Dates at the end of capsules indicate the film's initial review in the Deseret News.
NEW FILMS FRIDAY
BOUND - This dark comedy-thriller was the subject of controversial discussion at the Sundance Film Festival, the story of a paroled felon (Gina Gershon) and a mobster's mistress (Jennifer Tilly) who strike up a lesbian relationship as they plot to steal $2 million in cash from the mob. Reviewed in this section. R (violence, torture, gore, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Broadway.)
RANSOM - Mel Gibson stars in this thriller directed by Ron Howard ("Apollo 13") as a New York-based airline tycoon who defies the FBI when his son is kidnapped by ruthless thugs. Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Delroy Lindo and Lili Taylor co-star. Reviewed in this section. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Century, Creekside, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, South Towne.)
SECRETS & LIES - Writer/director Mike Leigh ("Naked") explores the devastating effects of family secrets in this drama about a young black woman in London who sets out to find her real mother - a white factory worker who gave the girl up for adoption to avoid a scandal. Brenda Blethyn, who won the best actress award at this year's Cannes Film Festival, plays the mother. Reviewed in this section. R (profanity, vulgarity, sex, violence). (Exclusive, Tower.)
SET IT OFF - Four black women (Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, "Independence Day's" Vivica Fox and newcomer Kimberly Elise) attempt to break out of the projects by pulling off a series of bank heists in this controversial crime-drama. Opened in theaters Wednesday; reviewed in Thursday's Deseret News. R (violence, gore, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity, drugs). (Carmike 12, Holladay, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.)
CONTINUING FILMS
ALASKA - * 1/2 - This family adventure film features beautiful scenery and a scene-stealing polar bear cub but is doomed by a unbelievably pedestrian plot, a strictly TV movie-of-the-week script and wooden performances. Two teens try to rescue their bush pilot father and befriend a bear cub being hunted by Charlton Heston, who plays an evil poacher. Heston's son, Fraser, directed. PG (violence, profanity). (Sandy Starships.) (Aug. 14, 1996) - J.V.
THE ASSOCIATE - * * - Whoopi Goldberg stars in this social comedy as an investment wiz who can't break through the good-old-boys network on Wall Street until she invents a fictitious male partner. Dianne Wiest and Austin Pendleton lend some spark in supporting roles, but the bulk of the film is mediocre, run-of-the-mill stuff. When Goldberg finally does her much-publicized white-male impersonation, it's a plastic disappointment. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, nudity). (Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, South Towne, Trolley Square, Villa.) (Oct. 25, 1996) - C.H.
BAD MOON - turkey - Bad acting, bad sets, bad writing, bad special effects. What do they all add up to? A really, really bad werewolf movie. Writer/director Eric Red ("Body Parts") tweaks some horror conventions in this ultra-gory thriller, but the amateurish acting - a German Shepherd easily outacts his human co-stars Mariel Hemingway and Michael Pare - and some laughable plot twists make this the worst horror film of the year so far. R (violence, gore, nudity, sex, profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, Crossroads, Holladay, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 1, 1996) - J.V.
BIG NIGHT - * * * - This small, low-key, character-driven drama - liberally laced with comedy - is a big-hearted story of sparring Italian immigrant brothers (Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub) who can't agree on how to run their failing restaurant in New Jersey during the 1950s. Wonderful storytelling, with terrific performances from Stanley Tucci (who co-wrote and co-directed), Tony Shalhoub, Isabella Ros-sellini, Minnie Driver and especially Ian Holm as a rival restaurant-owner. R (profanity, brief nudity, some mild violence). (Broadway.) (Oct. 4, 1996) - C.H.
BULLETPROOF - turkey - Director Ernest Dickerson ("Juice") mistakenly pairs alleged comedians Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler in this foul-mouthed, unlikable and unfunny action-comedy about an undercover cop and a small-time crook, respectively, who are on the run from a ruthless drug kingpin (James Caan). This has been done a zillion times before, but rarely has it been done in such a vulgar, misogynistic and violent manner. R (violence, profanity, sex, nudity, vulgarity). (Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 6, 1996) - J.V.
THE CHAMBER - * * * - Though it's less action-packed than his other legal thrillers, the latest John Grisham adaptation features broader and better characterizations. Chris O'Donnell stars as a young lawyer trying to save his grandfather (Gene Hackman), a convicted Death Row killer, from the gas chamber. It's slow at times, but Hackman's terrific and almost makes his bigoted, murderous character likable. R (profanity, racial epithets, violence, brief gore). (South Towne.) (Oct. 11, 1996) - J.V.
COLD COMFORT FARM - * * * 1/2 - This low-key but witty comedy, which was actually made for British television by director John Schlesinger ("Midnight Cowboy," "Marathon Man"), is the antithesis of the overblown epic syndrome afflicting Hollywood right now. Kate Beck-insale ("Much Ado About Nothing") plays a pampered young woman in the early 1930s who finds herself penniless and moves in with her eccentric, but delightful, relatives on a cursed farm. PG (profanity, sex). (Kaysville.) (June 14, 1996) - J.V.
D3: THE MIGHTY DUCKS - * 1/2 - Talks about dead ducks! The rag-tag team of hockey players returns for a second sequel to the surprise 1992 hit. In this routine comedy, the Ducks are recruited to play for a prestigious prep school but face a lot of competition from the school's other hockey team. Emilio Estevez appears briefly to fulfill his contract with Disney, and the whole thing feels like it was done for the same reason. PG (hockey violence, mild vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5, Sandy 9.) (Oct. 4, 1996) - J.V.
DEAR GOD - * 1/2 - Greg Kinnear ("Sabrina") stumbles in his first starring role as a lovable con artist who goes to work in the dead letter office and begins answering letters to God. Garry Marshall, whose days of "Pretty Woman" and "Beaches" seem to be over if "Exit to Eden" and "Dear God" are the best he can do, is striving for "Miracle on 34th Street" but fails miserably. Sad and sloppy. Laurie Metcalf (of TV's "Roseanne") isn't as funny as she thinks she is, but Tim Conway and Hector Elizondo have amusing moments. PG (violence, vulgarity, profanity). (Broadway, Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Reel, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 1, 1996) - C.H.
EMMA - * * * 1/2 - Light, but very satisfying - and frequently hilarious - period romantic comedy adapted from the Jane Austen novel (which was updated last year as "Clueless"). Gwyneth Paltrow glows in this starmaking role as the meddling, matchmaking title character. Everyone else is good too, while the film nicely balances romance, humor and attention to period detail. A delightful film for all audiences. PG (nothing offensive). (Avalon, South Towne.) (Aug. 16, 1996) - C.H.
THE FAN - turkey - Frustrated knife salesman Robert De Niro first kills the major rival of baseball superstar Wesley Snipes, then stalks him in this unintentionally hilarious suspense film from Tony Scott ("Top Gun," "Crimson Tide"). The dumb premise is only one of the many problems with this violent, overly long and boring thriller. R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, partial nudity). (Family Center, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 16, 1996) - J.V.
FIRST KID - * * 1/2 - Comedian/actor Sinbad ("Houseguest") is sur-prisingly charming in this lightweight slapstick Disney comedy, in which he plays a Secret Service agent assigned to watch out for the neglected son of the president. Some sly jabs at the White House and Sinbad's decent performance make it worthwhile, although the last 15 minutes are too violent for young audiences. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity, partial nudity). (Cinemas 5.) (Aug. 30, 1996) - J.V.
THE FIRST WIVES CLUB - * * * - Frequently hilarious farce about three longtime friends (Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton) who get together and plot revenge against the ex-husbands who have discarded them for much younger "trophy" wives. Fast and funny, with terrific turns by the lead players, as well as a number of memorable supporting roles filled with familiar races, including Maggie Smith, Stockard Channing and Sarah Jessica Parker. PG (violence, vulgarity, profanity, nude painting). (Carmike 12, Creekside, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Sept. 20, 1996) - C.H.
FLY AWAY HOME - * * 1/2 - The fabulous final third of this nature adventure is worth the ticket price, but prior to that it's a by-the-numbers coming-of-age drama about a young teen (Oscar-winner Anna Paquin, of "The Piano") who is forced to live with her long-absent father (Jeff Daniels) while still mourning the death of her loving mother. Eventually she comes across a gaggle of orphaned goslings and becomes determined to help them survive in the wild, even if she has to personally teach them to migrate by leading them in flight. Directed by Carroll Ballard ("The Black Stallion"). PG (profanity). (Cinemas 5, Olympus, Plaza 5400, Sandcastle, South Towne, Trolley North, Trolley Square.) (Sept. 13, 1996) - C.H.
THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS - * * * - Michael Douglas is as winning as ever, playing a big-game hunter tracking a pair of lions who have killed hundreds of railway workers in 19th-century Africa, while Val Kilmer is surprisingly subtle as an Irish bridge engineer aiding him. Stylish and scary at times, this fact-based thriller is definitely too intense for children. R (violence, gore, profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9.) (Oct. 11, 1996) - J.V.
THE GRASS HARP - * * * - This delightful low-key character drama, set in the 1940s, has a young orphaned boy taken in by his two eccentric spinster aunts, one who is wealthy but resentful of her lonely life (Sissy Spacek) and the other who is repressed but utterly lovable (Piper Laurie). A great cast of supporting players - Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Edward Furlong, Nell Carter, Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Charles Durning. Based on Truman Capote's memoirs; directed by Matthau's son Charles. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Exclusive, Trolley Square.) (Nov. 1, 1996) - C.H.
HIGH SCHOOL HIGH - * 1/2 - Here's a great lesson in how not to make a parody film. Despite a decent start, this crude and vulgar off-the-wall comedy - which lampoons "Dangerous Minds" and "Blackboard Jungle" - heads in the wrong direction when it actually tries to tell a story. Jon Lovitz can't carry the film by himself and is sabotaged by co-stars Tia Carrere and Louise Fletcher, who are wooden and uninspired, respectively. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, nudity, sex, drug use). (Century, Cottonwood, Crossroads, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Oct. 25, 1996) - J.V.
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - * * * 1/2 - A light, feel-good take on Victor Hugo's dark classic, though, as you might expect, it's gorgeously animated. Sincere performances and a surprisingly thoughtful adaptation help, with the usual silly touches for young children. But there are dark moments that may be a bit much for the very young in what is arguably the most adult Disney animated feature yet. Voice talents include Tom Hulce, sweet as Quasimodo; Demi Moore, feisty as voluptuous Gypsy dancer Esmerelda; and Kevin Kline, nicely ironic as the reluctant captain of the guard. G. (Kaysville, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (June 21, 1996) - C.H.
INDEPENDENCE DAY - * * * 1/2 - This derivative but thrilling "Reader's Digest" mix of every seminal sci-fi thriller you can name has evil aliens systematically destroying the Earth's major cities. Great special effects offer a huge "Wow!" factor but it's the quick pacing, sense of humor and eccentric characters that make it work, as resourceful Americans gather in the Nevada desert to try to find the enemy's Achilles' heel. Terrific performances by Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid and Brent Spiner. PG-13 (violence, profanity). (Family Center, Kaysville, Murray, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (July 3, 1996) - C.H.
THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU - * 1/2 - Veteran director John Frank-en-heimer updates H.G. Wells' novel about man's inhumanity but somehow leaves the message out until the very end. Marlon Brando hams it up as the title character, a mad doctor on a remote island experimenting with half-human/half-animal mutants, as does Val Kilmer, who plays his drug-addled assistant. The "manimal" makeup effects and costumes, designed by Stan Winston ("Jurassic Park"), are the real stars. PG-13 (violence, drugs, nudity, sex, profanity). (Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 23, 1996) - J.V.
JACK - * * - Robin Williams' goofy performance as an overgrown fifth-grader can't save this uneven comedy-fantasy from Francis Ford Coppola. The premise is promising - Williams' character suffers from a genetic disorder that causes him to age physically four times the normal rate - but the sometimes tasteless and vulgar script seems to have been written by 10-year-olds. Diane Lane and Fran Drescher co-star. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Cinemas 5, Sandy 9.) (Aug. 9, 1996) - J.V.
JOHN CARPENTER'S ESCAPE FROM L.A. - * * 1/2 - Kurt Russell reprises his "Escape from New York" role as muscular, one-eyed felon Snake Plissken, an anti-hero in the post-apocalyptic United States, circa 2013. This time he's on the other coast, after an earthquake has severed Los Angeles from mainland America, making it a prison-island. The plot is a carbon copy of the first film but wild effects and a zany, dark sense of humor make it work. Terrific supporting cast, most notably Steve Buscemi. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Valley Fair.) (Aug. 9, 1996) - C.H.
LARGER THAN LIFE - * * - Bill Murray injects some funny bits of business into this otherwise soft-headed road comedy about a motivational speaker who inherits an elephant after the death of his estranged father, a circus clown. Partly filmed in Moab. PG (profanity). (Century, Gateway, Holladay, Midvalley, Reel, South Towne, Trolley Square.) (Nov. 3, 1996) - C.H.
THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT - * 1/2 - If you can swallow the thought of Geena Davis playing Arnold Schwarzenegger, you might stand a chance of making it through this dumb action-thriller without laughing too hard. Davis plays an amnesiac who finds out she is really a top-secret government assassin. She's aided by Samuel L. Jackson, who co-stars as the down-and-out private investigator who discovers her real identity. Some great stunts, but sillier and more implausible than you can imagine. R (profanity, violence, torture, vulgarity, nudity, sex, brief gore). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5, Crossroads, Holladay.) (Oct. 11, 1996) - J.V.
MATILDA - * * * 1/2 - Though it's not as dark as "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and "James and the Giant Peach," Danny DeVito's version of the Roald Dahl fantasy book still has its blackly humorous moments. DeVito directed, produced and stars in this very funny comedy with his wife Rhea Perlman as the dumb parents of a genius child (Mara Wilson), who may or may not be able to move objects with her mind. PG (violence, mild vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 2, 1996) - J.V.
MICHAEL COLLINS - * * 1/2 - Liam Neeson stars in this fact-based story of the revolutionary who was instrumental in the formation of the Irish Republican Army and its assault on England's rule over Ireland. And while there are very good elements, filmmaker Neil Jordan has sacrificed character development for action, resulting in a fast-paced but superficial epic. Julia Roberts (with a fluctuating accent), Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea and Alan Rickman co-star. R (violence, gore, profanity). (Cottonwood, Crossroads, Midvalley, South Towne.) (Oct. 25, 1996) - C.H.
PHENOMENON - * * * - Reworking of "Flowers for Algernon" (which was filmed as "Charly") casts John Travolta as an ordinary Joe who finds himself thrust into the limelight when a strange blinding flash leaves him with remarkable "off-the-scale" intelligence and telekinetic abilities. Travolta plays it subtly and he's excellent, as are Robert Duvall, Forest Whitaker and Kyra Sedgwick. The film is too long and the windup is certainly protracted (there are at least three endings), but you'll have a great time. PG (profanity, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Family Center, Kaysville, Sandcastle, Sandy Starships, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (July 3, 1996) - C.H.
SLEEPERS - * * - Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman and Brad Pitt head the remarkable ensemble in this drama about four kids who pull a prank that turns deadly and find themselves in reform school, where they are subjected to horrifying abuse. As adults they take decidedly different paths, and when two of them are on trial for murder, another becomes their prosecutor. But he actually has a plan to save his old friends. Ridiculously contrived and occasionally confused, despite some excellent performances. R (violence, gore, profanity, brief nudity). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Oct. 18, 1996) - C.H.
THE SPITFIRE GRILL - * * * - Very well acted and - most of the way - nicely conceived light comedy-drama (which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival) about a troubled young woman (the superb Alison Elliott) who is released from prison and tries to rebuild her life in a small, gossipy Maine town. Falls apart at the end, but utterly charming until then. Ellen Burstyn and Marcia Gay Harden also
stand out among the co-stars. PG-13 (violence, profanity). (Avalon, Olympus.) (Sept. 6, 1996) - C.H.
STEPHEN KING'S THINNER - * - Yet another dull, by-the-numbers Stephen King adaptation (published under his Richard Bach-man pseudonym), this time about a sleazy 300-pound attorney who accidentally kills an old Gypsy woman and finds himself under a curse that causes him to rapidly lose weight - until he gets revenge by calling in a favor from a mobster. Terrible, as if you expected anything else. R (profanity, violence, gore, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, Olympus, Plaza 5400, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (Oct. 27, 1996) - C.H.
SWINGERS - * * * - Here's a change from what we've seen lately - five well-dressed "20-something" males looking for love, rather than shooting it out with each other and the police. They're actually actor wannabes searching for girlfriends and acting jobs in Hollywood's cocktail culture scene in this funny low-budget, but at times foul-mouthed, comedy from first-time screenwriter Jon Favreau, who also stars. R (profanity, sex). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (Nov. 1, 1996) - J.V.
THAT THING YOU DO! - * * * - It's positively lightweight, but Tom Hanks' first feature film does what it sets out to do and does it quite well. Hanks directed and wrote this charming musical comedy (he even co-wrote some of the songs), a rock'n'roll fable about the early 1960s. He also co-stars as the manager of a young band that becomes an overnight success on the strength of a hit single. PG (profanity, mild vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Gateway, Holladay, Midvalley, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Oct. 4, 1996) - J.V.
A TIME TO KILL - * * - Dense, star-studded adaptation of John Grisham's first book tries to do too much, simply skimming across the surface of its many plots and characters. Sandra Bullock (top-billed but in a supporting role), Donald and Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Spacey, Ashley Judd and newcomer Matthew McConaughey are all good, but Oliver Platt handily steals his scenes with much-needed comic relief, and Samuel L. Jackson is so strong you'll wish he had more screen time. The story has a pair of idealistic lawyers defending a black man after he kills two racist thugs who assaulted his 9-year-old daughter. Manipulative as all get out, and in the end it seems hollow. R (violence, profanity). (Sugarhouse.) (July 24, 1996) - C.H.
TIN CUP - * * - Light-as-a-feather romantic comedy, with Kevin Costner as a professional golfer who has fallen on hard times and tries to pick himself up by winning the U.S. Open. Amiable, with some amusing moments, and a terrific supporting performance from Cheech Marin. But writer-director Ron Shelton (who worked with Costner on "Bull Durham") misfires by trying to turn the film into a golf version of "The Natural." It's also too long, and Costner and Rene Russo have no chemistry. Don Johnson has fun as the villain of the piece. R (sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Sugarhouse.) (Aug. 16, 1996) - C.H.
TO GILLIAN ON HER 37TH BIRTHDAY - * 1/2 - Mopey Peter Gallagher spends all his time running along a Nantucket beach with the spirit of his late wife (Michelle Pfeiffer), while ignoring the needs of his teenage daughter (Claire Danes) in this arch melodrama, based on Michael Brady's play. Dull and marred by a surprisingly vulgar subplot that has Gallagher's brother-in-law ogling Danes' 16-year-old best friend. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, partial nudity). (Broadway, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Oct. 25, 1996) - C.H.
A VERY BRADY SEQUEL - * 1/2 - The cast of "A Very Brady Movie" (including Shelley Long and Gary Cole) is back again, stretching an already very thin joke - parodying the '70s sitcom - way too far. Tim Matheson co-stars as a man who may be Carol's long-lost husband, a complication that wreaks havoc at the tranquil (but groovy) Brady household. PG-13 (vulgarity, drugs, profanity, violence). (Family Center, Sugarhouse, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 23, 1996) - J.V.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO AND JULIET - * 1/2 - Some good performances (Leonardo DiCaprio and especially Claire Danes in the title role) and some wild-eyed off-the-wall turns (John Leguizamo and especially Paul Sorvino as Juliet's father) help make this an extremely uneven update of Shakespeare's tragedy, but the direction, by Baz Luhrmann ("Strictly Ballroom"), is a headache-inducing cross between "NYPD Blue" and MTV. Maybe it should be "Beavis & Butt-Head's Romeo & Juliet." PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, sex, partial nudity, drugs). (Broadway, Century, Cottonwood, Gateway, Midvalley, South Towne.) (Nov. 1, 1996) - C.H.
*****
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