NEW FILMS FRIDAY
THE GHOSTS OF DICKENS' PAST - A fictionalized family-drama-with-a-message about a ghostly visitation that inspires Charles Dickens to write "A Christmas Carol." A joint production between Canada's CINAR television production studio and Feature Films For Families, a local company whose movies are sold on video through direct mail. Reviewed in this section on Page W3. G (nothing offensive). (Carmike 12, Creekside.)
JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES - This horror-thriller from the veteran filmmaker (based on John Steakley's novel "Vampire$") stars James Woods as a professional monster-hunter hired by the Vatican to eliminate a horde of bloodsuckers living in the southwestern United States. Reviewed in this section on Page W3. R (violence, gore, profanity, nudity, vulgarity, sex, torture). (Century, Crossroads, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, South Towne.)
KIDS MATINEES
AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER - See listing under "Continuing Films." (Midvalley, Oct. 30-Nov. 5, noon, 2 and 4:05 p.m.)
MIDNIGHT MOVIES
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - * * 1/2 - Popular rock opera about transvestites from outer space is ludicrous but surprisingly entertaining much of the way. The real show, however, is in the audience - wear a raincoat or risk a large dry-cleaning bill. This 1998 reissue features two songs cut from the film's original theatrical release. R (violence, sex, profanity). (Tower.) (July 4, 1980) - Chris Hicks
RERELEASES
TOUCH OF EVIL - * * * 1/2 - Mesmerizing 1958 thriller from director/ co-star Orson Welles, re-edited to the filmmaker's original script notations. The plot is strictly B-movie material, and there are some odd casting choices (including Charlton Heston, who stars as a Mexican narcotics official). But it's so well-paced and Welles' performance as a corrupt lawman is so riveting that you probably won't notice the flaws. In black and white. PG (violence, drugs, attempted rape). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
SPECIAL SCREENINGS
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA - * * * * - One of the all-time great horror films, the 1925 silent version starring Lon Chaney in the title role, shown in the 1929 reissue form, which includes the color masked-ball sequence. With live organ accompaniment (music and effects) from Blaine Gale. Made before ratings (1925), probable PG (violence). (Organ Loft, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.) - Chris Hicks
A STAR IS BORN - * * * 1/2 - If ever there was a dated story, this is it - a young starlet's rise in the movie industry causes her fading star husband to become a self-pitying alcoholic. Melodrama of a high order thanks to superb performances by Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Despite the two better-known remakes (with Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand), this one is not a musical. Made before ratings (1937), probable G. (Avalon.) - C.H.
WORKS FROM ALONG THE WASATCH FRONT - The monthly opening screening program of the Utah Film & Video Center, featuring the first 85 minutes of film and video work submitted by local artists. This program is not rated but may contain some PG-13 or R-rated content. (Salt Lake Art Center, Friday only, 8 p.m.)
CONTINUING FILMS
AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER - * 1/2 - Lame sequel to last year's surprise hit about a sports-talented pooch, who this time applies his skills to the gridiron, and also has to contend with two animal "collectors" trying to kidnap him. Uninspired performances and scripting make this one almost unbearable. PG (slapstick violence, vulgarity). (South Towne.) (Aug. 14, 1998)
ANTZ - * * * - Though it's troublingly vulgar and violent (there's a bug battle scene that may terrify young audiences), this computer animated action-comedy set in an ant colony benefits from a very funny vocal performances by Woody Allen, starring as a nebbish insect who unwittingly becomes a hero by starting a revolution. And the animation is dazzling. Other voice talents include Sylvester Stallone and Sharon Stone. PG (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity, torture). (Century; Gateway; Holladay; Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Small Soldiers"; Reel; South Towne; Trolley Square.) (Oct. 2, 1998)
APT PUPIL - * * * - Not nearly as good as the other adaptations of novellas from the Stephen King anthology "Different Seasons" (the others being "the Shawshank Redemption" and "Stand By Me"), this thriller from "The Usual Suspects" director Bryan Singer still benefits from a chilling performance from Ian McKellen as a fugitive Nazi war criminal being blackmailed by a high school student (Brad Renfro). R (profanity, violence, gore, vulgarity, nudity, sex, drug use). (Broadway, Century, Creekside, Gateway, Midvalley, South Towne.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
ARMAGEDDON - * * - More chaotic, headache-inducing eye candy from producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay ("The Rock"). The premise is intriguing: A roughneck crew of oil drillers (including Bruce Willis) is sent into space to destroy an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. But the characters are reduced to spouting one-liners and the action is too hectic and confusing. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity, partial nudity, gore). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (July 2, 1998)
BELOVED - * * 1/2 - Despite all the hype, this Reconstruction-era drama, based on Toni Morrison's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, is overly ambitious and suffers from an unsure tone. Also, the exploitative content doesn't help. Still, the performances are fabulous, especially those from Danny Glover and Oprah Winfrey, who stars as a former slave haunted by her memories. R (violence, nudity, profanity, sex, rape, vulgarity, racial epithets). (Broadway, Century, Gateway, Plaza 5400, South Towne.) (Oct. 16, 1998)
BLADE - * * * - Based on the comic book series, this intense action-thriller stays true to its roots with one-dimensional characters, cartoon violence and heroic poses - you can almost see the thought balloons. It doesn't try to be more and succeeds as a cathartic experience. Wesley Snipes is the vampire hunter, who is half-human and half-vampire himself. Knockout special effects, powerful fight scenes and buckets of blood. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Cinemas 5; Redwood, with "Bride of Chucky.") (Aug. 21, 1998) - Rick Mortensen
BRIDE OF CHUCKY - turkey - Believe it or not, this sickeningly gory horror/comedy nearly makes the other "Child's Play" movies look good by comparison. Inept storytelling, terrible acting (particularly from Jennifer Tilly, as the title character) and painfully unfunny gags are just the tip of the iceberg. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex, partial nudity, drug use). (Century; Crossroads; Holladay; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Blade"; Reel; South Towne; Trolley North.) (Oct. 18, 1998)
CLAY PIGEONS - * * - Unless you find serial killers amusing, you'd be better off skipping this uneven black comedy about a gas station attendant (Joaquin Phoenix) who unknowingly befriends a murderer (Vince Vaughn). The real highlight is spotting which northern Utah communities are substituting for Wyoming. R (profanity, sex, violence, nudity, gore, drug use). (Exclusive, Broadway.) (Oct. 9, 1998)
DANCE WITH ME - * * 1/2 - Enchanting music and sometimes-great choreography can't dance around the fact that the storytelling in this romantic drama is all left feet. About the only things that make this overlong movie worth sitting through is the dance numbers. PG (sex, profanity, vulgarity). (Valley Fair.) (Aug. 21, 1998) - Bob Strauss (Los Angeles Daily News)
DEAD MAN ON CAMPUS - * * - Angling to be a hybrid of "Heathers" and "National Lampoon's Animal House" for the '90s, this comedy lacks the genuine satiric darkness of the former and the exuberant yuks of the latter. What it does have is attractive packaging, some energetic performances and a sharp eye for contemporary college types. R (drug use, profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Sugar House.) (Aug. 21, 1998) - Steve Murray (Cox News Service)
DR. DOLITTLE - * 1/2 - An uninspired Eddie Murphy plays second fiddle to crass anthropomorphic animals (voiced by Norm Macdonald, Chris Rock and others) in this incredibly crude comedy, "inspired by" the 1967 musical comedy and the children's stories. It's hard to say which is worse here, all the potty humor or the insincere attempts to put across a message. PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, partial nudity, hospital gore). (Sugar House; Valley Fair.) (June 26, 1998)
EVER AFTER - * * 1/2 - Drew Barrymore tries to charm her way through this feministic, revisionist retelling of the "Cinderella" fairy tale, but only the star and Anjelica Huston, who nearly steals the picture out from under her as her wicked stepmother, fare all that well. Handsome production values, though. PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, profanity). (Carmike 12; Cinemas 5; Olympus; Redwood, with "What Dreams May Come.") (July 31, 1998)
HALLOWEEN: H20 (20 YEARS LATER) - * * 1/2 - Jamie Lee Curtis is great reprising her role as Laurie Strode, who is forced to do battle with killer Michael Myers again in this "official" sequel to the infamous 1978 slasher film. There are also some very tense, thrilling moments, but the ludicrous five-minute finale almost ruins the whole thing. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Brewvies, Century, Cinemas 5, Midvalley, Sandy 9, Trolley North.) (Aug. 5, 1998)
HOLY MAN - turkey - Eddie Murphy actually manages to make "The Nutty Professor" and "Dr. Dolittle" look better with this cloying and smarmy comedy, which features Murphy as the enigmatic title character, who finds success when he's enlisted by a shifty television producer (Jeff Goldblum) to host inspiration programs and some at-home shopping programs. Cheap, crude humor punctuates this nearly laughless mess. PG (vulgarity, profanity, violence). (Carmike 12, Cinemas 5, Sandy 9, Villa.) (Oct. 9, 1998)
THE HORSE WHISPERER - * * * * - A case of the movie actually being better than the book, Robert Redford's long-anticipated adaptation of the Nicholas Evans best seller stars Redford as a horse trainer who helps heal a wounded animal, as well as its young rider and her mother (Kristin Scott Thomas, from "The English Patient"). Wonderfully low-key, with superb photography that makes great use of the beautiful Montana scenery. PG-13 (profanity, violence, gore). (Cinemas 5, Sandy Starships.) (May 15, 1998)
KNOCK OFF - turkey - Possibly the worst Jean-Claude Van Damme movie to date, an unthrilling thriller about a kung-fu fighting clothing counterfeiter who has to foil a plan by the Russian mob to implant remote-controlled explosives in designer jeans. The cast (which includes Rob Schneider and Paul Sorvino) looks embarrassed, and definitely should be by this mess. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, brief nudity). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 6, 1998)
THE MASK OF ZORRO - * * 1/2 - Star power (including Antonio Banderas, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Anthony Hopkins) really brings to life this swashbuckling adventure, based on the pulp fiction stories and various movies. A bit too long and too much concentration on explosions at the end but exciting nonetheless. PG-13 (violence, gore, nudity, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Midvalley, Olympus, Sandy 9.) (July 17, 1998)
THE MIGHTY - * * * - Offering proof that at least one member of the Culkin family can act (that would be Macaulay's younger brother, Kieran), this comedy/drama adapts the young adult novel "Freak the Mighty," about two outcast boys - one small and imaginative, the other large but shy - who bond when they fight battles real and imagined. Not as saccharine as "Simon Birch" and with more real emotion. PG-13 (violence, vulgarity, profanity). (Broadway, Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley, South Towne.) (Oct. 16, 1998)
MULAN - * * * - Almost too brisk for its own good, the latest Disney animated offering is an exciting musical adventure about a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a warrior to save her ailing father's life and earn his respect. Superb animation, and the vocal cast (which includes Ming Na-Wen, Eddie Murphy, Donny Osmond, Harvey Fierstein and George Takei) gives charming performances. G (animated violence). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (June 22, 1998)
THE NEGOTIATOR - * * - Despite a powerhouse performance by Samuel L. Jackson, playing a hostage negotiator framed for murder, this overwritten suspense/thriller suffers from awful plotting and scripting. And despite some tense moments, no other cast member (not even Kevin Spacey) can match Jackson's intensity. R (violence, profanity, gore, vulgarity). (Sugar House.) (July 29, 1998)
A NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY - * - Yet another unfunny "Saturday Night Life" skit stretched to feature length, as the Roxbury Guys (Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan) pursue their dream of owning a dance club. To be fair, there are a couple of flashes of wit but certainly nothing worth shelling out bucks for. PG-13 (vulgarity, sex, profanity, partial nudity, violence). (Carmike 12, Century, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (Oct. 2, 1998)
ONE TRUE THING - * * * - This adaptation of Pulitzer-Prize winning author Anna Quindlen's best-selling novel is pretty thin, and reduces the plot to "disease of the week" territory, but Meryl Streep makes it all worthwhile with a terrific performance as a housewife dying of cancer. And Renee Zellweger is fine as an ambitious journalist who moves home to help her out. R (profanity, vulgarity, brief partial nudity). (Sugar House, Trolley North, Valley Fair.) (Sept. 18, 1998)
ORGAZMO - turkey - Idiotic and tasteless comedy from the creators of TV's "South Park," about an LDS Church missionary (Trey Parker), who becomes an adult-film star and a real-life superhero. What Parker doesn't know about the church could fill volumes, and the whole thing is embarrassingly amateurish. Not worth all the hubbub, frankly. NC-17 (vulgarity, violence, nudity, sex, profanity, gore). (Exclusive, Tower.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
THE PARENT TRAP - * * * - The real surprise of the summer, this remake of the 1961 Disney comedy is too long by at least 20 minutes, but it benefits from terrific performances. Best of all is charming newcomer Lindsay Lohan, who stars as identical twin sisters who have never met but who conspire to get their single parents (Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson) back together. PG (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Kaysville, Sandy Starships, Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (July 29, 1998)
PLEASANTVILLE - * * * - Though it's marred by overt sexual material and some dry stretches, this comic fable from the writer of "Big" and "Dave" features marvelous performances and an intriguing premise: Two cynical teens (Tobey Maguire, from "The Ice Storm," and Reese Witherspoon) find themselves trapped in a black-and-white, 1950s sitcom. In black and white and in color. PG-13 (profanity, vulgarity, nude artwork, sex, violence, racial epithets). (Carmike 12, Century, Gateway, Holladay, Plaza 5400, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
PRACTICAL MAGIC - * * - Dreadfully uneven fantasy/romantic-comedy starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as sisters who are extremely unlucky in love. A trio of screenwriters muddles the film's tone (it shifts from drama to horror to comedy at will), and Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing are criminally underused as their meddling witch aunts. PG-13 (profanity, violence, vulgarity, drug use). (Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley, Reel, South Towne, Trolley Corners, Trolley North.) (Oct. 16, 1998)
RONIN - * * * - There's only one really good scene in this thriller, namely a heart-pounding auto chase going the wrong way through Paris traffic. But it's a doozy and helps salvage this otherwise undeveloped tale about a team of assassins and weapons specialists (including Robert De Niro and Jean Reno) who are betrayed by their employers. R (violence, gore, profanity, torture, vulgarity). (Century, Sandy 9, Trolley Square.) (Sept. 25, 1998)
RUSH HOUR - * * - Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan is great as a Hong Kong detective who goes to the states to rescue his prize student in this action comedy. Unfortunately, writer/director Brett Ratner ("Money Talks") pairs him with the ultra-annoying Chris Tucker, who spoils the movie with his fast-talking shtick and some nasty racist humor. PG-13 (violence, profanity, racial epithets, vulgarity, drug use, gore). (Century; Creekside; Gateway; Midvalley; Redwood, with "Soldier"; Reel; South Towne; Trolley Corners.) (Sept. 18, 1998)
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - * * * * - Director Steven Spielberg's "war movie to end all war movies" is startlingly graphic and violent, but it's also the most enthralling and compelling story of the year. Tom Hanks stands out among a great ensemble cast as the leader of a U.S. Army Rangers squadron sent on a seeming suicide mission - to bring back a paratrooper (Matt Damon) lost amid the famous 1944 D-Day invasion. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity). (Midvalley.) (July 24, 1998)
SIMON BIRCH - * * - John Irving fans will blanch at this comedy-drama, which was "suggested by" his novel "A Prayer for Owen Meany." And while the revamped plot, about the friendship between a youngster ("Star Kid's" Joseph Mazello) and the title character, his unusually small best friend (newcomer Ian Michael Smith), is promising, director Mark Steven Johnson doesn't have the subtlety or filmmaking skills to pull it off. PG (profanity, vulgarity, violence). (Cottonwood, Sandy 9.) (Sept. 11, 1998)
SIX-STRING SAMURAI - * * 1/2 - Don't expect too much, and you might be won over by this purposely cheesy but equally entertaining comedy/sci-fi flick about a kung-fu fighting rocker on a mystical quest to become the King of Vegas. Surprisingly clever, with exciting action and brisk pacing. And the "spot-the-inspiration" sight gags are a low-brow hoot. PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief gore). (Exclusive, Brewvies.) (Oct. 23, 1998)
SMALL SOLDIERS - * * - More mean-spirited than you might expect and not nearly as funny as it thinks it is, this action-comedy features two armies of action figures who come to life and battle it out, dragging their unwitting human "owners" into the fray. Some good special effects, but the script is grossly underdone. PG-13 (violence, profanity, vulgarity). (Redwood, with "Antz"; Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (July 10, 1998)
SMOKE SIGNALS - * * * 1/2 - Superb, character-driven debut from newcomer Chris Eyre, based on short stories from Sherman Alexie's collection "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven" (Alexie also wrote the screenplay). Relative newcomers Evan Adams and Adam Beach stand out as a pair of young American Indians who journey from Idaho to Arizona to claim the remains of one man's father. Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Audience Award and Filmmakers Trophy. PG-13 (profanity, violence, racial epithets). (Brewvies.) (July 17, 1998)
SOLDIER - * - This Kurt Russell sci-fi actioner, in which he stars as an aging army man who must face the new breed of fighting warrior, almost makes his other films seem like Shakespeare by comparison. The punchless action scenes don't help, either, and the rest of the cast seems to follow Russell's lead by turning in awfully robotic performances. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, nude photos, drug use). (Carmike 12; Century; Crossroads; Gateway; Holladay; Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Rush Hour"; Reel; Sandy 9.) (Oct. 23, 1998) (Oct. 23, 1998)
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY - * * - Nearly as funny as it is disgusting, the newest comedy from the makers of "Dumb & Dumber" and "Kingpin" follows the misadventures of a lovable loser (Ben Stiller) who hires a sleazy P.I. (Matt Dillon) to find the woman he's been in love with since high school (Cameron Diaz). Screamingly funny at times, but the movie runs out of steam in the second half with an irritating stalking subplot. R (vulgarity, profanity, violence, nudity, ethnic slurs). (Broadway, Century, Cottonwood, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (July 15, 1998)
THE TRUMAN SHOW - * * * * - One of those rare instances of the hype being justified, this thoughtful and subtle black comedy/suspense-thriller stars comic actor Jim Carrey (in his "breakthrough" role) as a man unaware that his "life" is being staged as part of a 24-hour-a-day documentary television show. Kudos also to Peter Weir ("Dead Poets Society"), whose skillful direction forces Carrey to act. PG (profanity, violence). (Kaysville, Sugar House.) (June 5, 1998)
URBAN LEGEND - * - Yet another gory, dumbbell "Scream" wannabe, this one an uninspired thriller about a serial killer who uses folklore for inspiration. But when the filmmakers run out of folk tales, they make up some of their own and the premise is so ludricrous it's laughable. R (violence, gore, profanity, vulgarity, sex, nude drawings). (Carmike 12, Midvalley, Sandy 9.) (Sept. 25, 1998)
WHAT DREAMS MAY COME - * * - Disappointing fantasy/romantic drama based on the Richard Matheson novel and starring Robin Williams as a recently slain physician willing to throw away his chance at the afterlife to rescue his wife (Annabella Sciorra) from eternal damnation. Gorgeous visuals, but the plot is a confusing mess. PG-13 (profanity, violence, nudity, vulgarity). (Century; Gateway; Holladay; Plaza 5400; Redwood, with "Ever After"; South Towne; Trolley Corners.) (Oct. 2, 1998)
WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE - * * - Larenz Tate nearly steals the show in his all-too-brief performance as late pop singer Frankie Lymon. Otherwise, this extremely superficial biopic from director Gregory Nava ("Selena") suffers from an uncertain tone and shrill turns from actresses Halle Berry and Vivica A. Fox, who play two of Lymon's three wives. R (profanity, violence, sex, vulgarity, nudity, brief drug use). (Sugar House, Valley Fair.) (Aug. 28, 1998)
*****
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