AMERICAN PIE
Ribald teen comedy about a quartet of high school buddies who vow
to lose their virginity before graduation. Each goes after his
individual goal in his own way: one becomes sensitive, another
tries a joust with a racy Czech exchange student, the third
decides that love is the answer, and the fourth starts rumors
about his sexual prowess. Despite a fair dose of bathroom humor,
the characters (particularly the girls) are likeable enough that
you come away enjoying the movie more than you should. For the
18-24 demographic.
Director: Paul
Weitz. Stars: Natasha Lyonne, Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Jennifer
Coolidge, Shannon Elizabeth. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 95 min.),
Comedy, 1999, Box office gross: $101.502 million, (Universal),
No SRP, Priced for rental Available:
12/21, DVD: Day & Date.
DEEP BLUE SEA
Genetically altered 25-foot-long mako sharks make human sushi in this
ho-hum modern-day "Jaws." A group of scientists have been enhancing
shark brains in an underwater lab to develop a serum for Alzheimer's
disease. When the sharks get just too smart for the humans, they make
a break for the freedom of the wide open sea. Naturally the
beleaguered scientists become fodder for the proceedings. There's a
modicum of excitement and plenty of body parts. Stars Laurence
Fishburne, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows and LL Cool J.
Director: Renny
Harlin. Stars: Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J, Samuel L.
Jackson, Jacqueline Mc Kenzie, Stellan Skarsgard. CC, (MPAA
rating: R, 105 min.), Horror Thriller, 1999, Box office
gross: $12.100 million, (Warner), No SRP, Priced
for rental, Available: 12/7, DVD: Day &
Date.
DICK
Two 15-year-old ditzy girls accidently stumble upon the Watergate
break-in and President Nixon's plumber squad in this
revisionist-history comedy of life in the White House in the early
1970s. When Nixon appoints them official White House dog-walkers to
keep tabs on them, their presence in the Oval Office alters history:
they introduce pot-laced cookies into a high level meeting with the
Soviets, fomenting a treaty; they persuade Nixon to end the war in
Vietnam; and they become the "Deep Throat" source for Washington Post
reporters Woodward and Bernstein. While the premise is promising, the
execution falls short, with peaks and valleys of humor that leave the
talented cast (Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Dan Hedaya, Teri
Garr, Harry Shearer and Saul Rubinek) stranded.
Director: Andrew
Fleming. Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Dan Hedaya,
Teri Garr, Harry Shearer, Saul Rubinek. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13,
90 min.), Comedy, 1999, Box office gross: $6.200 million,
(Columbia TriStar), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 12/14, DVD: Day &
Date.
DROP DEAD
GORGEOUS
This weak comedy takes a jaded look at beauty pageants in the
heartland of America -- with the cameras of a documentary film crew
looking on -- where treachery and cheating come to the fore. Two moms
(an ex-teen queen played by Kirstie Alley and a washed out trailer
trash beauty played by Ellen Barkin) pit their girls (Denise
Richards and Kirsten Dunst) against each other for the Miss Teen
Princess America pageant, with all sorts of murder and mayhem
fair game for the spoils. Unfortunately, the humor goes way over
the top, and the intended sizzle only fizzles.
Director: Michael
Patrick Jann. Stars: Kirstie Alley, Ellen Barkin, Kirsten Dunst,
Denise Richards, Brittany Murphy. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 96
min.), Comedy, 1999, Box office gross: $10.291 million, (New
Line), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 12/14, DVD: Day & Date.
DUDLEY
DO-RIGHT
A silly attempt to transfer Jay Ward's classic cartoon character
to the big screen in live-action form, with Brendan Fraser as the
bumbling Canadian Mountie trying to outwit evil villain Snidely
Whiplash (Alfred Molina). The plot is simple: Whiplash wants to take over Semi-
Happy Valley by creating a fake gold rush; Do-Right must learn to
become a hero to foil the plan and win back his true love, Nell
Fenwick (Sarah Jessica Parker). The silly slapstick humor -- mainly a lot of
floorboards smacking Do-Right in the head -- is for kids only.
Director: Hugh
Wilson. Stars: Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, Alfred
Molina, Robert Prosky, Eric Idle. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 76
min.), Family, 1999, Box office gross: $9.694 million,
(Universal), Priced for rental, Available:
12/28, DVD: Day & Date.
GENERAL'S DAUGHTER,
THE
Routine detective thriller set on an Army base has Army dick John
Travolta investigating the rape and murder of a General's
daughter, uncovering a lot of dirt and transgressions along the
way. Travolta is at the peak of his acting powers here, thriving
on his role as a maverick, hard-nosed investigator, spitting out
his lines and challenging his superiors -- and pretty much
single-handedly holding the film together. Madeleine Stowe throws
her beauty around as Travolta's sleuth partner and old flame.
Director: Simon
West. Stars: John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe, James Cromwell,
Timothy Hutton, James Woods, Clarence Williams III. CC, (MPAA
rating: R, 116 min.), Thriller, 1999, Box office gross:
$102.000 million, (Paramount), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 12/14, DVD: Day &
Date.
INSPECTOR
GADGET
Based on the 1980s cartoon series, this kiddy comedy revolves
around the transformation of a bumbling security guard (Matthew
Broderick) -- killed in a car crash engineered by a rich villain
(Rupert Everett) --into a super-scientific police robot,
Inspector Gadget, whose hands, feet and head sprout all sorts of
weapons and utensils as the "future of law enforcement." Gadget
must foil the evil mastermind while winning the heart of the
scientist (Joely Fisher) who created him. Corny as can be but the
kids should love it.
Director: David
Kellogg. Stars: Matthew Broderick, Joely Fisher, Rupert Everett,
Michelle Trachtenberg, Andy Dick, Dabney Coleman. CC, (MPAA
rating: PG, 78 min.), Family, 1999, Box office gross: $87.554
million, (Disney), $24.99 SRP, Available: 12/7,
DVD: Day & Date.
MICKEY BLUE
EYES
When an Englishman who runs a New York auction house (the
likeable Hugh Grant) proposes marriage to his girlfriend of three
months (Jeanne Tripplehorn), he discovers that he'll be marrying
into the mob. After a few Mafia and "Godfather" gags (James Caan
plays the "made man" father of the bride) the comedy quickly
slides downhill and sours into a serious gangster film as the
bride- and groom-to-be find themselves on the wrong end of a
vendetta. The film tries to have it both ways -- comedy and drama
-- but it has too many frayed edges to click.
Director: Kelly
Makin. Stars: Hugh Grant, James Caan, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Burt
Young, James Fox. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 103 min.), Comedy,
1999, Box office gross: $32.100 million, (Warner), No
SRP, Priced for rental, Available: 12/28,
DVD: Day & Date.
RUN LOLA RUN
Surprise German hit, first on the international and now U.S.
art-house circuit, about a young woman who has 20 minutes to help
her boyfriend out of a jam: He's botched a dope deal and lost a
bag of DM100,000 that belongs to his gangster boss. Lola sets off
to help him, and her journey is told three different ways, each
time altering key events that change the outcome. The film is
fast, kinetic, and exciting, using animation, music video
conceits, jump cuts and fragmented time to propel the multiple
story lines. One of the most original films in many a year.
Director: Tom
Tykwer. Stars: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup,
Armin Rohde. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 81 min.), Thriller, 1999,
Box office gross: $6.548 million, (Columbia TriStar), No
SRP, Priced for rental, Available: 12/21,
DVD: Day & Date.
SUMMER OF SAM
Character study of two couples, set against the rising paranoia
in their Bronx neighborhood during the summer of 1977 when New
York was immobilized by the murder spree of serial killer "The
Son of Sam." One couple's marital bliss is overshadowed by
infidelity, the other couple's nontraditional punk rock lifestyle
alienates the community. As the temperatures rise, so does the
tension between the old friends as betrayal, fear and paranoia
change their lives forever. An ambitious but failed outing for
director Spike Lee. Stars John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira
Sorvino and Jennifer Esposito.
Director: Spike Lee.
Stars: John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer
Esposito, Michael Rispoli. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 142 min.),
Drama, 1999, Box office gross: $19.283 million, (Buena Vista),
No SRP, Priced for rental, Available:
12/21, DVD: Day & Date.
TEACHING MRS.
TINGLE
Screenwriter Kevin ("Dawson's Creek," the "Scream" series)
Williamson's first directorial outing takes another of his stabs
-- so to speak -- at high school evil, here in the form of a
nasty, holy terror of a teacher (Helen Mirren). It seems Mrs.
Tingle takes pleasure in degrading her students, and when she
decides that her top student has cheated, she gleefully announces
she's going to destroy the youngster's future. But three students
have other plans for her -- they're going to get even. A fun
outing if a bit far-fetched.
Director: Kevin
Williamson. Stars: Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes, Jeffrey Tambor,
Barry Wilson, Marisa Coughlan, Michael McKean. CC, (MPAA rating:
PG-13, 93 min.), Thriller, 1999, Box office gross: $8.800
million, (Dimension), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 12/14, DVD: Day &
Date.
UNIVERSAL
SOLDIER: THE RETURN
Sequel to 1992's hit "Universal Soldier" that pitted Jean-Claude
Van Damme against Dolph Lundgren as dead soldiers brought back to
life as invincible fighting machines. Here the reformed cyborg
Van Damme is a consultant to the lab where a new generation of
Unisols are made. When the Army axes the project, the main
computer goes mad, setting the Unisols loose on a mission to take
over the country. Naturally only Van Damme can come to the
rescue. With cheap pyrotechnics, silly computer mumbo jumbo, and
enough plot holes to drive a dozen tanks through, this sequel
should have remained on the shelf. Co-stars Michael Jai White as the chief bad
guy.
Director: Mic
Rodgers. Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Jai White, Nill
Goldberg, Heidi Schanz, Kiana Tom. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 83
min.), Action, 1999, Box office gross: $10.400 million,
(Columbia TriStar), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 12/28, DVD: Day &
Date.
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