A GALLERY OF CONTEMPORARY.CRAFTS TUESDAY - SATURDAY 10:00 - 6:00 470 NORTH WOODWARD AVENUE BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN 48009-5372 810.642.4795 ardly. So, what's my point? These movies are events, not works of art. They come and go like yes- terday's newspaper. What did I think of the newest installment in the Caped Crusader series? I think it's the worst of the three re- leased so far. I like the second one best and then the first one (and I think the fact that Tim Burton di- rected those two may be the rea- son). Batman Forever is a loud, clunky, annoying comic book that had me so worn out by the end that I was relieved to exit the the- ater. There really isn't much of a story to become involved with here (unless you are really interested in whether Jim Carrey's over-the- top portrayal of the Riddler can chew up even more scenery than Tommy Lee Jones' cackling Har- vey Two-Face). Val Kilmer makes for a sexier Batman than Mr. Keaton, but let's face it, once that mask goes on, it could be that guy who played Jason in all those Fri- day the 13th flicks under there. Noisy, loud and obnoxious, this movie should be collecting dust for years to come. C- Stuart Saves His Family — Remember Its Pat? Neither do I, but just play along. That was a movie (based on a popular "Sat- urday Night Live" character) in which you spend the entire 78 minutes trying to determine whether the lead actor is playing a man or a woman. It sank bad- ly at the box office (I think it played for a few days in Seattle, though). Now "SNL" producer Lorne Michaels is trying again, but this time the movie works in spite of its shortcomings. For those uninitiated, Stuart Smalley (Al Franken, the movie's writer and star) is a caring nurturer who hosts his own 15-minute public- access show on cable and attempts to help people with his simplistic repertoire. In the film, Stuart is fired from his show and must fend for himself when he visits his dys- functional family in Minnesota. Whether or not you will even watch this movie for five minutes Box will depend on your tolerance for the Stuart character. He is an ef- feminate simp who is so willowy that he almost blows over any time there's a strong wind. But if (like my wife) you find him adorable, you will probably find Stuart Saves His Family a real treat. I especially liked the way the film switched from easy laughs to a somewhat realistic and un- predictable ending. The way this family comes together at the end is really quite commendable. B LLYN STRONG PERSONAL APPEARANCE 2 NOVEMBER 5:30 - 8:30 3 AND .4 NOVEMBER 10:00 - 6:00 The Cure — Any time you hear of a feature film that delves into the medical nightmare that is AIDS, you kind of pull for it to be more than a TV movie of the week. Unfortunately, this small- scale, sentimental drama is just that: a glorified D.O.T.W. (Disease of the Week). The story takes place during one summer as two 11- year-old boys form a friendship — even though one of them is dying. Brad Renfro (The Client) is an an- tisocial kid with an alcoholic moth- er who decides to make friends with Joseph Mazzello (Jurassic Park), a young boy who caught the virus via a blood transfusion. The two fend offbullies, attempt a can- dy- bar cure and, over the course of the film, travel by themselves to New Orleans in search of an an- tidote. There are many interest- ing character relationships including an unexpected one be- tween Renfro and Mazzello's mother (Annabella Sciorra, in a strong performance). Their bond turns out to be the real emotional core in the film. C v HELIOS BROOCH MATTE ONYX, RUBIES, AND GOLD do,ny Top 10 Videos 1. Pulp Fiction 2. French Kiss 3. Casper 4. Tommy Boy 5. Little Princess 6. Rob Roy 7. Goofy Movie 8. Roommates 9. Billy Madison 10. Outbreak (ieroic& cr c/o-natio/I/ to- commitrut ce grosses, nationally and regionally. *For the period between Oct 27-29 Top 10 films (in order of local rank) Film Nat'l rank Vampire In 3 Brooklyn Get Shorty 1 Powder 2 Seven 6 Copy Cat 4 Now And Then 5 Three Wishes 7 How To Make An 8 American Quilt Dead Presidents 12 Never Talk To 11 Strangers Your Tribute Gift helps the agency serve people of all ages, Local box office $ 186,821 Nat'l box office $ 7,045,379 $ 179,195 $ 132,200 $ 84,492 $ 83,061 $ 76,677 $ 55,210 $ 33,076 $ 10,202,007 $ 7,146,973 $4,034,511 $5,170,522 $4,462,819 $2,601,093 $ 1,584,465 $28,179 $24,202 $ 1,105,986 $ 1,204,309 lifestyles and circumstances. To phone in a Tribute Gift or for convenient Tribute Order Forms, please call (8 10) 5 5 9 1 5 0 O. - JFS Program and Name Funds are also available to support specific agency services. Please call 559 1 5 00 for additional - information. Minimum Tribute Card donation remains only $5.00/card. JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE 24123 Greenfield Road • Southfield, MI 48075 • (810) 559-1500 6960 Orchard Lake Road • Suite 202 • West Bloomfield, MI 48322 • (810) 737-5055 r