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From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest)
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: movies-digest V2 #139
Reply-To: movies-digest
Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
movies-digest Friday, December 4 1998 Volume 02 : Number 139
[MV] unsubscribe
RE: [MV] unsubscribe
RE: [MV] unsubscribe
Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Fredy Vs Jason
Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
[MV] Screen It Newsletter (December 3, 1998)
Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
RE: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
[MV] REVIEW: LITTLE VOICE
RE: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
[MV] REVIEW: LITTLE VOICE
[MV] The Movie Report#169, 12/3/98
[MV] REVIEW: PSYCHO (1998)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 23:31:16 EST
From: AZThARA@aol.com
Subject: [MV] unsubscribe
unsubscribe
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 08:27:50 -0700
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] unsubscribe
Please tell me we're not going to get on the topic of what is considered
"Stupid."
James K. Rudy
- -----Original Message-----
From: AZThARA@aol.com [mailto:AZThARA@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 9:31 PM
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [MV] unsubscribe
unsubscribe
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 11:34:52 -0500
From: ryana@allensysgroup.com (Ryan Allen)
Subject: RE: [MV] unsubscribe
At 10:27 12/3/98 , you wrote:
>Please tell me we're not going to get on the topic of what is considered
>"Stupid."
I don't think so... I hope not.
Ryan
Intranet Specialist
Intranet Development Team (IDTeam)
Allen Systems Group
http://www.asg.com
## Hurricane Season (June 1-Nov. 30) is Here! ##
## Please visit my Personal Page ##
## http://www.gate.net/~airwolf ##
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 98 14:02:04 PST
From: "Rebecca Bezant" <sunybruk@infoblvd.net>
Subject: Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Fredy Vs Jason
Don't blame him, he made a mistake doing a reply. It could of been anyon=
e writing that, sometimes those [ ] get confusing to me as well. And =
I am curious about The Freddy Vs. Jason movie that I have been getting =
a lot of emails about. When is the movie due out and will Robert Englund =
return as Freddy?
- ----------
> Please tell me we're not going to get on the topic of what is considere=
d
> "Stupid."
>
> James K. Rudy
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: AZThARA@aol.com [mailto:AZThARA@aol.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 02, 1998 9:31 PM
> To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
> Subject: [MV] unsubscribe
>
>
> unsubscribe
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
>
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 13:17:54 -0500
From: ryana@allensysgroup.com (Ryan Allen)
Subject: Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
At 17:02 12/3/98 , you wrote:
>Don't blame him, he made a mistake doing a reply. It could of been anyone
>writing that, sometimes those [ ] get confusing to me as well. And I am
>curious about The Freddy Vs. Jason movie that I have been getting a lot of
>emails about. When is the movie due out and will Robert Englund return as
>Freddy?
Well, if you missed all the posts, it boils down to this. The movie script
has been worked on and thrown out a dozen plus times over the past two or
three years. New Line will eventually do a movie, and Wes Craven said (I
believe) that he'd "rather Freddy be left dead, but since [he] doesn't own
the characters [New Line does], then it's up to [New Line]." He also said
that the FvJ movie would be Freddy's last movie. There is no complete
script, so no idea when it'll start moving towards production. HTH.
Ryan
Intranet Specialist
Intranet Development Team (IDTeam)
Allen Systems Group
http://www.asg.com
## Hurricane Season (June 1-Nov. 30) is Here! ##
## Please visit my Personal Page ##
## http://www.gate.net/~airwolf ##
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 13:22:44 -0500 (EST)
From: reviews@screenit.com
Subject: [MV] Screen It Newsletter (December 3, 1998)
Welcome to the Screen It! Newsletter (December 3, 1998).
This week at the movies, "Psycho" returns to the big screen, but it's
not Hitchcock's version, while a less prominent film hits the high notes
in limited release.
On home video, a few more titles from this past summer hit the shelves,
including a remake of "The Parent Trap," and the latest film from
Harrison Ford, both of which are joined by two smaller films very few
people saw while they played in the multiplexes.
PLEASE NOTE: The new movie reviews WILL NOT be publicly posted until
LATE Tuesday night (EST) to comply with the studios' wishes/demands.
Next week, reviews of "Jack Frost" (Michael Keaton), "Star Trek:
Insurrection" (Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes), and other new
releases.
===========WE NEED YOUR HELP===========
While you've undoubtably seen many ads on the Screen It website, most
are low paying and some are pay per lead (you fill out a form and we
receive a small commission). As such, the income from such ads helps
pay for some of Screen It's operating expenses, but no one here (meaning
me, your faithful reviewer) has taken a salary in more than a year.
Here's where you can help. Tell others to visit our site and for them to
tell others as well. If we can attain a certain level of traffic (more
than a million pages shown per month -- currently we're at 800,000) we
can hopefully draw higher paying ad firms and advertisers.
As such, this will not only help us (make back some money that we've
sunk into this endeavor), but also you. That's because the more money
we make, the more likely we'll be able to add more reviewers and thus
provide you, dear readers, with more reviews of older videos and possibly
music releases once again.
Thanks in advance if you choose to do this, and now on with this week's
newsletter...
__________________________________________________
NEW MOVIE REVIEWS FOR FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4TH:
"LITTLE VOICE" (1998) (Jane Horrocks, Brenda Blethyn) (R)
Drama: A young, but near mute recluse's (Horrocks) amazing ability to
imitate legendary female vocalists draws the attention of a sleazy local
talent agent (Michael Caine) who hopes to make it to the big time with
her. Not perfect, but funny, touching, and entertaining, "Little Voice"
is a very good film and features good performances from its talented
cast. The film is rated R for profanity and brief nudity.
(Limited Release)
http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/little_voice.html
__________________________________________________
"PSYCHO" (1998) (Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche) (R)
Horror: A petty thief's (Heche) random encounter with a psychopathic
motel clerk (Vaughn) and his mother unveils disturbing facts as others
come looking for the missing woman. This release has plenty of talent
in and behind it ("Good Will Hunting's" Gus Van Sant directs), but it's
drawing plenty of fire for reportedly being a near exact remake of the
original 1960 Hitchcock film (but in color and with updated references).
Universal did not screen this film in advance, so we can't tell you
anything about it until we see it. If it follows the original, however,
the R rating should come from knife wielding violence and possibly some
nudity.
(National Release) (COMING SOON)
http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/psycho.html
__________________________________________________
NEW VIDEO REVIEWS FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH:
"LAWN DOGS" (1998) (Sam Rockwell, Mischa Barton) (Not Rated)
Drama: An unlikely friendship develops between a ten-year-old girl
(Barton) and the twenty-one-year-old working class guy (Rockwell) who
mows lawns in her affluent neighborhood. While the film is wildly
uneven, some fun moments and the performances by Barton and Rockwell
support it just enough to make it a film worth considering. Although it
wasn't submitted to the MPAA for a rating, it should be considered as an
R for profanity, nudity, sexual material and violence. Barely released
in the U.S., the film only managed a box office gross of around $100,000.
(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/lawn_dogs.html)
__________________________________________________
"THE PARENT TRAP" (1998) (Lindsay Lohan, Dennis Quaid) (PG)
Drama/Comedy: Two eleven-year-old twins (both played by Lohan),
separated at birth, accidentally meet and decide to get their divorced
parents (including Quaid) back together again. Not a great film by any
means -- and at least half an hour too long -- it still manages to be an
enjoyable, although lightweight diversion that should at least partially
please nearly everyone who sees it. Rated PG for "some mild mischief"
(the MPAA's wording), the film managed to domestically gross around $66
million.
(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/the_parent_trap.html)
__________________________________________________
"SIX DAYS, SEVEN NIGHTS" (1998) (Harrison Ford, Anne Heche) (PG-13)
Drama/Adventure: A gruff cargo pilot (Ford) and a high-strung magazine
editor (Heche) find themselves stranded on a remote, tropical island
after their plane is forced down in a storm. Originally released in the
summer, this film is the equivalent of consuming a Slurpee during those
hot months. It's colorful, looks good and is fun to ingest, but it
doesn't fully satiate one's appetite and it melts rather quickly if you
inspect it for too long. Rated PG-13 for profanity, violence and some
sensuality, the film grossed around $74 million domestically, with
another $70 million or some coming in from overseas markets.
(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/six_days_seven_nights.html)
__________________________________________________
"SOUR GRAPES" (1998) (Steven Weber, Craig Bierko) (R)
Comedy: Two cousins (Weber & Bierko) come to comic blows after one hits
a near half million-dollar jackpot after borrowing the winning quarters
from the other. Highly reminiscent of TV's "Seinfeld" (due to its
co-creator writing and directing it), this film shows potential and
elicits a few laughs, but its meanspirited and below the belt attempts
at humor make this one indeed a bit too sour for most moviegoers. Rated
R for profanity and sexually related humor, this film only grossed a bit
more than $200,000 domestically.
(http://www.screenit.com/movies/1998/sour_grapes.html)
__________________________________________________
Do you find the Screen It Website useful?
If so, contact your local newspaper, TV or radio station, or favorite
magazine and ask that they do a story about our site so that others in
your community or country may benefit from this information. Contact
information can be found at the following address:
http://www.screenit.com/press.html
__________________________________________________
Remember, before you and/or your kids see it, buy it , or rent it, make
sure that first you Screen It!
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
http://www.screenit.com
__________________________________________________
Since we respect your privacy and time, we'll always keep these messages
brief and we'll never sell or give your e-mail address to anyone.
If at any time you no longer wish to receive these updates, simply let
us know at reviews@screenit.com and we'll remove you from our list.
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 98 13:20:18 PST
From: Wade Snider <wsnider@brazoselectric.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
I saw a posting on a movie news site that supposedly Englund and the guy who plays
Jason (as if that is a hard acting job) have seen a final-near final draft of the
script and they supposedly like it. That means doodley in terms of when the movie
would get done, but maybe it is at least a good way through the development stage.
- --- On Thu, 03 Dec 1998 13:17:54 -0500 Ryan Allen <ryana@allensysgroup.com> wrote:
>Well, if you missed all the posts, it boils down to this. The movie script
>has been worked on and thrown out a dozen plus times over the past two or
>three years. New Line will eventually do a movie, and Wes Craven said (I
>believe) that he'd "rather Freddy be left dead, but since [he] doesn't own
>the characters [New Line does], then it's up to [New Line]." He also said
>that the FvJ movie would be Freddy's last movie. There is no complete
>script, so no idea when it'll start moving towards production. HTH.
Ryan
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
If man evolved from apes, why do we still have apes?
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 13:37:19 -0700
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
I was led to believe that Jason was played by a different actor in each
movie. Also I have to laugh when it's mentioned that Wes Craven says that
this will definitely be Freddy's last movie. Wasn't "Freddy's Dead" suppose
to be his last, yet there he was again (maybe in a slightly different form)
in "A New Nightmare" and apparently here he comes again. I think my
grandchildren will be seeing new Freddy movies 20 - 30 years from now.
James K. Rudy
- -----Original Message-----
From: Wade Snider [mailto:wsnider@brazoselectric.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 03, 1998 2:20 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Re: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
I saw a posting on a movie news site that supposedly Englund and the guy who
plays
Jason (as if that is a hard acting job) have seen a final-near final draft
of the
script and they supposedly like it. That means doodley in terms of when the
movie
would get done, but maybe it is at least a good way through the development
stage.
- --- On Thu, 03 Dec 1998 13:17:54 -0500 Ryan Allen <ryana@allensysgroup.com>
wrote:
>Well, if you missed all the posts, it boils down to this. The movie script
>has been worked on and thrown out a dozen plus times over the past two or
>three years. New Line will eventually do a movie, and Wes Craven said (I
>believe) that he'd "rather Freddy be left dead, but since [he] doesn't own
>the characters [New Line does], then it's up to [New Line]." He also said
>that the FvJ movie would be Freddy's last movie. There is no complete
>script, so no idea when it'll start moving towards production. HTH.
Ryan
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
If man evolved from apes, why do we still have apes?
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:22:33 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <renshaw@inconnect.com>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: LITTLE VOICE
LITTLE VOICE
(Miramax)
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Jane Horrocks, Jim Broadbent,
Ewan McGregor.
Screenplay: Mark Herman, based on the play by Jim Cartwright.
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen.
Director: Mark Herman.
MPAA Rating: R (profanity, adult themes, brief nudity)
Running Time: 96 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
Jane Horrocks delivers a show-stopping stage performance in LITTLE
VOICE, the kind worthy of the divas she honors. In this adaptation of Jim
Cartwright's play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice," Horrocks reprises
her stage role as L. V. (for Little Voice) Hoff, a timid young woman
living in a small seaside town in the north of England. Still living with
her brash, bawdy mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn), L. V. rarely speaks a word
and even more rarely leaves the house. But when she sings, tearing into
the classic Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Edith Piaf tunes beloved by
her late father, she is transformed, taking on the pipes and the
personality of whichever chanteuse she happens to be channeling at the
moment.
The most astonishing element of Horrocks' performance is that she
gets no assistance from the original vocalists. The actress truly can do
frighteningly dead-on recreations of Garland, Dietrich, Holliday, Monroe
and half a dozen others, and its a wonder to behold. The showcase for
both Horrocks and her character is a performance at a run-down cabaret,
set up by Mari's current flame, small-time talent scout Ray Say (Michael
Caine). Recognizing L. V. as his ticket to the Big Time, Ray sinks
everything he has into a one-night performance he finally coaxes out of
the reluctant girl. And once she spots the visage of her dad in the
crowd, encouraging her, away she goes.
In a live theater setting, you can imagine Horrocks' musical numbers
being positively electrifying. Even on-screen her transformation from
Minnie Mouse to mighty mouth is grand theater at its finest, and the
renditions of standards like "Get Happy" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" are
extremely appealing. It doesn't take long, however, to realize that
LITTLE VOICE is built entirely around Horrocks' admittedly impressive
party trick. Once her centerpiece performance ends, the film starts
working desperately to tie up loose ends -- L. V.'s infatuation with her
father's memory, her relationships with her mother and an equally shy
telephone technician (Ewan McGregor), the frustrations of Ray as his one
shot at success seems about to pass him by. As flawed as Ray and Mari
are, they deserve better than to vanish after receiving a comeuppance.
It's frustrating watching them reduced to impediments to L. V.'s ability
finally to spread her wings (and it's not as though the bird metaphor
isn't beaten to an ugly death).
It's all the more disappointing because, for most of its running
time, LITTLE VOICE doesn't seem headed that way at all. Its eccentric
characters, while stagey, all have their goofy appeal, particularly Jim
Broadbent as the nightclub's cheesy owner/emcee. Director Mark Herman
develops his small-town atmosphere nicely, and his adapted screenplay
keeps the humor fairly consistent. It's actually nearly half an hour into
the film before L. V. breaks into song for the first time, allowing ample
time to build the significance of the characters and their relationships.
Then comes L. V.'s big debut, and it starts to seem that everyone else was
just part of the warm-up act. L. V. emerges from her shell, she sings and
she changes, and about as abruptly as you can imagine, the credits begin
to roll. LITTLE VOICE is largely diverting in its way, and Horrocks is
truly wonderful, but eventually it's somewhat disappointing. I didn't
expect to leave the theater feeling that an ensemble story had been turned
into a one-woman show of Judymania.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 Christmas Garlands: 6.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
***
Subscribe to receive new reviews directly by email!
See the MoviePage for details, or reply to this message with subject line
"Subscribe".
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 98 15:12:18 PST
From: Wade Snider <wsnider@brazoselectric.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] unsubscribe and Freddy Vs Jason
I think the last 3 or 4 jason movies (out of NINE, geesh) had Jason played by the
same guy, a real big dude who does stunts and stnunt coordination for a bunch of
b-type flicks.... I have no idea about the earlier ones....
I checked, and supposedly the movie will begun shooting in January and is due to be
out by September of next year. I saw two different possible plots mentioned. One is
that Freddy and Jason are mere pawns from Satan to cause trouble, and the other
involves a cult around each one of them that are trying to rule the world at the
new millenium. Hahahahahahaha!!! Forget all of the '99 hopeful OScar
contenders...HERE'S THE WINNER!!!!!! yah, and if a frog had wings it wouldn't
bump its ass when it hopped. But, it is supposed to be directed by Rob Bottin.. who
is a special effects MASTER. He did the stuff in Carpenter's The Thing, the effects
in Total Recall, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, se7en, Mimic, and a bunch of other
stuff.
I NEVER thought that we would have had a Friday the Thirteenth PART NINE! Does
anyone remember hearing about the suicides before the 5th movie came out? the "If
Jason Dies, I die" suicides... I was in high school then. Weird stuff.
Last movie my butt. They said that with Jason, too. Wes Craven is raking in some
dough from all his "Last" Nightmare on Elm Street movies. I'm sure we'll be seeing
"Nightmare on Elm Street 57 - Freddy's final sponge bath!"
Did anyone see the episode of Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago hosted by
Robert Englund? They had this running gag where he played himself in a skit, such
as a talk show or game show, and the other characters kept coming up to him and
saying, "Hey, You were that guy on V!" Hahaha. For those of you who may have been
in kindergarten back then, V was an American mini-series about an alien invasion;
it came out FIFTEEN years ago, in 1983 or 1984. It spurred a very short-lived
regular TV series, but it was a popular enough mini-series. But, that was all the
people on SNL would remember him for. After the fourth or fifth time, he eventually
blew up, "I was Freddy Krueger in ALL seven Nightmare movies! one of the most
popular horror creeps ever! I've been in almost 60 movies, and that's all you
people remember me for!?!?"
Okay, okay, that's a paraphrase, but it still makes a funny self-reflexive spoof of
the guy. That was very funny.
Wade
- --- On Thu, 3 Dec 1998 13:37:19 -0700 jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com> wrote:
I was led to believe that Jason was played by a different actor in each
movie. Also I have to laugh when it's mentioned that Wes Craven says that
this will definitely be Freddy's last movie. Wasn't "Freddy's Dead" suppose
to be his last, yet there he was again (maybe in a slightly different form)
in "A New Nightmare" and apparently here he comes again. I think my
grandchildren will be seeing new Freddy movies 20 - 30 years from now.
James K. Rudy
- --------------------------------------------------------
W. Snider
"Give me ambiguity or give me something else."
- --------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:22:33 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <renshaw@inconnect.com>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: LITTLE VOICE
LITTLE VOICE
(Miramax)
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Jane Horrocks, Jim Broadbent,
Ewan McGregor.
Screenplay: Mark Herman, based on the play by Jim Cartwright.
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen.
Director: Mark Herman.
MPAA Rating: R (profanity, adult themes, brief nudity)
Running Time: 96 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
Jane Horrocks delivers a show-stopping stage performance in LITTLE
VOICE, the kind worthy of the divas she honors. In this adaptation of Jim
Cartwright's play "The Rise and Fall of Little Voice," Horrocks reprises
her stage role as L. V. (for Little Voice) Hoff, a timid young woman
living in a small seaside town in the north of England. Still living with
her brash, bawdy mother Mari (Brenda Blethyn), L. V. rarely speaks a word
and even more rarely leaves the house. But when she sings, tearing into
the classic Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Edith Piaf tunes beloved by
her late father, she is transformed, taking on the pipes and the
personality of whichever chanteuse she happens to be channeling at the
moment.
The most astonishing element of Horrocks' performance is that she
gets no assistance from the original vocalists. The actress truly can do
frighteningly dead-on recreations of Garland, Dietrich, Holliday, Monroe
and half a dozen others, and its a wonder to behold. The showcase for
both Horrocks and her character is a performance at a run-down cabaret,
set up by Mari's current flame, small-time talent scout Ray Say (Michael
Caine). Recognizing L. V. as his ticket to the Big Time, Ray sinks
everything he has into a one-night performance he finally coaxes out of
the reluctant girl. And once she spots the visage of her dad in the
crowd, encouraging her, away she goes.
In a live theater setting, you can imagine Horrocks' musical numbers
being positively electrifying. Even on-screen her transformation from
Minnie Mouse to mighty mouth is grand theater at its finest, and the
renditions of standards like "Get Happy" and "I Wanna Be Loved By You" are
extremely appealing. It doesn't take long, however, to realize that
LITTLE VOICE is built entirely around Horrocks' admittedly impressive
party trick. Once her centerpiece performance ends, the film starts
working desperately to tie up loose ends -- L. V.'s infatuation with her
father's memory, her relationships with her mother and an equally shy
telephone technician (Ewan McGregor), the frustrations of Ray as his one
shot at success seems about to pass him by. As flawed as Ray and Mari
are, they deserve better than to vanish after receiving a comeuppance.
It's frustrating watching them reduced to impediments to L. V.'s ability
finally to spread her wings (and it's not as though the bird metaphor
isn't beaten to an ugly death).
It's all the more disappointing because, for most of its running
time, LITTLE VOICE doesn't seem headed that way at all. Its eccentric
characters, while stagey, all have their goofy appeal, particularly Jim
Broadbent as the nightclub's cheesy owner/emcee. Director Mark Herman
develops his small-town atmosphere nicely, and his adapted screenplay
keeps the humor fairly consistent. It's actually nearly half an hour into
the film before L. V. breaks into song for the first time, allowing ample
time to build the significance of the characters and their relationships.
Then comes L. V.'s big debut, and it starts to seem that everyone else was
just part of the warm-up act. L. V. emerges from her shell, she sings and
she changes, and about as abruptly as you can imagine, the credits begin
to roll. LITTLE VOICE is largely diverting in its way, and Horrocks is
truly wonderful, but eventually it's somewhat disappointing. I didn't
expect to leave the theater feeling that an ensemble story had been turned
into a one-woman show of Judymania.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 Christmas Garlands: 6.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
***
Subscribe to receive new reviews directly by email!
See the MoviePage for details, or reply to this message with subject line
"Subscribe".
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 03 Dec 1998 15:09:53 -0800
From: Michael Dequina <michael_jordan@geocities.com>
Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#169, 12/3/98
T H E
M O V I E
R E P O R T
#169
DECEMBER 3, 1998
PLEASE HELP...
...keep the MR and Mr. Brown's Movie Site alive. I am undergoing a
serious funding and resource crisis. Please send any donations (every
little bit does help) to:
Michael Dequina
3650 Denver Avenue
Long Beach, CA 90810-2205
You can also help by renting or purchasing videos and DVDs from Reel.com!
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Thank you very much.
=>T H I S W E E K<=
M O V I E S
- -_Babe:_Pig_in_the_City_
- -_Ringmaster_
- -_Still_Crazy_
- -_Celebrity_
V I D E O
- -_Almost_Heroes_
- -_Go_Now_
- -_The_Mask_of_Zorro_
For links to the official websites of all the current films, past reviews,
exclusive Hollywood event photos, movie discussion board, movie theme MIDI
files, a comprehensive link section, 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...
If you are reading this on Usenet, you can subscribe to the MR at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/moviereport.html
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
...and Film Frenzy at:
http://www.filmfrenzy.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
IN BRIEF
_Babe:_Pig_in_the_City_ (G) ** 1/2
I can understand Universal's desire to make a sequel to its 1996 surprise
box office and Oscar sensation. I can understand director George Miller's
(who served as producer on the original) desire to have the titular perky
porker to grow up a bit. But there's something about this film I cannot
understand: did this follow-up to a beloved family film really need to be
this dark? (And how the hell did it snag a G rating?)
_Pig_in_the_City_, as its title suggests, brings the sheepherding pig to
an unnamed metropolis (inventively designed as an amalgam of New York,
Sydney, Paris, San Francisco, among many others) to save the farm after
inadvertently causing his beloved master, Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell)
to suffer a crippling accident. As upsetting as the sight of some heavy
machinery falling on the gentle farmer is, it's not quite as upsetting as a
ridiculously drawn-out scene of a dog's near-drowning, not to mention an
already-crippled dog being thrown from a speeding car, his spirit then
briefly seen frolicking in a canine heaven. The children in the audience
with which I saw the film were audibly upset, as were some parents, and I
cannot blame them.
What nearly redeems the film is the enduring charm of the pig, this time
voiced by E.G. Daily (taking over for Christine Cavanaugh); the imaginative
production design; and the impressive effects work. As in the original, it
is impossible to distinguish the real animals from the animatronic ones to
the computer animated ones. And as in the original, everything _does_ work
out nicely for the pig, who learns a lesson or two about life. But walking
out of this _Babe_, I--and I am sure many others--feel that Universal
should have left well enough alone, heeding the immortal closing words of
Farmer Hoggett in the original (repeated in this film): "That'll do, Pig."
_Ringmaster_ (R) no stars
The overexposure of talk show host/referee Jerry Springer continues--and
hopefully ends--with this insipid bottom-brow comedy which, according to a
closing disclaimer, is _not_ "intended to depict any actual participant in,
or aspect of, _The_Jerry_Springer_Show_, which is broadcast on television."
Funny, because the centerpiece of this film is a salacious, fight- and
profanity-filled talk show called _Jerry_, hosted by a guy referred to in
the film simply as, yes, "Jerry" (played by Springer, natch). Mercifully,
although he is given above-the-title billing, Springer is made a mere
supporting player by writer Jon Bernstein and director Neil Abramson;
anyone who's seen the "Final Thought" segment of Springer's show knows how
well he _doesn't_ hold the screen. Not so mercifully, though, Abramson
allots some of Springer's limited screen time for a painful country-western
musical number and--yikes--a fleeting but no less ghastly Springer sex scene.
Instead, Abramson and Bernstein cast their focus (using that term very
loosely) on two separate groups of people who are tapped to appear on
_Jerry_ for different topics, only to end up intertwining. Receiving the
most screen time are a mother-daughter pair of trailer park trollops. The
daughter (Jaime Pressly), who indiscriminately has (to use the President's
euphemism) "inappropriate relationships" with random guests at the hotel
she works at, is sleeping with her stepfather (Michael Dudikoff of
_American_Ninja_, er, fame). In retaliation, the mother (Molly Hagan)
starts having her daughter's fiance (Ashley Holbrook). Slightly more
amusing is the other group, a trio of ghetto stereotype girls (Wendy Raquel
Robinson, Tangie Ambrose, and Nicki Micheaux) who have all, at one point or
another, fallen into the bed of musclebound studmuffin Demond (charismatic
_Spawn_ and _Tyson_ star Michael Jai White, who can certainly find better
work than this).
What ensues is tons of "too hot for TV" tawdriness that, ironically,
enough, is not compulsively watchable as Springer's two _Too_Hot_for_TV!_
videos--nor nowhere nearly as funny. Part of the reason is that we are
acutely aware that all the outrageousness is staged; regardless of whether
or not any of Springer's TV guests' tussles are rehearsed, those fights do
feature nonprofessionals inflicting real harm on each other--which is part
of the show's sadistic guilty pleasure factor. But the main reason is the
amateurish sloppiness of the entire movie, from the acting to the countless
glitches in logic and continuity. (For example, Springer's character's
last name, according to the credits, is "Farrelly," but in one
autograph-signing scene, he signs his last name as "Springer.") Stay home
and watch the genuine article instead.
_Still_Crazy_ (R) **
Every year, at least one studio stages a one-week Academy qualifying
engagement for a film that clearly has no prayer at snagging any
nominations, let alone any awards. This year's most blatant example is
this British comedy, which is certainly pleasant enough to watch but
completely forgettable.
After the misfire of _The_Juror_, _The_Josephine_Baker_Story_ and
_What's_Love_Got_to_Do_with_It_ director Brian Gibson returns to his
musical roots--with considerably less success--for this formulaic tale
about the reunion of (fictional) '70s rockers Strange Fruit (played by
Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Bill Nighy, and Timothy Spall). Naturally, the
personality conflicts that led to the band's first breakup, namely that
between Nail's soulful guitarist/backup singer and Nighy's vain lead
singer, endanger the reunion's success and long-term prospects, but, as is
the case of the recent crop of _Full_Monty_-ish feel-good Brit comedies,
everything gets nicely tied up in the end. There are a few nice turns,
especially by Nail and Juliet Aubrey (as the band's assistant), but most of
the humor provided by scripters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais is less
funny than plain silly, such as Nighy's stuck-in-the-glam-era stage antics
and a running gag that has Spall constantly evading debt collectors. In
short, _Still_Crazy_ is simply an average timekiller. (opens December 11)
I N C U R R E N T R E L E A S E
_Celebrity_ (R) **
This fall's entry into the Woody Allen filmography is this scattershot
episodic black-and-white comedy, more or less following the opposing life
trajectories of a divorced New York couple: downwardly mobile philandering
celebrity journalist/aspiring screenwriter Lee Simon (Kenneth Branagh) and
his fast-rising ex, Robin (Judy Davis). In theory, the point of the entire
film is to provide insight into the nature of fame and fortune, mostly
through Lee's encounters with luminaries such as a supermodel (Charlize
Theron), a ditzy starlet (Melanie Griffith), and a wild young movie
heartthrob (Leonardo DiCaprio).
However, I didn't see or hear anything particularly insightful except for
the line of dialogue, "You can learn a lot about a society by who it
chooses to celebrate." And what exactly do we learn about _our_ society
from _Celebrity_? That it is one where just about every celebrity is
willing to appear in a Woody Allen film--hence another star-studded
ensemble, which also includes Joe Mantegna, Famke Janssen, Bebe Neuwirth,
and Winona Ryder, who displays nice chemistry with Branagh (whose dead-on
Allen impression _didn't_ annoy me). Without any clear ideas or a strong
story, _Celebrity_ ends up as a showcase of fine character work by stars--a
celebration of celebrity that I don't think Allen intended.
(full reviews of the following in past MRs and at the listed URLs)
- -_American_History_X_ (R) *** <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#historyx
- -_Antz_ (PG) *** 1/2 <MR#159, 9/25/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt39.html#antz
- -_Belly_ (R) ** <MR#165, 11/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#belly
- -_Beloved_ (R) *** <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#beloved
- -_A_Bug's_Life_ (G) *** 1/2 <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#bugs
- -_The_Cruise_ (PG-13) *** <MR#163, 10/22/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#cruise
- -_Elizabeth_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#elizabeth
- -_Enemy_of_the_State_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#168, 11/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#enemy
- -_Happiness_ **** <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#happiness
- -_Home_Fries_ (PG-13) ** <MR#168, 11/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#home
- -_I_Still_Know_What_You_Did_Last_Summer_ (R) * <MR#165, 11/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#istillknow
- -_I'll_Be_Home_for_Christmas_ (PG) * 1/2 <MR#166, 11/12/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#xmas
- -_The_Last_Emperor_ Director's Cut ****
- -_Life_Is_Beautiful_(La_Vita_E_Bella)_ (PG-13) **** <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#vitabella
- -_Living_Out_Loud_ (R) *** <MR#164, 10/29/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#living
- -_Meet_Joe_Black_ (PG-13) *** <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#joe
- -_Pleasantville_ (PG-13) *** 1/2 <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#pleasantville
- -_The_Rugrats_Movie_ (G) *** <MR#166, 11/12/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#rugrats
- -_The_Siege_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#164, 10/29/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#siege
- -_Velvet_Goldmine_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#165, 11/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#velvet
- -_Very_Bad_Things_ (R) **** <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#bad
- -_Waking_Ned_Devine_ (PG) *** <MR#164, 10/29/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#ned
- -_The_Waterboy_ (PG-13) ** <MR#165, 11/6/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#waterboy
- -_The_Wizard_of_Oz_ (G) ****
F U T U R E F I L M S
- -_A_Simple_Plan_ (R) **** <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#plan
(December 11)
O N T H E H O R I Z O N
FRIDAY
_Bulworth_ (R) ***
Full review in MR#144, 5/29/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt34.html#bulworth
Returning to theatres to bolster its Oscar chances is Warren Beatty's
original, provocative, but underachieving political satire in which a
suicidal senator (Beatty) becomes a rapping spokesman for the disenfranchised.
_Little_Voice_ (R) ***
Full review in MR#164, 10/29/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#lv
Superb performances by Brenda Blethyn and Jane Horrocks add some meat to
this light British crowdpleaser about a soft-spoken young woman (the
amazing Horrocks) with a larger-than-life singing voice. Michael Caine and
Ewan McGregor also star.
_Psycho_ (R)
The year's biggest cinematic curio--Gus Van Sant's shot-by-shot
"re-creation" of the seminal 1960 Alfred Hitchcock chiller--and perhaps
most talked-about film arrives in theatres with no lavish Hollywood
premiere _nor_ advance press screenings. Universal's excuse? The original
film had neither, so neither will this one. Hmm...
_Shattered_Image_ (R)
Thriller in which a young woman's (Anne Parillaud) life unfolds in two
different realities: one where she's an assassin, another where she is a
married woman recovering from a rape. William Baldwin co-stars for
director Raul Ruiz.
~~~
=>V I D E O<=
N E W T H I S W E E K
_Almost_Heroes_ (PG-13) no stars
Full review in MR#145, 6/4/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt35.html#heroes
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41421
Chris Farley delivered his final screen performance in this awful, alleged
comedy about two inept explorers (Farley and Matthew Perry) attempting to
beat Lewis and Clark to the Pacific Coast. A dreary, virtually laugh-free
affair. (Warner Home Video)
_Go_Now_ ***
Full review in MR#141, 5/7/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt33.html#gonow
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=44114
Poignant, well-acted 1995 BBC production in which a Scottish soccer
player/construction worker (Robert Carlyle) develops multiple sclerosis,
turning his life and his relationship with his live-in love (Juliet Aubrey)
upside down. (PolyGram Video)
_The_Mask_of_Zorro_ (PG-13) ***
Full review in MR#150, 7/10/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#zorro
Rent or buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=42058
Martin Campbell's rousing revival of the classic swashbuckling hero, in
which the original defender of the oppressed (Anthony Hopkins) passing his
mask onto a younger, wilder successor (Antonio Banderas). Stunning
Catherine Zeta-Jones smolders as Hopkins's daughter/Banderas's love
interest. (Columbia TriStar Home Video)
~~~
=>N E X T W E E K<=
More reviews, including:
- -_Jack_Frost_
- -_Psycho_
- -_Stepmom_
'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
Film Frenzy: http://www.filmfrenzy.com
"Life is knowing the toughest competition you ever face is yourself."
- --Michael Jordan
__________________________________________________________
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 16:14:27 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <renshaw@inconnect.com>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: PSYCHO (1998)
PSYCHO (1998)
(Universal)
Starring: Vince Vaughn, Anne Heche, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen,
William H. Macy.
Screenplay: Joseph Stefano, based on the novel by Robert Bloch.
Producers: Brian Grazer and Gus Van Sant.
Director: Gus Van Sant.
MPAA Rating: R (violence, adult themes)
Running Time: 104 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
I'll admit that I didn't rent the original PSYCHO last night so I
could make my shot-by-shot comparison with a fresh memory. I'm fairly
certain Hitchcock didn't make it explicit that Master Bates was
masturbating while watching Marion Crane disrobe, the opening helicopter
shot was definitely new, and I can't recall near-subliminal shots of
gathering storm clouds edited into the legendary "shower scene."
Otherwise, everything appeared pretty consistent with my recollection.
Director Gus Van Sant -- for reasons he has given anywhere from "why not
remake a good film instead of a bad film?" to just plain "why not?" -- had
indeed taken one of American cinema's most iconic horror films, dipped it
in color, and served it up whole to a new generation of movie-goers.
The metronomic repetition of "why" is a bit futile at this point, but
I'm willing to hazard my own guess as to the answer: Van Sant wanted to
remind viewers what a brilliant director Alfred Hitchcock was, and what a
brilliant example of direction PSYCHO was in particular. I hope viewers
(and critics) don't fold their arms in indignation so tightly against
their chests that they fail to recognize how incredibly suspenseful and
tautly paced the first hour of this PSYCHO is. Beginning with the most
famous red herring in film history -- the theft of $400,000 from a real
estate office -- the story follows Marion Crane (Anne Heche) from Phoenix
to California, where she makes an ill-fated stop at the Bates Motel.
There she meets manager Norman Bates (Vince Vaughn), whose heart belongs
to Mommy and whose cutlery has a way of finding itself imbedded in flesh.
Heretical though it may seem to say so, the first half of this
PSYCHO is better than the original, because Heche's interpretation of
Marion is better than Janet Leigh's. Her steadily mounting guilt and fear
of discovery as she tries to bring the loot to her bankrupt boyfriend Sam
(Viggo Mortensen) are palpable. The staging -- Hitch's ominous angles,
Bernard Herrmann's chilling score -- masterfully builds the tension, but
it also allows us watch Heche's mind work, and she's as fiercely
intelligent an actress as we have today. While the narrative is focused
on Marion's flight, it really flies.
Eventually, of course, Marion exits the film wrapped in a shower
curtain, which leaves us with Norman and the snooping of Sam, Marion's
concerned sister Lila (Julianne Moore) and private detective Arbogast
(William H. Macy). It also leaves us with the PSYCHO's one huge problem:
Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates. There's nothing exactly wrong with Vaughn's
performance, which is edgy and scary. Vaughn simply can't help the fact
that physically, he is completely wrong for the role. Towering over every
other actor in the piece, his good looks untamed by a bad haircut, Vaughn
is far too physically intimidating to play the meek, sexually repressed
basket case. He throws the entire second half of the film out of whack,
leaving the audience with nothing to do but watch Van Sant and his cast
play out the rest of the film.
There are any number of reasons why a PSYCHO nearly 40 years removed
from the well-known original can't work quite as well. The shower scene
is now a film-school standby as minutely dissected as the Zapruder film,
not a viscerally shocking surprise; familiarity with the true nature of
Norman's "mother" makes some of his dialogue unintentionally humorous.
But there's no question that it does still work as an example of building
terror through film-making skill. It also shows that the success of
particular choices may be built around the casting. The best choice with
Anthony Perkins as Norman does not equal the best choice with Vince Vaughn
as Norman -- it's chaos theory at its finest applied to the art of
directing. Gus Van Sant has honored the master (closing the film with a
dedication to Hitchcock), but he hasn't duplicated him. This incarnation
of PSYCHO isn't a forgery of a great work of art. It's more like a photo
of a great work in an art history textbook -- a bit flat, but intriguing
enough to make you want to get a better look at the real thing.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 shower caps: 6.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
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