Friday, Nov. 26, 1999 | 9:16 a.m.
The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun. They can also be seen on the 11 a.m. Friday newscast on KVVU Channel 5. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/sunlife/ movies and themovieguys.com.
If you've finished your holiday shopping early (yeah, right), why not head to the googleplex for some fine entertainment? This is, after all, when Hollywood throws out the biggest and best films, all gift wrapped with the biggest stars and special effects. And it's the start of the official Oscar watch as the Hollywood studios pitch their Academy Award hopefuls.
But which films do you see?
You're busy enough cooking the holiday dinner, wrapping those last-minute gifts, putting up with annoying relatives from out of town, and watching "A Christmas Story" on TNT for the 10th time. Whew! Tis the season! But don't worry. We're here to guide you through the loads of movies coming your way this holiday season.
Please remember that some movies might be subjected to the Hollywood shuffle. Dates change, so be sure to check your local listings before you make your merry way to your local theater. We will.
On the Marquee: "The Green Mile."
On the Bill: Tom Hanks, Sam Rockwell, Michael Clarke Duncan, Bonnie Hunt, Barry Pepper, James Cromwell and David Morse.
On the Credits: Directed by Frank Darabont.
On the Storyboard: Frank Darabont directs another adaptation from a Stephen King novel (anyone remember "The Shawshank Redemption"?) about a guard on death row (Hanks) during the Great Depression and his relationship with a strange prisoner (Duncan). Rockwell will play Billy the Kid, a wild inmate also on death row. Doug Hutchison will portray Hanks' rival, a spoiled guard with a cruel streak. Dabbs Greer will play the elder Hanks. It's hyped to be the film to catch this holiday season, and early word is the movie will be nothing short of unforgettable.
On the Calendar: Dec. 10.
On the Marquee: "Anna and the King."
On the Bill: Jodie Foster and Chow Yun-Fat.
On the Credits: Directed by Andy Tennant.
On the Storyboard: Andy Tennant directs Chow Yun Fat as the King of Siam, who has a relationship with British governess Anna Leonowens (two-time Oscar winner Foster) in 19th century Thailand. Of course it sounds familiar. It's the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The King & I" without the music. "Anna and the King" is a lavishly produced epic with exotic locations and costumes. Try not to hum any tunes in the theater.
On the Calendar: Dec. 17.
On the Marquee: "Bicentennial Man."
On the Bill: Robin Williams, Sam Neill and Embeth Davidtz.
On the Credits: Directed by Chris Columbus.
On the Storyboard: A robot (Williams) desires to be human in this science fiction film based on an Isaac Asimov story. Neill plays a father who buys the robot to care for his family. Davitz will play a dual role: a woman raised by the android, and her granddaughter, many years later. Question is, will Williams play a different kind of robot than he did in "Jakob the Liar"? Let's hope so.
On the Calendar: Dec. 17.
On the Marquee: "Stuart Little."
On the Bill: Genna Davis, Hugh Laurie and Michael J. Fox.
On the Credits: Directed by Rob Minkoff.
On the Storyboard: Need more than computer animated toys running around this holiday season? How about a computer generated mouse? Rob Minkoff (co-director of "The Lion King") directs this adaptation of E.B. White's story about a mouse (the voice of Fox) who lives with a human family. It's part live action, part animation. Other voices will be provided by Gene Wilder (as Stuart's nemesis, Snowbell), Bruno Kirby and Jennifer Tilly (as Stuart's parents), and Dabney Coleman. Don't forget the cheese.
On the Calendar: Dec. 17.
On the Marquee: "Magnolia."
On the Bill: Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards.
On the Credits: Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
On the Storyboard: Paul Thomas Anderson directs this ensemble drama from his own script, interweaving nine stories about parents, children, love and loneliness. The characters include a dying father (Robards), his young wife (Moore), the caretaker (Hoffman), the boy genius (Jeremy Blackman), his father (Michael Bowen), the game show host (Philip Baker Hall), the daughter (Melora Walters), the mother (Melinda Dillon), the ex-boy genius (Macy) and the police officer in love (John C. Reilly). Henry Gibson, April Grace, Felicity Huffman, Louise Guzman, Ricky Jay, and Alfred Molina will also star. Tom Cruise appears in an un-billed cameo.
On the Calendar: Dec. 20.
On the Marquee: "Any Given Sunday."
On the Bill: Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, Jamie Foxx, L.L. Cool J. and James Woods.
On the Credits: Directed by Oliver Stone.
On the Storyboard: First the 1960s, now it's "Any Given Sunday." Three-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone, who has made a respectable name for himself with controversy around such films as "Platoon," "JFK," and "Natural Born Killers," directs this look at the NFL as aging head coach Pacino pressures a veteran QB (Quaid) to play hurt, or risk getting replaced by an up-and-coming QB (Foxx). An incredible ensemble cast is on the cinematic sideline, from movie veterans Tom Sizemore, Matthew Modine and Charlton Heston to football icons Jim Brown, Frank Gifford and Johnny Unitas.
On the Calendar: Dec. 22.
On the Marquee: "Man on the Moon."
On the Bill: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Courtney Love, Paul Giamatti and Tony Clifton.
On the Credits: Directed by Milos Forman.
On the Storyboard: From the Academy Award-winning director of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus" comes the story of comedian Andy Kaufman. As embodied by Carrey as the master manipulator, Kaufman's comedic style was always surrounded by scandal and mystery. Carrey has claimed Andy Kaufman as a role model for his own comedy, but will movie-going audiences care enough about the life of a man who played Latka on "Taxi"? But there is much more to his life than the show, and many critics note the influence Kaufman had on the world of comedy. This could finally nab Carrey his sought-after Oscar nomination for best actor.
On the Calendar: Dec. 22.
On the Marquee: "The Talented Mr. Ripley."
On the Bill: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Jude Law and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.
On the Credits: Directed by Anthony Minghella.
On the Storyboard: Possibly making their way back to the podium for Oscar gold are stars Damon and Paltrow in this adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 mystery novel. As the opportunistic young Tom Ripley, Damon plays the antihero who is sent to Italy to coax his old school chum back home to America. Finding that he yearns for the finer things in life, including his friend's lover (Paltrow), Ripley decides to transform himself into a rich man. Making his first film since 1996's Oscar-laden "The English Patient," director Minghella should turn this cult story into an enticing thriller.
On the Calendar: Dec. 22.
On the Marquee: "Galaxy Quest."
On the Bill: Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman.
On the Credits: Directed by Dean Parisot.
On the Storyboard: A group of aliens have mistakenly intercepted TV transmissions for actual events, and have transported Commander Peter Quincy and his crew (Allen and Co.) from Earth into space to help them in their war against the "invaders." The catch is that they haven't beamed aboard military personnel -- the Earthlings are actually a cast of actors from a TV show that has been off the air since the '70's but living in reruns. In what can be described as "The Last Star Fighter" meets "Star Trek," this cosmic comedy parodies and indirectly pokes fun at "Star Trek" fans and the conventions they attend. The buzz is that the film is big on laughs. Fascinating.
On the Calendar: Dec. 25.
On the Marquee: "Angela's Ashes."
On the Bill: Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle.
On the Credits: Directed by Alan Parker.
On the Storyboard: Highly anticipated by its literary fans, this coming-of-age story helmed by Alan Parker ("Evita," "Mississippi Burning") is based on the best seller by Frank McCourt's personal memoirs about his struggling Irish family. Word already has it that this critical darling is visually rich, and "Breaking the Waves" star Watson might just receive her third Oscar nod. They say the third time is a charm.
On the Calendar: Dec. 25.
Name That Flick
Who was the villain in the James Bond film, "Moonraker"? Well, the fan who called and correctly guessed that it was Sir Hugo Drax didn't bother to leave his name. However, he took the time to inform us that he disagreed with our review of "The World is Not Enough" and told us to go back to that coffee shop we used to run. We never ran a coffee shop, so it was obviously an insult.
We can take it! The new Bond film bites! Remember folks, be sure to leave your name when you leave your answer -- that way we have a name to put with the insult.
For this week: What was the name of the department store in which Santa Claus worked in the original "Miracle on 34th Street"? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026 or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com to leave your answer and your name. Happy Thanksgiving everybody! See you next week!
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