AFFLICTION
Hard hitting drama about a dysfunctional relationship between an
alcoholic, hot-tempered father (James Coburn, who received an
Oscar for his role here) and his son, a police officer (Nick
Nolte) in a small town in New Hampshire. The set piece is the
investigation of a hunting death, but that's really the
background for the disintegration of the son's life, filled with
tragedy and violence. Co-stars Sissy Spacek, Willem Dafoe and
Mary Beth Hurt.
Director: Paul
Schrader. Stars: Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn, Willem
Dafoe, Mary Beth Hurt, Jim True. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 114 min.),
Drama, 1999, Box office gross: $5.612 million, (Universal),
No SRP, Priced for rental, Available:
7/6, DVD: Day & Date.
BABY GENIUSES
Insipid comedy aimed at the under-10 crowd, built on the premise
that babies are born with the knowledge of all the secrets of
universe, as well as their own language, which disappears at the
age of two when they crossover and use grown-up language. The
silly plot revolves around a sinister scientist who wants to
make super-intelligent kids but is thwarted by a baby rebellion.
Selling point is the sight gags, with babies mimicking adult
actions (such as disco dancing, martial arts, etc.) Stars
Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Peter MacNicol, Dom DeLuise
and Kim Catrell.
Director: Bob Clark.
Stars: Kathleen Turner, Christopher Lloyd, Peter MacNicol, Dom
DeLuise, Kim Catrell. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 95 min.), Comedy,
1999, Box office gross: $24.455 million, (Columbia TriStar),
$23.95 SRP, Available: 7/27, DVD:
No.
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Comedy about a young man (Brendan Fraser), raised in a bomb shelter since the
1960s -- his father thought WWIII had started -- and what happens when he
resurfaces in 1999 and meets up with modern culture, including a hip Eve (Alicia
Silverstone). Despite poor reviews and a weak boxoffice, the film has plenty
going for it, including sweet performances by Fraser -- as the naive, eternal
idealist -- and Silverstone -- as a jaded yet pure of heart L.A. Woman -- and a
good natured script that juxtaposes optimism against cynicism, with the former
winning out (how refreshing in today's anti-anti-hero, anti-romance, thrill-noir
filmic climate). Give this one a good look.
Director: Hugh Wilson. Stars:
Brendan Fraser, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Walken, Sissy Spacek. CC, (MPAA
rating: PG-13, 106 min.), Comedy, 1999, Box office gross: $26.494 million, (New
Line), No SRP, Price for rental, Available: 7/27, DVD:
Day & Date.
CENTRAL
STATION
Captivating film about a lonely older woman, an ex-teacher who
makes a living scamming commuters in Rio de Janeiro's Central
Station by writing letters for them that she never mails, and a
9-year-old boy she takes under her wings when his mother is
accidentally killed. Together the pair set off on an eventually
heartwarming search for his dad, allowing the woman to
rediscover herself. Fabulous performance by Fernanda Montenegro.
In Portuguese with English subtitles.
Director: Walter
Salles. Stars: Fernanda Montenegro, Vinicius de Oliveira. CC,
(MPAA rating: R, 106 min.), Drama, 1998, Box office gross:
$5.444 million, (Columbia TriStar), No SRP, Priced
for rental, Available: 7/13, DVD: Day &
Date.
CIVIL ACTION,
A
Based on actual events, this gripping courtroom drama follows
the trials and tribulations of an "ambulance chasing" personal
injury attorney (John Travolta) who sues two giant corporations
-- W.R. Grace and Beatrice Foods -- on behalf of eight families
in Woburn, Mass., who claimed the companies caused the death of
their kids by contaminating the town's water supply. The
straightforward case turns nasty when the lawyer faces off
against the corporations' attorneys (headed up by a sleazy
Robert Duvall), bankrupting his small law firm and altering his
view of the law -- and justice. An absorbing drama with a fine
performance by Travolta
Director: Steve
Zaillian. Stars: John Travolta, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy,
John Lithgow, Kathleen Quinlan, Tony Shalhoub. CC, (MPAA rating:
PG-13, 118 min.), Drama, 1998, Box office gross: $56.615
million, (Buena Vista), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/13, DVD: Day &
Date.
EIGHT
MILLIMETER
Nicolas Cage plays a skilled surveillance expert hired by the
estate of a powerful industrialist to track down the truth
behind an apparent pornographic snuff film found among the dead
magnate's possessions. The seemingly routine investigation turns
nasty when the detective becomes obsessed with the girl and he
tracks her -- and the filmmakers -- into the sleazy world of sex
and sadism in the underbellies of New York and Los Angeles. At
times crude -- and violent.
Director: Joel
Schumacher. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James
Gandolfini, Peter Stormare, Catherine Keener. CC, (MPAA rating:
R, 123 min.), Thriller, 1999, Box office gross: $36.283
million, (Columbia TriStar), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/20, DVD: Day &
Date.
HILARY AND
JACKIE
Touching, insightful story of Jacqueline and Hilary du Pre,
gifted musical sisters who grew up in England in the 1950s.
Sharing a love of and gift of music, the sisters forged an
unbreakable bond. But while Jackie's career soared, Hilary took
a simpler road to family life. Eventually, constant touring took
a toll on Jackie's life and, close to a nervous breakdown, her
relationship with her sister begins to deteriorate. Great
performances by Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson.
Director: Anand
Tucker. Stars: Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths, David Morrissey.
CC, (MPAA rating: R, 124 min.), Bio-Drama, 1998, Box office
gross: $4.874 million, (PolyGram), No SRP, Priced
for rental, Available: 7/6, DVD:
Day & Date.
KING AND I,
THE
Animated version of Rodgers and Hammerstein classic about an
attractive English widow who travels to Siam in 1862 to become
the proper governess for the king's royal children. Though this
could have been a great introduction to one of the great
musicals of all time, it's dragged down by silly animated
characters (a mango-throwing monkey, for one, as well as martial
arts not in the R&H repertoire). Still, there are the great
songs -- "Shall We Dance" and "Getting to Know You" -- to turn
kids on to the classics.
Director: . Stars:
Voices of Miranda Richardson, Martin Vidnovic, Ian Richardson,
Darrell Hammond. CC, (MPAA rating: G, 87 min.), Animated,
1999, Box office gross: $11.000 million, (Warner), $22.95
SRP, Available: 7/6, DVD: Day &
Date.
OCTOBER SKY
Uplifting story about a young man who realizes his dream of
breaking out of his goal-mining hometown by reaching for the sky
with homemade rockets. Set against the dawn of the Space Race in
1957, this lively drama follows the real-life story of Homer
Hickam (Jake Gyllenhaal) as he struggles against his coal-miner
father's wishes and builds rockets in the hopes of winning first
prize at the National Science Fair -- eventually leading to a
career at NASA.
Director: Joe
Johnston. Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, William Lee
Scott, Chris Owen, Laura Dern. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 108 min.),
Drama, 1999, Box office gross: $26.654 million, (Universal),
No SRP, Priced for rental, Available:
7/27, DVD: Day & Date.
PAYBACK
Mel Gibson plays a no-holds barred tough guy out for revenge --
he wants $70 thousand that was taken from him by his disloyal
partner and wife after they pulled off a successful hold-up and
left him for dead -- and will stop at nothing in this maxed-out
violence fest that owes a big debt to film noir (the movie is
shot in washed out blues). Set in an unspecified city at an
unspecified time and mixing past and contemporary technologies
(modern cars, rotary-dial telephones), the film builds Gibson
into the ultra anit-anti-hero, a remorseless murderer and thief
who won't let the Chinese Mafia or the Syndicate get in his way.
A finely crafted work, if a tad crude. Directed by Brian
Helgeland and co-starring Deborah Kara Unger, Gregg Henry, David
Paymer, William Devane and Lucy Liu.
Director: Brian
Helgeland. Stars: Mel Gibson, Deborah Kara Unger, Gregg Henry, David
Paymer, William Devane and Lucy Liu. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 102
min.), Action, 1999, Box office gross: $80.906
million, (Paramount), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/27, DVD: Day &
Date.
SHE'S ALL THAT
Romantic-comedy high-school take on "My Fair Lady" has two
senior "gods" betting whether or not one of them (Freddie Prinze
Jr.) can transform the school free-thinker, dweeb and all-around
loser (Rachael Leigh Cook) into a queen on Prom Night.
Naturally, Prinze falls for his "guinea pig" and events get more
complicated -- especially when Leigh Cook gets wind of the bet.
Lackluster story line is hampered by white bread setting in
Palisades, Calif., where everyone sings clean rap and the cars
are all new and shiny.
Director: Robert
Iscove. Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, Paul
Walker, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 95
min.), Romantic Comedy, 1999, Box office gross: $60.850
million, (Miramax), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/13, DVD: Day &
Date.
VIRUS
The crew of a small salvage tug encounter a deserted Russian
intelligence ship that has been taken over by an alien life form
that considers humans to be a virus and is out to destroy
humankind. The alien -- an energy force that first manifests
itself in the disabled ship's computer and mechanical systems --
starts harvesting body parts to build a hybrid being. Naturally,
the remaining humans -- headed up by Jamie Lee Curtis, William
Baldwin and Joanna Pacula -- fight back in the ship's dark
corridors. Typical horror gore in the encounters between the
monster and humans, but the film's predictability obviates any
real or original shocks.
Director: John
Bruno. Stars: Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin, Donald
Sutherland, Joanna Pacula. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 95 min.),
Sci-Fi Horror, 1999, Box office gross: $14.010 million,
(Universal), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/20, DVD: Day &
Date.
WING COMMANDER
This "Top Gun" meets "Starship Troopers" is all crash and burn,
with terrible acting laid over a hokey story about rocket
fighter pilots -- somewhere and sometime in the future -- who
have to fend off an attack on Earth by a vicious alien race,
called the Kilrathi. There's some mind-bending special effects
but overall the plot lacks credibility and has more holes than a
collapsing solar system. A very lame outing. A sweeping musical
score (suitable for "Star Wars") at the beginning only sets the
film up for failure: it's supposed to highlight the epic nature
of this venture but only heightens its banality. Stars Freddie
Prinze Jr.
Director: Chris
Roberts. Stars: Freddie Prinze Jr., Saffron Burrows, Matthew
Lillard, Ginny Holder, Jurgen Prochnow, David Warner. CC, (MPAA
rating: PG-13, 100 min.), Science Fiction, 1999, Box office
gross: $11.538 million, (Fox), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/6, DVD: Day &
Date.
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