ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, June 15, 1996 TAG: 9606180005
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: it came fromt the video store
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO
Home video is the medium of choice for films built on offbeat protagonists, characters who - for better and for worse - go beyond the conventional square-jawed heroics provided by Arnold, Tom, Harrison, Mel et al. Here are six recent examples:
"Painted Hero" is a curious contemporary Western with good characters, some fine performances and a completely unpredictable plot. Country singer Dwight Yoakam proves that his excellent supporting work in "Red Rock West" was no fluke.
Here, he's Virgil Kidder, a rodeo clown with a secret in his past. That's why he doesn't want to go back to his Waco, Texas, hometown, but promoter Bo Hopkins persuades him. Straightaway, Virgil runs into his old girlfriend (Michelle Joyner), a bullying sheriff (John Getz) who still holds a grudge, and a young woman (Kiersten Warren) with some peculiar habits.
Essentially, this is a return-of-the-prodigal story with a rural setting, but the film has a weird sexual element that's somehow out of step with that world. Still, give writer/director Terry Benedict credit for originality and audacity. This may not be the movie that Yoakam's fans want or expect to. see, but they won't be bored.
"Night Hunter" attempts to combine martial arts with horror, relying too heavily on the former. Perhaps that's to be expected with Don "the Dragon" Wilson as Jack Cutter, vampire hunter. He gets help from World Inquisitor tabloid reporter Raimy Baker (Melanie Smith), as he goes after Jacqueline Tournier (Maria Ford, the hardest working woman in home video) and her undead pals. Though Wilson has the presence to carry the simple story, the contemporary vampire concept has been handled much more imaginatively in several other recent videos. This one's an energetic low-budget effort that might be the first in a series from Roger Corman's production company.
"The Maddening" is a wretched little suspense/horror movie that's more distasteful than frightening. At core, it's a hostage story about a delusional couple (Burt Reynolds and Angie Dickinson at their all-time hammiest) who kidnap a young woman (Mia Sara) and her little girl. Though the material isn't handled as pure exploitation, it contains some out-of-place humor and considerable graphic violence specifically aimed at women and children. That is not entertainment.
Beware generic titles like "Terminal Impact" and "Final Equinox."
The former is the dull moniker for a "Terminator" retread. Max and Sam (Bryan Genesse and Frank Zagarino) are the toughest federal marshals in all Iowa (actually South Africa). They've got big biceps and big guns. Between explosions and chases, the plot deals with indestructible robots created by mad corporate scientists. It's long, lively and senseless with been-there-seen-those stunts and effects.
"Final Equinox" is an s-f shoot-'em-up with minimal special effects about an alien artifact that looks like half of an aluminum softball bat.
Not much is done with that side. Writer/director Serge Rodunsky is more interested in gunfights involving his hero (Joe Lara), a lank-haired dude in leather britches, and a dozen or so guys suffering equally bad hair days. There's nothing here that fans haven't seen before. The sheer nuttiness of the proceedings can overcome the other flaws, but don't miss the bejeweled Village-People-refugee outfit that villain Martin Kove sports in the last reel.
Next week: Strong women in strange places!
Got a question about home video or film? Contact your favorite video columnist at P.O. Box 2491; Roanoke, Va. 24010, or by e-mail at 75331.2603compuserve.com.
New releases this week:
Heat HHH1/2
Starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer. Directed by Michael Mann. Warner Home Video. 172 min. Rated R for strong violence, language, sexual material.
This long - really long - and intense crime drama makes full use of an ultra-high-powered ensemble cast led by Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino. Writer-producer-director Mann's story is nothing new. The similarity between cops and the crooks they chase is a standard theme of crime fiction, but it has seldom been told with such single-minded ferocity.
Mighty Aphrodite HH1/2
Starring Woody Allen, Mira Sorvino, Helena Bonham Carter. Directed by Allen. Buena Vista/Miramax. 95 min. Rated R for subject matter, sexual content, strong language.
Mira Sorvino won a Best-supporting Actress Oscar for her breakthrough performance as a young hooker in this archetypal Woody Allen comedy about the angsty lives and loves of New Yorkers. With a Greek Chorus providing commentary, this one's obviously meant for Allen's fans, not the typical summer action crowd.
The Essentials
Painted Heroes HH1/2 Cabin Fever. 105 min. Rated R for language, sexual content, some violence, brief nudity.
Night Hunter HH1/2 Concorde-New Horizons. 86 min. Rated R for violence, strong language.
The Maddening BOMB Vidmark. 97 min. Rated R for subject matter, violence, strong language, brief nudity.
Terminal Impact HH New Line Home Video. 94 min. Rated R for violence, language.
Final Equinox H1/2 Monarch. 93 min. Unrated, contains violence, strong language, brief nudity, sexual material.
LENGTH: Long : 106 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Bryan Genesse stars as Max, a federal marshall fightingby CNBfor his life and the world in ``Terminal Impact.''