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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1990)
Thursday, March 29, 1990 . Thumbs Ihp Page 7 ; at all; that Lee Curtis is back in thriller with a role in ‘Steel’ 3r ° jamie *i$ ' h ‘ch th et ; N finds is itslation Missouri Maryland,’ Delaware, lessee, I In one way, the career of Jamie lee Curtis has come full circle, ifelue Steel” has her fighting to the death with a psychotic mur derer, just as she did in “Hal loween,” her REVIEWS reen debut in 1978. Only this me, Curtis, not isideredirij the killer, is the Spearher star. Since that me, Curtis has proven to be one of our most ver- - of Sen,, Uiel oate volu; in labelim; actresses, Jim Butler e nsifledJf ho somehow ricfroR^ escaped being eechadvot yP ecast - despite ^"jeing the woman in jeopardy in Halloween II,” “Prom Night," The Fog” and “Terror Train.” Though she proves to be a con- rtncing action hero in “Blue Steel,” her forte, surprisingly, is :omedy. She was very good in Trading Places” and “A Fish Cal- ed Wanda.” And she has her own tiighly-regarded television sitcom, Anything But Love." The angular lines of her face :ontrast with the curves of her oody to give Curtis the ability to :onvey a tough sexuality, a char acteristic of many of her roles. When given the opportunity, as in the under-rated but powerful 1983 film “Love Letters.” Curtis jives a heart-rending, introspec tive performance of great depth. Next time you are in the video store, check it out. In “Blue Steel,” Curtis’s charac ter is humanized more than in similar films. Her upbringing in the house of a wife-beater helps the viewer understand why the character wants to be a cop: to have some power. Yet she ans wers that inevitable question in a sarcastic way that protects her vulnerability. For Jamie Lee Curtis fans, “Blue Steel” is another gem. sandothe 'amble's Ij House, ed when i, was ame rug ' vas passe: mberbya re the Pen es Conuui een sched: Gamble les ien cited as n several u its propom ti and seta uresentta} dment ® Ibumc®, material ee Labefe lirthday Cakes m TTON: OPENING FRIDAY: “Pretty Woman,” starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, Manor East 3; “Enemies: A Love Story,” starring Ron Silver and Lena Olin, Manor East 3; "Roger & Me,” Plaza 3; “The Forbidden Dance,” Schul- man 6; “The Fourth War,” Cinema LEAVING TODAY: “Tremors,” “Revenge,” “Stella,” “Bad In fluence,” “Last of the Finest.” "Bad Influence,” Cinema 3. Rob Lowe plays a satanic char- icter who befriends James Spader and turns his life into a nightmare. Fine acting and sus penseful directing keep film engrossing. Rated R for violence, profanity, nudity and sexual con tent.★ ★ ★ “Black Rain,” Schulman 6. Ridley Scott’s stylish direction manages to make an otherwise mediocre movie moderately enter taining. Michael Douglas plays a New York cop pursuing a killer in Japan. Douglas makes the char acter bearable. Rated R for profan ity and graphic violence.★ ★ V2 “Blue Steel,” Post Oak 3. Jamie Lee Curtis is impressive as a rookie cop who finds herself pursued by a psychopathic killer. Setup is stupid, but suspense scenes work. Rated R for graphic violence, profanity and discreet sex scene.★ ★ ★ “Born on the Fourth of July,” Schulman 6. Tom Cruise gives a gut- wrenching performance in the true story of Ron Kovic, who changed from gung-ho Marine to anti-war protestor after being par tially paralyzed in Vietnam. Direc ted by Oliver Stone. Extremely emotional experience. Rated R for profanity, violence and partial nudity.-Ar^'A'^ “Driving Miss Daisy,” Plaza 3. Heart-warming film about the 25-year relationship between an old Jewish woman and her black chauffeur. Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman are superb in the lead roles. Rated PG.^ ★ ★ ★ “Glory,” Manor East 3. Stirring epic of the first black regiment to fight in the Civil War. Beautifully filmed, superbly acted by Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Free man. Rated R for graphic battle scenes. ★ ★ ★ ★ “Hard to Kill,” Cinema 3. Mediocre actioner starring Ste ven Seagal as a cop who gets revenge for the murder of his wife. Rated R for graphic violence and profanity. ★ “House Party,” Cinema 3. Black teens rumble, rap and romance in an innocuous comedy about nothing much. Good per formances by Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin as rap pers Kid’n’Play. Rated R for exten sive profanity. ★ “The Hunt for Red October,” Plaza 3. Very good action thriller about the defecting commander of a Russian nuclear submarine. Sean Connery is impressive, along with Alec Baldwin. Compli cated plot leaves little time for de tails. Rated PG for some scenes that may be too intense for young children. ★ ★ ★ V2 “Joe Versus the Volcano,” Post Oak 3. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are delightful in a bizarre comedy that has everything but an ending. Unpredictable turns and zany si tuations will keep you laughing. Rated PG, suitable for chil- dren.-A'-A-* V2 “Lambada,” Manor East 3. Film is about the importance of education, not the super-sexy dance craze of the title. Good dancing and attractive cast cover many flaws. Rated PG for sexual references and suggestive danc ing. ★★ “The Last of the Finest,” Cinema 3. Brian Dennehy leads a squad of ex-cops in pursuit of government- protected dope dealers and gun runners. Film uses Iran-Contra scandal, unsuccessfully, as sub text. Rated R for violence and pro- fanity.-*- ★ “Look Who’s Talking,” Schulman 6. Surprisingly funny film about an unwed mother (Kirstie Alley) searching for a husband. John Travolta is charming as a taxi driver, and Bruce Willis is a smart choice for the baby’s voice. Rated PG-13 for mild profanity and sex ual references.★ ★ ★ “Lord of the Flies,” Post Oak 3. Director Harry Hook changes subjects of William Golding’s novel from British to American, and film comes off as a study in gang psychology rather than a comment on civilization. Rated R for profanity and violence.★ ★ “Revenge,” Manor East 3. Erotic thriller starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn and Madeleine Stowe. Longtime friendship is destroyed when Costner falls in love with Quinn’s young wife. Rated R for graphic violence, profanity, brief partial nudity and implied sex.-* ★ ★ V2 “Steel Magnolias,” Schulman 6. All-star cast and sharp writing combine for a very funny film that also has its sad moments. Cast includes Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olym pia Dukakis, Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah. Rated PG for mild profanity. ★ ★ ★ Vfe “Stella,” Plaza 3. Remake of a 1937 melodrama. Better Midler plays a single mother who makes numerous sa crifices for her daughter. Disjoin ted in first half, second half smoother. Women will enjoy the film for than men will. Rated PG-13 for mild vulgarities.★ ★ ★ “Tango & Cash,” Schulman 6. An exciting jailbreak scene and other good action sequences over come a weak script. Sylvester Stallone and Kurt Russell are ap pealing as rival cops who are framed by a mob boss. Rated R for extreme violence, profanity and brief nudity. ★ ★ V2 “Tremors,” Schulman 6. Very funny, very scary old- fashioned, sci-fi monster movie. Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward are hapless handymen in small Ne vada town threatened by giant sand worms. Good acting, clever special effects. Rated R for earthy language and mild violence.★ ★ ★ Sneak peeks, laser discs at video stores By Bo Emerson special to Thumbs Up ATLANTA — Attention tapeheads: Expect your local video store to feature more laser discs, quicker checkouts, interac tive software that gives 30-second previews of the movies you want to rent, and maybe even a “Horror Workout” exercise tape. That was the message at the Great Southern Video Show, which ended March 7. The nearly 3,000 video store owners and oth ers in related industries (such as popcorn manufacturers) who at tended had a chance to view the world of video In fast forward. A few coming attractions: ■ Laser discs: Experts predic ted that by 1995, 35 percent of U.S. households will own laser disc players. Less than 3 percent view the higher quality discs now. ■Interactive previews: Some stores already are outfitted with monitors allowing patrons to view clips from 50 different movies. Select-A-View spokeswoman Sharon A. Johnson said. Cus tomers see the clips for free, but the cost to store owners range from $6,500 to $9,500 for the hardware and four years of ser vice. The previews (edited for a PG audience) are stored on videodiscs and changed every six weeks. ■Title swaps: Some indepen dent store owners in non competitive markets may share inventories, providing greater breadth of titles for their cus tomers willing to wait a day. Most chain video stores, such as Blockbuster Video and West Coast Video, will carry big theatri cal films such as “Dick Tracy” and “The Hunt for Red October” when they arrive on tape, but where do you go for the 1937 version of “A Star Is Born,” or that hard-to-find copy of “Elevator Girls in Bon dage”? Turn to the independent video store owner, said Lee Oser, CEO of Hampton International Com munications, which produced the exposition. “That’s where the independent shines, if he knows what he’s do ing,” Oser said. “The chains oper ate on tonnage, on volume, on low profit margins. They are looking for high cash turnover, which means they are mostly philoso phically addicted to the new tit les.” The independents, on the other hand, can make money on cheaper older titles that will con tinue to circulate for several years, Oser said. By offering an al ternative, the independents are surviving, he said. MAROON ’EM!! NO ANNUAL FEE!! Show your Aggie Spirit with a Texas Aggie Credit Union Maroon Mastercard. * 13.9% APR, with direct deposit and good credit * 16% APR, to all qualifying members TEXAS AGGIE CREDIT UNION 301 Dominik Dr. College Station, TX 77840 (409) 696-1440 Brazos Natural Foods Whole foods, allergy diet foods, vitamins & food supplements, beauty & skin care products, naturally... And, were closer than Austin! Ph. 846-4459 Sat. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 3902 Old College Rd. Mon. - Fri., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. H&R Block has the experience you need. We prepare all kinds of income tax returns, from the simple to the complex. Whatever your tax situation, we can handle it. 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