14/FEATURES ZTi T Z S
Films of
Jason Sandhaus
Capital Times Staff
Well folks, it's getting close to that
time.
The Golden Globes have already been
handed out, and the big guy, Oscar (aka
the Academy Awards) is just around the
comer.
So I figure it’s lime to hand out my
first annual Lemmy Awards.
May I have the envelopes, please?
The most overrated of 1991
1) "Thelma and Louise"-how could
people find two unappealing characters so
appealing?
2) "Father of the Bride"-sure, this film
is making money. WHY? Steve Martin is
usually reliable, but in this, he is a
complete bore. What’s with Diane Keaton?
Couldn't she find a better role for herself?
The only bright spot is a cameo by Martin
Short (you know it's bad when you enjoy
him).
3) "The Rocketeer"-dubbed as an
'Wayne's World' scores an excellent review
Jason Sandhaus
Capital Times Staff
Party time, excellent!
That, my friends, is the cry of Wayne
Campbell and his cohort Garth Algar. The
alter egos of Mike Myers and Dana
Carvery have been brought to life by
Paramount Pictures in the movie
"Wayne's World."
If you wondered why Paramount
decided to make this film, there is a
definite answer. The former chairman of
NBC, Brandon Tartikoff, is now higher-up
in Paramount. Enough said.
The act was first made popular by the
duo on "Saturday Night Live." With the
"success" of the boring "Bill and Ted"
films, the studio figured it was time to
unleash their headbangers.
If you've seen the sketches on SNL,
you know what to expect from these two
characters.
If you stay up that late on Saturdays (I
couldn't understand why you would), you
will walk in and out of this film asking
yourself, "why the hell did I sec this?"
And you want to know why you
should?
Well, I'll tell you. Being a fan of the
new and improved SNL, I look forward to
good skits like "Wayne's World."
So you ask yourself if there's a plot.
' Cradle' movie rocks audience
Lisa Malask
Capital Times Staff
Children are priceless, yet in these days
of economic duress, there exist many two
income families. There are many single
parent families, too.
Who takes care of the children? Well,
after seeing "The Hand That Rocks The
Cradle,” the idea of hiring a nanny may
very well be out of the question.
This film, written by Amanda Silver
and directed by Curtis Hanson, has been a
'9l earn cheers and jeers
Indiana Jones for kids. This film makes
QVC more fun to watch.
4) "Sleeping With the Enemy”/”Home
Alone”—the year of Julia Roberts and
Macaulay Culkin...w/w cares?
5) "Hook”-Steven Spielberg's at it
again-lhis time with Robin Williams and
Dustin Hoffman. Never Nevcrland is just
that. This film is boring.
The most underrated of 1991:
1) "True Colors"-stars John Cusak and
James Spader. It deals with two law
students-one honest, and the other, not so
honest. Available on videocassette.
2) "Ricochct''-by far, the best action
picture of 1991. Denzel Washington stars
as a cop who puts a would-be criminal,
John Lithgow, behind bars. Washington
gets a promotion and Lithgow breaks out
of jail and slowly, but surely, destroys his
life. What makes this film so good is the
action sequences. Lithgow is superb as the
obsessed convict and Washington gives
yet another fine performance.
3) "Late For Dinner"—starts out in the
Answer: Yes, but it may be hard to
find.
The story basically deals with Wayne
and Garth going big time (network TV).
They are helped along by a sleazy producer
Movie Review
played by everyone's favorite sleazebag,
Rob Lowe.
Wayne falls in love with an oriental
rocker who tells Wayne that she learned
English watching the "Police Academy"
movies.
She must have liked Wormser the best,
(the one who does the great voices-NOT!)
So are you with me so far? Good! If
you're not a fan, you probably have
already put down your paper, or just turned
to another story. Hey, fine with me!
Back to our story. Wayne is also
harassed by his former girlfriend played by
"Twin Peaks" alumna Lara Flynn Boyle.
She is an obsessive klutz who falls
(literally) all over Wayne.
The film is a continuous set of one
liners and gags. It is extremely worthwhile
if you like the sketches.
While watching this film, you get a lot
of pop culture thrown out. These two
characters live on TV, so they spew out
huge success at the box office, taking in
millions of dollars weekly.
Why has this film met with such
Movie Review
success? Perhaps it's the spectacular acting
and directing. Or, it could be the well
written plot. Maybe it's the fact that the
film revolves around an average middle
class family who is tormented by someone
'sos. Two men are wrongly-accused for a
crime and run from the authorities, only to
end up in the lab of a scientist who
happens to be experimenting with
retaining life through freezing. The two
are frozen and thawed 40 years later. A
nice little movie.
4) "Point Break"-Patrick Swayze
(oooh.) and Keanu Reeves (aahh.) star as a
surfer/bank robber and a rookie FBI agent,
respectively. Reeves infiltrates the gang
and tries to bust the crooks.
5) "Defenseless"-The year's "Presumed
Innocent," it's a good whodunnit. Barbara
Hershey is a lawyer who is dating a
college girlfriend's husband. He gets killed
and the plot thickens...you figure it out.
The year was also filled with many
dogs. I had a terrible time narrowing my
list to just five, but here they are:
1) "Dying Young"-Julia Roberts stars
as a nurse caring for a leukemia patient.
Not to be cruel, but as the movie
progressed, I wished he would die.
2) "The Butcher's Wife"-what was
"Wayne's World" features "Saturday Night Live" regulars Mike Myers (right) as
Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as his sidekick Garth.
television lines. They even do a parody to fun film to watch. It is filled with many
the opening segment of "Laverne and cameos, all of them used perfectly.
Shirley." This film gets two and a half
All in all, I'd have to say that this is a SHWINGS! Party on, Wayne and Garth.
they trusted—someone they hired to
oversee their happy household.
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" is
an exciting thriller. Although it does not
surpass the great Hitchcock thrillers of
yesteryear, it is comparable. And not since
Bette Davis' "The Nanny" has there been
such an unnerving film about this subject.
The film revolves around an average
couple, the Bartels, and their young
daughter. Claire Bartel (Annabella Sciorra,
of "Jungle Fever" fame) is pregnant with
her second child, a son.
Demi Moore thinking? She could have
done anything after "Ghost."
3) "Hudson Hawk"~it's a comedy...no,
it's an action picture. Wait a second...just
what the hell is it? That's (me of the many
problems with the film. Bruce Willis and
Danny Aiello didn't gain any fans with
this dud. This "hawk" laid an egg.
4) "Nothing But Trouble"-the title
says it all. "Saturday Night Live" alumnus
Dan Aykroyd tried his hand at writing and
directing, and he didn't do a good job.
There is one thing he did master, though:
the art of eating!
5) "Mobsters"—Christian Slater,
Patrick Dempsey, Richard Grieco, and
Costas Mandylor as gangsters. Enough
said.
I could go on and on, but onto greener
pastures...
The nominees for the best picture of
1991:
1) "JFK"-01iver Stone does it again
See Lemmys, page 16
During a routine gynecological
examination, she is molested by her
doctor. Claire's husband, Michael, (played
by Matt McCoy) encourages her to press
charges.
After Claire files a complaint, four
other women do the same. The doctor
commits suicide, leaving a pregnant wife,
who miscarries from the stress.
This is Peyton (Rebecca De Mornay)
and with revenge on her mind, she
See Cradle, page 16