BUDDY
Rene Russo plays an animal-loving socialite in the 1920s whose
mission was to care for and understand the world of animals and
their relationship to humans: her New York estate housed a
diverse and extensive collection of animals. Things go awry when
she adopts a baby gorilla and tries to raise him as if he were
her own child -- wrecking havoc with her home and her emotions.
Based on a true story. Not a great career move for Russo as the
film hardly showed off her talents and was mostly a quite boring
affair. Available in clamshell packaging.
Director: Caroline Thompson. Stars: Rene Russo,
Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Paul Ruebens. CC, (MPAA rating:
PG, 85 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $10.005
million, (Columbia TriStar 21600), $14.95 SRP,
Available: 1/13
EVENT HORIZON
Gruesome goings-on in 2047 when a rescue mission is sent to the
outer realms of the solar system to salvage the Event Horizon, a
prototype spaceship designed to reach the distant stars. When the
searchers investigate the mysterious disappearance of the crew,
they discover terrifying secrets that lie within the ship. This
film took an undeserved drubbing by critics and sci-fi fans who,
we suspect, expected this to be a more sophisticated "Aliens"
affair. Its well-paced and well-thought out, though some of the
scientific mumbo-jumbo is corny. Still, there's plenty of thrills
and chills starring Laurence Fishburne, Sam Neill, Kathleen
Quinlan and Joely Richardson.
Director: Paul Anderson. Stars: Laurence
Fishburne, Sam Neil, Kathleen Quinlan, Joely Richardson. CC,
(MPAA rating: R, 97 min.), Science Fiction, 1997, Box office
gross: $26.668 million, (Paramount 334823), No SRP,
Priced for rental, Available:
1/27
FIRE DOWN
BELOW
Steven Seagal plays an Environmental Protection Agency marshal
sent to a small town to investigate the murder of a colleague who
discovered a hazardous waste coverup. It seems the locals have
been looking the other way while a rich mine-owner-industrialist
(Kris Kristofferson) and his hoods have been pumping all kinds of
poisons into the local mines. Naturally, Seagal uses his fists and
wit to beat down the bad guys. Typical Seagal fare. Co-stars Marg
Helgenberger and Harry Dean Stanton. Day and date DVD release.
Director: Felix Enriquez Alcala. Stars: Steven
Seagal, Kris Kristofferson, Marg Helgenberger, Harry Dean
Stanton. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 105 min.), Action, 1997, Box
office gross: $18.000 million, (Warner 14914), No SRP,
Priced for
rental, Available:
1/6
GAME, THE
A shrewdly successful businessman's well-ordered life is thrown
topsy-turvy when his brother gives him an unexpected birthday
gift - an enrollment in the Game, a nebulous adventure that all
of a sudden escalates into a matter of life and death. He soon
discovers that the Game has very high stakes, although he's not
certain of the rules or even of the objective. All of a sudden
his life is monitored and dismantled by unknown conspirators.
Chilling good fun. Stars Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara
Unger and Carroll Baker.
Director: David Fincher. Stars: Michael Douglas,
Sean Penn, Peter Donat, James Rebhorn, Carroll Baker. CC, (MPAA
rating: R, 128 min.), Thriller, 1997, Box office gross:
$47.582 million, (PolyGram), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 1/20
HOODLUM
Mob boss Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth) wants to seize control of the
Harlem numbers racket in New York City in 1934, but he has to go
up against local mobster Ellsworth Bumpy Johnson (Laurence
Fishburne), setting the stage for a bloody war that involves
gangsters and innocent bystanders alike. Soon the top gangster of
them all gets involved: Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia), who wants to
create a truce to prevent special prosecutor Thomas E. Dewey
(William Atherton) from cracking down on his illegal operations.
Day and date DVD release.
Director: Bill Duke. Stars: Tim Roth, Lawrence
Fishburne, Vanessa Williams, Andy Garcia. CC, (MPAA rating: R,
105 min.), Action, 1997, Box office gross: $23.397 million,
(MGM 906282), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 1/6
KULL THE
CONQUEROR
Kevin Sorbo (TV's "Hercules") plays a dynamic warrior who rises
to become king of the mythical kingdom of Valusia, then has to
fend off corrupt noble relatives to stay in power in this sword
and sorcerer fantasy. Get this: Tia Carrere plays a 3,000 year-
old sorceress who has been resurrected by his enemies as a 19-
year-old to marry and then murder Kull on their wedding night
(some birth control!). Kull escapes death and embarks on a
perilous journey to find a weapon powerful enough to destroy the
forces of evil.
Director: John Nicolella. Stars: Kevin Sorbo,
Tia Carrere, Thomas Ian Griffith. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 90
min.), Action adventure, 1997, Box office gross: $6.001
million, (Universal 83357), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 1/27
LEAVE IT TO
BEAVER
The 1960s TV sitcom updated for the 1990s, with the kids more
sophisticated and June Cleaver sexier. In keeping with the
original, however, Beaver is constantly getting in trouble, here
getting and losing the bicycle of his dreams, making and quitting
the football team and generally trying to prove he's just as
perfect as his cool older brother Wally. Stars Christopher
McDonald, Janine Turner, Erik von Detten, Cameron Finley. Savvy
audiences
skipped this Beaver.
Director: Andy Cadiff. Stars: Christopher
McDonald, Janine Turner, Erik von Detten, Cameron Finley. CC,
(MPAA rating: PG, 88 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross:
$10.730 million, (Universal 83357), $19.98 SRP,
Available:
1/20
MONEY TALKS
A fast-talking hustler and ticket scalper (Chris Tucker) gets
arrested and finds himself on a chain gang handcuffed to a
vicious international diamond smuggler. When the smuggler is set
free by armed commandos, he drags Tucker with him, getting him
involved in a wild killing spree. Escaping from the killer, he
goes on the run from the cops and the crooks and contacts a
straight-laced TV reporter (Charlie Sheen) to tell the truth. Not
surprisingly, the pair end up as the prey in a deadly game of cat
and mouse. This is fun?
Director: Brett Rainer. Stars: Chris Tucker,
Charlie Sheen, Heather Locklear, Paul Sorvino. CC, (MPAA rating:
R, 95 min.), Action comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $40.098
million, (Warner 4608), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 1/13
NOTHING TO
LOSE
An advertising exec (Tim Robbins) discovers his wife in the arms
of his boss; he speeds away in his car and gets accosted at a
stoplight by a goofy car-jacker (Martin Lawrence). But with
nothing to lose, he turns the tables on the crook -- taking him
hostage and setting into action a host of silly situations,
including several holdups, high speed chases and mistaken
identities. Along the way this odd couple discover a mutual bond
and become fast friends. Mean-spirited, violent humor that gives
comedies (and movies) a bad name.
Director: Steve Oedekerk. Stars: Tim Robbins,
Martin Lawrence, Kelly Preston. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 98 min.),
Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $43.019 million, (Buena Vista
10440), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 1/20
PICTURE
PERFECT
A talented advertising director (Jennifer Aniston) can't get a
promotion until she can prove that she's on her way to settling
down romantically, so when her best friend and colleague (Illeana
Douglas) creates a fictitious fiancee for her, all the parts of
her life fall into place. All goes well - until her boss wants to
meet her new beau. Below average comedy of mistaken identity and
missed opportunities. Olympia Dukakis co-stars as Aniston's
meddling mother.
Director: Glenn Gordon Caron. Stars: Jennifer
Aniston, Jay Mohr, Kevin Bacon, Olympia Dukakis. Illeana Douglas.
CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 100 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office
gross: $30.828 million, (Fox 4805), No SRP, Priced
for rental, Available: 1/13
SOUL FOOD
Mother Joe dishes out more than food to her three daughters and
their families at their traditional Sunday supper -- there's
advice and love along with the fried chicken and sweet cornbread
-- until the matriarch is felled by illness. With the extended
family on the verge of a breakdown, young Ahmad, Mother Joe's
grandson, hatches a plot to bring back the good times. A warm
family drama. Stars Irma P. Hall, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long,
Vanessa L. Williams.
Director: George Tillman Jr.. Stars: Vanessa L.
Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach. CC, (MPAA
rating: R, 114 min.), Drama, 1997, Box office gross: $41.000
million, (Fox 4493), $19.98 SRP, Available:
1/13
WES CRAVEN'S
WISHMASTER
An ancient Djinn (genie) is transported to Los Angeles and
awakened, where he roams the streets, granting wishes that get
turned around on the wishers, generally wrecking havoc and mayhem
from innocuous requests (watch that wording!). The Djinn wants to
find the woman who awakened him to make three wishes -- on the
third wish, all the evil of hell will overrun and conquer the
Earth. Typical gory, goofy horror proceedings. Produced by Wes
Craven.
Director: Robert Kurtzman. Stars: Tammy Lauren,
Andrew Divoff, Robert Englund. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 90 min.),
Horror, 1997, Box office gross: $15.000 million, (LIVE 60416),
No SRP, Priced for rental Available:
1/13
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