The Hot Button by David Poland

Friday, 15 January 1999

WEEKEND PREVIEW

Finally, some new movies! Seems like it's been so long, so long, so long! But to invoke David Bowie further, are we putting out a fire with gasoline? At First Sight, In Dreams, Varsity Blues and Virus all suffer from "Dump Syndrome," which Virus director John Bruno reasonably railed against in our Wednesday chat. Even if these movies are great, they are painted with the brush of worthlessness. Varsity Blues is the only one of the films that is in its original time slot. (I think. If it was moved, it was from December to January.) And we had the fun of chatting with the charming and lovely Ali Larter. However, this one is a dog. Maybe folks who find that screaming fat guys and the general thrill of "Dawson's Creek" without clothes is enough to entertain will love this. But for me, All the Right Moves is a mediocre-to-bad movie that is infinitely better than this confused mess.
I wrote fairly extensively about In Dreams on Wednesday (THB 1/13). I believe DreamWorks just didn't get the movie, so they "fixed" it from what may have been a commercial failure into a commercial and artistic failure, though director Neil Jordan's genius (and cinematographer Darius Khondji's as well) still shines through much of the film. MGM seems to have done some rethinking of At First Sight this week, as they changed their TV spots from romantic slices of life to "real-life story" hyperbole. It looks like they know that women who want to see Val will go, but that there is zero male interest out there. [Editor's Note: No straight male interest.] This doesn't guarantee failure, but it doesn't help.
I only saw 30 minutes of Virus, so I am wary of too strong a personal opinion. However, the film is a variation on Alien that has a slightly pre-Alien feel. In other words, kind of over the top. But I kind of enjoyed that -- Donald Sutherland as a growling sea captain, Jamie Lee Curtis as the "you know she's gonna be a hero" woman and assorted ethnic supporting characters which you know will soon be dead. Unlike The Faculty, which to me was so strained in its effort to be ironic, Virus seems like a good, old-fashioned stupid movie. And that's not an insult. But Universal is so shell-shocked these days, I don't think they had the cajones to sell this thing as an over-the-top thrill ride as they did with Bride of Chucky. I' m not saying it's that wacky, but I suspect Universal will pay the price for not being more daring in their sales effort.
THE GOOD: This one may even be great in the long run. (That means another viewing.) Universal's October Sky looked like a real misfire (get it?) in the trailers. But the film is an old-fashioned, father-son coming-of-age story that really grows on you. At least it did on me. Joe Johnston has made a much more intimate film than ever before (he directed Jumanji and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids), though this has the sepia-tone feel of his The Rocketeer (a camp film that I still think was unfairly beaten up). The movie starts off slowly and grows on you and grows on you and grows on you. Why? Because it isn't the same old, same old. It is, in essence, a guy's chick-flick. It speaks to the hearts of men, searching for meaning, trying to make peace with Dad and dreaming of what can be. I wish Universal had done an Academy run for this film because Chris Cooper does Oscar-caliber work here. His restraint in the face of every opportunity to go hammy is wonderful. And the same can be said for the movie. Sure, it's a little sugary, but just when you expect it to be obvious, it becomes subtle and graceful. I expected nothing from this film and got a movie that will stick with me for a long time. I will be sending friends to see it, even the "I hate everything" cynical friends of mine who will squirm for the first 30 minutes. If they get past that, they may find a small masterpiece.
THE BAD: I have my first candidate for 1999's Phrase that Should Never be Uttered Again. Reading last week's New York Observer, there were at least four uses of the classic phrase from Casablanca ("shocked, shocked"), which was used in the movie to suggest disingenuousness while looking the other way at the truth. This has become this year's "don't go there" in record time. It's not just the Observer. It is a wonderful turn of phrase and it should not be thrown to the bottom of the sea with "talk to the hand" and "Dy-no-mite!" but pack up this one in the trunk for now. Personally, I'm pushing for a big revival of "double secret probation" from Animal House.
THE UGLY: I sure hate to agree with Peter Bart of Variety, but I do this time. Ol' Petey rails against the now common quick-fix analysis of turning box office numbers into profit and loss statements. I do some of it, but people write me asking for my profit opinions all the time. The truth is, there is zero way of knowing on that first weekend unless a film bombs. And with the domestic box office adding up to only about a third of a movie's income and with domestic success not being quite the sure basis of long-run estimation that it used to be, guessing the bottom line and claiming that you can estimate just how many dollars will flow back to the studio is a goofy job. There's too much studio spin and not enough real hardcore info (like who has gross points.) Which is why There's Something About Mary is by far the most profitable film of 1998, unless you're looking for filmmaker profits, in which case, Spielberg made more money on Saving Private Ryan than anyone else made on any film this year. Or maybe Robin Williams, who may battle Tom Hanks for who makes the most as a star of a movie released last year.
MARCHING TO SUNDANCE: Thanks to one reader for pointing out that Run Lola Run is Germany's official Academy Awards submission for the foreign language film category and that it is a Sony Classics picture. Now, about Sundance. Let's take a little break today from the big show and walk up the street to Lapdance, a one-night festival that is being done to call attention to the Can You Dig It? Festival at Cannes, another spin-off project. It's being organized by a group called Certified Renegade American Product or CRAP for short. And the event looks like a real hoot... and like some real hooters. The party will bring in strippers, dancers and Trey Parker and Matt Stone, who will premiere the short French-language farce, Le Petit Package, which is supposed to push for new levels of raunchiness. If you want to, take a look at the CRAP site (http://www.crapcrapcrap.com/site/index.html). Click on the Lapdance poster for all the info. roughcut.com will be taking photos, so you won't miss a disgusting second.
THE CHAT: Starting next Friday, Jan. 22, I will be doing at least one daily chat from Sundance every day until the end of the big snow party. Keep an eye on The Hot Button, which will, for the first time, be brand-new and updated at noon ET/3:00 PT every single day including Sunday, for the latest up-to-date chat schedule. It will change a bit as we go. Come to the slopes with me and roughcut.com. I guarantee a great time.
QUOTE WHORING USA: For At First Sight: "Blind is as blind does." "See me. Hear me. Touch me. Pay $8.00 for me." "Eye love At First Sight!" And for next month's ads: "See it again for the first time."
HAPPY TRAILERS TO YOU: I saw the Office Space trailer the other day. It looks like a Mike Judge cartoon, which I guess it should, considering that Judge ("Beavis and Butt-head") directed it. Of course, if it were a Mike Judge cartoon, Jennifer Aniston would have someone watch her have sex in the movie. I don't think that's in there. And I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Same for the trailer. Can't tell. Could be hilarious or really, really stupid. Any thoughts?
BAD AD WATCH: From a reader: "The radio ad for Virus, which combines the 'da-doh, da-doh' of John Williams' Jaws' score with monstrous screams that are direct lifts from both Alien' Queen beast and Jurassic Park's T-Rex. Hilariously, the announcer reads each star's name ('Jamie Lee Curtis!... William Baldwin!... and Donald Sutherland!') between the actors' yelps of 'Look out!' and 'Get down!'"
READERS OF THE DAY: From JT: "Give me a break. Why do they continue to take great (or just good) movies and turn them into television series? Yeah, I know... a quick buck. Often the series ends up wrecking what the actual movie was, and what made it great. L.A. Confidential was a brilliant film, but now its name is going to get tied down with another God-awful TV bit. That's my rant and rave for today."
And this from Frank: "Two films dealing with handicaps (sic) are coming up -- Molly and At First Sight. Why do characters with handicaps (autism and blindness, respectively) have such great hairdos and wardrobe? If The Miracle Worker is remade, will Helen Keller have an outfit designed by Donna Karan? The mediocrity of Val and Mira's talents are astounding, and I can't wait for the film to bomb. And Elisabeth Shue should know better."

E ME: First, a note about ROTD. If you want your full name printed, let me know. Generally, I just chop them down to unrecognizable and with some, on request, I use no tag at all. But I guess some people would like to see their full name. So if you want me to do that, I will. Just ask. Now, let's hear about all the new movies. Not just At First Sight. (Actually, it looks like I'll have a chance to talk to Val at Sundance, where he'll be pushing his new film, Joe the King, directed by my friend Frank Whaley. So, maybe Val will bury the hatchet... in my head.)