Films Showing for the 1st Time in St. Louis in 1992 How I called'em when I saw 'em

****

"Europa, Europa"

"The Unforgiven"

"The Best Intentions"

***+

"Beauty and the Beast"

"Rush"

"Grand Canyon"

"Fried Green Tomatoes"

"JFK"

"Mindwalk"

"Hear My Song"

"Mediterraneo"

"Batman Returns"

"Howard's End"

"Night On Earth"

"Zentropa"

"Of Mice and Men"

"A River Runs Through It"

***

"Antonia and Jane"

"Father of the Bride"

"The Prince of Tides"

"Homicide"

"Kafka"

"Let Him Have It"

"Shadows and Fog"

"Beethoven"

"The Babe"

"The Player"

"The Playboys"

"High Lonesome: The Story of

Bluegrass Music"

"A Woman's Tale"

"Bob Roberts"

"Husbands & Wives"

"Hero"

"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York"

"Mr. SaturdayNight"

Top/Favorite Movies of the Year in Retrospect

"Europa, Europa"

"The Unforgiven"

"The Best Intentions"

"Rush"

"Grand Canyon"

"Mindwalk"

"Hear My Song"

"Howard's End"

"Night On Earth"

"Zentropa"

"Of Mice and Men"

"A River Runs Through It"

"Beauty and the Beast"

"Batman Returns"

"Antonia and Jane"

"Father of the Bride"

"Shadows and Fog"

"Beethoven"

"Husbands & Wives"

"Hero"

"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York"

SOME EARLY POSSIBLE OSCAR PICKS (DISCLAIMER: MOST OF THE "BIG" OSCAR CONTENDERS FOR 1992 HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO ST. LOUIS YET)

Best Picture

"The Unforgiven"

"Of Mice and Men"

"A River Runs Through It"

Best Actor

Jack Lemon-"GlenGarry Glen Ross"

John Malkovich-"Of Mice and Men"

Billy Crystal-"Mr. SaturdayNight"

Best Actress

Emma Thomson-"Howard's End"

Jenifer Jason Leigh-"Rush"

Best Supporting Actor

Albert Finney-"The Playboys"

Ray Walston-"Of Mice and Men"

Best Supporting Actress - ?-"Husbands & Wives"

Best Direction

Clint Eastwood-"The Unforgiven"

Robert Redford-"A River Runs Through It"

Best Foreign Film- "The Best Intentions"

12/26 "Antonia and Jane”

*** Very funny look at long friendships, and how we frequently idealize their lives in comparison to ours. The idealization bonds and splits the friendship as time passes. I particularly liked the WWII "movie" dream with the High School French vocabulary (Je suis un Nazi); running time was ~70 minutes; Saw the clay animation short "Creature Comforts" about animals in the zoo longing for space and warmer Latitudes ($11.00, Tivoli, Shelly, Pooky and Jude)

12/28 "Father of the Bride”

*** Steve Martin carries this updated version much as Spencer Tracey did the original. Most of the changes were needed to make the film relevant to today's society (ie. daughter is career minded and can play basketball). I enjoyed the movie but have minor complaints: scenes at in-laws house and the grocery store went too far; snow on the wedding day didn't add anything and the outrageous $250 a person wedding "doesn't play in Peoria" ($100 would have been more reasonably outrageous to the middle class of the Mid-West) ($5.80, Kenrick, Shelly & Suzi)

12/29 "Europa, Europa”

**** Story of Solomon Perel, a young, German jew who becomes a Pole, a Stalinist "Young Pioneer", a Nazi solider and attends a select Hitler Youth school while surviving WWII is gripping and astonishing. It has much to say about the craziness of war, patriotism and national pride, politics and racism. This truly amazing story propels the film to cinematic heights (I might hazard to guess that this will be considered one of the best movies ever made in the future). Directing and acting are tops and it seems a shoe-in for Best Foreign Picture this year (Note: Germany, in a fit of National shame of it's past, refused to nominate it for Best Foreign Picture. What a bunch of buttheads!!) ($5.00, Hi Pointe, Shelly)

01/01 "Beauty and the Beast”

***+ Excellent Disney cartoon that plays the emotions well (i.e. tear-jerker) without having a moral and a heroine you are afraid to let children get brainwashed with (i.e. The Little Mermaid). The score is ok but fairly forgettable, however I did enjoy the one where Gaston sings about himself. This might be successfully staged as a play or live action film quite easily. ($7.00, Galleria, Shelly)

01/04 "The Prince of Tides”

*** Nick Nolte does an excellent job as South Carolinian remembering his childhood and adjusting to the memories of his abusive parents (between this and "Cape Fear" I'm convinced he can be a good actor). Streisand is less effective as the psychiatrist. Cinematography and scoring are good but the romantic scenes with Streisand and football scenes were less annoying, as were most of the scenes that were Streisand "showcases". ($5.00, $2.50, Esquire, Shelly)

01/10 "Rush”

***+ Excellent performances by Jenifer Jason Leigh and Jason Patric in this dark tale of 2 cops fighting/participating in the drug wars in 1975 on the Texas Gulf coast. Leigh's descent into this world is very realistic and moving (it was fictionalized auto-biographical story). Eric Clapton's scoring is quite good. ($3.75 Esquire)

01/10 "The Seventh Seal”

---- I liked this classic of cinema but as with the "Godfather”

it is difficult to totally appreciate the film beyond the years of imitators and image references I've been exposed to. It's easy to see the influences on "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", "Meaning of Life" and Woody Allen's "Love and Death". ($2.50, Bijou Movie Rentals, Pooky)

01/10 "City Lights”

---- I've come to the conclusion that I really don't appreciate Chaplin that much. His films seem very slow paced to this child of the TV and Madison Ave. hype and I really don't laugh at that them. Perhaps I've seen it imitated all before. Give me Buster Keaton any day. ($2.50, Bijou Movie Rentals, Pooky)

01/11 "Brazil”

**** Brilliant!! I feared I had built it up in my mind to be more then it was but my fears were unfounded. This is one of the BEST movies ever made. Visually stunning, I am especially fond of the set and costume designs of an alternate, 20th century techno- fashion reality. I truly empathize with Lowry as the everyman struggling to deal with and find an oasis in a world of corruption, incompetence, paranoia, excessive violence and bureaucracy. He wants things to be better, and timidly tries occasionally, only the possibility of actualizing his dreams make him act. The only light in the movie is his dreams or when he's with the girl. This was the "European Cut"; the only additional scenes I noted were when Sam Lowry was in custody of Information Retrieval (i.e. more single interrogators speaking about the enormous bills he was running up by not cooperating, head retrieval guy/Ghost in the Machine in Santa Claus suit speaking to Sam in his cell) ($4.00, Webster University, Todd)

01/18 "Grand Canyon" ***+ Lawrence Kasdan's writing is excellent (as usual) in this gloomy look a society in the 90's (is this a trend?). The strong cast effectively dramatizes average people struggling to make things work in a crazy world. The "ripple in the pond"/It's a Wonderful Life outlook of how we all effect one another's lives is close to my heart. The film/script's philosophical views come across as very personal to Kasdan. I thought the cross-cutting between scenes were exceptional (using the newscast as a sound transition seems so obvious but I never recall seeing it before). The minor complaints I had include the secretary meeting cop (far fetched and unnecessary) and the line "Maybe we're the only Black people he ever met". While funny, it seemed that the line was written first and the characters and the scene created to house it. ($11.50, Esquire, Shelly, Sally, Tim)

01/20 "Naked Lunch”

** Weird and strange film. The mood, tone and Peter Weiler are effective but the film as a whole isn't. There isn't much of a plot or reason to this film. It is inspired by the book of the same name and William Burrough's life. Stringing together hallucinations and homosexual innuendos do not a plot make and it was not weird or surreal enough to justify going along for the ride. ($3.75, Galleria).

01/rful and generally get the best lines. ($1.00, video, Shelly)

01/26 "Witches" **+ Above average children's fare. Angelica Huston's performance as the Grand High Witch is a standout as were the animated mice by Henson and company. Story taps into the being "small" fantasy without much extra story for adults. Film is brought down by too many elements that are distracting (i.e. parents accident, different countries, etc) and don't add anything. ($1.00, video, James)

02/01 "Homicide”

*** Well written and made movie. Joe Mantenga is good as homicide detective who gets side tracked by what initially appears to be a simple theft/homicide at a candy store. As possible anti-semitic motives (GROFAZ) arise, he begins to questions his Jewishness and loyalties, asking what it is to be a good cop and/or a good jew and which path he should go by. A couple of scenes stretched believability (story telling short- cuts) in an attempt to dramatize this conflict. ($4.00, Kirkwood, Raye)

02/07 "Fried Green Tomatoes”

***+ Strengths of the film lie with: wonderful acting (by all); a good, intriguing story; and lovable characters. Mary Staurt Masterson as Idgie was captivating (aside: though I am coming to the conclusion that I am not overly fond of May Louise Parker, see "Grand Canyon" also). The weakness of costume design (Idgie's clothes were not believable, though they did look nice)

and sets (that dam was not around at the time of WWI) are generally overlook-able. Story within a story worked sometimes but generally falters at the transition from Tandy and Bates to the Whistle Stop Cafe. ($5.90, Kenrick, Shelly)

02/18 "Kafka”

*** Enjoyed and admired this film quite a bit. The cinematography, locations, set and costume design, acting all came together to form a chilling "Kafka-esque" mood and look at society. Irons, Alec Guiness, Joel Grey and others (except for Teressa Russell) are wonderful. The weak link is the lack of an excellent story line, it is merely good. This leaves it overshadowed by superior films of this sort, notably "Brazil". ($3.75, Galleria)

02/21 "Killer of Sheep”

*** Charles Burnett's low-budget, independent film of 1977 is a gripping and disturbing "slice of life" film of Watts in the early 70's. The poverty and lack of any positive influences in the lives of people in the area is damning of how this is allowed to occur in the "richest" country in the world. The lack of a story line and non-slick production (the sound was awful, I got a headache) definitely hurt it's wide spread appeal. The scenes of the sheep being herded into the slaughter house and children always fighting and throwing rocks at each other, will haunt my memory. It was interesting to hear Burnett speak and troubling to hear that most of the people in the film have had troubled lives (i.e. dead, jail, drugs, etc). It should be noted that this film has been chosen as one of the 75 films selected by Congress to be preserved at all costs. ($10.00, Webster University, Shelly)

02/23 "JFK”

***+ A wonderfully made picture (shoe-in for Best Editing Oscar). Stone has created a picture that personifies many of the characters and illuminates the conspiracy theories by bringing to light most of the "holes", suspicious coincidences, and implausible explanations of the Kennedy assassination. However, it is definitely a propaganda film. The big question is how much of it is true. The film drags a little in places, especially at the end. A large amount of information is presented here very quickly. All star cast puts in competent performances by all. ($3.75, Crestwood)

02/29 "Let Him Have It”

*** Sensitive film about 19 year old Derek Bently, a man of limited mental abilities who is befriended by Chris Craig, a 16 year old gangster want-a-be in 1952 London (this is a true story). The film very effectively shows the events leading up to the title line and reminded me of many times in my life where things that were only slightly wrong got out of control and I wanted to go back, before it all started. The slow pacing is very realistic and works for the warehouse rooftop scenes but are a little too slow at the very end. Excellent acting and sets. ($2.50, Kirkwood, Pooky)

03/06 "Mississippi Masala”

**+ Good story about Indian family which is forcibly removed from Uganda in 1972 by Idi Amin and eventually ends up in 1950's era motel in Greenwood, Miss. There the daughter falls in love with Denzel Washington, causing waves in both the black and Indian community. The film fumbles in the execution though. The script jumps around and the characters are not very well developed. The production had some gaffes also and the cast was merely ok. ($5.50, Crestwood, Shelly)

03/10 "12 Angry Men”

***+ Excellent story of 12 jurors arguing over a murder case. This film is very insightful as to how and why people make decisions they do, concentrating on the powers of persuasion, prejudice and how too change people's minds. Some of the characters are stereotypical and the plot elements are too predictable (Fonda's white suit is too much). All in all it is a good film if for nothing else but as thought provoking. ($3.00, Blockbuster Video, Shelly)

03/13 "No Time For Sergeants”

** Andy Griffith is an affable "plow-boy" who is drafted into the late 1950's peacetime army. Stereotypical characters are fairly un-sophisticated and dated, yet easy to watch. The play it was based on was not broadened much for the screen. Not great cinema but it's okay. ($0.00, TV)

03/20 "Shadows and Fog”

*** Not completely satisfying Woody Allen film. His character is his most comical and slapstick one in years, recalling his films of the early 1970's. Many of the underlying themes are more characteristic of his recent films though. The setting is a fog enshrouded, Kafka-esque city of the 1910's that is beset by a strangler. Various groups have taken upon themselves to get rid of this "monster", with "plans" that aren't made known or understood. Into this Allen raises questions about society, politics, religion, love, the nature of evil, persecution of the different (though it struck me as somewhat closed minded, since there are never anyone but those of European decent in his films; the Jews are not the only people to be persecuted). Parts of the film are excellent, such as his use of the music from "The Three Penny Opera" worked. Allen's casting was less effective, seeming more in the nature of who he wants to work with then any kind of quality inspiration. ($11.50, Galleria, Shelly)

03/22 "Oklahoma”

***+ A truly great musical that was translated to the screen very well. The location scenes and the casting are especially effective. As always I was less fond of dream sequence and the stage shots. ($0.00, Video at the Donze's , Shelly, Gina & Cathy)

03/27 "How Green Was My Valley”

*** Time has not been kind to John Ford's films. The film's strengths are similar to "The Quiet Man" or "The Grapes of Wraith": a sentimental and charming UK setting; romance scenes between Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pigeon, as love interest; Barry Fitzgerald's character role; glorification of hard, working common men, as opposed to the affluent and their need to Unionize. However, weakness are more numerous in this film: rigid adherence to the characters and scenes in the book which were "too" much to effectively translate to the screen; glorification of fighting your problems out; unrealistic child role for Roddy McDowell (typical of 1930-40s); Welsh songs did not stir feeling of sentimentality due to unfamiliarity (choir was too much). Especially disappointing in that this won "Best Picture" the year "Citizen Kane" came out, which has weathered time much better. ($3.00, Art Museum)

03/27 "The Graduate”

**** Wonderful! Story and script are superb. Hoffman and Bancroft are fantastic, breathing life and believability into difficult roles (lesser performances would have doomed film to mediocrity). The supporting cast plays comic role flawlessly and the set decoration and look of film are also A+. Cross-cutting between scenes was very effective and an exemplary use of the medium. Film gets funnier and richer each time I see it. My only complaint is with the speed of Ben and Elaine's romance and it's lack of development in the story (I think Katherine Ross may also be somewhat forgettable). ($6.00, Washington University, Shelly and Pooky)

03/31 "Singing in the Rain”

**** Songs and dancing are terrific but the supporting cast really brings this picture to it's heights (Jean Hagen's Oscar was an easy chose and O'Connor sparkles and steals every scene he's in). I've seen this film over a half dozen times but it was somewhat disappointing in light of other recent "classics" I've seen again. There are not any additional levels of understanding or insight gained from additional screenings. It is a fairly simple story and what you see is what you get. A truly great film none the less. ($5.00, Hi-Pointe, Todd, Greg, Britt & Tina)

04/02 "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country”

**+ The script writing seemed more strained the second time around. Granted the film is constrained by the sentimental demands of the fans but the Shakespeare quotes added little and came off as forced and silly...and did Checov have one line that wasn't put in just to give him some reason for being on the set. Christopher Plummer, as Chang, shows the strength of having a good actor make the most of weak dialogue. The technical aspects of the film were strong, as usual and it was a welcome respite having someone else direct besides Shatner ($1.50, Creve Couer, Raye)

03/31-04/04 "When the Lion Roared”

*** This is a fairly informative documentary on MGM. It is especially good in it's coverage of the early years when Mayer started the company and Thalberg was the head of Production (or maybe I just perceived it as good since I was fairly ignorant of that particular period). The film went into a lot of depth about the political dealings behind the scenes with Louis B. Mayer. It's repetitive in places, used many of the same images and interview quotes over. The narration sequences were not well conceived or written (Patrick Stewart makes the most of the situation however). Most of the material covered by "That's Entertainment I & II" was done better in those pictures. (video tape from Rhonda)

04/13 "My Cousin Vinny”

**+ Enjoyable film, starring Joe Pesci as 10 time taker of the Bar exam on his first trial case, clearing his nephew (Ralph Maccio as forgettable as ever) of murder charges. The humor and plot "twists" are fairly obvious but good none the less and Marisa Tomei stands out as Vinny's fiance who knows "everything”

about cars. ($2.95, Kenrick)

04/14 "2010”

** I felt like I saw this before though I don't recall. It is competently made but doesn't add much to 2001 story and on the whole is fairly forgettable. I question the plausibility of the science in ending and what happens to Jupiter, which is somewhat reminiscent of Star Trek II. ($0.00, TV)

04/17 "Beethoven”

*** Really good "family" genre movie. A St. Bernard adopts, a white suburban family, against father's (Charles Grodin) wishes. The dog brings great joy and happiness, while delivering the standard piddle, muddy tracks and slobber jokes along the way. Dog goes on to saves the day on numerous occasions, especially against evil pet doctor, Dean Jones. Very reminiscent of the live-action movies Disney produced in the late 60's-early 70's. ($6.45, Kenrick, James Arnold)

04/17 "Million Dollar Mermaid”

**+ Esther Williams stars as Annette Kellerman, swimming Queen of the New York Hippodrome. The water ballet scenes were among the best I've seen (due to Bubsy Berkley) but the film on the whole is a very typical Hollywood biography of the late 40's. The writing is a completely predictable lacing together of a few events in someone's life, with stereotypical portrayals all parties concerned. No depth or actual understanding to the person's life. I enjoyed it anyway. ($0.00, video from Rhonda)

04/19 "The Babe”

*** John Goodman is superb as Babe Ruth in a film that shows Ruth full character: one of the best ball players of all time but one who lived too large off the field, perhaps. Goodman's acting emits understanding and sympathy for Ruth, even when he is not doing particularly sympathetic things. A splendid job in the very difficult role of playing baseball's home run god, look and feel of the film is also pretty good. Film remains a fairly typical movie-bio: the writing strained by having to include the "big" moments of a life, card-board supporting characters. ($7.00, Kenrick, Shelly)

04/25 "GoodFellas”

**** Best Gangster film ever made (that I've seen). It is a cold, chilling look at Wiseguys without romanticizing and distancing them from the baser actions (such as the Godfather movies). Scorcese, De Niro, Pesci, & Loitta score big (all the performances are excellent). I hadn't thought of it much as a bio before, though after seeing the previous two films (see above) I can make some comments on why this one works better. It never seemed to be just a series of events tied together (though in retrospect I guess it was). It delivered a much better feel of the lives of the characters. The supporting characters were full bodied and not just cardboard composites. The music was used very effectively to set mood, tone, and feel of the settings (I can't hear "Lela" without thinking of this film anymore). In general the writing, acting, direction and cinematography were all superior. The film losses it's impact in a group/video setting but then what film doesn't. ($3.00, Video, Shelly, Lisa & Steve Douglas)

04/26 "Mindwalk”

***+ More of a filmed intellectual conversation then a movie with a plot or any action. Sam Waterson and John Heard are a Senator and a poet/speech writer, who in the midst of questioning life, find themselves one day at Mount St. Michael talking with Liv Ulman, an atomic physicist on a semi-permanent sabbatical. Ulman acts as sort of a wise man on the hill discussing/lecturing about everything, starting with Descartes' philosophy of life and reality, through a fairly good (?) explanation the atom. Generally what's wrong with the way the world currently perceives things and looking at life from a systems viewpoint. Very thought provoking and enjoyable to those that like thinking and having these sorts of conversations. It has a limited appeal and audience, which is a shame because it's intent is to make the world a better place. ($2.50 Kirkwood)

04/26 "Building Bombs", "Deadly Deception", "Nukie Takes a Valium" &

"Manic Denial”

**-*** Group of 4 anti-nuclear bomb films. "Building Bombs" is the most evenly balanced and least biased of the group. It looks at the impact of the Savannah River Plant on the people, the economy, the environment and the culture of South Carolina. I was left wanting to know more and make my own analysis of the data available as to the effects. "Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment" takes aim at GE and it handling of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation, Knoll Labs in NY and it's part in building nuclear weapons in general. This is a piece of propaganda by INFACT, the same organization that began the boycott against Nestle over it's dumping offspec baby formula in the third world. Many points were presented but I tended to doubt them more because of the one sided approach and lack of details. (I latter read that this film won the Oscar in 1991 for best documentary short-unbelievable). The two shorts were pretty good. "Nukie.."'s art work of colored chalk/sand dust depicting a sexy, buxom, mushroom clouds was good but the script went a little to far. I really liked the story of "Manic Denial" about the woman who discovers the silos on her uncle's farm. She makes the connection between herself and ignorance of the threat of nuclear war and the "ostrich people" (her term) of Germany who stuck their head in the ground and let the Nazi take over. Her response is good and the point is well made in the film. ($4.00, Webster University)

05/01 "Last Tango in Paris”

**+ This X-rated movie is fairly tame by today's standards. It would either have been more graphic or it would have been an R. I didn't care for the script much and the dialogue was corny (it doesn't help that it has been fodder for comedy sketches for 20 years). There were too many events that didn't tie together or mean anything (i.e. she wore the same clothes for the first 3 meetings). None of the actors made me care about them in the least. I've decided Brando leaves me cold. I can't think of one role I really liked him, well maybe "On the Waterfront" but generally I don't see what people see in him (ok maybe "The Godfather" too). I enjoyed the reference to "L'Atalante" while on the locks on the Seine. ($6.00, Art Museum, Shelly)

05/02 "The Player”

*** Robert Altmann directs a scathing/comic look at the Hollywood power system. Major strength of the film are the scores of cameo roles by stars frequently spoofing themselves (I especially liked Buck Henry pitching "The Post-Graduate: Graduate II"). There is obviously a lot of resentment here and by the numbers of walk- ons, it is fairly widespread. The appeal of film will be limited due to its insider nature, if you not completely knowledgeable about the system of how films are made and who the players are you're not going to get a lot of the inside jokes. The script wasn't completely satisfactory, Altmann seemed more intent on skewering the establishment then in telling a good story. Tim Robbins is as enjoyable as ever. ($5.90, Shady Oak, Shelly)

05/08 "Wayne's World”

** Drive-in movie. This SNL comedy sketch doesn't expand very well to a longer format. There are very funny scenes and bits (i.e. the Pacer, Stan Mikita Doughnuts, Grey Poupon) but the entire package is disappointing. The story line is thin which is ok in this sort of film but ALL the supporting characters are poorly developed, scripted, acted, and aren't funny. Mike Meyers who stars as Wayne, has written a lot of funny things for himself but forgot about the rest of the film. Rob Lowe was awful, as usual and the guy who plays Al Bundy, was wasted. ($5.50, Kenrick Raye)

05/10 "Hear My Song”

***+ Fictional (?) story of a semi-slick manager of a nightclub in England who through a series of events must convince famed tenor Joseph Locke to come to England to perform in order to win back his girlfriend. The only hitch is that Locke left England for Ireland 25 years earlier for tax fraud and can't go back. All the scenes in Ireland are wonderful and the strongest parts of the film. Locke and his drinking cronies recall the best of the charm and humor of John Ford's "The Quiet Man". Ned Beatty is terrific as John Locke. Film is probably much more enjoyable to those who recall Locke's singing but scenes in Ireland are "a don't miss". ($2.50, Kirkwood)

05/15 "A Midnight Clear”

**+ On the eve of the Battle of the Bulge, an intelligence squad of six Americans sets up a post in a chateau in the Addiennes(?)

Forest looking for German activity. It's anti-war tone and "ironic" events are fairly typical. I really wanted to like this film but it didn't quite work. The production values were good but the writing seemed too "written" or strained. It was lacking a sense of realism to it's events and characters. I got the feeling that the author had set out to write a definitive anti- war novel about the "good war" but coming up short. I did like the nick-name for the lead character, William Knott: "Won't". ($5.50, Galleria, Shelly)

05/16 "Passed Away”

*+ Ensemble cast of "B" string stars in "B" movie lampooning funerals and family reunions. It had it's funny moments but not enough of them. The writing attempted to mix the outrageous with the bitter sweet which is difficult to do well and the writers were obviously not up to it (see Parenthood for a good example). Bob Hoskins made the most of his weak dialogue, the rest were forgettable except for the mysterious woman, who was captivating but I don't know her name. ($11.50, Kenrick, Shelly, Raye, & Michelle)

05/22 "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”

**** Jimmy Stewart is wonderful as idealistic, naive Jefferson Smith who learns the truth about politics the hard way. America would like to believe it was different in the time of our patriotic heros but I seriously doubt it. Jean Arthur is captivating (why didn't her star rise after this role?). Some of the patriotic propaganda is dated and seems obvious (Smith visual tour through Washington's monuments when he first arrives and what would be Spielberg brats if he made movies at that time) but when this film works it stands among the best. Capra tells a good story and can make the most of a strong supporting cast. (personal video, Shelly)

05/23 "The Lost Honor Katrina Blum”

*** Quasi-true (?) story of a woman whose life is destroyed by the police and especially the press after she has a one night affair with a suspected communist/terrorist bank robber in West Germany in 1975. Scathing portrayal of the how unbridled power of the free press is not necessarily desirable. The story dramatizes the reasons why total cooperation between the police and the press with information (and disinformation for that matter) can be a frightening scenario. This moral issue is reflected in current events with the LAPD asking for all the unpublished photography and video shot by news agencies to assist in persecution of the rioters following the Rodeny King trial. At first I thought why not but this film dramatizes why the press should not be an information gathering arm of the law. It helped watching it with Christiania, a German by birth, who filled in some of the cultural nuances that sailed past me. (Video, Pooky, Robin and Christina)

05/24 "The Playboys”

*** Rural, Ireland in 1957 is the setting for this story of a beautiful of woman who has just given birth but refuses to name the father, much to the dismay of the local town folk. Albert Finney is superb as the spurned, local constable (Oscar nominate- able performance but it's a long time to Feb. 1993). Events are stirred when the traveling theater troop of the title arrives in town. The film is about the end of one era of local live entertainment and strict religious/paternal intolerance and the beginning of another, where television is the entertainment of chose and single mothers aren't taboo. It is easy to forget that this tale is set in the late 50's, the poverty of Ireland depicted seems decades behind America of the same time. Two woman dancing to "Shake Rattle and Roll" stands in stark contrast to how it's depicted in Hollywood's America. ($5.00, Kirkwood, Shelly)

05/25 "Wayne's World”

** See 5/08 above, but it was more enjoyable at the drive-in. ($5.50, $5.00, 66 Drive-In, Shelly, Denise and Steve & Lisa Douglas)

06/03 "High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music”

*** Documentary on the evolution of the bluegrass music style, concentrating on Bill Monroe (the father of Bluegrass) whose band The Bluegrass Boys harbored and gave birth to most of influential bluegrass musicians (i.e. Lester Flat & Earl Scruggs). The film maker use of archival pictures and home movies was very effective in recreating the times and telling Monroe's story. The images were generally not of him or his band but were symbolic of him and other country musicians at the time. It worked quite well (I noticed Ken Burns was on the list of technical advisors). I learned that bluegrass is distinguished from other forms of country music not only by the tempo but by the band being made up of all strings generally consisting of a mandolin, a banjo, a guitar and a fiddle. ($5,00, Webster University,)

06/12 "Patriot Games”

** This is an okay telling of a spy thriller for the 90's but many parts were flat. Parts of the dialogue were weak (the doctor giving the diagnosis of Sally Ryan "She's going to be ok”

and then walking away as if that explained it all) and the script pandered to the mass audience needs of little character depth (the bad guys were purely stereotypical). Production details were sloppy (the scene on the couch after Chesapeake Bay where Ford still has a tie on). Anne Archer was forgettable, though Harrison Ford makes a very good Jack Ryan. He's who I always pictured in the role (Alec who?). The flashbacks of terror he had were well done (but for the wrong reason-remembering the red- head that drove the cars, thus perpetuating the flash myth). The film should do well enough for a sequel which is good. The parts that were weak are easily fixable so the next one should/could be better. Despite my complaints, I did enjoy it but was disappointed by what it might have been. ($11.50, Kenrick, Shelly)

06/21 "Mediterraneo”

***+ 1992 Foreign Language Oscar winning tale of Italian soldiers sent to occupy a remote Greek island in the Mediterranean during WWII. A series of events cuts them off from the War and the rest of the World. They gradually acclimate to the island and the people. Very light and entertaining, though "Europa, Europa" is a superior film in most respects and deserved the Oscar. ($5.00- Jake, Kirkwood)

06/27 "Sister Act”

** Scoring of the film is excellent and enjoyable. The mixing of traditional Catholic Hymns, arranged very up-tempo with well chosen Mo-town hits, such as "My Guy" worked very well. This is basically a one joke script/plot - Whoppi Goldberg getting a bunch of nuns to be cool. It was thoroughly predictable and had major weak spots throughout but generally agreeable. ($6.75, Esquire, James)

06/28 "Aliens 3”

** Uninspired sequel, does everything right from a technical standpoint but the plot line premise, though a good one, is tired. Sigourney Weaver is good but as is everything else in the film, it was better in the other two, which admittedly are tough acts to follow. ($3.15, Kenrick)

07/03 "Conan - The Destroyer”

*+ Worse then I remembered. The inane comic relief characters (except for Grace Jones) and terrible writing put an end to the Conan series. It's a safe bet that Arnold won't be making any more of these. With all the excellent stories Robert Howard wrote (or maybe I just don't remember their mediocrity) and all the money that was spent, they could have made a far superior film. ($1.00, Schnucks Video, James)

07/03 "Batman Returns”

***+ This is the equal of the first one. It's even more dark and almost totally hopeless in its' tone. A meandering story- line/weak plot are what prevents this remake from being brilliant. Devito as the Penguin and Piffer as the Catwoman are excellent and all the actors work well together. Keaton and the sets are as good as the first time around, but not as "original”

feeling. ($2.75, Esquire, Raye)

07/11 "White Men Can't Jump”

** Okay but forgettable film which suffers from poor plot pacing (I though it was over a couple off times before it really was)

and too many credibility gaps that require a suspension of reality (the two hit men subplot, the white man con they pull, girlfriends roles of always dictating to the men but not being able to get a job without their ok, etc.). Harrelson and Snipes are mostly enjoyable presences on the screen. ($1.75, Creve Couer, Raye)

07/18 "Prelude To A Kiss”

**+ This was pretty well panned by all the critics and it was not my first chose to go see (there's a limited number of films Raye and I readily agree on) but I liked it. Maybe it was the low expectations but more likely it was Meg Ryan's fabulous smile. Concept of switching souls is a tough one, but the author handled it well by making the old man's personality good and likeable, although very different from Ryan's. I question the exceptional quirkiness of Ryan's character and her parents (Ned Beatty and Patty Duke). It distracted from the plot and added little. Alec Baldwin is once again forgettable, perhaps his appeal is all sexual and that why I don't appreciate him. ($3.25, Kenrick, Raye)

07/19 "La Dolce Vita" (The Sweet Life) **** Fellini's dark look at the decadence and emptiness of the lifestyles of the Italian jet-set, through the life of a Enquirer-like photo-journalist. Set in Rome in the early sixties, the film is remarkably current and topical. It's depiction of more "adult" themes are a refreshing departure from American films of the same time. I particularly liked the scenes with the Miracle tree and the children who had seen the Madonna. ($4.00, Webster University, Pooky)

07/23 "A League of Their Own”

**+ Pleasant and enjoyable enough to watch but completely predictable and formulitic. The sibling rivalry and the climatic "big game" scenes wrote themselves. Nothing is bad in the film per say but you've seen it all before. Gena Davis's old age make-up was well done. There is an obvious trend in Penny Marshall's films of orchestrating the emotional tugs at the heart strings, though she is good at them. ($7.50, Kenrick, Raye)

07/26 "Night On Earth”

***+ Jim Jarmusch's offbeat "slice of life" film of 5 cab rides that take place simultaneously in LA, NY, Paris, Rome and Helsinki, one night. All the stories are about people on the fringe of society that don't quite fit the "norm". These people aren't "losers" per say but they not the winners/beautiful people in the world. Parts are hilarious (the Italian driver's confession to the priest in particular) but the laughs surround tales of sadness, loneliness and despair (?). Jarmusch's slow pacing and lingering shots sobered the tone up quite a bit. If this were a Hollywood picture it would have been 45 minutes shorter, reducing the lag time between the jokes but also belittling his depiction of real life. I liked it very much but it is not for all tastes. ($5.00, Kirkwood, Jake, Pooky & Dan Justice)

07/26 "Star Wars”

**** What's there to say that hasn't already been said. (Nancy's tape, James)

07/27 "The Eiger Sanction”

**+ now *** when released. Film is weak and dated in many ways. For starters, Eastwood's character "Hemlock" seems to change personality half way through the picture. The love interests George and Jamima Brown are an offensive early 1970's attempt at being hip. The albino chief of the secret organization, and the general "mod" feel to first half of film are annoying. Some parts of the film are very good and vintage Eastwood, such as the climbing scenes, Hemlock training for the Eiger, and Eastwood's interaction with George Kennedy. ($0.00, Channel 11)

07/29 "Howard's End”

***+ Terrific Merchant and Ivory film that is beautiful to watch and experience. The light humor and the Dickens-ian intertwining of the character's lives was a refreshing change of pace from films I've seen recently. The late 1800's sets and costumes were tops and are sure to be nominated for Oscars, as might Emma Thomson who is truly wonderful. Everything I've seen her in has been good and intelligent (I'd probably go see anything she's in, hubba, hubba). Kind of like the films Meryl Streep use to be in before she decided she would try and be funny (she's not). ($5.00, Kirkwood)

08/07 "Midnight Cowboy”

**** It is great to know there are still excellent films out there waiting for me to see them. Voight and Hoffman are good as the lead characters, but the direction and editing really shine. The flashbacks very efficiently and skillfully tell the story of how Joe Buck decides to go to New York. It is some of the best flashback work I can recall. Nilson's score of "Everyone's Talking At Me" is also very enjoyable. It amazing to think this got an X in 1969, when it's an easy R today and not all that far from a PG-13. (Free video Schnucks, Anthony)

08/08 "The Unforgiven”

**** This is an excellent western. The strong story line does it's best to puncture all the myths surrounding the genre while still respecting it. It shows that: people hurt when they die; the good guys aren't perfectly good and the bad guys perfectly bad. It is a grim portrayal of the western shoot'em up and it is the closest to reality that I can recall. Eastwood's direction shines and the supporting roles by Freeman, Hackman, Harris, et al were well written and portrayed. This will take it's place among classic westerns. ($2.75, Esquire, Todd, Greg, Pooky, Britt and Anthony)

08/10 "A Woman's Tale”

*** Australian film of a 78 year old woman, played very well by the Sheila Florence (who died shortly after filming was completed) who is dying but doesn't let it depress her or effect her outlook on life. She's a fighter and she loves life and people. It is quite a slice of life film. The main character reminded me a lot of Ruth Gordan's performance in "Harold and Maude", though with less whimsy. I didn't think this film was as good as the RFT critics made it out to be (might have something to do with their being women). ($5.00, Kirkwood)

08/15 "Pee Wee's Big Adventure”

***+ Very original and funny film. Tim Burton's influence is quite evident throughout the movie and the parallels to his other films are quite evident and interesting (his absence on the sequel "Big Top Pee Wee" is probably the biggest factor in it's awfulness). ($1.00, Schnucks Video, Anthony)

08/20 "Zentropa”

***+ Haunting/sur-real look at post-WWII Germany through a young American, whose uncle gets him a job as a sleeping car conductor on the rail line of the title. The film has a dream-like feel to it throughout, accentuated by effective use of black and white and color photography. The film wrestles with questions about loyalties and choosing sides and what the relative guilts associated with each persons answers to those questions are. The picture won the 1991 Jury prize at Cannes. The last scene in the movie has visually stayed with me since seeing it. ($4.00, Tivoli, Raye-who disliked it)

08/21 "Single White Female”

**+ Good acting by Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh highlight this "roommate from hell" thriller penned by Webster Groves author Lutz. The film is competent out but it is mostly predictable and typical of the genre. ($2.75, Esquire, Todd)

08/23 "The Best Intentions”

**** Great picture, surely to be among the Best Foreign Picture nominees for 1992. The acting is excellent and Bille Auguste provides good direction of a strong script by Igmar Bergman. Film is easy to understand for a Bergman movie, though it is not for all taste (this is not a Hollywood film). The story is based on Bergman's parents courtship and first few years of their marriage. Their relationship was rough in many places and had to overcome a lot of problems to stay together. Swedish winters look miserable. ($5.00, Hi-Pointe)

09/06 "To the Ends of the Earth”

*+ Wim Winders offers a cautionary look at our dependence on technology and the world in 1999. The film is in two halves, which are almost completely different. The first is a bit of a travelogue around the globe and is fairly effective (I especially liked the computer animation used in some of the software programs), and moves at a fairly good pace. The second half (once Max Von Sydow is in the picture), slows to a halt. A half an hour of this film could have easily been cut from this half and not lost a thing. ($3.50, Portland, Jake)

09/12 "Light Sleeper”

**+ This is a well acted and made film. It is not really bad in any way but then again it is not that good either. The story has William Defoe as middle age drug delivery boy for Susan Sarandon with Dana Delany as his love interest. It is slow paced and somewhat forgettable. It was interesting recognizing some of the New York locations shots after having visited there. ($3.75, Shady Oak, Raye)

09/17 "Enchanted April”

**+ BBC production of 4 women at the end of the nineteenth century who, suffering from a wariness in their lives and with men, rent a castle for a month in Italy on the Mediterranean. The "enchanted" nature of their island holiday solves all their problems. The plot's pacing seemed all screwed up to me. It seemed to jump around too quickly at points and drag forever at other points. Perhaps it was edited down for release in the states? Some people called it a film for women but I can't see how given the sexist, fairy tale ending. ($3.75, Galleria)

09/19 "Bob Roberts”

*** I really liked this film, more for what it said then how it said it. Tim Robbins has definitely cemented his status in Hollywood. It is a little long given it's quasi-documentary style and some of the hand held shots made me nauseous. The songs and little things were quite effective (the black tour bus being lead by the masked white, fencer, Alan Rittman's character). It stumbles in that it's blatantly left in it's politics and will only be preaching to the already converted. ($5.75, Esquire, Dana Benedicktus)

09/22 "Husbands & Wives”

*** I really like this picture but I would have a hard time recommending it to anyone. The cinema verte shooting style made me extremely nauseous the entire picture from the camera movements. I must have had my eyes closed during half the picture. Other then that, it was similar to many other recent Allen ensemble pictures. It weaves several people's stories into coherent themes, though this picture really only explored the themes of love and relationships without wondering off into to GOD, death etc. The parallels between art and his real life were obvious but irrelevant in a bigger sense. Besides, I always thought most writing was semi-auto-biographical anyway. ($5.75, Galleria, Shelly)

09/27 "Blade Runner - The Director's Cut”

***+ I had thought I had seen this before but I hardly remember any of it (it was probably a late night at the Fraternity, not completely sober and on video). The film sports excellent visuals which give the film most of it's strength, feeling, tone and mood. The story is fairly straight forward in this dark look at future society and what aspects of are own are mirrored. Ford does a great job as the android bounty hunter. From what I was told the biggest change in this and the originally released version, was that it lacked the "Philip Marlowe" narration. Big deal! Though I am glad I got to see it on the big screen. ($5.00, Hi-Pointe, Raye & Stew)

10/02 "Sneakers”

**+ Film is entertaining but mostly a formula piece about a group of electronics/computer wizs, with shady but politically correct backgrounds, who test security systems. The ensemble cast of Redford, Kingsley, Ackyrod, Phoenix, Poitier and Mary McDonald have all been better but they're ok here. ($7.00, Kenrick, Rhonda)

10/12 "GlenGarry Glen Ross”

**+ Excellent performances all round, especially Jack Lemon (Oscar nominee?) in this dark and gloomy tale of speculative real estate salesmen under the gun to "ABC-always be closing" the deal. This is not a particularly good film though. The claustrophobic settings and pacing give away it's theater origins. David Mament's play takes it's self far too seriously and tries way too hard to be meaningful. ($3.50, Kenrick)

10/16 "The Last of the Mohicans”

**+ The film has a beautiful look to it. The locations shots, actors, costumes and battles scenes are all A-1 and looked right. However, they did not act or talk right. I should have guessed there would be trouble when in the opening credits they listed the book AND the 1939 screenplay as the source material for this screenplay. Like the films of that era, the characters and events all push the bounds of believability in an effort to make them seem larger then life. Particularly distracting was Hawkeye character. His ability to pick off "bad guys" at several hundred yards with a dozen different muskets was completely ridiculous and it was difficult to take those dashing rescues and the whole love story angle seriously. Strong similarities in the time period, look and feel of the film, reminded me of last years "The Black Robe", which was far superior. ($3.50, Kenrick, Todd)

10/16 "Monty Python & the Holy Grail”

**** Brilliant! This is one of the funniest film ever made, at least as far as most guys are concerned. I have yet to meet a woman who was as nearly as enamored with it as men however. (Video, Todd)

10/18 "Gas, Food and Lodging”

**+ This "slice of life" film, set in small a town in New Mexico, explores the lives and loves of three women (a mother and two daughters) from the poor side of town. The film is completely from a female perspective and would probably be more appealing and meaningful to women. There is reality and truth in much of the writing and situations. Allison Anders wrote and directed the picture. With it's cast of unknowns and weak transitions between scenes, it has a definite "first" film feel to it (which it is-I looked it up in the paper). ($2.50, Hi Pointe)

10/18 "When Harry Met Sally”

**** I love this movie. It has to be among my top five favorite romantic comedies of all time. The explanation of why men and women can't be friends has never been more eloquently explored and there are many classic scenes in the picture. Part of my infatuation is that I am a complete sucker for any film that uses the best of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Irving Berlin et al for its' score. (TV)

10/23 "Of Mice and Men”

***+ This is a good film adaptation of Stienbeck's classic. Many of the scenes of the harvest are beautifully photographed with a definite Thomas Hart Benton feel to them. This film should give Gary Sinise some clout in making future films having very effectively worn the hats of director, producer and lead. Look for an Oscar nomination for Malkovich for his lyrical and touching portrayal of Lenny (I now get the "Which way did he go George?" bits from Bugs Bunny), and perhaps Ray Walston as Candy ("A man outta be able to shot his own dog"). ($11.50, Galleria, Dana)

11/06 "Hero”

*** This film was not terribly well praised by most critics but I really liked it and was glad I saw it. The film is very Capra- esque (strong similarities to "Meet John Doe") only far more cynical and perhaps more realistic. There is little of the corniness/ sappiness that make Capra's films difficult to appreciate by many people today. Hoffman, Andy Garcia and Gena Davis all give competent/good performances though they have done better work. ($11.50, Galleria, Dana)

11/11 "A Brief History of Time”

** Not a terribly effective documentary, but the subject matter of Stephen Hawking and his understanding of higher level physics was fascinating (if not slightly beyond my total comprehension). The lack of labeling the people who were speaking at any given moment was annoying and distracting. ($8.00, Tivoli, Todd & Dana)

11/13 "The Big Picture”

**+ Cynical look at Hollywood and how pictures get made with Kevin Bacon, as the promising film student making his start in Hollywood. The plot is totally predictable but the cameos were excellent. Similar to "The Player" but not as dark or deep (kind of like "The Player-Lite"). ($2.11, Schnucks video, Dana)

11/21 "A River Runs Through It”

***+ Redford has made another powerful story of family and the interrelations between them. The film is exceptionally poetic in it's tone and I came away with a feeling that I didn't understand or get all that was being said at places. The performances were all strong (look for a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Sekkett's role as the Scottish Preacher father). I am thinking that some of the issues and concerns just brushed on in the film are given more breadth in the book and I might have to read it sometime. ($5.00, Hi-Pointe, Dana)

11/22 "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”

*** Wonderful holiday movie for kids and adults alike. The film's humor is a very broad/slapstick/violent style (like the 3 Stooges) but is exceptionally funny with enough sentimentality to give some moral lessons along the way. It is predictable and familiar but that's what they were looking to achieve. ($6.00, Kenrick, James)

11/27 "The Hours and The Times”

**+ Hour long fictional account of a vacation in Barcelona in 1963 between Brian Epstein and John Lennon. The Beatles were popular in England but hadn't caught on in the US yet. Black and white photography recreates the feel of "A Hard Day's Night”

while exploring Epstein and Lennon's relationship and the tensions and situations that could have arisen as a result of Epstein's homosexuality. The film doesn't really have any plot, it just examines the loneliness of being gay at that time and the difficulties others have in understanding and coping with it. ($4.00 Webster University, Dana)

12/05 "Bram Stocker's Dracula”

**+ Coppola's view of this tale isn't very scary. He concentrates on the sensual/sexual side of the tale. The film emphasis style over substance and comes out the worse for it. It is likely to get a few Oscars nominations for costume design, art direction etc. but not for writing, acting or directing. It was difficult to take the actors seriously throughout especially Keenau Reeves, who I thought was miscast. Winnona Ryder came out looking the least silly of all but the scene she begs to Gary Oldman to suck his blood to become one with him, nobody could pull off. The sexual innuendos while perhaps valid, were too strong to take seriously. I came away seeing the Dracula story as more of a examination of two of men's greatest fantasies: immortality and a personal hoard of beautiful woman who like to suck things. ($11.50, Esquire, Dana)

12/10 "The Distinguished Gentleman”

** This is a generally inoffensive but forgettable Eddie Murphy vehicle of a con-artist who gets elected to congress based on his name being the same of a recently dead congressman. There are occasional laughs but it really never gets off the ground. ($5.75, Crestwood, Raye)

12/11 "Mr. SaturdayNight”

*** Billy Crystal gives a stellar performance in a difficult role (Oscar nomination is strong possibility). Crystal is in nearly every scene but it is difficult to like this film much because his character is so disagreeable and stupid. His composite Jewish comic of the Catskills and from the 50's is very hateful and his own worst enemy. The film suffers from the standard problem of making a movie enjoyable/marketable when it central character(s) are unlikable. ($3.00, Sunset Hills, Dana)

12/12 "The Cameraman”

***+ A little slow getting started but the last 45-30 minutes of the film are fabulous. The scenes at the swimming pool and the "war" in Chinatown are equal to Keaton's best work. He's is truly a genius and deserves a wider following/worship of his work. ($8.00, Webster University, Dana)

Total Number of New Movies Seen 77

Total Number of Movies Seen Again 16

Total Money Spent - Randy $354.51

Total Money Spent - Others $60.90