Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 21, 1993 TAG: 9305210449
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
First, an unusually large number of major releases are scheduled. Many of the people involved with them have made good movies in the past (and a fair number of stinkers). And this year, there are no big-budget sequels or remakes.
Scanning the list of upcoming titles, it's easy enough to say that the misses will outnumber the hits, but beyond that, any prognosticator is on shaky ground. So, here's a look ahead at the next three months, with some semi-fearless predictions.
The season officially begins today with the release of the "erotic thriller" "Sliver" starring this year's blonde, Sharon Stone. The production has been plagued with well- publicized troubles (last-minute rewriting, reshooting, several new endings, dueling actors). Press preview screenings were held back until Thursday (usually a ploy to avoid advance reviews), and the theatrical trailers have featured music from "Basic Instinct," not the real soundtrack. These are not encouraging signs.
Things look better on Memorial Day weekend.
If "Cliffhanger" is half as good as the previews, Sylvester Stallone and director Renny Harlin have a hit on their hands. This one features an Alpine setting, stunts that are reported to be spectacular, and the presence of Janine Turner, from TV's "Northern Exposure."
Should that elusive screen "chemistry" work, it could prove more popular than "The Last Action Hero," Arnold Schwarzenegger's entry in the action sweepstakes due on June 18. Director John McTiernan can make hits ("Die Hard") and flops ("Medicine Man"), and the movie-within-a-movie story line is questionable. This one is not a guaranteed hit.
The dark horse in this race is "Hard Target," a thriller starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by John Woo, whose out-of-control approach to big action scenes can be brilliant.
If there is a single lead-pipe-cinch this summer, it looks to be "Jurassic Park," in theaters on June 11. And why not? On paper it's got all the right ingredients: Stephen Spielberg at the helm, cute kids, Laura Dern, dinosaurs, and we're not talking about Barney.
Established box-office stars will be represented by "In the Line of Fire," Clint Eastwood's Secret Service thriller about an assassination attempt on the president; Tom Cruise in "The Firm," Sydney Pollack's adaptation of John Grisham's bestseller; Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes in n "Rising Sun," Phillip Kaufman's adaptation of Michael Crichton's bestseller.
"For Love or Money" is being called a "Breakfast at Tiffany's" sort of romantic comedy with Michael J. Fox as a hustling New York concierge who falls for a rich man's mistress (Gabrielle Anwar). Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are witches in "Hocus Pocus," directed by "Dirty Dancing" choreographer Kenny Ortega.
Hollywood is not ignoring the younger audiences who'll have time on their hands and allowances to spend once school is out. Disney is bringing back "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," and the studio's new production is "Super Mario Bros.," based on the game. If "Dennis the Menace" is half as irritating as the previews suggest, it will be the biggest flop of the summer. The sleeper in this category is "Free Willy," about a little boy and a killer whale.
As for comedies, Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Dansen are leading the way next weekend with "Made in America," about a mismatched pair who meet (so to speak) through artificial insemination. They'll be followed by Michael J. Fox in "Life With Mikey"; Robert Townsend's "Meteor Man," a send-up of superheroes; "Fatal Instinct," a spoof of killer-blonde movies; Mike Myers' follow-up to "Wayne's World," "So I Married an Axe Murderer"; and Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood: Men in Tights." Say no more.
On a slightly more serious note, Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, with assistance from Denzel Washington and Keanu Reeves, take on the bard again in "Much Ado About Nothing." John Singleton follows "Boyz 'N the Hood" with "Poetic Justice" starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan take the leads in Nora Ephron's love story "Sleepless in Seattle."
Hollywood's inexplicable fascination with old TV shows and routines continues unabated this summer with "The Fugitive" starring Harrison Ford and "Coneheads" with Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin.
That brief list mentions only about half of the 60-plus films that are scheduled for theatrical release between now and Labor Day. So it's quite possible that the season's real sleeper -- this year's "Sister Act" or "League of Their Own" -- wasn't mentioned. But that's not for studio executives or reviewers to say; moviegoers make the real decisions.
This year, they've got a lot to choose from.
\ National release dates:\ Today:
"Sliver."
"Hot Shots Part Deux"
"Much Ado About Nothing"\ May 28:
"Cliffhanger."
"Super Mario Bros."
"Made in America."\ June 4:
"Life With Mikey."\ June 11:
"Jurassic Park."\ June 18:
"The Last Action Hero."\ June 25:
"Dennis the Menace."
"Meteor Man."
"Sleepless in Seattle."\ July 2:
"The Firm."
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."\ July 9:
"In the Line of Fire."\ July 16:
"Hocus Pocus."
"Free Willy."\ July 23:
"For Love or Money."
"Poetic Justice."
"Coneheads."\ July 30:
"Rising Sun."\ July (date not set):
"Hard Target."\ Aug. 6:
"Fatal Instinct."
"So I Married an Axe Murderer."
"The Fugitive."\ Aug. 13:
"Robin Hood: Men in Tights."
by CNB