From: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com (movies-digest) To: movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: movies-digest V2 #78 Reply-To: movies-digest Sender: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-movies-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk movies-digest Friday, August 28 1998 Volume 02 : Number 078 [MV] Mamet!!! Re: [MV] david fincher -Reply Re: [MV] Twists....... Re: [MV] Ever After Re: [MV] The Game [MV] Ever After [MV] Aliens II vs III RE: [MV] david fincher -Reply [MV] Movie News - 08/28/98 Re: [MV] Ever After Re: [MV] Aliens II vs III Re: [MV] 54 [MV] Blade [MV] The Movie Report#156, 8/28/98 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:32:43 +0100 From: "Gerald Taylor" Subject: [MV] Mamet!!! This is a multi-part message in MIME format. - ------=_NextPart_000_0067_01BDD26F.3083F8C0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable =20 >Yes!! We have so much fun in the supermarket, people staring at us as = if we >were having an actual conversation.... evil I know, but I'm working on = it... My God!! It was'nt the "Brass balls" speech was it! :-) Incidentally, have you seen "Oleanna" ? It's one of those films that = starts poorly but then sucks you in totally. Very stagey but the plot = evolves into a real "Shout at the screen" experience. You really should write longer posts, you are quite amusing. What are = some of your favourite movies?~ Gerry T ~~~~~ I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self = contained, I stand and look at them long and long. They do not sweat and whine about their condition, They do not lie awake and weep for their sins, they do not make me sick discussing their duty to God, not one is dissatisfied, not one demented with the mania of owning = things, Not one kneels to another nor to his own kind that lived thousands of = years ago, not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole earth. Walt = Whitman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - ------=_NextPart_000_0067_01BDD26F.3083F8C0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

>Yes!! We have so much fun in the supermarket, = people=20 staring at us as if we
>were having an actual conversation.... = evil I=20 know, but I'm working on it...

My God!! It was'nt the = "Brass=20 balls" speech was it! :-)

Incidentally, have you seen "Oleanna" ? It's = one of those=20 films that starts poorly but then sucks you in totally. Very = stagey but=20 the plot evolves into a real "Shout at the screen"=20 experience.

You = really should=20 write longer posts, you are quite amusing. What are some of your = favourite=20 movies?~
Gerry T
~~~~~
I think I could turn and live with = animals, they=20 are so placid and self contained,
I stand and look at them long and=20 long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do = not lie=20 awake and weep for their sins,
they do not make me sick discussing = their duty=20 to God,
not one is dissatisfied, not one demented with the mania of = owning=20 things,
Not one kneels to another nor to his own kind that lived = thousands of=20 years ago,
not one is respectable or unhappy over the whole=20 earth.
&nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; =20 Walt=20 Whitman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

- ------=_NextPart_000_0067_01BDD26F.3083F8C0-- [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 12:10:42 +0200 From: manuel morrens Subject: Re: [MV] david fincher -Reply - --------------6423DB8EF0C0BA1D0B523323 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bruce Bridges wrote: > Concerning David Fincher: While I think he has developed into a very > good director, I think Alien 3 sucked and has no place in the series. > > > Everybody has their bad days. > I agree with bruce...I mean, guys, really, alien3 (alien resurrection as well for that matter) really really stinked. Alien was pretty good and I just loved Aliens... Seven was a good movie, it just wasn't THAT good as everybody thinks..mass hystery I suppose.... But The Game ...wow dude ...THAT was an awsome thing to see man!!! looking forward for the next Fincher..... - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Manuel Morrens mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be Department of Medicine http://minf.vub.ac.be/~mmorrens/eighties Brussels Free University (lyrics of the eighties) - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------6423DB8EF0C0BA1D0B523323 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Bruce Bridges wrote:

Concerning David Fincher: While I think he has developed into a very
good director, I think Alien 3 sucked and has no place in the series.

Everybody has their bad days.

I agree with bruce...I mean, guys, really, alien3 (alien resurrection as well for that matter) really really stinked. Alien was pretty good and I just loved Aliens...
Seven was a good movie, it just wasn't THAT good as everybody thinks..mass hystery I suppose....
But The Game ...wow dude ...THAT was an awsome thing to see man!!!

looking forward for the next Fincher..... 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Manuel Morrens                  mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be         
Department of Medicine          http://minf.vub.ac.be/~mmorrens/eighties
Brussels Free University        (lyrics of the eighties)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------6423DB8EF0C0BA1D0B523323-- [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 12:14:13 +0200 From: manuel morrens Subject: Re: [MV] Twists....... - --------------C31E321F3F9DA316496B0B56 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gerald Taylor wrote: > > > > > > Sorry about the spelling! I thought the game was poor, the > ending was extremely silly and a cop out of the highest > order. When you mention "Diabolique", do you mean the > S.Stone version? If so, all I can say is that you should > try to see the original " Les diaboliques" directed by > Henri-George Clouzet in 1954. It is by far the better > version as the re-make softens the ending. It should be > available on videotape as should the same director's "Wages > of fear" ( it has been remade in the states as the sorceror > but is supposed to be poor)which is even better! The same > goes for "The vanishing". The original dutch version is > excellent and has a far better ending. > > L.A confidential was good but in the book Dudley Smith > survives! Now would that not have made an even better > ending!? > > In answer to the other poster.....yup "The usual suspects" > was excellent. > > > > > > > > > > I agree on The Vanishing, it's typical for Hollywood to create some happy end... By the way did you see A Perfect Murder(Douglas/Paltrow) ...I liked it as well.... ok ok it was a Hitchcock-remake...but still... pretty good movie ... - -- - --------------------------------------------------------------------- Manuel Morrens mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be Department of Medicine http://minf.vub.ac.be/~mmorrens/eighties Brussels Free University (lyrics of the eighties) - --------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------C31E321F3F9DA316496B0B56 Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gerald Taylor wrote:

Sorry about the spelling! I thought the game was poor, the ending was extremely silly and a cop out of the highest order. When you mention "Diabolique", do you mean the S.Stone version? If so, all I can say is that you should try to see the original " Les diaboliques" directed by Henri-George Clouzet in 1954. It is by far the better version as the re-make softens the ending. It should be available on videotape as should the same director's "Wages of fear" ( it has been remade in the states as the sorceror but is supposed to be poor)which is even better! The same goes for "The vanishing". The original dutch version is excellent and has a far better ending.
L.A confidential was good but in the book Dudley Smith survives! Now would that not have made an even better ending!?
In answer to the other poster.....yup "The usual suspects" was excellent.

I agree on The Vanishing, it's typical for Hollywood to create some happy end...
By the way did you see A Perfect Murder(Douglas/Paltrow) ...I liked it as well.... ok ok it was a Hitchcock-remake...but still... pretty good movie ...

-- 
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Manuel Morrens                  mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be         
Department of Medicine          http://minf.vub.ac.be/~mmorrens/eighties
Brussels Free University        (lyrics of the eighties)
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

- --------------C31E321F3F9DA316496B0B56-- [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 07:12:20 PDT From: "Danielle Conkle" Subject: Re: [MV] Ever After >I recently saw Ever After this past weekend. I found it to be so >wonderful. I was expecting to get a little confused with such an ancient >time setting, but I was completely wrong. Drew Barrymore did a wonderful >job portraying Cinderella (well a Cinderella-type, since her character >wasnt named Cinderella). I thought that Anjelica Huston did a good job >being that antagonist too. > >It was such a great movie, I recommend it with a 10 out of 10! Any >comments?? I thought Ever After was pretty good, i was surprised it added something different to the old story. I think Barrymore has really cleaned up and she's been adorable in these last couple movies she's done. Anjelica Huston did the best acting job, and even the sisters played well. It was nice to have a prince who was attractive, but not your usual gorgeous model type. The movie kept me laughing, but i'm not sure if it was supposed to be funny....but how can you not laugh when "she's only there for the food"? ;) ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 22:13:37 +0800 From: "David Lee" Subject: Re: [MV] The Game Yes, I would have to agree... I went to watch the Game with high expectations, given that it was a Sean Penn/Michael Douglas movie (I'm a fan of Michael Douglas you see...) and what with all the hype about Jodie Foster rejecting the role and all... But I would have to say that the movie was generally (a tad) disappointing. Not the ending though, before I discredit the movie too much. Then again, I could be expecting quite a lot when I went to watch it... "Here's wishing you good mental health...." -- Frasier Crane - ---------- > From: Danielle Conkle > To: movies@lists.xmission.com > Subject: [MV] The Game > Date: 28 August 1998 09:01 > > > > I didn't expect the twists in "the game" (...brilliant movie) > > All i can say for The Game, was it was an original idea. Other than > that i did not find this movie enjoyable at all. Actually i found it > annoying and when it was finally over i didn't feel relief...i felt > anger. I was so revved up, i wanted to punch somebody. That wasn't > living, that was playing with your life, living it in fear. > > > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > [ 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: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 07:29:21 -0700 From: mjohanson@earthlink.net Subject: [MV] Ever After "'Ever After' is a frothy delight -- it's a little bit Renaissance Festival, a little bit Monty Python, and a whole lotta fun. A feminist updating of the Cinderella fairy tale, it never hits you over the head with its attitude and never takes itself too seriously." I loved "Ever After" too -- see my full review at http://www.flickfilosopher.com/flickfilos/archive/3q98/everafter.html MaryAnn Johanson The Flick Filosopher http://www.flickfilosopher.com ------------------ Tonya wrote: I recently saw Ever After this past weekend. I found it to be so wonderful.... Any comments?? - ----- Sent using MailStart.com ( http://MailStart.Com/welcome.html ) The FREE way to access your mailbox via any web browser, anywhere! [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 17:15:52 cet From: "greuel" Subject: [MV] Aliens II vs III > I agree with bruce...I mean, guys, really, alien3 (alien resurrection > as well for that matter) really really stinked. Alien was pretty good > and I just loved Aliens... I'm surprised at all the raving about the 2nd Alien. I did not like it at all. The idea about the first one was that there is a creature of utter beauty. The beauty of perfection. The original alien is so highly developed that only Ripley's wit can overcome it. In the 2nd they are degraded to canon fodder. There are hundreds of aliens against about 20 marines - and the only reason why the aliens can get their foot in the door is because these marines are so dumb and stupid in their macho behaviour, that they are wasy meat. The acid blood and the intelligence of the Resurrection play no role whatsoever. And Cameron started that "Mother" thing. While the idea is quite good - mother alien vs. mother Ripley, he had to create a yet bigger alien. Simply because the originals were no threat anymore. There is no perfection in the 2nd alien. They can be killed by various means and from every distance. The ultimate stand off by the two mothers are ridiculous. Ripley with robot can beat mother alien? Doesn't really sound convincing. Plus, while Scott's Alien had stunning visuals and Fincher at least attempted them, I didn't find any of that in Cameron. Sure, he is great on FX, but working with the camera or lighting is not his speciality and that prevents him from making visually exciting films to a large degree. <-- Look! It's a period! thomas - --- http://greuel.notrix.de/ - abomiNation "One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing star" Friedrich Nietzsche [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 08:49:30 -0700 From: "Romero, Leticia" Subject: RE: [MV] david fincher -Reply me too!!! > -----Original Message----- > From: manuel morrens [SMTP:mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be] > Sent: Friday, August 28, 1998 3:11 AM > To: movies@lists.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [MV] david fincher -Reply > > Bruce Bridges wrote: > > Concerning David Fincher:� While I think he has developed into a > very > good director, I think Alien 3 sucked and has no place in the > series. > � > > Everybody has their bad days. > � > > �I agree with bruce...I mean,� guys, really, alien3 (alien resurrection as > well for that matter) really really stinked. Alien was pretty good and I > just loved Aliens... > Seven was a good movie, it just wasn't THAT good as everybody thinks..mass > hystery I suppose.... > But The Game ...wow dude ...THAT was an awsome thing to see man!!! > looking forward for the next Fincher.....� > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Manuel Morrens�� mmorrens@minf.vub.ac.be�� > Department of Medicine�� > > Brussels Free University�� (lyrics of the eighties) > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > � [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:32:32 -0600 (MDT) From: The Reporter Subject: [MV] Movie News - 08/28/98 Ben Stiller owes a lot of his career success to failure. The star of "There's Something About Mary" and "Your Friends and Neighbors" tells USA Weekend that things may have seemed bleak not so long ago, but all the experiences paid off. "You learn more from failures than successes," he says. Among those bleak experiences was his 1992 Fox-TV "Ben Stiller Show," which was last in the ratings but which gave him valuable behind-the-lens experience. He then directed Jim Carrey in "The Cable Guy" (a comedy that some fans found too dark) and subsequently lost an opportunity to film a movie about a Rolling Stones tour. Stiller, 32, credits his famous parents, comedians Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, with teaching him to stay focused and committed and to be resilient. -=> * <=- Los Angeles played host recently to the premiere party for the Miramax film "54" about the famed New York discotheque where the rich, famous and sometimes not-so-beautiful people danced and did drugs into the wee hours of the late 1970s. At the party, New York's Daily News reports, Thelma Houston, a disco diva of the era, belted out her hit "Don't Leave Me This Way," to the delight of all, including the film's stars, Salma Hayek, Ryan Philippe and Mike Myers, who plays the late Steve Rubell, one of Studio 54's legendary owners. New York critics lambasted the film, however, with the New York Times calling the effort "a confused mishmash." -=> * <=- WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Air Force said Thursday it will fly Keiko, the celebrated killer whale star of the movie "Free Willy," from Oregon to Iceland Sept. 9 in a major first step toward returning him to the open ocean. The 10,000-pound whale will be placed in a custom traveling tank aboard a C-17 military cargo plane and flown non-stop from Newport, Ore., to the Westman Islands where a specially-built floating pen is waiting for him. The expected cost of the flight, nearly $300,000, will be borne by the private Free Willy Keiko Foundation based in Newport. The foundation will spend about $2 million to establish Keiko in his new Iceland home. [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:45:33 +0100 From: kittymach@juno.com (Kitty Mach) Subject: Re: [MV] Ever After I give it 10+! Sad, sad movie. Drew Barrymore did good. Danielle was her characters name. You should see it! Kitty "When I panick, I make this face."[expression doesn't change]Mulder in The X-Files Movie "Someone wasn't worthy..."Spike in BtVS "No, I'm not one of them, I'm something else."Blade inBlade "I want the car. Chicks dig the car."Robin in Batman & Robin *Chris O'Donnell~Mike Damus~James Marsters _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 18:41:38 +0100 From: "Toni Slovacek" Subject: Re: [MV] Aliens II vs III Well there was no problem with killing the alien in Alien actually, it's just that due to their circumstances (being in space) they would have died too. Aliens gave Ripley a chance to kick butt instead of having to creep around utterly terrified the whole time; it worked as a tremendous anti-dote to the gut-clenching terror of the first one. And the problem with spilling alien blood on a spaceship was nicely reprised with the discovery of the queen on the Sulacco (whom we then saw happily blown out of the airlock!). My personal opinion is that Alien was brilliant as a thriller - all tension and every idea blocked by a practical obstruction; Aliens was brilliant as an action/adventure where they seemed to start off with good odds, but were gradually reduced until the odds were terrible again, and Ripley could earn her paycheque; Alien 3 - no comment, suck, suck, suck; Alien: Resurrection - given that they kept the storyline as it had been mutated by twatface, I applauded and enjoyed this film because it gave us a new and delightfully ambiguous look at Ripley, refocused attention on a universal problem (the aliens returning to Earth) and at the same time managed to show new facets of the aliens, the inspace environment and genetic mangling. As a member of the public, not a film connoisseur or student, I don't particularly care whether a shot is artistic or not; my main criteria revolves around the story, the characters and to a lesser extent the presentation - if the director is a visionary and wields the spfx wand gracefully, I consider a major bonus; if they only use spfx then they've failed. Ridley Scott has been the most original 'visionary' director I've ever watched - and it tends to be against him that I judge all others! Enough ranting and raving ... - -----Original Message----- From: greuel To: movies@lists.xmission.com Date: 28 August 1998 16:49 Subject: [MV] Aliens II vs III > I agree with bruce...I mean, guys, really, alien3 (alien resurrection > as well for that matter) really really stinked. Alien was pretty good > and I just loved Aliens... I'm surprised at all the raving about the 2nd Alien. I did not like it at all. The idea about the first one was that there is a creature of utter beauty. The beauty of perfection. The original alien is so highly developed that only Ripley's wit can overcome it. In the 2nd they are degraded to canon fodder. There are hundreds of aliens against about 20 marines - and the only reason why the aliens can get their foot in the door is because these marines are so dumb and stupid in their macho behaviour, that they are wasy meat. The acid blood and the intelligence of the Resurrection play no role whatsoever. And Cameron started that "Mother" thing. While the idea is quite good - mother alien vs. mother Ripley, he had to create a yet bigger alien. Simply because the originals were no threat anymore. There is no perfection in the 2nd alien. They can be killed by various means and from every distance. The ultimate stand off by the two mothers are ridiculous. Ripley with robot can beat mother alien? Doesn't really sound convincing. Plus, while Scott's Alien had stunning visuals and Fincher at least attempted them, I didn't find any of that in Cameron. Sure, he is great on FX, but working with the camera or lighting is not his speciality and that prevents him from making visually exciting films to a large degree. <-- Look! It's a period! thomas - --- http://greuel.notrix.de/ - abomiNation "One must still have chaos in one to give birth to a dancing star" Friedrich Nietzsche [ 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: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:41:04 +0100 From: kittymach@juno.com (Kitty Mach) Subject: Re: [MV] 54 His name is Ryan Phillippe he has been in White Squall I Know What You Did Last Summer Nowhere Little Boy Blue Homegrown 54 Cruel Inventions Dancing About Architect and some others I forgot. My sister told me about these. She knows alot about him. Kitty "When I panick, I make this face."[expression doesn't change]Mulder in The X-Files Movie "Someone wasn't worthy..."Spike in BtVS "No, I'm not one of them, I'm something else."Blade inBlade "I want the car. Chicks dig the car."Robin in Batman & Robin *Chris O'Donnell~Mike Damus~James Marsters _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 10:46:26 +0100 From: kittymach@juno.com (Kitty Mach) Subject: [MV] Blade comments on the movie? I haven't seen it, but I want to hear others opinion... Kitty "When I panick, I make this face."[expression doesn't change]Mulder in The X-Files Movie "Someone wasn't worthy..."Spike in BtVS "No, I'm not one of them, I'm something else."Blade inBlade "I want the car. Chicks dig the car."Robin in Batman & Robin *Chris O'Donnell~Mike Damus~James Marsters _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866] [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 11:42:52 -0700 From: Michael Dequina Subject: [MV] The Movie Report#156, 8/28/98 T H E M O V I E R E P O R T #156 AUGUST 28, 1998 =>T H I S W E E K<= M O V I E S - -_54_ - -_Blade_ - -_Let's_Talk_About_Sex_ - -_Why_Do_Fools_Fall_in_Love_ - -_Without_Limits_ - -_Wrongfully_Accused_ V I D E O - -_Men_with_Guns_ - -_Pocahontas_II:_Journey_to_a_New_World_ - -_The_Real_Blonde_ - -_Woo_ PLEASE HELP... ...keep the MR and Mr. Brown's Movie Site alive (_I_don't_even_own_a_computer_) by renting or purchasing videos from Reel.com! Visit: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nhp-reel.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=welcome.html Now is your _last_chance_ to pre-order _Titanic_ for only $9.99! Order at: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nhp-reel.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=/sale/sale.html For links to the official websites of all the current films, past reviews, exclusive Hollywood event photos, movie discussion board, movie theme MIDI files, and more, visit Mr. Brown's Movie Site at: http://welcome.to/mrbrown or http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown Please don't forget to sign the guestbook... Select reviews are available at CompuServe Hollywood Hotline: http://www.HollywoodHotline.com ...and the Eyepiece Network at: http://www.eyepiece.com ...and Albany Online at: http://www.AlbanyOnline.com all movies graded out of four stars (****) ~~~ =>M O V I E S<= N E W R E L E A S E S _54_ (R) * 1/2 If there were a subject just screaming to be made into a film, it was Studio 54, the late Steve Rubell's infamous New York discotheque, which came to symbolize the taboo-smashing excesses of the disco era's heyday: easy drugs and even easier sex between everyone, all set to a thumping dance beat. So when Miramax started production on _54_ last year, the buzz of hype and resulting anticipation began: an edgy film as down-and-dirty as the club itself, written and directed by a promising first-timer (Mark Christopher) and starring some hot young talent (Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, newcomer Ryan Phillippe, and Mike Myers in his dramatic debut). My, how easily does the worm turn. Hype turned into damage control when word got out about 11th-hour reshoots (wrapped only a month ago), a rash of studio-imposed edits that left virtually the entire cast and crew (especially Christopher) unhappy, and the very likely possibility that Miramax would not screen the finished film for critics. At the last minute, though, Miramax did decide to screen the film (so hastily scheduled was the screening that Myers's last name was misspelled on the invitation, not to mention the numerous typos in the press notes) for a media audience that came away noticeably less than impressed, myself included. And with good reason--somehow, some way, the supremely disappointing _54_ has made the historically hip haven of hedonism... boring. Although Christopher has distanced himself from the finished film, he still must shoulder some of the blame for _54_'s lifelessness. _54_ focuses, for the most part, on a tight-knit trio of employees at the club: coat check girl/aspiring disco diva Anita (a wasted Hayek); her busboy husband, Greg (Breckin Meyer); and, most prominently, the fresh-from-Jersey Shane O'Shea (Phillippe), who enjoys a quick rise from busboy to head bartender. These characters are about as generic as those descriptions. In focusing on the hired help, Christopher really missed the boat. With the exception of the flamboyant, always-woozy Rubell (Myers, in a well-modulated turn), the meaty stories to be told at Studio 54 are not the workers' but those of the people who went there to party; not necessarily the numerous VIP guests, but the wild eccentrics who managed to be picked from the crowd by the club's famously hard-ass doormen and dance (among other things) the night away with the rich, famous, and infamous (the only taste of the crowd comes by way of Ellen Dow's feisty Dottie, a disco- and drug-crazed granny, but she's a peripheral character at best). As such, aside from the expected overhead crowd shots, there is precious little actual _dancing_ in _54_. What is a disco film--especially one about the pinnacle of the movement--without the dancing? Even Whit Stillman's _The_Last_Days_of_Disco_, which wasn't so much concerned with disco as it was witty dialogue within a group of hip-to-only-themselves club-hopping preppies, featured at least one extended dance scene. Dancing isn't the only thing glazed over in _54_--so is the sex, but that may not be entirely Christopher's fault. From what I've heard, his original vision was something considerably more dark and daring, starting with the Shane character: he was conceived (and actually filmed) as a wild, morally ambiguous bisexual, which would have made an efficient springboard to cover the pansexual pleasure palace aspect of Studio 54's legend. But somewhere between principal photography and the final cut, Shane was defanged and quite literally straightened out; consequently, so was the film. Aside from a brief glimpse of erotic encounters toward the beginning of the film, Shane's fleeting dalliance with seductive socialite Billie (Sela Ward), and an abbreviated bedhopping montage, the sexual dimension is just about ignored. Shane, in this incarnation, is sanitized to the point of blandness, an idealistic do-gooder who pines for a frequent guest at the club, Julie Black (Campbell), a worldly soap star with, yes, a heart of gold. This tacked-on "romance" would have been slightly less tedious if either Campbell or Phillippe made some connection with each other or the audience. They fail on both counts. Ultimately, _54_'s failure comes down to three letters: F-U-N. As in, there isn't any to be had for the audience. Too much time is spent with the boring Shane, and too little is spent on the club floor, where all the action took place. Anyhow, though, whatever time is spent on the 54 floor is not used very effectively. When Anita finally gets her big break and perform onstage at the club, it should be a euphoric height, for her, the crowd, and the audience; however, the moment doesn't get a chance to reach that level, for it is cut short by a moment of forced sentimentality, which also mars the film's conclusion (one of the last-minute reshoots). Strangely upbeat and wistful, the resolution is wholly unconvincing and unsatisfying. There is an interesting portrait of Studio 54 out there--two of them, in fact--but _54_ is not one of them. They're on cable TV: a couple of documentaries produced by E! and VH1. These two fascinating looks at the club and all the sordid goings-on within it show that there's still a great disco movie to be made. The problem is, after the critical and certain box office failure of _54_, the subject may have run its Hollywood course. IN BRIEF _Blade_ (R) *** After years of attempts (_Howard_the_Duck_, anyone? _The_Punisher_?), the once-mighty, now-beleaguered Marvel Comics has a potential film franchise in, ironically, one of their most obscure and ridiculed heroes: Blade (Wesley Snipes), a human/vampire hybrid who hunts down the undead to avenge his dead mother, who was attacked by a vampire when she was pregnant, thus making Blade into what he is. There is one long slow patch, and Stephen Dorff's unmenacing villain is clearly no match for the intense Snipes, but the inventive production design, energized action sequences (featuring martial arts choreography by Snipes himself), and stylish direction by Stephen Norrington make this ideal summer fare: quite enjoyable, and equally disposable. _Let's_Talk_About_Sex_ (R) no stars Let's not. Troy Beyer's directorial debut (she also wrote and stars) offers plenty of the bawdy talk the title promises. But it's wrapped around a load of dreck. Advice columnist Jazz (Beyer) aspires to be a talk show hostess, and the candid woman-to-woman interviews she shoots for an audition tape send Jazz and her two roommates, Lena (Randi Ingerman) and Michelle (Paget Brewster), on that dreaded "journey of self-discovery" traveled in too many independent films. Jazz unlocks a secret trauma that keeps her from committing to her perfect man (Joseph C. Phillips); slutty Lena realizes she just wants to be loved; bitchy Michelle realizes that her coldness comes from fear. And the audience, what does it discover about these characters? They're a bunch of crybabies. Make that just "babies," because the duct-challenged Beyer, Ingerman, and Brewster cannot muster a single tear between them, which is a glaring problem once the film settles into its almost laughably dissonant tone: raunchy interview segments alternating with soppy, melodramatic crying scenes that sent my eyes rolling. The film's hilariously overblown housework-as-grieving climax, complete with cleanser cans being thrown in frustration, has to be a cinema landmark of some sort. As for the film's purported insight into female sexuality (most of the interviews are done with real people, not actors), to me it seems that Beyer simply chose the most outrageous segments for inclusion in the film, rather than the most honest. Terrible writing, terrible acting, terrible direction--terrible film. (opens September 11) _Why_Do_Fools_Fall_in_Love_ (R) *** As the summer popcorn season winds down, and the weightier fall/holiday season begins, here arrives a smoothly executed "transition" film, which tackles some fairly serious subject matter in a fun, entertaining, guilt-free package. _Why_Do_Fools..._ centers on the court battle between the late doo wop singer Frankie Lymon's (Larenz Tate) three wives--glamorous singer Zola Taylor (Halle Berry), petty thief Elizabeth Waters (Vivica A. Fox), and demure schoolmarm Emira Eagle (Lela Rochon)-- for his estimated $4 million estate . Testimony-stemmed flashbacks chronicle Lymon's quick rise to fame as the lead singer of the Teenagers (famous for the classic title song), his equally quick fall into obscurity and drugs, and the circumstances behind his untimely death. Director Gregory Nava's recreation of Lymon's late '50s-early '60s performances are exuberant, buoyed by Tate's charismatic performance, which, in turn, provides a sympathetic anchor when things turn dark. The lighter court storyline is a bit more cliched and stereotyped, with all the verbal catfights between the women, but the appealing trio of Berry, Rochon, and especially Fox (in the showiest role of the three) make the proceedings enjoyable. These two contrasting sides, Lymon's tragically short existence and the battle between the three widows, are meshed together with ease into a pleasing cinematic confection by Nava, a proven hand musical biographies (_Selena_). _Without_Limits_ (PG-13) *** The second of the two Steve Prefontaine biopics sat on the Warner Bros. shelf for a year to distance itself from last year's shallow Disney-produced "mockumentary," _Prefontaine_, but the WB execs needn't have bothered--their film, co-written (with Kenny Moore) and directed by Robert Towne, clearly wins the race. Compared to the other film, which portrayed the '70s track star as simply arrogant, _Without_Limits_ paints a much more sympathetic picture of the charismatically cocky Prefontaine (here played by Billy Crudup), making his tragic story (a disappointment at the '72 Olympics, an attempt at a '76 comeback cut short by a fatal car accident) much more involving. Still, Towne makes a couple of missteps: a recurring image of a young Pre trying to outrun other boys makes for some lame symbolism, and the ending doesn't pack the tearjerking wallop it needs. Compensating, though, are a couple of sterling lead performances by Crudup, who can run circles actingwise around _Prefontaine_'s pallid lead Jared Leto; and Donald Sutherland, who plays Pre's mentor, University of Oregon track coach (and future Nike founder) Bill Bowerman. (opens September 11) _Wrongfully_Accused_ (PG-13) 1/2* If _Jane_Austen's_Mafia!_ and _BASEketball_ were the final nails in the coffin of the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker joke-a-second brand of cinematic comedy, then this largely laughless _Fugitive_ spoof, written and directed by ZAZ's frequent silent "P," Pat Proft, is the hydraulic lift (make that "drop") that sends the coffin six feet under _and_ the dirt that's piled on top. An understandably tired-looking Leslie Nielsen, who should seriously consider retirement from this tired genre, is the Harrison Ford stand-in wrongfully accused (we have a title!) of murder; Richard Crenna falls flat on his face trying to replicate Tommy Lee Jones's quick-tongued quips as the federal marshal on Nielsen's trail. There are a few amusing sight gags, but fans of ZAZ know that the team's best efforts also featured absurdly funny, deadpan verbal jokes (one of my all-time favorites, from _Hot_Shots!_Part_Deux_: Topper: "I want to meet your parents and pet your dog." Ramada: "My parents are dead, Topper; my dog ate them."). All of the wisecracks here land with a thud. Jerry Zucker broke from the ZAZ formula back in 1990 with _Ghost_ and never looked back; it's time for his former cohorts--brother David, Jim Abrahams, and Proft--to move on as well. IN CURRENT RELEASE (full reviews of the following in past MRs and at the listed URLs) - -_Armageddon_ (PG-13) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#armageddon - -_The_Avengers_ (PG-13) no stars http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#avengers - -_Billy's_Hollywood_Screen_Kiss_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#billy - -_Dance_with_Me_ (PG) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#dance - -_Dead_Man_on_Campus_ (R) * http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#deadman - -_Doctor_Dolittle_ (PG-13) ** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#dolittle - -_Ever_After_ (PG-13) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#everafter - -_Halloween:_H20--20_Years_Later_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#h20 - -_How_Stella_Got_Her_Groove_Back_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#stella - -_Lethal_Weapon_4_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#lethal4 - -_The_Mask_of_Zorro_ (PG-13) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#zorro - -_Mulan_ (G) **** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt35.html#mulan - -_The_Negotiator_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#negotiator - -_The_Opposite_of_Sex_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt34.html#sex - -_Return_to_Paradise_ (R) *** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#paradise - -_Saving_Private_Ryan_ (R) **** http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#ryan - -_Slums_of_Beverly_Hills_ (R) ** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#slums - -_There's_Something_About_Mary_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt36.html#mary - -_Your_Friends_&_Neighbors_ (R) *** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt38.html#friends FUTURE FILMS - -_Lolita_ (R) ** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#lolita (September 25) - -_Pecker_ (R) ** 1/2 http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt37.html#pecker (September 25) O N T H E H O R I Z O N FRIDAY _54_ (R) * 1/2 Mark Christopher's eagerly awaited, utterly lifeless film set in the infamous New York disco. Ryan Phillippe, Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell, and Mike Myers star. _Why_Do_Fools_Fall_in_Love_ (R) *** Slight but fun fact-based film about three women (Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, and Lela Rochon) vying for the estate of late singer Frankie Lymon (Larenz Tate). ~~~ =>V I D E O<= N E W T H I S W E E K _Men_with_Guns_ (R) *** Full review in MR#133, 3/5/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt30.html#hombres Rent or buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=40962 John Sayles's engrossing, if distant, largely Spanish-language drama about a doctor (Federico Luppi) in Latin America who tries to track down the missing students he sent to provide medical care to small villages. (Columbia TriStar Home Video) _Pocahontas_II:_Journey_to_a_New_World_ ** 1/2 Rent or buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=42605 Disney's oft-maligned, incredibly underrated 1995 romantic drama would seem like an odd candidate for one of the Mouse's quickie direct-to-video sequels. However, it is, in fact, the one animated feature that truly lends itself to one since there is more to the Native American heroine's real life story than what was covered in the first film. _Journey_to_a_New_World_ takes place an unspecified amount of time after the end of the original film, with Pocahontas (once again spoken by Irene Bedard and sung by Judy Kuhn), still lamenting the loss of love John Smith, travelling to England with diplomat John Rolfe (Billy Zane) in an effort to negotiate a lasting peace between her people and English settlers. Upon arrival in London, Poca and Rolfe grow close and develop a fondness for each other--which is put to the test with the reappearance of Smith (Donal Gibson, sitting in for--and sounding remarkably like--his brother Mel). While _Journey_to_a_New_World_ is the best of the crop of Disney's direct-to-video animation sequels (which also includes two awful-to-mediocre _Aladdin_ sequels and an insulting _Beauty_and_the_Beast_ "midquel" that is true blasphemy), it's still a slapdash effort, with none of gorgeous colors and animation of the first film, and little of its emotional resonance. Smith is regressed to the cocky swashbuckler he was at the beginning of the first film, making Poca's ultimate choice between him and Rolfe, which should have been a dramatically conflicted one, rather obvious and easy. Predictably, the new songs are a pale shadow of the Alan Menken-Stephen Schwartz feature score, but there is one memorable tune: Poca's introspective "Where Do I Go From Here?" which serves as the movie's signature theme. (Walt Disney Home Video) _The_Real_Blonde_ (R) 1/2* Full review in MR#131, 2/19/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt29.html#blonde Rent or buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=40951 Atrocious mess of a comedy focusing on the romantic and professional struggles of two New York actors (Matthew Modine and Maxwell Caulfield). Catherine Keener, Bridgette Wilson, Daryl Hannah, Denis Leary, and Elizabeth Berkley also star. (Paramount Home Video) _Woo_ (R) ** Full review in MR#141, 5/7/98; and at: http://www.godamongdirectors.com/mrbrown/movierpt33.html#woo Rent or buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=41268 A nice rapport between stars Jada Pinkett Smith and Tommy Davidson is largely squandered in this uneven, clumsy romantic comedy between the titular party girl (Pinkett Smith) and a square paralegal (Davidson). (New Line Home Video) A L S O N E W T H I S W E E K _The_Leading_Man_ (R) Rent or buy at Reel.com: http://www.reel.com/cgi-bin/nph-session.exe?COBRAND=MRBR&OBJECT=moviepage.as p?MMID=12460 A playwright (Lambert Wilson) hires a movie star (Jon Bon Jovi) to seduce his wife (Anna Galiena) in John Duigan's comic thriller. (BMG Independents) ~~~ =>N E X T W E E K<= Back on schedule, with more reviews, including: - -_Rounders_ - -_Simon_Birch_ 'til then... __________________________________________________________ Michael Dequina Chat Forum Host, The Official Michael Jordan Web Site http://jordan.sportsline.com mj23@michaeljordanfan.com michael_jordan@geocities.com | mrbrown@ucla.edu >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 "Oliver Stone doesn't know shit about basketball." - --Michael Jordan, on why he refused to work with the director on a hoops-themed Nike commercial __________________________________________________________ [ To leave the movies mailing list, send the message "unsubscribe ] [ movies (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ] ------------------------------ End of movies-digest V2 #78 *************************** [ To quit the movies-digest mailing list (big mistake), send the message ] [ "unsubscribe movies-digest" (without the quotes) to majordomo@xmission.com ]