Films Showing for the 1st Time in St. Louis in 1994 or late 1993

This is how I rated'em when I saw'em (first date is when I saw it, the year is the release date).

****

01/09 "Remains of the Day" (1993)

07/24 "Forest Gump" (1994)

11/25 "Pulp Fiction" (1994)

***+

02/06 "Farewell My Concubine" (1993)

02/13 "Shadowlands" (1993)

02/20 "The Flight of the Innocent" (1993)

04/09 "Four Weddings and A Funeral" (1994)

07/07 "Speed" (1994)

09/25 "Eat Drink Man Woman" (1994)

10/08 "Quiz Show" (1994)

10/18 "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

12/17 "The Last Seduction" (1994)

***

12/28 "The Piano" (1993)

01/01 "Grumpy Old Men" (1993)

01/15 "The Summer House" (1993)

01/29 "Philadelphia" (1993)

01/30 "In The Name of The Father" (1993)

03/13 "The Snapper" (1993)

03/20 "Blue" (1993)

03/26 "Naked Gun: 33 1/3" (1994)

04/10 "The Hudsucker Proxy" (1994)

04/16 "Sirens" (1994)

07/16 "The Crow" (1994)

07/22 "True Lies" (1994)

08/07 "It Could Happen To You" (1994)

08/21 "Spanking the Monkey" (1994)

10/30 "Ed Wood" (1994)

11/20 "Star Trek: Generations" (1994)

12/27 "Little Women" (1994)

Randy's 7 Best/Favorite Movies released in 1994 in Retrospect - (not really in order of excellence, but sort of)

"Pulp Fiction"

"Four Weddings and A Funeral"

"Forest Gump"

"Quiz Show"

"The Shawshank Redemption"

"The Last Seduction"

"Eat Drink Man Woman"

Randy's 1994 Oscar Predictions - (Note: some of the heavy hitters of 1994, such as "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle", "Nell", "Nobody's Fool", were released late or haven't been released outside of LA and NY. So I can't make any decent prediction without seeing them.)

Best Picture

*"Forest Gump"

"Pulp Fiction"

"Quiz Show"

"The Shawshank Redemption"

Best Actor

Tom Hanks-"Forest Gump"

John Travolta-"Pulp Fiction"

Ralph Fiennes-"Quiz Show"

*...my guess it will go to Paul Newman for "Nobody's Fool"

Best Actress once again it's been a bad year for roles for women

Linda Fiorentino-"The Last Seduction", my personal pick but disqualified

*Winona Ryder-"Little Women"

....Jodi Foster in "Nell"

Best Director

"Forest Gump"

*Quentin Tarantino-"Pulp Fiction"

Best Supporting-Actor

Gary Sinse-"Forest Gump"

*Martin Landau-"Ed Wood"

...maybe Samuel Jackson or Bruce Willis-"Pulp Fiction"

Best Supporting-Actress

*Susan Sarandon-"Little Women" (really for cumulative body of work and not this role)

Original Screenplay

"Four Weddings and A Funeral"

*"Pulp Fiction"

"The Last Seduction", disqualified

Screenplay Adaptation

*"Forest Gump"

"The Shawshank Redemption"

Editing

"Natural Born Killers"

*"Forest Gump"

Art Decoration/Set design

"The Hudsucker Proxy"

"The Shadow"

*"Pulp Fiction"

"Forest Gump"

"The Road to Wellville"

Best Foreign Language Film

*"Eat Drink Man Woman"

12/28 "The Piano" (1993)

***? I was in the complete wrong frame of mind to see this picture about a mute, mail-order bride who travels to the wilds of New Zealand in the 1800's with her daughter and a piano to wed a frontiersman. Well made, acted and erotic but depressing and dark. ($2.75, Crestwood)

After thinking on it some more in April after seeing "Sirens", I think I can have a higher opinion of it. I think more should have been made about the fact that she was a mail order bride of sorts and that she was the third? wife of this fellow. Still it is very heavy stuff.

01/01 "Grumpy Old Men" (1993)

*** This isn't deep or thought provoking entertainment but Lemon, Matthau and Ann Margret are funny in this light and enjoyable film where every one ends up happy in the end. Burgess Meridith as Lemon's dirty old-man father is quite the scene stealer. Sexist presentation of some issues are a little annoying but ignore-able to people not sensitive to that sort of thing. ($5.75, Crestwood, Raye & Kelly)

01/07 "Cabinboy" (1994)

*+ This is only for Chris Elliott fans (which I consider myself to be), everyone else will find it truly too stupid for words. There were two exceptionally funny gags (all I say is beard and fish sticks) in the film and the delirium scenes were creative but other then that, there is little to recommend in this picture. It was a short ÷80 minutes but felt longer. Elliott was at his best in the two minute bits he used to do on Letterman. ($3.50, Crestwood)

01/08 "Annie Hall" (1977)

**** Woody Allen is at his best as he looks at a relationship between two dissimilar characters, as they met, fall in and out of love, and eventually part. Very realistic and funny throughout. The camera gags are great (i.e. Annie's out of body thing during sex, the direct comments to the viewer, the subtitles during the initial meeting). ($1.06, Schnucks Video, Doris Marlin)

01/09 "Remains of the Day" (1993)

**** Excellent Merchant and Ivory English drama. It is more then just the distant romance between Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. It's a wonderful character study of the consummate butler, his devotion to duty and his terribly repressed personal desires. Best Oscar nomination for Hopkins seems a given. ($2.50, Kirkwood)

01/15 "The Summer House" (1993)

*** Charming look at an upcoming marriage between a melancholy young women and a boorish neighbor in the upper-middle class in Britain of the 1950's. A free spirited old friend of her mother's stirs things up and does her best to put an end to the marriage. The girl's dream sequences of her recent trip to Egypt were particularly effective and hauntingly well done. I enjoyed it quite a bit while watching it but there were several loose ends that were given marginal attention in the film which upon further reflection were probably very important items to the original story. ($2.50, Kirkwood)

01/15 "A Christmas Story" (1983)

*** Very funny, memoir of a pre-teen boy in the 1950's who's obsessed with getting a Daisy Red-Ryder BB gun with the compass in the stock and... The day-dream sequences were well done and the "tongue on the lamp post" is a classic rite of passage. ($1.06, Schnucks Video, Raye and Kelly)

01/22 "My Favorite Wife" (1940)

**+ Reunites Cary Grant and Irene Dune in screwball comedy about man who is getting remarried only to discover on his wedding day that his presumed drowned wife of 7 years is actually alive. Not as funny as "The Awful Truth", (probably from the absence of the dog Asta). It's a little slow in places (the beginning and the end), but moves along pretty well when Randolph Scott enters in with the "Adam and Eve" angle. Grant is as enjoyable as ever, but Dune and Scott are fairly forgettable. ($0.00, Channel 9)

01/22 "The Bachelor and the Bobbysoxer" (1947)

**+ Under a court inspired suggestion, Cary Grant dates teenage Shirley Temple in hopes of removing her knight in shinning image of him. Myrna Loy is her older sister, the judge. No secrets about how it ends up but its a pleasant trip with Grant and Loy. ($0.00, Channel 9)

01/23 "The Pelican Brief" (1993)

**+ Competent if uninspired adaptation of John Grisham thriller. Denzel Washington continues to establish himself as one of the most solid box office draws and Julia Roberts isn't completely annoying (though I am still not a fan). Seemed better while watching then in retrospect. ($3.00, Kenrick, Raye & Kelly)

01/29 "Philadelphia" (1993)

*** Disappointing film because it could have been great. Wonderful casting, fine acting and direction, and other terrific production values can not make up for a rather light weight and stereotypical presentation of a heavy story line. The film depends way too much in the positive baggage that the actors bring to the roles to achieve it's desired affect. Tom Hanks role isn't that well developed. We are on his side because we like him before he went into the theater and feel sorry for him because he's nice. Denzel Washington character is also reduced to the macho, black ambulance chaser who becomes enlightened. It doesn't work that well. Way too much emphasis is placed on the court room scenes, thus desensitizing the real pain of the story. I know I am criticizing a film about an important subject but just because a film is about an important issue doesn't make it great. I think most people who praise this work are praising it for it's subject matter and not it's superior storytelling qualities. If this film had been made ten years ago, I think it might have been great but it loses a lot of impact in 1994 (much the way "Gentleman's Agreement", an Oscar winner about anti-semitism in the late 1940's is largely forgotten since it isn't as shocking or heavy in today's context). For most of the people who see this film it will be preaching to the converted and the rest won't see it. It looks like Hanks is an early favorite to win the Oscar in what is a combination a sense of desire to reward a good but not brilliant performance (it might have been brilliant if given more room in the story), his character's tragedy and for his better role in "Big". Once again one of my longest review is for a picture I was disappointed in but liked none the less. ($5.95, Kenrick, Raye & Kelly)

01/30 "In The Name of The Father" (1993)

*** Competent movie that tells the story the Guildford 4, a group of people convicted of an IRA bombing of an English pub in the mid-70's. Their written confessions seemed to have be beaten out of them during a newly enacted 7 day holding without legal aid in Britain at the time. Daniel Day-Lewis plays the protagonist who is rather un-heroic but not really a consciousless bomber. Emma Thompson has a small role but as usual I enjoyed just listening to her. Maybe the tabloid stories about trouble in her marriage with Kenneth Branaugh are true and she would like to go out with an engineer? ($2.50, Kirkwood)

02/06 "Farewell My Concubine" (1993)

***+ Twentieth century tragedy of Bejing Opera and it's opera of the title. Not many happy things happen to the characters that play King Chu and his Concubine Yu from their start in the abusive and strict training school in the 1920's, the Japanese occupation, the rise of the communists and the cultural revolution. I am so glad I didn't have to live through all that. Exceptionally well made and acted but cultural and language differences put some distance to American audiences as well as heavy tone throughout. ($1.25, Creve Coeur)

02/13 "Shadowlands" (1993)

***+ I was really touched by this tender love story. It is not just a fluff piece about boy meets girl and one dies. Anthony Hopkins is superb as the rather stead Oxford professor, C.S.Lewis. Debra Winger is also quite good but the on-again, off-again New York Jew accent spoiled the idea of an Oscar nomination in my mind for her. It's a little slow at the end as are many "tearjerkers" in my opinion. Lots of other things to think about on religion, god and love. "We read (love) to know we are not alone in the world". ($2.50, Crestwood, Raye & Kelly)

02/19 "Ace Ventura" (1994)

**+ Jim Carey is the entire film in a rather standard vehicle built around a single comic's talents (although it's funnier then most). Plot is thin to moronic but who cares it works. One's enjoyment of the film will be in direct relationship to one's love of Jim Carey's humor. Personally after an hour his two dozen comical expressions started warring thin and the standard bit of all the women in the film throwing themselves at him is typical Hollywood male fantasies that market so well. ($5.95, Kenrick, Raye, Kelly, & Lisa)

02/20 "The Flight of the Innocent" (1993)

***+ Italian thriller of innocent boy being pursued by the killers of his family through the north and south of Italy. Very violent at times, but intelligent and tender at other moments. Well made. It touched me. Most people would find this foreign film approachable since the dialogue is minimal and the subtitles aren't bad at all. ($0.00 AMC Moviewatchers, Crestwood)

03/13 "The Snapper" (1993)

*** Funny and real story of a lower middle class family in Dublin whose lives are changed when the eldest daughter tells them she is pregnant. Story centers around the loving relationship between the father (O'Brien-the transporter guy on The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine) and his daughter. I enjoyed it quite a bit but its' realistic settings, dialogue (with very thick Irish accent) and characters are definitely not the Hollywood type and might put off some. Especially funny are the scenes with the father reading the book on pregnancy and the Irish colloquial such as "ride", "poled up" and "snapper" (which is equivalent to the Italian "bambino"). ($2.50, Kirkwood, Britt & Rhonda)

03/20 "Blue" (1993)

*** Juliette Binoche is stunning as a women in deep sorrow over the loss of her daughter and husband, a famous composer, in an auto accident. She tries to escape the memories of the past but is haunted by the music and the of loss of love. The cinematography is different but generally effective. Pacing is slow in places for effect but might annoy some people. Binoche has a passing resemblance to Julia Roberts but is a much better actress. ($3.00, Kirkwood, Dana)

03/26 "The Ref" (1994)

*+ Comedy of bickering couple who are held hostage by a burglar on the run at Christmas time in Connecticut is very funny in places, especially at the beginning. It stumbles badly somewhere in the middle as it heads to tie everything up in a happy ending. I did like Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis as the couple before it got "happy". ($3.75, Kenrick)

03/26 "Naked Gun: 33 1/3" (1994)

*** It's nice to able to depend on something and the Zucker brothers have put forth the third in this series of inspired silliness. Not as "fresh" or as surprising as the others but it's still well worth the price of admission ($5.95, Kenrick, Raye and Kelly)

03/26 "Reality Bites" (1994)

**+ This maybe a more meaningful film to those of the "Generation X", which I am only partially attached to. This movie is confused and contradictory in many places. I guess it's meant to be though, like the generation it is seeking to depict. The signals are muddled. I just found it hard to relate to in most places. The obvious "subtle" plugs for "Rolling Rock", "Rhino Chasers-American Ale", the Big Gulp among others seemed ironic in their inclusion since there is this big non-commercialization theme to the whole picture. Additionally, I have always found it difficult to appreciate Winona Ryder except for "Heathers" (which is the only Christian Slater film I really liked too). ($3.00, Kenrick)

04/02 "Europa, Europa" (1990)

**** This film loses a lot of it's punch during a second viewing (though when I first saw it, I thought it was one of the best films ever). I attribute this to the film's real impact being the incredible story of Solomon Perel and not so much from the richness of it's storytelling method. His story is one from the truth is stranger then fiction file. I can't recommend this film enough based solely on the fact it's a terrific story. As our young hero went from being a good Jew, to Young Pioneer, to fighting against the Russians to the premier Hitler Youth school, we see people for what they are. Given the recent success of "Schiendler's List", a comparison may be warranted. This is a much more approachable and likable film. It deals with one character, who is really likable as opposed to the ambiguous Schiendler. Schiendler List is harder hitting and more real (this could be why somethings in EE seem to caring less "ummph"). I also appreciated the humanizing depiction of the supporting characters in "Europa, Europa". The people in EE are humane and caring at some points, but are equally capable of doing horribly cruel and terrible acts to others. My biggest complaint about Schiendler's List was it tended to give a depiction of the German/Nazis as stereotypical bad guys of propaganda films of the 1940's. They are so inhuman and alien from anything or anyone we know. All the Jews were righteous and good. That's a simplification and not a completely fair criticism. SL was about what happened to the Jews and not what forces caused the German people to do it. SL seemed to have more layers and probably a better made film. It will be interesting is see my reaction to it after seeing it again in the future. "Europa,Europa" would still be my first recommendation as the movie to see about the Holocaust. ($3.00, Washington University, Dana, Kristie and Howie)

04/09 "Four Weddings and A Funeral" (1994)

***+ Very well written and executed romantic comedy that takes place over the course of the events of the title. The story surrounds a group of rather interesting and likable English friends and siblings that keep bumping into each other at these things. The story is centered on the boyish bachelor Hugh Grant who can't quite understand others getting married, since he's never been that inclined. Andie McDonald plays the American, who is love at first sight for our hero. She looks wonderful but seems rather forgettable as in last year's "Groundhog Day", which I liked very much also. Is she so good of an actress that I take her for granted or is she merely not offensive and had the good fortune to be in two films I like a lot for reasons other then her? I really liked and admired this film but I had problems with the inevitable happy ending for the same reasons I had problems with "Sleepless in Seattle". It's a nice fantasy but in the real world happy endings are only brief moments in time, and the real thing is quite different. Are we doing ourselves any favors by these stories of "happily ever after" that raise our expectations that our lives should be like that also? Or am I just a prudish, bitter divorced guy? ($5.95, Kenrick, Raye & Kelly)

04/10 "The Hudsucker Proxy" (1994)

*** One might call this film the Coen Brothers "tribute" to the everyman-rise to success films of the early forties but tribute isn't quite right given their dark, humorous spin on things. It's visually brilliant and has many layers that beg further examination. The sets and design should get an Oscar nomination but won't be remembered by the time it comes to that. They reminded me very much of "Brazil" in their execution, especially the mail room scenes. Tim Robbins is the innocent swept up in the evil clutches of Paul Newman to run the Hudsucker Company a la Jefferson Smith of "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington". The carmeleon Jennifer Jason Leigh plays the hard boiled news reporter out to get the story and ends up falling for the innocent. Her voice is an on-the-nose impression of Kate Hepburn acting tough for the cops at the end of "Bringing Up Baby". This film also borrows heavily from "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" and "His Girl Friday" and probably several other that I don't recall. It slows down a bit in the stretch (after the Hulla Hoop is released) but I really liked it all in all (then again I am a sucker for dark humor). ($3.00, Kirkwood)

04/16 "The Paper" (1994)

**+ Ron Howard directs a competent picture with an all star cast (Keaton, Close, Duval, Robards,etc.) about a day in the life of a New York paper but all in all it's pretty forgettable (except for Maresi Tommei who sparkles as the expectant mother). ($3.00, Kenrick, Rhonda)

04/16 "Sirens" (1994)

*** I read several reviews of this picture that all describe it as a film about a repressed clergyman (Hugh Grant) who visits a an Australian painter of scandalous pictures of nude women to pull one particular picture from an exhibit. While it will be remembered mostly for the nude models (especially Elle McPhearson) walking around the artist studio, this isn't what the film is about. The center of the story is the clergyman's wife and her sexual awakening. I am not sure I got all that was presented since there are a lot of layers to this story. A good portion of is a condemnation of "repressed" Christian morals on nudity and sexuality in particular with how it subjects women. The sacrilegious picture that the clergy man is trying to get removed from the show is "Venus Crucified". There is lots of symbolism (apples and snakes) and the painter Sam Neil seems to be aware of all that is going on. I don't agree with the conclusions and a lot of what is being said through out the film but it is a thought provoking picture and brings some interesting parallels to "The Piano". This picture is far more whimsical and light however. ($5.50, Kirkwood, Raye & Kelly)

04/23 "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986)

*** One of the better Star Treks films. Most of the cast has a purpose and the story is fairly good though it's strikingly similar in it's premise to "Star Trek, The Motion Picture". This is the "whale" one. ($0.00, TV)

04/24 "The Sound of Music" (1965)

**** Excellent locations (I can't think of any other film off hand, that makes such good use of going on location), superb Rogers & Hammerstein musical score and Julie Andrews at her peak. Deservedly one of America's favorite films of all time. ($0.00, TV)

05/21 "Chinatown" (1974)

**** Jack Nicholson is at his peak as a private eye in Polanski's film noire of shady dealings in Los Angles in the 1930s. Excellent script, locations, sets and supporting actors/actresses make for a truly great film (Faye Dunaway is as good as she gets too). Script is well paced and has no obvious loopholes or shortcuts that are so often taken in the mystery/thriller genre. It respects the viewer and leaves some left to figure out on you own (It got the Oscar for Best Script that year). "Forget it Jake. It's Chinatown". Holds up very well. ($6.00, American Film Institute)

05/29 "Two Jakes" (1990)

** I know sequels are usually not as good as the original and that the critics really raked it pretty good when it came out but I was still pretty disappointed in this sequel to "Chinatown". The locations and the set decorations were excellent but the script (Robert Towne once again) and the direction were below standard Hollywood fair. The script is a mess, though it tightens up during the last 45 minutes. There are way to many characters brought in for no reason and it is terribly condescending in explaining everything to the audience. It's hard to believe the same guy wrote it. I have this feeling that some studio schmuck added some lines and scenes so that he could understand it. Too bad they had the development level of an 8th grader. Reading the program notes as I write this up, supposedly Towne began direction of the film and was replaced by Jack Nicholson. This explains a lot. ($6.00, American Film Institute)

06/03 "The Fighting Sullivans" (1943?)

*** Pure apple pie, Americana schmaltz story of 5 brothers who died in the South Pacific during WWII. The film was obviously made very quickly, and is fairly corny. Exactly what you would expect but it is very effective none the less and stand as a fine example of pro-America propaganda during the war (I cried). ($0.00, PBS TV)

06/10 "8 1/2" (1963)

**** So much easier to love and appreciate the second time around. It all made sense to me this time as opposed to last year. It is still a "chaotic and difficult film" though. But this story of a doubt-filled director (Guido/Fellini) in the midst of trying to create a film with "meaning", while straightening out his feelings for the women in his life, is a masterpiece of self expression and openness. The confusion and indecision that the viewer feels is part of the experience. The harem sequence with all the women in his life hits all to close to home. Once again I was completely captivated by the woman who played his wife, Anouk Aimee and Claudia Cardinale. Marcello Mastrioanni was as excellent and I still love his glasses and hat. The sound track by Nino Rotto is tops and the theme song ("Mystified?") can haunt you (ask anyone who seen and enjoyed this picture). I would probably add this to my list of favorite films of all time. ($6.00, American Film Institute)

06/11 "Triumph of the Will" (1934)

*+ Leni Riefenstahl's controversial documentary of Germany's 1934 National Socialist Party Congress is...well...boring. Imagine two hours of Nazi goose stepping and you get the idea. I went really expecting to see what a "good" example of Nazi propaganda was, in order to see what made it work. I was very disappointed. There was no narration and after a few minutes of watching solders march to unfamiliar and un-memorable music I was ready to move on. To be honest I was relieved to get to Hitler's speeches, which were surprisingly unmoving. Except for the amazement at the number of people who participated and how moved they were, I can't understand why this is considered a "classic". I can see why so much of the world didn't take the Nazi threat seriously, they were dull. Give me a Capra all- American values propaganda film any day. ($6.00, American Film Institute, Mark Sautman) In retrospect, I have probably been desensitized by all the previous clips I have scene from this picture and having watched more damming documentaries and films of the Nazis. In comparison, this one just didn't leave much of an impression.

06/12 "Touch of Evil" (1958)

*** Orson Welles adapted the screenplay, directed and stared in this film noire examination of good and evil on the American-Mexican border. The film is pretty good, especially Welles as the gruff, worldly American policeman. Other parts of the film don't stand up so well. Many of the lines in the script are dated or unbelievable, especially when taking about drugs. Accepting Charleton Heston as a Mexican narcotics agent takes a huge leap of faith. He's newly married to Janet Leigh, who has little to offer except for big breasts. There is a good supporting cast. Note worthy are Dennis Weaver as an imbecile night-man at a motel and Marlene Dietrich as a Mexican hooker (If Heston can be Mexican, why not Marlene too?). She must have been close to 50 at the time but she was still dazzlingly beautiful. All in all, not as good as I hoped. ($6.00, American Film Institute)

07/02 "The Best Years of Their Lives" (1946)

**** Better then the first time I saw it. I don't have as much bitterness over it's winning the Oscar over "It's a Wonderful Life". This is a serious film about a serious and topical subject. The writer did an excellent job consolidating all the troubles on returning WWII vets in the leads, Fred March, Dana Andrews and Harold ?(Homer). March's drinking binge is one of the most believable on screen, that doesn't say much though. Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright are joys to watch and an ideal of the perfect wife and daughter (I know what I want for Christmas). Virginia Mayo is also good as the vampish pin-up girl no- good-nick. ($0.00, AMC cable)

07/03 "The Road To Morocco" (1943)

*** Standard Hope & Crosby vehicle with lots of laughs when it's just the boys. It slows down a bit when they run into Lamour. The songs are better then normal with "Moonlight Becomes You" and "The Road to Morocco". Anthony Quinn plays the sheik in a stereotype performance. ($0.00, A&E cable)

07/07 "Speed" (1994)

***+ The whole premise of the film is far fetched (a bomb on a bus that will explode if it goes below 50 mph) and I didn't think I would go for it but it really was quite good (yet completely ridiculous) . It requires lots of leaps of faith but this is a definite E ticket ride. Keaneu Reeve mumbles his lines in true he-man fashion that should establish him as a credible first line star. Sandra Bullock is cute as hell as the fill-in bus driver and should be a big career boost for her too. Dennis Hopper is very competent as the bad guy bomber. ($7.00, General Cinema-Springfield, Rick Cunnigham)

07/13 "The Lady Eve" (1943)

*** Fairly typical screwball comedy vehicle written and directed by Preston Sturges. Henry Fonda plays the standard, affable, shy naive goob required of the screwball. He's the son of an Ale (not beer)

empire who is returning aboard a tres art deco-ed ocean liner from a year in the Amazon looking for snakes. Barbara Stanwyck plays a con artist who falls for him as she tries to take him for his cash. She is stunning as she controls the flow of action. The seduction scene very effectively establishes the sexual tension between the leads without showing anything. Without giving any of the twists away, you got love the line "It looks too much like her to be her". ($0.00, AMC cable)

07/16 "The Crow" (1994)

*** Exceptionally faithful translation of a dark, urban decay comic book. The dialogue, the pacing, the characters, the sets and art decoration and music all reflect that genre of sub-culture. If you don't like it, you won't like this film. If you do, you'll like it. Brandon Lee stars as the un-dead hero who revenges his and his fiance's death on Devil's Night the year before in Detroit. Very good for what it is meant to be, a filmed illustrated novel/comic book. ($2.50, Fort Belvoir, George Polich)

07/18 "Wolf" (1994)

**+ Ok werewolf picture with Nicholson and Pieffer. Liked the angle about the spirit of the wolf being dependent on the character that was bitten. It was a nice twist. Slow in places and fairly predictable in the end. Not real scary. ($7.00, Mount Vernon, Rick, Nina & Isabel)

07/21 "Four Weddings and A Funeral" (1994)

***+ Just as good the second time around. The first part is very funny and slows a bit when it gets to the third wedding. Very well written (it should get a screenplay Oscar nomination). Hugh Grant will be a star but Andie McDonald will never quite make it past the ok level. The ending, while fitting, is a bit of a downer (?) that's not the right word but it leaves a less then ideal image of our heros which makes it harder to love this film. ($5.95, Fort Belvoir, Nina & Rogerous)

07/22 "True Lies" (1994)

*** Arnold Schwarzenegger is in top form as a James Bond for the 90's in a fun and exciting actioner. Jamie Lee Curtis may look frumpy at first but her sex appeal revels itself quite well later on (maybe a bit too steamy for all tastes but I give it a "thumbs" up). Tom Arnold is even funny. Excellent summer movie fare that will make a bunch of money. ($7.00, Mt. Vernon, Dick Brown)

07/24 "Forest Gump" (1994)

**** Boy did I feel good coming out of this picture. I was kind of sad to leave Forest behind after having spent a very enjoyable and calming 140 minutes with him. Forest's simple goodness, loyalty and agreeability was soothing. This is a wonderful story of a simple man who keeps bumping into destiny while aimless floating along life's pathways. Tom Hanks puts in a lovable performance. The special effects were top notch. I was expecting to be impressed by the historical footage they were able to sneak Hanks into but I was even more impressed how they made Gary Sinse appear to have had his legs cut off. Oscar nominations for the picture, Hanks and Sinse are a possibility depending on the competition in December. From the opening shot of the feather floating down from the sky to the end, you are always waiting for more and hoping it won't end. A good picture. ($4.25, Mt. Vernon)

08/06 "Frontier Marshall" (1939)

**+ Randolph Scott plays Wyatt Earp with Caesar Romero as Doc Holiday is pretty good for time period. The sets look good but the script is dated in places ($3.00-double feature, AFI)

08/06 "Law and Order" (1932)

*** Walter Houston plays a very tough Wyatt Earp, though he goes by another name due to copyright problems with Earp's widow. I enjoyed it more then I thought I would. There's no Doc Holiday in this one but Harey Carey plays one of his side kicks. The gunfight at the OK Corral is short but exciting. Andy Devine as the condemned young killer is funny. The sets look good but the script is dated in places. ($3.00- double feature, AFI)

08/07 "It Could Happen To You" (1994)

*** Enjoyable romantic comedy of a NY cop who short on tip money, agrees to split his winnings on a lottery ticket should he win with a waitress. Nicholas Cage, Bridget Fonda, and Rosey Perez all play their roles with great skill, that I can't imagine anyone else doing as well in the role. The script is hokey in places and easily the weakest link in the picture (it could have been great otherwise). The narrator angel was distracting and added nothing. The film could have been made line for line, scene for scene 50 years ago. It was that innocent and decent. Made good use of Sinatra and Bennett singing "Young at Heart". The sexual tension developed between Cage and Fonda was well done and I was appreciative of the fact it was missing the obligatory boinking scene that was necessary. I liked it but then again I'm a bit of a sucker for Cage and Fonda. ($3.75, AMC at Pontiac Mills)

08/13 "The Mask" (1994)

**+ Jim Carey and the special effects staff does a fantastic job of transforming a nebbish bank wonk into a chaotic comic book hero with the help of the mask of Loki (the Norse god of mischief). The film was also helped a great deal by the Jack Robinson terrier from "Frazier". I like dog tricks but they're cheap audience pleasers. When Carey isn't "the Mask" things slow down quite a bit. My opinion of the picture was slightly damaged by having seen most of the really cool special effects in the trailers and the promos on TV. There were only a few additional surprises. It was a bit of a let down because you wanted more of "The Mask" character then you got. ($5.75, Hunnigton-WV, Jon)

08/14 "Clear and Present Danger" (1994)

**+ Harrison Ford returns as Tom Clancy's Central Intelligence Agency hero Jack Ryan. The government intrigue and the basic plot premises were good and it's a well made film (from a production value standpoint). The problem is that the film strays a little too far into the realm of unbelievability to make it completely satisfying. Much like last year's actioner "The Fugitive", it was enjoyable but if you stopped and did a reality check, it looses you. Kind of forgettable but a nice way to spend the time if you like this sort of picture. ($17.25, Savoy-Champaign, Jon & Jake)

08/21 "Spanking the Monkey" (1994)

*** Independent, low budget realist film of an ordinary (?) family ia a dark tale of suburban life. A first year MIT student is forced to give up a promising summer internship with the surgeon general's office to take care of his mother, who has a compound leg fracture. As the title implies, the movie deals with sexual frustrations and taboos of all sorts. Not only of the young man but of his mother, father and girl friend. The sexual stuff is only part of it though. Everyone seems off balance socially in the picture. There is not one healthy relationship or person to be found. It would be interesting to hear a psychologist discuss this movie and it's characters. It rings so true in it's presentation, I wonder if it's semi-autobiographical work of the writer/director, David Russell. Not for all tastes but for those willing to look at the underside of life, it is insightful and gives you a lot to think about. ($5.00, Creve Coeur)

08/25 "The Shadow" (1994)

**+ I know it got panned pretty badly by most of the press (in DC, the "Times" say it was possibly the worst film ever to show at the AFI), but I thought it was ok (my expectations was greatly lowered by the reviews). The art direction was fantastic (Oscar nomination). The film looked great. The dialogue and the script were hokey and a bit corny but after all this was basically a comic book/radio serial; prize winning writing isn't to be expected. Alec Baldwin was ok in the main role but the rest of the cast was uninspired (Penelope Ann Miller will be forgotten). The opening explanation of why the Shadow "knows what evil lurks in the heart of men" is a good. ($1.50, Lindbergh, Raye)

08/30 "32 Films About Glenn Gould" (1993)

**+ Difficult to place in ordinary categories. Pseudo documentary about the life of Canadian musical pianist genus is slow paced and thoughtful. The man's eclectic nature shows forth in these 32 snippets with a heavy dose of his renditions of classical works as the soundtracks. Not for all tastes but if you like classical pianists then this might be for you.($5.50, Kirkwood)

09/02 "Natural Born Killers" (1994)

** Well made, especially the editing (what do you expect from Oliver Stone and company?). The effects and acting are also excellent but the question "why?" kept coming to mind. The depiction of the violence is self indulgent and meaningless. This is one movie I'd vote the least desirable to see again. The violence was cartoon like in a western shoot'em up kind of way. Lewis and Harrelson are in the thick of a rain of bullets and never get hit. Yeah right! Completely unrealistic and the "message" that Stone was trying to convey seems to be a waste. He's committing the very sin he is hoping to lampoon. ($5.50, Des Peres, Raye & Kelly)

09/04 "The Razor's Edge" (1984)

*** The love story angle hit the hardest on this viewing. I was stricken how this movie hit me so differently this time then during the previous two viewings. It's sense of depression as expressed by Murray at the end when lamenting the death of a loved one "It just doesn't matter" hits all to hard. "I thought Sophie was my reward for living a decent life. It doesn't work that way". The bitter divorced guy in me really understood. This film/story moved me when I first saw it in college when it came out. ($1.20,$2.00, Blockbuster Video, Anthony, Lesha, Jeff, Lori, John and Ellen Bosman)

09/07 "The Kingdom of Zydeco" (1994)

** OK documentary surrounding the controversy of crowning a new 'king of zydeco' between the old guard, Boo Zoo Chavis and young rebel, Beau Jacques. The camera work was mediocre and the shots and accompanying cultural notes were weak. I made me lament Les Blank's superior efforts in showing the full experience in his documentary shorts. As for the music, Beau's reliance on the electric guitar lessened his appeal in my eyes. My favorite parts were the on the street interviews with the non-amplified accordion and rub board. The dancing shots were mediocre and lacked the energy of Blank's work. ($5.00, Webster University).

09/11 "Barcelona" (1994)

**+ Light romantic comedy about two male cousins in Spain near the end of the Cold War and the beautiful women they keep running into. Not much story line but fairly interesting. Starts out well but the characters never draw you in completely. Enjoyable but forgettable. ($3.00, Creve Coeur)

09/17 "Princess Caraboo" (1994)

** Early 1800's period piece in English country side about a woman (Phoebe Cates) who claims she is ship wreaked and an exotic princess... or is she? Kevin Kline, as the suspicious Greek butler steals every scene he's in. Also has John Lithgow and Stephen Rhea. Generally OK but not significantly moving one way or another. ($5.75, Des Peres, Raye & Kelly)

09/25 "Eat Drink Man Woman" (1994)

***+ Modern day Taipei is the setting for this look at a Taiwanese family in times of personal change. The father is a retired gourmet chief who spends most of his day cooking for his three adult daughters. This is a loving look at their relationships and personalities. I liked it quite a bit and I can't remember a film making me so hungry before. ($3.00, Kirkwood)

10/01 "The River Wild" (1994)

**+ The production values of this picture are all well done: the action photography, locations, acting, dialogue, etc. Meryl Streep is completely believable as a former white-water river guide who takes her family down river on vacation. She beefed up and trained for the role and it shows. She looks rather sexy. The thriller portion comes when they meet up with congenial but creepy Kevin Bacon and friends. The biggest complaint is that it's all too predictable and hence forgettable. ($3.00, Kenrick, Raye & Kelly)

10/08 "Quiz Show" (1994)

***+ Redford directs a well made picture of the quiz show scandals of the late fifties. The closing "what happened to them later" paragraphs were especially chilly with the two main bad guys Dan Enright and ? combing to create the Joker's Wild and to make millions (it was my favorite game show growing up) and with all the contestants basically sliding into oblivion. Rob Marrow as the lawyer Goodwin, is not so good with a annoying New England accent. Ralph Fiennes is excellent as Charles Van Doren. I can't place my finger on why it didn't succeed completely. Maybe all the characters were either annoying or were played by annoying folks. You never got behind them except for Van Doren. There's at least one production gaffe, where they show a theater marque that reads "La Dolce Vita" which didn't get released until 1960, where as this took place in 1958 and Sputnik had just been shot up. Movie people should not have made this mistake, even if they were paying tribute to Fellini. ($3.50, Esquire, Rhonda)

10/09 "Jurassic Park" (1993)

**+ A "King Kong" for the nineties is the best way to sum this film up. It's a fablistic thrill ride with moralistic overtones. The special effects and the "monsters" are the show and are worth the price of admission. The dialogue is laughable, especially all the simplified science described by poorly developed characters. Jeff Goldblum is especially annoying as the Chaos theory mathematician. Laura Dern is wasted in another meaningless role, though paleo-botanist sounds good. The guy who plays Newman on Seinfield was playing the same evil, nerd he does on TV. The sound system sucked at the dollar show and I wish I could have seen it at a real theater that have made the seats rumble and shake. It will lose even more on video tape on a mono-stereo system TV (it was just released a week ago). ($1.00, Sunset Hills)

10/18 "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994)

***+ I really enjoyed this film and felt good coming out. Stephen King wrote the story this was based on, proving once again to me, while he may be the King of horror in the books stores, the only films worth anything are the ones made from his straight stories (i.e. "Misery" and "Stand By Me"). Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are top notch as two inmates at a maximum security prison in Maine over thirty years. The feel of the place was great. The growth of their friendships and characters, as well as the others, is the story. Everything works well in the film. I love the way it begins, though it may drag a little at the very end. I wouldn't mind seeing this again. ($2.75, Crestwood)

10/28 "The Road to Wellville" (1994)

** Alan Parker has scripted and directed a very strange tale of a health spa in the late 1800's. The film looks wonderful. The set designs and costumes were really terrific. Anthony Hopkins has a scene stealing field day as the wacky, buck toothed Dr. Kellogg of the Battlecreek Sanitarium (yes it's that Kellogg). The good doctor gives people yogurt enemas and sings the praises of chewing your food, vegetarianism, celibacy ("an erection is the flag pole on your tombstones", "Life is just death postponed"). Bridget Fonda and Matthew Broderick are a couple who check in to get themselves well. John Cusack and Dana Carvey have small distracting parts about trying to get into the cereal business. The film doesn't work having committed the fatal mistake of having an entire cast of characters who aren't very likable or sympathetic. The story is a meandering mess also. The only point seems to poke fun at the silliness of the people who go to the sanitarium. Well that and seeing Bridget Fonda's breasts, among others. Not totally unenjoyable but then again. ($3.00, Kenrick)

10/30 "Ed Wood" (1994)

*** Tim Burton directs Johnny Depp in a very sympathetic look at the maker of the truly awful films "Plan Nine from Outer Space" and "Glen or Glenda". After seeing this picture, I almost wanted to see these pictures again now that I understand how they came about. I said almost. The quality of Wood's pictures are on par with Jake's and mine "Slice of Life" or one of Steve Swaine's high school efforts. Burton makes the cross dressing Wood and his band of kooks seem sympathetic and misunderstood. Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi is sure to get a supporting Oscar nomination. This is Burton's most serious and dramatic film, it continues with his common theme of outsiders from society. ($3.75, Crestwood)

11/05 "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994)

**+ Ok Woody Allen film with John Cusack in the lead as a struggling playwright during prohibition. The story line centers on the compromises he makes in order to get his play on Broadway. If Woody were younger this lead role would have definitely gone to Allen and the film definitely suffers from his absence on the screen. Allen's persona would have been a lot funnier then Cusack's rather straight portrayal. The supporting cast of Diane West, Tracey Ulman and others was pretty good, but the picture never really clicks. Not all that funny or thoughtful and somewhat predictable. It's a bit of a disappointment. ($5.95, Des Peres, Jake, Kathy & Dena)

11/15 "Julliett of the Spirits" (1965)

*** Fellini's following film to "8 1/2". It's his first film in color and he indulges himself in the best/worst of 60's colors and styles. The story centers on Juliet, a middle aged house wife (Fellini real wife and frequent star) and her troubled marriage. She is haunted by a Felliniesque group of spirits and images, particularly the martyrdom of a Catholic saint at a funeral pyre in a school play. Not nearly as much fun as some of his other work. He seems to be trying to project himself to his wife's character and it isn't quite as effective. ($5.00, Webster University)

11/20 "Star Trek: Generations" (1994)

*** I liked it. Though, he didn't have the "lead" this is definitely a showcase for William Shatner and makes for a fitting end for James Tiberus Kirk. Piccard and Data are given the major sub-plot leads but I could see where some of the TNGers feel a little slighted in their roles (i.e. Ricker, Crusher and Troi). The time travel/eternal pleasure of the Nexxus is a real weak story link. It doesn't hold up too any scrutiny and it keeps the picture from moving up to the next higher level. ($6.00, Kenrick)

11/22 "Fellini's Satyricon" (1969)

??? Unenjoyable. Fellini at his self indulgent worst. The story centers on the sodomitic imagery of it's bisexual heros(?) in a Felliniesque, dream scape of the Roman empire. There's no real plot and the characters are unlikable and unsympathetic. It isn't fun and it's much darker then his other pictures, I've seen. Nina Rota's scoring, a usual highlight, is just annoying. There's a general lack of attractive women prominently displayed (as is usual in a Fellini film) but if you want to see lots of boys, young men and some really grotesque characters in loin clothes this is the film for you. The "human lighter" bit near the end was pretty funny in a sick, misogynistic kind of way. I was glad when it was over. I doubt anyone would bother seeing it if Fellini hadn't made it. Reminded me of the truly awful 1971 Italian version of "The Canterbury Tales" I saw at Wash. U. circa 1988. ($5.00, Webster University)

11/25 "Pulp Fiction" (1994)

**** This is one seriously, fucking good movie! If that bothers, you won't enjoy this black comedy. It's about people who say and more importantly do terrible things in the most casual manner. The stories surround drug addicts, robbers, muscle men for the drug business and crocked boxers. All the story elements seem unrelated at first but all tie together very satisfactorily in the end, albeit in a non-linear way. It's a film that will definitely disturb and bother many (the first clue is Harvey Kietel is in it, in a role similar to his in "Point of No Return"?). The script is excellent, the plot twists are fresh and the dialogue is real and very funny (i.e. the foot message debate). The characters were genuine in a "pulp-ish" kind of way. John Travolta, Samuel Jackson, Bruce Willis and Uma Thurman are all excellent, as is the supporting cast. The only negative comment is that it was a little slow in places. Look for Oscar nominations (and possible wins) for best picture, Quentin Tarantino for direction and screenplay as well as possible supporting acting nominations for Jackson and/or Willis. There's is an obvious comparison to "Natural Born Killers" (NBK) due to the proximity of their release and the common nonchalant depiction of acts of extreme violence. This film is a lot more fun to watch and listen to. The plot elements are more meaningful and the characters, while despicable by their acts, are enjoyable to hang out with for the time being. You don't really want to see them die, though I was hoping for EVERYONE in NBK to get it. I wanted to see "Pulp Fiction" again, right afterwards. A rarity for me. ($3.75, Kenrick, Raye & Kelly)

12/09 "Drop Zone" (1994)

** Wesley Snipes in a no brainer actioner. Sky diving scenes are excellent but reality has to be suspended especially during the opening plane explosion scenes (aero-space engineers will groan). ($5.75, Esquire, Rhonda & Reggie)

12/17 "The Last Seduction" (1994)

***+ Excellent, sexy film noire. Linda Fiorentino is aces as Wendy Krow. She sets a new standard for ice-cold manipulative, bitches. While not what you would call a positive roll model, this is the strongest female character to come along in awhile. She is smart and in control. Praying on their sexual desires, she plays the men in her life like a concert pianist. Her acting is totally believable but it's buoyed by an exceptionally well written and tight script. The supporting cast does an excellent job of completing the film. Look for Oscar nominations for screenplay and best actress, though I doubt it will for best picture. It's just to dark. I found out latter that the Academy ruled it ineligible based on a showing on HBO before its theatrical release. Pity. ($2.50, Hi-Pointe)

12/24 "The Thin Man" (1935)

**** William Powell and Myrna Loy are simply terrific as Nick and Nora Charles solving a series of murders at Christmas time. Their drinking habits wouldn't be considered PC today but I still got a kick out of it on the fourth or fifth viewing. ($1.06, Schnucks video, Mom)

12/26 "IQ" (1994)

**+ Cute romantic comedy about Einstein (Walter Matthau) trying to fix up his niece (Meg Ryan) with a mechanic (Tim Robbins). Not much depth to the script or story (and the science will annoy some nerds) but the three stars are all enjoyable to watch and hang out with, especially Ryan's smile. ($8.00, Kenrick, Rhonda)

12/27 "Little Women" (1994)

*** Excellent but at the risk of sounding like a too much of a guy, this seems to be more of a chick flick. Lots of hugging and scenes of females lending cuddling support to one another. There's nothing wrong with this but it may be a tad over done here. Winona Ryder is excellent (Oscar nomination a possibility but a doubtful win). It's nice to see her in a real strong role as opposed to the helpless waif, victims she has been playing since "Heathers" I never read the book so it's hard to know if the positive and up to date role models are typical of the story or if they have been updated at all. The feel of the sets and locations were also top notch. ($6.00, some KC theater, Jeff Stitt, Brad Kline, Kathy Kline and Chris Umminger)

12/30 "Ready To Wear (Pret-A-Porter)" (1994)

**+ Fairly typical, albeit weak, Robert Altman film in it's composition. It has a complex series of sub-plots with some of the best actors and actresses in small or walk on rolls. This time the subject matter is the fashion industry and the big fall show in Paris. The big message is that the fashion world is without meaning, morals, preys on people's insecurities, superfluous, and idiotic, etc. Like D- aaaa-hh! I was hip to that concept since I was a kid having heard the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes", which didn't resort to using a recurring dog shit image to get it's point across. It's also hard to take this message this message from the people laundry list of designers, models and high fashion actresses that were in the film. Still it was nice to see Anouk Aimee, Marcello Mastrioanni and the still stunningly beautiful and sexy, Sophia Loren. Not a bad film but not a very good one either. ($5.75, some KC theater, Mike Mall and Mike Napoli)

12/31 "Animal House" (1977)

**** Sure, it's immature, vulgar, and from a male centered view point but this classic comedy about college and fraternities is consistently funny throughout and has never failed to make me laugh, even though I have seen it nearly ten times. The actors, dialogue and sets are all terrific. It is required viewing for cultural literacy in the late 20th Century. I would argue that this film has done more to modify American society in the last 20 years then any other movie (though not necessarily positively from all perspectives). Granted I'm biased though, having seen it I thought being in a fraternity would be fun and wasn't that what college was all about? ($0.00, cable, Mike Mall, Anthony and Mary)

Total Number of Movies Not Seen Before 64

Total Number of Movies Seen again 11

Total Money Spent - Randy $264.27

Total Money Spent - Others $5.56