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Blockbuster time

Friday, May 17, 2002

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The buzz about this summer's movies is that they consist largely of sequels, remakes and adaptations of TV shows. That's true -- but that's hardly all the cinema has to offer us. With the two biggest blockbusters, "Spider-Man" and "Star Wars -- Episode 2: Attack of the Clones" already open, it leaves room for some more intriguing fare as well. Just remember, as always, release dates are extremely subject to change.

	Hot Picks 'The Sum of All Fears' Terrorists try to nuke the Super Bowl? Haven't we seen this before in "Black Sunday"? Yes, but this adaptation of Tom Clancy's novel spends very little time at the big game and concentrates more on the who and the why and the what do we know and when do we know it and how do we stop 'em and can we do it in time? It also features Ben Affleck as a considerably younger Jack Ryan than the one played in previous films by Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin. And, of course, the movie comes out at a time when its scenario no longer seems like a far-fetched movie plot. (May 31) 'Minority Report' Steven Spielberg follows up "A.I." with another film set in the near future. Based on a story by Philip K. Dick and set in the year 2054, the movie stars Tom Cruise as the head of a special police unit that uses a psychic technology that allows them to identify murderers and arrest them before they commit the crime. But then Cruise himself finds himself accused of a murder he has not committed of a man he has never met. It's probably safe to say that the sky won't be vanilla and no robots will be calling for their mommies. Also starring Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton and Max Von Sydow. (June 21) 'Men in Black II' July Fourth weekend? Must be a Will Smith movie. He's put away the boxing gloves and has once again donned the black suit, white shirt and sunglasses. Agents Jay and Kay are back to save the world from alien scum in this sequel to the huge 1997 hit. In that movie, you'll remember, Smith's partner, played by Tommy Lee Jones, retires. But he's called back into service -- and it's not as easy as it sounds -- to help fight a diabolical plot by the alien seductress Serleena to take over the galaxy. Lara Flynn Boyle plays the bad girl, something at which she's had a lot of practice. (July 3) 'The Road to Perdition' This doesn't sound like your typical summer fare, which may be a good thing. It's also not your usual Tom Hanks movie -- the all-American male plays an Irish hit man in this tale set in the American Midwest during the Depression. The deaths of his wife and one of his sons propels him on a journey of revenge that also leads to self-discovery. Director Sam Mendes snared a few Academy Awards for his first film, "American Beauty," and the rest of his cast is pretty good, too: Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Stanley Tucci. If that's perdition, then what a way to go. (July 12) 'Signs' You might have a sixth sense about this one -- it's the latest film from M. Night Shyamalan, the director responsible for Haley Joel Osment seeing dead people and Bruce Willis surviving a train wreck without a scratch. "Signs" features Mel Gibson as a farmer who lives near Philadelphia. One day, he finds an intricate pattern of circles and lines carved into the crops in his field. Solving the mystery leads to a life-changing events and, no doubt, a fair bit of suspense for the audience. Gibson's co-stars include Joaquin Phoenix, Cherry Jones and Rory Culkin. Now just so the signs don't lead to a detour. (Aug. 2) By Ron Weiskind Post-Gazette Movie Editor

May 24

"Amadeus" (director's cut): The Oscar-winning 1984 movie about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart returns with 20 minutes of footage cut from the original release. Tom Hulce stars as Mozart. Pittsburgh native F. Murray Abraham won an Academy Award as the composer's rival, Antonio Salieri.

"Enough": Jennifer Lopez stars as a waitress on the run from her abusive husband who decides to take matters of self-defense into her own hands. With Billy Campball, Juliette Lewis and Noah Wyle. Directed by Michael Apted ("The World Is Not Enough").

"Insomnia": Oscar winners Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank star in the first studio film by director Chris Nolan ("Memento"), the remake of a 1997 Norwegian thriller. Pacino plays a detective investigating a murder in a small Alaskan town who finds himself in a psychological struggle with Williams, the primary suspect.

"Pauline and Paulette": Belgian film about a 66-year-old retarded woman whose caretaker dies, leaving the woman to the care of her two younger sisters, both of whom are reluctant to assume responsibility.

"Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron": The latest DreamWorks animated film tells the tale of a wild mustang on the American frontier, its relationship with a young Lakota brave and a cavalry officer who tries to tame the proud horse. Featuring the voice talents of Matt Damon, James Cromwell and Wes Studi, with songs by Bryan Adams.

May 31

"The Importance of Being Earnest": Oscar Wilde's sturdy comedy of mistaken identities gets another big-screen treatment, with Rupert Everett as Algernon, Colin Firth as Jack, Reese Witherspoon as Cecily, Frances O'Connor as Gwendolyn, Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell and Tom Wilkinson as Dr. Chasuble. Oliver Parker ("An Ideal Husband") directed.

"Mule Skinner Blues": Unorthodox documentary about residents of a Jacksonville trailer park who constitute a kind of flea-bitten community of folk artists and musicians.

"Scratch": Documentary about hip-hop DJs spans the era from the South Bronx in the 1970s to contemporary San Francisco.

"Son of the Bride": Oscar-nominated Argentine film about a man whose midlife crisis includes a heart attack, which leads him to re-evaluate his life with the help of a childhood friend who pops back into his life.

"The Sum of All Fears": See Hot Pick.

"Undercover Brother": A takeoff on '70s black action films, this comedy centers on a low-rent private eye who looks like a refugee from the days of big Afros, plaid pants and platform shoes. He goes undercover as a preppy nerd to reveal dirty dealings at a multinational conglomerate. With Eddie Griffin, Chris Kattan, Denise Richards and Dave Chapelle. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee ("The Best Man").

June 7

"Bad Company": Anthony Hopkins plays a veteran CIA agent who has nine days to transform street punk Chris Rock into a suave secret agent, replacing his murdered twin brother. Joel Schumacher directed.

"Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood": Callie Khouri, who wrote "Thelma and Louise," makes her directorial debut with this adaptation of the Rebecca Wells novel about a group of longtime Southern friends who help a young playwright find the truth about her painful past. With Ellen Burstyn, Ashley Judd, Sandra Bullock, James Garner, Maggie Smith.

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding": Nia Vardalos turns her one-woman show into a broad romantic comedy in which she stars as a 30-year-old spinster who finds love with a WASP-y English teacher played by John Corbett.

June 14

"The Bourne Identity": Matt Damon stars in a new film version of the 1980 Robert Ludlum best seller about an amnesiac trying to find out who he really is and why so many people want him dead. Doug Liman ("Swingers") directed, and the co-stars include Franka Potente, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen and Brian Cox.

"Love and a Bullet": Former Pittsburghers Ben Ramsey and Michael McCants wrote and directed this action film about a hit man having moral qualms after he is assigned to kill his boss's innocent girlfriend. Rap singer Treach stars with Kent Masters-King, Shireen Crutchfield and Walter Jones.

"Metropolis": Japanese anime about a plot to use humanoids to take over a futuristic city.

"Scooby-Doo": Wrut rerr they thinking? Probably that moviegoers have a ravenous appetite for movies based on 1970s TV characters, including the grinning pooch and his four young human friends who keep finding misadventure with every move. Freddie Prinze Jr., Sarah Michelle Gellar, Matthew Lillard and Linda Cardellini portray the crime-fighting quartet, with a computer-animated Scooby.

"Shake 'Em Up": A short film comedy by Pittsburgh filmmakers Hugues Dalton and Patrick Shea about three women and their regular bingo ritual. Local actresses Ellie Reese, Pat Beyer and Susan McGregor-Laine star.

"Windtalkers": Delayed from last fall, this John Woo action drama tells the story of Navajo tribesmen recruited by the Marines during World War II to use a secret military code developed from their language -- one that the Japanese never cracked. Nicolas Cage, Christian Slater and Adam Beach star.

June 21

"Juwanna Mann": A basketball player who gets booted out of the league for bad behavior wants to compete so much that he dresses in drag so he can join the women's league. With Miguel A. Nunez Jr., Vivica A. Fox, Kevin Pollak, Tommy Davidson, Ginuwine, Kim Wayans, Lil' Kim and Annie Corley.

"Lilo and Stitch": Animated Disney offering tells the story of a lonely Hawaiian girl who adopts what she thinks is a funny-looking dog. In fact, it's a mischievous extraterrestrial, a genetic experiment that has escaped from its home planet.

"Minority Report": See Hot Pick.

"Nine Queens": This Argentine thriller may put you in mind of David Mamet, as two swindlers team up in a scheme centered around the sale of rare stamps.

June 28

"Dogtown and Z-Boys": A Sundance Film Festival and Independent Spirit Award winner, this documentary, narrated by Sean Penn, tells the story of a pioneering West Coast skateboard team from the 1970s.

"Hey Arnold! The Movie": More animated TV on the big screen, featuring the characters with the football-shaped heads from the Nickelodeon cartoon series.

"Mr. Deeds": Adam Sandler goes to town in the role made famous by Gary Cooper in a 1936 Frank Capra classic. Sandler plays Longfellow Deeds, a simple but happy New Englander who inherits $40 billion and the largest media company in the world. Also starring Winona Ryder, Peter Gallagher and John Turturro. Directed by Steven Brill, who helmed Sandler's movie "Big Daddy."

July 3

"Men in Black II": See Hot Pick.

"Powerpuff Girls": Yet another big-screen version of a TV cartoon show, this one following the adventures of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup as they use their super powers to try to save the world from the diabolical plans of the evil mutant monkey Mojo Jojo.

July 12

"Blue Crush": Surfer girl Kate Bosworth focuses all her attention on the upcoming Rip Masters surf competition -- until handsome pro football quarterback Matthew Davis comes along. A tribute to surfers and their sport, the movie also stars Michelle Rodriguez.

"The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course": What a croc, indeed. TV reptile rouser Steve Irwin heads to the big screen and gets embroiled with American agents trying to recover a missing top-secret satellite beacon.

"Like Mike": The young hip-hop star L'il Bow Wow stars as an orphan who dreams of becoming a pro basketball player despite his slight stature and limited ability. Then he finds a pair of old sneakers with the initials M.J. inside them and, suddenly, he's a superstar. Also starring Morris Chestnut, Jonathan Lipnicki, Crispin Glover and Eugene Levy.

"Reign of Fire": Fire-breathing dragons have taken over the planet, but Matthew McConaughey has a plan to destroy them with the help of Christian Bale in this fantasy adventure directed by Rob Bowman ("The X-Files").

"The Road to Perdition": See Hot Pick.

July 19

"Eight Legged Freaks": Look out, Spider-Man! A chemical spill in a rural mining town results in the mutation of run-of-the-mill spiders into gigantic, bloodthirsty beasts. David Arquette and Scarlett Johansson star in this movie directed by Ellory Elkayem and produced by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, whose credits include "Independence Day" and "Godzilla."

"Halloween: Resurrection": A group of teen-agers win a contest to spend a night in the childhood home of Michael Myers, horror-movie slasher. To absolutely no one's surprise, things go badly. Rick Rosenthal, who directed the second "Halloween" film way back in 1981, returns to the helm. Busta Rhymes is the biggest name in the cast except for the obligatory appearance by Jamie Lee Curtis.

"K-19: The Widowmaker": Harrison Ford plays the captain of a Soviet nuclear submarine, which suffers an accident on its maiden voyage in 1961, threatening a Chernobyl-style accident and the possibility of triggering World War III. Kathryn Bigelow ("Strange Days") directed.

"Stuart Little 2": The lovable mouse returns, this time teaming up with the reluctant Snowbell to rescue a friend from a villainous falcon. Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie and Jonathan Lipnicki star, along with the voices of Michael J. Fox, Nathan Lane, Melanie Griffith, Steve Zahn and James Woods.

July 26

"Austin Powers in Goldmember": Yeah, baby! The sex-crazed superspy is back, with Mike Myers in the title roles and also playing Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard. Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child plays Austin's new lady love, and Heather Graham returns as Felicity.

"Country Bears": Disney turns one of the musical attractions at its theme parks into a movie, in which an 11-year-old fan of the Country Bears singing group tries to reunite the group for a benefit concert. Featuring the voice of Haley Joel Osment and music by Elton John, Don Henley, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, John Hiatt and Brian Setzer.

July TBA

"Atanarjuat": This movie, the first filmed in the Inuit language, was voted best Canadian feature at last year's Toronto International Film Festival. It recounts a blood feud between Inuit families and has won plaudits for its intensity and its use of Arctic light and landscapes. The title translates to "The Fast Runner."

"Cinema Paradiso": Giuseppe Tornatore's beloved 1988 Italian film about movie magic and childhood memories returns to theaters with added footage.

"The Kid Stays in the Picture": Robert Evans narrates this film version of his autobiography, the story of a handsome young actor's transformation to movie producer, studio executive, figure of scandal and lover of some of the world's most beautiful women.

"Never Again": Jeffrey Tambor and Jill Clayburgh portray fiftysomething New Yorkers who fall in love in this romantic comedy from independent director Eric Schaeffer.

"The Piano Teacher": French film about a middle-aged woman who teaches music and has a secret sexual fetish. Isabelle Huppert, Benoit Magimel and Annie Girardot star. Huppert, Magimel and director Michael Haneke all won awards at last year's Cannes Film Festival.

Aug. 2

"Signs": See Hot Pick.

"XXX": The producer and director of "The Fast and the Furious" reunite with actor Vin Diesel in this tale of a death-defying extreme sports star recruited to work as a spy for the U.S. government. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Aug. 7

"Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams": The Cortez family -- Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega -- returns for more secret-agent derring-do, including spy grandparents Ricardo Montalban and Holland Taylor, as they try to defeat mad scientist Steve Buscemi.

Aug. 9

"Blood Work": Clint Eastwood directed and stars in this thriller about a retired FBI profiler who comes back to work to help track a ruthless serial killer. Also starring Jeff Daniels, Wanda De Jesus and Anjelica Huston.

"Swimfan": A young couple's lives are turned upside down by a seductive newcomer. Jesse Bradford, Erika Christensen and Kate Burton star.

Aug. 16

"Adventures of Pluto Nash": Science-fiction comedy stars Eddie Murphy in the title role of a nightclub owner on the moon who is threatened by lunar gangsters. The cast also includes Randy Quaid, Rosario Dawson, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Peter Boyle, Pam Grier and John Cleese.

"Master of Disguise": Dana Carvey plays a waiter whose family has secret powers to disguise themselves as virtually anyone or anything. He must use them to save his father (James Brolin) from a criminal mastermind (Brent Spiner).

"Serving Sara": The race to serve divorce papers to a wealthy businesswoman gets complicated when one of the process servers develops a plan to cash in on the action. Comedy stars Elizabeth Hurley, Matthew Perry and Bruce Campbell and was directed by Reginald Hudlin.

"Simone": A failed movie director creates a completely believable computer-generated actress in order to finish his film, but the resultant success forces him to keep up the pretense. Al Pacino, Catherine Keener, Jason Schwartzman and Jay Mohr star. The director and screenwriter is Andrew Niccol, who wrote "Gattaca" and "The Truman Show."

Aug. 23

"Drumline": Comedy about a street drummer from Harlem who enrolls in a Southern university in hopes of leading the marching band to glory. Nick Cannon, Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones star.

August TBA

"A Guy Thing": One small lie leads to one big misunderstanding in this comedy about an engaged couple and the disruption of their lives. Jason Lee, Julia Stiles, Selma Blair and James Brolin star.

Summer TBA

"CQ": In 1969, an American come to Paris to help finish a troubled science-fiction movie set in the year 2000 but, like the original director, he falls under the spell of the film's sexy leading lady. Jeremy Davies stars.

"Igby Goes Down": A rich teen-ager rebelling against his nightmare of a family looks for a better life but doesn't necessarily find it in this comedy-drama starring Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Bill Pullman and Susan Sarandon.

"Possession": Director Neil Labute ("Nurse Betty") adapts A.S. Byatt's novel about a pair of scholars who discover love letters that may have been written by the Victorian poets they are researching, and proceed to recreate the earlier couple's romantic journey. Gwyneth Paltrow, Aaron Eckhart, Jennifer Ehle and Jeremy Northam star.

"Pumpkin": A sorority decides to coach mentally challenged athletes for an upcoming competition, but when one of the girls falls in love with one of the athletes, her life changes completely. Christina Ricci, Brenda Blethyn and Hank Harris star.

"Tadpole": A 16-year-old boy falls in love with his stepmother in director Gary Winick's film, starring Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Stafford, John Ritter and Bebe Neuwirth.

"24 Hour Party People": British director Michael Winterbottom's latest film is set in Manchester in 1976, where a local TV news reporter discovers a band called the Sex Pistols and goes on to help create the punk-rock revolution.

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