THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 3, 1995 TAG: 9510030035
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Videomatic
SOURCE: Craig Shapiro
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
MAYBE IT'S instinct. Or a sixth sense that comes from holing up in a dark room for too long, watching hours and hours of videos unwind.
Whatever, sometimes, without seeing the first frame, we here at Videomatic just know we're going to like a movie. ``Devil in a Blue Dress,'' the new Denzel Washington flick, is a good example:
(1) It's a mystery. (2) It's based on a good book. (3) It's set in Los Angeles.
Not L.A. - brrrr, talk about fear and loathing - but Los Angeles in the 1930s and '40s, a place that holds a top spot on our time machine tour. Blame it on too many Raymond Chandler novels, but we're suckers for atmosphere.
Speaking of Chandler, the 1946 adaptation of ``The Big Sleep,'' his first Philip Marlowe novel, is the perfect starting point for a magical mystery video tour of Los Angeles. Humphrey Bogart plays the private eye; the case, involving scandal and murder among the privileged, is no less squalid than anything being deliberated today. The difference is Marlowe has class, a code of honor.
What's left to say about ``Chinatown,'' Roman Polanski's tip-of-the-fedora to Chandler? Robert Towne's Oscar-winning script is wonderfully intricate. The sense of brooding Polanski creates is the real deal (plus, his cameo will give you the creeps). Jack Nicholson is teriffic as private eye J.J. Gittes. The case? Scandal and murder among the privileged.
Based on the excellent novel by John Gregory Dunne, ``True Confessions'' is one of those underrated gems that more people should see, if only for the wonderful performances by Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall. They're in perfect synch as brothers - De Niro as a rising star in the Catholic Church and Duvall, the LAPD detective investigating a murder that affects their careers.
Finally, let's give ``Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'' its due: Robert Zemeckis helped make animation cool again. But, adapted from the book ``Who Censored Roger Rabbit'' by Gary K. Wolf, it's a pretty good mystery, too. Englishman Bob Hoskins shows his comic flair as Eddie Valiant, the private dick who saves the cartoon bunny from a bum rap.
PRICED TO GO:
Republic: ``Martin Scorsese Presents,'' including restored prints of ``Force of Evil,'' ``Johnny Guitar,'' ``A Double Life'' and ``Pursued'' ($59.98); the ``John Wayne Special Anniversary Edition,'' with ``The Quiet Man,'' ``Sands of Iwo Jima'' and ``Rio Grande'' ($49.98); ``Young at Heart'' ($14.98), and ``A Lady Takes a Chance,'' a video first ($19.98)
Paramount: Episodes 71-74 of ``Star Trek: The Next Generation'' - ``Sarek,'' ``Menage a Troi,'' ``Transfigurations'' and ``The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1,'' and ``Journey's End: The Saga of `Star Trek: The Next Generation' '' ($14.95)
Columbia TriStar: ``Mary Shelley's Frankenstein,'' ``Equinox,'' ``The Revenge of Frankenstein,'' ``The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll'' ($19.95); a Ray Harryhausen gift set (``Jason and the Argonauts,'' ``Mysterious Island,'' ``The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad,'' $34.95) and a horror gift set (``Wolf,'' ``Bram Stoker's Dracula,'' ``Mary Shelley's Frankenstein,'' $54.95)
The Couch Report
``French Kiss'' (FoxVideo, 1995). Here's a stretch: Meg Ryan is a pert, vulnerable, flaky fiancee who chases her two-timing man to Paris. She dislikes the French. So, who does she meet? Kevin Kline, a scruffy Frenchman who can't understand why she's afraid to live. He schools her in the ways of l'amour. What happens next? Take a wild guess. Kline, so good with accents, provides a few laughs; hard to believe, though, that Lawrence Kasdan directed something this formulaic. Videomatic says: C
(CAST: Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton, Jean Reno. RATED: PG-13 for language, innuendo; 111 mins.)
``The Browning Version'' (Paramount, 1994). Albert Finney turns in another admirable performance as a stern classical languages teacher forced out of his post at a posh English prep school. This well-intentioned drama has designs on ``Dead Poets Society'' and ``The Remains of the Day,'' but it's too obvious. Greta Scacchi, as Finney's young wife, has her moments. Matthew Modine, who plays her lover, looks out of place. Videomatic says: C
(CAST: Albert Finney, Greta Scacchi, Matthew Modine, Ben Silverstone. RATED: R for language, themes; 97 mins.)
Also: ``Bulletproof Heart,'' starring Anthony LaPaglia as a hitman and Mimi Rogers as his would-be victim (R); ``Relative Fear,'' a thriller with Darlanne Fluegel and M. Emmett Walsh (R); and ``Symphantasy,'' a potpourri of sight and sound featuring the Cincinnati Pops (unrated). Vids for kids
``Cinderella'' (Walt Disney, 1950). The old girl may be 45 now, but, restored for this re-release, she's looking better than ever. The simple, little story plays better than ever, too. Good should triumph over evil. People ought to live happily ever after. OK, it's no ``Lion King.'' It still has all the Disney ingredients, and first-timers will love it. So will Mom and Dad. As an antidote to the times, it goes down easy. Videomatic says: B (Due Wednesday)
(VOICES of Ilene Woods, William Phipps, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, James MacDonald. RATED: G; 76 mins.)
Next Tuesday: ``Rob Roy,'' ``Friday,'' ``Village of the Damned,'' ``Destiny Turns on the Radio,'' ``Tommy Boy''
Oct. 13: ``Casper'' ILLUSTRATION: Bob Hoskins played the private investigator who saved Roger
Rabbit.
PARAMOUNT
Jack Nicholson played Los Angeles private eye J.J. Gittes,
co-starring with Faye Dunaway, in ``Chinatown.''
by CNB