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Text File | 1992-07-29 | 51KB | 1,215 lines

╔════════════╗ ╔══════════╗ ╔═════════════╗ ╚══╗ ╔═╗ ╔═╗ ║ ║ ╔════════╝ ╚═╗ ╔═══════╗ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╚═══════╗ ║ ╚═══════╝ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╔═══════╝ ║ ╔═════════╝ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╚════════╗ ╔╝ ╚╗ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚══════════╝ ╚═══╝ McINTIRE ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING Presents █▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ █ █ █ █ █▀▀▀ █ █ █ █ █ █ ▄ █ █ █ █ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ ▄▄ ▄▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▀▀▀▀▀ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄█ █ █ █▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ █ █▄▄▄▄▄ ▀▄▄▄▀ ▄█▄ █▄▄▄█ █▄▄▄ █▄▄▄▄█ █▀▀▀▀▀▀▄ █ █ ▀ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▀ █▀▀▀▀█ █ █ ▀█ █▀▀▀▀█ █ █ █ █ ▀▄ █▄▄▄▄█ █ █ █ █▄▄▄▄█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █▄▄▄▄▄ █▄█ ▄█▄ █▄▄▄▄▄ ▀▄▄▀▄▄▀ ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║Issue 4 August, 1992 Editor: Beth Spotts║ ╠══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ ║ Copyright 1992 - McIntire Electronic Publishing ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ A WORD FROM THE EDITOR........ ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Welcome to the biggest and best issue of "ONLINE VIDEO REVIEW" yet. In addition to more reviews by the eloquent new writer Lisa Russell, "Oliver" again features loads of newsmakers, TONS of new release listings, and, of course, reviews of both new and older titles by yours truly. Again, I write everything, unless the piece is bylined otherwise by another author. "Oliver" is read by more and more people every month, and I hope this expanded edition will provide even more reading and viewing enjoyment, as well as beneficial video information. I continue to list even the more obscure titles with limited or no theatrical release and lesser- known actors because often half-decent films are overlooked because they do not headline a big star. Keep this in mind while renting. NEW IN THIS ISSUE: The fourth issue of OLIVER marks a change in the ownership and management of this publication. We are now owned and operated by McIntire Electronic Publishing, a new firm founded in July between myself and D.P. McIntire, the creator and maintainer of AMERIBOARDS, "The nation's largest Bulletin Board System Listing." McIntire Electronic Publishing's works are supported via BBS through AmeriBoard², which operates at 9600 baud, 24 hours daily, at 412-349-6862. OLIVER, AMERIBOARDS, as well as other MEP works are available for download free through AmeriBoard². ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ N E W S M A K E R S ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ CANDY COMEDY HIGHLIGHTS TO BE RELEASED ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Highlights from comic John Candy's years on the SCTV series will be released on home video on August 26, 1992. The tape will feature "Classic Candy character skits" such as Johnny Larue, Mike Chisel, Leutonian Polka Legend Yosh Shmenge, his impersonations of Orson Welles, Divine, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ralph Kramden, and co-stars Joe Flaherty, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Harold Ramis, and Eugene Levy. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ EIGHT NEW AUTOMOBILE FLICK PICKS ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Columbia-Tristar will release four new videos celebrating classic automobiles and motorcycles this month. "Fabulous Fords of the Fifties" highlights an exciting decade in automotive history and includes interviews with famous collectors and designers. "America's Favorite Sportscars" bills itself as the definitive look at America's love affair with the sportscar. "The Complete Mustang" includes vintage commercials, rare footage, restored classics and the story behind the Mustang legend. "The History of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle" provides a complete background on one of the world's most famous motorcycles and features a tour of the Harley Davidson Museum. These videos will be available August 5, 1992. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ HOT SUMMER HITS FROM "PLAYBOY" THIS MONTH ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Playboy Home Video will release three new erotic videos this month. Cady Cantrell stars in her own Playboy Video Centerfold, Southern Sensation. "Wet & Wild IV" is an all-new edition of Playboy's bestselling series, starring over a dozen of their most popular playmates. Also available will be "Playboy Intimate Workout For Lovers," from Playboy's For Couples Only Series, to help couples achieve greater intimacy and sexual enhancement through stretching, stress-reduction techniques, sensory stimulation and light exercise. The release date for these home videos is August 13, 1992. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ MOTOR MOVIES MAKE IT TO VIDEO ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Four new movies featuring automobiles and motorcycles will be released August 5, 1992. The black and white features include "Road Racers," "Motorcycle Gang," "Dragstrip Girl," and "Daddy-O." The films retail for $9.95 and are released by Columbia Tristar Home Video. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ NINJA TURTLES GO HOLLYWOOD IN NEW VIDEO SERIES╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of Nintendo, TV cartoon, and movie fame return to home video in a new series titled "Hollywood Dudes" on August 12, 1992. The series consists of four new adventures: "Four Turtles and a Baby," "Planet of the Turtles," "Rebel Without a Fin," and "Turtles of the Jungle." ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ WWF WORLD TOUR VIDEO TO BE RELEASED ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Coliseum Video will present yet another World Wrestling Federation video, "World Tour 1992," on August 27, 1992. The video features host Lord Alfred Hayes from his home in London; Rowdy Roddy Piper vs. The Barbarian in Spain; Macho Man Randy Savage taking on Shawn Michaels in Munich, Germany; and The Undertaker battling Canada's own Mounties in Great Britain. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" TV VERSION LIVES AGAIN ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton star in four new releases of the TV show "Beauty and the Beast" to be available August 20, 1992. Each cassette includes its own individual "Lost Love Letter" from Vincent to Catherine. Titles are: "Masques," "The Beast Within," "Nor Iron Bars a Cage," and "Song of Orpheus." ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ SEE THE SMITHSONIAN FROM YOUR LIVING ROOM ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Four new videos highlighting the vastness of science and Americana displayed in the Smithsonian Institution will be available on videocassette August 19, 1992. "Where None Has Gone Before," "Time & Light," "American Pie," and "Filling in the Blanks" are presented by the Smithsonian and the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association, Inc. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ STARS NARRATE AUDUBON NATURE VIDEOS ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ Redford, Streep, and Douglas are among the acting favorites who narrate a series of nature videos presented by the National Audubon Society and TBS Productions, Inc. "Wolves," narrated by Robert Redford; "Danger at the Beach," narrated by Ted Danson (of TV's "Cheers"); "Arctic Refuge: A Vanishing Wilderness," narrated by Meryl Streep; "If Dolphins Could Talk," narrated by Michael Douglas; and "Wildfire," narrated by James Woods will be released August 19, 1992 at a new low price of $14.98. ╔═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ CBS/FOX RELEASES ALL-NEW TWILIGHT ZONE VIDEOS ╟─────────────────────────── ╚═══════════════════════════════════════════════╝ This month CBS/Fox Video will release "Treasures of the Twilight Zone," a double-cassette collectors' edition featuring six classic "Zone" television episodes. The tape includes the 10/2/59 premiere episode, "Where is Everybody?" as well as "The Encounter," and the Academy Award winning "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge," "The Eye of the Beholder," "The Masks" and "The Howling Man." The tape will also contain rare footage of episode promos and a 10-minute promotional sales film, made in 1959 to attract sponsors for the show, plus a vintage interview. ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ UPCOMING MAJOR VIDEO RELEASES ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ ! = Release reviewed in this issue of OLIVER. !"THE PRINCE OF TIDES" Director: Barbra Streisand Starring: Barbra Streisand, Nick Nolte Release: August 5, 1992 !"FINAL ANALYSIS" Director: Phil Joanou Starring: Kim Basinger, Richard Gere Release: August 26, 1992 "ROCK-A-DOODLE" (animated) Release: August 19, 1992 "FERN GULLY: THE LAST RAIN FOREST" (animated) Director: Bill Kroyer Release: August 28, 1992 "MISSISSIPPI MASALA" Starring: Denzel Washington, Sarita Choudhury, Roshan Seth Release: September 9, 1992 "DUEL OF HEARTS" Director: John Hough Starring: Michael York, Geraldine Chaplin, Alison Doody Release: August 19, 1992 "PUSHED TO THE LIMIT" Starring: Mimi Lesseos Release: August 26, 1992 "A WOMAN, HER MEN AND HER FUTON" Director: Mussef Sibay Starring: Jennifer Rubin, Lance Edwards Release: September 3, 1992 "DARK HORSE" Starring: Ed Begley Jr., Mimi Rogers, Ari Meyers Release: August 12, 1992 "BLINK OF AN EYE" Director: Bob Misiorowski Starring: Michael Pare Release: August 26, 1992 "MY GRANDPA IS A VAMPIRE" Director: David Blyth Starring: Al Lewis, Justin Gocke Release: September 3, 1992 "LITTLE NOISES" Director: Jane Spencer Starring: Crispin Glover, Tatum O'Neil Release: August 6, 1992 "RADIO FLYER" Director: Richard Donner Starring: Lorraine Bracco, John Heard, Elijah Wood, Joseph Mazzello, Adam Baldwin, Ben Johnson Release: September 2, 1992 "CENTER OF THE WEB" Starring: Tony Curtis, Robert Davi, Charlene Tilton, Bo Hopkins, Charles Napier, Ted Prior Release: August 12, 1992 "ROAD TO RUIN" Director: Charlote Brandstrom Starring: Peter Weller, Carey Lowell Release: August 26, 1992 "THE HEROES OF DESERT STORM" Starring: Daniel Baldwin Release: August 6, 1992 "LAST DANCE" Director: Anthony Markes Starring: Elaine Hendrix, Cynthia Bassinet Release: August 6, 1992 "BODY CHEMISTRY 2: VOICE OF A STRANGER" Director: Adam Simon Starring: Gregory Harrison, Lisa Pescia, Morton Downey Jr. Release: August 5, 1992 "MEATBALLS 4" Director: Bob Logan Starring: Corey Feldman, Jack Nance, Sarah Douglas Release: August 12, 1992 "THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE" Director: Harry Hook Starring: Jon Voight, Graham Greene, Anne Archer Release: August 5, 1992 "HIGHWAY TO HELL" Director: Ate De Jong Starring: Patrick Bergin, Chad Lowe, Kristy Swanson, Richard Farnsworth Release: August 12, 1992 "WILD ORCHID 2: TWO SHADES OF BLUE" Director: Zalman King Starring: Nina Siemaszke, Wendy Hughes, Tom Skerritt, Robert Davi Release: August 12, 1992 "BUFFALO JUMP" Director: Eric Till Starring: Wendy Crewson, Paul Gross Release: August 13, 1992 "ONCE UPON A CRIME" Director: Eugene Levy Starring: John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd, Sean Young, Richard Lewis, Ornella Muti, George Hamilton Release: September 2, 1992 "FRIED GREEN TOMATOES" Director: Jon Avnet Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson Release: August 20, 1992 "WHITE MEN CAN'T JUMP" Starring: Woody Harrelson, Wesley Snipes Release: August 20, 1992 "MEDICINE MAN" Director: John McTiernan Starring: Sean Connery, Lorraine Bracco Release: August 19, 1992 "THE LAWNMOWER MAN" Director: Brett Leonard Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jeff Fahey Release: August 26, 1992 !"WAYNE'S WORLD" Director: Penelope Spheeris Starring: Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Rob Lowe Release: August 12, 1992 "IN BETWEEN" Director: Thomas Constantinides Starring: Wings Hauser, Robert Forster Release: August 26, 1992 "AMERICAN ME" Director: Edward James Olmos Starring: Edward James Olmos, William Forsythe, Pepe Serna, Evelina Fernandez, Danny De La Paz Release: August 27, 1992 "WHITE SANDS" Director: Roger Donaldson Starring: Willem Dafoe, Mickey Rourke, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio Release: September 9, 1992 "THE ABDUCTION OF ALLISON TATE" Release: August 19, 1992 "BLACKMAIL" Director: Ruben Preuss Starring: Susan Blakley, Mac Davis, Dale Midkiff, John Saxon, Beth Toussant Release: September 3, 1992 "HARD PROMISES" Director: Martin Davidson Starring: Sissy Spacek, William Petersen, Mare Winningham Release: September 23, 1992 "ONE FALSE MOVE" Director: Carl Franklin Starring: Bill Paxton, Cynda Williams, Billy Bob Thornton Release: September 23, 1992 "CRISS CROSS" Director: Chris Menges Starring: Goldie Hawn, Keith Carradine, Arliss Howard Release: September 30, 1992 "A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE" Director: John Cassavetes Starring: Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk Release: September 16, 1992 "THE PLAYBOYS" Director: Gillies Mackinnon Starring: Albert Finney, Aidan Quinn, Robin Wright Release: September 2, 1992 "THE HUMAN SHIELD" Director: Ted Post Starring: Michael Dudikoff, Tommy Hinkley, Steve Inwood Release: September 2, 1992 "ROOTS OF EVIL" Director: Gary Graver Starring: Alex Cord, Delia Sheppard Release: September 2, 1992 "THE POWER OF ONE" Director: John G. Avildsen Starring: Stephen Dorff, John Gielgud, Morgan Freeman Release: September 16, 1992 "NIGHT RHYTHMS" Director: Gregory Hippolyte Starring: Martin Hewitt, Delia Sheppard, David Carradine, Release: September 9, 1992 "BODY TROUBLE" Starring: Priscilla Barnes, Dick Van Patten, James Hong, Frank Gorshin Release: August 19, 1992 "FINAL EMBRACE" Director: Oley Sassone Starring: Robert Rusler, Nancy Valen, Dick Van Patten, Linda Dona Release: September 24, 1992 "STREET CRIME" Director: Stephen Smoke Starring: Dennis Farina, Michael Worth, Patricia Zehentmayr Release: September 2, 1992 "BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY" Starring: Jan-Michael Vincent, Eb Lottimer, Jillian McWhirter Release: September 24, 1992 "CAN IT BE LOVE" Director: Peter Maris Starring: Richard Beaumont, Charles Klausmeyer Release: September 10, 1992 "THE RESCUERS" (animated) Release: September 18, 1992 "DOES THIS MEAN WE'RE MARRIED" Director: Carol Wiseman Starring: Patsy Kensit, Stephanie Friess Release: August 26, 1992 "AMAZON" Starring: Robert Davi, Rae Dawn Chong Release: August 12, 1992 "UNDER SUSPICION" Director: Simon Moore Starring: Liam Neeson, Laura San Giacomo Release: August 19, 1992 "RUBIN & ED" Director: Trent Harris Starring: Crispin Glober, Howard Hesseman, Karen Black Release: August 26, 1992 "I DON'T BUY KISSES ANYMORE" Director: Robert Marcarelli Starring: Jason Alexander, Nia Peeples Release: August 27, 1992 "PRIMARY MOTIVE" Director: Daniel Adams Starring: Judd Nelson, Richard Jordan, Sally Kirkland, Justine Bateman, John Savage Release: August 20, 1992 "HEAR MY SONG" Director: Peter Chelsom Starring: Ned Beatty, Adrian Dunbar Release: August 6, 1992 "BLAME IT ON THE BELLBOY" Director: Mark Herman Starring: Dudley Moore, Bryan Brown, Bronson Pinchot Release: August 26, 1992 "ANTONIA AND JANE" Director: Beeban Kidron Release: August 20, 1992 "KILLING IN A SMALL TOWN" Starring: Barbara Hershey, Brian Dennehy Release: August 5, 1992 "SCORCHERS" Directors: Morrie Eisenman, Richard Hellman Starring: Faye Dunaway, James Earl Jones, Emily Lloyd, Denholm Elliott, James Wilder Release: August 20, 1992 "EYE OF THE STORM" Director: Yuri Zeltser Starring: Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle Release: August 12, 1992 "MINDWARP" Director: Steve Barnett Starring: Bruce Campbell, Angus Scrimm Release: August 12, 1992 "HITZ" Starring: Elliott Gould, Emilia Crow, Karen Black Release: August 5, 1992 "LIFE IS SWEET" Director: Mike Leigh Starring: Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall Release: August 6, 1992 "CRISIS IN THE KREMLIN: THE LAST DAYS OF THE SOVIET UNION" Director: Jonathan Winfrey Starring: Theodore Bikel, Robert Rusler, Denise Bixler Release: August 27, 1992 "THE LINGUINI INCIDENT" Director: Richard Shepard Starring: Rosanna Arquette, David Bowie Release: August 27, 1992 "THE OTHER WOMAN" Director: Jag Mundhra Starring: Adrian Zmed, Lee Anne Beaman, Jenna Persaud, Craig Stepp Release: August 5, 1992 "SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE 2" Starring: Melissa Moore, Robyn Harris Release: August 27, 1992 "I POSED FOR PLAYBOY" Director: Stephen Stafford Starring: Lynda Carter, Michele Greene, Amanda Peterson Release: August 6, 1992 "MEMOIRS OF AN INVISIBLE MAN" Starring: Daryl Hannah, Chevy Chase Release: August 19, 1992 "ERNEST SCARED STUPID" Director: John Cherry Starring: Jim Varney Release: September 9, 1992 "IRON EAGLE III: ACES" Director: John Glen Starring: Lou Gossett Jr., Rachel McLish, Horst Buchholz, Paul Freeman Release: September 30, 1992 "THE FAVOR, THE WATCH AND THE VERY BIG FISH" Starring: Bob Hoskins, Jeff Goldblum, Natasha Richardson, Michel Blanc Release: September 9, 1992 "A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE" Director: John Cassavetes Starring: Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands Release: September 16, 1992 "DINOSAUR CITY" Director: Brett Thompson Starring: Omri Katz, Shawn Hoffman, Tiffanie Poston, Pete Koch Release: August 20, 1992 "DEADLY GAME" Director: Wes Claridge Starring: Roddy McDowell, Jenny Seagrove, Marc Singer, Michael Beck Release: August 6, 1992 "SEVERED TIES" Director: Damon San Tostefano Starring: Oliver Reed, Elke Sommer, Garrett Morris, Johnny Legend Release: September 2, 1992 "SEXUAL RESPONSE" Director: Yaky Yosha Starring: Catherine Oxenberg, Vernon Wells, Emile Zevisetti Release: September 16, 1992 "LOVE KILLS" Director: Brian Grant Starring: Virginia Madsen, Jim Metzler, Lenny Von Dohlen Release: September 3, 1992 "THE MAMBO KINGS" Starring: Armand Assante, Antonio Banderas, Cathy Moriarty Release: September 2, 1992 "HIGHWAY 61" Director: Bruce McDonald Starring: Valerie Buhagiar, Don McKellar, Earl Pastiko Release: September 24, 1992 "A CASE OF DEADLY FORCE" Director: Michael Miller Starring: Richard Crenna, John Shea Release: August 26, 1992 "STRAIGHT LINE" Starring: Mr. T Release: August 26, 1992 "THE CAPTURE OF GRIZZLY ADAMS" Director: Charles T. Shler Jr. Starring: Dan Haggerty, Ben the Bear, June Lockhart, Chuck Conners Release: August 5, 1992 "TILL DEATH DO US PART" Starring: Treat Williams, Arliss Howard Release: August 5, 1992 "SPLIT SECOND" Starring: Rutger Hauer Release: September 2, 1992 "EYE OF THE STORM" Director: Yuri Zeltser Starring: Craig Sheffer, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle Release: August 12, 1992 "MARTIAL LAW 2: UNDERCOVER" Director: Kurt Anderson Starring: Cynthia Rothrock, Jeff Wincott Release: August 20, 1992 "THE HUMAN SHIELD" Director: Ted Post Starring: Michael Dudikoff Release: September 2, 1992 "FALLING FROM GRACE" Director: John Mellencamp Starring: John Mellencamp, Mariel Hemingway, Claude Akins, Dub Taylor Release: September 16, 1992 "DANCE MACABRE" Director: Greydon Clark Starring: Robert Englund Release: September 30, 1992 "PARIS IS BURNING" Director: Jennie Livingston Release: September 23, 1992 "MIRACLE BEACH" Director: Skott Snider Starring: Ami Dolenz, Dean Cameron, Pat Morita, Martin Mull Release: September 30, 1992 "AFTERBURN" Director: Robert Markowitz Starring: Laura Dern, Vincent Spano, Robert Loggia, Michael Rooker Release: October 7, 1992 "DESERT KICKBOXER" Director: Isaac Florentine Starring: John Haymes Newton, Paul Smith, Judie Aronson, Ronny Flas Release: October 14, 1992 "HARD PROMISES" Director: Martin Davidson Starring: Sissy Spacek, William Petersen, Mare Winningham, Brian Kerwin Release: September 23, 1992 "WHITE SANDS" Director: Roger Donaldson Starring: Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke Release: September 9, 1992 "LADYBUGS" Director: Sidney J. Furie Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Jackee, Jonathan Brandis Release: September 3, 1992 "MINDWARP" Director: Steve Barnett Starring: Bruce Campbell, Angus Scrimm Release: August 12, 1992 "O PIONEERS!" Director: Glenn Jordan Starring: Jessica Lange Release: September 17, 1992 "DEAD CERTAIN" Director: Anders Palm Starring: Brad Dourif, Francesco Quinn Release: August 26, 1992 "ONLY YOU" Starring: Andrew McCarthy, Kelly Preston, Helen Hunt Release: September 16, 1992 "THE POWER OF ONE" Director: John G. Avildson Starring: Morgan Freeman, John Gielgud, Armin Mueller-Stahl Release: September 16, 1992 "ROUND TRIP TO HEAVEN" Director: Alan Roberts Starring: Corey Feldman, Zach Galligan, Ray Sharkey Release: September 3, 1992 "JOURNEY OF HONOR" Director: Gordon Hessler Starring: Sho Kosugi, Kane Kosugi, Christopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune, John Rhys-Davies, Norman Lloyd, David Essex, Polly Walker Release: August 27, 1992 "THE TALE OF RUBY ROSE" Director: Roger Scholes Starring: Melita Jurstic, Chris Haywood Release: August 26, 1992 "MIND, BODY AND SOUL" Starring: Wings Hauser, Ginger Lynn Allen Release: September 2, 1992 "THE WORLD'S OLDEST LIVING BRIDESMAID" Starring: Donna Mills, Brian Wimmer Release: September 2, 1992 "STEPFATHER 3" Starring: Robert Wightman, Priscilla Barnes, Season Hubley Release: September 30, 1992 ALSO REVIEWED IN THIS ISSUE: "GRAND CANYON" "BUGSY" PLUS, THIS MONTH'S FANTASTIC CLASSIC SECTION, INCLUDING A CHILDREN'S PICK. ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ N E W A N D C U R R E N T V I D E O R E V I E W S ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ "WAYNE'S WORLD" * * * ½ Who'd have thought anyone could take a flakey "Saturday Night Live" skit and make it into one of the most entertaining films to come around in a long time? Sure, it's not socially redeeming, not full of brilliant acting performances or touching human relationships. It IS creative, witty, and cute as a button. Mike Myers and Dana Carvey re-create their "SNL" roles as Wayne and Garth, best friends who host a public access cable show from Wayne's basement. Although they just want to have fun, enjoy their flickering youth by partying all night and cruising the highways lip-synching Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," along comes sleezy agent Rob Lowe, who offers them megabucks to go commercial with "Wayne's World." It sounds at first like they've hit the big time, and they cannot resist the hefty checks Lowe's conniving character offers them. However, Lowe's client wants Wayne and Garth to change their show to fit their mold, and make it over into something it was never intended to be. Conforming would mean losing much of the show's charm, something Wayne and Garth just are not willing to do. Although the plot leaves little room for surprises, the script does not want for "excellent" dialogue and "schwinging" entertainment. The big surprise for a movie of this type is the full character development. The differences between the two best friends is striking, but most can identify to some degree with both boys. Garth, somewhat backward, ingenuous, and accomodating, gets all starry eyed when his blond dream girl shows herself, but cannot get up the nerve to even speak to her. Wayne, however, goes right after his dream woman, and every other ambition he encounters. A noncomformist to the hilt, he detests the mainstream, and some of his lines in the movie are amazingly profound if slightly corny, such as, "Led Zeppelin didn't make music people liked. They left that to the Bee Gees." You gotta laugh. "Wayne's World" often paradies other movies and motiffs, including "Terminator 2." Robert Patrick (the bad terminator) cameos as a police officer who pulls over Wayne and procedes to whip out a Polaroid and ask, "Have you seen this child?" To which, Wayne speeds off in horror. "Wayne's World," despite its value as more than a teenie bopper flick, still aims itself toward the younger crowd. However, it is infinitely more appropriate than most teen movies, with all the rock and roll music and hipness that anyone could want, but no violence, explicit sex or nudity. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "BUGSY" * * * ½ "Bugsy" is the Oscar-nominated true story of the troubled but passionate relationship between ruthless 1940's mobster Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (Warren Beatty) and Hollywood bit-part actress Virginia Hill (Annette Bening). Beatty's performance of the unpredictable, nearly psychotic Siegel is absolute perfection. His cool, even grace under pressure barely masking a violent, fireball interior waiting to explode at the slightest provocation (such as being called by his infamous nickname, Bugsy, which he hates because bugs are insignificant) lurks feverishly in Beatty's brilliant portrayal. Bening's Virginia is an elegant would-be starlet and sarcastic opportunist who, at the beginning of the film dates Siegel's pal, a lesser mafioso named Joe. She shines both as a passionate woman who demands respect in a time period when women are simply "broads" and not to be trusted and as Siegel's unwavering confidant, whose jealousness and possessiveness equal his own. After Virginia convinces Ben Siegel to close down one of his gambling rackets in a tiny wreck of a place known as Las Vegas, located in the middle of a desert, he dreams of building a huge hotel and gambling casino, making his "operation" legitimate in Las Vegas, in a state where gambling is legal. He envisions eventually erecting an entire town to draw people from all over the world and make millions of dollars for his investors and himself. His fellow gangsters agree to put up the million dollars Ben says it will take to make it happen. But Ben's mismanagement, underestimating, and perfectionism make the price skyrocket to $6 million, far more than even his best friends are willing to fork over. Having divorced his wife, Esta, in hopes of marrying Virginia, almost all of his assets are in Esta's name. So Ben is forced to sell everything he has left to make his dream come true, and his "friends" are planning to come down hard on him if his grand opening is not a grand success. Little do they know that by 1991, less than 50 years later, Las Vegas will be a boom town and Ben Siegel's vision of The Flamingo Hotel and Casino will have netted billions of dollars for its investors. Ben's lingering on the verge of sanity is illustrated in many ways, including his determination to enact an assasination attempt against a certain Italian dictator in cahoots with Hitler. He seduces the wife of an Italian count who is a close friend of Mussolini's, in hopes of finagling himself an audience with said dictator. Mussolini's assination by his own people purely devastates bloodthirsty Ben Siegel. Barry Levinson's expert direction and the excellent performances of Bening, Beatty and their supporting players such as Elliott Gould, Bebe Neurith, Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, and Harvey Keitel help make "Bugsy" a gripping, emotional roller-coaster. "Bugsy" is rated R by the MPAA, apparently due to graphic violence and adult language. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "THE PRINCE OF TIDES" * * * * By Lisa L. Russell, "Oliver" Contributing Writer Nick Nolte mesmerizes the audience in his first role ever as a misfit or product of society's shortcomings. Together, with awesome co-star and director Barbra Streisand, they take on his tormented past in an assumingly professional manner. Nolte, a married teacher, begins an affair with Streisand, a psychiatrist who's treating his suicidal sister. In the process of facing their own personal fears and pain, the couple fall in love. This is an unforgettable story. The serene Carolina shores provide the perfect setting for the laid back style of living Tom Wingo (Nolte) and his family prefer. A perfect place to put all problems on the back burner and inner realities at peace. However, at some point in time, we all must face our past, and how ironic it becomes when the noisy city of New York finally brings those tensions to the surface for Wingo. Reality hits home when his sister, Savannah, is in trouble and he must go see the good psychiatrist, Dr. Lowenstein (Streisand) to give her a better understanding of the totality of the picture. In time, Tom realizes that Dr. Lowenstein becomes his best friend in an anonymous city. The more he talks with her about his sister, the more he brings up devastating details of their childhood and his doomed marriage which enables Tom to shift the focus now on himself. It soon becomes apparent that Tom is becoming more and more a patient. Dr. Lowenstein realizes the turmoil she has opened up and urges him to purge all his feelings for the betterment of his sister. They shed new light on each other. Tom shares a perspective with the doctor that she could never quite understand--the joys of life. An affair soon blossoms with Dr. Lowenstein, encouraging Tom to open up even more with his feelings. Tom takes his first step in understanding the importance of communication, and Lowenstein learns how to love again. As Tom and Susan become more and more involved, the stakes increase dramatically. Susan's marriage had crumbled before her eyes, and they were no closer in helping Savannah than before Tom had arrived. The only possible means she has is Savannah's poetry, the sole connection between Tom and his sister. Savannah and Tom's only solace growing up was the words they played with that took their imagination far away from their abusive father. Simple words about a simple life, but powerful enough to lead Savannah into the heights of her profession. But, then why was she so unhappy? Susan knows that Tom holds the answer; it is just a matter of him coming forward with the repressed issue. All the pain and anger could not be held in much longer. Tears flow from a man who was taught never to cry and always to be a man. This is a big task for a young man who experienced such a horrible, traumatic happening, one that probably was at the root of his sister's disturbance and his own dissatisfaction with life. This movie takes life in utter chaos and gives us permission to be able to understand and accept it. Tom helps us to come to terms with our own pasts and the strength to deal with them without being ashamed. Tom's agony and sorrow rightfully permeate through the screen. Human depth has no limits as Streisand eloquently presupposes and presents. Her performance shows incredible range in relating to Nolte's character from distinct personal difference to encompassing similarity. Both characters progress through on incredible adjustment to each other, so much that near the end of the film one can see a bit of Tom in Susan and vice versa. Hope is given that people can change and come to terms with their own lives. Director Streisand capitalizes on this rarity by strongly offering us an affair that is able to carry the point home. Truly, a poignant movie that leaves no viewer untouched. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- "FINAL ANALYSIS" * * By Lisa L. Russell, "Oliver" Contributing Writer Sensational Richard Gere once again sparks intrigue and erotic thoughts in women's minds on screen and off. In particular, preference for women in horizontal configurations gives way to a variant twist: Gere explores control from an objective point of view, a psychiatrist's perspective. Gere is caught in a deluding web spun by two manipulative sisters. "Final Analysis" is a psychological thriller guaranteed to baffle and unnerve the most unwielding professionals. Could it happen? Can a doctor of medicine dismiss a passionate overture made by a patient or contain his feelings for a concerned sister? Kim Bassinger, sister to the disturbed, hopes not. A troubled young women seeks Gere to assist her in coming to terms with her turbulent childhood. A seemingly common disorder leads Gere into the fanatic mazes of the woman's childlike mind. Thought provoking words espounded by dark images relinquish the discovery of her unsettled sexuality. However profound, Gere finds familiar strands in her story and seeks out her sister for further help on the matter. Ah, yes, beauty does run in the family. However, normalcy does not. Soon Bassinger entangles Gere into her own doomed but lucrative marriage. Eventually, both sisters find a shoulder to cry upon by preying on Gere's vulnerabilities as a man. Gere's weaknesses take the form of a sordid affair with Bassinger at the reigns. As the affair is capitalized, Bassinger, in an allergic reaction to alcohol, kills her abusive husband with a wrench in her drug induced state of mind. Sympathetic to her pleas for help, Gere obtains the best attorney in town and helps formulate a case of mental derangement attacking the prosecutor's murder one scenario. Predictably so Bassinger is admitted to a mental hospital pending regular medical evaluations for immediate release. As Gere tries ferociously to get Bassinger out, he becomes more and more disturbed with his patient's familiar dreams. He decides to take a browse through the local library and page through a few Freudian bibles. A realization occurs. The sister had spelled out verbatim Freud's past experiences with patients. A Freudian mistake? Not quite, a Freudian slip is more like it. Only this time, the doctor is the one cured. Gere soon closes the book on his patient and attempts to find a motive other than lust for his apparent role in this game of deception. Soon everything becomes legitimatized; a lucrative life insurance policy self-justifies the murder and the extensive cover-up. "Final Analysis" is a riveting movie that probably none of us can relate to. However, Gere and Bassinger have more than their share of fans who should more than compensate for the lackluster of this film. This film is reminiscent of college days in Psychology 101. It's repetitive dream theory discussions coupled with the dreary scenery casts a desire to fall asleep and have dreams of your own. It simply lacked suspense to make it the thriller it was supposed to become. Tales were woven too loosely without any connection to subplots. It was difficult to distinguish who were the victims, since good and bad battled often in each character and arose spontaneously to each occasion. Understanding the plot was about as difficult as understanding the characters and their motives. This is the type of movie where you should read the book first and then don't rent the video. "Final Analysis" is not a film that will stick in one's mind for long, so no need to worry, a psychiatrist will not be necessary if you do choose to view the mess. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "GRAND CANYON" * * * ½ Compared to something large like the Grand Canyon, humans seem small and relatively insignificant. A large part of "Grand Canyon" revolves around that idea--not that we are unimportant, but that with the violence and tragedy surrounding us, the desensitization people develop for it all makes us less important to each other. The movie opens with Mack (Kevin Kline) taking an alternate route home from a pro basketball game. His car breaks down in the middle of a bad section of town. While waiting for roadside service, a group of inner city, armed hoodlums surrounds him; he feels as though his life hangs in the balance as they force him from his vehicle. Then, the tow truck arrives, and its driver, Simon (Danny Glover), somehow manages to extract Mack from a very shakey situation. His friend, Davis (Steve Martin), a producer of shoot-'em-up, machine gun movies fraught with terrorists, is mugged and shot beside his car. Seriously injured and facing a long, painful rehabilitation, he begins to see life in a new light. He looks at everything differently-- his career, his well-being, his stagnet relationship with his well- meaning girlfriend. Mack's wife, Claire (Mary McDonnell of "Dances With Wolves"), finds an abandoned infant girl while jogging not far from home and falls instantly in love. Simon's sister lives in the rough neighborhood where Mack was nearly attacked. A single mom, her polite teenage son already involves himself with street gangs and doesn't expect to live to age 25. Her young daughter and she narrowly escape death when unknown assailants riddle their house with bullets from automatic weapons. These tragedies and others profoundly effect all lives concerned, bringing new and old friends closer together, making everyone feel differently about their lives and how they relate to others. There are those who will shoot someone dead in the blink of an eye without a thought. There are those like Simon, kind strangers who will play the good Samaritan and expect nothing in return. The complexities of human emotion and perception displayed in "Grand Canyon" make it a powerful 134 minutes. However, it is almost too depressing to be entertaining. Engrossing, yes, and definitely thought-provoking, this film is also upsetting and even terrifying in that it depicts such terrible horrors in its quest to deliver its heartfelt message. "Grand Canyon" suffers from none of the ailments that plague much of modern cinema, such as predictability, unrealistic characters, hard to follow plotlines, or a dragging theme. Its acting performances are splendid; its plot delivers smoothly and evenly, does not confuse despite its intricacy. Its greatest shortcoming is showing too many unfortunate happenings that are all too possible in our lives. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ F A N T A S T I C C L A S S I C S E C T I O N ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ "THE PRINCESS BRIDE" * * * * (1987) Boasting a wonderful main and supporting cast and a delightful storyline, "The Princess Bride," based upon William Goldman's charming novel re-telling the fairy tale his grandfather used to recite to him, presents a movie with a little bit of everything. Drama, adventure, romance, fighting, magic, comedy, the extremely evil and the saintly good--it is all here. Ex-"Santa Barbara" soap star Robin Wright portrays the beautiful ingenue, deserted by her one true love, Westley, at the very beginning, as he wants to make his fortune at sea before wedding her. However, word soon makes its way back to her that Westley has been killed by the Dred Pirate Roberts, the most vicious and bloodthirsty of all pirates, who never takes prisoners. Desolate, she vows, "I shall never love again." Years later, the evil Prince Humperdink chooses her as his bride, against her will. Still mourning her beloved although made a princess and soon to wed the handsome prince (Chris Sarandon), she is kidnapped while riding through the countryside by a sorry bunch of bandits (Mandy Patinkin, Andre the Giant, Wallace Shawn). Separated because they feel the are being followed, the three are bested by a masked man who kidnaps the princess away from them and whisks her away. Kidnapped twice, scared but not particularly wanting to be returned to Humperdink, the princess is in for the adventure of her life, and the viewer rides along. Although this movie is a fairy tale for adults, it is suitable for all ages. A cute segment featuring cameos by Billy Crystal and Carol Kane only adds to the movie's immense entertainment value. Don't miss this classic comedy/action/drama/etc. It has everything, so there is probably something there for you. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "AIRPLANE!" * * * ½ Unlike some other Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker films (such as "Top Secret!" and "Kentucky Fried Movie"), "Airplane!" actually has half a plot to go along with its utter hilarity. This movie, which primarily spoofs "Airport" and other disaster flicks, parallels other Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker films in that it will do almost anything for a laugh. Anything from dry wit to blatant parody to slapstick and physical humor is fair game here, but with more of a sophisticated air than in previous ZAZ attempts. It seems that the makers of "Airplane!" can make just about any action funny--a man throwing up into a barf bag, the different ways people commit suicide rather than continue listening to a boring seatmate, a woman prudishly refusing the offer of a drink of liquor to calm her nerves who proceeds to snort cocaine. All of this sounds tasteless and downright crude to write about, but you just have to watch. Like "Stripes," "Airplane!" should be viewed by anyone over 18 at least once, and not in its edited for television version. See it as it was meant to be seen (there is not that much profanity, trust me), and you will not be sorry. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "SLAPSHOT" * * * * Paul Newman yet again proves his versatility as an actor by playing an aging minor league hockey player in "Slapshot," which was filmed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, about a 45-minute drive from my house. In the movie, the struggling team is the Charlestown Chiefs. Newman is not only their captain, but a mentor and friend, determined not to let the team go under after the current season ends. The team's owner, you see, plans to use the team as a tax write off; the guys, however, want to play hockey. [Editor's Note: At the time this movie was made in 1976, Johnstown had a hockey team nicknamed the Jets. After this team folded, the succeeding club a few years later was re-named the Johnstown Chiefs.] To win in this league, Newman decides, the players have to play dirty, i.e., pick lots of fights and win them. It helps if they can maneuver it so that the other team starts the fight, which is often the case. The character development in "Slapshot" goes much further than simply an older, wiser minor-league sportsman who has no other career interests or prospects and cannot handle personal relationships. Newman's character is married and almost divorced because the game takes up too much of his time and effort. Not only does he coach the younger players on the ice, but determines to save a player's marriage when it is seriously on the rocks. He has learned over his hockey career that it may seem like the game is the most important thing in a player's life, but there are other things that need to be paid attention to as well. The mother of all hockey movies, in fact, the mother of all sports films altogether, "Slapshot" is hilarious at times, touching in spots, exciting sometimes, but altogether blends to a terrific, worthwhile film. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD" * * * * (1938) No Robin Hood movie was ever its equal, nor will one likely ever be. This early Errol Flynn swashbuckler starring Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian moves swiftly from beginning to end and possesses all the romance, adventure and intrigue without the senseless violence of an upsetting nature. In this, considered the original and best Robin Hood movie ever made, Robin of Locksley is widely heralded as a hero among the poverty stricken Saxons of England, oppressed and starved by the Norman Prince John, who snatches the throne from the rightful monarch, King Richard the Lionhearted, kidnapped and supposedly held for ransom in a faraway land during the Crusades. While King Richard treated Norman and Saxon alike fairly, his greedy, selfish brother seeks any excuse to rob and torture the Saxons while extracting from their already empty pockets the "ransom" for the king, all the while living it up on what money he collects. Robin Hood becomes an outlaw in order to fight this injustice, exacting a death for a death (killing a Norman soldier for each Saxon executed or fatally tortured by Prince John's cohorts). Ever accurate with his bow and arrow, all the prince's men claim to be looking for the elusive fugitive, but in truth they fear being plucked by one of his arrows. His "merry men" and he move like the wind, terrorizing the Normans in protest for their poverty and unjust treatment. Meanwhile, the king's ward, Maid Marian, courted by the backward Sir Guy, falls head over heels instead for Robin, who can offer her nothing but his love. This, of course, gives Prince John and company yet another reason to despise and chase Robin. Here we have Robin Hood in his classic version--handsome, charming, witty, willing to risk everything to rob from the rich to feed the poor. As he outwits the evil Prince John and Sheriff of Nottingham time and again, Robin Hood illustrates the ultimate good triumphing over evil plotline. Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone are superb in their supporting performances, Rathbone as the scheming Sir Guy of Gisbourne who wishes to wed Maid Marian and Rains as the villainous Prince John. De Havilland is radiant as the lovely, pure Maid Marian, and, of course, Flynn epitomizes the daring, dashing champion of the underdog, whether gentley consoling the poor folk or dueling to the death with Sir Guy of Gisbourne. A lavish film with all the color and spirit one could dream of, "The Adventures of Robin Hood," like the character, is a legend that will live forever. This Robin Hood film is suitable for all ages, with minimal violence and almost no foul language or sexual situations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Children's Pick of the Month: "ROBIN HOOD" (animated) * * * ½ The only reason this version of the legendary Robin Hood receives less than the full four stars is that a cartoon just can't measure up to the real thing in the form of Errol Flynn. However, believe it or not, it comes close. This musical jaunt through Sherwood Forest is joyful for all ages. The plot varies little from Flynn's effort, reviewed above, but Robin Hood is a fox, as is his lovely Maid Marian, Little John is a bear, and some of the poor folk Robin helps are a family of rabbits. Prince John, a self-serving, ever-whining lion, is even more spoiled and self-centered than otherwise characterized, sucking his thumb and crying for his mommy when Robin out foxes him. The Prince's always-present assistant, Sir Hiss, a snake who likes to hypnotize other characters, tries in vain to keep the naughty prince out of trouble. Narrated by country singing great Roger Miller, who graces the screen as a rooster and eventually sings the blues from Prince John's prison, the animated version of Robin Hood hums with catchy tunes and pretty love ballads such as "Love Goes On and On," a duet between the two lovey-dovey foxes. No childhood is complete until it includes the animal kingdom's portrayal of the Robin Hood story, as only Disney can behold. ╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ T H E E N D ║ ╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ This publication may not be duplicated in part or full without express written permission of the publisher.