NEW FILMS FRIDAY
GRIZZLY MOUNTAIN - Dan Haggerty stars in this environmentally conscious wilderness action-drama about a mountain man (whom the ads stress is not Haggerty's character Grizzly Adams) fighting real-estate developers in 1870 Oregon, with help from two children who have traveled back in time. Not screened for critics. G (violence). (Cottonwood, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley North, Trolley Square.)
KISS OR KILL - A dramatic thriller from Australian writer/director Bill Bennett ("Two If By Sea") about a pair of small-time hoods (Matt Day and Frances O'Connor, from "Love and Other Catastrophes") on the run from the police for questioning in a series of murders. Reviewed in this section today. R (profanity, violence, nudity, sex, vulgarity, attempted rape, brief gore). (Exclusive, Broadway.)
SNEAK PREVIEWS
HOME ALONE 3 - Alex D. Linz ("One Fine Day") replaces Macaulay Culkin in the third of the child-caper comedy series as a young boy who cried wolf, who must thwart a pack of international thieves trying to ransack his house for a top-secret microchip. To be reviewed when it opens next week. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Saturday and Sunday: Carmike 12, Century, Crossroads, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9.)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE - * * * - Extremely controversial when it was originally released in 1971, director Stanley Kubrick's difficult and uneven but blackly comic adaptation of the Anthony Burgess novel - about a vicious young thug (Malcolm McDowell) who is "rehabilitated" by the government - is definitely not for all audiences. R (violence, sex, profanity, nudity, vulgarity, drug use). (Brewvies.) - J.V.
GAY AND LESBIAN FESTIVAL - A two-week festival featuring movies with gay themes or with gay lead characters. This week's offering include "The Watermelon Woman," an autobiographical comedy from lesbian director Cheryl Dunye (Dec. 5-10), "Lillies," a pseudo-Merchant-Ivory romance from Canadian director John Greyson (Dec. 5-10), and "Hollow Reed," a drama about a child custody case involving a abusive stepfather and the boy's gay genetic father (Dec. 11-14). Most of the films in the festival are not rated but would receive at least an R rating. (Exclusive, Tower.)
SCROOGE - * * * - Albert Finney plays the title character in this rousing, colorful 1970 musical version of the classic Dickens tale "A Christmas Carol." Alec Guiness contributes a rather fey Marley. Not all the songs are great ("Thank You Very Much" is the most memorable), but Finney's energetic performance makes it an enjoyable ride. G. (Avalon.) - C.H.
WORKS FROM ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT - The monthly open screening program of the Utah Film & Video Center, which features the first 85 minutes of works submitted to the center by local filmmakers, both professional and amateur. This program is not rated but may contain R-rated material. (Salt Lake Art Center, Friday only, 8 p.m.)
CONTINUING FILMS
AIR BUD - * * - Disney family fantasy built around a contrived concept - a basketball-playing golden retriever. The story has the pooch running away from its master, a cruel birthday clown (Michael Jeter), and befriending a lonely 12-year-old boy. The dog is amazing; the movie is by the numbers. PG (violence, vulgarity). (Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 1, 1997) - C.H.
AIR FORCE ONE - * * * - More entertaining than it has a right to be, this action-thriller - which cobbles together bits of "Airport '75," "Die Hard" and even "Star Wars" - benefits from taut direction and superb performances, especially from Harrison Ford as the president of the United States, who must rescue his family when Russian terrorists hijack the presidential plane. R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5, Kaysville.) (July 25, 1997) - J.V.
ALIEN RESURRECTION - * 1/2 - Weird and sickeningly gory fourth installment in the "Alien" series, again starring Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley - this time a clone! - who teams with interstellar pirates (including Winona Ryder!) to prevent the alien swarm from reaching earth. Gruesome and not nearly as funny as it pretends to be. R (violence, gore, profanity). (Century, Creekside, Gateway, Midvalley, South Towne, Trolley Corners.) (Nov. 26, 1997) - J.V.
ANASTASIA - * * * - Fox Animation Studios' first movie is this funny but at-times inconsistent (in terms of animation) musical-comedy about the sole survivor of Russia's imperial family, based on the 1956 film and the Broadway musical. Great performances by the "voice" actors - Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Angela Lansbury and Christopher Lloyd - definitely help. G (animated violence and gore). (Carmike 12, Century, Crossroads, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 21, 1997) - J.V.
BEAN - * * - The (mostly) silent comic star of hilarious British TV shorts (which air locally at 11 p.m. on Ch. 7 each Saturday) stumbles with his first big-screen venture. Feature length is only one of many problems, including recycled classic "Bean" bits that are not as amusing this time around - and some bits are far too vulgar for children. Rowan Atkinson, as Mr. Bean, is a very talented pantomimist, however. PG-13 (vulgarity, nude photo, violence, profanity). (Broadway, Century, Holladay, Plaza 5400, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Nov. 7, 1997) - C.H.
BOOGIE NIGHTS - * * 1/2 - The first half of this controversial drama about the adult entertainment industry during the late 1970s, actually lives up to the hype. But when the story moves into the early 1980s, the film turns into yet another "Pulp Fiction" wannabe, with graphic violence and surprisingly bad plotting. Great performances from stars Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore and Burt Reynolds, though. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson had to make major cuts just to avoid an NC-17 rating. R (violence, sex, nudity, profanity, drug use, gore, vulgarity). (Broadway.) (Oct. 24, 1997) - J.V.
CONTACT - * * * - Well-made, scientifically sound adaptation of Carl Sagan's bestselling novel about mysterious signals from space picked up by an astronomer who is obsessed with finding life in outer space. Jodie Foster (at her most mannered) has the lead, with James Woods, Tom Skerritt and Matthew McConaughey lending support. Marred by silly movie conventions, but still engrossing. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity, sex, brief partial nudity). (Kaysville, Sugar House.) (July 11, 1997) - C.H.
DEVIL'S ADVOCATE - * * - Al Pacino's over-the-top performance as the "devilish" head of a New York law firm almost saves this excessive and extremely uneven black comedy/thriller about a young hotshot lawyer (Keanu Reeves) torn between love and power. But it's not nearly funny or scary enough to work, and director Taylor Hackford is at his most self-indulgent here. R (nudity, profanity, sex, violence, gore, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5, Olympus.) (Oct. 17, 1997) - J.V.
THE EDGE - * * 1/2 - An exciting but ultimately unfulfilling adventure drama/thriller, written by David Mamet, about two rivals (Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin) who are forced to cooperate to survive when they are stranded in the Alaskan wilderness. Hopkins is great, as is local animal performer Bart the Bear, who threatens the duo. But the disappointing plot twist at the end spoils things. R (violence, profanity, gore). (Kaysville, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 26, 1997) - J.V.
FAIRYTALE - A TRUE STORY - * * * - A charmingly low-key children's film based on the real-life Cottingley Fairies controversy, about two young British girls who claimed to have photographed "fairies" in 1917. The performances from both leads are excellent, as are the supporting turns from Peter O'Toole (playing author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) and Harvey Keitel (who plays escape artist Harry Houdini). PG (violence, profanity). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5, Olympus, Sandcastle.) (Oct. 24, 1997) - J.V.
FLUBBER - * * - Writer/producer John Hughes again gives a Disney classic the "Home Alone" treatment. This time it's the 1961 special-effects comedy "The Absent Minded Professor," as Robin Williams takes over the Fred MacMurray role as a scientist who invents a rubbery substance that seems to defy gravity. Kids may get a kick out of the computer-animated goo, but most of the jokes just aren't funny. PG (violence, vulgarity, profanity). (Carmike 12, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9, Trolley Square, Villa.) (Nov. 26, 1997) - J.V.
THE FULL MONTY - * * * - Somewhat raunchy, surprisingly touching and always hilarious British comedy about six financially strapped English steelworkers (including "Trainspotting's" Robert Carlyle) who are inspired by a touring Chippendales show to take it all off for a one-night show, in hopes of making a killing at the box office. But they find that their inhibitions get in the way. Strong characterizations and laugh-out-loud visual gags highlight this winner. R (nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Cottonwood, Trolley Square.) (Sept. 12, 1997) - C.H.
THE GAME - * * * - If you think too much, you'll spoil this tense, funhouse-styled thriller, from "Seven" director David Fincher, about self-absorbed businessman (Michael Douglas) who is trying to figure out the rules of a deadly role-playing game he's reluctantly playing. Not exactly brain food, but fun nonetheless. R (violence, profanity, gore, nude photos). (Kaysville, Sugar House.) (Sept. 12, 1997) - J.V.
GATTACA - * * * - Sterile (both in theme and treatment) and not as engaging as it could be, this futuristic cautionary tale about genetic engineering is nonetheless fascinating on its own terms as natural-born human Ethan Hawke tries to infiltrate the world of genetically bred "superiors." Reminiscent of dozens of other sci-fi tales, but thoughtful and earnest in a way that has eluded the genre for too many years now. Co-stars include Uma Thurman, Alan Arkin and Ernest Borgnine. PG-13 (violence, sex, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Olympus.) (Oct. 24, 1997) - C.H.
GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE - * 1/2 - The cult TV cartoon show is adapted as a live-action farce, with Brendan Fraser as the buffed-up dummy in this broad, low-humor spoof of "Tarzan." Some amusing gags and a great computer-generated elephant (that acts like a dog), but too many vulgar and stupid jokes make much of it dull going. John Cleese voices the talking ape. PG (violence, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Double feature with "Hercules": Flick, Sandy Starships, Sugar House; Kaysville, Valley Fair.) (July 16, 1997) - C.H.
HERCULES - * * * * - Hilarious Disney animated comedy mixes up its Greek mythology and throws in all kinds of modern gags to tell the story of the son of Zeus, trained by a satyr so he can go up against evil Hades. Great sight gags and terrific voice work from Danny DeVito, Susan Egan, Rip Torn, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer and especially James Woods. Might be a bit violent for very young ones. G (cartoon violence and gore, mild vulgarity). (Double feature with "George of the Jungle": Flick, Sandy Starships, Sugar House; Valley Fair.) (June 27, 1997) - C.H.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER - * 1/2 - Empty-headed thriller from "Scream" scriptwriter Kevin Williamson about four teens (including TV stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Sarah Michelle Gellar) stalked and killed, one by one, by a murderer. Even less wit than "Scream," and things play out like a standard "slasher" flick. R (violence, profanity, gore, sex, nude silhouettes). (Carmike 12, Gateway, Holladay, Midvalley, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (Oct. 17, 1997) - J.V.
THE ICE STORM - * * * * - Icy but compelling version of Rick Moody's infamous novel about two Connecticut households, circa 1973, who must deal with the aftereffects of infidelities and excessive lifestyles. The ensemble cast (Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Joan Allen and Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood) is superb, as is the stylish direction (by Ang Lee of "Sense and Sensibility" fame). R (profanity, sex, drug use, vulgarity, nude paintings). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (Nov. 14, 1997) - J.V.
IN & OUT - * * 1/2 - This hit comedy has small-town high school teacher Kevin Kline about to be married when he's "outed" as gay by one of his former students (Matt Dillon). At first he insists it's not true, then discovers that he really is gay. Some big laughs before it runs out of steam. Kline is hysterical, and Tom Selleck and Joan Cusack are also terrific. Debbie Reynolds, Wilford Brimley and Bob Newhart get a few laughs but are underused. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, sex). (Brewvies.) (Sept. 19, 1997) - C.H.
THE JACKAL - * 1/2 - Dreadful "remake" of "The Day of the Jackal," though there is little resemblance in this story of an assassin (Bruce Willis) hired to kill the director of the FBI. The FBI's deputy director (Sidney Poitier) releases an imprisoned Irish terrorist (Richard Gere) to help. In-your-face approach, huge lapses in logic and ridiculous gore undermine any serious intentions. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Century, Holladay, Midvalley, Reel, South Towne, Trolley Corners, Trolley North.) (Nov. 14, 1997) - C.H.
JOHN GRISHAM'S THE RAINMAKER - * * * - Since he wrote the screenplay and directed, maybe it should be "Francis Ford Coppola's The Rainmaker." Slick, all-star adaptation is still pulp fiction, but the "Rocky"-like courtroom drama about a young, idealistic lawyer (Matt Damon) taking on an insurance company is compelling. Subplot about an abused woman (Claire Danes) he takes under his wing is less so. Co-stars include Danny DeVito, Jon Voight and unbilled Danny Glover. PG-13 (violence, profanity) (Carmike 12, Century, Creekside, Flick, Gateway, Plaza 5400, Reel, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 21, 1997) - C.H.
KISS THE GIRLS - * * - This psychological thriller, about a serial killer who kidnaps college co-eds, is fairly compelling in its first half, thanks largely to first-rate performances of Morgan Freeman as a forensic psychologist and Ashley Judd as a victim who has escaped. But it falls apart as with a ridiculous resolution. R (violence, attempted rape, profanity, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5.) (Oct. 3, 1997) - C.H.
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - * * * - Good-looking and glitzy, but sometimes confusing and very violent crime thriller, based on James Ellroy's novel, about a pair of mismatched detectives in 1950s Los Angeles investigating murders and a conspiracy that involves crooked cops and prostitutes who look like famous starlets. The cast, which includes Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito, certainly helps. R (violence, gore, profanity, nudity, sex, drug use, racial epithets). (South Towne.) (Sept. 19, 1997) - J.V.
MAD CITY - * * 1/2 - Well-acted but ultimately shallow drama about media manipulation from Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras. Dustin Hoffman is great as a disgraced TV journalist who exploits an unemployed security guard (John Travolta) holding a museum full of schoolchildren hostage, but the message gets lost along the way and things end all too predictably. PG-13 (profanity, violence, vulgarity). (South Towne.) (Nov. 7, 1997) - J.V.
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE - * * - A classic example of a performer being funnier than the material, this cloak-and-dagger comedy, starring Bill Murray as a bungling American who winds up embroiled in an assassination plot, is sillier than it is funny. Still, it's almost worth it to see Murray's hilarious dance with a troupe of Russian performers. PG (violence, vulgarity, profanity, torture). (Carmike 12, Creekside, Crossroads, Gateway, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 14, 1997) - J.V.
MASTERMINDS - * * - Patrick Stewart, having a great time as the villain, almost makes this one worthwhile. He's a computer genius who takes over a private school to hold rich kids for ransom. It's up to a 16-year-old computer geek to save the day. By-the-numbers variation on "Die Hard," "Hackers," "Toy Soldiers" and "Home Alone." Sorely in need of a sense of humor, and irritatingly directed with too many closeups and a chaotic chase finale. PG-13 (violence, profanity). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 23, 1997) - C.H.
MEN IN BLACK - * * * - An amusing, if derivative and at times uneven, sci-fi-thriller/comedy from the director of "The Addams Family" and "Get Shorty" and producer Steven Spielberg. In it, two dark-suited security agents (Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones) must stop an intergalactic terrorist from stealing a galaxy. Great special effects and some audacious sight gags greatly help, but some are spoiled by the film's overly revealing trailers. PG-13 (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (July 3, 1997) - J.V.
MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL - * * - A disappointingly shallow adaptation of John Berendt's fact-based bestseller, about a young New York writer assigned to cover a Christmas party thrown by an eccentric Southern antiques dealer (Kevin Spacey), who is subsequently arrested and tried for murder. Director Clint Eastwood concentrates on too many details and not on the big picture. R (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Broadway, Century, Holladay, Plaza 5400, South Towne, Trolley North.) (Nov. 21, 1997) - J.V.
MORTAL KOMBAT ANNIHILATION - turkey - Stupid and headache-inducing sequel to 1995's surprise hit, based on the ultra-gory video game. In it, a team of martial-arts fighters try to save the world from an interdimensional dictator. Even the action isn't very exciting. PG-13 (violence, gore, profanity). (Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Crossroads, Gateway, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (Nov. 22, 1997) - J.V.
MOST WANTED - * 1/2 - Keenen Ivory Wayans the executive producer and writer has made the big mistake of casting Keenen Ivory Wayans the actor in this dopey conspiracy action/thriller, about a former military sharpshooter who becomes the subject of a manhunt by the U.S. Army and the CIA after he is framed for assassinating the first lady. Co-stars Jon Voight and Paul Sorvino try to out-ham each other. R (violence, profanity, vulgarity, brief nudity, brief gore). (Valley Fair.) (Oct. 10, 1997) - J.V.
NO MORE BATHS - * * 1/2 - Cute kids picture about youngsters in a small Colorado town who go on strike and refuse to bathe after a local developer threatens to take away the dilapidated home of an older man who has befriended them. Locally made comedy-with-a-message from Feature Films for Families, whose movies are more often sold on video through direct mail. No great shakes but amusing fun. Look for Utah Jazz President Frank Layden as a Larry King-type TV interviewer. Not rated, probable G. (Exclusive, Murray.) (Nov. 21, 1997) - C.H.
THE PEACEMAKER - * * * - The story is a by-the-numbers save-the-world yarn, but the stars (George Clooney and Nicole Kidman) and the director's savvy attitude toward character dynamics makes this one a cut above such mindless action-thrillers as "Con Air." Clooney is an experienced military intelligence officer and Kidman is a nuclear scientist who must find stolen nukes. R (violence, profanity). (Sandy Starships, Sugar House.) (Sept. 26, 1997) - C.H.
THE RAINMAKER - See "John Grisham's The Rainmaker."
ROCKETMAN - * 1/2 - Despite a few chuckles that you'll feel guilty about, this comedy showcase for Harland Williams - a poor man's Jim Carrey - is pretty awful. He's a computer geek drafted to fill an empty astronaut spot on the first manned mission to Mars. Basically a children's picture; though anyone over 2 may be too mature for it. The scenes on Mars were filmed in Moab using a red filter. PG (comic violence, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5.) (Oct. 10, 1997) - C.H.
SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET - * * 1/2 - Beautifully photographed and well-meaning, but emotionless, epic drama about Austrian mountain-climber Heinrich Harrar (Brad Pitt) who escaped from a British P.O.W. camp in India during World War II, and wound up being the tutor for the young Dalai Lama. Good support from veteran Asian character actors and co-star David Thewlis, but Pitt's performance is too distant and the screenplay is a bit shallow. PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief gore). (Brewvies, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Sandcastle, South Towne.) (Oct. 10, 1997) - J.V.
STARSHIP TROOPERS - * - Corny, poorly acted and shockingly gory adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein's classic science-fiction novel about futuristic marines sent off to other worlds to repel an invasion of huge intergalactic insects. Director Paul Verhoeven ("Showgirls," "RoboCop") piles on the goo, but doesn't even attempt characterizations or real storytelling. R (violence, gore, nudity, profanity, vulgarity). (Carmike 12, Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley, Sandy 9, Trolley Corners.) (Nov. 7, 1997) - J.V.
SWITCHBACK - * 1/2 - Screenwriter Jeb Stuart ("Die Hard," "The Fugitive") makes his directing debut with this, the first script he wrote (in college), an idiotic thriller that pits on-probation FBI agent Dennis Quaid against an unknown serial killer who has kidnapped his son. Danny Glover, R. Lee Ermey and Jared Leto co-star. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, nude photos). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Oct. 31, 1997) - C.H.
A THOUSAND ACRES - * * 1/2 - Well-acted, but ultimately shallow adaptation of Jane Smiley's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, about two close-knit sisters (Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer) who inherit their family's 100-year-old farm, as well as a bunch of long-hidden family secrets. Great performances from Lange and Pfeiffer, as well as Jason Robards as the family patriarch, are the selling point. R (profanity, violence, brief nudity, vulgarity). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 19, 1997) - J.V.
THE WINGS OF THE DOVE - * * * 1/2 - Helena Bonham Carter and Alison Elliott should get Oscar consideration for their performances in this intelligent adaptation of Henry James' novel, about a society woman (Carter) forced to chose between her status and a journalist who is a commoner (Linus Roache), until she strikes on a scheme to have him court and marry a dying rich American (Elliott). R (nudity, sex). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (Nov. 21, 1997) - J.V.
Past movie reviews and capsules by Chris Hicks and Jeff Vice are available online. Search for MOVIES.