Aisle Seat Goes Video
by Andy Dursin
I don't feel compelled enough to write a full review of WAG THE DOG,
except to say that if you're a politics junkie and happen to be a big fan
of Robert DeNiro, Dustin Hoffman, or writer David Mamet, I urge you to
check it out. The movie is frequently funny and filled with biting satirical
dialogue and situations. Director Barry Levinson does a superb, low-key
job of filming this cautionary tale, allowing for the script and the terrific
lead performances to do their job without hitting us over the head with
its points. Not hysterically funny and somewhat redundant, WAG THE DOG
isn't the best movie of 1997, but it is one of the most insightful satires
to appear on the screen in quite some time, and the Hoffman-DeNiro pairing
(both seem like they had a blast filming this one) is reason enough for
interested viewers to give it a shot.
That said, TITANIC ruled theaters everywhere for the 4th straight weekend.
This movie defies all of the typical Hollywood conventions for a film's
lifespan at the box-office; it's the rare picture that actually went out
and has been making consistent money each weekend without suffering from
the massive fallout virtually every movie does in theaters. Why? Well,
it's simple--people love this film. It appeals to all ages of movie-goers,
and has perhaps the strongest word of mouth going for it of any film made
this decade. The repeat business the movie has received (theaters were
sold out again this weekend nationwide) is just staggering, but isn't this
the way most movies should be? Good enough to see a second time, and recommend
without hesitation to your friends and colleagues? TITANIC seems headed
for a record box-office gross, which is certainly vindication for James
Cameron, who suffered through months and months of obnoxious "look
how much it costs!" negative writing from much of the mainstream press.
Now that the movie has passed the $200 million mark and shows no signs
of stopping, Cameron can rest knowing that his film already has its deserved
place in cinematic history. It's an experience that few films have ever
achieved before, and certainly the first movie in years to capture people's
attention and the public's imagination to such a great degree.
If you've already gone back to see it and desire new viewing, FALLEN
and THE FLOOD (oh sorry, HARD RAIN) both open this week---and I would pass
on both, at least judging from the poor reviews and awful word-of-mouth
both have generated over the last few months. If you're into renting some
videos, there are a handful of new releases on store shelves, some of which
may be worth a look...
*ON VIDEO
THE SAINT (***): After reading all the bad reviews, I decided to pass
on seeing this Val Kilmer revamp of the old Roger Moore series in theaters,
though I did get a lot of "the movie was great!" reactions from
several of my usually reliable friends. After watching the movie on video,
I can see why viewers did overlook the film's shortcomings and enjoy the
picture--it has to be one of the most purely romantic spy pictures ever
made, with strong chemistry between Kilmer and Elisabeth Shue (ok, so she's
not entirely believable as a cold fusion scientist) overcoming those omnipresent
gaps in logic and plot. Director Phillip Noyce (PATRIOT GAMES,CLEAR AND
PRESENT DANGER, DEAD CALM) makes good use of the Russian locales and his
cast, and spends enough time on the love story so that we actually care
about the characters and what happens to them. The movie also boasts atmospheric
cinematography by Phil Meheux (GOLDENEYE) and a terrific Graeme Revell
score that deftly incorporates Edwin Astley's classic TV theme into its
superb mix of synths and strings. THE SAINT makes for a great date movie
all around, and even if you can't take a look at the widescreen laser (complete
with scripted commentary from the director), it's definitely worth a rental.
(118 mins, PG-13)
SPEED 2-CRUISE CONTROL (**): A decade ago, virtually every successful
movie had a sequel--whether it needed one or not. These days, a movie really
has to make back its buck and have some contract clauses attached before
someone decides to produce a follow-up. Unfortunately for Jan DeBont, the
director of that blockbuster TWISTER decided to use his newfound clout
to make this totally unnecessary sequel to his first big hit, SPEED, a
movie that never cried out for another installment to begin with. Keanu
Reeves wisely decided to bypass this ridiculously overbudgeted and underwritten
disaster flick, which places the "action" on a cruise ship taken
over by madman Willem Dafoe, who attempts to steer this Love Boat literally
into the lovely beaches and boardwalks of St.Martin. Just happening to
be there for the ride is Sandra Bullock, totally out of her element, and
Keanu fill-in Jason Patric, who tries valiantly to reach heroic stardom
in one of his few leading man roles. Sadly for Jason, the film is so absurd
that it can never once be taken seriously, and the dialogue is so thin
that the first 80 minutes of the film feel permanently aground. Despte
all of this, the last half-hour actually IS entertaining, thanks to some
excellent ILM effects (a warm-up for their work on TITANIC) and plenty
of mass destruction. When it's over, though, the movie still feels as pointless
as its initial premise, compounded by a reprise of the film's unfunny comical
prologue with Sandra and driving instructor Tim Conway wrecking havoc in
Los Angeles. A sorry mess all around--with some good special effects. (125
mins, PG-13).
CONSPIRACY THEORY (***): Richard Donner's first satisfying movie of
the '90s (following his disastrous RADIO FLYER and ASSASSINS, not to mention
the mediocre LETHAL WEAPON 3 and MAVERICK), CONSPIRACY THEORY is an agreeable
thriller featuring Mel Gibson as an Oliver Stone-type nut who believes
that there's a dastardly motive behind every newspaper headline. Patrick
Stewart is the suspicious mystery man who may or may not be the villain,
and Julia Roberts's attorney is the object of Gibson's affection, though
it's hard to imagine what she sees in him other than serving to propel
the story forward. Somewhat contrived for the first hour, this slick suspenser
does get more involving once its secondary plot kicks into gear (which
the studio wisely decided to withhold from its trailers and pre-release
publicity), with Donner's quick pacing making up for the standard gaps
in logic and story construction which typically accompany films from this
genre. It would have been more interesting to see the movie go completely
over the edge into another direction with Gibson's character (it ultimately
goes only halfway there), but it's still an enjoyable film that successfully
maintains its level of uneasy paranoia from start to finish. (130 mins,
R; this Panavision film is best viewed in widescreen on laserdisc and DVD).
TROJAN WAR (**1/2): If you sat through every John Hughes teen comedy
in the '80s and have seen SECRET ADMIRER with C. Thomas Howell to the point
where your VHS copy has worn thin, you just might want to check out this
unreleased, intended-for-theaters flick about a lusty teen trying to score
with the class babe, and how his inability to find a condom ruins his night.
Sounds tasteless, but the execution in this frothy affair is as mainstream
as you can possibly get, with virtually every scene originating either
from MYSTERY DATE, the enjoyable 1990 Ethan Hawke comedy (itself a teen
variation on AFTER HOURS), or the before-mentioned SECRET ADMIRER. The
predicaments are predictable but there are some genuine laughs sprinkled
throughout, in addition to amusing cameos by Lee Majors (as "Lt.Austin,"
no less) and Anthony Michael Hall. As the best friend of the teen protagonist
who secretly loves her guy, PARTY OF FIVE's Jennifer Love Hewitt is perky
and pretty, but also so much more appealing in every department than the
hero's desired love that it's impossible to believe that nobody has ever
noticed her obvious personal or physical attributes before. Not a great
movie by any standards, it's clear that Warner Bros. could never have released
this sure-to-have-generated-controversy title to theaters, but if you enjoy
the occasional rerun of JUST ONE OF THE GUYS on the Superstation, don't
let that deter you from taking this one for a spin in your VCR. (84 mins,
PG-13)
SPAWN (*1/2): Todd McFarlane's celebrated, demonic comic-book hero got
the shaft twice last year, first in a series of lame made-for-HBO cartoons,
then later in this static big-screen adaptation, featuring Michael Jai
White as the hellish protagonist, Martin Sheen as a government bigwig,
Nicol Williamson reprising his Merlin role from EXCALIBUR, and John Leguiziamo
as a fat midget clown. The ILM animated sequences of hell and the various
servants of Lucifer are certainly impressive to behold, but surrounding
these FX shots are totally uninteresting, blandly filmed live-action scenes
that feel like a bad "USA Original Movie" premiere. Director
Mark Dippe was once an ILM employee, so it's no wonder the film has visual
snap in the action scenes, but someone else should have been brought into
handle the actual story and characters, thinly drawn as they are. New Line
is offering its theatrical PG-13 version on VHS as well as a R-rated "Director's
Cut" on laser, featuring--get ready--one minute of excised gore. Not
worth it in any format. (PG-13, 93 mins. on tape; R, 94 mins. on laser)
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dursina@worldnet.att.net
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