ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 15, 1997 TAG: 9702190023
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RENE RODRIGUEZ KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUNE
Clint Eastwood's new movie ``Absolute Power'' would have you believe that the president of the United States is a sadomasochistic adulterer. In the upcoming ``Murder at 1600,'' Wesley Snipes plays a detective investigating a murder at the White House that some pretty powerful folks are trying to cover up.
Has the Oval Office become Hollywood's new favorite target? Not really. Also due for release later this year is ``Airforce One,'' in which a decidedly heroic president (Harrison Ford) must roll up his shirtsleeves and go mano-a-mano with a killer (Gary Oldman) aboard his plane.
Here's a look at the good, the bad and the funny ways the country's highest office has fared at the movies recently:
``The American President'' (1995): Michael Douglas starred as a widowed prez whose only shortcoming was that he dared to embark on an affair with a lobbyist (Annette Bening), resulting in much scandal.
``Nixon'' (1995): Tricky Dick got a surprisingly fair treatment at the hands of agitprop specialist Oliver Stone. Anthony Hopkins' deft performance also brought an extra level of dignity to the much-maligned president.
``Mars Attacks!'' (1996): Tim Burton's sci-fi spoof featured Jack Nicholson as an ineffectual president and Glenn Close as his snooty first lady. Neither of them survived to see the end credits.
``My Fellow Americans'' (1996): Two ex-presidents, one a notorious womanizer (James Garner), the other a notorious cheapskate (Jack Lemmon), were forced to go on the lam after the president in office (a smarmy Dan Aykroyd) sent some Secret Service agents on their trail.
``Beavis and Butt-Head Do America'' (1996): When the boys pay a visit to the White House, they meet a president who looks and sounds suspiciously like Bill Clinton - and spends a lot of time with his pants down around his ankles.
LENGTH: Short : 42 linesby CNB