The Year That Was Without

The year that was was the year that was not.  Or, rather, the year 
that was without.  1995 was the year without a *big* hit, either 
critical or commercial.  No GUMP, no PULP, and certainly no LION 
KING.  It was also a year without quality control.  For me, from my 
aisle seat, the major movies of 1995 all fit into the category of 
"could've been better."  So many rush jobs from so many fine film-
makers.  Ron Howard, already telling an exciting tale in APOLLO 13 
and *still* overplaying every emotion two-fold?  Or John McTiernan, 
given a zillion dollars to blow up New York (in DIE HARD) and he 
*still* couldn't cut a decent ending?  Or the badly plotted politics 
of Rob Reiner's THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT?  Or the entire third hour of 
Martin Scorsese's CASINO?  Or Oliver Stone?  Or..?  Or..?

Packing release dates, bowing to star salaries, and catering to the 
ever-increasing foreign market has put Hollywood well on its' way to 
becoming the patron saint of mediocrity.  Absolution, you say?  The 
movie mavens pushed their carts so far ahead of the horses in 1995, 
that the *hype* was often more interesting than the movie itself!  
(Was WATERWORLD as much fun as the bath it took beforehand?)  Each 
weekend, crammed with competition, became a box-office battlefield 
that eventually hurt everyone.  Sometimes an entire *month* suffered, 
such as the absurd June showdown bookended by double-duds JOHNNY 
MNEMONIC and JUDGE DREDD.
 
Through it all, Hollywood delivered.  And delivered.  And delivered.  
I don't recall a dry weekend in twelve months, especially in Triangle 
theaters where, inexplicably, we seemed to open every art film on its 
way through the region.  (And, too often, they were just as mediocre 
as the majors.)  Of the 158 features that *I* saw, I tried very hard 
to laugh and enjoy myself and resist the temptation to walk away 
early.  (Weakness prevailed five times; I left in the middle of 
OPERATION DUMBO DROP, MORTAL KOMBAT, NICK OF TIME, SMOKE, and TALES 
FROM THE CRYPT: DEMON KNIGHT.)  Laughter and tears came harder this 
year, though sometimes all you could *do* was laugh-- especially when 
confronted by that impossible October triumvirate of SHOWGIRLS, THE 
SCARLET LETTER, and JADE.

(Good, bad, or ugly, the movies of 1995 *did* have their moments.  
The magic was there in such scenes as Harvey Korman's reaction to a 
hungry Peter MacNichol in DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT; Burgess 
Meredith's dangerous mouth in GRUMPIER OLD MEN; Mira Sorvino's 
dangerous apartment in MIGHTY APHRODITE; a miniature Darth Vader in 
THE INDIAN AND THE CUPBOARD; instructions on giving the "stink palm" 
in MALLRATS; Harvey Keitel on handlebars in CLOCKERS; Patrick 
Stewart's stalwart swishing in JEFFREY; Jonathan Pryce's smarmy 
swishing in CARRINGTON; Jeff Bridges and Ellen Barkin's coitus 
interruptus in WILD BILL; Marlon Brando finishing with Faye Dunaway 
in DON JUAN DEMARCO; Sinbad driving a small car in HOUSEGUEST; James 
LeGros playing a big role in LIVING IN OBLIVION; and one great line 
about the "insurance business" in 12 MONKEYS.)

Redemption and reward came at the eleventh hour, when a baker's dozen 
of decent films-- from SUDDEN DEATH to SENSE AND SENSIBILITY-- helped 
end the year on a mercifully higher note.  Even FOUR ROOMS was better 
than expected.  And so, with the disclaimer that I have yet to see 
such key releases as DEAD MAN WALKING and GEORGIA-- both of which 
have yet to open in Triangle theaters-- here, at last, is my stab at 
that dreaded creature, the "top ten" list.  Groan.  For better or 
worse, these were the ones that moved me the most.  These were the 
movies that made me laugh out loud.  Presented in reverse alphabetic-
al order, just because.

- THE USUAL SUSPECTS.  Great slight-of-hand heist tale from director 
Bryan Singer, with busy actor Kevin Spacey anchoring an unbeatable 
boys-club cast, and composer/editor John Ottman accompanying with one 
of the finest film scores of the year.

- 12 MONKEYS.  Director Terry Gilliam's ode to sanity is a wild, 
weird time-travel tale where every one is crazy except for Frank 
Gorshin.  Shot through his customary cartoon lens, Gilliam's update 
of the 1962 short LA JETEE may be his best film to date.  Superb.

- TOY STORY.  The ironies are delicious.  Completely computer-
generated and still more human (and humane) than almost any other 
film last year.  With Don Rickles playing Mr. Potato Head, it's a 
toss-up if John Lassiter's film is more fun for adults than for kids.

- SEVEN.  Director David Fincher turned down the lights for this 
methodical police procedural that goosed everyone who watched it, 
and, somehow, ended up as the 11th highest-grossing release of the 
year. You'll never forget the Seven Deadly Sins again.
  
- MIAMI RHAPSODY.  Writer/director David Frankel borrowed generously 
from Woody Allen in the cynically charming comedy that nobody saw. 
Sarah Jessica Parker is a stitch as the young woman-to-be-married, 
astonished to learn that everyone else in her family is having an 
affair.

- LEAVING LAS VEGAS.  A dour delight from writer/director/musician 
Mike Figgis, boosted by two great performances from Nicholas Cage and 
Elisabeth Shue, and successfully promoted by sheer word-of-mouth.

- HEAT.  Cops `n' robbers `n' Michael Mann.  Which scene has more 
power:  a midday shoot-out on the downtown streets of L.A., or an 
evening coffee-shop conversation that marks the first screen meeting 
of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro?  You make the call.

- CRUMB.  Director Terry Zwigoff worked for six years on this extra-
ordinarily intimate look at twisted genius, and the dysfunctional 
family that created it.  He may have delivered the best movie of the 
year.

- BATMAN FOREVER.  All at once a wild update of the T.V. series, a 
colorization of Tim Burton, and a nudge nudge wink wink at Bruce 
Wayne's (hetero)sexuality.  Great fun from director Joel Schumacher, 
and just as messy as the rest of the blockbusters.

- BABE.  George Orwell met E.B. White in this surprisingly successful 
Aussie import, directed by Chris Noonan and produced by George "MAD 
MAX" Miller, of all people.  My favorite moment:  cut from a gallant 
pig, sneaking through a house, to a neurotic duck, losing his feath-
ers outside of it.


Honorable Mentions
------------------

My "also recommends" include Betty Thomas' THE BRADY BUNCH MOVIE, 
Clint Eastwood's THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, Tony Scott's CRIMSON 
TIDE, Alex Graves' THE CRUDE OASIS, Robert Rodriguez's DESPERADO, 
Taylor Hackford's DOLORES CLAIBORNE, Barry Sonnenfeld's GET SHORTY, 
Woody Allen's MIGHTY APHRODITE, Peter Yates' RUN OF THE COUNTRY, Gale 
Anne Hurd's STRANGE DAYS, George Huang's SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS, 
and Douglas Keeve's UNZIPPED.  All good films.


The Ten Worst
-------------

My "bottom ten" does not include the five films that I walked out on.  
Nor does it include such awful favorites as CASPER, SHOWGIRLS, or 
UNDER SIEGE II.  They should be so bad.  May you never live to see 
BYE BYE LOVE, HIDEAWAY, HIGHLANDER III: THE QUICKENING, JADE, THE 
JERKY BOYS, MAN OF THE HOUSE, MIGHTY MORPHIN' POWER RANGERS:  THE 
MOVIE, THE SCARLET LETTER, THE TIES THAT BIND, or VAMPIRE IN 
BROOKLYN.  They suck.

Copyright 1996 by Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies on 31JAN96 as MOVIE HELL: The Year That Was Without