" " — DECEMBER DECEMBER 5 Office Killer In this black-comic horror film, Carol Kane ("The Princess Bride") stars as a mousy murderer prowling a magazine company's halls after her boss-from-hell, a careerobsessed assistant and a paranoid colleague. Molly Ringwald, Jeanne Tripplehorn and Barbara Sukowa co-star. Photographer/ artist Cindy Sherman makes her directing debut; Tom Kalin scripts; Christine Vachon produces for Good Machine's horror/art label. Good Fear. (Strand, 12/3 NY, 12/5 LA, 12/1 2 SF) ExplOitips: Originally slated to go out via Miramax on (this is Miramax all over) Secretary's Day, "Office Killer" now punches in for Strand. Expect at least a modicum ofgleanable press cites from the film's Toronto fest appearance, and play up the seasonal counterprogramming with a comic catchline like: "Not feeling festive at work? Here's one way to celebrate: murder. The Mother and the Whore This reissue of the controversial 3 1/2-hour French film (winner at the '73 Cannes of a special grand jury prize and the international critics prize) explores the relationships among three children raised in the '60s counterculture who are both the heroes and victims of sexual liberation. Bernadette Lafont, Jean-Pierre Leaud and Francoise Lebrun star. Jean Eustache directs. (Artificial Eye, 1 2/2 NY) ExploitipK Highlight the 25th anniversary angle with a catchline like "the film that inflamed audiences 25 years ago returns. for serious arthousers, the film's French-language nature is a plus. DECEMBER 12 Amistad Sievun Speilberg, in his first serious film since "Schindler's List," tackles issues of slavery and justice in this drama based on a true story. In summer 1839, 53 African captives led by Cinque (Djimon Hounsou, also in the Gotten Gains") lake similar "III over the slave ship Amistad but, failing in their attempt to sail home, are forced to confront the American justice system. Abolitionist Theodore Joadson ("Kiss the Girls'" Morgan Freeman) and young lawyer Roger Baldwin ("A Time to Kill's" Matthew McConaughey) ready a defense, but President Martin Van Buren ("Twelfth Night's" Nigel Hawthorne) wants to appease the proslavery South. Anthony Hopkins, Pete Postlethwaite, David Paymer and Stellan Skarsgaard ("Breaking the Waves") co-star. David Franzoni and Steven Zaillian (also "Schindler's List") script; Spielberg, Debbie Allen and Colin Wilson produce. See this issue's Sneak Preview. (Dream- Works, 1 2/1 2 ltd, 1 2/25 exp) ExplOitips: This looks to be a solid performer, just as a dozen years ago Spielberg's "The Color Purple" pulled. Although the storyline here might not be as mainstream-wide as is other upcoming Christmas fare, "Amistad" is likely to generate great press attention, thus cranking up audience interest. A dynamic cast could also help word of mouth travel inward from the coasts as the film nears its Christmas Day expansion. Expect the Spielberg name to free up boxoffice gold. Senseless In this Penelope Spheeris ("The Little Rascals") comedy, a cashstarved college student ("The 6th Man's" Marlon Wayans) works four jobs but still can't pay his bills. He agrees to participate in a university medical experiment that is supposed to heighten his senses, which it does until he starts to experience bouts when he completely lacks one of his senses, leading to comically embarrassing events. David Spade and Rip Torn co-star. David Hoberman and Eric L. Gold produce. (Miramax, 1 2/1 2 wide) ExplOitips: This is likely to pull in urban auds wanting lighter fare than "Amistad" (and none too interested in New York angst; see next item), and it should draw well from the suburban twentysomething and on-Christmasbreak ivy-campus crowds. So highlight Spheeris' "Wayne's Wodd" credit, even if a bit dated. Deconstructing Harry In this latest Woody Allen selfreflexive comedy, Allen plays a writerwhoselifeisan erratic series of very nervous romances. Kirstie Alley, Richard Benjamin, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis ("Husbands and Wives"), Mariel Hemingway ("Manhattan"), Amy Irving, Julie Kavner "Shadows and Fog"), ulia Louis-Dreyfus, Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Stanley Tucci and Robin Williams star. Allen directs and scripts; Jean Doumanian produces. (Fine Line, 12/1 2 NY/LA/Tor) ExplOitips: Although Miramax handled Allen's last three films. Fine Line acquired North American rights to this at Cannes (with part of the $10.5 million pact being that the distributor would release Barbara Kopple's documentary about Allen's jazz band's European tour). In the '90s, Allen's seven films have averaged just $8.75 million domestically, but Fine Line is likely to toil extra hard for success here. DECEMBER 19 Mr. Magoo InthisWalt Disney effort, nearsighted millionaire Quincy Magoo ("Spy Hard's" Leslie Neilsen) has a stolen gem land in his possession. Targeted by bad guys who want it back, the bumbling Magoo— just like in the cartoons that Jim Backus memorably voiced—consistently escapes dangerous treacheries unharmed and oblivious. Added to the mix area nephew, Waldo, and a bulldog, Angus. Kelly Lynch, Ernie Hudson and Malcolm McDowell co-star. Stanley Tong (the Hong Kong helmer noted for such Jackie Chan fare as "Rumble in the Bronx") directs; Pat Proft and Tom Sherohman script; Ben Myron ("One Night Stand") produces. See our July '97 issue Sneak Preview. (Buena Vista, 1 2/1 9) ExploKlpt: Already shellacked by conservative and religious groups for certain of its nonchildren 's film fare and for its gaypartner employee policy, Disney has taken new heat from the National Federation for the Blind for what the group sees as a ridiculing of the blind inherent in the Magoo character. Disney's response— that Magoo is nearsighted, not blind— didn't seem to help matters much. Controversy can help a film like "The Crying Game," but it's rarely a boon for a family film. Then again, it might simply not matter; animal groups fearing a wave of unwise pet adoptions protested "101 Dalmatians," and that made $136 million domestic. Nonetheless, antics-full sell techniques by exhibitors might be unwise here. Home Alone 3 This third installment of the John Hugheschild-caper comedy series that made a star out of Macaulay Culkin returns with a new eight-year-old. Alex D. Linz ("One Fine Day") stars as Alex Pruitt, who—left home alone with the chicken pox by mom (Haviland Morris)—finds himself facing off with international thieves looking for top-secret defense plans that have been hidden inside the mechanical components of a toy car. OIek Krupa, Rya Kihistedt, David Thorton and Lenny Von Dohlen play the clumsy but deadly foreign thieves. Kevin Kilner, Seth Smith and Scarlett Johansson (also in "The Horse Whisperer") co-star; Raja Gosnell (who edited both "Home Alone" efforts) makes his directorial debut; Hughes again scripts, and he produces with Ricardo Mestres. (Fox, 1 2/1 9) ExplOitips: At one time, this was tentatively a summer title, despite the holiday success of the first two iterations. The wholesale switchout of cast— not only is Culkin gone, but so are Catherine O'Hara and John Heard as the forgetful parents and Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as the bumbling bad guys— might have been necessary in creative terms (witness recent non-response to "Free Willy 3") but in audience terms could be a turnoff(just as successful movies made into TV series must surmount loyalty-based audience antipathy). Also, this one gets a comparatively late start: "Home Alone" bowed 1 1/16/90, winning $282 million domestically, and the sequel opened 11/20/92, finishing with $173 million. Still, in this "we're-goingto-the-movies" season, the real battle is vs. "Mr. Magoo, " and parents might decide this PC fare (for slapstick violence, language and mild sensuality) is more family-ish.
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