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1999-01-21
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From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest)
To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Subject: movies-digest V2 #156
Reply-To: movies-digest
Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com
Precedence: bulk
movies-digest Thursday, January 21 1999 Volume 02 : Number 156
[MV] Movie News - 01/18/99
Re: [MV] =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Re:_=5BMV=5D_=28=B5L=A5D=C3D=29?=
[none]
[MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
[MV] Thin Red Line review -Reply
[MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
[MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply
Re: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply
[MV] Re:
RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply -Reply
Re: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
Re: [MV] Oscar Predictions - What are you laying your bets on? -Reply
RE: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply -Reply
RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply -Reply
Re: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
[MV] REVIEW: THE THEORY OF FLIGHT
RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
[MV] Movie News - 01/20/99
[MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 01/20/99
Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
[MV] Movie News - 01/21/99
RE: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
RE: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
[MV] The Movie Report#174, 1/21/99
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 1999 13:42:52 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 01/18/99
The opening of "Varsity Blues" scored a victory at the
nation's box office with an estimated $14.3 million in
ticket sales during the Friday-Sunday period, according to
studio sources. The comedy-drama, with "Dawson's Creek" star
James Van Der Beek as a Texas high school quarterback,
overcame mostly negative reviews and benefited from a strong
marketing campaign aimed at teens and young adults. (Van Der
Beek also hosted "Saturday Night Live" this weekend, one of
the show's all-time lamest, though no fault of his.) No. 2
"A Civil Action" took in $10.9 million in its second weekend
of wide release, followed by "Patch Adams" with $10.7
million ($97 million overall). No. 4 "The Thin Red Line"
expanded it number of theaters and came up with a
respectable $9.8 million, followed by "At First Sight," with
a moderate $7.1 million. Rounding out the Top Ten:
"Stepmom," "Virus," "You've Got Mail," "Prince of Egypt" and
"In Dreams" (followed closely by "Shakespeare in Love").
-=> * <=-
DIED: Actress Betty Lou Gerson, 84, the voice of Cruella
De Vil in Walt Disney's 1961 "101 Dalmatians," Tuesday, in
Southern California, after suffering a massive stroke. Her
TV credits included "The Twilight Zone," "The Dick Van Dyke
Show," "Perry Mason," "The Untouchables" and "77 Sunset
Strip." In addition to playing Cruella, she narrated
Disney's 1950 classic "Cinderella."
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 10:25:57 +0800 (CST)
From: en4d <s8402021@simon.pu.edu.tw>
Subject: Re: [MV] =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Re:_=5BMV=5D_=28=B5L=A5D=C3D=29?=
On Fri, 15 Jan 1999, Rebecca Bezant wrote:
> Who is 487030486, and what was the purpose of this blank email entitled ,=
[MV] (=B5L=A5D=C3D)?
> ____________________
> >
> >
> >
> > [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> > [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
> >
>=20
>=20
>=20
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
>=20
unsubscribe
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 11:33:58 -0500 (EST)
From: "Just Different." <yae@cooper.edu>
Subject: [none]
unsubscribe movies
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 10:35:33 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
There have been a few NC 17 major releases including Crash and
Showgirls. Beyond them being awful (showgirls especially) I think
the biggest problem is that they fail to make sex erotic or
appealing. It seems that whenever a major filmmaker wants to push
the envelope in the sexual arena they always focus on an ugly aspect.
Eyes wide Shut sounds as if it may do the same. Not that they
shouldn't explore that side but I certainly don't run the the theater
to get creeped out about sex.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:10:15 -0600
From: "Richard J. Doyle" <rdoyle29@msn.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
Crash was not intended to make sex in the least part appealing. It's a
reflection on sexual fetishism and obsession, using a particularly striking
metaphor. That seems to be a valid thing to make a film about. Who needs
to be told that sex is pleasant? Why bother?
On the other hand, telling people that the displacement of sexual energy
away from other humans (like say, on the Internet for one example) can be
very ugly seems to me a very good thing to tell some folks.
Richard J. Doyle
Access & VB Developer
CRW Systems MB Inc.
rdoyle29@msn.com
It's Eastern Europe's favorite cat & mouse team: Worker & Parasite!
- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-movies@lists.xmission.com
[mailto:owner-movies@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Bruce Bridges
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 12:36 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
There have been a few NC 17 major releases including Crash and
Showgirls. Beyond them being awful (showgirls especially) I think
the biggest problem is that they fail to make sex erotic or
appealing. It seems that whenever a major filmmaker wants to push
the envelope in the sexual arena they always focus on an ugly aspect.
Eyes wide Shut sounds as if it may do the same. Not that they
shouldn't explore that side but I certainly don't run the the theater
to get creeped out about sex.
bb
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:19:28 -0600
From: torq@mo.net
Subject: Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
At 10:35 AM 1/19/99 -0800, Bruce Bridges wrote:
>There have been a few NC 17 major releases including Crash and
>Showgirls. Beyond them being awful (showgirls especially) I think
>the biggest problem is that they fail to make sex erotic or
>appealing. It seems that whenever a major filmmaker wants to push
>the envelope in the sexual arena they always focus on an ugly aspect.
> Eyes wide Shut sounds as if it may do the same. Not that they
>shouldn't explore that side but I certainly don't run the the theater
>to get creeped out about sex.
i said no "major" nc-17 releases because i wouldnt consider "showgirls" a
major film (both because of its commercial failure and the fact that it
wasnt expected to do all that well), and i definitely would not consider
"crash" a major film (as it saw very limited distribution due to its
content and because cronenberg isnt a mainstream director). i do agree
that one of the problems with nc-17-type films is that they are 'seedy',
and, supposedly, this isnt the entirety of what kubrick is going to/did
focus on with "eyes wide shut". supposed to be 'honest' about sexuality, i
think. we'll see. i'll give kubrick the benefit of the doubt.
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 11:37:51 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: [MV] Thin Red Line review -Reply
I think that it is terribly unfortunate that Thin Red Line came out on
the heels of private Ryan. They are simply nothing alike and it is
getting unfair comparasins.
As goofy as the voice-overs were and as overlong as it was, I was
swept up in The Thin Red Line from the beginning. It grabbed me on
an emotional level and I thought it was beautiful. I can't defend
the flaws or counter the criticisms except to say it worked for me
and others. Just don't expect a linear story.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 14:51:48 -0600
From: cHriS <csothman@nwchiro.edu>
Subject: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
Bruce Bridges noted:
"As goofy as the voice-overs were and as overlong as it was, I was
swept up in The Thin Red Line from the beginning. It grabbed me on
an emotional level and I thought it was beautiful. I can't defend
the flaws or counter the criticisms except to say it worked for me
and others."
Worked for me, too, so I agree. Very nicely shot; the narratives perhaps
were a bit intrusive and obvious at times, but overall I thought the movie
was done well. The only problem I really had with "The Thin Red Line" was
George Clooney's scene. I thought his cameo distracted from the flow of the
film (not to mention sitting in a theater with people gasping in
recognition as they pointed to the screen whispering "Dr. Ross!").
Now the real question comes up: what do the esteemed readers of this list
deem as their favorite war-theme films? Off the top of my head, my list
would go like this...
1) Apocalypse Now
2) Platoon
3) The Thin Red Line
4) Saving Private Ryan
5) 1941
- - cHriS
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 12:57:33 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply
I thought Saving private Ryan was a terrifying and great war film. It
would have been a masterpiece if the last 10 minutes had been left
out.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 15:05:40 -0600
From: Diane Christy <dchristy10@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply
On 1/19/99, 2:57 PM -0600, Bruce Bridges said so nicely:
> It
>would have been a masterpiece if the last 10 minutes had been left
>out.
Why?
~~~~~
Diane Christy (Samantha and Joshua's Mom)
Jefferson, LA
http://www.geocities.com/~dchristy10/
mailto:dchristy10@earthlink.net mailto:DChristy1@aol.com
ICQ #12904700
~~~~~
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 16:14:43 -0500
From: hyena@home.com
Subject: [MV] Re:
send this to majordomo@xmission.com not me
Just Different. wrote:
>
> unsubscribe movies
>
> [ 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: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:26:18 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply -Reply
Of course I'm not saying that subjects should not be addressed but I
think its easy to conclude that movies that focus on a non-erotic and
even the ugly aspects of sex (even when dealing in metaphor) do not
enjoy a wide audience because people just aren't attracted to that.
I think it would be great if an accomplished filmmaker made an adult
movie that did not rely on gross concepts or metaphors and instead
reflected a kinder, gentler erotica (and by erotica, I mean something
that dares to arouse the viewer).
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:30:05 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: Re: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
I'll try not to spoil anything in my criticism of Private Ryan.
To me the last 10 minutes were pure emotional manipulation. It
didn't add anything to the movie but was instead designed to have
everybody weeping in their seats. I just felt it was out of place in
such a somber and serious movie and knowing Spielberg, I think he just
couldn't help himself.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:31:36 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: Re: [MV] Oscar Predictions - What are you laying your bets on? -Reply
I HATED American History X!
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 14:34:27 -0700
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
My favorites are "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "All quiet on the Western
Front". I also enjoyed "Tora, Tora, Tora". Of course these are all from
the "Old School" of war films, but what the hey!
James K. Rudy
- -----Original Message-----
From: cHriS [mailto:csothman@nwchiro.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 1:52 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
Bruce Bridges noted:
"As goofy as the voice-overs were and as overlong as it was, I was
swept up in The Thin Red Line from the beginning. It grabbed me on
an emotional level and I thought it was beautiful. I can't defend
the flaws or counter the criticisms except to say it worked for me
and others."
Worked for me, too, so I agree. Very nicely shot; the narratives perhaps
were a bit intrusive and obvious at times, but overall I thought the movie
was done well. The only problem I really had with "The Thin Red Line" was
George Clooney's scene. I thought his cameo distracted from the flow of the
film (not to mention sitting in a theater with people gasping in
recognition as they pointed to the screen whispering "Dr. Ross!").
Now the real question comes up: what do the esteemed readers of this list
deem as their favorite war-theme films? Off the top of my head, my list
would go like this...
1) Apocalypse Now
2) Platoon
3) The Thin Red Line
4) Saving Private Ryan
5) 1941
- - cHriS
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 14:37:48 -0700
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
*******Semi spoiler*********
Really? I thought the last 10 minutes wrapped up the whole point of the
entire movie: What is the value of one life? Did Private Ryan live his
life in a way to be worthy of the gift of deliverance? Was it worth all
those others dying? Without the end, you're left wondering "Well after all
that did he go home and become an alcoholic bum or did he do something with
his life."
James K. Rudy
- -----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Bridges [mailto:Bruce@FFWW.COM]
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 2:30 PM
To: movies@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Re: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
I'll try not to spoil anything in my criticism of Private Ryan.
To me the last 10 minutes were pure emotional manipulation. It
didn't add anything to the movie but was instead designed to have
everybody weeping in their seats. I just felt it was out of place in
such a somber and serious movie and knowing Spielberg, I think he just
couldn't help himself.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:54:24 -0800
From: Bruce Bridges <Bruce@FFWW.COM>
Subject: RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply -Reply
To me it wasn't needed. I like to have something to chew on after a
movie and didn't think that wrap up was needed.
bb
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 16:06:27 -0600
From: "Richard J. Doyle" <rdoyle29@msn.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply -Reply
Yes I must say I agree. Honestly, I think Americans don't take stories
about sex serious unless it focuses on the unpleasant aspects.
Richard J. Doyle
Access & VB Developer
CRW Systems MB Inc.
rdoyle29@msn.com
It's Eastern Europe's favorite cat & mouse team: Worker & Parasite!
Of course I'm not saying that subjects should not be addressed but I
think its easy to conclude that movies that focus on a non-erotic and
even the ugly aspects of sex (even when dealing in metaphor) do not
enjoy a wide audience because people just aren't attracted to that.
I think it would be great if an accomplished filmmaker made an adult
movie that did not rely on gross concepts or metaphors and instead
reflected a kinder, gentler erotica (and by erotica, I mean something
that dares to arouse the viewer).
bb
[ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
[ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 18:43:20 -0800
From: "Jason Cormier" <movieman@netcom.ca>
Subject: Re: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
Don't forget about Kubricks' visits to the War genre with Dr. Strangelove
and Paths of Glory - both amazing!
- -----Original Message-----
From: jkrudy <jkrudy@micron.com>
To: 'movies@lists.xmission.com' <movies@lists.xmission.com>
Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 1:34 PM
Subject: RE: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
>My favorites are "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "All quiet on the Western
>Front". I also enjoyed "Tora, Tora, Tora". Of course these are all from
>the "Old School" of war films, but what the hey!
>
>James K. Rudy
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: cHriS [mailto:csothman@nwchiro.edu]
>Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 1:52 PM
>To: movies@lists.xmission.com
>Subject: [MV] Thin Red Line review (another reply)
>
>
>
>Bruce Bridges noted:
>
>"As goofy as the voice-overs were and as overlong as it was, I was
>swept up in The Thin Red Line from the beginning. It grabbed me on
>an emotional level and I thought it was beautiful. I can't defend
>the flaws or counter the criticisms except to say it worked for me
>and others."
>
>Worked for me, too, so I agree. Very nicely shot; the narratives perhaps
>were a bit intrusive and obvious at times, but overall I thought the movie
>was done well. The only problem I really had with "The Thin Red Line" was
>George Clooney's scene. I thought his cameo distracted from the flow of the
>film (not to mention sitting in a theater with people gasping in
>recognition as they pointed to the screen whispering "Dr. Ross!").
>
>Now the real question comes up: what do the esteemed readers of this list
>deem as their favorite war-theme films? Off the top of my head, my list
>would go like this...
>
>1) Apocalypse Now
>2) Platoon
>3) The Thin Red Line
>4) Saving Private Ryan
>5) 1941
>
>- cHriS
>
>
>
>
>[ 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: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 22:42:33 -0800
From: "Wade Snider" <judgewd@worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
There have been some releases in history that cause a stir at the time. And
Kubrick is no stranger to the harshest rating possible. Clockwork Orange was
released with an X rating. Midnight Cowboy, which was nominated for a few
various Oscars, was also released as an X.
>i said no "major" nc-17 releases because i wouldnt consider "showgirls" a
>major film (both because of its commercial failure and the fact that it
>wasnt expected to do all that well), and i definitely would not consider
>"crash" a major film (as it saw very limited distribution due to its
>content and because cronenberg isnt a mainstream director). i do agree
>that one of the problems with nc-17-type films is that they are 'seedy',
>and, supposedly, this isnt the entirety of what kubrick is going to/did
>focus on with "eyes wide shut". supposed to be 'honest' about sexuality, i
>think. we'll see. i'll give kubrick the benefit of the doubt.
>
>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 08:18:29 -0700 (MST)
From: Scott Renshaw <renshaw@inconnect.com>
Subject: [MV] REVIEW: THE THEORY OF FLIGHT
THE THEORY OF FLIGHT
(Fine Line)
Starring: Helena Bonham Carter, Kenneth Branagh, Gemma Jones.
Screenplay: Richard Hawkins.
Producers: Helena Spring & Ruth Caleb and David M. Thompson & Anant
Singh.
Director: Paul Greengrass.
MPAA Rating: R (profanity, sexual situations, adult themes)
Running Time: 101 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
If it's December or January, it must be time for "triumph over
illness/handicap" films. They spew forth during Oscar season like colored
hankies from a magician's sleeve, playing to the Academy's time-honored
tradition of tossing nominations at anyone who hops into a hospital bed,
or occupies a wheelchair, or otherwise tackles physical or mental
adversity. Into this crowded field comes THE THEORY OF FLIGHT, a quirky
comedy-drama of romantic friendship starring Kenneth Branagh as Richard
Hawkins, an artist so flighty that he actually does try to take
flight...right off the roof of a building. For his trouble Richard is
sentenced to community service, which takes the form of assisting Jane
Hatchard (Helena Bonham Carter), a young woman stricken with ALS (better
known in the U.S. as Lou Gehrig's Disease) and confined to a wheelchair.
She wants only one thing from Richard: for him to help her realize her
life's dream before she dies. Cue soaring music and inspirational
message.
Well, not exactly. It seems that Jane's life's dream is to lose her
virginity. None-too-keen on doing the deed himself, Richard instead
decides to rent her a gigolo for one night. And none-too-wealthy, being a
flighty artist, he decides to rob a bank to pay for it. Thus unfolds a
singularly odd sort of film, at once a dark comedy, an unconventional love
story and, yes, a triumph over illness/handicap film.
The strange thing about THE THEORY OF FLIGHT is that it's not always
clear whose triumph over a handicap will be the focus of the film. As the
narrative progresses, it becomes ever more clear that Richard is the real
protagonist of the piece, the character who is supposed to learn and
change through this experience. Unfortunately, he's also the character
who is least interesting, and makes the least sense. There's something
emotionally amiss with this fellow, that's for certain; exactly what that
something is, not so much. Kenneth Branagh (apparently still suffering
side effects from channeling Woody Allen in CELEBRITY) is all neurotic
discomfort and goofy twitches. The character's intense desire to follow
through on the bank robbery falls somewhere between melodramatic
affectation and sincere-though-misguided expression of resolve, when only
one or the other would truly clarify things.
Meanwhile, Helena Bonham Carter continues to act circles around most
of her contemporaries. Jane is a superb piece of characterization, never
merely the self-pitying, hard-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside person
with a handicap that has become such a cinematic cliche. There's wicked
self-deprecating humor in the character -- she posts a message to an
Internet personals board stating "Hideously crippled young woman seeks
sex" -- but also an innocent wistfulness. Though it's a challenging bit
of physical acting for Bonham Carter to wrap her mouth around Jane's
slurred speech and adopt the distinctive movements, her finest moment is a
silent one -- a pleading glance at Richard as her voice synthesizer plays
her recorded request.
It's the clash between our interest in those two characters which
prevents THE THEORY OF FLIGHT from soaring to the highest possible level.
While Richard's awakening to his own self-indulgence may be the point,
it's still tedious watching him indulge himself when watching Jane is so
much more interesting. Perhaps the problem is that there is too much
high-concept to this tale, too many silly little bits of business to
distract from genuine interaction between the two principal characters.
It's hard for a love story to be great when you want one of the lovers to
end up happy, and the other just to end up an adult. You have to commend
THE THEORY OF FLIGHT for taking a slightly different flight plan towards
soaring inspiration. It just can't quite get there on only one good wing.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 bumpy flights: 6.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit Scott Renshaw's MoviePage
http://www.inconnect.com/~renshaw/
***
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:10:54 -0700 (MST)
From: "ryana@asg.com (Ryan Allen)" <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: RE: [MV] Saving private Ryan -Reply -Reply
**** Spoiler ****
At 16:37 1/19/99 , you wrote:
>Really? I thought the last 10 minutes wrapped up the whole point of the
>entire movie: What is the value of one life? Did Private Ryan live his
>life in a way to be worthy of the gift of deliverance? Was it worth all
>those others dying? Without the end, you're left wondering "Well after all
>that did he go home and become an alcoholic bum or did he do something with
>his life."
I thought the movie ended very poorly. Cinematically, to tell a story and
use the dissolve trick (like at the beginning of Private Ryan), is to tell
the story through that person's eyes. Ryan wasn't even with the group
before they found him, yet supposedly he was able to tell us this story.
With the detail as it happened. I feel that the movie should've ended with
another character, perhaps the writer, telling the story. It would've been
more believable. However, over all, I thoroughly enjoyed the film.
My $.02.
Ryan
## Please visit my Personal Page ##
## http://www.gate.net/~airwolf ##
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Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 14:20:33 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 01/20/99
Mickey Mouse, move over. Adam Sandler is such a big cheese
that he's preparing to franchise himself, reports Variety.
He's convinced Sony Pictures to develop an animated musical
feature based on him. The project is expected to take
several years to develop, so Sandler is rarin' to get going
as soon as possible, the trade paper says.
-=> * <=-
In other movie news, "George of the Jungle" and "Gods and
Monsters" star Brendan Fraser, soon to be seen in "Blast
from the Past," is working on a deal to star in the
supernatural adventure "Monkey Bone," in which he'll play a
neurotic cartoonist with a hit animated TV show. After a car
crash, he slips into a coma, wherein he joins forces with
one of his creations, Monkey Bone, to battle Death (also a
cartoon) in Dark Town (purgatory).
-=> * <=-
Some of the world's top classical musicians joined together
in criticizing a movie about the late celebrated British
cellist Jacqueline Du Pre. "Hilary and Jackie" explores the
life of the distinguished musician, who died of multiple
sclerosis in 1987 at age 42, and her troubled relationship
with her older sister, Hilary. (British actress Emily Watson
has been nominated for a Golden Globe award for her
portrayal of the cellist.) In a letter printed in
Wednesday's London Times, cellist Julian Lloyd Webber
(brother of Andrew) condemned the film as portraying du Pre
as "selfish, spoiled and manipulative." Violinists Itzhak
Perlman and Lord Menuhin, as well as Du Pre's former teacher
William Pleeth, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich and conductor
Pinchas Zukerman -- who are portrayed in the film -- also
signed the letter. "This is not the Jacqueline du Pre that
we, as her friends and colleagues, knew," they wrote.
"They are calling this a true story, but they have based
it totally on the writings of a very bitter and envious
sister," Lloyd Webber told the British Press Association.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 15:06:50 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Sci-Fi Movie News - 01/20/99
Roger Christian, a second-unit director on Star Wars -
Episode I: The Phantom Menace, has signed on to
helm Battlefield Earth, according to Variety. The film
is based on the famous L. Ron Hubbard SF novel of the
same name and is being produced by Franchise
Entertainment.
John Travolta will star in the flick and will also earn a
producer's credit for the project, which was bounced from
MGM and Fox after its budget topped $100 million. Now
that the picture is at Franchise, its price tag has
reportedly been trimmed to the $70 million range.
-=> * <=-
Mousehunt director Gore Verbinski will no longer helm
the upcoming Disney SF flick Mission to Mars,
according to Variety. Verbinski reportedly dropped
the project due to budgetary concerns and creative
differences with the movie studio, leaving behind a
paycheck of about $2 million in the process.
Disney is looking for a new director to handle the picture
and is reportedly interested in either Sam Raimi or Frank
Marshall. The film is about a rescue mission to Mars sent
to find a previous expedition that disappeared after finding
something mysterious on the Red Planet.
-=> * <=-
Joe Dante, the director behind DreamWorks' heavily
animated SF flick Small Soldiers, has agreed to helm
the cloning thriller The Sixth Day. According to
Variety, the Phoenix Pictures project is about a helicopter
pilot who is replaced with a clone and later hunted by the
agency that duplicated him.
Production on the $40 million flick is expected to begin by
June, though no cast has been set. Dante's other credits
include Gremlins, The Howling and Innerspace.
-=> * <=-
Contact director Robert Zemeckis and Matrix producer
Joel Silver have joined forces to create Dark Castle, a
Warner Bros.-based film company that focuses on
mid-budget horror flicks, according to Variety. Supernova
writer William Malone has agreed to direct the company's
first film, a remake of the 1958 movie House on Haunted
Hill (not to be confused with the upcoming DreamWorks
project The Haunting of Hill House), which will carry a
price tag of about $20 million.
Dark Castle plans to produce original pictures as well as
remakes of classic works with an emphasis on horror films
from the 1950s and 1960s. Zemeckis, who also helmed all
three Back to the Future movies, will primarily serve as a
producer at Dark Castle, although he will likely direct from
time to time.
-=> * <=-
The independent SF movie CUBE, which stars
Deep Space Nine actress Nicole de Boer, will be
released to video on Jan. 26.
-=> * <=-
Halloween H2O director Steve Miner has agreed
to helm Dimension Films' upcoming supernatural flick
Ghosting, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
-=> * <=-
Principal photography has commenced on
Universal Pictures' supernatural thriller End of Days,
which stars Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 20:04:34 -0800
From: Oz <oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
torq@mo.net wrote:
>
> i said no "major" nc-17 releases because i wouldnt consider "showgirls" a
> major film (both because of its commercial failure and the fact that it
> wasnt expected to do all that well)
Commercial failure? Showgirls has the title of "Most Rented Video In
History", despite Blockbuster not carrying the title. In Europe,
Asia, and Australia it made healthy dollars in cinemas and it's
continued cult screenings in the US have seen it make a healthy,
even hefty, profit for the producers. Strictly in terms of NC-17
releases, Showgirls would have to be amongst the top box office
earners *ever*.
If that's a commercial failure, what's a commercial success?
- ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
"Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
- ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com ------------
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 12:40:40 -0800
From: "Romero, Leticia" <lromero@saonet.ucla.edu>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
It's just too scary that Esterhaus has been justified in keeping his writing
job....
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Oz [SMTP:oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 1999 8:05 PM
> To: movies@lists.xmission.com
> Subject: Re: [MV] Eyes Wide Shut -Reply
>
> torq@mo.net wrote:
> >
> > i said no "major" nc-17 releases because i wouldnt consider "showgirls"
> a
> > major film (both because of its commercial failure and the fact that it
> > wasnt expected to do all that well)
>
> Commercial failure? Showgirls has the title of "Most Rented Video In
> History", despite Blockbuster not carrying the title. In Europe,
> Asia, and Australia it made healthy dollars in cinemas and it's
> continued cult screenings in the US have seen it make a healthy,
> even hefty, profit for the producers. Strictly in terms of NC-17
> releases, Showgirls would have to be amongst the top box office
> earners *ever*.
>
> If that's a commercial failure, what's a commercial success?
>
> ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
> "Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
> ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com ------------
>
>
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 11:10:07 -0800
From: Oz <oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
"Romero, Leticia" wrote:
>
> It's just too scary that Esterhaus has been justified in keeping his writing
> job....
Eszterhas blamed Showgirls being awful on Berkley, nice guy that he
is. I guess Drew Barrymore would have said "Versace" differently?
But what's scarier is that the man who wrote Navy Seals, Barb Wire
and Dark Man - chuck Pfarrer - has a new film out. The abominable
"Virus". You want a contender for worst movie ever? This has to be
it. If Don Sutherland works again I'll be very surprised.
- ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
"Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
- ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com ------------
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 17:14:02 -0700 (MST)
From: The Reporter <gregorys@xmission.com>
Subject: [MV] Movie News - 01/21/99
Gwyneth Paltrow wore Ralph Lauren, but her British co-star
Joseph Fiennes wore hand-me-downs at this week's London
premiere of "Shakespeare In Love." Fiennes, who claimed to
be wearing clothes from a west London charity store, was
joined by fellow cast members Colin Firth, Simon Callow, Tom
Wilkinson, Martin Clunes, Mark Williams and Imelda Staunton
at the benefit gala at the Empire Leicester Square. The
British Press Association happily noted that the film, in
which Fiennes plays local lad Will Shakespeare who struggles
with writer's block until he is inspired to pen "Romeo and
Juliet" after falling in love with Paltrow's character
Viola, is doing good business in the U.S., where it has also
been nominated for six Golden Globe awards.
-=> * <=-
Don't invite Sean Penn and his wife Robin Wright Penn to the
same party with media magnate Rupert Murdoch. New York's
Daily News (the rival paper to Murdoch's Post) reports that
Sean recently fired off a scorching letter to Murdoch's 20th
Century Fox studio after execs there refused his request to
fly his family to a Texas screening of "The Thin Red Line."
Now Robin is refusing to speak to Fox TV reporters at this
weekend's promotional junket for her new Warner Bros. movie
"Message in a Bottle," says the News. Not only is Sean's
letter gaining legendary status for chutzpah, it raises
questions about his ever working for Fox again and about
just how working-class his values really are. In the letter
the actor writes, "Mr. Murdoch's gigantic corporation" has
grown rich "exploiting the pain and suffering of myself and
my peers in their tabloids." He further contends that the
use of a chartered jet would amount to "the fair market
price of one hair on Mr. Rupert Murdoch's formidable a--."
-=> * <=-
Tom Hanks has a fat neck, claims the New York Observer, for
reasons known only to itself. The hip publication claims it
isn't singling out the "Saving Private Ryan" star by
pointing out his heavy head base. The weekly also mentions
others who suffer the same syndrome: John Gotti's lawyer
Bruce Cutler, novelist Jay McInerney, Richard Simmons,
George Michael, Neve Campbell, Al Gore, British PM Tony
Blair, all of the Baldwin brothers (especially Daniel),
David Lee Roth, Garry Shandling, Courtney Love and John
Travolta, "perhaps the fattest neck in Hollywood, but Mr.
Travolta also has a fat belly and fatty man-breasts." The
Observer warns that Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Affleck and Matt
Damon (especially) are at high risk. And how to solve
looking like Jabba the Hutt? Liposuction, a plastic surgeon
tells the Observer. Tom Hanks' spokeswoman said she didn't
know what the paper was talking about.
-=> * <=-
If anybody else had said it, the Anti-Defamation League
would have jumped in. But Roseanne, who recently talked on
her show about how she studies the Kabbala -- the hot old
Jewish mystical tradition that's currently sweeping
Hollywood (Barbra, Madonna, Courtney and Liz are said to be
followers) -- took a big swipe at DreamWorks partners Steven
Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg because of their movie
about Moses, "The Prince of Egypt." Said Roseanne on the
air: "Only really dumb Jews would come up with that. I'd
like to invite Katzenberg and Spielberg and all those other
Bergs to come down here and study the words of God. God
needs no rewrite ... I'd like to apologize [for the movie]
on behalf of all Hollywood Jews." A Roseanne spokesperson
told the New York Post that her words were meant in jest. A
DreamWorks rep, swiping back at Roseanne (who claims to have
many different personalities), said, "We're surprised at the
comments, because her other personalities have only good
things to say about us."
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 16:29:13 -0800
From: "Romero, Leticia" <lromero@saonet.ucla.edu>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
VIRUS IS A HOOT IF YOU'RE DRUNK!
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Oz [SMTP:oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 22, 1999 11:10 AM
> To: movies@lists.xmission.com
> Subject: Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
>
> "Romero, Leticia" wrote:
> >
> > It's just too scary that Esterhaus has been justified in keeping his
> writing
> > job....
>
> Eszterhas blamed Showgirls being awful on Berkley, nice guy that he
> is. I guess Drew Barrymore would have said "Versace" differently?
>
> But what's scarier is that the man who wrote Navy Seals, Barb Wire
> and Dark Man - chuck Pfarrer - has a new film out. The abominable
> "Virus". You want a contender for worst movie ever? This has to be
> it. If Don Sutherland works again I'll be very surprised.
>
> ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
> "Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
> ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com ------------
>
> [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ]
> [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]
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------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1999 11:45:01 -0800
From: Oz <oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com>
Subject: Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
"Romero, Leticia" wrote:
>
> VIRUS IS A HOOT IF YOU'RE DRUNK!
And ONLY if you're drunk.
I've never seen such awful special effects. Swishing a model boat
around in a bathtub and trying to make it look like it's real? Good
lord, what were they thinking?
And the ending.. it has to be the dumbest ending ever, even worse
than Snake Eyes.
My review is at the URL below.
- ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
"Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
- ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.com ------------
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------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1999 16:45:49 -0800
From: "Romero, Leticia" <lromero@saonet.ucla.edu>
Subject: RE: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
I didn't think SnakeEyes was as bad.... but I thought it was hilarious that
every actor thought they had "the line" to recite for dramatic effect
("watch your back/ass/whatever")
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Oz [SMTP:oz@hollywoodbitchslap.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 22, 1999 11:45 AM
> To: movies@lists.xmission.com
> Subject: Re: [MV] Eszterhas, Showgirls and stuff
>
> "Romero, Leticia" wrote:
> >
> > VIRUS IS A HOOT IF YOU'RE DRUNK!
>
> And ONLY if you're drunk.
> I've never seen such awful special effects. Swishing a model boat
> around in a bathtub and trying to make it look like it's real? Good
> lord, what were they thinking?
>
> And the ending.. it has to be the dumbest ending ever, even worse
> than Snake Eyes.
> My review is at the URL below.
> ------ {{{OZ}}} ------------------------------------------
> "Damn the man, Joe!" -= HOLLYWOOD BITCHSLAP =-
> ----------- http://www.hollywoodbitchslap.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, 21 Jan 1999 17:25:24 -0800
From: Michael Dequina <michael_jordan@geocities.com>
Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#174, 1/21/99
T H E
M O V I E
R E P O R T
#174
JANUARY 21, 1999
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 purchasing videos and DVDs from Reel.com! Do some
late holiday gift shopping by visiting:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-reel.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=welcome.html
Thank you very much.
=>T H I S W E E K<=
M O V I E S
- -_Virus_
- -_At_First_Sight_
V I D E O
- -_Buffalo_'66_
- -_Jane_Austen's_Mafia!_
- -_Love_and_Death_on_Long_Island_
- -_Return_to_Paradise_
- -_Slums_of_Beverly_Hills_
- -_Still_Breathing_
By tomorrow, the Best and Worst of 1998 will be up at Mr. Brown's Movie Site:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/bestworst98.html
For that, links to the official websites of all the current films, past
reviews, exclusive Hollywood event photos, movie MIDI music, movie
discussion board, a comprehensive link section, and more, point your web
browser to:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown or
http://welcome.to/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
Hollywood Hotline Featured Review
_Virus_ (R) no stars
You got to love January--where else can you find such cinematic schlock
that studios not only spent millions of dollars on, but also believed would
make millions for them in return? It seems that every January at least one
studio dumps a pathetic excuse for a sci-fi thriller upon the moviegoing
audience. In 1997, it was _The_Relic_, which should have remained
undiscovered; last year, it was _Phantoms_, which will surely continue to
haunt the careers of all involved, especially Hollywood "it" boy Ben
Affleck. This year's selection (sacrifice?) is _Virus, a thoroughly
ridiculous sci-fi yarn whose abundance of unintentional laughs fail to
compensate for the lack of thrills.
_Virus_ had been bounced around Universal's release schedule like a hot
potato, most recently scheduled for a July opening. Universal's official
reason for this latest shelving was the conflict with another Jamie Lee
Curtis starrer, _Halloween:_H20_; but watching the film, it's obvious that
the true reason was something much simpler: the film just plain stinks.
_Virus_ does get off to an interesting enough start, though, when a
mysterious electrical force of alien origin makes its way onto a Russian
ship through a transmission with the Mir space station. Days later, the
high-tech is found abandoned by an American shipping crew, who decides to
poke around. Of course, this proves to be a deadly mistake, for the alien
life form has taken over the ship.
As with any action flick, the film is only as good as its villain, and
once _Virus_ offers a glimpse of our alien, all hopes of a decent thrill
ride are instantly dashed. The alien lacks a body, so it constructs its
own out of parts found on the ship. It sounds somewhat interesting, but in
execution is laughable, especially some fearsome creatures which are little
more than video cameras atop metal spider legs. Oooh, scary. The more
elaborate creations, featuring human body parts mixed with electronics
aren't especially frightening because the audience has seen it before--it's
just another gloss on _The_Terminator_. The "main" creature is especially
disappointing, a large mass of scrap metal that bears a striking
resemblance to the unmenacing title robot adversary in the dreary sequel
_RoboCop_2_.
I haven't yet mentioned the actors because, frankly, they don't really
matter in a film such as this. Even so, it must be noted that there is
some dreadful performances on display here. Vying neck-and-neck for worst
acting honors (no small feat here) are Donald Sutherland and Joanna Pacula,
both varying grades of ham as the Yank crew captain and the only survivor
of the Russian crew, respectively. Billy "refer to me as William" Baldwin
fares better here than in his previous action role in the famous folly
_Fair_Game_, but that's not saying much. By default, Curtis comes off
best, but her earnest performance would be better suited for a more
intelligent, exciting script, one where "What the hell was that?" and "What
the hell is going on?" don't make up 95% of the dialogue.
The latter quote is likely one that will be asked by audiences as they are
watching _Virus_, and the former once they walk out of the theatre.
_Virus_ is one of those cinematic disasters that leaves one wondering what
the hell everyone involved--from the cast and crew to the studio production
heads who greenlighted the project--were thinking.
IN BRIEF
_At_First_Sight_ (PG-13) ** 1/2
Val Kilmer and Mira Sorvino share a natural romantic rapport in Irwin
Winkler's fact-based drama about a blind man (Kilmer) who undergoes an
operation to regain his site at the urging of his well-meaning girlfriend
(Sorvino). The emotional and physical struggle of a once-blind man
adapting to the sighted world would be enough to sustain an entire film,
but Winkler and co-screenwriters Steve Leavitt and Rob Cowan felt the need
to bloat the running time past the two-hour mark with pointless and
contrived subplots: Kilmer's reunion with his estranged father (Ken
Howard), and Sorvino's lingering feelings for her ex-husband and business
partner (Steven Weber). But even if Winkler and company had kept their
focus on the main plot, there is still the little matter of Kilmer's
strange performance. He registers little emotion aside from a silly grin
he perpetually wears throughout the film, especially during the "blind"
scenes. One would think that once he sees himself in the mirror, he would
realize how ridiculous he looks. Alas, no.
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)
- -_Affliction_ (R) *** <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#affliction
- -_Another_Day_in_Paradise_ (R) ** <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#paradise
- -_A_Bug's_Life_ (G) *** 1/2 <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#bugs
- -_The_Celebration_(Festen)_ (R) **** <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#festen
- -_Central_Station_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#central
- -_A_Civil_Action_ (PG-13) ** <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#civil
- -_Down_in_the_Delta_ (PG-13) *** <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#delta
- -_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
- -_The_Faculty_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#faculty
- -_The_General_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#general
- -_Gods_and_Monsters_ *** 1/2 <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#gods
- -_The_Hi-Lo_Country_ (R) * 1/2 <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#hilo
- -_Hilary_and_Jackie_ (R) **** <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#h&j
- -_Hurlyburly_ (R) ** <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#hurlyburly
- -_In_Dreams_ (R) *1/2 <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#dreams
- -_Life_Is_Beautiful_(La_Vita_E_Bella)_ (PG-13) **** <MR#162, 10/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt40.html#vitabella
- -_Little_Voice_ (R) *** <MR#164, 10/29/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#lv
- -_Mighty_Joe_Young_ (PG) ** <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#mightyjoe
- -_Out_of_Sight_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#149, 7/1/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#outofsight
- -_Patch_Adams_ (PG-13) * <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#patch
- -_The_Prince_of_Egypt_ (PG) **** <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#prince
- -_The_Rugrats_Movie_ (G) *** <MR#166, 11/12/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#rugrats
- -_Shakespeare_in_Love_ (R) *** 1/2 <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#shakespeare
- -_A_Simple_Plan_ (R) **** <MR#167, 11/20/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#plan
- -_Star_Trek:_Insurrection_ (PG) ** <MR#170, 12/11/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#insurrection
- -_Stepmom_ (PG-13) ***<MR#170, 12/11/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#stepmom
- -_The_Theory_of_Flight_ (R) ** 1/2 <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#flight
- -_The_Thin_Red_Line_ (R) **** <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#red
- -_Varsity_Blues_ (R) * <MR#173, 1/15/99>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#varsity
- -_Waking_Ned_Devine_ (PG) *** <MR#164, 10/29/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt41.html#ned
- -_You've_Got_Mail_ (PG) **** <MR#171, 12/16/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#mail
F U T U R E F I L M S
- -_Jawbreaker_ (R) *** <MR#174, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#jawbreaker
(February 19)
- -_My_Name_Is_Joe_ (R) *** <MR#172, 12/24/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#joe
(February 5)
- -_Rushmore_ (R) **** <MR#170, 12/11/98>
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt43.html#rushmore
(February 5)
O N T H E H O R I Z O N
FRIDAY
_Gloria_ (R)
The January studio shelf-clearing continues with Sidney Lumet's remake of
John Cassavetes's 1980 drama about a former gangster's moll (here played by
Sharon Stone) who takes in a young boy (Jean-Luke Figueroa here). This
one's been sitting on the shelf for well over a year, and Sony has opted
not to screen it for critics. Hmm.
_Playing_by_Heart_ (R) ***
Full review in MR#173, 1/15/99; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt44.html#architecture
Engaging, if featherweight, ensemble comedy-drama following the lives and
loves of a cross-section of Los Angeles residents. Angelina Jolie stands
out in a cast that also includes Gillian Anderson, Sean Connery, Anthony
Edwards, Dennis Quaid, Gena Rowlands, Jon Stewart, and Madeleine Stowe.
_Still_Crazy_ (R) **
Full review in MR#169, 12/3/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt42.html#crazy
The biggest joke of this year's Golden Globe nominations (OK, maybe not
bigger than _The_Horse_Whisperer_'s two nods, but damn close) was the Best
Musical/Comedy Picture nod for this silly comedy about the reunion of an
old '70s British rock group. Stephen Rea, Jimmy Nail, Timothy Spall, Bill
Nighy, and Juliet Aubrey star.
~~~
=>V I D E O<=
N E W T H I S W E E K
_Buffalo_'66_ *** 1/2
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41760
It may not be the masterpiece that its narcissistic writer-director-star
Vincent Gallo has claimed to be, but his filmmaking debut is a ceaselessly
fascinating piece of work. The story, about an ex-con (Gallo) who kidnaps
a teen (Christina Ricci, sublime as always) and passes her off as his wife
to his parents (Anjelica Huston and Ben Gazzara), is thin, and the romance
a bit wobbly in terms of believability, but what makes the film so
watchable are Gallo's strange flights of fancy: a spotlight dance number by
Ricci, an extended lip-synching set piece for Gazzara, and the imaginative
visual cues, most memorable being a literally frozen look at the aftermath
of a shooting. Call it pretension; call it self-indulgence (which is what
I see it as being)--but I dare you keep your eyes off of the screen.
(Universal Studios Home Video)
_Jane_Austen's_Mafia!_ (PG-13) **
Full review in MR#153, 8/7/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#mafia
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=42126
The once-mighty Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker joke-a-second comedy formula
sputters in this limp _Godfather_ parody from Jim Abrahams. Jay Mohr,
Christina Applegate, Olympia Dukakis, and the late Lloyd Bridges star.
(Touchstone Home Video)
_Love_and_Death_on_Long_Island_ (PG-13) *** 1/2
Full review in MR#130, 2/12/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt29.html#love&death
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=40959
With any luck, the Academy will not forget (that is, if they know at all
about) John Hurt's exquisite performance as an effete British professor who
falls for an American teen idol (Jason Priestley) in this bittersweet
comedy from first-time writer-director Richard Kwietniowski. (Universal
Studios Home Video)
_Return_to_Paradise_ (R) ***
Full review in MR#154, 8/13/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#paradise
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=42583
_Psycho_ stars Vince Vaughn and Anne Heche first teamed up--to much
greater effect--in this intriguing moral drama in which two friends (Vaughn
and David Conrad) must decide whether or not to serve a three-year prison
sentence in Malaysia to spare the life of a third (Joaquin Phoenix).
(PolyGram Video)
_Slums_of_Beverly_Hills_ (R) ** 1/2
Full review in MR#155, 8/20/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#slums
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=42488
This well-acted, often engaging portrait of a 15-year-old girl's (Natasha
Lyonne) sexual awakening in '70s SoCal will undoubtedly play well on the
small screen, where its modest appeal would feel more at home (bad pun
intended). (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)
_Still_Breathing_ (PG-13) ***
Full review in MR#144, 5/29/98; and at:
http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt34.html#breathing
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41395
Before his fine work in _Gods_and_Monsters_, Brendan Fraser also impressed
in this quirky, little-seen romantic comedy-drama in which a Texas street
performer (Fraser) falls for a Los Angeles con woman (Joanna Going) he sees
in a vision. Contrived, yes, but also quite involving, confidently written
and directed by first-timer James F. Robinson. Unfortunately, the film is
available exclusively at Blockbuster Video--which will just further prevent
this charmer from finding an audience. (Blockbuster Entertainment)
A L S O N E W
_Smoke_Signals_ (PG-13)
Buy at Reel.com:
http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as
p?MMID=41748
The first film written, produced, and directed by Native Americans was
this well-received road movie in which two friends (Michael Beach and Evan
Adams) travel from Idaho to Phoenix to retrieve the remains of Beach's dead
father. (Miramax Home Entertainment)
~~~
=>N E X T W E E K<=
More reviews, including:
- -_Gloria_
'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
__________________________________________________________
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