinions you may have on it.
I also saw Wild Things. This might be a slight spoiler, but my wife thinks
that Kevin Bacon was the executive producer just so he could have his penis
revealed on the big screen. Personally I think well why not, they've been
showing female full frontal nudity for years.
JKRUDY
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 11:37:36 -0700
From: "Romero, Leticia" <lromero@saonet.ucla.edu>
Subject: [MV] is it possible
That we've seen everything already?
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:49:08 -0600
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] is it possible
That would mean that we would have to move on to discussing popular poetry
or something along those lines.
JKRUDY
- -----Original Message-----
From: Romero, Leticia [SMTP:lromero@saonet.ucla.edu]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 1998 12:38 PM
To: 'movie'
Subject: [MV] is it possible
That we've seen everything already?
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 98 14:08:15 PDT
From: Wade Snider <wsnider@brazoselectric.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] Mercury Rising
- --- On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:41:57 -0600 jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com> wrote:
>I saw Mercury Rising the other day on video. I loved it, but I had never
>heard of it before until just the other day so obviously a lot of people
>hated it. I'd like to hear any opinions you may have on it.
I saw this in the theater. i liked it allright, but I was not all that
impressed by it. I couldn't tell if it was an action film or a suspense
drama. How many times to we get to see Bruce Willis with that strained
constipation face as he jumps of something speeding or exploding. I also
expected to see more of Alec baldwin... you gotta love him in a role like this.
And, I tended to feel that a lot of the personal aspects
of his relationship with the boy were just emotional manipulation much to
reminiscent (sp?) of Rain Man.
Those things said, I did relatively like it.. not too bored with it. Good rental choice.
>I also saw Wild Things. This might be a slight spoiler, but my wife thinks
>that Kevin Bacon was the executive producer just so he could have his penis
>revealed on the big screen. Personally I think well why not, they've been
>showing female full frontal nudity for years.
>JKRUDY
I had heard that they had shot the scene many times, and it just happened
that in the best take, he turned a little faster than anticipated. They SAY
they didn't plan that.......
At some point, it became known just how much had been shown when in post
production, and he himself said that they would have taken that out for him,
but he said he had nothing in his contract about full frontal nudity or some
such thing, and he seemed to me to get a hoot out of having that in there; so he
told them to leave it...
Wade
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- -Kierkegaard
- --------------------------------------------------------
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1998 13:23:49 -0600
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Mercury Rising Also Wild Things, and a comment on the Ra ting system.
Also with Wild Things, I would have thought the 3-way sex scene would have
merited a NC-17 rating. What is this world coming too? I mean I'm not
saying I didn't enjoy it. In fact I enjoyed it all 4 times I watched that
particular scene (LOL), I'm just commenting on the rapid decline of sexual
morality in films, and how something that is rated R today would have been
rated X tens years ago. Another example is I read where they are
re-releasing "The Exorcist" in theaters with originally edited out scenes
that made the movie rated X at first but which once removed they rated it R,
now years later the scenes are put back in and it's still R. One of the
scenes apparently has Linda Blair peeing in her own face and drinking it.
That still sounds X to me, how 'bout you?
JAMES K. RUDY
- -----Original Message-----
From: Wade Snider [SMTP:wsnider@brazoselectric.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 1998 3:08 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Re: [MV] Mercury Rising
- --- On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:41:57 -0600 jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com> wrote:
>I saw Mercury Rising the other day on video. I loved it, but I had never
>heard of it before until just the other day so obviously a lot of people
>hated it. I'd like to hear any opinions you may have on it.
I saw this in the theater. i liked it allright, but I was not all that
impressed by it. I couldn't tell if it was an action film or a suspense
drama. How many times to we get to see Bruce Willis with that strained
constipation face as he jumps of something speeding or exploding. I also
expected to see more of Alec baldwin... you gotta love him in a role like
this.
And, I tended to feel that a lot of the personal aspects
of his relationship with the boy were just emotional manipulation much to
reminiscent (sp?) of Rain Man.
Those things said, I did relatively like it.. not too bored with it. Good
rental choice.
>I also saw Wild Things. This might be a slight spoiler, but my wife thinks
>that Kevin Bacon was the executive producer just so he could have his penis
>revealed on the big screen. Personally I think well why not, they've been
>showing female full frontal nudity for years.
>JKRUDY
I had heard that they had shot the scene many times, and it just happened
that in the best take, he turned a little faster than anticipated. They SAY
they didn't plan that.......
At some point, it became known just how much had been shown when in post
production, and he himself said that they would have taken that out for him,
but he said he had nothing in his contract about full frontal nudity or some
such thing, and he seemed to me to get a hoot out of having that in there;
so he
told them to leave it...
Wade
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- -Kierkegaard
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 98 14:40:23 PDT
From: Wade Snider <wsnider@brazoselectric.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Mercury Rising Also Wild Things, and a comment on the Ra ting system.
- --- On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 13:23:49 -0600 jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com> wrote:
>Also with Wild Things, I would have thought the 3-way sex scene would have
>merited a NC-17 rating. What is this world coming too? I mean I'm not
>saying I didn't enjoy it. In fact I enjoyed it all 4 times I watched that
>particular scene (LOL), I'm just commenting on the rapid decline of sexual
>morality in films, and how something that is rated R today would have been
>rated X tens years ago. Another example is I read where they are
>re-releasing "The Exorcist" in theaters with originally edited out scenes
>that made the movie rated X at first but which once removed they rated it R,
>now years later the scenes are put back in and it's still R. One of the
>scenes apparently has Linda Blair peeing in her own face and drinking it.
>That still sounds X to me, how 'bout you?
>
>JAMES K. RUDY
That sounds bizzare to me. I don't see who would want to see that who hasn't
already seen the original as it is, especially in theaters.
It's like with Last Tango in Paris.... very big deal
and extremely shocking 26 years ago... Today.. not a very
big controversial matter.
Similar with the view on Midnight Cowboy years ago..
Interesting comment on the decline.
Wade
- -----Original Message-----
From: Wade Snider [SMTP:wsnider@brazoselectric.com]
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 1998 3:08 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Re: [MV] Mercury Rising
- --- On Thu, 8 Oct 1998 12:41:57 -0600 jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com> wrote:
>I saw Mercury Rising the other day on video. I loved it, but I had never
>heard of it before until just the other day so obviously a lot of people
>hated it. I'd like to hear any opinions you may have on it.
I saw this in the theater. i liked it allright, but I was not all that
impressed by it. I couldn't tell if it was an action film or a suspense
drama. How many times to we get to see Bruce Willis with that strained
constipation face as he jumps of something speeding or exploding. I also
expected to see more of Alec baldwin... you gotta love him in a role like
this.
And, I tended to feel that a lot of the personal aspects
of his relationship with the boy were just emotional manipulation much to
reminiscent (sp?) of Rain Man.
Those things said, I did relatively like it.. not too bored with it. Good
rental choice.
>I also saw Wild Things. This might be a slight spoiler, but my wife thinks
>that Kevin Bacon was the executive producer just so he could have his penis
>revealed on the big screen. Personally I think well why not, they've been
>showing female full frontal nudity for years.
>JKRUDY
I had heard that they had shot the scene many times, and it just happened
that in the best take, he turned a little faster than anticipated. They SAY
they didn't plan that.......
At some point, it became known just how much had been shown when in post
production, and he himself said that they would have taken that out for him,
but he said he had nothing in his contract about full frontal nudity or some
such thing, and he seemed to me to get a hoot out of having that in there;
so he
told them to leave it...
Wade
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- -Kierkegaard
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
- ---------------End of Original Message-----------------
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.
- -Kierkegaard
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Oct 1998 12:29:30 -0700
From: Michael Dequina <michael_jordan@geocities.com>
Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#161, 10/8/98
T H E
M O V I E
R E P O R T
#161
OCTOBER 8, 1998
PLEASE HELP...
...keep the MR and Mr. Brown's Movie Site alive. I am undergoing a
serious funding and resource crisis. You can help by renting or purchasing
videos from Reel.com! Please visit:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-reel.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=welcome.html
You can also help in other ways. _Please_ visit:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/support.html
Thank you very much.
=>T H I S W E E K<=
M O V I E S
- -_Apt_Pupil_
- -_Reach_the_Rock_
V I D E O
- -_Lost_in_Space_
- -_A_Perfect_Murder_
For links to the official websites of all the current films, past reviews,
exclusive Hollywood event photos, movie discussion board, movie theme MIDI
files, and more, visit Mr. Brown's Movie Site at:
http://welcome.to/mrbrown or
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown
Please don't forget to sign the guestbook...
Select reviews are available at CompuServe Hollywood Hotline:
http://www.HollywoodHotline.com
...and the Eyepiece Network at:
http://www.eyepiece.com
...and Albany Online at:
http://www.AlbanyOnline.com
all movies graded out of four stars (****)
~~~
=>M O V I E S<=
N E W R E L E A S E S
_Apt_Pupil_ (R) *** 1/2
Bryan Singer's adaptation of the the Stephen King novella _Apt_Pupil_
opens with images one would associate with such a title. A high school
student receives an "A" on a paper and then shuttles off to the library,
immersing himself in research as the opening titles unspool. As this dark,
often disturbing psychological thriller progresses, the title's meaning
remains the same, except it gradually takes on a much more sinister
perspective.
The apt pupil seen at the opening of the film is 16-year-old high school
student Todd Bowden (Brad Renfro), whose intense extracurricular research
on the Holocaust leads him to discover that one Arthur Denker (Ian
McKellen), an old man whom he has seen around town, is really Nazi war
criminal-in-hiding Kurt Dussander. But instead of turning him in, Todd
proposes an odd exchange: his silence in return for Dussander's first-hand
accounts of wartime atrocities.
Of course, dredging up the past brings to the surface Dussander's fascist
tendencies, but _Apt_Pupil_ goes one step further in that the stories bring
forth Todd's capacity for evil as well; it is this psychological seduction
that lends the film a queasy fascination. Singer and screenwriter Brandon
Boyce also go against the populist Hollywood grain by boldly making the
already fairly unsympathetic characters _moreso_ as the film goes on.
While the absence of a likable lead character will certainly off-put many
moviegoers, and one contrived plot development is a bit hard to swallow,
audiences are nonetheless more than likely to remain riveted by Renfro and
McKellen's dead-on performances. Renfro's evolution from curious
adolescent to hateful manipulator is unsettlingly believable while
McKellen, speaking with a perfect German accent, gives Dussander an air of
quiet majesty that is as frightening as it is deceiving.
While he heavily uses quick cuts and horrifying imagery, Singer admirably
eschews easy "shock" gimmicks to jolt the audience out their seats.
Instead, he appears more concerned with the collective effect of a variety
shocks, visual and otherwise, on the viewer's psyche. As such, _Apt_Pupil_
gets under the skin like few thrillers do. A mad slasher with an axe does
not necessarily constitute a successful frightfest; what does is the
feeling of terror that comes with being pursued by such a force of evil.
_Apt_Pupil_'s primary force of evil may be axe-less and of poor physical
health, but his--and the film's--subtle brand of cerebral terror cuts
sharper and deeper than anything found in a more conventional horror movie.
(opens October 23)
IN BRIEF
_Reach_the_Rock_ (R) * 1/2
"An intimate, character-driven drama about a troubled youth at a
crossroads in his life," read the press notes for _Reach_the_Rock_. I'm
not really sure what film that statement is describing because those words
bear little resemblance to the slow, completely uninvolving bore I saw--at
least, it certainly does not describe what goes on for most of the film.
Alessandro Nivola plays Robin Fleming, a troubled, directionless
21-year-old who has a penchant for breaking storefront windows in a small
town. Police sergeant Phil Quinn (William Sadler) takes him in, and what
ensues for the first 70 minutes is a tedious series of sneak-outs and
sneak-ins where Robin slips out of his jail cell, breaks a window, then
returns, all without Quinn ever noticing. Also added to the pointless
proceedings is some would-be humorous shenanigans involving Quinn's
dimwitted deputy Ernie attempting to engage in clandestine patrol car sex
with his girlfriend Donna (Karen Sillas).
With a half hour (if even that long) remaining, director William Ryan and
writer John Hughes (yes, John Hughes of '80s youth films and _Home_Alone_)
finally approach something close to a point. Turns out Robin still pines
for his high school sweetheart Lise (Brooke Langton), who has long gone on
with her life, and Hughes's main concern at long last reveals itself as a
tired "live in the present and for the future" message. Most moviegoers,
however, will likely be asleep by that time. Wide awake, however, is the
cast, who individually tackle their showcase dramatic scenes with energy
and skill--thus revealing the _real_ purpose behind this listless
enterprise: to serve as a series of acting exercises. Such a glorified
workshop may have its rewards for the actors, but it leaves audiences with
a booby prize. (opens October 16)
I N C U R R E N T R E L E A S E
(full reviews of the following in past MRs and at the listed URLs)
- -_Antz_ (PG) *** 1/2 <MR#159, 9/25/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#antz
- -_Blade_ (R) *** <MR#156, 8/28/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#blade
- -_Clay_Pigeons_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#159, 9/25/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#clay
- -_Ever_After_ (PG-13) *** <MR#152, 7/30/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#everafter
- -_The_Impostors_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#160, 10/5/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#impostors
- -_Lolita_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#151, 7/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#lolita
- -_Next_Stop_Wonderland_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#157, 9/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#wonderland
- -_A_Night_at_the_Roxbury_ (PG-13) 1/2* <MR#160, 10/5/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#roxbury
- -_One_True_Thing_ (R) *** <MR#158, 9/17/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#1truething
- -_Pecker_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#153, 8/7/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#pecker
- -_Permanent_Midnight_ (R) ** <MR#158, 9/17/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#midnight
- -_Ronin_ (R) ** <MR#158, 9/17/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#ronin
- -_Rounders_ (R) *** <MR#157, 9/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#rounders
- -_Rush_Hour_ (PG-13) ** 1/2 <MR#159, 9/25/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#rush
- -_Saving_Private_Ryan_ (R) **** <MR#151, 7/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#ryan
- -_Simon_Birch_ (PG) ** 1/2 <MR#157, 9/17/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#simon
- -_Six-String_Samurai_ (PG-13) *** <MR#158, 9/17/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#6string
- -_Slums_of_Beverly_Hills_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#155, 8/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#slums
- -_There's_Something_About_Mary_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#150, 7/10/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#mary
- -_Urban_Legend_ (R) ** <MR#159, 9/25/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#urban
- -_What_Dreams_May_Come_ (PG-13) *** 1/2 <MR#160, 10/5/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#dreams
- -_Without_Limits_ (PG-13) *** <MR#156, 8/28/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#limits
- -_Your_Friends_&_Neighbors_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#154, 8/13/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#friends
F U T U R E F I L M S
- -_Slam_ (R) **** <MR#160, 10/5/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#slam
(October 16)
O N T H E H O R I Z O N
FRIDAY
_Bad_Manners_ (R)
Adaptation of the play _Ghost_in_the_Machine_, in which the psychological
relations between two couples continually shift over a tense weekend in New
England. David Strathairn, Bonnie Bedelia, Caroleen Feeney, and Saul
Rubinek star for director Jonathan Kaufer and screenwriter David Gilman,
adapting his own play.
_Detroit_9000_ (R)
The latest nugget to be unearthed from Rolling Thunder's film vaults is
this 1973 blaxploitation flick in which a white cop (Alex Rocco) and a
black cop (Hari Rhodes) are paired to solve a crime that brings Detroit's
race relations to a boiling point.
_Hit_Me_ (R)
Adaptation of the Jim Thompson novel _A_Swell-Looking_Babe_, in which a
bellhop (Elias Koteas) gets caught up in the noirish affairs of a femme
fatale (Laure Marsac).
_Holy_Man_ (PG)
A televangelist (Eddie Murphy) enters the home shopping biz in this
comedy. Jeff Goldblum and Kelly Preston also star for all-purpose Disney
director Stephen Herek.
_Love_Is_the_Devil_
The destructive relationship between English painter Francis Bacon (Derek
Jacobi) and crook George Dyer (Daniel Craig) is the centerpiece of
writer-director John Maybury's historical drama.
_The_Mighty_ (PG-13) *** 1/2
Full review in MR#160, 10/5/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#mighty
Moving, understated drama about the life-changing friendship between two
young outcasts (Elden Henson and Kieran Culkin). Sharon Stone, Gena
Rowlands, Harry Dean Stanton, and Gillian Anderson round out the ensemble
cast.
_One_Tough_Cop_ (R)
Bruno Barreto directed this gritty crime drama about a cop's (Stephen
Baldwin) relationship with his partner (Chris Penn) and his mafioso best
friend (Mike McGlone).
~~~
=>V I D E O<=
N E W T H I S W E E K
_Lost_in_Space_ (PG-13) *
Full review in MR#137, 4/10/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt31.html#lost
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41011
Dreadful big-screen adaptation of the cult 1960s sci-fi series, cluelessly
written by Akiva Goldsman and clumsily directed by Stephen Hopkins. Only
Gary Oldman stands out in an otherwise bored-loooking cast that also
includes William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, Heather Graham, Matt LeBlanc, and Lacey
Chabert. (New Line Home Video)
_A_Perfect_Murder_ (R) ** 1/2
Full review in MR#145, 6/4/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt35.html#murder
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41511
Andrew Davis's just-OK reworking of Alfred Hitchcock's
_Dial_M_for_Murder_, in which a wealthy industrialist (Michael Douglas) his
wife's (Gwyneth Paltrow) lover (Viggo Mortensen) to kill her. (Warner Home
Video)
A L S O N E W T H I S W E E K
_Character_ (R)
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=40992
This year's winner of the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar was Mike Van
Diem's period drama from the Netherlands about a young man's turbulent
relationship with his father. (Columbia TriStar Home Video)
~~~
=>N E X T W E E K<=
More reviews, including:
- -_American_History_X_
- -_Beloved_
- -_Holy_Man_ (postponed from this week)
- -_Pleasantville_
- -_Practical_Magic_
'til then...
__________________________________________________________
Michael Dequina
Chat Forum Host, The Official Michael Jordan Web Site
http://jordan.sportsline.com
mj23@michaeljordanfan.com | jordan_host@sportsmail.com
michael_jordan@geocities.com | mrbrown@iname.com
>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
"Life is knowing the toughest competition you ever face is yourself."
- --Michael Jordan
__________________________________________________________
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