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isfc Instinct
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ming Attractions:
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; Year in Review

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The business magazine of the motion picture industry
MARCH, 1992 VOL.128 NO. 3
// ;.s not Ihr ainxoer that enlightens, but the t/ues
-Eugene lonesro
ON THE COVER
Michael Douglas plays a San Francisco homicide
detective who becomes sexually involved
w/ith a murder suspect (Sharon Stone)
in Paul Verhoeven's controversial "Basic Instinct,"
a March release from TriStar.('See
cover story, page 8)
FEATURES
16
Cover photo by Bettina Rheims
REVIEWS—Following page 24
Final Analysis

EDITOR AND ASSOCIATI
PUBLISHEF
Harley W. Loni'
George Lucas, one of the most commercially
successful producers in film history, has motion picture. He is clearly among the top
'Wolf has all the markings of a major event
been named recipient of the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences' Irving C. entertainment world, and we're very pleased
creative figures in virtually all aspects of the
Thalberg Award, honoring him as a "creative to welcome him to the Columbia family."
producer whose body of work reflects a consistently
high quality of motion picture pro-
Knowledge" and "Heartburn," both of which
Among Nichols other films are "Carnal
also starred Nicholson, and, most recently,
duction." loining the ranks of such recent
honorees as his friend Steven Spielberg and
the legendary Billy Wilder, Lucas will pick up
his trophy at the Oscar ceremony on March
30. This marks only the 31st time the award
has been presented in the Academy's 63 year
history; considered one of the industry's most
prestigious career achievement awards, it is
voted on by the Academy's Board of Governors.
Lucas, of course, is best known as producer
and/or director of the "Star Wars" and
"Indiana Jones" trilogies, and, in recent years,
for a variety of technical innovations that have
improved the quality of motion picture presentation,
including THX sound. In announcing
the award, the Academy governors noted
that Lucas "has carried the producer's role
beyond the post-production phase of moviemaking
into the theaters in which his and
others' pictures are experienced. His leadership
in encouraging exhibitors throughout the
nation to upgrade their sound and projection
quality [has been] an incalculable service to
the motion picture art."
The Directors Guild of America has announced
that 81 year-old Japanese filmmaker
Akira Kurosawa (who recently announced
plans to begin production on his 30th film,
"Not Ready Yet") will be the recipient of their
highest honor, the D.W. Griffith Award, in
recognition of a lifetime contribution to film.
Also announced were the nominees for this
year's DCA directorial achievement award:
Jonathan Demme for "The Silence of the
Lambs," Barry Levinson for "Bugsy," Ridley
Scott for "Thelma and Louise," Oliver Stone
for"jFK"and Barbra Streisand for "The Prince
of Tides." Scott, Demme and Streisand are
first-time nominees, while Levinson and Stone
had each been nominated two times previously.
Levinson won the coveted honor in
1988 for "Rainman," while Stone won both
previous times he was nominated, for "Platoon"
in 1986 and "Born on the Fourth of |uly"
in 1 989. The DCA winner has gone on to win
the Oscar for Best on all but three occasions
since the award was established in 1949. This
year's winner will be announced March 14.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Mike
Nichols has signed a two-year first-look deal
with Columbia Pictures, and is set to direct
the romantic thriller "Wolf" for the studio,
lack Nicholson is reportedly confirmed to star
in "Wolf," which is based on a novel by |im
Harrison, while Michelle Pfeiffer may play the
female lead. LJnder the Columbia deal, Nichols
will both direct and produce films for the
studio, where he has previously directed "The
Graduate" (for which he won a Best Director
Oscar) "Silkwood" and "Postcards From the
Edge." Of the pact, Columbia chairman Mark
Canton said, "We're thrilled that Mike is returning
to Columbia. ..Under his direction.
"Regarding Henry," which starred
Ford.
Harrison
Meanwhile, Columbia's parent company,
Sony Pictures Entertainment, signed former
Universal and Paramount president Ned
Tanen to a long-term, exclusive production
deal. During his tenures at Universal and
Paramount, Tanen was responsible for such
boxoffice smashes as "American Graffiti,"
"The Deer Hunter," "National Lampoon's Animal
House," "Top Gun," "The Untouchables,"
"The Naked Gun" and "Fatal
Attraction." He had also given early career
breaks to such renowned filmmakers as
George Lucas, John Hughes and Robert
Zemeckis. Of the addition of Tanen to SPE's
roster, studio chairman Peter Guber said:
"Ned Tanen is an absolutely unique talent in
our business, his accomplishments are legion,
and he's a symbol of what this business is
about at its very best."
And over at Paramount, TV producer Stan
Rogow has signed a multi-year, television and
motion picture production agreement. Paramount
Pictures chairman Brandon Tartikoff,
formerly the head of NBC, had previously
worked with Rogow at that network. This
latest signing, the first in which an NBC-associated
producer has jumped ship to Paramount,
has renewed fears among many
industry wags that Tartikoff will begin importing
TV producers to Paramount in efforts to
speed up productivity and cut costs. Last year,
Rogow was producer of Paramount's "All I
Want For Christmas," a quickie production
that was the first film Tartikoff green-lighted
as studio head. Among Rogow's other feature
production credits is Warner Bros. "Clan of
the Cave Bear."
Bits and Pieces: In France for the opening
of ")FK, director Oliver Stone, whose mother
is French, picked up the country's Order of
Arts and Letters Award. ..Spinal Tap has reunited,
but not for a sequel to ttie smash
rocumentary spoof "This is Spinal Tap"—at
least not yet. For now, they'll be putting out a
new album, entitled "Break Like the Wind,"
which will feature guest spots by such real-life
rock stars as Jeff Beck and Guns N' Roses
guitarist Slash. ..Robert Altman's eagerly anticipated
Hollywood satire, "The Player/' has
been picked up for domestic distribution by
New Line for a reported $5 million following
a bidding war that included most of the majors.
Produced by Avenue Pictures, it stars Tim
Robbins as a studio executive who murders a
screenwriter...Tim Burton will direct the film
version of Stephen Sondheim's Tony Awardwinning
musical "Sweeney Todd," which will
be adapted by his "Edward Scissorhands"
scripter Caroline Thompson.
SENIOR EDITOF
Jeff Schwage
ASSOCIATE EDITOF
Marilyn Mosi
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Kimberly Crowie)
CONTRIBUTING WRITER?
John Allei
Bruce Austir
George T. Chroni;
Man Florencf
Ray Green(
Alan Kar;
Karen Krep;
Fern Siege
Mort Wax (International News
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— a
HOLLYWOOD REPORT
which was a big favorite at
January's Sundance Film Festival.
Helen Hunt plays Stoltz's
faithful girlfriend, while Elizabeth
Pena also co-stars. (Samuel
Goldwyn Company)
"Encino Man" Pauly Shore
recent emergence of inner-city
filmmaking, this could be it—
modern epic set in the Latino
community, where the lives of
three childhood friends (newcomers
Damian Chapa, Benjamin
Bratt and Jesse Borrego) are
inextricably linked. During a
stars in this comedy about a
high school student who digs up
span of 1 years, their adult lives
take diverse and unexpected
Tim Robbins
Db Roberts" Tim Robbins
II Durham"), one of
lollywood's least conventional
nd most talented young actors,
lakes his writing-directing
ebut with this contemporary
olitical satire. Robbins plays
jlk
tie
character, a right-wing
singer who's running for a
S. Senate seat. Described as a
ross between "This is Spinal
ap" and "The Manchurian
andidate," its release is expected
to coincide with this
[ear's presidential election. Cotarring
are Ciancarlo Esposito
'Do the Right Thing") and auhor
Core Vidal. The title may
le changed to "Times are
:hangingBack."(T.B.A.)
"Waterland" Oscar-winner
sremy Irons ("Reversal of Forune")
stars in this story of a
:hlldless British history teacher
,nd his wife (Sinead Cusack,
rons' real-life wife) who come
o America to make a new start,
"here, his tales ofa fantastic and
ordid family history in England
nagically come to life before
lis students' eyes. Based on the
rritically acclaimed novel by
:o-star. (Fine line)
liraham Swift, the film is diected
by Stephen Cyllenhaal.
Ithan Hawke and John Heard
"The Waterdance" Paraple-
;ic screenwriter Neil Jimenez
"River's Edge") and Michael
Steinberg co-direct this
look at
he lives of three men confined
wheelchairs: Eric Stoltz
"Mask") is a writer who breaks
lis neck in a hiking accident;
A/esley Snipes ("Jungle Fever")
s a womanizing screw-up; and
A'illiam Forsythe("DickTracy")
s a redneck biker. How these
seemingly disparate characters
nteract during their time in a
ahysical rehabilitation clinic is
:he main subject of the film.
a frozen caveman (affectionately
known as BC) in his backyard
swimming pool. Smelling
the opportunity for fame and
fortune. Shore books him on the
talk show circuit, but his life is
turned upside-down when his
new friend enrolls in school as
an exchange student, where his
primordial instincts drive the
girls crazy. Described as an unusual
prehistoric/present-day
coming of age story, the script
by writers Shaun Schepps and
Dana Olsen ("The 'Burbs") purports
to show how friendship
transcends all generation gaps,
even one that spans 10,000
years. Les Mayfield directs. The
supporting cast includes
Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin
("Toy Soldiers"), Richard Masur
("Heartburn") and Mariette
Hartley. (Buena Vista)
"Passed Away" Bob Hoskins,
Blair Brown, Tim Curry and
Frances McDormand star as
four long-estranged siblings
who return home to bury their
father in this comedy from veteran
screenwriter/neophyte director
Charlie Peters ("Her
Alibi"). Now the constantly
bickering family members have
to face each other, consider
their futures and hope that at the
end of a three day wake Dad is
the only one who gets buried.
William Peterson ("Hard Promises"),
Peter Riegert ("Local
Hero"), Maureen Stapleton ("Interiors")
and Jack Warden ("September")
are among the
co-stars. (Buena Vista)
"Blood ln...Blood Out" Following
the back-to-back successes
of "An Officer and a
Gentleman" and "Against All
Odds," director Taylor
Hackford seemed to have it
made; his films were a touch
corny and old-fashioned, but he
definitely had his finger on
America's pulse. But a pair of
stiffs ("White Nights" and
"Everybody's Ail-American")
later, and after the failure of his
independent production company,
Hackford's just another
guy looking for a hit. With the
turns as they set out on individual
quests for power and survival.
(Buena Vista)
"The Incredible Journey"
How's this for a weird combo
Disney and "Twin Peaks."
David Lynch's favorite editor
Duwayne Dunham ("Blue Velvet")
makes his feature directorial
debut (he helmed an
episode of "Twin Peaks" on TV)
with this animal adventure from
Disney. It tells the story of two
dogs and a cat who are left with
a friend of the family, and, missing
their masters, set out on a
perilous journey across the Sierra
Nevada mountains as they
try to return home. Old Yeller
would be proud. Caroline
Thompson ("The Addams Family")
and Linda Woolverton
wrote the screenplay. The
human cast includes Robert
Hays ("Airplane") and Jean
Smart. (Buena Vista)
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New
York" The gang's all here:
writer-producer John Hughes,
director Chris Columbus,
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci,
Daniel Stern, John Heard and
Catherine O'Hara return for this
sequel to the third highest grossing
film of all time. This time
out, little Kevin McCallister
(Culkin) is separated from his
family during a vacation in New
York (boy does this kid have bad
luck!) and must fend for himself.
And as it happens, burglars
Pesci and Stern are also in
Big Apple at the time. (Fox)
the
"Sister Act" Talk about your
unlikely pairings—Whoopi
Goldberg and Maggie Smith
may be the weirdest duo since
De Vito and Schwarzenegger.
But no, they're not really playing
sisters. Whoopi is Delores
Van Cartier, a Reno lounge
singer who witnesses her boyfriend
committing a gangland
hit. On the run from the mob,
she ends up in a convent under
the control of an imperious
Mother Superior (Smith). As
leader of the church choir. Delores
challenges the Mother's
Whoopi Goldberg
authority—sort of a "One Flew
Over the Nun's Nest." Hot on
the heals of "Thelma and Louise"
and "Bugsy," Harvey Keitel
co-stars. Emile Ardolino ("Dirty
Dancing") directs the screenplay
by Eleanor Bergstein and
the team of Jim Cash and Jack
Epps, Jr. ("Top Gun"). Scott
Rudin ("The Addams Family") is
producer. (Buena Vista)
"Hoffa" After a pair of successful
comedies ("Throw
Momma From the Train" and
"War of the Roses"), Danny De
Vito takes his shot at the bigtime,
directing and co-starring
in this look at the rise and fall of
America's foremost labor
leader. Of course, it
doesn't hurt
that he's got his old pal Jack
Nicholson lined up to play the
title role (Nicholson and De
Vito worked together on "One
Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
and "Terms of Endearment").
No word yet on whether Pulitzer
Prize-winner David
Mamet's script will attempt to
solve the mystery of Hoffa's disappearance
and presumed murder,
or whether it will stick to
the known facts. (Fox)
"Stay Tuned" Peter Hyams
has directed a string of
Hollywood's cheesiest movies
("Capricorn One," "The Star
Chamber" and "The Presidio,"
to name just a few), high-concept
stories that are executed
with all the panache of a TV
movie-of-the-week. This one
sounds no different: it stars John
Ritterand Pam Dawber as a suburban
couple who try to put the
zip back in their marriage by
getting a satellite dish, only to
find themselves mysteriously
transported to television-
Hellivision. Jeffrey Jones and
Eugene Levy co-star. (Warner
Bros.)
March, 1992 5

TRAILERS: MARCH
Gladiator
Set in the world of underground boxing,
tliis is the story of a young man (James Marshall)
forced into the ring to exonerate his
father's name and clear his debts. He forsakes
his girlfriend and a promising academic career
to take on neighborhood gangs, ruthless
promoters and gamblers who ensure that his
encounters will be anything but fair fights.
Cuba Gooding, Jr. ("Boyz N the Hood"), Robert
Loggia ("Big"), Ossie Davis ("Jungle
Fever") and Brian Dennehy ("Presumed Innocent")
co-star for director Rowdy Herrington.
(Columbia, 3/6)
A Very Good Year
Or is it the Year of the Comet? The title's
still up in the air, but the film looks promising.
Written by William Goldman ("Misery"), it's
an old-fashioned romantic thriller, a la "To
Catch a Thief" or "Charade." Penelope Ann
Miller ("Other People's Money") and Tim
Daly star as opposites who learn to love each
other while searching for an invaluable bottle
of wine. Other people want it too, of course,
and that's where the murder, mystery and
suspense come in. Louis Jourdan and Ian
Richardson co-star for director Peter Yates
("Breaking Away"). (Columbia, 3/27)
Once Upon a Crime
John Candy, James Belushi, Cybill Shepherd,
Scan Young, Ornella Muti, Richard
Lewis and Ciancarlo Giannini star in this
comic caper about an American couple
(Lewis and Young) in Europe who attempt to
return a lost dog and collect the reward. When
Wliite Men Can't Jump
Wesley Snipes ("Jungle Fever") and Woody Harrelson (TV's "Cheers") star as a pair
playground basketball hustlers who win big by exploiting their opponents belief th.
Harrelson, a white man, can't play. Written and directed by Ron Shelton, who was al<
responsible for the sensational baseball comedy "Bull Durham." The supporting cast include
Rosie Perez ("Do the Right Thing") and Tyra Ferrell ("Boyz N the Hood"). This'll be release
just in time for the NBA playoffs, so look for big business. (Fox, 3/27)
the dog's owner is found murdered, they end
up as prime suspects. Giannini stars as the
Monte Carlo police inspector assigned to
solve the case. SCTV's Eugene Levy (a co-star
in "Splash") makes his directorial debut. The
screenplay is by Nancy Myers and Charles
Shyer, the team responsible for "Father of the
Bride." (MGM, 3/6)
The Cutting Edge
D.B. Sweeney ("Eight Men Out") stars as an
ex hockey player who leaves the game because
of an injury and sets his sights on becoming
a figure skater. The transition from the
rough and tumble world of hockey to the
more rarefied world of skating proves a difficult
transition, but not as difficult as working
with his temperamental partner (Moira
Kelley).(MGM, 3/6)
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Based on E.M. Forster's first novel, this film
details the tragicomic culture clash between
a widowed Englishwoman (Helen Mirren)
and an Italian half her age (Giovanni
Guidelli). The family of her late husband isn't
too happy, leading to an international showdown.
The stellar supporting cast includes
Judy Davis ("Barton Fink") and Helena
Bonham Carter ("A Room With a View").
Directed by Charles Sturridge and produced
by Derek Granger, the team responsible for
"A Handful of Dust" and TV's "Brideshead
Revisited." (New Line)
Ladybugs
Rodney Dangerfield ("Back to School") r
turns to the screen after a long absence in th
comedy about an under-appreciated er
ployee who volunteers to coach a compan
sponsored girls soccer team. His plan is
impress the boss and get a long deserve
promotion; the catch is that he doesn't kno
the first thing about soccer. Directed by Sii
ney Furie ("Lady Sings the Blues") (Par
mount, 3/27)
Basic Instinct
It doesn't take a math whiz to figure out th
this one needs to bring in a lot of dough
make back its costs: writer Joe Eszterhas ("Ja;
ged Edge") was paid $3 million for his serif
Paul Verhoeven ("Total Recall") was paid 5
million to direct and Michael Douglas ("Wa
6 BoxomcE

eel") was paid a SchwarzeneggeresqueS 1
illion to star. It's about a troubled San Fransco
homicide detective who becomes sexally
involved with the prime suspect (Sharon
one) in a grisly icepick murder. Sound failiar?
It should: it's a virtual sex-change
make of Eszterhas' "Jagged Edge." For an
side look at this controversial film, see our
Dver story on page 8. (TriStar, 3/20)
fly Cousin Vinny
Oscar-winner )oe Pesci ("CoodFellas"),
ho did seriously funny work in "Lethal
i/eapon 2" and "Home Alone," goes the
American IVIe
Oscar-nominated actor Edward James
Olmos ("Stand and Deliver") makes his directorial
debut and stars in this drama about the
Hispanic American experience that spans the
Zoot Suit murders of the '40s through the
mid-'70s. He plays a powerful crime lord
HI
in
omic route once again. He plays Vinny, a
Jrooklyn lawyer who took six years to pass
he bar and is suddenly thrust into court when
lis cousin (Ralph Macchio) is accused of
;illing a convenience store clerk. Vinny has
b learn the ropes fast, and it doesn't help
natters that the judge (Fred Cwynne) is an
)rnery southerner obsessed with the letter of
he law. Written by Dale Launer ("Ruthless
eople"). Directed by Jonathan Lynn ("nuns
3n the Run"). (Fox)
named Santana whose power emanates from
his prison cell and extends to the mean streets
of East Los Angeles. William Forsythe ("Dick
Tracy") co-stars. (Universal)
The Power of One
"Rocky"/"Karate Kid" director John C. Avi-
Idsen returns to the world of competitive fighting
in this period drama of a young South
African orphan (Stephen Dorff) who learns to
battle his brutish Boer classmates in the ring.
He's helped by two men, a former German
P.O.W. (Armin Mueller-Stahl) and a black
(Morgan Freeman) who helps him understand
the inequities of his nation's racial politics.
The legendary John Cielgud ("Arthur") co-

COVER STORY
Bad Instinct?
"I don 7 want to he part ofanything
that lends itself to gaybashing.
But minority groups of
any kind have to accept the possibility
that among them is a sociopath.
Is it wise that the only
villains we ever see on screen be
white male Wasps?" Joe Eszterhas,
screenwriter, "Basic Instinct"
"We're opposed to
the film's
depiction of lesbians as icepickwielding,
man-hating murderers.
It 's not that we want to be portrayed
only in a positive light. We
want balance and fairness. The
first time there 's a gay hero in a
major studiofilm, then I'll accept
gay villains. " Chris Fowler. Executive
Director, Gay and Lesbian
Alliance Against
Defamation (GLAAD)
As
anyone who s driven up
the Sunset Strip in Hollywood
can tell you, billboards
advertising upcoming
films litter the landscape a little
more frequently than palm
trees—which is to say, there are
quite a few of them. But if certain
gay activist groups have their
way, those familiar billboards
will be put to an unconventional
use this month: they'll reveal the surprise
ending of director Paul Verhoeven's bigbudget
thriller "Basic Instinct" (due this
month from TriStar Pictures).
That's just the latest wrinkle in the gay
community's ongoing plan to head off the
possibility of boxoffice success for "Basic
Instinct." The goal: to make Hollywood
think twice about backing what they consider
anti-gay films in the future.
According to Los Angeles GLAAD official
Chris Fowler, the billboard scheme is
just the tip of the iceberg for a gay community
increasingly outraged by the way they
are portrayed by Hollywood. Although he
points out that his organization is not involved
with the billboard plan, he says "it's
one effective method of making our anger
felt. The rage in this community is just
beginning to express itself (The billboards]
Where does an artist 's right to freedom of
expression end and the needfor social re-
sponsibility begin? That's the question
facing the makers of the thriller
'Basic Instinct, " which has outraged the
gay community.
By Jeff Schwager
Senior Editor
nity sees it, this is just one more example of
attempted artistic censorship—a left-wing
version of the preemptive production code
that Cardinal Roger Mahoney is trying to
force upon the industry (see National News.
page 24). And, frankly, both sides make
strong cases for their arguments.
As written by Eszterhas, the script details
the psychological cat-and-mouse game
being played by a bisexual writer (Sharon
Stone, who co-starred in Verhoeven's
"Total Recall") and the San Francisco homicide
detective (Michael Douglas) investigating
the icepick murder of her male
lover. The prime suspects are Stone and her
lesbian lover, but matters are complicated
when Douglas becomes sexually involved
with Stone, and further confused when
Douglas finds out that his ex lover, an SFPD
psychiatrist, was also a former lover of
Stone's. Like "Jagged Edge," it's a masterfully
conceived, high-tension thriller that
will keep audiences on the edge of their
seats until the final moment. Unless, that is.
are an excellent example of how far we will
go to make our feelings known."
But as much of the Hollywood commuthey've
already learned t
killer's identity from an incon'
nient billboard.
The battle over "Basic
stinct" began nearly t
years ago, shortly after J
Eszterhas' original screenpl
sold to Carolco Pictures for
unprecedented $3 million. W
past successes like "Flas
dance." "Jagged Edge"
"Music Box," Eszterhas h
long before established hims
as one of Hollywood's m(
bankable screenwriters. But
that time he'd become even b
ter known for his letter-writii
after a supposedly personal let
from Eszterhas to Creative A
ists Agency head Michael Ov
had set off an explosion
atomic proportions within the i
dustry.
According to the letter, Ov
had threatened Eszterhas
blacklisting and worse ("My fc
soldiers who go up and do\
Hollywood Boulevard each d
will blow your brains out,"
zterhas quoted Ovitz as sayin
after the writer decided to leai
the agency. The barrage of pu
licity surrounding the letter n
only insured that Ovitz couldi
follow through on his alleged threats, it al
made Eszterhas something of a superstar
Hollywood—a modern-day Gary Coop
who stood up against a corrupt systemand
probably helped drive up the price
"Basic Instinct."
But Eszterhas' glory was short-live
Soon after director Verhoeven was broug
'.
on board to direct the film (for a reported
million) and Douglas was signed to star (f
$10 million), Eszterhas and producer Irw
Winkler (who had collaborated with tl
writer on "Betrayed" and "Music Box") k
the project over "creative differences."
According to Winkler, "Verhoeven sa
he was going to break new ground sexual
in this movie, the same way he had wi
violence in 'Total Recall.' I thought he hi
no understanding of the script at all." E
zterhas too felt that Verhoeven's ide;
would detract from the overall impact of tl
script. "He made a gigantic argument for
lesbian sex scene on screen. Irwin and I bo
8 Boxoffice

! ound
s
'
ft
that the sole reason to put this kind of
?ne on screen was for titillation value and
prurient, as opposed to artistic, reasons."
j-erhoeven, of course, is no stranger to
k/ controversy. In addition to the ultra-
V violent "Total Recall" and
oboCop," Verhoeven directed several
Dvocative, critically-acclaimed films in
native Holland. Among his best-known
ms are the highly-erotic "Turkish Deht";
"Spetters," which was considered by
any to be anti-gay; and "The Fourth
a darkly comic look at a gay man
a ho becomes involved with a scissorield'mgfemme
fcitale that has some strikg
similarities to "Basic Instinct."
Verhoeven says he came to America after
rutch critics became "intolerant" of his
lork. In an interview done for George
]| ickenlooper's book "Reel Conversations"
the time of "Total Recall." Verheven
recalled the controversy his work
eated in his native country, foreshadow-
II
g what would happen with "Basic In-
I inct." "The critics started calling me a
«;cadent pervert who misrepresented
ofutch culture." he said. "It wasn't true. I
as simply trying to be honest about the
ay people act, and often it is anti-gay. Of
jurse this is outrageous, unethical behav-
)r, but it is behavior, so I portrayed it, and
5rtainly at no one's expense."
In Hollywood, Verhoeven's films connued
to spark controversy, though largely
ecause critics felt that his American films
icked the bracing originality of his Dutch
/ork. He had, they felt, become a studio
ack, though undeniably a talented one.
iVith the boxoffice smashes "RoboCop"
,nd "Total Recall," Los Angeles Times
ritic Peter Rainer wrote. Verhoeven had
een able to "realize to the most lurid de-
:ree the current climate of movie brutalizaion.
It hardly matters at this point whether
Verhoeven has been destroyed (albeit
luratively)
by Hollywood or whether Holly-
»'Oodhas/;(//;//eJhim. He's king of the hill,
II right. Does it matter to himself or to the
tudio executives whose coffers he's filling
hat the hill is a fetid compost?"
Given Verhoeven's penchant for stylistic
xcess. it was little wonder that he wanted
3 further sensationalize Eszterhas' script.
"o help out, he brought in Gary Goldman,
/ho had performed a similar service on
Total Recall." But, ironically, Goldman's
swrites only served to convince Veroeven
that Eszterhas had been right, and
le two called a much-ballyhooed truce as
le film went into production last April.
rhe second honeymoon was shortlived.
In San Francisco, where the
film was to shoot, gay activists had
Iready obtained a copy of the script, and
/ere outraged by its depiction of an
:epick-wielding lesbian murderer. They
et out to force the filmmakers to change the
cript. or, barring that, to disrupt the producon.
"Not unless the script is completely
rewritten and the premise changed will we
stop demonstrations," said Jonathan Katz of
Queer Nation, one of the groups leading the
protests.
The first step was a letter-writing campaign
to Verhoeven and Caroico, but the
director was adamant about not changing
Sharon Stone's Icepick-wielding lesbian
the script. So protestors stepped up plans to
prevent successful shooting on public
streets. Producer Alan Marshall, however,
won a restraining order against the protestors,
barring them from coming within 100
feet of the location. Standing just beyond
that limit when the filming began, the activists
chanted profane slogans, blew whistles
and carried signs encouraging drivers to
blast their horns. Many protestors who defied
the restraining order were arrested.
When Ray Chalker, the owner of a local
gay and lesbian bar, rented his establishment
to the filmmakers for shooting, he too
found himself subject to protests and
threats. His bar was picketed, his property
vandalized and signs were posted around
the predominantly gay Castro Street area
saying, "Kill Ray." Chalker, himself gay,
was understandably shaken. "They talk
about violence against gay people," he
pointed out, "and here they do violence
against their own. I have two friends who
are security guards who are watching my
house."
Local politicians, who generally court the
powerful gay interest groups, had to walk a
fine line with regard to "Basic Instinct." San
Francisco Mayor Art Agnos said that he
sympathized with the protestors, but that
the city did not wish to be "in the position
of censoring a movie script. Nor should we
be giving a Jesse Helms-like seal of approval
to programs or scripts." And the San
Francisco Examiner ran an editorial stating,
"If people want to picket the movie, that's
fine. If people want to urge others not to see
it. that's also fine. But it is not fine to use
storm-trooper tactics in an effort to prevent
the movie from being made."
In an effort at damage control, the
filmmakers agreed to meet with the prolestors
a few weeks into shooting. At the meeting.
Verhoeven stuck to his guns, but
Eszterhas suddenly flip-fiopped,
pressing
the director to agree to changes and offering
to rewrite several scenes. Verhoeven, Marshall
and Douglas were outraged by what
they considered the writer's betrayal. Peter
Hoffman, then Carolco's president, told
Vanity Fair that the changes were "patronizing
drivel. Joe Eszterhas is a sniveling
hypocrite and I
have no use for him. Besides,
we would never change a .script in
response to political pressure." Verhoeven
only said that the proposed changes would
"undermine the strength of the original material,
weaken the characters and lessen the
integrity of the picture itself." Eszterhas
countered by saying, "My changes would
have added to the integrity of the movie, not
detracted from it," and added that Verhoeven
and Caroico didn't understand "the
societal impact of the script." Eszterhas said
he was "more than disappointed by the rejection"
of his proposed changes.
With
—
Eszterhas again distanced from
the picture, Caroico issued a statement
saying, "Censorship by
street action will not be tolerated. While
these groups have a right to express their
opinions, they have no right to threaten First
Amendment guarantees." The protests
didn't stop, but neither did the production,
which finally wrapped last fall.
But for the filmmakers, more trouble was
still to come. As Verhoeven readied the film
for a spring release, it became apparent that
it was on its way to an NC- 1 7 rating, which,
as far as TriStar was concerned, was unacceptable.
The director was contractually
obliged to deliver an R-rated film, but was
reportedly displeased at what he perceived
as censorship. According to one source,
Verhoeven "did plenty of yelling. But they
had a vise grip to his head."
Hollywood, meanwhile, was embroiled
in another controversy, with Los Angeles
Cardinal Roger Mahoney calling for a new
production code that would restrict
filmmakers from using violence, sex, nudity
and profanity—all of which are represented
in large doses in "Basic Instinct."
The irony of the situation was that liberal
gay activists and right-wing religious activists—traditionally
the bitterest of foes
were both poised to attack the same enemy.
So who's in the right? The filmmakers
stand for artistic freedom, which is guaranteed
by the constitution. The gay community
wants to be portrayed in a more
balanced light by Hollywood, which is a
fair demand. And Cardinal Mahoney's
group wants Hollywood to encourage traditional
values, which, at least in the abstract,
sounds like a good idea. As always, the final
vote will be cast by the American public.
Audiences will have a chance to decide for
themselves when "Basic Instinct" opens
this month.
^
March, 1992 9

BAROMETER '92: Star Poll Winners
And the Winners Are
Top Male Boxoffice Attraction
Runners-up
Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred
the year's biggest hit, "Terminator 2: )uc'
ment Day, ' made this year's contest a closi
one, finishing only 22 votes behind Costnet
His high tally also probably had something t(
do with the success of "Kindergarten Cop,
which came out at the end of 1 990.
The next highest vote-getters had less thai
a third of the totals of Costner
Kevin Costner
For Ihe second consecutive year, Kevin Costner walked away with the title Top Male
Boxoffice Attraction in our annual Barometer Star Poll. Last year, Costner triumphed on the
strength of the commercial and aesthetic strength of the Academy Award-winning "Dances
With Wolves," which he also directed and co-produced. This year, he owes his victory to
two films: the boxoffice phenomenon "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," and Oliver Stone's
critically-acclaimed ")FK." Critics, however, were less than kind to Costner in 1 991 :
perhaps
looking to pounce after "Wolves" beat out Martin Scorsese's "CoodFellas" in last year's
Oscar race, reviewers generally took Costner to task for his less-than-convincing accents-
English in "Robin Hood," southern in ")FK"—and his laconic performances. As usual, the
public paid little mind, embracing Costner's films and catapulting him to genuine superstar
status. Anyway, his next role promises to be one for which he is better suited: he's reuniting
with writer-producer Lawrence Kasdan (who gave Costner his first big break in "Silverado"
after cutting him out of "The Big Chill") for "The Bodyguard," an interracial romantic drama
that features pop star Whitney Houston in her film debut.
S( hwar/enegger— a single vote put RobI
Williams ahead of his "Awakenings" co-st£
Robert De Niro for third place. Williams, <
course, brought his unique brand of thespia
magic to two late-season releases, "The FisN
King" and "Hook." And De Niro knocke
nearly everyone dead with his terrifying!
misanthropic performance in Marti
Scorsese's "Cape Fear," as well as making
strong impression in a supporting role earlie
in the year in the hit "Backdraft."
10 Boxoffice

,
BAROMETER '92: Star Poll Winners
Top Female Boxoffice Attraction
Julia Roberts
As with the men, it was a two-person race in the Top Female
oxotlice Attraction category, with lastyear's winner repeating. Julia
oberts didn't have any hit of "Pretty Woman" proportions in 1 99]
ut she did make her star presence felt in the popular suspenser
leeping With the Enemy," as well as the disappointing melodrama
Dying Young." And she capped off the year with a supporting turn
s Tinkerbell in Steven Spielberg's hit "Hook." But perhaps most
Tiportant in keeping Roberts' name in the news was her troubled
lersonal life: she broke off her engagement to Kiefer Sutherland and
bok up with jason Patric, and there were rumors about her being
difficult" on the set of "Hook." If she wants to keep her place at the
pp, she'll have to get the press to focus once again on her on-screen
iersona rather than her off-screen problems.
Runners-up
Her serious competition came from Jodie Foster, who proved her
mettle as the fast-learning FBI agent in the hit "The Silence of the
Lambs." Foster also won kudos for her acting and directing in "Little
Man Tate." She'll be seen next in Woody Allen's "Shadows and Fog,"
due this month from Orion, and a sequel to "Lambs" is also believed
to be in her future.
Finishing a distant third was Barbra Streisand, who directed and
starred in the high-brow soap opera "The Prince of Tides." Fourth
place went to Geena Davis, whose work in "Thelma and Louise"
continued to build her reputation as a potential superstar. Her next
role looks like a winner: she's cast opposite Dustin Hoffman and Andy
Garcia in "Hero."
Most Promising Newcomers
The younger brother of Alec, William Baldwin made a strong
impression in last year's "Flatliners," but he really broke out this year
kvith "Backdraft." Hailed on the cover of one national magazine as a
smarter version of his big brother, he proved himself more than equal
to Kurt Russell, who played his brother on film, and even held his
own in a few scenes opposite Robert De Niro.
Damon Wayans came in second, on the strength of his performance
opposite Bruce Willis in "The Last Boy Scout," followed by
"Terminator 2's" Edward Furlong and "The Rocketeer's" Bill Campbell
The most promising female of 1991 was Anna Chlumsky, who
starred opposite Macaulay Culkin in "My Girl." She was followed by
Julie Warner, the skinnydipping beauty of "Doc Hollywood," "Cape
Fear's" Juliette Lewis, and "Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead"
star Christina Applegate
March, 1992 11

BAROMETER '92: 1991 Year in Review
JANUARY
After seeing good boxoffice revenues
from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and
"House Party" in 1990, New Line Cinema
established a specialized film division,
Fine Line Features, so as to compete with
Miramax and Orion Classics in the acquisition,
marketing and distribution of adultoriented
films.
Cinema Digital
Sound (CDS), the optically
encoded digital soundtrack developed
by Optical Radiation Corp. and
Eastman Kodak, made its 35mm format
debut in early December of 1990 with the
release of Twentieth Century Fox's "Edward
Scissorhands," following the introduction
of CDS in 70mm in selected prints
of "Dick Tracy" the previous summer. Fox
was the first studio to commit to releasing
a package of feature films in the CDS format.
|ln a later move, early this year (see
Boxoffice. February, 1992 issue) Optical
Radiation Corp. curtailed its CDS activities,
while Kodak said that it would remain supportive
of the digital sound process).
Boxoffice figures for 1990 ended on the
upswing with impressive Christmas releases,
especially "Home Alone" ($152.1
million at Christmas) and "The Godfather
Part III" (opening Christmas Day and racking
up $33.5 million in eight days). Other
films that contributed to the end-of-year
boxoffice bang were "Kindergarten Cop,"
"Dances with Wolves" and "Edward
Scissorhands." December's take at the
boxoffice was a record $581 million, up 16
percent over the previous year. The final
tallies for 1 990's boxoffice gross came in at
$5.02 billion, slightly shy of the all-time
high of $5.03 billion scored in 1989. Last
year's total ticket sales came in at 1 .06
billion, only seven percent off 1 989's 1.13
billion. The average admission price in
1990 was $4.75, up seven percent over
1 989's $4.45.
FEBRUARY
The giant circuit General Cinema Corp.
(GCC) and major book publisher Harcourt
Brace, jovanovich. Inc. executed a definitive
merger agreement under which HB|
would become a wholly-owned subsidiary
of GCC. The agreement, contingent upon
CCC'ssuccessfully completing cash tender
offers for HBJ's publicly held debt securities,
had an aggregated total value in excess
of $1 .4 billion, including the assumption of
certain liabilities.
MARCH
Intending to reduce its fiscal overhead,
financially strapped Orion Pictures laid off
employees and sought buyers for several of
its completed films. In spite of excellent
boxoffice returns with "Dances with
Wolves" arpd "The Silence of the Lambs,"
the studio announced a $1 5.6 million loss
for the first quarter of the year and looked
at more than $509 million in a long-term
debt. By mid-February, Orion was able to
make a $12.5 million bank debt interest
payment, yet rumors flew around Hollywood
about a possible buyout of the studio
by Sony Entertainment through Castle Rock
Entertainment, which is 34 percent owned
by Sony.
The nation's fifth largest theatre chain,
Carmike Cinemas, Inc., struck a deal to
take over management of Chicago-based
Excellence Theatres, operator of 357
screens in 1 2 states. The agreement meant
a joint venture involving Carmike and Excellence
and the buyout of Excellence by
the new entity. Carmike would manage the
venture, fueling its expansion (averaging
between 56 to 80 screens at 261 locations).
The joint venture included all 357 Excellence
theatres and several Carmike
sevenplexes.
APRIL
Figures were in on February's hot
boxoffice grosses. Lead by the smash hit
holdover "Home Alone" and bolstered by
newcomers "Sleeping with the Enemy" and
"The Silence of the Lambs," the reported
boxoffice for the month was the highest in
recent memory. According to Daily
Variety's A. D. Murphy, U.S. February gross
receipts totaled an all-time high of $292.1
million. Ticket sales for the month were the
highest since 1979, with a total of 80.4
million, 27 percent higher than last year's
63.3 million. The average ticket price was
$4.87, up from $4.61,
Two subsidiaries of AMC Entertainment,
Inc. and TPl Enterprises, Inc. signed an
agreement transferring stocks and theatres
to a new partnership called Exhibition Enterprises
Partnership. As part of the agreement.
Cinema Enterprises, Inc., a newly
formed subsidiary of AMC, agreed to contribute
to Exhibition Enterprises 3.8 million
shares of TPl common stock it owned in
exchange for a 50 percent interest in Exhibition
Enterprises. For its part, TPl, through
its wholly owned subsidiary, TPl Entertainment,
agreed to contribute all its 375 movie
houses to Exhibition Enterprises in e
change for a 50 percent interest in Exhil
tion Enterprises and a cash payment to I
determined 120 days after the closing
the transaction.
Orion's financial saga continued as tl
studio sold domestic distribution rights
its film "TheAddams Family" to Paramou
Pictures for an estimated $21-23 millio
The sale of the film gave Orion a financi
boost, but this was still a far cry from all
viating the more than $500 million in
term debt.
loi
The Japanese made another investme
in Hollywood, this time through the new
formed Mount Film Group. Nissho Iw
Corp., the sixth largest trading company
the world, set up a $150 million fund
back six films over the course of the ne
two years, funneling the money to ex-st
dio executive Thom Mount's organizatio
MAY
U.K. -based Carlton Communicatii
spent $14 million to obtain a 3 perce
stake in Carolco. The parent company
Technicolor, Inc., Carlton reportedly pa
$13.50 per share for over one millic
shares of Carolco, 69 percent more than
current $8 per share general trading pric
In exchange, Carolco agreed to a sev<
year exclusive pact for Technicolor to pr
cess all its film and television product
North America and other territories.
JUNE
Television and film came one step clos'
to each other this month when Brandc
Tartikoff, 42, the executive who guide
NBC's ascent from last to first place in tf
television ratings war, was named the ne
chairman of Paramount Pictures. Tartikc
succeeded Frank Mancuso, who departe
from the studio in a haze of controver;
after the appointment of Stanley Jaffe ;
president of Paramount Communication
Tartikoff, unlike Mancuso, was guarantee
autonomy and the power to green ligl
productions as seen fit.
As Tartikoff stepped up to Paramoun
executive Jon Peters stepped down from h
post as co-chairman of Columbia Pictur(
Entertainment, leaving his longtime partni
and friend Peter Gubar in sole control (
the studio. Peters planned to head up h
own company to produce film, music an
television product exclusively for CPE.
12 BoxoFncE

BAROMETER '92: 1991 Year in Review
In a continuing effort to operate theatres
ound the globe, Warner Bros, entered
ito a joint venture with the Japanese su-
»rmarket chain Nichii to open 30 multilexes
throughout Japan over the next
ven years. The 50-50 venture, known as
i/arner-My Cal, was expected to cost
jughly $7.35 million, or 1 billion yen,
ith each multiplex containing six to 12
:reens and seating between 2,500 and
500 patrons. And at home, Warners anounced
first time plans to impose per
apita minimums on ticket prices for all
rst
run films, a policy that would discourge
theatres from discounting tickets,
nough special provisions were made for
argain matinees.
lULY
Also looking overseas. Time Warner anlounced
plans to expand its overseas exhi-
)ition operation to 500 screens by 1 995 by
orming joint ventures across Europe.
Earner Bros. International Theatres presiient
Salah Hassanein said he hoped to
stablish sights in Italy, Spain, Portugal and
Holland while adding screens in the U.K.,
Germany and Denmark.
AMC Entertainment, Inc. announced
(hat it would turn a profit in the quarter and
'iscal year that ended on March 28, this
Deing a strong reversal from last year's
osses. The 1,618-screen circuit, the
nation's second largest, estimated profits
oetween $500,000 and $ 1 .5 million for the
fourth quarter and between $4 and $5 million
for the year. Last year, AMC posted
fourth quarter losses of $23.7 million and
yearly losses of $15.8 million. Total revenues
were up from $416.3 million to
$448.5 million, an increaseof 7.7 percent.
Following the usual seasonal pattern,
boxoffice totals were predictably slight in
May, marking the second consecutive
month that grosses were down from 1 990.
According to Daily Variety, boxoffice in
May dropped 1 1 percent from the last year,
from $366.9 million to $327.4 million,
continuing the trend begun with a weak
April.
Troubled independent distributor Four
Seasons Entertainment announced that it
would close up shop late this month due to
a lack of funds. According to company
president Peter Meyers, Four Seasons was
forced to shut down because the German
company Funk & Partner reneged on an
agreement to put up $5 million in capital.
its
AUGUST
Gang-related violence marred the opening
weekend of Columbia's "Boyz N the
Hood," as incidents across the country resulted
in at least 35 injuries and two deaths.
Despite the violence, the film did strong
business, bringing in over $10 million on
829 screens for a $ 1 2,000 per screen average
that topped the nation's boxoffice
charts. By the following weekend, the film
was playing on a total of 920 screens.
Paced by the hits "Robin Hood: Prince
of Thieves," "City Slickers" and "Backdraft,"
lune boxoffice was the third highest
ever for that month, but the July 3 opening
of "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" looked
like it could make the summer of 1 991 the
second highest grossing summer ever.
Overall June boxoffice grosses were estimated
at $587.2 million by Daily Variety,
while the summer's grosses were projected
to be in the $1 .8 billion range, comparable
to last year's total but well below 1989's
record $2.04 billion.
SEPTEMBER
A weak second wave of summer releases
led to a disappointing overall total for summer
boxoffice. Despite the strong early
lead, the season's final boxoffice tally was
expected to mark a 10 percent drop from
the last year's figure; the late summer total
was off 25 percent from 1990's figure and
marked the lowest dollar total in a decade.
OCTOBER
MGM-Pathe posted a net loss of $ 1 00.6
million as compared with the loss of $9.8
million the year previous. Although revenues
were up, the studio's operating loss
was $24.6 million, compared with last
year's $2.2 million profit. The studio's
management team said the responsibility
for the losses rested with ousted chairman
Giancarlo Parretti, who they accused of
making hidden distribution deals with third
parties.
And still swimming in troubled waters,
Orion Pictures was reportedly shopping a
new long-range business plan to potential
investors that
would include the studio's
radical restructuring by means of reducing
personnel, slashing overhead, revamping
production and marketing strategies and
shifting the company's base from New
York to Los Angeles.
NOVEMBER
While film production was reported to
be up and boxoffice down, the Japanese
continued to cash into Hollywood with
Time Warner selling minority stakes in its
movie, cable and pay TV units to two Japanese
companies—Toshiba Corp. and C.
Itoh, Inc.—for approximately $1
billion.
Owing to the continuing boxoffice blues
around the country, Cineplex Odeon Corp.
laid off more than 20 employees in five
U.S. cities. The cuts, which were made in
the publicity and promotions departments
of the company, occurred in New York,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and Washington
D.C. Cineplex Odeon also shut its
in-house ad/p.r. agency. Projected Image,
in Washington D.C. In 1 989, the company
was approximately $700 million in debt, a
figure that has since been pared down to a
reported $450 million.
DECEMBER
As a last chapter to a bad year, Orion
Pictures finally made the move predicted
earlier by industry insiders and financial
analysts and filed for Chapter 11
bankrupcy protection. The company's debt
was estimated to be a huge $510 million,
the result of several years of poor boxoffice
and a failed attempt at television production.
Also, the company was said to have
another $175 million in other liabilities,
including scripts and off-balance sheet financed
movies. Orion has since freed up a
certain amount of funds so as to complete
post-production on its forthcoming release,
"The Dark Half," and, among other projects,
it is currently sitting on at least 12
films in various stages of completion.
Yet the year ended on one good note:
After months of gloomy boxoffice reports,
Hollywood's eagerly awaited holiday films
arrived, with Paramount's "The Addams
Family" taking in more than $55 million in
its first 1 days of release, the biggest opening
since "Terminator 2" premiered on the
July 4th weekend. Thanks to the Christmas
big hitters —"Hook," "Bugsy," "Prince of
Tides" and "JFK"— 1991 ended with high
hopes for a financial upswing. According
to Variety's boxoffice report, 1991 totals
were approximately $4.85 billion, down
from $5.02 billion in 1990 and $5.03 billion
in 1 989, but still the third biggest year
in memory. The average ticket price at the
nation's theatres rose to $5.01 , up 25 cents
from last year.
March, 1992 13

BAROMETER '92: 1991 Review Digest
Story type key: (Ac) Action; (Ad) Adventure: (An) Animated: (C)
Comedy: (D) Drama: (DM) Drama with Music: (Doc) Documentary:
(F) Fantasy: (H) Horror: (M) Musical: (My) Mystery: (SF)
Science Fiction; (Sus) Suspense; ( Th) Thriller: ( W) Western.
-^g
?i 5
Si i.
OS » a < H
s^
PG-13lParl

iDcketeer, Tlie PG (
I
BAROMETER '92: 1991 Review Digest
1° £
0. 3 £
S o
i
:i2'.
K -1 £
11
S a
-i
u E
Cj
f^l 21
H D >n .
S O E
if 2S!
s E^« s i i
Soapdisli PG-13 (Par)
aradi3ePG-13(BV)
92 2 2 3 4
'oint Break R (Fox
» of Tides R (Col)
*ro3pero'3 Books R (Mil
lage in
I (Mir)
Ucochet R (WB)
12-91 3 3 2 3
lobin Hood PG-13 (WE
5hatteredR(MGMI
5 5 4 5 130.7
100.3

THE NUMBERS PAGE
Top Twenty Boxoffice Performers
Gross 1stWk$Ave. 2ndWk$Ave. 3rd Wk $ Ave.
stributor ($mil) /# Screens /# Screens /# Screens
4th Wk $ Ave.
/ # Screens
Open
Date
Weeks in
Release
1

.
.
.
Blue Ribbon Awards
1
Aces: Iron Eagles III
Louis Cossett Jr.
(New Line)
2. The Addams Family
Raul lulia, Anjelica Huston. (Paramount)
3. Alan & Naomi
The accompanying ballot Is
for your vote in the semi-annual
Blue Ribbon Awards. First introduced
in 1932, the awards seek
to recognize both the aesthetic
and commercial value of the following
films, released during
the fall of 1991 and winter of
1992. Your votes are cast in
three categories: popularity; artistic
success; and, conversely,
the worst film of the period.
Lucas Haas, Michael Cross. (Triton)
4. All I Want For Christmas
Harley lane Kozak, Lauren Bacall. (Paramount)
5. An American Tail: Fieval Goes West
James Stewart, Amy Irving. (Universal)
6. And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird
Marcia Strassman, Alan Thicke. (Trimark)
7. Antoniaand Jane
Dir: Beeban Kidron (Miramax)
8. At Play In the Fields of the Lord
Kathy Bates, John Lithgow. (Universal)
9.BackintheU.S.S.R.
Frank Whaley. (Fox)
1 0. Beauty and the Beast
Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach. (Buena Vista)
11. Billy Bathgate
Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman. (Buena Vista)
12. Black Robe
Dir:Bruce Beresford. (Samuel Coldwyn)
1 3. Blame It On the Bellboy
Dudley Moore. (Buena Vista)
14. Blood and Concrete
Billy Zane, lennifer Beals. (I.R.S.)
15. Blue Movie Blue
Tom Skerritt, Nina Siemaszko. (Vision International)
16. Bugsy
Warren Bealty, Annette Bening. (TriStar)
1 7. The Butcher's Wife
Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels. (Paramount)
18. Cape Fear
Robert DeNiro, Nick Nolle. (Universal)
19. City Of Hope
Vincent Spano.Dir:|ohn Sayles. (Samuel Coldwyn)
20. Company Business
Cene Hackman, Mikhail Baryshnikov. (MCM-Pathe)
21. Cool As Ice
Vanilla Ice (Universal)
22. Curly Sue
lames Belushi. Dir:John Hughes. (Warner Bros.)
There is space at the bottom of
the ballot to write in any film
missing from the list, and to
comment on your choices.
Please mail your completed ballot
no later than March 3 1
The results of your voting will
be published in our May, 1992
issue. This year marks the 60th
anniversary of the Blue Ribbon
Awards. The next balloting will
be in October.
23. The Dark Wind
Lou Diamond Phillips. Dir:Errol Morris. (New Line)
24. Deceived
Coldie Hawn, John Heard. (Buena Vista)
25. December
Wil Wheaton. Dir:Cabe Torres. (I.R.S.)
26. The Double Life of Veronique
Irene Jacob. (Miramax)
27. Ernest Scared Straight
Jim Varney, Eartha Kitt. (Buena Vista)
28. Falling From Grace
John Mellencamp. (Columbia)
29. Father of the Bride
Steve Martin, Diane Keaton. (Buena Vista)
30. Final Analysis
Richard Cere, Kim Basinger. (Warner Bros.)
31. The Fisher King
Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges. (TriStar)
32. For The Boys
Bette Midler, James Caan. (Fox)
33. Frankie and Johnny
Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer. (Paramount)
34. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
YaphetKotto. (New Line)
35. Free Jack
Emilio Estevez, MickJagger. (Warner Bros.)
36. Fried Green Tomatoes
Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy. (Universal)
37. Grand Canyon
Kevin Kline, Danny Clover. (Fox)
38. Guilty as Charged
Rod Steiger, Lauren Hutton (I.R.S.)
39. The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca DeMornay. (Buena Vista)
40. Hard Promises
Sissy Spacek. (Columbia)
41 Hearts of Darkness
Francis Coppola, Eleanor Coppola. (Triton)
42. High Heels
Dir:Pedro Almodovar. (Miramax)
43. Highlander II: The Quickening
Sean Connery, Christopher Lambert. (InlerStar)
44. Homicide
Joe Mantegna. Dir:David Mamet. (Triumph)
continued next page
March. 1992 17

45. Hook

Summer Film Preview
A Look at the Sunny Season's Many Offerings
Meg Ryan and Alec Baldwin find romance in the comedy
"Prelude to a Kiss"
Anthony Hopkins leads the fight against "Bram Stoker's Dracula"
in the new film by Francis Ford Coppola
By Kimberly Crowley
Editorial Assistant
Summer's just around the corner, which
means it's time for Boxoffice's annual look at
the season's upcoming releases. There are
plenty of potential blockbusters in the bunch,
most notably sequels to such smashes as "Batman,"
"Lethal Weapon," "Aliens," "The Hunt
For Red October" and "Honey, I Shrunk the
Kids." No doubt there will be a few disappointments,
though the big question in
that
respect has got to be whether there will be a
turkey to equal last year's "Hudson Hawk."
Read on, then place your bets.
Afraid of the Dark
In a story about a lonely, isolated boy who
Is going blind, screenwriter Mark Peploe
("The Last Emperor") makes his directing
debut. The boy can not tell the difference
between fantasy and reality. French actress
Fanny Ardant stars. (Fine Line)
Alien 3
After believing that she has escaped all of
the aliens, Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) arrives
on a new prison space station only to discover
that her nemesis is back. Charles Dutton,
Charles Dance and Lance Henriksen also star
for director David Fincher. (Fox, 5/22)
Army of Darkness
In this sword and sorcery epic, Sam Raimi
("Darkman") directs Bruce Campbell as an
innocent man, pulled into the past to fight
forces beyond his imagination. He leads a
group of the dead on a quest to find their souls.
(Universal)
Batman Returns
After fighting the Joker in the first "Batman,"
caped crusader Michael Keaton is back to
tackle the new villains in this second spin-off
of Bob Kane's comic book. Danny DeVito
plays the Penguin, Michelle Pfeiffer is the
Catwoman and Paul Reubens (aka Pee-wee
Herman) plays the Penguin's father. Directed
once again by Tim Burton, the $75 million
sequel is sure to have a dark and dreary
atmosphere. Wesley Strick ("Cape Fear") and
Dan Walters ("Heathers") are credited with
writing the screenplay. (Warner Bros., June)
Bebe's Kids
Directed by Bruce Smith, this animated
comedy tells how three inner city kids turn a
trip to an amusement park into a nightmare
date. (Para-
for a young couple on their first
mount)
Blood In... Blood Out
Three lifelong Latino friends from East
L.A.'s barrio learn that even though they grew
up in the same neighborhood, their lives do
not turn out the same way. Nevertheless, both
in and out of prison, and on different sides of
the law, they are linked forever. Starring Ben
Bratt, Damian Chapa and Jesse Borrego, the
movie is produced and directed by Taylor
Hackford ("An Officer and a Gentleman").
(Buena Vista)
Boomerang
Eddie Murphy is back, after a two year
break, in this romantic comedy that also stars
Robin Givens ("A Rage in Harlem"). Murphy
plays Marcus Graham, a ladies' man who falls
in love with a woman who puts her career
before romance. Reginald Hudlin directs and
Brian Grazer produces. (Paramount)
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Hot off his recent success with "Hook,"
screenwriter Jim V.
Hart adapts the classic
novel into a movie staring Gary Oldman as
the prince of darkness, Winona Ryder as the
woman of his dreams and Anthony Hopkins
as his arch nemesis Van Helsing. Keanu
Reeves co-stars. But what really makes this
umpteenth look at the legendary vampire interesting
is the fact that it was directed by the
inimitable Francis Ford Coppola ("The Conversation")
(Columbia)
Candyman
Set in Chicago's Cabrini Green housing
project, this movie is based on Clive Barker's
March, 1992 19

'
star Power
Eddie Murphy in "Boomerang"
Harrison Ford in "Patriot Games
"The Forbidden," about a mythical hookhanded
killer who disemboweled several
people. Bernard Rose wrote and directed,
while Virginia Madsen stars as a university
student who is in the area. (Distribution pending)
Clifford
With the help of some oversize props and
other tricks, Martin Short plays a 1 0-year-old
boy who is left in the care of his bachelor
uncle (Charles Crodin). Crodin must deal
with the kid's desire and determination to visit
Dinosaurworld. Mary Steenburgen ("A Midsummer
Night's Sex Comedy") and Dabney
Coleman ("Where the Heart Is") also star. Paul
Flaherty directs. (Orion)
Cool World
Cartoonist Jack Deebs (Gabriel Byrne) finds
himself in the two dimensional world that he
created on paper in this action-animated
movie. Ralph Bakshi ("Lord of the
Rings, ""Heavy Traffic" and "Fritz the Cat")
directs. Kim Basinger co-stars. (Paramount)
Death Becomes Her
Bruce Willis plays a plastic surgeon caught
between the two women he loves: his actress
wife, played by Meryl Streep; and a famous
beauty author, played by Coldie Hawn. Directed
by Robert Zemeckis ("Back to the Future"
trilogy, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"),
this comedy is about the extent to which
people will go to look and feel young. Tracey
Ullmanand Isabella Rossellini ("Blue Velvet")
co-star. (Universal)
Delta Heat
A hot-shot L.A. detective's (Anthony Edwards)
partner is murdered in the Crescent
City and he asks a New Orleans crime fighter
(Lance Henriksen) to help find out who did it.
Michael Fischa directs. (Distribution pending)
Diggstown
Louis Cossett, Jr. ("An Officer and a Gentleman")
plays "Honey" Roy Palmer, a boxer
in Diggstown, who is befriended by fast talking
ex-con lames Woods ("The Hard Way").
Oliver Piatt, Heather Graham and Bruce Dern
co-star for director Michael Ritchie ("The
Candidate"). (MGM)
Encino Man
While digging a pool in his backyard, Dave
Madison (Pauly Shore) uncovers a frozen
caveman and comes up with the idea to put
him on talkshows and make a lot of money.
His dream of fame quickly disappears as the
ancient man thaws out. Produced and directed
by Les Mayfield. (Buena Vista)
Far and Away
The husband-and-wifeteam of Tom Cruise
and Nicole Kidman star in this romantic adventure
co-produced and directed by Ron
Howard ("Backdraft"). Set in 19th century
Ireland, a poor farmer goes to America and a
rich landowner's daughter becomes his trav
eling companion. This movie is the first in
nearly two decades to be filmed in Panavision
Super 70. (Universal)
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Rick Moranis is back as the crazy scientist
who, instead of shrinking his children as in
"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids," exposes his new
baby, Adam, to an invention that enlarges him
to gigantic proportions. After Adam disappears
into the desert, the family must track
him down before he gets to Las Vegas and
grows to 1 1 2 feet! Marcia Strassman, Robert
Oliveri and Amy O'Neill are back again. Di
rected by Randal Kleiser ("Grease"). (Buena
Vista, June)
Honeymoon in Vegas
A New York private eye (Nicolas Cage) flies
to Vegas to marry his fiancee Sarah Jessica
Parker ("L.A. Story") in this comedy. James
Caan co-stars for writer/director Andrew
Bergman. (Columbia)
Housesitter
When Steve Martin has a one-night fling
with Goldie Hawn, a con artist, he never
imagines that she would move into his vacated
country home. Once there, she passes
herself off as his wife and wins over his friends
and family, all the while trying to win his
heart. Directed by Frank Oz ("What About
Bob") "Little Shop of Horrors" and "Dirtyi
Rotten Scoundrels"), this romantic comedy
also stars Dana Delaney, Julie Harris and
Donald Moffat. (Universal)
The Incredible Journey
This adventure begins when three house-,
hold pets are left with a family friend temporarily.
Homesick, the animals—a golden
retriever, an American bulldog puppy and a
Himalayan cat—decide to find their owners.
Not realizing the challenges that lie ahead of
them, they start out by going through the
Pacific Northwest wilderness. As they try to
overcome obstacles and brushes with death,
the trio only wants to return to their family.
Written by Caroline Thompson ("Edward
Scissorhands"), this movie stars Robert Hays,
Kim Greist, Jean Smart, as well as a few of the
most lovable animals you're ever likely to see.
Directed by Duwayne Dunham, the editor of
"Blue Velvet." (Buena Vista)
The Last of the
Mohicans
Daniel Day-Lewis ("My Left Foot") plays
frontiersman Hawkeye in this retelling of the
classic James Fennimore Cooper novel. The
American Colonies, England and France are
at war to try to gain control of a continent and
in the process, Hawkeye falls in love with the
20 BoxoFncE

ughttTota British officer. Directed by
icfiael Mann (tfie creator of TV's
liami Vice"). (Fox)
League of Their Own
While the men are away fighting the
ir in 1943, a group ofwomen form the
l-American Girls Baseball League.
)m Hanks, Ceena Davisand Madonna
hose casting caused Debra Winger to
alk out of the Davis role) star for direc-
Penny Marshall ("Awakenings"). The
pporting cast includes Lori Petty, )on
:, David Strathairn ("City of
ope"), Garry Marshall (Penny's
other, and the director of "Pretty
'oman") and Bill Pullman. (Columbia)
Mo' Money
Writer and executive-producer
Damon Wayans also stars in this action
comedy about a hustler who goes
straight after he falls for a woman. But a
credit-card scam may change him back
to his previous ways. Peter Macdonald
directs. (Columbia, June))
Night on Earth
Writer and director )im Jarmusch
("Mystery Train") weaves five separate
stories together with taxi drivers and
their passengers as the common theme.
Winona Ryder ("Heathers"), Gena Row-
Lmds ("Another Woman") and Armin
Mueller-Stahl ("Avalon") star. (Fine Line)
ethal Weapon 3
Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh
)anny Clover) are back once again as
ie crime fighting duo, this time up
gainst illegal arms dealers. In the pro-
3ss of trying to catch the bad guys, they
low up a hotel and nearly everyone
round it. Murtaugh, still nearing retirelent,
and Riggs are assisted by )oe Pesci
5 the talkative accountant he played in
Lethal Weapon 2." Directed by Richrd
Donnerand produced by loel Silver.
A/arner Bros., 5/22)
he Looters
Two urban firefighters are searching
St. Louis tenement for stolen money
hen they come head to head with
ome local criminals who are after the
ame booty. Written by Robert
emeckis and Bob Gale ("Back to the
uture"), this movie stars Bill Paxton, Ice
, William Sadler and Ice Cube. Diected
by Walter Hill ("48 HRS" and
Warriors"). (Universal)
\1e, Myself and I
loBeth Williams and George Segal
tar in this comedy about a crazy
voman and a womanizing screenvriter,
who is a former Rolling Stom
eporter. (IRS)
\/liracle Beach
Dean Cameron, Ami Dolenz, Alexis
Krquette and Pat Morita star in this ronance/comedy/fantasy
about three
nen and their adventures on the L.A.
)each. Scott Snider directs for the first
Ime. (Motion Picture Corp. of America)
Mr. Baseball
Tom Selleck stars as a major league
saseball
player nearing the end of his
;areer who decides to play with the
Zhunichi Dragons in japan. Also staring
Ken Takakura ("Black Rain") as the
eam's manager, who butts heads with
jelleck as the team enters the pennant
ace. Directed by Fred Schepisi ("Roxinne"
and "The Russia House"). (Uni-
/ersal)
Daniel Day Lewis in "The Last of the Mohicans"
Ninja Kids
When an FBI agent must battle arms
dealers, his three young sons, who study
the life of the Ninja, help him. Now
we've heard everything. Starring Max
Elliott Slade. Directed by )on Turtletaub.
(Distribution pending)
Once Upon A Forest
"Phantom of the Opera's" Michael
Crawford, Glenn Close and Ben Vereen
are the voices in this full-length animated
story about three forest creatures
who must think up a way to save their
homes. This is Fox's second entry in the
1992 animated/environmental sweepstakes,
following the spring release
"Ferngully." Directed by David Michener.
(Fox)
Patriot Games
Harrison Ford replaces Alec Baldwin
as lack Ryan, a CIA analyst swept into a
deadly game of international
terrorism
along with his family, in this sequel to
the smash hit "The Hunt For Red October."
Based on Tom Clancy's bestselling
novel, this is the first of three films in
which Ford will play Ryan. Phillip
Noyce ("Dead Calm") directs. (Paramount,
May 22)
Pinocchio
Based on the 19th century children's
book by Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio tells
the story of a wooden puppet, carved by
Geppetto, who wants to become a real
hoy. In his adventures, he meets Jiminy
Cricket, Figaro the cat, J. Worthington
Foulfellow the fox and Monstro the
whale. This animated, reissued film features
the voices of Dick lones, Christian
Kub and Cliff Edwards. (Buena Vista)
Prelude to a Kiss
When their wedding is
disrupted by
an uninvited guest, a young couple (Alec
Baldwin and Meg Ryan) must learn
about true and unconditional love. The
elderly guest (Sydney Walker) transposes
his soul into the bride's body with
a fateful kiss, leaving both bride and
groom in turmoil. This romantic-comedy
also stars Kathy Bates, Ned Beatty
March, 1992 21

and Patty Duke. Director Norman
Rene and writer Craig Lucas are the
pair responsible for the acclaimed
"Longtime Companion." (Fox)
The Public Eye
Set in New York in 1 942, this stars
Academy Award winner Joe Pesci
("GoodFellas") as photographer
Leon "Bernzy" Bernstein, who sees
the big city in a different way than
your normal person. Barbara
Hershey ("The last Temptation of
Christ") is a nightclub owner who
Pesci falls for but can't have. Written
and directed by Howard Franklin
("Quick Change"). (Universal)
Rapid Fire
This action thriller stars Brandon
Lee (Bruce Lee's son) as an uncooperative
witness who sees a drug
lord/Mafia dispute and then becomes
a hero as he helps a veteran
cop with a major heroin case. Powers
Boothe and Nick Mancuso also
star tor director Dwight Little.
RoboCop 3
(Fox)
RoboCop Murphy (this time
played by Robert Burke) is determined
not to let the OCP destroy
Detroit's largest neighborhood.
Nancy Allen and Rip Torn co-star,
while Fred Dekker directs. (Orion)
Sidekicks
When a nerdy, teen-age computer
hacker feels out of place in his junior
high school, he daydreams of joining
Chuck Norris in a series of adventures.
Aaron Norris directs
brother Chuck, Beau Bridges, |oe
Piscopo and Jonathan Brandis. (Distribution
pending)
Single White Female
Based on the novel "SWF Seeks
Same" by John Lutz, this New Yorkset
psychological thriller stars
Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason
Leigh. Directed by Barbet Schroeder
("Reversal of Fortune"). (Columbia)
Stay Tuned
When a couple (John Ritter and
Pam Dawber) decide they need to
put some zing back into their marriage,
they sign up for a 24-hour free
trial of a satellite dish. What they
don't realize is that they are going to
be zapped into a television dimension
called FHellvision. Directed by
Peter FHyams. (Warner Bros.)
Swoon
Writer-director Tom Kalin incorporates
actual footage into this story
of Nathan Leopold, Jr. and Richard
Loeb, the two men who were convicted
of the 1924 kidnapping and
murder of Bobby Franks in the no-
Ttie animal stars of "The Incredible Journey"
torious real-life thrill-killing case.
Stars Ron Vawter, Michael Stumm
and Michael Kirby. (Fine Line)
There Goes My Baby
Eight early '60s high school grads
are the focus of this drama, which
written and directed by Floyd Mutrux
("American FHot Wax"). Stars Rick
Schroeder ("The Champ") and
Dermot Mulroney ("Bright Angel").
(Orion)
Traces of Red
Two Palm Beach County policemen
(James Belushi and Tony Goldwyn)
investigate a brutal murder
while all hell breaks loose. Andy
Wolk directs. Lorraine Bracco ("Medicine
Man") co-stars as a sexy, powerful
woman who enter the two men's
lives. (Samuel Goldwyn, June)
Unforglven
Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman
play vigilantes who must avenge
the death of a friend in this Western.
Gene FHackman and Richard Harris
("The Field") co-star. Produced and
directed by Eastwood. (Warner Bros.)
Universal Soldier
Next to another Simon and Garfunkel
reunion, this is the teaming
we've been waiting for: Jean-Claude
Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren.
Van Damme is being groomed to be
a senseless fighting machine, but he
soon begins to think for himself and
fight back. (TriStar, July)
Untitled Sidney Lumet
Thinkini; lliat she is on a routine
missing-persons case. New York police
detective Emily Eden (Melanie
Griffith) goes undercover in the
Hassidic community only to find a
series of murders and diamond thefts.
What she doesn't expect to find is a
friendship with a young Rabbi-intraining.
Sidney Lumetdirects. (Buena
Vista)
Watch It
In this comedy, the lives of seven
people are followed as they spend the
summer together after college. Stars
Peter Gallagher ("sex, lies and videotape")
and Lili Taylor ("Dogfight").
(Distribution pending)
Where The Day Takes
You
Dermot Mulroney, Lara Flynn
Boyle, Balthazar Getty, Sean Astin,
Will ("Fresh Prince") Smith, Rachel
Ticotin and Laura San Giacomo star
in this serious drama about a group of
homeless teens living on a stretch of
Hollywood Boulevard and how they
survive. Directed by Marc Rocco.
(New Line)
22 BOXOFHCE

COMPUTERS: ONE BYTE AT A TIME
—
Getting Started With Computers
Part IV: Choosing a Consultant
Whether
By Russell Wintner
President
WinterTek, Inc
you are just getting started
and need help in buying a computer
system, or tying to dig out of
a mess, there's a good chance that at some
point in time you will be in the market for
a computer consultant. And, make no mistake
about it, choosing a consultant will
probably be one of the most important decisions
that you will have to make. Your
consultant must be knowledgeable and
trustworthy. He or she will guide you
through a maze of technology that may be
totally foreign to you. spending what might
be a lot of your money, to create a system
upon which you will want to trust your
entire business. If this seems like a lot. that's
because it is.
We all know the rule of thumb: "Advice
is worth what you pay for it." In this particular
venture, however, what you pay may
have very little to do with the quality of
what you receive. Who you chose and how
you chose him or her will have a whole lot
more to do with the end result than the price
per hour you'll pay. To help you with the
process, I will try to share some pointers
learned from experience.
Number one, make sure that you are completely
convinced that the consultant you
pick is committed to work to the end of your
job. Nothing is worse nor more common
than a consultant giving up before the client
is satisfied. Often, the excitement of a new
deal proves to be too much competition for
the boredom_ of seeing through the final
details of an older project. Sometimes it's
because the consultant sees the project (and
the money) coming to an end and becomes
preoccupied with finding a new account.
Sometimes its because the consultant is a
friend who simply gets drawn to a new
interest. There are all kinds of reasons and
they all end up with you being abandoned.
Not all consultants are like this and chances
are yours will be professional and committed.
But the pitfall is there and it does happen,
all too often.
One of the next things you will want to
do is compare your sense of adventure with
that of your consultant. One side of the scale
is the ultra-conservative shopper looking
for the most reliable and least problematic
solution. These people typically choose the
hardware that carries the Big Blue IBM
logo, and choose the software that has been
around for a while, having proved itself in
dozens of prior installations.
At the opposite pole are the technocrats,
always bent for a faster more powerful solution,
with hardware and software to get
the job done "a little bit better" than the last
time.
The truth of the matter is that neither
extreme is all bad and both offer good solutions.
What is bad is being on opposite ends
of the scale from your advisor. If your consultant
is pushing the leading edge of technology
and you are inclined to be
ultra-conservative, be prepared for a lot of
frustration while the system gets tweaked
and re-tweaked as little bugs crop up. Likewise,
a consultant who is so conservative
you could scream may create a whole different
frustration as your system put-puts
along carefully and reliably while you
scratch your head wondering why your machine
doesn't operate like the one just reviewed
in the latest issue of "PC
Magazine."
Rule of thumb: Accounting firms that set
up computer systems tend to be conservative
and computer "hackers" tend to be on
the leading edge. The bigger the accounting
firm, the more conservative the approach.
If you have more than one person you can
get advice from, it doesn't hurt to get a
second opinion. But trust your primary advisor
and, after discussing the options and
the other opinions, stay with that person
Aside from eliminating the finger pointing
("I told you not to do it that way. now go
get your friend to fix it."), you picked your
consultant after careful thought and you
need to stick with him or her for support
now and later.
The
last major pitfall is dealing with
the consultant who is selling a prefab
solution. Most often this sort of consultant
comes in the guise of the computer
store "sales engineer" who professes to understand
your need while his or her Monday
morning sales meeting is still ringing in his
or her ear; "We've got to move the product
we overstocked last week." If you pick a
consultant with limited resources or one
who insists on selling you only what he or
she sells in their store, be careful. A popular
phrase in computer stores these days is:
"We .sell solutions." Well, just because a
solution may work doesn't mean that it will
work well for you: there is a difference
between just working and working really
well. No doubt the bundled packages sold
in computer stores have real value, but remember
your primary goal. Don't get sidetracked
withpo/j software that really won't
do the job you set out to get done or hardware
that wasn't sized for your office. And
if the salesman says "Don't worry, this
baby' 11 run anything," I suggest you turn tail
and run.
My final word on the subject is this. If
you are going to use a computer store or a
VAR (Value Added Reseller), then compare
two or more stores or VARs before
buying anything. If you don't, you will miss
a whole variety of choices, and may well get
sold a "pig in a poke."
Of course, there is the inevitable question
of money and how much you are willing to
pay for advice. Try to remember that if you
pick a friend and he or she works for free,
if you have chosen wisely, you may get the
best possible result for no more than a
"thank you" dinner. If you decide to go with
an accountanting firm, budget your time
carefully, make sure that you have prepared
your list of needs clearly and in advance,
and monitor the process every step of the
way. You may even find that the money
spent selecting your computer system may
be made up at the end of the year in less time
charged for closing your books.
Last, and most certainly not least, ask
questions. Ask a lot of questions. Don't
forget that you are paying for this service
and it is you that needs to be happy. The
more questions you ask the more you will
understand and the more your consultant
will learn about you and your business. Ask
a lot of questions today and there will be
fewer surprises tomorrow. The fewer surprises
at the end. the more rewarding the
whole experience will be.
March, 1992 23

.
NATIONAL NEWS
Christian Group Calls For
Moral Code
In a move ihat angered Hollywood and
divided public opinion. Cardinal Roger
Mahoney, the head of Los Angeles' Roman
Catholic Archdiocese, has called for the institution
of a 1 9 page treatise cal led the Christian
Film and Television Commission's Motion
Picture Code. The morality-based production
requirements detailed in the document are
reminiscent of the Hays Code that ruled the
industry from 1933 to 1966. Chief among
Mahoney's demands is that "no movie will be
produced which will lower the moral standards
of those who see it."
Citing the spread of sexually transmitted
diseases, violence, and drug and alcohol
abuse, Mahoney said, "While many factors
have contributed to this breakdown of our
social fabric, it is evident that the entertainment
media and the values they preach to our
young people play a significant role in this
steady decline." According to Mahoney, of
this winter's major studio releases, only
"Beauty and the Beast" and "Hook" met the
standards he advocates.
Among the demands made in the code are
the banning of "obscene speech," "lustful
kissing," "suggestive dancing," "ridicule of
religion," and "explicit presentation of criminal
acts." The code goes on to state that
"adulteryand illicit sex, sometimes necessary
plot material, must not be explicitly treated or
justified or presented attractively," and that
"movies should not infer that low forms of sex
relationships are the accepted or common
thing." According to Mahoney, the film industry
"cannot hide behind a misplaced cry for
'freedom of expression.'"
Criticism of the code was immediate and
sharp in the entertainment community, with
MPAA president jack Valenti leading the
counter-attack. "No group of people is wise
enough or divinely inspired to make value
judgements for other people," Valenti insisted.
"What they're trying to do is go back
to the dark ages. ..The only way you can have
a code is you must censor in advance. That
kind of production code would collide with
the constitution of the United States. ..I do not
believe that there is anybody of sound mind
and common sense who wants to turn over
the molding of his children and their behavior
to some self-appointed group."
Arthur Kropp, president of People For the
American Way, echoed Valenti's sentiments
with even harsher language, saying, "The Cardinal
has today sealed his unholy alliance
with the Religious Right. ..He has launched an
effort to return to the days when individual
religions exercised control over what all
Americans could see on television and in
theatres." And the Gay and Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation called the code "a throwback
to the times when there was a Legion of
Decency in Hollywood."
Dr. Theodore Baehr, who devised the code
along with Mahoney, struck back at critics,
saying that when other special interest groups
seek input "they call it
politically correct sensitivity.
When we do it, they call it censorship.
If they're going to listen to the gays, God bless
them. Ifthey'regoingto listen to the NAACP,
more power to them. But we want to be
included in that. We want them to be inclusive
of our values."
According to Baehr, the new code will
actually help Hollywood in the long run,
because what his coalition is advocating is
what the American public wants. "We're
going to set them free not only from the
bondage of sin and corruption," he claims,
"but from the bondage of losing money at the
boxoffice."
Violence Mars "Juice"
Opening
For the third time in the last year, violence
marred the release of a major studio film by a
black director, as a 1 6 year-old girl was killed
and four others were injured during the opening
weekend of Paramount's "Juice." The film
deals with the temptations of violent gang life
for young urban blacks. The incidents at the
theatres followed similar outbursts at openings
of Warner Bros.' "New Jack City" and
Columbia's "Boyz N the Hood" in 1 991
There were violent incidents in eight states
during "Juice's" opening weekend, despite
the fact that many exhibitors took Paramount
up on the studio's offer to pay for additional
security. The lone death occurred outside
Cineplex Odeon's Chestnut Station Theater in
Chicago, where 1
6 year-old Tydsa Cherry of
the suburb Alsip was caught in a crossfire
between two boys waiting for tickets to the
evening's final showing of "juice." Other incidents
included shootings and stabbings that
resulted in injuries in Philadelphia, Lansing,
Mich., and New York. There were no incidents
reported in Los Angeles, where much of
the violence that surrounded the openings of
"New Jack City" and "Boyz N the Hood" took
place.
Following the incidents, at least three theatres
canceled Saturday night showings of
"Juice." Despite the shroud of violence and
death that surrounded the film's opening. Paramount
insisted that the film was not to blame
and that harsh reactions were unjustified. "Although
there were some isolated incidents,"
studio spokesman Harry Anderson said, "we
had a peaceful and successful opening."
Piatt Lands at TriStar
Ending months of speculation, former
Orion Pictures president Marc Piatt has been
named president of TriStar Pictures, reuniting
Mike Medavoy, TriStar chairman and former
Orion boss. Joining Piatt at TriStar as president
of production will be Stacey Snider, formerly
Guber-Peters Entertainment Co. executive
vice president of production. The move
makes Snider the highest ranking female studio
executive in Hollywood.
Piatt, who fostered relationships with such
superstars as Kevin Costner, Michelle Pfeiffer,
Jodie Foster and Cher while at Orion, hopes
to bring as much talent with him to TriStar as
possible. And it is expected that many of
GPEC's projects and producers will follow
Snider to TriStar. Ofthedual hiring, Medavoy,
said, "Marc and Stacey are two of the most'
talented executives in the industry today.
They share the creative energy, vision, and
leadership to make TriStar the most distinctive
and exciting motion picture company of the
1 990s. They provide us with the best one-two
punch in the business."
1992 Boxoffice Gets
Healthy Start
Exhibition got off to a healthy start for the
new year in January, with the top 10 films
bringing in $43.5 million, up from the total ol
$41 .7 million last year, when boxoffice totals
were on their way to setting a first quarter
record. Leading the pack of early starters was
Buena Vista's thriller "The Hand That Rocks
the Cradle," which brought in more than $43
million in its first 24 days of release and held
on to the top slot for the final three weeks of
January. It was finally flicked out of number
one in February, but even then it surrendered
to another Buena Vista film, "Medicine Man,'
starring Sean Connery. Other hot titles in
January included LJniversal's "Fried Green
Tomatoes" and Fox's "Grand Canyon," two
late-1991 limited releases that wentwide, and
Fox's "Shining Through."
Boxoffice shares through February 2 were
as follows (with number of films in release in
parentheses): Buena Vista, 27.5 percent (5);
Warner Bros., 15.3 percent (5); Universal,
13.0 percent (5); TriStar, 12.0 percent (3);
Paramount, 9.7 percent (3); Columbia, 9.6
percent (4);
1 .6 percent (1).
Fox, 9.0 percent (4); and MGM,
Giants of Exhibition Update
The motion picture industry changes
quickly, sometimes too quickly. We overlooked
and/or ran incorrect screen counts for
four companies listed in our "Giants of Exhibition
- Part IV" roundup in the December
issue. To set matters straight, here are the
updates:
Cinema North (P.O. Box 549, 165 Woodstock
Ave., Rutland, VT 05702; 802-775-
491 5), which operates 60 screens in Vermont,
New York and Massachusetts, plans on adding
20 screens in 1992, making that circuit
number 40 on our list. Cinema Entertainment
Corp. (P.O. Box 1 1 26, St. Cloud, MN 56302;
612-251-91 31), which operates 74 screens in
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota,
should have been listed as number 41
on our chart. Regency Caribbean, which was
listed as number 53 with 51 screens had, at
the end of 1991 , 58 screens, with plans to add
1 4 new screens in 1 992, which would make
them number 42 on the list. Mllgram, listed
as number 42, is a booker as well as a theatre
owner, and our number count for that company
was incorrectly buoyed up by adding in
booked theatres along with owned theatres.
The company operates eight screens in Pennsylvania
and New Jersey.
24 BoxoFncE

EASTERN NEWS
NEWARK, NJ
Foundry Square in Newark has been renamed
Sam Feldman Square, in honor of the
late senior vice president of real estate and
ronstruction for National Amusements, Inc.,
owner-operator of Multiplex Cinemas and
Showcase Cinemas. Sam Feldman Square is
thesiteof National's new 1 2-screen All-Jersey
Multiplex Cinema, acclaimed to be the first
new movie house to open in Newark in over
50 years.
The All-Jersey Multiplex was Sam
Feldman's last completed theatre construction
in a career that spanned 55 years and saw
him build over 600 Showcase and Multiplex
screens at 70 U.S. locations and 80 screens
seven U.K. locations. He was still working
full-time at National, with a number of additional
U.K. and U.S. screens under construction,
when he passed away at the age of 73
(see Obituaries).
PITTSFORD, NY
Citing concern about traffic entering and
exiting the parking lot,
the town of Pittsford
has rejected an application by National
Amusements to build a 1 2-screen plex in this
Rochester suburb. News sources said that the
town's decision was apparently not related to
a November incident (see Boxoffice, February
92 issue) in which two employees of
Creative Services, Inc., the security firm retained
by NAI, allegedly burgled the Rochester
office of an attorney representing the plex
opponents. The break-in was repudiated by
both the theatre circuit and Creative Services.
PHILADELPHIA, PA
The Roxy Theatre, a popular repertory
house in center city that went dark last year,
reopened with the New Year on January 24
after a four-month hiatus.
On the repertory
side, the Roxy is reprising some recent art
house favorites.
Monte Hall, former International Chief
Barker, again headed the annual Philadelphia
Variety Club Telethon this past February 1
and 2 from the Philadelphia Civic Center. He
was joined by Jack Smith, Suzette Charles,
Maureen Arthur and Clint Holmes, with
television's Alan Thicke leading the talent.
The affair benefitted the many charities in
behalf of handicapped children.
In last month's Eastern News, we inadvertantly
listed incorrect information for
General Cinema Corp.'s Franklin Mills Mall
and Northeast 4 theatres. The Franklin Mills
Mall is a ten-plex; both theatre complexes
provide a $3.75 admission before 6 p.m.,
with children and senior citizens paying
$3.50 at all times.
WILMINGTON, DEL
Cinemark Theatres opened its newest theatre
complex in the state with Movies 10 in
the First State Plaza, just outside the city near
Newport. The 10-screen complex features
Lucasfilm THX stereo surround sound, wide
wall-to-wall screens in each auditorium, and
cupholder armrests at every seat. All seats
before 5 p.m. are only $3.50, with adults
$5.50 after 6 p.m. Senior citizens and children
are admitted for $3.50 at all times.
Movie 10 also provides same day advance
ticket sales.
CHELTENHAM, PA
Violence marked the first screening of
"Juice" at the United Artists Theatres at Cheltenham
Square, an 8-screen complex. As
crowds poured out of the theatre after the
evening premiere. They panicked because of
shouting and firecrackers inside the theatre.
Shots soon followed in the parking lot as an
18-year-old youth was shot in the neck and
paralyzed from the neck down. Police said
there were some 1 ,1 00 people attending the
screening and that shouting began between
several youths before the film ended and
firecrackers were tossed back and forth.
SOUTHINGTON, CT
A local couple, David and Kathryn Florian,
filed an application with the town Planning
and Zoning Commission for development of
a 1 2-screen plex in this city. One vital element
in town approval would be acceptance
of traffic projections. The plex, containing
63,000 square feet, will feature 3,000 seats,
with adjacent parking for 1,011 vehicles.
Town Planner Melvin Schneidermeyer and
Town Engineer Anthony Tranquillo, listing
their concerns and recommendations, called
for sidewalks, buffers, fencing, fire marshall
approval and other items. Several PZC members
indicated a need for a driveway to contain
four lanes to improve traffic flow. While
conducting traffic studies, the plex developers,
Schneidermeyer said, must include traffic
to be generated by a projected 925,000-
square-foot shopping mall, to be located on
the Soulhington-Chesire town line, near
Route 10 and 1-691.
BOSTON, MA
Richard A. Smith, who built General Cinema
Corp. from a drive-in movie chain into a
Fortune 500 company, gave up his post after
30 years in office. Smith, 64, appointed Robert
Tarr, Jr. to succeed him as chief executive
officer, in charge of daily business. "I will
remain actively involved in strategic issues
affecting the company," Smith said. "However,
the day-to-day responsibilities of managing
GCC and its business will be assumed
by Tarr." Tarr, who is now chief operating
officer and president of GCC, will also take
over as chief executive of Neiman Marcus
Corp. Smith, one of the nation's wealthiest
men, purchased a bottling operation from
Pepsi-Cola for $11 2 million in 1968. Twenty
one years later he sold the nation's largest
independent bottling operation for $1 .42 billion.
He took over General Cinema from his
father in 1961 and turned it into the nation's
leading exhibition chain, with more than $2
billion in sales last year.
While police were arresting a burglar in the
Beacon Hill theatre here, a shot rang out in
the theatre where "juice" was playing. Police
rushed from the office to the inside of the
theatre. No one was injured and no arrests
were made. But the burglar, who was caught
in the office, was taken in. Only a few weeks
earlier, the theatre was robbed of $1 ,000 as
employees were forced to lie on the floor. The
Beacon Hi 1 1 is part of the Loews theatre chain.
This year's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
will not be cut despite a $ 1 4,700 funding cut
from the National Endowment for the Arts,
reports Milena Kalinovska, director of the
Institute of Contemporary Art. "The Festival is
something ICA has done for many years," she
said. "Our other film and video programs
have already been cut to the bone. If we cut
any more programs, it would be like not
having any at all." She said the ICA would
seek other budget savings, including a possible
reduction in exhibition showings and
shipping. The National Endowment for the
Arts has denied suggestions that the ICA's
Media Arts Grant was cut from $24,000 last
year to $ 1 0,000 this year because of pressure
from Congress and anti-pornographic groups
this year. Kalinovska accepts the NEA explanation
that the cut was made because, in her
words, "At the time we were without a new
director and they [the NEA] were concerned
about our direction."
Bill Haney, the former legitimate theatre
producer who turned to exhibition around the
Boston and eastern Massachusetts (Cape Cod)
area, has expanded his chain of theatres,
under the banner of Entertainment Management
Corp., to seven houses that play first run
films.
WESTERN NEWS
SANTA MONICA, CA
Responding to an increasing flow of available
films. The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre
Group has acquired the Wilshire Theatre in
this section of Los Angeles. Located on Wilshire
Blvd., the theatre is a twin cinema most
recently operated by Mann Theatres. Reopened
in February, the Wilshire will be
booked with a variety of offbeat, first run and
revival, as well as foreign and domestic art
films. One of the two screens will be programmed
with a calendar format, augmenting
the one currently distributed for the Samuel
Goldwyn Theatre Group's popular Nuart
Theatre in West Los Angeles.
March, 1992 25

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SANTA BARBARA, CA
Blendingstate-of-the-art audio and projection
systems with Art Deco design themes,
Metropolitan Theatres' "Passeo Nuevo Cinemas"
will open this month in Santa Barbara.
The new four-plex, located on the second
floor of a landmark building on State Street,
will feature a ground floor lobby dramatized
by a 1 6-screen video wall showing trailers of
coming attractions. With a seating capacity of
1 ,000, the plex will also feature a grand staircase,
as well as an elevator and escalator,
leading patrons to the theatre complex itself.
CULVER CITY, CA
Sony Pictures Entertainment has formed a
Television Croup to parallel its Motion Picture
Croup and to allow television operations
"to capitalize on the creativity of the executives
running its individual businesses." The
company has named Mel Harris president of
the new group. Harris most recently headed
Paramount Pictures television group, which
successfully engineered such shows as "Entertainment
Tonight," "The Arsenio Hall
Show," "Cheers" and "Family Ties."
SOUTHERN
NEWS
ATLANTA, GA
Storey Theatres, Inc. has purchased six
acres of ground on Delk Road in Cobb
County, just west of the intersection with
Powers Ferry Road, on which it will build a
new multi-screen theatre complex. The first
phase of the complex, comprising ten
screens, is scheduled to open in late summer
of this year, but the site-work and building
will be designed to facilitate additional
screens with a minimum of disruption and
expense. The Delk 10 Theatre will feature the
most modern and up-to-date projection and
sound equipment, including 70mm projection,
Dolby SR stereo sound and large wallto-wall
screens.
RICHMOND, VA
The Plaza Cinemas in Portsmouth has been
acquired by Neighborhood Entertainment,
Inc., which reopened the three-screen cinema
as a sub run, discount-priced house. The
theatre, Portsmouth's first multi-screen cinema,
is located at Tyre Neck Road and West
High Streets in the Plaza Shopping Center; it
was purchased by NEI from its previous tenant.
Century Theatres, Inc. Admission has
been reduced to $ 1 .49 for all tickets.
INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
United Independent Cinemas (UIC) haj
reached an out of court settlement with Roadshow
Distributors. The action originally
began over alleged "no share" policies by the
distributor that were in breach of the Trade
Practices Act. UIC sees this as a significani
gain by the group of small owner-operators
who seek an equal footing with the majors in
the exhibition marketplace. This will hopefully
end the untenable situation that existed
until recently whereby small plexes and single
screens were at a distinct disadvantage
against multiplexes that had the screen capacity
to operate under the restrictive trade
policy.
The Australasian Performing Rights Association
(APRA), a body that among other things
collects copyright fees from cinemas, has
reached an agreement with the three major
cinema circuits and the Cinematograph Exhibitors
Association (CEA) over the formula
for working out dues. This involves a percentage
of the boxoffice takings, a situation that
Harry Waghorn of UIC says is totally unacceptable.
APRA wants the right to audit cinema
records in relation to turnover to find the
amount owing. Waghorn claims it has no
right to such information. He also claims that
negotiations between the major circuits and
APRA were carried out without the knowledge
of independent cinemas throughout the
country. Any deal reached is therefore irrelevant
to everybody outside the sphere of negotiations.
For most operators the new
agreement will see a 400 to 500 percent
increase in their fees; some operators hau'
recorded even higher jumps. UIC plans tu
fight yet another attack on small business.
Cinema wages may be set to rise in small
cinemas here in the coming year. Mom and
pop operations may be forced to pay union
negotiated wages that could see casual stall
on weekends receiving up to U.S. $28 per
hour. This has been caused by the complicated
wage system that exists in Australia
whereby a number of different wage cases
have been established that differ from operator
to operator and state to state. Without the
simplicity of an across the board minimum
wage (as in the U.S.), many businesses face
even tougher economic conditions in these
recessionary times. In some towns where the;
local cinema employs upwards of 20 to 40^
staff members, they suffer 18 percent unemployment,
a figure that may increase if the
new wages are established.
26 BOXOFUCE

le
ON THE MOVE
committee of Theatre Owners of the New
England States.
Samuel L. Lowe, Jr., 76, founder, in 19.37,
of the Theatre Candy Co. in Boston and a
partner in Rifkin Theatres, Boston, died this
past December. Lowe was also an antique
and art dealer.
On the move recently: Don Immenschuh,
iirector of theatre operations for Pacific
heatres' Southern California division, now
Iso to oversee the circuit's Northern Califorlia
theatre operation as well as the company's
wap Meet operations. ..John Wilmers to excutive
vice president of Ballantyne of
Dmaha....at Cobb Theatres/Prime Time
v'ideo: Milt Daly to vice president, operations
Dooking... .Debbie Nathin to senior publicist
at TriStar's New York office. ...Charles Nicks
and Jerry Brand to vice president, buying-
vice president and chief financial officer at
Wehrenberg Theatres.... Ben Manzari to senior
vice president-film buyer for Landmark
Theatres. ...Honey Berman to director, syndication
services at the Worldwide Services
department of MCM-Pathe Communications,
Co William (Bill) T. Miller to president of
he Southern California operations of
Harrah's Theatre Service & Supply. ...Richard
Ingberto president of marketing and distribution
for Largo Entertainment. ...Travis Reid to
the helm at Loews Theatres' film department....Tracy
Adier to vice president, controller,
Sonya Thompsen to vice president,
business affairs administration, Susan Cohen
to administrative assistant, Russell Stein to
booker, Stephen Bachner to cashier, Michelle
Indick to administrative assistant and Debbie
Janke to second booker at New Line Cinema
...Alicia Tromberg Kuttner to director of
national publicity at Tara Releasing.. ..Neil
Blatt to executive vice president, film. Bill
Snelling (previously senior vice president and
head film buyer for Canada) now to oversee
all North American advertising and Freeman
Fisher to vice president, distributor services at
Cineplex Odeon Corp Nina Jacobson to
vice president of production at Universal Pictures.
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SHINING THROUGH
Reviews
Suirriiii' Michael Douglas. Melanie Griffith. Liam Neesoii. Joely
Richardson and John Gielgud.
Writtenfor the screen and directed by David Seltzer, based on the
novel by Susan Isaacs. Produced by Howard Rosenman and Carol
Baum.
A Twentieth Century Fox production. Drama, rated R. Running
lime: 127 min. Sound: Dolbv SR. Projection: Scope Screening date:
1/27/92.
"Shining Through" is one of those movies fun to loolc at and even
more fun to talk about after the fact. While there is hardly a moment
in it to be taken seriously, the thrill of getting caught up in the
suspense of this
1940-style thriller-turned love story is undeniable.
This is 1990s feminism where it meets up with good old fashioned
sentimentality, and the result is the kind of cinematic schizophrenia
that is hard to .shake, much less believe.
major redemption, though, is that the film knows it and doesn't hii
the fact. In a way it's all very refreshing; however, for those tuni
in to the fierce battle being waged in the script between an empo\
ered female and the boobydom of the voice-over that plagues hf
the impulse to invest anything other than a suspension of disbeli
will prove difficult.
Rated R for a brief sexual situation.
FINAL ANALYSIS
Starring Richard Gere, Kim Basinger,
Roberts.
Marihn Moss
Uma Thurman and Er
Directed by Phil Joanou. Screenplay by Wesley Strick: stoiy I
Robert Berger and Wesley Strick. Produced by Charles Rove
Paul Junger Witt & Anthony Thomas.
A Warner Bros, release. Thriller, rated R. Running time: 124 mi.
Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 2/4/92.
If Alfred Hitchcock received residuals from every director wl
copied his style, he might make more money in his grave than I
made while he was alive. Ca.se in point: "Final Analysis," the late
offering from film school phenom Phil Joanou. Joanou, who stud
ously swiped stylings from Martin Scorsese and Francis Foi
Coppola on his last fiick, the repugnant "State of Grace," this tin
enrolls himself in Hitchcock 101, borrowing elements from "Vo
tigo" and "Spellbound" to create a cinematically lush, emotionall
hollow yarn of obsession and murder. Despite a trio of fine pert'o
mances by Richard Gere, Kim Basinger and Uma Thurman and
premise ripe with possibilities, the film fails to take off: we're alwa\
one step ahead of Gere's protagonist, and as a result this suspense
never generates any suspense.
Gere plays Dr. Isaac Barr (Ike to his friends), a psychiatrist wit
a healthy practice who also specializes in criminal cases, particularl
those involving temporary insanity. When we first meet him, he's
session with the voluptuous but neurotic Diana, who can't leave he
apartment without checking the oven a dozen times. Diana suggest
Dr. Barr meet with her sister Heather to discuss Diana's cloudi
family history, and, faster than you can say Sigmund Freud, the goo
The time is World War 11. and Linda Voss (Melanie Griffith) is a
woman with a mission who is betrayed not so much by the enemy
as by a script that nearly does her in. A staunch feminist, Linda is
smart as a whip (smarter, that is, than most of the men around her).
Yet for every point she scores in word and action, there is that
nagging melodramatic voice-over (her own voice, unfortunately)
that follows her, deflating her strength and reeling her back to the
pages of a Danielle Steel novel—that place where a powerful woman
is
ultimately seduced by some man just waiting on the sidelines to
rescue her when the going get too rough.
Linda is a secretary who, being half Jewish with a father from
Germany, also happens to speak pretty good German. After landing
a job in New York she soon falls in love with her new boss, Ed Leiand
(Michael Douglas), a man whose comings and goings are pretty
secret. But soon enough Linda figures things out—Ed is an intelligence
officer who spends his time getting the goods on the Germans.
With her own agenda in mind—to become a spy just like in the
movies she watches and to locate her close relatives in Germany
who, being Jewish, have had to go underground—Linda convinces
Ed to let her go to Berlin to infiltrate some top secret affairs. Ed is
reluctant, but, of course Linda has become so indispensable—not to
mention convincing—that he allows her to make her move.
Once in Berlin, Linda worms her way into the thick of things,
working with two Brits (John Gielgud and Joely Richardson) who
are part of the Allied intelligence network. Yet (being a woman, of
course), Linda makes a few good blunders as well, and soon enough
it' s up to Ed Leiand to go over to Beriin and rescue her. This he does,
and at the film'sconclusion the two of them just barely make it over
the Swiss border—Linda lying half dead in his arms and Ed shooting
his pistol as their bodies slump over the finish line.
All this is pretty choice material for Melanie Griffith, since the
story is essentially Linda's—until that finish line, of course. The
major problem with "Shining Through" is that its soul is sappy. The
doctor has discovered that Diana is an incest survivor and th;
Heather is the woman of his dreams.
Unfortunately, Heather is married to a vicious mobster (Eri
Roberts) who sexually abuses her, and, to further complicate matter;
she suffers from an obscure affliction known as pathological intox
ication, which renders her temporarily insane if she has so much a
a sip of alcohol. But half a bottle of cough syrup later, her husban
is dead and Dr. Barr is called in to set up her defense strategy— yo
guessed it: temporary insanity due to pathological intoxication. Bt
after getting his lady love off the hook. Dr. Barr begins to wonder i
Review Index
Final Analysis R-21
Freejack R-25
Hand That Rocks the Cradle, The R-22
Hard Promises R-24
Hearts of Darkness R-23
Juice R-24
Kuffs R-26
Life is Sweet R-25
Mississippi Masala R-24
National Film Board of Canada's
Animation Festival, The R-27
Raise the Red Lantern R-27
Rock-A-Doodle R-26
Shining Through R-21
Thank You and GoodNight R-27
This is My Life R-23
R-21 BoxomcE

—
—
iia\ he the whole thing wasn't a set-up— if. perhaps, Heather studied
ip on her illness in order to get rid of her husband and collect his
nhentance.
Perhaps the biggest problem with Wesley Strick's ("Cape Fear")
,,trangely lifeless script is that it doesn't put the audience in a position
)f doubt about Heather's guilt. As soon as the question of her
;omplicity is raised, it is answered and the rest of the movie is made
jp of a contrived game of cat and mouse in which Heather and Dr.
Barr do battle for the loyalty of Diana, who has the evidence that can
be used to frame Ike.
Gere is surprisingly convincing as the troubled doctor—he's
matured into an actor with real star presence, and he projects a
mixture of intelligence and raw sexuality that's convincing. Basinger.
in a role that calls for a feline seductiveness and a ruthless streak.
Claire (Annabella Sciorra) and Michael (Matt McCoy) have the
perfect marriage, with one cute-as-a-button kid, Emma (Madeline
Zima), and another on the way. Trouble, however, comes into their
lives when Claire is molested by her gynecologist. Outraged, Michael
presses her to file charges, and, after several other women come
forward to substantiate Claire's claims, the bad doctor kills himself.
Cut to his wile Peyton, pregnant herself, who suffers a miscarriage
during a stressful meeting about her husband's tangled finances. She
loses the baby and suffers a breakdown.
Meanwhile, back in the hallowed paradise of suburbia, Claire and
Michael are looking for a nanny, and guess who applies (neatly
concealing the identity of her late husband). Peyton is young, pretty
and loves kids—she'd be the perfect nanny if she didn't have this
obsession with revenge. She sets out to undermine Claire and
Michael's lives, breast-feeding the new baby so that it
rejects Claire
and planting clues that Michael is having an affair with family friend
Marlene (Julianne Moore) and that retarded handyman Solomon
(Ernie Hudson) is molesting Emma. And that's only the prelude: the
grand finale, of course, is a violent bloodbath.
Peyton is, in many ways, a female counterpart to "Cape Fear'.s"
Max Cady. a woman with a one-track mind who thinks she's been
wronged and is intent on destroying the life of her nemesis through
a psychological and physical game of cat and mouse. Unfortunately,
while De Niro's Cady was a truly horrifying creation, De Momay's
Peyton is fairly ridiculous—the idea of revenge through breast-feeding
is only the first of the script's bizarre conceits. And De Momay
is hardly an intimidating villainess: she can't seem to maintain her
does some of her best work; if she's not likely to make you forget
Barbara Stanwyck or Kathleen Turner, she's still more than up to
the task of playing a woman who can make a man stretch his ethical
code. And. in perhaps the film' s trickiest role, Thurman proves once
again what a promising actress she is; it's a relatively low-key role,
but she infuses it with passion. As Basinger's brutal husband,
Roberts does a quick, nasty turn that recalls Kirk Douglas' performance
in "Out of the Past," while Paul Guilfoyle, Keith David and
Robert Harper all lend sterling support.
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of the film is George Fenton's
wonderfully Herrmannesque score, which recalls the many collaborations
between Hitchcock and his favorite composer, Bernard
Herrmann. But if Fenton is equal to the task of paying homage to
Herrmann. Joanou is never up to doing Hitchcock the same honor.
The film is poorly paced—it seems 30 minutes longer than its two
hours—and the mock-Hitchcock shots stick out like so many sore
thumbs. Like his mentor. Steven Spielberg. Joanou has all the
technical know-how that film school could give him. But unlike
Spielberg, he doesn't seem to have any personal vision that would
give his films a distinctive stamp. The results, on both "Final
Analysis" and "State of Grace," have been slick but utterly hollow
pastiches. Unless Joanou finds a story that inspires him as much as
technical mimicry, he'll never join the ranks of the masters he so
clearly idolizes.
Rated R for sensuality, violence and language.
JejfSchwager
THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE
CRADLE
Starring Annabella Sciorra, Rebecca De Momay, Matt McCoy
and Ernie Hudson.
Directed by Curtis Hanson. Written by Amanda Silver. Produced
by David Madden.
A Buena Vista release. Thriller, rated R. Running time: 105 min.
Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 1/6/92.
A lesser-budget take-off on "Fatal Attraction" and "Sleeping With
the Enemy," "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" is an efficient,
well-made, by-the-numbers example of the suspense genre. It's such
a predictable thriller that it's a wonder there are any thrills at all—but
there are. Credit director Curtis Hanson ("The Bedroom Window")
for his knowing, if bland, technique, and writer Amanda Silver with
creating the kind of irredeemably wacky villain audiences love to
hate.
steely, determined look for any length of time, and her transitions
from sweetness to savage manipulation are unconvincing.
As Claire, Sciorra is more effective. Unlike Nick Nolte's character
in "Cape Fear," she's not required to feel any guilt; she moves from
glowing earth mother (she even works in
a botanical garden) to
victim, to— finally—defender of the family, and it's a smooth transition.
Sciorra manages all of Claire's stages with conviction, and
her performance gives the film what little depth it has. McCoy's
Michael is little more than a prop—he's the ultimate object of
Peyton's revenge fantasy—and the actor is adequate, turning in the
kind of likable, solid performance Sam Waterston has built his career
around, though he lacks Waterston 's more powerful screen presence.
Hudson's Solomon is perhaps the film's most pleasing creation, and
the actor does convincing, expert work: he's not as dopey as "L.A.
Law's" retarded Benny, and his gently heroic actions give the film
its only real grace notes.
But by the time the film reaches its climax, there's not much left
to hold our interest other than our own prurient curiosity. Yes, we
all want to see Peyton get hers, but there's never any doubt it's going
to happen. In the best films of this kind, from "Shadow of a Doubt"
to "Dressed to Kill." the hero's safety is
always in question; here,
it's impossible to imagine this ideal family not returning to their
idyllic life. And without that element of fear, "The Hand That Rocks
the Cradle" is just another piece of slick entertainment, manipulatively
rocking us back and forth before returning us .safely home for
a good night's sleep.
Rated R for violence, brief nudity and language.
Jeff Schwager
March, 1992 R-22

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HEARTS OF DARKNESS
Directed by Fax Bohr and George Hkkentooper. Produced by
George Zaioom and Les Mayfield.
A Triton Pictures release. Documentary, rated R. Running lime:
96 min. Screening date: 1/23/92.
For admirers of Francis Ford Coppola's 1 979 masterpiece, "Apocalypse
Now," "Hearts of Darkness" should serve as an indispensable
companion piece. For those to whom "Apocalypse" is little more
than an unpleasant memory, however, this non-fiction account of the
making of the film should have all the appeal of a bad acid flashback.
—
Doing what she does best—hamming it up with characters whc
take the messes in their lives and turn them into strange successesscreenwriter
Nora Ephron ("When Harry Met Sally...," "Heartburn'
and "Silkwood") now turns director with this winning story aboui
family ups and downs. But this is no ordinary family (is there one
ever?) and "This Is My Life," despite its low budget and seemingly
limited appeal, is no slouch when it comes to depicting the quirks ol
human nature. Ephron is very much in her milieu here: her film :
peopled with more emotional truths—be they painful or happythan
audiences are likely to find in many other films this year.
Julie Kavner is Dottie Ingels. a mother who wants to be a stand-up
comic in the worst way. Her two daughters, 16-year-old Erica
(Samantha Mathis) and 10-year-old Opal (Gaby Hoffman), share
their mom's dream and very often the three of them spend good times
fantasizing about what the future might bring—maybe even a spot
on "The Tonight Show," if things go really right.
Then the worst happens: Dottie actually becomes a success.
Slowly but surely she rises to the land of the living as a stand-up.
After her beloved aunt dies—leaving Dottie her house—our heroine
gets money for the house, quits herjob as a Macy ' s cosmetics counter
saleswoman and takes her daughters to live in Manhattan.
Now Dottle's two daughters have some hard times to tread.
Instead of having a mom who makes pancakes for breakfast and
watches TV with them, they've got a mom who goes on the road and
Jut regardless of your views on the subject, there is no escaping the
fact that "Hearts of Darkness" unsparingly documents one of the
most tumultuous "shoots" in the annals of moviemaking. For those
who've forgotten or are too young to remember, "Hearts of Darkness"
recounts how the budget for "Apocalypse" swelled to nearly
three times its original size due to a variety of factors ranging from
the mundane ( delays caused by last-minute writing )
to the tragic ( the
heart attack suffered by star Martin Sheen) to acts of God (the
monsoons that decimated expensive sets and postponed production).
And that's just the half of it. Culled from sixty hours of location
footage shot by Coppola's wife, Eleanor, and recent interviews with
such principals as Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper and the Coppolas
themselves, writer-directors Fax Bahr and George Hickenlooper's
long overdue pastiche also offers us fascinating glimpses of an
incredibly rotund Marion Brando fumbling (and mumbling) around
the set and Eleanor's "secret" tape recordings of her husband's
maniacal musings.
Of course, the real center of the film (Eleanor's immense contributions
notwithstanding) revolves around Coppola himself, a man
whose audaciousness is best exemplified by his now infamous
pronouncement to the press that "This movie ["Apocalypse Now"]
isn't about Vietnam. It is Vietnam." To its credit, though, "Hearts of
Darkness" also serves up the flip-side to the director's hyperbolic
gush when he states that "My greatest fear is to make a really shitty,
embarrassing, pompous film on an important subject, and, I'm doing
it." Will the real Francis Ford Coppola please stand up?
Although critics who revere "Apocalypse Now" have tended to
praise "Hearts of Darkness" for its "defiant honesty" while its
detractors have accused "Hearts" of being "self-congratulatory" and
"smug." both these points of view seem to miss what is most
appealing about this documentary: the way it immerses us in the
process of making "Apocalypse Now." a movie that for all its flaws
is without equal in terms of capturing the essence of the American
experience in Vietnam. At the same time, "Hearts" does an excellent
job of elucidating what made the prime-mover of "Apocalypse" tick.
Call it megalomania if you will, but ignore it at your own peril.
The film is rated R for language and violence. Alan Karp
THIS IS MY LIFE
Starring Julie Kavner. Samantha Mathis. Gaby Hoffman. Dan
Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher.
Directed by Nora Ephron. Screenplay by Nora Ephron and Delia
Ephron. Produced by Linda Obst.
A Twentieth Century Fo.x release. Comedy-drama, rated PG- 1 3.
Running time: 105 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening
date: 12/20/91.
soon enough become a creature inside that TV set: if the two girls
want to see her at all they have to watch her routines on the tube or
in a comedy club. Worst still, she takes the events of their lives and
reworks them into material for her act. And if this weren't bad
enough, she falls in love with her agent, "the Moss" (Dan Aykroyd),
as he's called.
What was once a dream now becomes a living disaster for
Samantha and Opal. They have to contend with a mother who is
trying to work both ends at once—a burgeoning career and motherhood—and
who sometimes seems more interested in the former.
Yet to mention just the storyline ot This Is My Life is not to do
It justice. The beauty ol the film lies in the richness of its characters
and situations. The ladies Ephron have penned Dottie and her
daughters to be complex human beings —^just the way real people
are—who are wrong as much as they are right, worthy of blame as
much as they are worthy of praise in their effort to handle their
increasingly complex lives. One particular scene—a fight between
mother and daughters that takes place mostly in the hallway of their
apartment as they fiy in and out of rooms, slamming doors—is real
enough to remind any viewer of his or her own childhood. It brings
back memories of those familiar moments when it was impossible
to know who was more angry, parent or child, and who should be
forgiving whom.
This is the real stuff of growing up and the kind of drama that Nora
Ephron does so well. Add to this a textured and winning performance
by Julie Kavner and the two young actresses and "This Is My Life"
comes to life in a way—albeit a modest way—that is quite touching.
This is a substantial film with more than just a few rings of truth in
it.
Rated PG-I3 for language.
Marilyn Moss
R-23 BOXOFFICE

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lUICE
Suirriiig Omar Epps, Jermaine Hopkins, Khalil Kain and Tupac
luikur.
Directed by Ernest R. Dickerson. Screenplay by Gerard Brown
nd Ernest R. Dickerman. Produced by David Heyman. Neiil H.
doritz and Peter Frankfurt.
A Paramount Pictures release. Drama, rated R. Running time: 94
nin. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 1/14/92.
Juice" has all the trappings of a predecessor like "New Jack City"
n mapping out the world of Afro-American gang violence in the
nner-city: its plot is predictable and its pent up energy often pushes
he pace to a feverish pitch. Yet. unlike another predecessor, "Boyz
^ the Hood." it has nowhere near the substance of story and
haracter—let alone the social significance—to redeem it. Once the
watching TV sitcoms—not to mention .Saturday jiiorning children's
cartoons—an intellectual challenge. The movie is so unnervingly
silly that it's a complete mystery why a major studio would have
picked it up for relea.se.
llm begins, the audience will be quick to figure out the direction it
akes. And while there is a certain comfort and pleasure in all of this
you don't have to work very hard) "Juice" is little more than a good
ime.
It's no wonder that the four boyz in "Juice" take to the TV to watch
James Cagney in "White Heat." In a not very subtle way, Cagney's
maniacal shooting spree is the metaphor for the crazed violence that
colors their own world. Q (Omar Epps ) is the film's protagonist. He's
a turntable virtuoso who walks a thin line between being sucked into
this violence and wanting to inake it out as a DJ. Q's other friends
Raheem (Khailil Kain). the nice kid. and Steel (Jermaine Hopkins)
the pudgy, dim-witted one— are ju^t as Lonllicifd as he is \et ha\e
neither the means nor the desire to csciix' ilicn siiikiiiL: w
Sissy Spacek is Christy, a woman scorned—not by her
(e\)hiishand's (William Peterson) philandering but rather by his
penchant for moving all over the globe and leaving her and her
daughter behind. In
12 years of marriage, complains Christy to her
friend (a scenery-chewing Mare Winningham). she has seen him no
more than a third of the time. So. at the time we meet Christy, she
has divorced the bum and now plans to marry another high school
chum ( Brian Kerwin). But. as sitcom logic would dictate, her daughter
has sent a wedding invitation to her father, who comes storming
back into town to reclaim his lost family.
So much for a plot audiences have seen too many times already.
The only possible way this film could have been redeemed would
have been to infuse it with a fresh retelling of an extremely tired
story. But. not so. None of its characters is real enough to believe for
a minute. Instead, "Hard Promises" becomes a dead idea, a done
deal—full of people with cartoon emotions and slapstick souls.
Twenty minutes into this misguided iness and its ending is a given.
But by that time there probably won't be a soul left in the audience
who will care. Most will have already exited the theatre, feeling
starved for meatier intellectual sustenance that only television can
offer. Call this one "Hard Premise."
Rated PG for thoroughly silly.
Marilyn Moss
there's Bishop (Tupac Shakur)—the crazed kid. He's a gun-happy
lunatic, a psychopath who ultimately ensures the film tragic core. If
ever a ghetto or a movie had an id—an unconscious on the loo,se
Bishop is it: and it's not until he loses all control and ends up killing
people left and right that we understand the true significance of
"White Heat" for this movie.
While "Juice" evokes endless metaphors of power and violence,
at its center it's a remake of the '50s juvenile delinquent genre. There
are the good guys, the bad guys and the tragic guys. And while
director Ernest Dickerson (previously Spike Lee's cinematographer)
has a powerful visual fiair that he flaunts at
the movie's opening,
soon enough it dissipates, trampled on by the generic woes of heroes
and villains as the inner-city quickly becomes catharsis city.
Rated R for language and violence. Marilyn Moss
HARD PROMISES
Starring Sissy Spacek, William Petersen. Brian Kerwin. Mare
Winningham and Jeff Perry.
Directed by Martin Davidson. Screenplay by Jule Selbo.
Produced
by Cindy Chvatal and William Petersen.
A Columbia Pictures release. Comedy, rated PC Running time:
95 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date: 2/2/92.
To say that "Hard Promises" is lighter than air is not to get even
close to the pooped-out antics that take place in this movie. It would
closer to the truth to say that, by comparison. "Hard Promises" makes
MISSISSIPPI MASALA
Starring Denzel Washington, Roshan Seth andSarita Choudhury.
Directed by Mira Nair. Written bySooni Taraporevala. Produced
by Michael Nozick and Mira Nair.
A Samuel Goldwyn Company release. Drama, rated R. Running
time: 1 17 min. Screening date: 10/19/91.
Combining the talents of Denzel Washington with those of director
Mira Nair ("Salaam Bombay !") for an interracial love story about
a young black man and a young Indian woitian might seem like a
recipe for incendiary drama, but. as any cook will tell
you. quality
ingredients don't always make for a great meal. "Mississippi
Masala." the new film by Nair and starring Washington, is a good
case in point: although it is an intelligent, heartfelt film, there's
something strangely formal about it—something that makes it seem
more like a production of "Masterpiece Theatre" than a feature film.
In India, a "masala" is a group of spices that, when mixed together,
become so potent they can set your mouth on fire: but "Mississippi
Masala," despite its mixture of tasty spices, never really ignites.
The film opens in Uganda, where Idi Amin's new laws are forcing
all Indians to leave the country. Expelled from their home. Jay
(Roshan Seth) and his family resettle in Mississippi, where they live
a cloistered existence among a group of Indian immigrants. All is
well until hisdaughterMina(newcomerSaritaChoudhury)accidentally
crashes a friend's car into the truck of a young black entrepreneur,
Demetrius (Washington), who owns a carpet cleaning
business, and the two fall in love.
March, 1992 R-24

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What follows is fairly predictable—her family doesn't appro\ e.
they try to stick it out, split up, get back together—but it still could
have worked if Sooni Taraporevala's script hadn't been so flat.
who's in love with comely Julie Redlund (former supermodel Renei
Russo). Very shortly thereafter, the main plot hook takes hold whei
Alex is beamed-out of his about-to-explode racer and transported tc
the year 2009 where a dying corporate magnate is waiting to clain
Alex's healthy young body a his own. So far so good. But rather thai
follow through on this potentially intriguing premise of mind anc
body transference, those responsible for "Freejack" opted instead to
a non-stop series of mind-numbing chases.
The tedium begins when Alex's delivery is delayed by an ambus!
and he takes to the streets with the magnate's chief henchman
Vacendak ( a leather-clad Mick Jagger), hot on his heels. To cite jus
one example of the lengths to which the filmmakers felt obliged tc
go in order to keep these tiresome chases moving, there comes i
point about two-thirds of the way into the film when Alex is finally
captured by the dogged Vacendak. But instead of taking Alex in,
Vacendak makes a run for it, counting "One Mississippi, two Mississippi..."
And so the story goes.
Taraporevala hasn't given the concept any snap, and her characters
seem strategically placed to make points—they conform to the needs
of the story: the story doesn't grow organically out of their personalities.
There are parts that work because of the performers: Washington
is a supple, charming actor, and he slips into Demetrius like
a perfectly tailored suit of clothes; and Coudhury has a sexuality that
makes Mina sparkle and an intelligence that humanizes her despite
the two dimensions Taraporevala has conceived for her. In supporting
roles, Seth does fine work as Mina's stubborn, obsessed father,
and Charles S. Dutton brings some life to his scenes as Demetrius'
frisky best friend, Tyrone.
But the film's real problem is that Nair and Taraporevala haven't
brought any heat to the central romance. For any love story to work
we have to feel the overwhelming desire of the characters to be
together. This is especially true of an interracial love story, where so
many outside forces are trying to keep the principals apart. Here the
characters seem drawn together by nothing but the script. And that
is why. despite its good intentions and fine performances, "Mississippi
Masala" is ultimately too mild an entree to recommend.
Rated R for sex and language. JejfSclwa^er
FREEJACK
Directed by Ceujf Murphy. Screenplay by Steven Pressfield.
Ronald Shusett and Dan Gilroy. Produced by Ronald Shusett and
Stuart Oken.
A Warner Bros, release. Sci-fi action, rated R. Running time: 108
min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Scope. Screening date: 1/27/92.
Although it does boast a few campy moments and one truly
impressive special effects sequence, "Freejack." which bears some
supci hci.il icscinblance both to "Blade Runner" and "l nlal Recall."
never really amounts to much more than one long extended chase.
All but the most diehard fans of the sci-fi action genre should beware.
-Starting out in the present, the film begins by establishing Alex
Furlong ( Emilio Esteve/ ) as an up-and-coming young race car driver
In a film where inconsistencies abound, there's also the matter ol
why Julie and Alex's dirtbag of a manager (David Johansen, in an
amusing little turn) don't seem to have aged a bit since the eariy
1990s. Then, too. we might well wonder how Alex manages to
emerge unscathed from an exhausting swim through a river filled
with hazardous waste. So it is that when the big special effects
sequence (a trip through Hopkins mind ) finally does occur, it's pretty
much of a letdown, given all the shopworn shenanigans that have
come before it. As for the performers, the best that can be said about
Emilio Estevez is that he'll go on to appear in other movies. The
same is true for Anthony Hopkins, who is virtually wasted in his all
too brief part as the obsessive tycoon. And then there s Mick Jagger,,
whose performance is really hard to judge since his role only requires
him to sneer a lot and bark out one-liners.
Rated R for violence and language. Alan Karp
LIFE IS SWEET
Starring Alison Steadman, JimBroadbent, Timothy Spall, Claire
Skinner and Jane Horrocks.
Written and directed by Mike Leigh. Produced by Simon Channing-Williams.
An Octoberfilms release. Comedy, not rated. Running time: 102\
min. Screening date: 12/26/91.
Winner of the National Society of Film Critics' citation as the best
film of 1991, writer-director Mike Leigh's "Life is Sweet" is a
quirky, often absurd black comedy about the disintegration of the
family in modern England. Like Leigh's eariier "High Hopes," it is
filmmaking of the most personal kind, infused throughout with the
director's unique take on the world and peopled with the sort of
characters you wouldn't find in the audience of a mainstream Hollywood
film, much less up on the screen.
Though Leigh is often compared with American indie pioneer
John Cassavettes, their films don't really have much in common
beyond an openness to improvisation. For whereas Cassavettes'
films were harrowingly realistic portrayals of the fragility of the
human spirit, Leigh, for all his cynicism about England's political
system, believes people will persevere in the end. Though there is
certainly an irony to titles like "High Hopes" and "Life is
Sweet,"
Leigh's sardonic viewpoint can't entirely mask his guarded optimism.
As in "High Hopes," in "Life is Sweet" Leigh uses a variety of
characters to get his points across. Here the central pair consists of
Nicola and Natalie, fraternal twins who couldn't be more different.
Nicola (Jane Horrocks) is an angrily neurotic, bulimic leftist, as well
as a sexual masochist who gets off by having her lover tie her up and
lick chocolate off her naked chest. Natalie (Claire Skinner), on the
other hand, is a calm, sexually ambiguous plumber. Other characters
include the giris' parents, Andy (Jim Broadbent) and Wendy (Alison
Steadman ), and their friend, Aubrey (Timothy Spall), who is preparing
to open a restaurant.
Nothing much happens in the film, but what keeps it
interesting
is Leigh's insightful knowledge of his characters as well as a group
of entertainingly eccentric performances. As Nicola, Horrocks has
the most flamboyant role, but Skinner's Natalie is a finely wrought
R-25 BoxomcE

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.-realion and an essential contrast. Steadman (Leigh's wife) also
makes a strong impression as Wendy, and Spall's Aubrey offers
Jarkly comic relief. Leigh's visual style is merely functional, but the
film's final impact is greater than the sum of its parts. For moviegoers
IjWho don't mind their entertainment containing a few ideas. "Life is
Sweet should be just the right order.
Not rated: sexuality and adult language. JeffSchwaser
KUFFS
Starring Christian Slater. Tony Goldwyn and Milla Jovovich.
Directed by Bruce A. Evans. Screenplay by Bruce A. Evans and
Raynold Gideon. Produced by Raynold Gideon.
A Universal Release. Action-comedy, rated PG-13. Running
Time: 101 min. Sound: Dolby A. Projection: Flat. Screening date:
1/7/92.
The movie year is young, so it may be that at some point, someone
out there is going to release a movie worse than "Kuffs." If so, it's
going to take some doing.
A misbegotten melange of "Beverly Hlls Cop" and "Ferris
Bueller's Day Off. "Kuffs" tells the implausible tale of George
Kuffs (
Christian Slater), an irresponsible rogue who inherits a private
San Francisco security patrol when his older brother (Bruce Boxleitner)
is murdered by art thieves. Though he's never even held down
a steady job. Kuffs decides to take on his dead brother's badge and
gun to nail the bad guys—with predictably predictable results.
Alternating between buddy cop cliches and plot-holes the size of
the Golden Gate Bridge. "Kuffs" struggles for a breezy comedy style
it
never manages to pull off under Bruce Evans' wobbily direction.
The screenplay (credited to Evans and Raynold Gideon) is strictly
cheapjack stuff, solving logic problems by ignoring them or simply
by pointing them out.
Slater's inexperience as a law enforcer, for
example, is resolved by showing Kuffs blowing away targets like a
sharpshooter his first time on the police rifle range, and then having
his instructor goo and gaa in amazement over Kuffs' "natural abilities."
as though no one in the script understands how such a thing
could be so either.
Slater's other 'natural abilities'
include miraculous recuperative
powers (a bullet passes through him. but the next day he's leaping
after crooks like a gazelle) and an enviable ability to control the
effects of time, demonstrated when the three-months pregnant
girlfrend he ran out on (supermodel Milla Jovovich) rematerializes
in his life months later without the slightest sign of her presumably
advanced condition to obstruct Slater's salacious appreciation of her
anorexic physique.
The only truly intriguing thing about "Kuffs" is the fresh evidence
it gives to the career freefall of Christian Slater, whose collapse has
been rapid even by the Brat Pack's accellerated standards.
Suprisingly (for someone with his smirky persona), though he's
given the kind of direct, into-the-camera address utilized in "Ferris
Bueller's Day Off, he fails to do the one thing that might have pulled
him from the flaming wreckage of "Kuffs"—that is. to utilize his
soliloquys as a way of staying above his material.
Slater's orbit has
been deteriorating ever since his remarkable performance in Michael
Lehman's "Heathers "; still, it's hard to imagine how an actor goes
from being Kevin (Robin Hood) Costner's sidekick in one of 199rs
biggest hits to a low-budget fiasco like "Kuffs" in just a few short
months. Even if "Kuffs" was in the can before "Robin Hood: Prince
of Theives," the choice of such an underfunded and unfunny project
for an actor who has yet to prove he can carry a film on the strength
of his own name seems the kind of mistake Slater may not get to
make twice — perhaps a good thing as far as audiences are concerned.
Rated PG- 1 3 for violence, language and sexual situations. Ray
Greene
ROCK-A-DOODLE
Featuring the voices of Glen Campbell. Eddie Deezen. Sandy
Duncan. Ellen Greene. Phil Harris, Christopher Plummer, Charles
Nel.wn-Reilly and Toby Scott Ganger.
Directed by Don Bluth. Screenplay by David N. Weiss. Produced
by Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy.
A Samuel Goldwyn release. Animation, rated G. Running time:
74 min. Screening date: 1/16/91.
A wickedly fast-paced animated feature that banks on the trademark
Don Bluth color, textures and verve, "Rock-A-Doodle" stakes
out the quicker-than-Disney painted actioner niche of animation.
Like Bluth's earlier films ("Land Before Time," "An American Tail"
and "All Dogs Go To Heaven"), "Rock-A-Doodle" taps into a
toon-hungry audience who' II eat it up. Considered the maverick who
reinvented animation, Bluth nevertheless cops out on this endeavor,
alluding to something Disney did early on with "Song of the South"
or even the legendary "Wizard of Oz." If the meager beginning and
end of "Rock-A-Doodle" could be chopped off, a germ of a good
film would remain.
Little Edmond (Tony Scott Ganger), a blonde-haloed farm boy,
is listening to a colorful bedtime story of Chanticleer, the rooster
who brings up the sun each morning with his crowing. As Edmond
falls into dreamland, his vivid little imagination takes Chanticleer
on the adventure of his life . One dawn the robust rooster ( voiced by
Glen Campbell, of all people) fails to crow. The sun rises anyway.
Humiliated and teased by his barnyard buddies, the crowing crooner
takes off to the big city to find adventure and fortune— which, of
course, is where all adventure is found.
Soon after, terrible floods invade the family's farm, convincing
Edmond that only Chanticleer's morning call can bring back the sun
and keep the flood waters from overtaking them. When the Grand
Duke, an evil owl who prefers to live in darkness, hears Edmond's
plans, he casts a nasty spell on him, turning him into a fluffy white
kitten. Not to be dissuaded, Kitty rallies all the barnyard animals
'round—Patou (Phil Harris), an ol' farm dog who can't tie his shoes;
Peepers (Sandy Duncan), a very intelligent mouse, and Snipes
(Eddie Deezen). a wise-crackin' magpie—and they set off for the
big city to reclaim Chanticleer. When they finally get there, they
can't find the bodacious bird because he's been given a stage name:
The King. Yep—bigger than Elvis, with shades of Roy Orbison
thrown in. Chanticleer is a big star. And. predictably, like all big
stars, he's lonely.
When King's greedy manager. Pinky (Sorrell Brooke) hears, via
the nasty owl network, that his chicken's friends are in
town, he
hatches a plan. Pairing King up with voluptuous pheasant showgirl
Goldie (Ellen Greene), Pinky hopes to divert King long enough to
have his froggie henchmen eliminate the hapless farm friends.
But good must triumph over evil—so, at the last possible moment,
when the floods are peaking the farm roof, Chanticleer is swooped
home, much to the disgust of the evil owls. He crows, brings up the
sun and all is well.
In all of Bluth's previous endeavors, characters took on personalities,
lives and families—this was the charm. Yet, not so with this
film. Despite avid attention to detail and a vocal cast attuned to every
whimsical posture, "Rock-A-Doodle" deflates the bubble of excitement,
wiping out the sharp animation and the groovy, singing owls.
Rated G for kids of all ages. Mari Florence
March, 1992 R-26

—
—
THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF
CANADA'S ANIMATION FESTIVAL
Directors include Brian Dtichscherer. Yves Leditc. Les Drew.
John Weldon. Caroline Leaf, Wendy Tilby and Richard Condie.
An Expanded Entertainment presentation in association with the
National Film Board of Canada. Comedy-drama, unrated. Running
time: 87 min. Screening date: 1/3/92.
For most moviegoers, the Disney Studios represent the standard
by which all film animation is judged—which makes the govemmentally-funded
efforts of Canada's National Film Board all the
more valuable. As the antithesis of Disney's lush but limiting house
style, the National Film Board has long encouraged Canada's artists
to pursue highly individualized stories and techniques.
The range and versatility of the projects supported by the NFB is
very much in evidence in Expanded Entertainment's presentation of
"The National Film Board of Canada's Animation Festival." Though
the results are a bit weak and diffuse compared with some of
Expanded's previous animation compilations, the scope of the
NFB's achievements prove fully worthy of the salute.
By far the best of the 10-plus short subjects on display here is
Caroline Leaf's brooding "Two Sisters," a stunning, expressionistic
gem about the unhealthy co-dependency between a deformed writer
and her housekeeping sibling. "Two Sisters" represents the kind of
match between style and subject that the Disney Studios, with their
insistence on three-dimensionality, can never achieve. Leafs technique
was to etch her animation directly onto white and black 70mm
film stock, and the result, though crude by Disney standards, is
perfect match between a bleak scenario and stark graphics. If Flannery
O'Connor had been an animator, she would have made movies
like this.
Unfortunately, only a few of the other works approach (without
matching) Leafs achievement. Honorable mentions go to Real
Berard and Andre Leduc's moody, music-video-ish "Jours de Plaine"
and to Wendy Tilby "
s darkly humorous "Strings," which has an
almost Katlcaesque sympathy for the loneliness of urban apartmentdwellers.
At the other end of the quality spectrum is Brian
Duchscherer's too cute "The Balgonie Birdman," which pays tribute
to Canadian aviation pioneer Bill Gibson by reducing him to caricature,
and Richard Condie's cruel, unfunny "The Apprentice," which
appropriates the graphic style and medieval milieu of Holland's Paul
Driessen without the gallows humor and dry sophistication informing
Driessen's best work.
As usual. Expanded Entertainment makes the mistake of including
logo animation and commercials to pad out the running time of
its festival, which has the effect of implying that the NFB' s resources
are limited to only the handful of films represented. A more egregious
error is the inclusion, in excerpted form, of clips from some of
the more well known NFB offerings of years past—Condie's 1985
"The Big Snit," Cordell Barker's 1988 "The Cat Came Back," etc.
The excerpts will be disappointingly familiar to those who saw the
originals in less truncated form at festivals past, while those seeing
them for the first time will almost certainly be unsatisfied with
Expanded's inelegant abridgement of several NFB classics.
Unrated, but with a high quotient of scatological humor and
(pardon the pun) graphic violence. Not necessarily for children.
Rax Greene
RAISE THE RED LANTERN
Starring Gong Li.
Directed by Zhang Yimou. Produced by Chiu Fu-Sheng. Screenplay
by Ni Zhen.
An Orion Classics release. Drama: not rated. Running time: 125
minutes. Screening date: ! 1/06/91.
The third film by Zhang Yimou, a leading "Fifth Generation"
Chinese filmmaker, rounds out what may be a trilogy of tales of
young women (all starring Gong Li) enslaved in marriage by feudal
"
tradition. Yet, unlike the heroines of "Red Sorghum and "Ju Dou,"
a
Yimou's most recent heroine doesn't excape the cycle of repres
sion—and the film serves as a grim metaphor for current Chinest
politics.
What probably helped get this Taiwanese-funded film past Chi
nese censors is the director's fine sense of historical realism. Shooting
in an enormous feudal castle. Zhang Yimou has crafted a visuall)
stunning, dramatically powerful tale of a young concubine. Impoverished
by the death of her father, the girl is forced to quit college
and become the fourth wife of a wealthy patriarch. A strong. comel>
and natural actress. Gong Li is here joined by an excellent supporting
cast that includes Cao Cuifeng as the outwardly solicitous yei
treacherous second wife and He Caifei as the bitchy third wife, s
proud opera singer.
Every night, red lanterns are ceremoniously lit in the courtyard of
the wife with whom the (mostly unseen) master chooses to sleep.
Soon the girl learns that those left in the dark lack power in the
household, and she becomes embroiled in rivalry. She tries to gain
favor by pretending to be pregnant, but her surley maid exposes hei
pretense—only to suffer mortal revenge. The girl then reveals the
infidelity of the third wife, and watches as her rival is swiftly hanged.
The master takes yet another bride the following year, and the once
strong-willed, resourceful girl goes insane.
While this film lacks the color of Zhang Yimou's earlier films, it
has an elegant geometry that frames almost every shot. The formality
of custom imprisions the heroine as much as the high walls of the
castle. And this formality is reflected in the static camera-work;
classical art direction and highly structured screenplay.
Not rated, "Raise the Red Lantern" only implies sexual situations
and violence. Karen Kreps
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT
Starring Jan, Helen and Mae Oxenberg.
Produced, written and directed by Jan Oxenberg.
An Aries Film release. Docu-drama not rated. Running time: 77
min. Screening date: 1/24/92.
Independent filmmaker Jan Oxenberg has created an original and
extraordinary exploration of the meaning of life and death as well as
the depth and complexity of family ties. Her collage is a wacky mix
of documentary footage and interviews with family and friends,
fantasy, photographs and assorted kitsch. A picture for "the sandwich
generation" of baby boomers with aging parents,
a Jewish
version of "A Woman's Tale," the film documents the death of
Oxenberg's Grandma Mae. Intensely personal, yet universal, it
overflows with warmth. Woody Allenesque humor and not a little
heart-wrenching pathos. A dozen years went into the production, and
even though the film was made on a shoestring, its list of credits is
as long as that of an extravaganza.
In addition to appearing before the camera, the filmmaker is
represented by a scowling cut-out figure of herself at age five that
appears amid the other live characters. The story takes us from the
famed old Loews Paradise theatre to a psychiatrist's couch, to
outer-space, to the Holland Tunnel, where the dead enact a passage
a la Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. It' s a sensual movie, filled with steaming
plates of greasy Jewish food served on schlock furniture. But mostly
it focuses on the family.
Grandma Mae has natural comic timing and a dry sense of humor.
She deteriorates, with dignity, during the course of the film, and
Oxenberg records the difficulty with which some of her family come
to terms with this: her mother, Helen, who has a love-hate relationship
with Mae, and her brother Ricky, who offers insightful monologues
about the process of dying. Old friends pay their respects, and
from the hospital visits to sitting "shivah," the grandchildren are
introduced to mortality. This is a very rich, full 77 minutes.
Not rated, this is a sophisticated, family film.—Karen Kreps.
R-27 BoxoFncE

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)
)
TEASERS
These are films that have gone Of Mice and Men (D)
into production but are not yet John Malkovich. Dir: Gary Sinise
(11/91) fall
set tor release; estimated seasons
of release are listed in italics.
The dates in parentheses
indicate the issue ol Bowffice in
which the film was profiled in
New Line
the Hollywood Report column.
If the title has changed since the Glengarry Glen Ross (D)
film went into production, the Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec
original title is also listed in paentheses.
(8/91) fall
Baldwin. Dir: James Foley.
The Player (C)
Tim Robbins. Dir: Robert Altman
(6/91) spring
Avenue
Ruben and Ed (C)
Crispin Glover, Howard Hesseman,
spring
American Heart (D)
left Bridges, Edward Furlong.
Serious Money (C)
Dir: Martin Bell (11/91) fall
Leo Rossi, spring
Buena Vista
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With
Vladdin (Anim)
Me (Thr)
Dir: John Musker, Ron Clements
("The Little Mermaid").
Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee.
Dir: David Lynch. (1/92) fall
spring
Ziose to Eden (D)
Melanie Crittith. Dir: Sidney
Lumet. (11/91) fall
Orion
Cannon
Chicago Loop (D)
James Spader, Theresa Russell.
Dir: Nicolas Roeg. (7/91) fall
Columbia
Bram Stoker's Dracula (D)
Winona Ryder, Anthony Hopkins,
Gary Oldman. Dir:Francis
Ford Coppola. (5/91) /a//
A Few Good Men (D)
Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise,
KielerSutherland, Demi Moore.
Dir: Rob Reiner. (12/91) /a//
Hero (CD)
Dustin Hoffman, Andy Garcia,
Geena Davis. Dir: Stephen
Frears. (1/92) C/ir/s(mas
Honeymoon in Vegas (C)
James Caan, Nicolas Cage,
Sarah Jessica Parker. (11/91)
summer
A League of Their Own (CD)
Geena Davis, Madonna, Tom
Hanks. Dir: Penny Marshall.
(8/91 ) summer
Machine Gun Kelly (D)
William Baldwin. Dir: Marek
Kanievska. (6/91)/a//
Mr. Saturday Night (C)
Billy Crystal, Julie Warner. Dir:
Billy Crystal. (1/92) ^a//
The Pickle (C)
Danny Aiello, Dyann Cannon.
Dir: Paul Mazursky. (12/91)
summer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Conundrum (D)
Sally Field. (4/91) spring
Clifford (C)
Martin Short, summer
The Dark Half (Thr)
Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan.
Dir: George Romero. (1/91)
spring
RoboCop 3 (Ac)
Robert Burke, Nancy Allen. Dir:
Fred Dekker ("The Monster
Squad"), summer
There Goes My Baby (D)
Dermot Mulroney, Jill
Schoelen. Dir: Floyd Mutrux
("American Hot Wax"). (1 1/90)
fall
Orion Classics
Howards End (D)
Helena BonJiam-Carter, Anthony
Hopkins, Vanessa
Redgrave. Dir: James Ivory.
(7/91) summer
Paramount
Jennifer Eight (Thr)
Andy Garcia, Uma Thurman,
John Malkovich. Dir: Bruce
Robinson. (11/91) spring
School Ties (CD)
Brandon Fraser. Dir: Robert
Mandel. (12/91) summer
Sessions (Thr)
Alan Alda, Annabella Sciorra,
Jill Clayburgh. Dir: Chris
Crowe. (12/91) fall
Tri-Star
Bartholomew Vs. Neff (C)
Sylvester Stallone, John Candy.
Dir: John Hughes ("Uncle
Buck"), spring
Charlie (Bio)
Robert Downey, Jr. Dir: Richard
Attenborough. (10/91)
r/7ris/n)js
Mr. Jones (Thr)
Richard Gere, Lena Olin. Dir:
Mike Figgis .(2/92) C/iris(mas
Untitled Woody Allen (C)
Woody Allen, Judy Davis, Mia
Farrow, Juliette Lewis, Sydney
Pollack. Dir: Woody Allen.
(1/92) Christmas
Wilder Napalm (C)
Dennis Quaid, Debra Winger,
Arliss Howard. (2/92) Christmas
Twentieth Century Fox
Home Alone 2: Lost in New
York (C)
Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci,
Daniel Stern. Wr/Prnd: Inhn
Hughes, fall
lohn Lithgo
Jack the Bear (D)
Danny Devito. fall
The Last of the Mohicans (Ad)
Daniel Day Lewis. Dir: Michael
Mann. (8/91 ) summer
Night and the City (D)
Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange.
Dir:lrwin Winkler. (1/92) /aW
Prelude to a Kiss (CD)
Alec Baldwin, Meg Ryan. Dir:
Norman Rene ("Longtime Companion"),
summer
Rapid Fire (Ac)
Brandon Lee, Powers Boothe.
(9/91) spring
Storyville (Thr)
James Spader, Jason Robards.
Dir: Mark Frost. (6/91 ) summer
Used People (C)
Shirley MacLaine, Marcello
Mastroianni, Kathy Bates, Jessica
Tandy. Dir: Beeban Kidron.
{] 2/9]} fall
Universal
Army of Darkness (H)
Dir: Sam Raimi ("Darkman"
spring
Death Becomes Her (C)
Bruce Willis, Meryl Streep,
Goldie Hawn. Dir: Robert
Zemcckis. (2/92) Christmas
Far and Away (D)
Tom Cruise. Nicole Kidman.
Dir: Ron Howard. (9/91
summer
Housesitter (C)
Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn.
Dir: Frank Oz. (2/92) summer
Lloyd of London (C)
Keenan Ivory Wayans. (6/91)
spnng
The Looters (Ac)
IceT, iceCube. Dir:Walter Hill.
(2/92) fall
Lorenzo's Oil (D)
Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon.
Dir: George Miller. (1/92) fall
Mr. Baseball (Tokyo
Diamond ) (C)
Tom Selleck. Dir: Fred Schepisi
("The Russia House"). (1/91
summer
Raises Cain
Raising Cain (Thr)
John Lithgow, Loiita
Davidovich, Steven Bauer. Dir:
Brian De palma. (1/92) /a//
Scent of a Woman (D)
Al Pacino. Dir: Martin Brest.
(2/92) Christmas
Sneakers (C)
Robert Redford, Dan Aykroyd,
Sidney Poitier, Mary
McDonnell, Ben Kingsley,
Dir: Phil River Phoenix. Alden
Robinson. (12/91) summer
Warner Bros.
The Bodyguard (D)
Kevin CJostner, Whitney Houston.
Wr/Prod: Lawrence
Kasdan. (2/92) Christmas
Malcolm X (Bio)
Denzel Washington. Dir: Spike
Lee. (11/91) Christmas
That Night (CD)
C. Thomas Howell, Juliette
Lewis, Helen Shaver. Dir: Craig
Bolotin. (12/91 ) summer
Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman,
Morgan Freeman, Richard
Harris. ( 1 1 /9 1 ) summer
March, 1992 37

.
BOXOFFICE
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH
Medicine Man, D, PG-13, 105 mm, Dolby f
Buena Vista
(818)567-5030
Fattier ol Itie Bride, C. PG. 140 min. Dolby A.
Hat, Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, Martin
Short. 12/20
Scope Sean Connery 2/7
Blame II On the Bellboy C, PG-1 3, 78 mm,
Dolby A, Rat Dudley Moore 2/28
The Great Mouse Detective. Anim. G, 71
Noises OB, C, PG-13. Dolby A. F
Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, Oir: Pete
Bogdanovich, 3/20.
min. Reissue 2/14
Columbia
(310)280-8000
(212)751-4400
r Circle„D, PG-13, 134 min, Tom Hulce,
Under Suspicion, D, R, 1 00 mm, Dolby A,
Scope Liam Neeson 2/7 (Ltd). 2/28 (Wide)
Radio Flyer, D, R, 120 min, Dolby A, Scope
Dir Richard Donner 2/21
Falling From Grace. D. PG-1 3, 99 mm, Dolby
A. Flal John Mellencamp. 2/21 (Ltd)
Cladiator. R, 108 min, Dolby A. Flal 3
\ Very Good Year. Ad, Penelope A
3ir: Peter Yates, 3/27
IVIGIVI-Pathe
(310)444-1500
Once Upon a Crime, C,
PG, 94 mm, Di
Flal John Candy Dir Eugene Levy 3/t
The Cutting Edge, D, PG, 101 m "
Flal 3/4
l\/liramax/
Prestige
(212)941-3800
Higli Heels, CD, R, 113 min, Dolby A, Flat
Dir Pedro Almodouar 12/20
Katka, D, PG-13, 98 mm, Dolby SR, Flat
Jeremy Irons Dir Steven Soderbergh 1 2A)4
Delicatessen, C, 95 min, Dolby A, Hat
Zentropa, Thr, 107 mm, Dolby SR, Sec
American Dream, Doc , NR, 98 mm.
Flat Dir Barbara Kopple
Sketches, C, 100 min. Dolby A, Flal
Bateman, Annie Potts,
New Line
(212)239-8880
(310)854-5811
Aims: Iron Eagles III, Ac Louis Gossett Jr,
The Dar* Wind, R, D Lou Diamond Ptiillips.
Dir: Errol Morris
Roadside Prophets, I
Man Hor, Dolby SR,
Orion
(310)282-0550
(212)980-1117
Atticle99,CD, R, 100mm,DolbySR.I
Ray Liotta,Kie(er Sutherland 3/13
Shadows and Fog, C, PG-13, 80 mii
SR, Hal Dir Woody Allen 3/20
Love Field, D, PG-13, Dolby A, Flal Mi
Pfeifter,
Paramount
(213)956-5000
(212)333-4600
SlarTrekVI,SF,PG,109
70mm William Shatner,
Nicholas Meyer 12/13
Wayne's World. C. PG-13. 93 min. Dolby SR,
Flat Dana Carvey, Mike Myers Dir Penelope
Spheeris 2/14
Samuel
Goldwyn
(310)552-2255
TriStar
(310)280-8000
Grand Canyon, CD, R, 140 min, Dolby A,
Scope Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Danny
Glover Dir; Lawrence Kasdan, 12/25 (Ltd)
NakedLiincti,D,R.115min, Flat, Peter
Weller, Ian Holm Dir: David Cronenberg,
12/2? (Ltd)
This is My Lile, C, PG-13, 105 min, Dolby A,
Flat, Julie Kavner, Samantha Mathis, Nora
Ephron 2/21 (Ltd)
Back In the U.S.S,R., D, R, 87 mm Frank
Whaley 2/7 (ltd)
Universal
(818)777-1000
(212)759-7500
Fried Greea Tomatoes, D. PG-13. 130 mm,
Dolby A, Flat
12/27 (Ltd)
Kathy Bates. Jessica Tandy,
At Play in the Fields ol die Lord. D, R, 187
mm Dolby SR, Flal Kathy Bates, John
Liihgow Dir Hector Babenco 12/6 (Ltd)
Stop or My Mom Will ShooL C, 81
mm,
PG-13, Dolby A, Rat Sylvestor Stallone 2/21
Ttie Last Boy Seoul, Thr, R, 107 mm. Mono,
tgs. CD. R, 111 min, Dolby A,
Warner Bros.
(818)954-6000
Scope Bruce Willis, Damon Wayons 12/13
JFK, D, R 188 mm, Dolby SR, Scope Kevin
Coslner Dir Oliver Stone 12/20
Until the End ol tlie World Thr, R. 157 min,
Rat, 2/28 (Ltd)
Final Analysis, Thr, R. 122 min. Dolby A, Flat
Richard Gere, Kim
Basinger, 2/7
Memoirs ol an Ini Invisible Man, C, PG-13, 99
The Power ol One, D Morgan F
Dolby A Flat Dir Wim Wenders, 12/25
min. Chevy Chase

It
les.
•11.
Bill
. C.
. C
FEATURE CHART -March 1992
,Mus. 119 min, Dolby A. Scope
Honey, I Blew Up the Baby. C, <
Buena Vista
(818)567-5030
l/hile Female, Thr Bridget Fonda.
Jason Leigh Dir BaibetSchroeder
I King's Sleepwalkers. Hor. 90
Damon Wayans. 6/5
Honeymoon in Vegas. C James Caan.
Nicolas Cage Dir Andrew Bergman
A League ot Their Own. C Tom Hanks.
Geena Davis Dir: Penny Marshall.
Columbia
(310)280-8000
(212)751-4400
IVIGM-Pathe
(310)444-1500
Suede. C. 97 min. Mono. Flat
the Game. RomC. 95 mm. Dolby
Arye Gross. Julie Brown
D. 98 mm Joan Plowright,
C. 95 mm. Mono. 1:66
Thr Oir William Friedkm
97 mm. Dolby A. Flat.
Hopkins
Mercl La Vie. C
Map ol die Human Heart.. D Patrick
Bergin. John Cusack. Anne Parillaud,
Jeanne Moreau.
IVIiramax/
Prestige
(212)941-3800
Live Wire. Ac
Pierce Brosnan. Ron Siluer
New Line
(212)239-8880
(310)854-5811
l,CD,R. 112 min, Dolby SR,
eau Bridges, Cybill Shepherd, Ron
Mary Stuart Masterson Dir: Arthur
Orion
(213)282-0550
(212)980-1117
Paramount
(213)956-5000
(212)333-4600
D Scrnp^ Ingmar
Bergman,
The Playboys. D Albert Finney. Aidan
Quinn
Samuel
Goldwyn
(310)552-2255
Sniper. Ac Tom Beringer
Universal Solder. Ac
Jean-Claude Van
TriStar
(310)280-8000
lUlly: The Ust Raintoresl. A
Trouble, C Jack Nicholson. I
n. Dir: Bob Ralelson,
1. C, Tom Selleck
20th Century
Fox
(310)277-2211
Ibe. D. Dolby A, Flat Dir Arthur
John Goodman. Kelly McGillis 4/17
oven.C.PG. Dolby A. Flat Charles
Mad Dog and Glory. CD Robert De t
Murray
Leaving Normal. D Christine Lahtt. t
Universal
(818)777-1000
(212)759-7500
CD Bridget Fonda. Campbell
Dir Cameron Crowe 4/10
> Sands. Willem Dafoe. Mickey
Warner Bros.
(818)954-6000

BOXOFFICE Independent Feature Chart MARCH 1992
Castle Hill
(212) 888-0080
Voyager, D, PG-1 3. Sam Shepdrd.
Dir: Volker Schlondorff.
Memoirs of a River
Shai

Miami,
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IVayne, Indiana 46806-2280.
EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
DOMPLETE THEATRE EQUIPMENT: (New. Used or
Rebuilt)
Century SA, R3. RCA 9030, 1040. 1050 Plat-
:ers: 3 and 5 Tier, Xenon Systems 1000-4000 Watt,
Sound Systems mono and stereo, automations, ticket
•nachines, curtain motors, electric rewinds, lenses,
pans and many more items in stock COIvlfvlERCIAL
large screen video projectors. Plenty of used chairs
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AND INSTALLATION
AVAILABLE. DOLBY CERTIFIED. Call Bill Younger
Cinema Equipment Inc , 9372 N W. 13 Street, Miami,
Florida 33172 (305) 594-0570. Fax: (305) 592-
BURLAP WALL COVERING DRAPES: $2 05 per
/ard, fiame retardant. Quantity discounts. Nurse & Co
,
Vlillbury Rd., Oxford, MA 01540 (508) 832-4295.
CUPHOLDER ARMREST 'state of the art" Cy Young
cupholder Call 1-800-729-2610 for FREE SAIvlPLE.
PATRON TRAY. Fits into cupholder armrest. Cy
roung. Inc. Phone 1-800-729-2610. Call for free sam-
COMPLETE CONCESSION EQUIPMENT. Cretors
model DI32FP popcorn machine with automatic oil
pump, popcorn warmer, butter server, flake ice maker,
counter, glass display case, cash register Like new
Phone (505) 479-2001 New Mexico
FACTORY FRESH fully warrantied bulb sale. Proudly
made in U.S. ORC XM 2000 H/VC, $525.00, XM
3000 H/VC, $650.00. We ship anywhere in the world
Other sizes available at special prices.
Write, wire or
call Cinema Equipment Inc., 9372 N.W, 13th Street,
Miami. FL, USA Phone (305) 594-0570. Telefax
(305) 592-6970
DRIVE-IN electric heaters (over 150). speakers (over
400). junction boxes and misc. parts, all in good to
new condition Original cost over $8,000; will sell
ENTIRE Lot for $800 Call Fred Schoenfeld at (804)
484-7948
HEADS, Simplex Pro 35, E-7, motors, changeovers,
L-22 base, amplifier, computerized theatre speaker,
Altec 15-93 B amp & pre-amp, etc Floor water fountain,
make-up table automation. B&L lens. Cinema-
Scope w/bu, 3 75' lens, 47-28 lens, D247-42 lens,
marquee letters 100-24", 100-17", 100-12
.
3CVC
new computenzed video games w .25 'Dark Warrior,"
"Cosmos," "Dazzler " Midwest, call (812) 275-
3451. West Coast, call (619) 737-8557 Private party.
Eqpt, in Indiana.
TELEPHONE ANSWERING EQUIPMENT. All major
brands of reliable, heavy-duty tape announcers and
digital
announcers are available at discounted prices
Please call Jim at Answering Machine Specialty,
(800) 222-7773
NEW AND USED STAGE SPEAKERS for sale: Altec,
JBL, ELectro-Voice, replacement woofers, horns, drivers,
crossover networks and cabinets Complete
speaker repair, reconed woofers, and diaphragm replacement,
even older and hard to find units can be
repaired at very reasonable prices Trade in your old
speakers and sound equipment on our new and used
fully warranteed systems Call us before you spend
your hard earned money and be surprised at what you
will save. Call Richard at (913) 362-3762
NOW MICRO-FM stereo radio sound systems FOR
THE HEARING IMPAIRED Meets FCC part 15. Call or
write Audio Visual Systems, 320 St Louis Ave
,
Woonsocket.
Rl 02895. Phone (401) 767-2080, (401)
769-2710. Fax (401) 767-2081
DOLBY'S - CP-55 $4100, CP-65 (inquire), CP-100
$3300, MPU-1 $995, MPU-2 $1700 Westar CSP-
1000 $2625. QSC 1400 $618, Altec, JBL, Electrovoice,
Klipsch. new & used. Westar exciter /monitor
new $600. International Cinema Equipment, 6750 NE
4th Ct., Miami, FL 33138. Phone (305) 756-0699,
FAX (305) 758-2036. Dealer discounts & inquiries
EXPORT SPECIALS - Refurbished, warranty, 50/60
HZ, Multivoltage. Parts for all. All w/lens turrets and
aperture changers, feed, takeup, pedestal, more.
Bauer U4 Xenon Lamphouse, $5500; Philips FP-20
w/new auto turret, $7950; DP-75 35 /70mm w/new
auto turret, 6 track cluster, $12,995; Cinemeccanica
V8 35mm manual turret, feed & takeup, includes 2K,
2.5K or 4K lamphouse. $6500; USA Government guaranteed
financing to qualified buyers. Catalog. Many
more makes to choose from, agents wanted. International
Cinema, 6750 NE 4th Ct., Miami, FL 33138,
USA. TEL: (305) 756-0699, FAX: (305) 758-2036.
WESTAR factory fresh xenon bulbs proven by field
test, full warranty, 1000W $362, 1600W $375,
2000W $450, 2500W $475, 3000W $547. 4000W
$985. Volume discounts. Exports welcome. International
Cinema, 6750 NE 4th Ct., Miami, FL 33138.
Phone (305) 756-0699, Fax (305) 758-2036.
SPARE PARTS for Westar, Westrex, Century, Simplex,
Kalee, Cinemeccanica, Hortson. Kinotone/ Philips.
Prevost. B&H, Bauer. Specials — ALL NEW: Sound
slit lins .47 mil $24 1 .00, .53 mil $ 1 72.00, Anamorphic
lens $425.00, Bodine sync motor kits 1 or 3 phase,
slow start kits, 50/60 cycle. Century, Westar, Simplex
XL & Four Star, Five Star. Century molded gears, intermittent
repairs & exchanges, dealer prices, catalogs
and pricelists. International Cinema Equipment Co This
is the real thing. PH: (305) 756-0699, FAX (305)
758-2036
DI/AN computerized ticketing
machines — complete
systems up to 8 plex Reconditioned. Includes boxoffice
issuer. Movie Master drive, manager's station,
monitor, keyboard. & printer, with warranty, while they
last, $5750.00. Set for 50 or 60 HZ. International Cinema.
PH: (305) 756-0699, FAX (305) 758-2036.
GOOD USED SEATING - Irwin Citations from
$25.00, American Stellars from $20.00, Massey Loungers
$25.00, Massey rockers from $30 00, Wakefield
rockers from $20 00, Massey Polans from $15 00,
American Bodiform from $12.00. Pushbacks $10 00
We export. We buy good used seats. International Cinema,
6750 NE 4th Ct .
FL 33138. Phone (305)
756-0699, FAX (305) 758-2036.
NEW LENS—Super Sankor—Satisfaction guaranteed
Call us for a cost-plus quote MELCHER ENTER-
PRISES 1-800-423-5020. in Wisconsin (414) 442-
5020
EQUIPMENT WANTED
OLD TUBE-TYPE equipment such as amps, speakers,
drivers, horns, etc. from Western Electric. Westrex,
Langevin, Jensen, Altec, JBL, Tannoy. Mcintosh, Marantz,
etc. Call Audio City at (818) 701-5633. or write
to Audio City, P.O. Box 802, Northridge, CA 91328-
0802
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE: We will purchase Century
projectors or soundheads, new or old, complete or
incomplete, for cash Also interested in XL and SH-
1000 Call (502) 499-0050, Fax (502) 499-0052.
Hadden Theatre Supply Co , attn Louis
WANTED: DRIVE-IN SPEAKERS. Also any Dnve-ln
photos, old & new, memorabilia, articles, personal stories,
history, etc Please help us out' Contact Sunsetof-the-Drive-ln
museum at (303) 674-5777
THEATRES FOR SALE
SMALL NORTHERN CALIFORNIA art house in
charming, bustling tourist town. A beloved community
fixture. Low rent, low down payment, low price, high
class. In business 11 years. Call (916) 272-8490
THEATRES FOR LEASE
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA movie theatre for lease in
LA. suburb in Chatsworth, San Fernando Valley.
Upper middle class area in large 12 acre shopping
center with 840 parking spaces. Now 820 seats and
can be easily converted to triple screens Phone (213)
275-5939.
THEATRES WANTED
THEATRES wanted for purchase by principal. West —
Northwest — Southwest. Cash purchaser. Also appraisal/valuation
for partnerships, inheritance and tax
purposes. Call (213) 455-3819
THEATRE SEATING
THEATRE SEATS FOR SALE: Approx 600 Haywood
Wakefield seats. Self risers. Extra clean. Thick
backs with extra seat covers, $25.00 each. Call ( 405)
842-0122 or (405) 948-7467.
SEAT BACK/COVERS: Most fabrics in stock. Cy
Young. Inc. Call 1-800-729-2610 to match fabric.
550 AMERICAN SEATING CHAIRS ready for rehab
Cy Young Industries, Inc 913-780-1776
ON-SITE RE-UPHOLSTERY, "While Theatre
Sleeps." Top fabrics, molded cushions and "State of
Art Cy Young Cup Holder Armrest." Call Cy Young
Industries. Inc. 1-800-729-2610.
"ALL AMERICAN SEATING" by the EXPERTS! Used
seats of quality Various makes American Bodiform
and Stellars from $12 50 to $32 50 Irwins from
$12 50 to $3000. Heywood & Massey rockers from
$25 00 Full rebuilding available New Hussey chairs
from $70 00 All types theatre projection and sound
equipment New and used We ship and install all
makes Try us! We sell no Junk' TANKERSLEY
ENTERPRISES BOX 36009 DENVER. CO 80236
Phone: 303-980-8265
(continued over)
March, 1992 41

Waterlown,
Clearing Housel GET OUT OF
CUSTOM MADE SEAT and back covers
Many FR
fabrics & vinyls to choose from. Call (617) 923-1910,
or write Winco, 9 Boyd St ,
THEATRE REMODELING
IvIA 02172,
FOR TWINNING THEATRES call or wnte Friddel Construction,
Inc . 402 Green River Drive. Montgomery. TX
77358 (409) 588-2667
miL
The Consumer Information Catalog will
enlighten you with over 200 federal
consumer-oriented publications Many are free
and all are helpful Gel your free copy by
wnting-
Consumer Information Center
Dept. TD, Pueblo, Colorodo 81009
'_ S Liene'a Services Adminislialion
American Seating 2
Automaticket 2
Crest Sales USA 4
Deep Vision 3-D 2
Hadden Theatre Supply
High Performance Stereo
C
Hurley Screens 2
International Cinema Equipment
National Ticket Co 4.
SPECO 4
Smart Theatre Systems
2i
WE CAN MULTIPLEX your theatre, make it look fantastic,
and your profits will soar. No one does it for less.
Muliplex Construction Corp, Call (706) 293-1401,
DRIVE-IN CONSTRUCTION
SCREEN TOWERS INTERNATIONAL New, Used.
Transplanted. Complete Tower Service Box 399—
Rogers, TX 76569, 1-800-642-3591
DRIVE-IN SCREEN TOWERS Since 1945 Selby Products.
Inc.. P.O. Box 267. Richfield, Ohio 44286 (216)
659-6631.
Young, Cy 1;
CREST SALES USA— MOTION PICTURE EQUIPMENT
Complete Sales — Service
AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTOR FOR MANY MANUFACTURERS
Ed Cernosek
1900South Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75215
CtTI
iffl
Response No 15
Roy Lisenbe
214-565-7894
MARQUEES, SIGNS
LEASE OR PURCHASE PLANS: Replacement Marquee
letters shipped immediately. BUX-MONT Electrical
Advertising Systems. Horsham. PA. 19044 Call
(215) 675-1040
MARQUEE: Repossessed eight by twenty feet. Will
insert customized theatre over marquee frames. Interior
high output lighting. Sale or lease, very reasonable.
Also. 5' X 33'6" extruded bronze aluminum interior
lighted sign for theatre name. Bux-Mont Electrical
Advertising Leasing. Phone (215) 675-1040. Fax
(215) 675-4443.
TAKE^TOCK!
Pacer Style Tickets
IMMEDIATE SHIPPING
National
SERVICES
PREVIOUSLY OWNED equipment available: National
Cinema Supply can provide your equipment needs We
will
also liquidate your surplus theatre and concession
equipment. We have clean Automaticket model
MGEM-3 in stock! Contact Gene Krull. (913) 492-
0966. National Cinema Supply, 8220 Nieman Road.
Lenexa. KS 66214.
BACKGROUND MUSIC: WHY PAY MULTIPLE
LICENSING FEES? Theatre background music from
PROFESSIONAL AUDIO SERVICES requires only one
fee. High quality tapes, various artists Contemporary
and Easy Listening formats. Call (912) 233-1402
MISCELLANEOUS
WANTED: MOVIE POSTERS, lobbies, stills, etc Will
buy any sized collection The Paper Chase. 4073 La
Vista Road. Tucker. GA 30084. Phone 1-800-433-
0025
WANT to buy movie posters, lobbies. Bruce Webster.
426 N.W 20th. Oklahoma City, OK, 73103. (405)
524-6251
AUTHENTIC signed contracts from America's Classic
Films & TV Garland, Presley. Wayne, thousands more
Reasonable prices Golden State Autographs, P O
Box 24066. Los Angeles. CA 90024. (310) 444-
9663.

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HPS-ifQQQ.
First In Digital Stereo
With 8 to 10 times more dynamic range than competing
systems, the HPS-4000"' sound system is the ONLY theati
sound system capable of delivering the FULL impact and
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We should know! We were the first to bring Digital Sterec
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• Efficient computerized designs reduce system cost as
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• Less acoustic treatment required.
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hJEh PEHraRMflWCE STEREO
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i