ABSOLUTE POWER
Riveting thriller about a master thief (Clint Eastwood) who
witnesses a murder while he's breaking into the vault of a power
broker's mansion. The murder involves the President of the U.S.
(Gene Hackman), his chief of staff (Judy Davis), and two secret
service agents (Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert) and the
resulting cover-up puts a price on the crook's head. Eastwood
directs in his sparse, nimble fashion.
Director: Clint Eastwood. Stars: Clint
Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Scott Glenn, Dennis Haysbert, Judy
Davis. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 121 min.), Thriller, 1997, Box
office gross: $47.474 million, (Warner Home Video C2508), No
SRP, Priced for rental, Available:
7/8
BEVERLY HILLS
NINJA
An overweight, under-skilled American (Chris Farley) is mistaken
for the Great White Ninja of Japanese legend. Raised in a
Japanese "dojo," the white orphan has grown up to become an
inept ninja, but nevertheless is whisked away to Beverly Hills
to come to the aid of a young woman (Nicollette Sheridan) to
help foil a counterfeiting plot. Protected by his ninja master
brother (martial arts star Robin Shou) and along with his new
American friend (Chris Rock), the nutty ninja redeems himself
and saves the day. Much great stupidly and slapstick.
Director: Dennis Dugan. Stars: Chris Farley,
Nicollette Sheridan, Chris Rock, Robin Shou. CC, (MPAA rating:
PG-13, 89 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $30.361
million, (Columbia TriStar 82503), No SRP, Priced
for rental, Available: 7/1
DONNIE BRASCO
Al Pacino and Johnny Depp star in this exciting true-life crime
drama about an FBI agent who infiltrates the mob. Depp is
terrific as Donnie Brasco, a young hustler who ingratiates
himself into a small-time hood's "family" in order to get
evidence on the workings of the mob. So well does he steep
himself in the criminal milieu that his personal life (wife and
family) suffers. Director Mike Newell totally deglamorizes and
demystifies the Mafia. Co-stars Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby,
Anne Heche.
Director: Mike Newell. Stars: Al
Pacino, Johnny Depp. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 127 min.), Drama,
1997, Box office gross: $41.658 million, (Columbia TriStar
82513), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/22
FOOLS RUSH IN
Matthew Perry of TV's "Friends" makes the transition to the big
screen in this mediocre romantic comedy about twentysomethings
in love. Perry is a straight-laced corporate type from Manhattan
sent to Las Vegas to supervise the construction of a nightclub;
Salma Hayek plays an aspiring photographer. They meet and spend
a night together, resulting in her pregnancy. Despite knowing
little about each other, they decide to get married, hoping that
fate will play its hand in their favor. A love story of
impulsiveness.
Director: Andy Tennant. Stars:
Matthew Perry, Salma Hayek. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 109 min.),
Romantic comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $28.629 million,
(Columbia TriStar 94943), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/15
JACKIE CHAN'S
FIRST STRIKE
Jackie Chan tears up the screen in this martial arts thriller
about a Hong Kong police officer contracted by the CIA and
Russia to retrieve a stolen nuclear warhead. Chan fights for
America for the first time, and the action jumps from the
snow-capped slopes of the Ukraine to a water park in Australia.
Chan, as usual, risks life and limbs for his action -- using
everything in sight as weapons of defense (and offense):
ladders, brooms, tables, cars, stilts and a shark. Great stuff.
Director: Stanley Tong. Stars: Jackie Chan. CC,
(MPAA rating: PG-13, 85 min.), Action, 1997, Box office
gross: $14.511 million, (New Line 4556), No SRP,
Priced for rental, Available:
7/1
JUNGLE 2
JUNGLE
Tim Allen plays a hyperactive commodities trader who discovers
that he has a son in the jungle; bringing him back to the big
city gives the title its clever meaning and its comedy
underpinnings. Engaged to Lolita Davidovich and trying to
disengage himself from prior wife JoBeth Williams, Allen travels
to meet her in the Amazon jungle, where she tells him he has a
13-year-old son, raised among tribesmen. Allen brings him back
to NYC, where the cultures begin to clash. Co-stars Martin Short
as Allen's partner.
Director: John Pasquin. Stars: Tim Allen,
Martin Short, JoBeth Williams, Lolita Davidovich. CC, (MPAA
rating: PG, 105 min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross:
$55.452 million, (Disney 10439), $22.99 SRP,
Available:
7/29
METRO
This Eddie Murphy vehicle has the wise-cracking comic playing a
San Francisco Police Dept. hostage negotiator who arrests a
psychotic killer and gets involved in a fascinating game of cat
and mouse when the criminal escapes from jail. Despite a change
in locales and a toned down character for Murphy, this is
basically a "Beverly Hills Cop" for the 1990s -- with a meaner
villain, wilder chases, more flying glass and errant car parts,
and a wicked climax. For Eddie Murphy fans.
Director: Thomas Carter. Stars: Eddie Murphy,
Michael Rapaport, Michael Wincott. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 118
min.), Action, 1997, Box office gross: $31.664 million,
(Touchstone 10436), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/15
PRIVATE
PARTS
Shock DJ Howard Stern's best-selling autobiography comes to the
screen in all its unabashed glory. This is an uncensored look at
his life -- from troubled childhood to his rise to become the
"King of All media" -- in a pastiche of scenes that skims the
surface of events from the late 1970s through 1985. Stern's
sidekick Robin Quivers co-stars, along with stern stalwarts Fred
the engineer, Jackie Martling, and "Baba Booey" Gary Dell'Abate.
You don't have to be a Stern fan to enjoy this, but it sure
helps.
Director:
Betty Thomas. Stars: Howard Stern. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 108
min.), Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $40.773 million,
(Paramount 332513), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/22
RELIC, THE
Monster runs amok in a museum, terrorizing curators and guests.
Is this what happens when National Endowment for the Arts
funding is eliminated? After witnessing a bizarre ritual
performed by a native tribe, a South American explorer sends the
Chicago Natural History Museum a mysterious shipment of
artifacts. Suddenly the normally tranquil museum atmosphere is
turned into a haunted house. Directed by the solid hand of Peter
Hyams and starring Penelope Ann Miller, Tom Sizemore and Linda
Hunt. Kind of "Alien" among the aesthetics, with Miller standing
in for Sigourney Weaver. Still very enjoyable and a lot of good
fun.
Director: Peter Hyams. Stars: Penelope Ann
Miller, Tom Sizemore, Linda Hunt. CC, (MPAA rating: R, 110
min.), Horror, 1997, Box office gross: $33.890 million,
(Paramount 331543), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/15
SHINE
Based on the true story of David Helfgott, a concert pianist
whose emotional turmoil hobbled a promising career. Helfgott had
a nervous breakdown under the strain of playing Rachmaninoff's
Piano Concerto No. 3, but the roots of the "crack-up" went back
to the pianists's chaotic childhood under the thumb of his
obsessive father, who wanted the boy to grow to be an artistic
giant. He was simultaneously forced to play music beyond his
emotional capability and restricted from learning experiences
that would heighten his artistic range. Garnered an Academy
Award for star Geoffrey Rush.
Director: Scott Hicks. Stars: Geoffrey Rush,
Noah Taylor, Armin Mueller-Stahl. CC, (MPAA rating: PG-13, 105
min.), Drama, 1996, Box office gross: $35.571 million, (New
Line N4546), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/15
SLING BLADE
Written, directed by, starring Billy Bob Thornton, this
critically acclaimed film follows the return to society of a
mentally retarded man after spending 25 years in an asylum for
the criminally insane. Karl's quiet, gentle manner lands him a
job and an unlikely friendship with a young boy and his mother.
But when the woman's abusive boyfriend appears, Karl's new life
is suddenly placed on a collision course with his dark past.
Also stars Dwight Yoakum, Robert Duvall, J.T. Walsh.
Director: Billy Bob Thornton. Stars: Billy Bob
Thornton, Dwight Yoakam, Robert Duvall, J.T. Walsh. CC, (MPAA
rating: R, 135 min.), Drama, 1996, Box office gross: $18.248
million, (Miramax 10487), No SRP, Priced for
rental, Available: 7/22
VEGAS VACATION
They're back! Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo and company take
their slapstick "Vacation" brand of humor to the neon lights of
Nevada. Clark Griswold thinks he's chosen the perfect vacation -
the "family fun spot" of Las Vegas. But once there, he's lured
by the tables and games, leaving the family to spin out of
control as his wife, son and daughter go their separate ways,
encountering all manner of enticements. Naturally, by film's
end, and after much misfired humor, the family is made whole
again.
Director: Stephen Kessler. Stars: Chevy Chase,
Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid. CC, (MPAA rating: PG, 98 min.),
Comedy, 1997, Box office gross: $34.107 million, (Warner Home
Video 14906), No SRP, Priced for rental,
Available: 7/8
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