Boxoffice-June.1989

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— M\r then forces him to tag along as Beck crashes a biker's hangout. This sequence ends with a prolonged foot chase between Beck and a suspect, during which the queasy cop proves to be surprisingly agile, only to vomit all over his prey when he finally tackles him. It's a very funny moment in a disgusting way, and it also paints Beck as a flawed and embarrassingly real charac- Unfortunately, "Dead-Bang" slowly surrenders to predictable action film fodder, and the shoot-out at the finale, although photographed expertly, is so pedestrian that it < as a crashing disappointment. What had started out interesting study of a common and fairly unremarkable lawman ultimately places him in a hyped-up and wholly unbelievable predicament, destroying the very credible work that Johnson had done up to that point. The actor's big screen career will no doubt continue to flounder as long as he keeps appearing in uneven projects like this. Rated R for strong language and violence, Turn Matthews TROOP BEVERLY HILLS stun mi; ShcUcy Long, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross, Craig T Nelson, and Carla Gugino Produced hy Ava Ostem Fries Directed by Jejf Kanew Written by Pamela Norris & Margaret Grieco Oberman A Fries Entertainment and Avanti Production Comedy, Rated PC Runnino time 105 mins If they gave out merit badges for bad Judgement, the creative minds at WEG might deser\'e a couple. Two weeks for this lame-brained, laughless farce earned a pale $8 million. Imagine "Animal House" retold from the other fraternity's point of view — Delta's tanned, blond, dandified rivals — and you've got a pretty fair idea what a miscalculated hodgepodge "Troop Beverly Hills" amounts to. It stars Shelley Long as a stupid, shallow Beverly Hills housewife who becomes den mother to her daughter's Wilderness Girls troop. If you've never heard of the Wilderness Girls, that's because, like everything else in this movie, they have no correlative in reality. The Girl Scouts, Campfire Girls, Indian Guides and Brownies of the worid all shrewdly refused to lend their names to this ineptly prepared mishmash. Would that Shelley Long, Betty Thomas, and even the city of Beverly Hills had been so protective of their reputations. Betty Thomas, late and great of "Hill Street Blues," comes into it as Velda Plendor (?), virtual Reichsmarshal of rival troop Culver City. Pledged to decertify the namby-pamby Beverly Hills troop any way she can, she deputizes luckless Mary Gross to infiltrate them. Will Thomas succeed in sabotaging Troop B,H.'s bid for accreditation? Will Gross put aside her spy camera and ally herself with the poor little rich girls in earnest? Will Long win back the love and respect of her estranged husband and skeptical daughter by trouncing the competition in the annual Wilderness Girls scouting outing? Will any of these actors ever work again? Of course they will. If people will forgive Shelley Long for "Hello Again," they'll forgive her for anything. She's the Wemher Von Braun of comedy. No matter what atrocities she's been party to, what evils of banality her collaborators have perpetrated on a guileless public, she's just too blamed proficient at what she does ever to want for a job. Her pratfalls, her double takes, even her spit takes are all accomplished with an eerie, almost animatronic precision. Maybe that's why teaming her with brash, spontaneous Bette Midler in "Outrageous Fortune" worked out so well. Midler bear-hugs her characters, while Long always seems to handle hers with calipers. "Troop Beveriy Hills" cast members Long, Betty Thomas and Mary Gross are all alumnae of Troupe Chicago, the Second City improvisational comedy ensemble which has now bequeathed to Hollywood more comic actors than "Your Show of Shows" did comedy writers. The script by "Saturday Night Live" writers Pamela Norris and Margaret Grieco Oberman for 'Troop Beverly Hills" is so slapdash that one has to wonder how much worse it could have been, or indeed how much better it might have been, if the actors had been allowed to make the picture up as they went along Biu movies need backing, and backers need scripts — even lousy ones. Scripts need ideas, too, and the idea for this one had the misfortune to come from producer Ava Ostem Fries, who headed up her own daughter's Beverly Hills scout troop until she'd squeezed enough material out of them for a movie deal. If only for her daughter's sake, pray the other scouts never see "Troop Beverly Hills." She'd never live it down Rated PG for some harmless innuendo -David Kipen SING Starring Peter Dubson, Jessica Steen, Lonaine and Louise Lasser Produced hy Craig Zadan Directed by Richard Baskin Written by Dean Pitchford A Tri-Star release Musical-drama, rated PG-13 Running time: 97 mm Screening date 3/27/89 Three weeks for this so-so street musical grossed a paltry $2.2 million, coming nowhere near its $1 1.5 million budget. "Smg" is set in and around the streets of Brooklyn, where teenagers of all types are preparing for the legendary Sing competitions, the real-life musical contests which provided early stage experience for the likes of Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, and Simon and Garfunkel. High schools throughout the community mount elaborate revues in an attempt to outdo the competition, and over at Central High, Miss Loinbardo (Lorraine Bracco). a teacher who has just returned to her alma mater, is determined to take the top prize. Her problem is that her two most promising performers are Hannah (Jessica Steen), a lily-white beauty from a troubled home, and Zametti (Peter Dobson), a street thug and common thief who is being forced to participate in the competition against his will. Hannah and Zametti can't stand each other at first, but just as sure as love conquers all, opposites attract, and lily-white beauties always fall for thugs from the wrong side of the tracks, the two ultimately fall in love. But that's only after their high school is threatened by the ^ wrecking ball and they and their classmates resolve to put on (^ the best Sing ever. As quick as you can say, "Hey, kids, let's put on a show!" the students of Central and their families have pulled together to prove just what the doomed urban school is capable of. "Sing" is an unabashedly corny hunk of hokum, and it's unlikely that general audiences will warm to it (its no-name cast won't help). It would stand a chance if its music were first-rate, but much of the soundtrack music is performed by some of the wimpiest mainstays on the Top 40 charts (Micky Thomas, Nia Peebles, Kevin Cronin), and only a few of the theatrical presentations which the students perform are that impressive (Rachel Sweet performs a little ditty called "Life Ain't Worth Living (When You're Dead)" which is a showstopper). It's all perfectly watchable and listenable, but there is very little of the excitement that was found in "Flashdance," "Footloose" or "Dirty Dancing." Rated PG-13 for language and violence.— ro>?i Matthews SIGNS OF LIFE Starring Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio, Kevin / O'Cimncr, WiU Patt(m, Mary Louise Parker and Beau Bridges Produced by Marcus Viscidi & Andrew Reichsman Directed hy John David Coles Written by Mark Malorie An Avenue Pictures release Drama, rated PG-13 Running time: 91 min. Screening date: 3/16/89- BeautifuUy photographed on the coast of Maine, 'Signs of Life" centers on the closing of a decades-old boatyard, and the impact it has on its employees. Owen Coughlin (Arthur Kennedy), the owner of the decrepit business, is a c.iu.stv old bird who despises the modem technology that has fern cd ilu' . In.sing, and who clings to the desperate hope that ihcn- icm.nns at least one more person who wants a boat built the nUlfashioned way. Daryl (Vincent Phillip D'Onofrio) ami 1 / (Kevin J. O'Connor) look upon their impending uncnii'loN V ment as an opportunity to finally do what they've ,il\\,i\.s longed to do: move to Florida and become salvage divers. And John (Beau Bridges), with four kids and another on the way, sees only an impending financial crisis. As we got to know each man. we begin to see their quirks i R-35 BOXOFFICE
— and their unique problems. Owen is slowly sinking into senility and he begins seeing visions of his father as a "young man, taunting Owen for allowing the boat-building company to founder. Daryl and Eddie, it turns out, may not find it so easy to pack up and leave town; Daryl has a retarded brother (Michael Lewis) who would have to be left behind, and Eddie has a girlfriend (played by a wide-eyed, moon-faced lovely named Mary Louise Parker) who will simply not let him go. And John, in a weak moment, steals several hundred dollars" from a hardware store. The resolutions to these problems should form the heart of the story, but most are left open-ended and unanswered by inexplicably poor editing. Huge portions of the stoiy seem to be missing, with the subplot involving Bridges handled especially pooriy; it is simply forgotten for'much of the movie, and it never comes to any kind of finish. There is absolutely no hint about what the consequences finally are for his crirrie. Which is too bad, because "Signs of Life" has elements of greatness. The cast is superb, from Kennedy's first film performance in over ten years, all the way down to a small but charming appearance by Georgia Engel, best known as Ted Baxter's mouse-like wife on "The MaVy Tyler Moore Show." And there are also unexpected moments of magic which give the film an enchanted feel (one character drowns and is somehow brought back to life, while at the same time we are given hints that Owen's visions of his father may not be hallucinations at all). We can only assume that somewhere along the way this small and well-intentioned movie ran into money problems and was forced to cut comers on what we're guessing was a very good script. As a result it is a frustratingty unsatisfying movie, and it will no doubt suffer as a result. Rated PG-13 for language and sexual situations.— Tom Matthews THE MIGHTY QUINN Stamng Denzel Washington, M Emmet Walsh and Robert Townsend Produced by Sandy Lieberson and Marion Hunt and Ed Elbert Directed by Carl Schenkel Written by Hampton Fancher An MGM/UA release Mystery, rated R Running time 90 mm Screening date: 3/19/89 It garnered a couple of miUion-doUar reviews, but this amiable, unsatisfying mystery hardly caused a ripple. With half-hearted support from MGM/UA, it earned about $4 million in six weeks. Walsh) who is involved with the theft of recalled $100,000 bills from America. These two plots (the murder and the scramble for the purioined loot) only barely intersect, providing a confusing and unsatisfying conclusion to this muddled mystery If nothing else, "The Mighty Quinn" is the sunniest example of film noir yet attempted. It certainly has some of the stylish touches of a classic murder mystery, and it also has the offbeat hipness and intriguing locales of "The Big Easy." But the components just don't jell here. Washington is fine, although he seems too young for the role and also has trouble maintaining his Jamaican accent. And while the reggae soundtrack i.s very lively, its use within the film is clumsy (in numerous scenes in which we are watching "live" bands, the music is obviously studio-recorded and distractingly slick). One wants to encourage a film this quirky and which features a rare black male lead, but this weak effort doesn't make the grade Rated R for language and violence— Tom Matthews THE LUCKIEST MAN IN THE WORLD Starring Philip Bosco. Dons Belack, Joanne Camp Matthew Gottlieb and Arthur French Produced by Norman 1 Cohen. Written and directed bu Frank D Gilroy A McLaughlin, Piven, Vogel, Inc release Comedy, not rated Running time: 82 min. Screening date: 2/16/89- New York character, that's what Frank Gilroy's "The Luckiest Man in the World" has - lots of it, but not much else It's chock-a-block with half-funnv, half-off'ensive stereotypes a Type-A compulsive garment center tycoon (Philip Bosco); his hard-boiled housewife (Doris Belack), who's come to terms with hubby's infidelities; his son (Matthew Gottlieb), a drag queen with a giant gnidge against dad; his all-giving mistress (Joanne Camp); his crtisty old chauffeur (Arthur French) plus scads of other racial and ethnic stereotypes. The one-joke plot is minimal, and what there is of it is predictable. Bosco dominates the screen as a wealthy man who has been cruel to anyone and everyone he's ever met. But a close brush with death suddenly brings the man to his senses, and he attempts to make amends "in the same pushy way that he'd caused harm. But his wife won't take him back; his son won't give up his hostility; his mistress (in one of the film's few charming To hear Siskel and Ebert tell it, "The Mighty Quinn" is destined to become one of the greatest films released in 1989. But to just about everyone else — including MGM/UA, which IS giving the film only a token release — this tropical mystery will probably only be marginal entertainment at best. Although long on character and local color, this isn't much of a movie. Set in the Bahamas, the movie stars Denzel Washington as Xavier Quinn, the straight-laced chief of police on a remote island. A decent man who is growing increasingly frustrated with seemingly being the only upstanding citizen in this small town of laid-back, carefree natives, Quinn finds himself in a very unpopular position when a white island resident is brutally murdered. The prime suspect is Maubee (Robert Townsend), a boyhood friend of Quinn's who is a charming and fairly corrupt rogue. The entire community sides with the ever-elusive Maubee, leaving Quinn — who is constantly chided for his square behavior — totally alone. On one hand, he would like to believe in his old friend's innocence in order to show the townsfolk that he is one of them. But on the other, Maubee's suspicious behavior (he keeps appearing and vanishing magically throughout the story) seems to color him guilty. Quinn half-heartedly pursues him, almost hoping that he won't be found. It is finally revealed that Maubee had been at the murder scene, but that the death had been caused by the poisonous snake that Maubee's voodoo aunt (Esther Rolle) had sicced on the white man out of revenge. The aunt, however, is dead too, killed by some kind of pseudo-CIA operative (M. Emmet scenes) turns down his marriage proposal; and his chauffeur leaves him stranded on a turnpike. So after a gospel choir stationed in a toilet stall sings "You Can't Get to Heaven on Rollerskates" to him, the tycoon turns his generosity on complete strangers and gets a better response. He enjoys an interracial romantic fantasy, and then everything — preposterously — gets resolved and all is forgiven. Filmed on a shoestring budget in NYC, this flimsy, semisweet comedy has more characters than it has laughs. It's surprising how many vignettes Gilroy has managed to squeeze mto the short running time, but there is so much repetition of the same gags that the film seems to drag on much longer than its 82 minutes. Too bad audiences won't be taken in by quantity rather than quality. The cast is filled with talent (not the least of which is the distinguished star), but the confining screenplay gives no one the opportunity to present himself or herself in more depth than a cartoon. Perhaps "The Luckiest Man in the Worid" will follow in the pattern of "The Gig," Gilroy's last feature, and make from video revenues more than it will from theatre grosses. This unrated film would be suitable for general audiences. Karen Kreps CHOCOLAT Starring Isaach de Bankole, Gmlia Boschi, Francois Cluzet and Cecile Ducasse Directed by Claire Denis. Written by Clair Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau. An Orion Classics release. Drama, rated PG-13 Running time 105 min Screening date: 4/4/89 "Chocolat" is Claire Denis's first film, a semi-autobiographical look at life in the waning years of France's coloniarrule of Cameroon. Set in the late 50's, "Chocolat" explores the delicate balance of relationships in the home of district officer
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Page 3 and 4: 1 EDITOR AND ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Ha
Page 5 and 6: THE MOTION PICTURE SEEN BY OVER 50
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Page 9 and 10: A NOTICE TO ALL INDEPENDENT FILMMAK
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Page 49 and 50: SNEAK PREVIEWS The following films
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Boxoffice-June.1989

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