68 -The Michigan Daily - WUet#' , c. -Thursday, February 8, 1996 Juror' Demi Moore's success mystifies critics Former Brat Packer moves from 'St. Elmo's' to the Walk of Fame By Bryan Lark For the Daily If someone were to ask you who is the most popular film actress in Hol- lywood, what would your response be? Julia Roberts? Sharon Stone? Michelle Pfeiffer? For some unknown reason, some movie fans will answer Demi Moore. This response would most likely be followed by a resounding cry of, "Why?" True, Moore has been rewarded with immense salaries for lending her "talents" to high-grossing Hollywood productions like "Ghost," and her name does carry with it a certain star power. But what is the cause of all this popularity? Well, it is definitely not Moore's raw acting talent or her ability to carry a movie. Surprisingly (or not) the over- whelming majority of Moore's films have been major flops or have simply been forgotten. Moore'sjourney toward Hollywood stardom began in 1985, when the then- unknown actress received widespread critical and audience recognition for "St. Elmo's Fire." Bringing together the dubious tal- ents of Andrew McCarthy and Ally Sheedy, along with other names since forgotten, "St. Elmo's Fire" sparked the legend of the Brat Pack. Moore, by far the most successful Brat, fought hard not to be typecast as the temptress, a task that proved difficult. In the wake of her "St. Elmo's" success, 1986 brought Moore two more successful films. The romantic comedy "About Last Night..." again teamed Moore with Rob Lowe and gave her the dubious distinction of co-starring with Jim Belushi. Another film, "One Crazy Sum- mer," cast her as tough musician Cassandra, who must deal with such problems as life, work and Bobcat Goldthwait. In 1988, Moore tried her hand at horror in the Armageddon tale "The Seventh Sign." The following year brought another sign of Armageddon -"We're No Angels" was unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Moore co- starred with Sean Penn and Robert DeNiro, but all three should have dis- guised themselves and denied any in- volvement with this atrocious piece of work. In 1990, Moore received a new sign, this time it was one of redemption. She scored her biggest critical and commercial hit to date with the super- natural romance "Ghost." This film was widely embraced, but not exactly as a result of Moore's performance. In fact, Moore's best scene in the film is when she kissed Oscar-winner Whoopi Goldberg, cre- ating an extremely romantic moment that paved the way for future Whoopi- kissers like Ted Danson. Expecting to be buoyed by previ- ous success, the only things 1991 pro- duced for Moore were three motion pictures that tanked and dimmed her star. "The Butcher's Wife," "Mortal Thoughts" and "Nothing But Trouble" were those unexplained movies. Such mistakes as these can only be attrib- uted to temporary insanity on the part of Moore and her agent. But "A Few Good Men," featuring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, pro- vided Moore with a prime role that allowed her to battle both Marines and sexual tension with Cruise. Her role in the 1992 film was by far the best performance of Moore's career. As one of the only women in the film (she played a military lawyer), Moore exuded confidence; even so, her per- formance was overlooked in favor of Nicholson's and Cruise's. Still, for Moore, the film was a good one. The following two years ce- mented her status as one of Hollywood's leading actresses. First as the object of Robert Redford's desire in "Indecent Pro- posal" and then making Michael Douglas the object of her wrath in "Disclosure," Moore proved her screen stamina. These two films have become beloved by those mov- iegoers who enjoy inane morality tales. Last year also provided the public with proof that Demi is here to stay. Through the morally adulterous ad- aptation of "The Scarlet Letter" (co- starring Gary Oldman) and the faded memory ofa movie, "Now and Then," she still managed to garner an un- precedented salary for an actress: $12.5 million for this May's "Strip- tease." Our trip concludes with Moore's damsel in distress act in the new so- called courtroom thriller "The Juror." The film is a delightfully cheesy mess that ranks with "Showgirls" as the most unintentionally amusing film in recent memory. In retrospect, there is no disputing Demi Moore's status as a major star. She can be seen on almost a daily basis on "Entertainment Tonight," shooting a magazine spread, attend- ing the latest movie premiere or hold- ing her children (with husband Bruce Willis). However, Moore's Hollywood high life is not in question; the cause of her placement on the Walk of Fame is the mystery at hand (then again, they hand out those stars like water at a marathon - even David Hasselhoff has one). What exactly enables Demi Moore to enjoy the Hollywood lifestyle she currently relishes? Even after look- ing back at her career, now spanning more than a decade, it's mystifying as to exactly why she has become a real star. Perhaps it is that inexplicable qual- ity that has made stars out of people like Danny DeVito. It seems as though this is yet another case for Robert Stack: Demi Moore's unfathomable fame, on the next "Unsolved Myster- ies." Uam Neeson converses with Nazi officer Ralph Fennes In "Schindler's List". Long films try fans' patience, movie studios bank accounts By Kristin Long Daily Arts Writer Does this scenario sound familiar? We go to catch a flick at the local cinema, make a nice evening or after- noon out of the excursion, but the little trip turns out to last forever. Whatever happened to "short and sweet?" Perhaps filmmakers are thinking that we can't get enough of a good thing. Well, the fact of life is that all good things must come to an end, even the best of movies. A recent trend in Hollywood pro- ductions is to make films that are long and exhaustive. Now, granted, some flicks are just the right length. Take "Mr. Holland's Opus," for example. It lasted for nearly three hours, but the plot did capture my attention; as a bonus, the pain in the posterior part of our body from the theater seats was barely noticeable. In the latest Richard Dreyfuss hit, the extensive plot was required to I - - uan. g Free billiards. Satellite sports Food & drink specials. Retro Rock Dance Night w/DJ Chuck Drink specials all night. $1 Cover THURSDAYF A & SATURDAY College Night. Contests! $1 Pitchers Ann Arbor's Biggest No cover wlstudent ID 21+ Modern Rock Dance Parties NEW 9 P ATE. FW FEB. 9 and the 2nd Friday of every month. 89X DJ Kelly Brown, contests, giveaways and more! -w expand on the characters and high- light the true nature of their rela- tionships. If the film were any shorter, the story would have had loose ends and the plot would have been immensely thin. It would have felt rushed and the audience would hardly have been able to experience the actors' emotions. Similarly, in all 172 minutes "Heat," the parallel plots just-barely make it under the three-hour mark. Many complain that in all this time, superstars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino only have a five to six minute confrontation. To some, this lack of confrontation keeps the audience in suspense, but to others the fact that it took the duo more than 2 1/2 hours to meet makes the flick unbearable (the film was a box-office flop). DeNiro appeared in another exten- sive film - the action-packed "Ca- sino." With him and fellow top-qual- ity actors Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci, a drawn-out plot is hardly necessary. The "less is more" theory has great importance. This gangster flick has a plethora of unnecessary killings that have audiences wondering when the credits will start to roll. Even with t rough and rugged society of toda how many times can we watch a mur- der and really enjoy it? Not all of the great films of the recent day need to have a running time of more than two hours. Another exception to this problem was when Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo co- starred in the thriller "Outbreak." They managed to discover a problem. and find a solution in just over two hours: Perfect timing for people who need#g use the washroom frequently. The best thing about movies like the orangutan comedy "Dunston Checks In" and slap-stick "Biodome" is that both were short. Sadly enough, however, they both had no point. Do these screenwriters think critics will take a movie seriously only if it lasts longer than two hours? Perhaps - Oscar-winning films like "Schindler's List" and "Dances w9 Wolves" both lasted 185 minutes. Maybe the solution lies in making more comfortable theater seats 'ones that recline and give audiences the comforts of home, with the pleasures of the big screen. Then, theaters would probably have to raise their prices to cover refurbishing costs; maybe, therefore, this idea would not work. Perhaps the time has come for the- aters to host intermission again. T seems like it could be a profitab move. They could sell more coilces- sions and then they could make some of those cute little cartoons with the singing sodas and popcorn boxes. This move could also benefit mov- iegoers. If a film barely holds audi- ence members' interest, they could leave at the break without disrupting anyone else. Or if people desperately have to go to the bathroom, they cou@ leave without making a ruckus in the middle of the best part of the flick. 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