The Movie Guys -- Jeff Howard and Dave Neil: Fall for flicks as autumn approaches
Friday, Sept. 3, 1999 | 10:34 a.m.
The Movie Guys, starring Jeff Howard and Dave Neil, appears Fridays in the Sun You can also read their capsule reviews of movies in Las Vegas Weekly magazine. Plus, check them out online at lasvegassun.com/sun/ sunlife/movies and themovieguys.com.
As the summer of 1999 comes to a close -- a summer of hype like no other in recent memory -- we bid a fond farewell to light saber-wielding Jedis, muted Mako sharks, 60-foot mechanical spiders and swinging, animated ape men. Our attention turns to fall, our favorite time of year -- a time of year when school bells ring, the days get cooler and Halloween is just around the corner.
This fall has a crowded slate of films with a variety of themes, from baseball to haunted houses, and the triumphant return of famed directors such as Rob Reiner, David Fincher, Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese, to mention a few. And be prepared for this fall's feature films starring Hollywood heavy hitters such as Harrison Ford, Kevin Costner, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage and Al Pacino, and the spy who started it all, James Bond, back for the 19th time saving the world from evil. (No, not Dr. Evil, but a different kind of evil.)
Without further delay, we present our Fall 1999 preview. Remember, with 154 films slated for release, some movies may be subjected to the Hollywood shuffle. Dates change, so be sure to check your local listings before heading out to your local theater. We do!
On the Marquee: "Stigmata."
On the Bill: Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne and Jonathan Pryce.
On the Credits: Directed by Rupert Wainwright.
On the Storyboard: Wainwright directs Arquette, who plays a nonreligious woman having supernatural visions and who begins to bleed from both palms. No doubt she becomes a firm believer. A Vatican official (Pryce) sends a priest (Byrne) to investigate and verify that the Holy Ghost is at work. Rub your rosaries if you've got them.
On the Calendar: Sept. 10.
On the Marquee: "American Beauty."
On the Bill: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Wes Bentley, Thora Birch and Mena Suvari.
On the Credits: Directed by Sam Mendes.
On the Storyboard: In this bleak comedy that follows a dysfunctional family in suburban America, Spacey leads the cast as the middle-aged father who experiences a bitter wife, a hateful daughter and perverse fantasies. We did mention this was bleak, right? Already receiving heavy buzz for the film's strong performances and mouth-dropping scenes, the biggest interest seems to be on director Mendes making his feature debut leap from Broadway ("The Blue Room").
On the Calendar: Sept. 15.
On the Marquee: "For Love Of The Game."
On the Bill: Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly and Jena Malone.
On the Credits: Directed by Sam Raimi.
On the Storyboard: Costner and baseball go together like apple pie and Chevrolet. Returning to the mound is Costner as a veteran pitcher looking back at his personal and professional career during the biggest game of his life -- a perfect game. Receiving the coaching, er, directing duties is Raimi ("A Simple Plan") -- and who would have liked that job, with Costner's reputation as the George Steinbrenner of Hollywood?
On the Calendar: Sept. 17.
On the Marquee: "Mumford."
On the Bill: Jane Adams, Ted Danson, Hope Davis, Loren Dean, Jason Lee, Mary McDonnell, David Paymer, Martin Short, Robert Stack, Pruitt Taylor Vince and Alfre Woodard
On the Credits: Written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan.
On the Storyboard: Filmmaker Kasdan comically reveals the psychological profiles of his all-star cast with newcomer Dean as their straight-man head shrink, Dr. Mumford. Confined to a small town mentality, Dean offers no-nonsense advice to a group of quirky locals. Whether or not Mum's the word, Kasdan has certainly shown his ability for astute comedies ("The Big Chill," "Grand Canyon").
On the Calendar: Sept. 24.
On the Marquee: "Three Kings."
On the Bill: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube, Nora Dunn and Jamie Kennedy.
On the Credits: Directed by David O. Russell.
On the Storyboard: American soldiers fighting in the Gulf War find a treasure map in Saudi Arabia, which they hope will lead them to untold riches of gold bullion. Russell ("Flirting With Disaster") directs from John Ridley's script. Sounds like Desert Storm meets "Kelly's Heroes." Let's hope that Clooney learned from his last military movie, "The Peacemaker," that you can't fool audiences with cliches like digital timers counting down to an explosion. Previously titled "Spoils of War."
On the Calendar: Oct. 1
On the Marquee: "The Bone Collector."
On the Bill: Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, Queen Latifah and Ed O'Neill.
On the Credits: Directed by Phillip Noyce.
On the Storyboard: A dark suspense-thriller that pairs Oscar winner Washington with Emmy winner Jolie sounds like a welcomed addition to any fall lineup. A respected forensics detective (Washington) is confined to his hospital room after being paralyzed in the line of duty. His new partner (Jolie) must follow his directions, which will lead her to track down a serial killer. With Noyce -- who helped turn Tom Clancy's best-selling novels into cinematic gems ("Patriot Games," "Clear and Present Danger") -- behind the camera, Washington just might make up for his last thrill-less dud, "Fallen."
On the Calendar: Oct. 1.
On the Marquee: "Mystery, Alaska."
On the Bill: Russell Crowe, Hank Azaria, Mary McMormack, Lolita Davidovich, Colm Meaney, Maury Chaykin and Burt Reynolds.
On the Credits: Directed by Jay Roach.
On the Storyboard: Touted as the feel-good film of the fall, this hockey comedy is about a small Alaskan town whose local team unexpectedly finds itself in a match against the New York Rangers. It's "The Mighty Ducks" in the Klondike. Crowe stars as the town's hockey-playing sheriff, and the script was penned by David E. Kelly (creator of "The Practice" and "Ally McBeal"). Mike Myers will appear in a cameo. How in the puck did they get him?
On the Calendar: Oct. 1.
On the Marquee: "Dogma."
On the Bill: Linda Fiorentino, Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.
On the Credits: Written and directed by Kevin Smith.
On the Storyboard: From the director of "Mallrats" and "Chasing Amy" comes a religious comedy about an abortion clinic worker (Fiorentino) who teams up with two holy men, Jay and Silent Bob (Mewes, Smith) to save humanity. It seems that two renegade angels (Damon and Affleck), who have been thrown out of heaven, find a loophole that will get them back in (a move that will unmake all of creation). Chris Rock appears as the forgotten 13th apostle, kicked out of heaven for claiming Jesus was black. Alan Rickman is the voice of God (while crooner Alanis Morisette plays God herself), Jason Lee is the demon, Azrael, and Salma Hayek plays the muse, Serendipity. George Carlin, Dwight Ewell, Janeane Garofalo and Brian O'Halloran also appear. After bouncing from studio to studio, "Dogma" finally found a home at Miramax and promises to be a little bit of heaven.
On the Calendar: Oct. 8.
On the Marquee: "The Story Of Us."
On the Bill: Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rob Reiner, Rita Wilson and Paul Reiser.
On the Credits: Directed by Rob Reiner.
On the Storyboard: After his recent surge of box office success with "Armageddon" and "The Sixth Sense" Willis switches gears for a light romantic comedy alongside the beautiful Pfeiffer. The two play a discontented couple whose 15-year marriage is facing the unusual growing pains that either make or break a relationship. Acclaimed director Reiner makes a welcome return to the genre for which he has often had a knack ("When Harry Met Sally," and "The American President").
On the Calendar: Oct. 15.
On the Marquee: "Fight Club."
On the Bill: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Meat Loaf, Jared Leto and Eion Bailey.
On the Credits: Directed by David Fincher.
On the Storyboard: A normal, everyday kind of guy (Norton) lets his extreme side get the best of him when he discovers a kindred spirit (Pitt). The two pals form a secret society, Fight Club, which turns into a national underground movement/cult, offering young professionals the opportunity to participate in bloody rounds of brutal fisticuffs. Bonham Carter plays a woman who comes between the two friends. Based on Chuck Palahniuk's novel. Rumors have this flick as violent and bloody -- just the way we like them.
On the Calendar: Oct. 15.
On the Marquee: "Bringing Out The Dead."
On the Bill: Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette, John Goodman, Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore and Marc Anthony.
On the Credits: Directed by Martin Scorsese.
On the Storyboard: Scorsese directs this adaptation of Joseph Connelly's novel about a Hell's Kitchen, N.Y., paramedic (Cage) who has a nervous breakdown and begins to see the ghosts of the victims that he could not save. It's already touted as the most surreal and radical film by one of America's most prolific filmmakers. And what with Cage top-lining an impressive cast, how can one go wrong? Plus, scribe Paul Schrader has collaborated on some of Scorsese's biggest features, including "Raging Bull" and "Taxi Driver," leaving us curious as to what sort of psychedelic ride we should be in store for. We certainly can't wait to find out!
On the Calendar: Oct. 22.
On the Marquee: "House on Haunted Hill."
On the Bill: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Peter Gallagher, Bridgette Wilson, Taye Diggs and Chris Kattan.
On the Credits: Directed by William Malone.
On the Storyboard: In this chiller remake of William Castle's 1958 classic horror tale of the same name, five strangers have been offered $1 million each to spend one night in the notorious "House on Haunted Hill." Oscar winner Rush ("Shine") fills the role that was ideally played by legendary horror master Vincent Price. Not to be confused with the dreadful remake this past summer of "The Haunting," this macabre thriller looks to be the perfect movie for Halloween weekend!
On the Calendar: Oct. 29.
On the Marquee: "The Insider."
On the Bill: Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer, Diane Venora, Gina Gershon and Rip Torn.
On the Credits: Written and directed by Michael Mann.
On the Storyboard: This promises to be a movie to make waves throughout Hollywood. It has been described as the most political film since "All the President's Men." "The Insider" recounts the public conflict between the big tobacco companies and CBS' "60 Minutes." Pacino is a tobacco company snitch who spills the leaves to Mike Wallace (Plummer), but Wallace is forced to drop the story by network brass fearing a billion-dollar lawsuit. Warning: Watching this film could be good for your health.
On the Calendar: Nov. 5.
On the Marquee: "The World Is Not Enough."
On the Bill: Pierce Brosnan, Denise Richards, Robert Carlyle, Sophie Marceau and Judi Dench.
On the Credits: Directed by Michael Apted.
On the Storyboard: Brosnan is back again as British secret agent James Bond in the 19th installment of cinema's most successful film franchise. Apted directs from a script written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. The rumored plot involves an attempt to blow up London's Millennium Dome on the eve of the millennium. Richards is the new Bond beauty and will play Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear weapons expert. And Marceau will play villain Elektra King, the daughter of an oil tycoon murdered while under Bond's watchful eye. Carlyle, Victory Ashby and Ulrich Thomsen will also play some really evil bad guys. Dench and Desmond Llewelyn will reprise their roles of M and Q, respectively, and Monty Python's John Cleese will appear as a new member of Q branch. How can this lose? We can't wait.
On the Calendar: Nov. 19.
On the Marquee: "Sleepy Hollow."
On the Bill: Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Miranda Richardson, Casper Van Dien and Christopher Walken.
On the Credits: Directed by Tim Burton.
On the Storyboard: Director Burton returns to his roots of the macabre and weird with a story loosely based the legend of Ichabod Crane (Depp) and the Headless Horseman. Ichabod is no longer a school teacher, but now a New York policeman whose crazy ideas about scientific police work nab him the unappealing job of constable of Sleepy Hollow, where an unidentified killer has already beheaded three men. Sounds creepy and downright spooky. Sounds perfect.
On the Calendar: Nov. 19.
Name That Flick
Where did director Alfred Hitchcock make his famous cameo appearance in his film "Lifeboat"? Greg Zastava was the first to call and correctly guess that Hitchcock appears in a "before and after" photo for a diet ad, featured in a newspaper read by one of the castaways. Way to go, Greg!
For this week who said this and in what film: "Wake up! Time to die!"? If you think you know, call the Movie Guys Hotline at 225-9026, or log onto our website at www.themovieguys.com. Be sure to spell your name and if you're the first to answer correctly, we will print your name right here in our column for the entire Las Vegas Valley to read.
Be sure to pick up this week's issue of the Las Vegas Weekly to read our exclusive interview with Shawn Hatosy, star of "Outside Providence." See you next week!
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