About Nothing

With no new movies to review, I reckon I'll ruminate on this week's 
movie *listings*.  From notes made at Ryan's Steak House-- while 
waiting on a petite sirloin, medium-well-- here's what's playing 
through Thursday in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill...


  AIR FORCE ONE - How about a sequel, with Harrison Ford shov-
  ing Kenneth Starr out of an airplane?

  AMISTAD - On Christmas Day, on the horn to Minneapolis, one 
  of my cousins summed it up best:  "it's not supposed to be 
  entertaining."

  ANASTASIA - Russian for the exits.

  THE APOSTLE - It's a bit of sit, but that scene with the 
  bulldozer is amazing.

  AS GOOD AS IT GETS - You think Jack's a shoo-in?  Or will 
  Petey get it?

  BLUES BROTHERS 2000 - The soundtrack's been getting a fair 
  amount of airplay at the house.  I do miss that "fat" horn 
  sound, tho.

  THE BORROWERS - I can't say that MOUSEHUNT was any better as 
  brat bait, but it sure was funnier.

  DEEP RISING - Shallow waters.

  DESPERATE MEASURES - And there's Brian Cox, in yet another 
  serial killer-thriller supporting role. 

  EVE'S BAYOU - This one's at the double-dollar house.  The 
  story was good, but I don't recall that the visuals were 
  anything to write home about.

  FALLEN - John Goodman is certainly making the rounds, also 
  appearing in THE BORROWERS, BLUES BROTHERS 2000, and, next 
  month, in Joel and Ethan Coen's THE BIG LEBOWSKI. 

  FLUBBER - Playing at the Blue Ridge and the Ram Triple in 
  Chapel Hill.  Say, why doesn't Raleigh have a "Wolfplex?"

  FOR RICHER OR POORER - I do not.

  FOUR DAYS IN SEPTEMBER - This is an Oscar nominee, no?  I 
  guess I'd better head to Durham.

  THE FULL MONTY - I wonder, how many other flicks, of late, 
  end on a Tom Jones note?  Let's see, there's BOUND, which 
  slips in "She's a Lady."  And Jackie Chan's SUPERCOP, with 
  everyone "Kung Fu Fighting."  And...?
 
  GOOD WILL HUNTING - You know, the best thing about seeing a 
  movie a second time is (a.) you get to see what you missed 
  the first time, when you left to complain about a projection 
  problem and (b.) you know the best time to leave, to report 
  whatever problems arise on the *second* go-around!

  GREAT EXPECTATIONS - Gwenyth Paltrow gets nekkid.

  HARD RAIN - Draining.

  HOME ALONE 3 - No, it didn't suck, but it didn't have Stern 
  and Pesci, either. 

  I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER - Filmed down at the coast, 
  down in Southport.

  JACKIE BROWN - Pam Grier's Oscar snub was most unfortunate, 
  as was Q.T.'s adaptation omission.

  KISS THE GIRLS - This had, what, all five references to Ral-
  eigh-Durham.  Or was it ten?

  KUNDUN - See SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET.

  L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - I'm ready to see this one again.  Maybe  
  now it'll wow me.

  MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL - A drag.

  PALMETTO - Given the number of times that her chest is prom-
  inently featured, I'm surprised Elisabeth Shue wasn't listed 
  in the credits twice.

  THE POSTMAN - I made an error in my original review, query-
  ing an apparent inconsistency about the hero's girlfriend's 
  husband's behavior.  As several readers noted, it was Gen-
  eral Bethlehem who beat her, not her hubby.  

  THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS - This year's second walk-out.  It 
  didn't Woo me.

  THE RAINMAKER - And to think we were thinking "who is Matt 
  Damon?"

  THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - Yup, still raining rice 
  after all these years.

  SENSELESS - Agreed.

  SEVEN YEAR IN TIBET - See KUNDUN

  SPHERE - Marginal as it is, I think it's Elliott Golden-
  thal's score that makes all the difference in the world.

  SPICE WORLD - I missed this one, though I don't think I 
  missed much.

  STARSHIP TROOPERS, THE SWEET HEREAFTER - Two of the better 
  movies from last year.  So much going on...

  TITANIC - Who knew?  I saw it on its opening weekend, but 
  haven't gone back.  I wonder if it plays differently, as a 
  record-breaking record-breaker?

  TOMORROW NEVER DIES - What was the last Bond botched this 
  bad?  A VIEW TO A KILL?

  WAG THE DOG - Dustin Hoffman's Oscar-nominated performance 
  notwithstanding, the subsequent scandal has been far fun-
  nier. 

  THE WEDDING SINGER - Tone deaf.

  THE WINGS OF THE DOVE - Helena Bonham Carter gets nekkid. 

  THE WINTER GUEST - Alan Rickman's directoral debut, starring 
  Emma and her mom.  Guess I'd better make a trip to the Chel-
  sea.  Sigh.  That's life in the Triangle-- the best art 
  houses are either five minutes one way, or forty minutes the 
  other.  See you on the interstate...


Copyright 1998 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies in MOVIE HELL: About Nothing