The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, March 30, 1990, Image 13

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    Thursday, March 29, 1990
. Thumbs Ihp
Page 7
; at all;
that
Lee Curtis is back in
thriller with a role in ‘Steel’
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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
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proven to be one
of our most ver-
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Jim
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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.
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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.
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