THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE ...; BUT BIG BUDGETS WON'T STAMP OUT SUMMER OF VARIETY.Byline: Introduction by Glenn Whipp Capsules by Bob Strauss and Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Writers You've seen the billboards and the buildings around town. Its foot is as big as a bus. It's twice as long as a Boeing 747. It's twice as tall as the Hyatt Hotel on Sunset Boulevard. Yup, Godzilla's big all right. But then, you know how studio executives tend to exaggerate when it comes to sensitive issues like size. As those Godzilla billboards tell you, though, Size Does Matter, especially now that we've arrived in the silly season for movies. Of course, coming as it does on the heels of a year that has given us such brain-dead films as ``Spice World,'' ``Half Baked'' and ``Meet the Deedles,'' you have to wonder just how much more moronic mo·ron n. 1. A stupid person; a dolt. 2. Psychology A person of mild mental retardation having a mental age of from 7 to 12 years and generally having communication and social skills enabling some degree of academic or movies can get this summer. Short answer: A lot. Not that there's anything wrong with that. At the very least, summer movies possess a certain willful, not to mention gleeful glee·ful adj. Full of jubilant delight; joyful. glee  ful·ly adv.glee stupidity to go along with their spotless production values. Thus, we have not one, but two death-from-the-skies movies (a comet in ``Deep Impact,'' an asteroid in ``Armageddon), a fourth ``Lethal Weapon'' film, movie updates of Hitchcock (``A Perfect Murder'') and an English TV series (``The Avengers'') and a remake of a musical (``Dr. Dolittle'') that bombed when it was released 31 years ago. But unlike summers past, sequels and action fare won't completely obliterate o·blit·er·ate v. 1. To remove an organ or another body part completely, as by surgery, disease, or radiation. 2. To blot out, especially through filling of a natural space by fibrosis or inflammation. every other genre. There are big romantic pictures (``The Horse Whisperer,'' ``6 Days, 7 Nights'' and ``Hope Floats''), sharp, funny political satire (``Bulworth''), sharp, funny social satire (``The Truman Show'') and the best animated film Disney has put out in years (``Mulan''). And if that's not enough, Steven Spielberg has a D-Day movie starring Tom Hanks (``Saving Private Ryan''), action figures will declare war on their makers (``Small Soldiers'') and ``X-Files'' fans may finally find out if Cancer Man is really Agent Mulder's father. Then there's that Godzilla movie, the one for which Sony has been blanketing the Earth with advertising (at a cost of $50 million) so everyone will somehow feel compelled to stand in line to see it over Memorial Day weekend. (Hey, it worked. They had us with that Super Bowl ad.) So there you have it. Something for everyone, unless you're into Shakespeare, slasher films or ``Star Trek.'' (Don't worry. There will be time for those, too, later this year.) For now, grab some popcorn, sit back, relax, and turn off your minds. And remember, all summer release dates are tentative and many indeed change depending on readiness, willingness and the ability of studio executives to make a concrete decision. May 8 Artemisia Artemisia, ruler of Caria Artemisia (är'təmĭ`shēə), fl. 4th cent. B.C., ruler of the ancient region of Caria. She was the sister, wife, and successor of Mausolus and erected the mausoleum at Halicarnassus in his memory. : Story of art history's first major female painter. Set in 17th-century Italy. (Miramax) Deep Impact: Earthlings panic when a comet threatens to pancake the planet. Robert Duvall, Tea Leoni, Elijah Wood, Vanessa Redgrave and Morgan Freeman are among those affected. (Paramount/DreamWorks) Homegrown: Billy Bob Thornton, Hank Azaria and Ryan Phillippe are three, um, dopes who guard a Northern California marijuana plantation. When their boss (John Lithgow) is killed, they have to figure out what to do with the crop - and how to stay alive themselves. (TriStar Pictures) The Kingdom II: Many more hours of surreal malpractice in a Danish hospital from ``Breaking the Waves'' and original ``Kingdom'' director Lars von Trier Trier (trēr), Latin Augusta Treverorum, city (1994 pop. 99,183), Rhineland-Palatinate, SW Germany, a port on the Moselle (Ger. Mosel) River, near the Luxembourg border. . (October Films) Woo: Jada Pinkett Smith Jada Koren Pinkett Smith (born September 18, 1971) is an American actress and singer. She is married to actor/rapper Will Smith. Biography Early life Jada was born September 18 Jada Koren Pinkett in Baltimore, Maryland to Robsol Pinkett, Jr. and Tommy Davidson go on a blind date that turns into one disastrous night in Manhattan. (New Line) May 15 Bulworth: Warren Beatty co-wrote, produced and directed this political comedy in which he plays a U.S. senator who decides to tell the truth, or at least what he perceives to be the truth, about race and wealth in America. Halle Berry is his inner-city muse. (20th Century Fox) Clockwatchers: Described as ``Mary Tyler Moore This article is about the actress. For her 1970s television series, also known as "Mary Tyler Moore", see The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary Tyler Moore meets Franz Kafka,'' this independent comedy about office temps stars Parker Posey, Lisa Kudrow and Toni Collette. (BMG BMG Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Germand: Federal Ministry for Health) BMG Be My Girl BMG Blue Man Group BMG Bertelsmann Music Group BMG Be My Guest BMG Browning Machine Gun BMG Bulk Metallic Glass Independents) A Friend of the Deceased: A Russian intellectual, depressed about his lot in his country's new capitalist jungle, decides to commit suicide by hiring a hit man to kill him. But then he meets a prostitute who makes life worth living. Meanwhile, the killer lies in wait. (Sony Pictures Classics) Go Now: ``The Full Monty's'' Robert Carlyle plays a happy Scottish bloke who has to cope with a life-changing illness. Directed by ``Welcome to Sarajevo's'' Michael Winterbottom. (Gramercy) The Hanging Garden:: A gay man returns home and confronts his demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. , who mostly take the form of assorted family members. (MGM/UA) The Horse Whisperer: Robert Redford directs and stars in an adaptation of the best-selling novel about a Montana cowboy who has a magical way with horses - and people. Kristin Scott Thomas Kristin Scott Thomas OBE (born 24 May 1960) is an Academy Award-nominated English actress. Biography Kristin Scott Thomas was born in Redruth, Cornwall. Her father was a pilot for the Royal Navy and died in a flying accident in 1964, and she is the older sister of the and newcomer Scarlett Johansson play the emotionally damaged mother and daughter who need his help. (Touchstone/Buena Vista) Lawn Dogs: Parents in a Louisville suburb become understandably alarmed when their 10-year-old daughter makes friends with the weirdo who mows the neighborhood lawns (Sam Rockwell, the weirdo from ``Box of Moonlight''). (Strand Releasing) Plump Fiction: Too-late satire of Tarantino movies - like every other film for the past four years hasn't been an unintentional one. With Julie Brown, Sandra Bernhard and Tommy Davidson. (Rhino Films) The Quest for Camelot
Quest for Camelot is an animated feature from Warner Bros. Animation, released in 1998. : Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) .' big entry in the animated feature sweepstakes. The plot is pure Arthurian legend and features the voices of Pierce Brosnan and Gabriel Byrne. (Warner Bros.) May 20 Godzilla: Little, arty movie about a big angry lizard from those guys who gave us ``Independence Day.'' Matthew Broderick and Hank Azaria split running and screaming duties. And since it's the only big-budget action release between now and, well, Independence Day, you'll have to see it whether you really want to or not. (Sony) May 22 Beyond Silence: Nominated this year for Best Picture in the foreign film category, this German movie chronicles the life of a young girl whose parents are deaf. (Miramax) Fear and Loathing fear and loathing - (Hunter S. Thompson) A state inspired by the prospect of dealing with certain real-world systems and standards that are totally brain-damaged but ubiquitous - Intel 8086s, COBOL, EBCDIC, or any IBM machine except the Rios (also known as the RS/6000). in Las Vegas: Probably the least likely book ever to be made into a movie, this doped-up, trippy Hunter S. Thompson adventure gets the big-screen treatment from hallucinogenic hal·lu·ci·no·gen n. A substance that induces hallucination. [hallucin(ation) + -gen.] hal·lu director Terry Gilliam. Hmmm, maybe it isn't such a bad idea after all. Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro star. (Universal) The Opposite of Sex: Christina Ricci (``The Ice Storm'') wreaks havoc in the lives of everyone she encounters, particularly her gay half-brother (Martin Donovan) and his suddenly not-so-gay boyfriend. With Lisa Kudrow and Lyle Lovett. (Sony Pictures Classics) Still Breathing: Naive street person Brendan Fraser falls for con woman Joanna Going. (October Films) May 27 I Got the Hook Up: Hip-hop sensation Master P wrote and stars in this comedy about a couple of brothers who sell a truckload of cell phones with disastrous results. (Miramax) May 29 Almost Heroes: Chris Farley's swan song. The late comic and ``Friends' '' Matthew Perry star in this Lewis and Clark-inspired exploration comedy directed by ``Waiting for Guffman's'' Christopher Guest. Bad sign: Its release date has been moved several times by the studio. (Warner Bros.) Broadway Damage: Young, arty types face professional and romantic disappointment in the Big Apple. (Jour de Fete Films) Hope Floats: Sandra Bullock abandons ship and goes back to looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. love in this comedy-drama in which the ``Speed'' queen plays an abandoned young mother who has to move back in with her own eccentric mom (Gena Rowlands). Forest Whitaker, who delivered the goods with ``Waiting to Exhale exhale /ex·hale/ (eks´hal) to breathe out. ex·hale v. 1. To breathe out. 2. To emit a gas, vapor, or odor. ,'' directs. (20th Century Fox) The Last Days of Disco: Will we never be free of the '70s? This one is by the often-urbane Whit Stillman (``Metropolitan''). (Gramercy) May unscheduled The Empty Mirror: What if Adolf Hitler had survived World War II to contemplate the horrors he unleashed on the world? Norman Rodway plays the failed Fuhrer füh·rer also fueh·rer n. A leader, especially one exercising the powers of a tyrant. [German, from Middle High German vüerer, from vüeren, to lead, from Old High German in this attempt to explore the human psychology within the monster. With Joel Grey as Goebbels and Camilla Soeberg as Eva Braun. (Lions Gate Films) A Merry War: Adaptation of George Orwell's 1930s social satire ``Keep the Aspidistra Flying Keep the Aspidistra Flying, first published 1936, is a grimly comic novel by George Orwell. It is set in 1930s London. The main theme is the protagonist's romantic ambition to give up money and status, and the squalid life that results. .'' Richard E. Grant Richard E. Grant (born May 5, 1957) is a British actor known for portraying the world-weary, drug-crazed alcoholic Withnail in Withnail and I. Biography Early life Grant was born Richard Grant Esterhuysen is the pretentious ad copywriter-turned-poet and Helena Bonham Carter is his uncertain girlfriend. (First Look Pictures) June 5 Cousin Bette: Jessica Lange is a calculating spinster SPINSTER. An addition given, in legal writings, to a woman who never was married. Lovel. on Wills, 269. who wreaks her wicked sense of vengeance on behalf of jilted jilt tr.v. jilt·ed, jilt·ing, jilts To deceive or drop (a lover) suddenly or callously. n. One who discards a lover. lovers everywhere. Elisabeth Shue and Bob Hoskins co-star. (Fox Searchlight) Dirty Work: ``Saturday Night Live's'' Norm Macdonald co-wrote this comedy in which he and Chevy Chase star as two lifelong losers who turn their anger into a revenge-for-hire operation. Directed, if you can believe it, by Bob Saget. Chase, Saget and ``SNL'' alums ... yup, there are red flags everywhere on this one. (MGM MGM in full Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. U.S. corporation and film studio. It was formed when the film distributor Marcus Loew, who bought Metro Pictures in 1920, merged it with the Goldwyn production company in 1924 and with Louis B. Mayer Pictures in 1925. ) A Perfect Murder: Remake of Hitchcock's ``Dial M for Murder'' has Michael Douglas playing a wealthy industrialist who suspects his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is cheating. With that knowledge comes an aspiration - the perfect murder. (Warner Bros.) The Truman Show: Jim Carrey plays a guy who discovers his whole life is a television show - and everyone he knows, including his wife, parents and best friend, are merely actors. Peter Weir's film has the studio's marketing department working overtime since it isn't an ``Ace Ventura'' clone. Maybe they should just use the movie - it's the best film of the year. (Paramount) June 12 The Beyond: Re-release of the 1981 Italian horror, um, classic. A hotel built over a portal to hell experiences strange, grotesque goings-on. Touted as a midnight-movie kind of thing. (Rolling Thunder) Can't Hardly Wait: Teen-agers jockey for love and status and learn about life while attending one bitchen bitch·en adj. Slang Variant of bitchin'. party. TJennifer Love Hewitt (who else?) stars. (Sony) Hav Plenty: Opposites attract when a woman named Hav meets a guy named Plenty. Hav has it all - except love - and Plenty needs plenty of everything, including love. Sounds a bit precious, but it was an audience favorite at Sundance. (Miramax) High Art: A young magazine editor becomes fascinated with her neighbor, a once-celebrated photographer played by Ally Sheedy. Sexual confusion and drug addiction are involved. (October Films) The Land Girls: Land girls were English women who volunteered to work on farms while the men were off fighting World War II. Here, three of the more beautiful volunteers (Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz and Anna Friel) bond with a volatile young man who wants to become a fighter pilot. (Gramercy) Little Boy Blue: Dysfunctional family dysfunctional family Psychology A family with multiple 'internal'–eg sibling rivalries, parent-child– conflicts, domestic violence, mental illness, single parenthood, or 'external'–eg alcohol or drug abuse, extramarital affairs, gambling, drama set deep in the heart of Texas. With Ryan Phillippe, Nastassja Kinski and John Savage. (Castle Hill) Passion in the Desert: Based on the Balzac novel, this is a philosophical adventure about a Napoleonic officer's struggle to survive a harsh environment and a predatory leopard. (Fine Line Features) 6 Days, 7 Nights: Harrison Ford and Anne Heche play a couple of opposites who attract once they're stranded on a desert island. Directed by Ivan Reitman, this film is primarily known for being the movie that was cast right before Heche came out of the closet. ``She's a great actress,'' Ford says. We can't wait for the fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to . (Touchstone/Buena Vista) June 19 Henry Fool: The misanthropic mis·an·throp·ic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a misanthrope. 2. Characterized by a hatred or mistrustful scorn for humankind. title character writes a self-justifying autobiography, which only adds to the anger of everyone who doesn't like him. A comedy, sort of, from indie filmmaker Hal Hartley (``Trust,'' ``Simple Men''). Stars Thomas Jay Ryan and Parker Posey. (Sony Pictures Classics) I Went Down: Eccentric, talkative Irish gangsters. O'Taranteeny alert! (The Shooting Gallery shooting gallery Substance abuse A place–eg, an abandoned building in an economically-depressed urban area–ie, a ghetto, where IV drug users congregate, purchase, inject–'shoot' heroin, cocaine, oxycodone or other drug. ) Mulan: Disney's annual animated entry is based on the ancient legend of a young Chinese woman who pretends she's a boy so she can enlist in the army, fight the Huns and save her father's life. Of course, this time she has a little help in her endeavor in the form of a lovable, feisty dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). (Disney/Buena Vista) The X-Files Movie: Mulder and Scully Mulder and Scully can refer to:
n. pl. my·thoi 1. Myth. 2. Mythology. 3. The pattern of basic values and attitudes of a people, characteristically transmitted through myths and the arts. (i.e., the big alien-government-cover-up-paranoia plotline) stories. And, oh yeah, Cancer Man comes back. Yup, the truth is out there, and so is this movie. (20th Century Fox) June 26 Doctor Dolittle: Eddie Murphy talks to the animals in this remake of the children's classic that bombed 30 years ago. Directed by Betty Thomas who, having made ``Private Parts private parts n. men or women's genitalia, excluding a woman's breasts, usually referred to in prosecutions for "indecent exposure" or production and/or sale of pornography. ,'' knows a thing or two about communicating with beasts. Who knows, maybe that talking Chihuahua from the Taco Bell commercials will have a cameo. (20th Century Fox) Gone With the Wind: The 1939 Civil Warhorse, in newly restruck, three-strip Technicolor prints. Watch out, ``Titanic''! (New Line Cinema) Nights of Cabiria: Re-release of Federico Fellini's 1957 masterpiece about a prostitute's dreams, starring the great director's wife, Giulietta Masina. (Rialto Rialto, city (1990 pop. 72,388), San Bernardino co., S Calif., a residential suburb of San Bernardino; inc. 1911. The city has greatly expanded as a result of the economic and demographic growth of the southern California area. ) Out of Sight: George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez star in Steven Soderbergh's first commercial film (he hopes) about a prison breakout that goes awry when Clooney takes Lopez hostage. It's yet another Elmore Leonard adaptation. (Universal) Smoke Signals: Two American Indian boys embark on an adventure to collect a father's ashes. (Miramax) June unscheduled Charlie Hoboken: He sells insurance by day. He's a hit man by night. Does this guy know how to maximize his earning potential or what? (Northern Arts) Mr. Jealousy: Eric Stoltz plays a man so jealous he joins his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's therapy group, hoping to learn a few secrets. From Noah Baumbach, whose earlier comedy, ``Kicking and Screaming,'' had Tits adherents. (Lions Gate Films) Talk To Me: A hopelessly single woman finds confidence through the relative anonymity of a telephone dating line. Appropriately enough, no one you ever heard of was involved in the making of this comedy. (Northern Arts) Voyage to the Beginning of the World: The late Marcello Mastroianni's last feature film, directed by Portugal's grand master Manoel de Oliveira. Mastroianni is an aging film director on the road in search of his roots. (Strand Releasing) July 1 Armageddon: It's the end of the world as we know it, and you can bet it feels fine; this cartoonish answer to ``Deep Impact'' was made by party-picture experts. A giant meteor is headed our way, and the only hope for mankind is to send a crew into space to destroy the bad boy. Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Billy Bob Thornton play Asteroids This is a list of numbered minor planets, nearly all of them asteroids, in sequential order. As of late September 2007 there are 164,612 numbered minor planets, and many more not yet numbered. Most asteroids are ordinary and not particularly noteworthy. . Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer, who gave us ``The Rock'' and ``Bad Boys,'' direct and produce, no doubt loudly. (Touchstone/Buena Vista) July 3 Talk of Angels: An Irish governess goes to Spain on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons. of the civil war. Polly Walker, Vincent Perez, Franco Nero and Frances McDormand. (Miramax) July 10 Buffalo 66: The critically acclaimed directing debut of actor Vincent Gallo. He stars as a prison parolee pa·rol·ee n. One who is released on parole. Noun 1. parolee - someone released on probation or on parole probationer who kidnaps a young woman (Christina Ricci) to introduce to his parents as his wife. Against all odds, she turns out to be perfect for him. (Lions Gate Films) Gadjo gad·jo n. pl. gad·je Offensive Used as a disparaging term for one who is not Gypsy. [Romani.] Dilo: A French guy searches Romania for a gypsy singer. He finds both trouble and an enchanting new way of life. (Lions Gate Films) Lethal Weapon 4: Mel Gibson - for a king's ransom, reportedly - reteams with Danny Glover and director Richard Donner for yet another entry in the lucrative cop series. Rene Russo and Joe Pesci return, too, and Chris Rock is added to give the creaking creak intr.v. creaked, creak·ing, creaks 1. To make a grating or squeaking sound. 2. To move with a creaking sound. n. A grating or squeaking sound. series more youth appeal. How will they fit all the characters in? They probably won't, but you probably won't care. (Warner Bros.) Pi: Winner of the Sundance Film Festival's Best Director award, Darren Aronofsky's thriller involves a mathematical genius who figures out how to beat the stock market. (Artisan) Small Soldiers: Toy soldiers take on military intelligence and start spending $750 on toilet seats. And then things get really scary ... (DreamWorks SKG SKG Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw (Dutch) SKG Spielberg, Katzenberg,and Geffen (DreamWorks Studios) SKG Thessaloniki, Greece - Thessaloniki (Airport Code) SKG Smith and Kraus Global ) Whatever: High school. Early '80s. Sex. Drugs. The Ramones. A young girl tries to make sense of it all. Whatever. (Sony Pictures Classics) When I Close My Eyes: A distraught Japanese woman sends a letter to the address of her deceased love. To her shock and elation elation /ela·tion/ (e-la´shun) emotional excitement marked by acceleration of mental and bodily activity, with extreme joy and an overly optimistic attitude. , she gets a reply. (Fine Line Features) July 15 There's Something About Mary: Gross and grosser. A new movie from the shameless Farrelly brothers about a guy who hires a private detective to track down the only promising date he has ever had. Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon and Cameron Diaz star. (20th Century Fox) July 17 The Mask of Zorro zorro: see fox. Zorro masked swordsman, defender of weak and oppressed. [Am. Lit.: comic strip (1919); Am. Cinema: Halliwell, 794; TV: Terrace, II, 461–462] See : Disguise : Anthony Hopkins is Zorro, see. Or, at least, he used to be. Now the mask doesn't quite fit any more, and he has to find a successor to help Mexico win independence from Spain. Antonio Banderas, a bandit bandit: see brigandage. with a troubled past, steps up to fill the mask, although they have to take the pants in a few inches. (Sony) My Life So Far: A 10-year-old boy learns about temptation, jealousy, passion and jazz from his uncle's fiancee, a seductive young French woman (Irene Jacob). Think of it as a ``Private Lessons'' for the New Yorker set. (Miramax) Polish Wedding: Polish-American family goes through love, jealousy and all sorts of entanglements. Lena Olin is the mother, Gabriel Byrne the father and Claire Danes the daughter who is more like mom than either would like to admit. (Fox Searchlight) July 24 B. Monkey: ``Il Postino'' (that's the Italian ``Postman,'' also known as The Good One) director Michael Radford returns with a romantic thriller about an underworld moll (Asia Argento) who falls in love with a nice teacher (Jared Harris). ``My Best Friend's Wedding'' sTavior Rupert Everett plays a decadent fop. (Miramax) Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss: Billy is a photographer who tries to re-create pictures of the greatest movie kisses of all time - exclusively with guys. (Trimark Pictures) Dead Man on Campus: College kids resort to dirty deeds to bring their grades up to par. From MTV MTV in full Music Television U.S. cable television network, established in 1980 to present videos of musicians and singers performing new rock music. MTV won a wide following among rock-music fans worldwide and greatly affected the popular-music business. Films, the good people who gave the world ``Beavis and Butt-head.'' (Paramount) Jane Austen's Mafia!: The late Lloyd Bridges headlines this spoof of ``The Godfather'' and other gangster films. From Jim Abrahams, the director of ``Hot Shots!'' (Touchstone) Saving Private Ryan: Steven Spielberg goes to war in this D-Day story about a platoon that has to, you know, save Pvt. Ryan because the other three Ryan boys have already been killed. Tom Hanks is the surly captain; Matt Damon is Pvt. Ryan, and a whole bunch of talented up-and-comers fill out the company. (DreamWorks SKG) Very Bad Things: A bachelor party goes savagely awry in this black comedy written and directed by actor Peter Berg. The cast includes Christian Slater (who knows from awry party scenes), Cameron Diaz, Daniel Stern and Jeanne Tripplehorn. (Polygram Films) July 29 The Parent Trap: Remake of the Disney family comedy in which twins scheme to get their separated parents back together. Like Hayley Mills before her, Lindsay Lohan plays both girls. Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are the mom and dad. (Disney) July 31 BASEketball: David Zucker shifts his focus from airplanes and naked guns to the world of professional sports in this satire that includes ``South Park'' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone in the cast. (Universal) Be the Man: Bob Einstein plays famed stuntman stunt·man n. A man who substitutes for a performer in scenes requiring physical daring or involving physical risk. stuntman n → especialista m stuntman Super Dave Osborne Super Dave Osborne is a character created and played by comedian Bob Einstein. He is an inept, greedy and self-absorbed stuntman who is frequently injured when his stunts go wrong. in a movie that would sound promising if it was, say, 1988. In the movie, Super Dave comes out of retirement for one last great stunt. (MGM/UA) Dance With Me: A Houston dance instructor (Vanessa L. Williams) is re-energized by a sexy young dancer from Cuba (Latino music superstar Chayanne). Together, they head, ``Shall We Dance?''-style, for a big Vegas ballroom contest. (Columbia Pictures) Full Tilt Boogie: Documentary about the making of that wacky vampire romp, ``From Dusk Till Dawn.'' Great fun if you haven't tired of hearing Quentin Tarantino drone on and on and on ... (Miramax) The Governess: In the early 19th century, a young Jewish woman (``Good Will Hunting's'' Minnie Driver) disguises her identity to become the governess for a wealthy English inventor (``The Full Monty's'' Tom Wilkinson). Romance results. (Sony Pictures Classics) The Negotiator: Hostage negotiator (Samuel L. Jackson “Samuel Jackson” redirects here. For the senator from Indiana, see Samuel D. Jackson. Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA-winning actor. ) takes hostages after being falsely accused of murder, prompting another hostage negotiator (Kevin Spacey spac·ey adj. Slang Variant of spacy. Adj. 1. spacey - stupefied by (or as if by) some narcotic drug spaced-out, spacy unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles" ) to become involved. (Warner Bros.) Safe Men: Two bad singers are mistaken for safecracking experts. This mob comedy reportedly boasts philosophical wordplay and a reverence for pop culture. Taranteeny alert! (October Films) July unscheduled The Continued Adventures of Reptile Man: In a sublime bit of casting, Tony Curtis is the has-been actor who still thinks he's the superhero su·per·he·ro n. pl. su·per·he·roes A figure, especially in a comic strip or cartoon, endowed with superhuman powers and usually portrayed as fighting evil or crime. he played on a long-ago TV show. ``Profiler'' Ally Walker co-stars. (Northern Arts) East Palace, West Palace: It ain't easy being gay in Communist China. (Strand Releasing) Levitation levitation (lĕvĭtā`shən), the raising of a human or other body in the air without mechanical aid. The idea is ancient; holy men, both pagan and Christian, were reputed to have had the power of becoming light at will and of moving : A young woman searches for her real mother. (Northern Arts) Marcello Mastroianni: I Remember: In an interview conducted toward the end of his life, the great Italian actor recounts his many adventures, off screen and on, with the likes of Sophia Loren, Federico Fellini, Greta Garbo and many more. With incomparable charm, no doubt. (First Look Pictures) Aug. 7 Ever After: A Cinderella Story: Drew Barrymore is the plucky pluck·y adj. pluck·i·er, pluck·i·est Having or showing courage and spirit in trying circumstances. See Synonyms at brave. pluck poor girl wooed by a prince - despite the best efforts of her wicked stepmother (Anjelica Huston). Somehow, Leonardo da Vinci Leonardo da Vinci (də vĭn`chē, Ital. lāōnär`dō dä vēn`chē), 1452–1519, Italian painter, sculptor, architect, musician, engineer, and scientist, b. near Vinci, a hill village in Tuscany. gets involved. (Fox Family Films) 54: Mike Myers stars as Andy Warhol's favorite nightclub owner, Steve Rubell, in this tale of sex, disco, cocaine and New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of scenesters in the 1970s. Salma Hayek, Neve Campbell and Ryan Phillippe co-star. (Miramax) Snake Eyes: Nicolas Cage and Gary Sinise have a long suspect list when a government official they're protecting is assassinated as·sas·si·nate tr.v. as·sas·si·nat·ed, as·sas·si·nat·ing, as·sas·si·nates 1. To murder (a prominent person) by surprise attack, as for political reasons. 2. at a heavyweight boxing match. The sports arena is sealed, and 14,000 people are questioned, hopefully not one by one. Brian DePalma directs the David Koepp screenplay. (Paramount) Wrongfully Accused: Spoof of ``The Fugitive,'' starring Leslie Nielsen. Could they have left ``. . . of Being Funny'' out of the title? We'll keep our fingers crossed. (Warner Bros.) Aug. 14 Air Bud: Golden Receiver: Basketball-playing golden retriever golden retriever, breed of large sporting dog developed primarily in Scotland in the mid-19th cent. It stands about 23 in. (58.4 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 60 to 75 lb (27.2–34.1 kg). gets kidnapped by wacky Russians. (Miramax) The Avengers: With the London scene happening again, we have a remake of the oh-so urbane '60s TV series with Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman playing John Steed and Emma Peel, the ultra-cool British spies. Sean Connery is on hand, not as a spy, but as the bad guy. (Warner Bros.) Return to Paradise: Two friends must return to Malaysia to help a buddy who's imprisoned im·pris·on tr.v. im·pris·oned, im·pris·on·ing, im·pris·ons To put in or as if in prison; confine. [Middle English emprisonen, from Old French emprisoner : en- on a drug charge they're all guilty of. Lawyers and journalists mess up the already dire situation. Stars Vince Vaughn, Joaquin Phoenix, Anne Heche and Jada Pinkett Smith. (PolyGram Films) Slums of Beverly Hills Slums of Beverly Hills is a 1998 motion picture, written and directed by Tamara Jenkins. It that tells a story of a teenage girl struggling to grow up in a Jewish family that moves every three months in the late 1970s. : A dysfunctional family moves into the Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as "Beverly" or as "BHHS") is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. (The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on Beverly's campus. District - as if the area needed any more nuts. Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and Natasha Lyonne star in yet another movie set in the 1970s. (Fox Searchlight) Virus: Aliens think humans are the disease. We don't appreciate the cure. With Jamie Lee Curtis  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. , William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland. (Universal) Aug. 21 Disturbing Behavior: Parents and teen son move to idyllic enclave where youngsters get good grades and have bake sales. Seem to good to be true? It is. Turns out these teens have had their rebellious chromosomes surgically removed. Really. Undoubtedly, sales of Jewel records will be gravely impacted. (MGM/UA) Esmeralda Comes by Night: A Mexican nurse (Maria Rojo) with five husbands is busted on the eve of her wedding to a sixth, triggering all kinds of emotional, erotic and social confusion. From director Jaime Humberto Hermosillo (``Dona Herlinda and Her Son''). (Fine Line Feautres) Knock Off: Jean-Claude Van Damme continues his demolition of respected Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's reputation with this actioner, set during the handover from British to Chinese rule. (TriStar Pictures) Next Stop, Wonderland: Night-shift nurse turns into a monk when her boyfriend dumps her. Overbearing mother places personal ad. Daughter despondent de·spon·dent adj. Feeling or expressing despondency; dejected. de·spon dent·ly adv. until she checks her messages and finds 62 replies. Many bad dates ensue. (Miramax) Aug. 28 The Hairy Bird: Students at a girls' school protest plans to make the place co-ed. Bet this will be a hit at the Citadel. (Miramax) Rush Hour: Jackie Chan's first American production in a dozen years. He's a Hong Kong cop searching L.A. for the kidnapped daughter of a Chinese diplomat. Chris Tucker (``Money Talks'') co-stars. (New Line Cinema) Your Friends & Neighbors: Writer-director Neil LaBute's follow-up to his corrosively well-done debut feature, ``In the Company of Men.'' Three couples cheat, lie, domineer, passively aggress ag·gress intr.v. ag·gressed, ag·gress·ing, ag·gress·es To initiate an attack, war, quarrel, or fight: "America . . . and otherwise express their affections, LaBute-style. The cast includes Ben Stiller, Amy Brenneman, Jason Patric and Nastassja Kinski. (Gramercy) August unscheduled Blade: Wesley Snipes Snipes (Diminutive for Snipers) is a text-mode networked computer game that was created in 1983 by SuperSet software. Snipes is officially credited as being the original inspiration for Novell NetWare. plays the urban vampire slayer of comic-book fame. With Stephen Dorff and Kris Kristofferson. (New Line Cinema) First Love, Last Rites: Love and death, evidently. With Natasha Gregson Wagner and Giovanni Ribisi. (Strand Releasing) Hands on a Hardbody: Stop drooling drooling the discharge of saliva from the mouth. A normal feature in some breeds of dogs such as St. Bernard, Newfoundland and English bulldog, presumably because of their loose, pendulous lips. ; it's a truck. The film is about some apparently real contest they hold in - where else? - Texas, in which guys see how long they can keep standing around a new, fully loaded Nissan. Lotta flat country out there; does things to people's minds. (Legacy Releasing) I Married a Strange Person: Surreal and sick cartoon lunacy lunacy: see insanity. by talented animator Bill Plympton (``The Tune''). Newlyweds experience new sensations when the groom mysteriously developes the power to make all of his fantasies come true. (Lions Gate Films) Modulations: Documentary about the development of electronic music. From the director of ``Synthetic Pleasures.'' (Strand Releasing) La Sentinelle: French espionage thriller, set during the Cold War. (Strand Releasing) Welcome to Woop Woop: A New York con man (Johnathon Schaech) gets trapped in an Australian Outback town ruled with an iron fist by a Rodgers & Hammerstein-loving desert rat (Rod Taylor). Could there be any doubt that this is the latest film from ``The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' director Stephan Elliott? (MGM-Goldwyn) CAPTION(S): 26 Photos Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Godzilla (2--Cover--Color) Armageddon (3--Cover--Color) The Truman Show (4--Cover--Color) The X-Files (5--Cover--Color) Lethal Weapon 4 (6--Color) The Horse Whisperer: Robert Redford helps young Scarlett Johansson recover from a riding accident. (May 15) (7--Color) Saving Private Ryan:Tom Hanks goes to war in Steven Spielberg's D-Day story. (July 24) (8--Color) The Truman Show: Jim Carrey tries to escape TV life. (June 5) (9--Color) Six Days, Seven Nights: Castaways Harrison Ford and Anne Heche battle the elements - and more. (June 12) (10--Color) Madeline: Oscar winner Frances McDormand plays the headmistress head·mis·tress n. A woman who is the principal of a school, usually a private school. Noun 1. headmistress - a woman headmaster and Hatty Jones the mischievous Madeline in this classic children's tale. (July 10) (11--Color) Snake Eyes: Nicolas Cage looks for a killer. (Aug. 7) (12) Hope Floats: Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick Jr. contemplate the Texas outdoors in this romantic comedy-drama. (May 29) (13) Gone With the Wind: Watch out, ``Titanic.'' Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh will forever be Rhett and Scarlett as this all-time classic returns to the big screen. (June 26) (14) Cousin Bette: Jessica Lange plays a vengeful lady and Elisabeth Shue a heartless courtesan cour·te·san n. A woman prostitute, especially one whose clients are members of a royal court or men of high social standing. [French courtisane, from Old French, from Old Italian cortigiana in 1840 Paris in this retelling of Balzac's novel. (June 5) (15) Small Soldiers: What's wrong with this picture? Yes, the toys are taking over and it's not even Christmas in this DreamWorks family release. (July 10) (16) Ever After: A Cinderella Story: Drew Barrymore as Danielle finds herself falling for Scott Dougray as Prince Henry in this retelling of the timeless fairy tale. (Aug. 7) (17) Dance With Me: Chayanne and Vanessa Williams feel the passion in this romance set around a dance studio. (July 31) (18) A Perfect Murder: Michael Douglas suspects his wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) is cheating in this remake of Hitchcock's ``Dial M for Murder.'' (June 5) (19) Deep Impact: Tea Leoni copes with the chaos of an Earth-bound comet. (May 8) (20) 54: Ryan Phillippe and Salma Hayek get down and boogie. (Aug. 7) (21) Bulworth: Warren Beatty plays a U.S. senator who decides to tell the truth in this political comedy, which he produced and directed. (May 15) (22--Color) Mulan: A young girl poses as a man and joins the Chinese army. (June 19) (23--Color) The Quest for Camelot: The two-headed dragon Devon & Cornwall accompanies Kayley in this retelling of the Arthurian legend. (May 15) (24--Color) The Avengers: Uma Thurman is Mrs. Peel and Ralph Fienes is John Steed in this remake of the '60s TV series about a pair of sophisticated British spies. (Aug. 14) (25--Color) The Mask of Zorro: Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zita Jones cross more than swords in this swashbuckling swash·buck·le intr.v. swash·buck·led, swash·buck·ling, swash·buck·les To act as a swashbuckler, as in a movie or play. [Back-formation from swashbuckler. adventure. (July 24) (26--Color) Doctor Dolittle: Eddie Murphy gives some medical advice to an equine patient, not Mr. Ed we presume. (June 26) |
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