Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 18, 1995 TAG: 9511200081
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Though it's billed as quasi-exploitation, ``The Babysitter'' is actually a satire - alternately sharp and dull - on male lechery. It's also a parody of suburban life based on a Robert Coover story, but in that area, writer/director Guy Ferland seems stuck in 1961.
The title character, played by babe du jour Alicia Silverstone, is the object of desire for every male she encounters - from her employer (J.T. Walsh at his sleaziest) to her boyfriend (Jeremy London) and his loutish pal (Nicky Katt). As they indulge in sometimes overlapping fantasies (all far too tastefully depicted for really good fantasies), the babysitter does her job, mostly oblivious to her effect on these jerks.
It's a curious role and Alicia Silverstone's believable blankness is perfect for it. If the film itself never gets beyond its all-men-are-pigs premise, it at least maintains interest and does about as much as possible with a modest budget.
``Cover Me'' is Playboy Entertainment's first feature-length entry in the ``erotic thriller'' genre. It's notable mostly for a relatively high-powered cast - Rick Rossovich, Paul Sorvino, Corbin Bernsen, Elliot Gould. The story concerns a policewoman (Courtney Taylor) who is trying to capture a cross-dressing serial killer. The film is well-acted and competently constructed, though there's not much to distinguish it in an already crowded field.
Playboy's second release, ``Temptress,'' is much, much better. It begins with a simple but effective introduction that sets an atmospheric supernatural tone. Photographer Karin Swann (Kim Delaney) returns from India with a suggestive new tattoo to remind her of the ``spiritual reawakening'' she found when she tapped into her "goddess energy" on the long trip.
Turns out that she tapped into a little more than she realized and her goddess is one mean mother. Live-in boyfriend (Chris Sarandon) is not amused. A mysterious stranger (Ben Cross) says he understands.
What follows is a well-told possession story. Writer Melissa Mitchell and director Lawrence Lanoff manage to combine the supernatural with everyday reality and psychological reality remarkably well. They also use the conventions of the genre to show both the creative and destructive aspects of sex.
``I Like To Play Games'' is an erotic thriller that pushes the limits of the genre about as far as they'll go. Actually, this one also has some good acting and an interesting plot built on the characters' personalities. It concerns the competitive relationship between Suzanne (Lisa Boyle), a sexually adventurous ad woman, and Michael (Ken Steadman), her new boss. The film boasts expensive production values, stars polished to airbrush perfection, and a kinky mindset. Director Moctezuma Lobato has a future in the field.
``Broadcast Bombshells'' is a thoroughly silly little low-budget sex comedy with an attractive cast - Amy Lynn Baxter, Debbie Rochon, Elizabeth Heyman - and a sense of humor. The setting is a TV station where nothing is meant to be taken seriously. All in all, a first-rate guilty pleasure that delivers on its limited promises.
Who could not love a movie called ``Femme Fontaine, Killer Babe for the CIA''? Happily, it lives up (or down as the case may be) to that title.
Femme (starring the multi- hyphenated producer-director-writer-star-and all-round-auteur Margot Hope) is a hitwoman extraordinaire who wants to find out what happened to her missing daddy. Skinheads, neo-Nazis, Oriental gangsters and soft-core porn producers get in the way, but not for long. This one's a Troma throwback to those wonderful ``Ginger'' movies, the drive-in exploitation staples from the 1970s that have become cult hits on video.
Next week: Romances, new and old!
New releases this week:
Apollo 13 *** 1/2
Starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris, Gary Sinese, Bill Paxton, Kathleen Quinlan. Directed by Ron Howard. MCA/Universal. 135 min. Rated PG for strong language.
This is old-fashioned American filmmaking at its best. Working from astronaut James Lovell's book ``Lost Moon,'' director Howard tells a true story of heroism with all the drama and suspense of good fiction. Tom Hanks leads an excellent ensemble cast.
Congo **
Starring Ernie Hudson, Tim Curry, Laura Linney, Dylan Walsh. Directed by Frank Marshall. Paramount. 103 min. Rated PG-13 for strong language, graphic violence.
This theatrical hit attempts to recreate the low-budget thrills of an old-fashioned jungle adventure with contemporary special effects and a starless cast of good character actors. The result is an action movie that's too profane and violent (despite its rating) for kids, and too silly and cute for older audiences.
The Essentials:
The Babysitter ***
90 min. Republic. Rated R for subject matter, strong language, brief nudity, some violence.
Cover Me **
Playboy Entertainment. 94 min. Rated R for nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence.
Temptress **
Playboy Entertainment. 93 min. Rated R for nudity, sexual content, strong language, violence.
I Like To Play Games ***
A-Pix. 91 min. R-rated and unrated for nudity, strong sexual content, language, mild violence.
Broadcast Bombshells ** 1/2
Arrow. 83 and 80 min. Unrated and R-rated for nudity, sexual content, strong language, comic violence.
Femme Fontaine, Killer Babe for the CIA ** 1/2
Troma Team Video. Time not listed (about 90 min.). Rated R for violence, nudity, strong language, sexual content.
by CNB