Check out the acclaimed new film "Star Maps" today. The story of a
young Mexican so desperate to become a movie star that he resorts
to prostitution. Using the distribution of star maps as a cover, he
sells himself to the men and women of Los Angeles. Directed by
Miguel Ortega, this hot independent tragedy should not be missed.
At The Michigan Theater tonight at 7 p.m. $5 for students.
Tuesday
September 9, 1997
9
Great expectations
Hopes high for busy fall movie schedule
By Julia Shih
Daily Film Editor
Summer winding down and the onset of fall means
more than just the leaves changing color and the nose
returning to the grindstone. As the new season sets in,
Hollywood prepares for a new season of movies sans
the pointless explosiveness of
summer films, but with high
levels of quality geared P R
towards a run at the Oscars.
This year's crop of promis-
ing films will have fans of all
genres salivating. From com-
pelling dramas to suspenseful coming soon to
thrillers to witty comedies,
there are tons of good movies coming out for every-
one.
September kicks off the season with the high-
charged crime thriller, "L.A. Confidential." The police
story set in 1950s Los Angeles stars Kevin Spacey,
Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce in a complex good
cop/bad cop story that won recognition at this year's
Cannes film festival.
Michael Douglas and Sean Penn star in the psycho-
logical thriller, "The Game" that promises to get the
heart pounding and adrenaline running. Douglas plays
a millionaire whose brother (Penn) gives him the
birthday present of participation in a high-priced role-
playing game - one that involves real bullets and life-
er-death situations.
Continuing the adrenaline kick is "The
Peacemaker," starring George Clooney. The first
movie released from new studio Dreamworks SKG,
the action flick stars Clooney as an Army intelligence
officer who tries to prevent a nuclear attack using
heavy artillery, his killer smile and a sultry Nicole
Kidman.
Michelle Pfeiffer, who was the object of Clooney's
lust last year in "One Fine Day," returns in an adapta-
tion of Jane Smiley's 1991 Pulitzer Prize-winning
novel, "A Thousand Acres." The riveting drama about
dysfunctional siblings also stars Jessica Lange and
Jennifer Jason Leigh.
On a lighter note, Kevin Kline strives to find the
truth about himself in the promising comedy "In &
Out." Kline plays a drama teacher from a small
Midwestern town whose star ex-student (Matt Dillon)
proclaims him as being gay on national television. As
Kline's effeminate character (who is about to get mar-
ried) struggles to discover his masculine side, audi-
ences are in for a real comic treat.
The first Friday in October is the home of several
high-profile releases, including the comedic family
saga, "Soul Food," starring Vanessa Williams and pro-
duced by Babyface; and Oliver Stone's satiric film
noir "U-Turn" featuring Sean Penn as a hapless gam-
bler who gets sidetracked in a small town by seduc-
tress Jennifer Lopez and other wacky townfolk.
Also on that Friday is the premiere of the dark psy-
chological shockfest, "Kiss The
Girls." Based on James Patterson's
E V I E W best seller, the film follows the trail
of a serial killer who collects college
Fall Movie girls and the detective (Morgan
Releases Freeman) and former victim (Ashley
Judd) determined to catch him.
a theater near you. Single young women who are
looking to catch a glimpse at
Hollywood's (once again) most eligible bachelor will
get their wish in October. Brad Pitt stars as explorer
Heinrich Harrer in the enlightening drama, "Seven
Years in Tibet."
The second-most-eligible bachelor, Keanu Reeves,
can also be spotted in the subversive horror flick,
"Devil's Advocate" Reeves plays a lawyer whose boss
(Al Pacino) is literally, the Devil.
October also brings the release of the eagerly await-
ed "A Life Less Ordinary," from the people who
brought you "Trainspotting," which tells the story of
the rocky romance of Ewan McGregor and Cameron
Diaz that gets set straight by the divine intervention of
angels Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo.
While the sequel to last year's hit "Scream" won't
be out until December, its screenwriter, Kevin
Williamson will be giving fans a
tempting taste of his genius with F
"I Know What You Did Last Fall meai
Summer," which promises to a j
provide scares just in time for $ JUSI
Halloween.h-n
Another adaptation starring O UUUU5UI
Jennifer Jason Leigh is
"Washington Square," adapted
from Henry James' 1881 classic about a women
caught between an overbearing father and a self-serv-
ing suitor promises to be one of the most captivating
dramas of the year.
November is the month of giving thanks, and this
year, there is much to be thankful for. The latest
installment of the "Alien" series, "Alien
Resurrection," has super-buff Sigourney Weaver com-
ing back to life to battle a new and improved alien
with her sidekick, Winona Ryder, in tow.
Bruce Willis is on a roll playing the action star, as
he returns as the villain opposite IRA man Richard
Gere in "The Jackal." If Gere's Irish accent doesn't
bomb, "The Jackal" may be the breakthrough thriller
of the year that will make people forget about "The
Gerbil."
A different kind of breakthrough comes in the form
of the sophisticated comic tragedy, "The Ice Storm,"
directed by Ang Lee. Starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney
Weaver, Joan Allen, Christina Ricci and Elijah Wood,
this acclaimed film is an account of one chilly
Thanksgiving weekend in New Canaan, Conn., during
which marriages and friendships are shattered.
John Grisham will be one popular fellow this
November as his latest offerings, "The Rainmaker"
directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Matt
Damon ("Courage Under Fire") and Claire Danes and
Robert Altman's "The Gingerbread Man," an original
Grisham screenplay starring Kenneth Branagh, are
unleashed.
John Travolta's career is doing more than staying
alive as his comeback continues to soar in "Mad City."
Travolta and Dustin Hoffman co-star in this hostage-
crisis drama that deals with media's exploitation of
extraordinary events.
December is the month of potent dramas beginning
with the astronomically costly and aesthetic,
"Titanic," starring ,Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate
Winslet.
Established thespians Morgan Freeman and
Anthony Hopkins aid Steven Spielberg in his latest
dramatic effort, "Amistad." The movie, about an 1839
mutiny aboard a Spanish slave ship, has the potential
to be in serious contention during Oscar time.
Another riveting drama that
should garner some attention is
IS MOre Clint Eastwood's directorial
effort, "Midnight In the Garden of
Saves Good and Evil." The film, star-
n
F
r4
ring Kevin Spacey and John
Cusack, tells the tale of a gay
antiques dealer (Spacey) in
Georgia who kills his lover.
Rounding out the last month of the year are Ethan
Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow head the cast of a mod-
ernized version of Charles Dickens' "Great
Expectations"; Quentin Tarantino returning with
"Jackie Brown," starring legendary blaxploitation-
film star Pam Grier as a prostitute mixed up with fed-
eral agents and arms dealers; and the new Pierce
Brosnan/James Bond film, "Tomorrow Never Dies."
Fall is no time to sit around, unless you plan to be
doing it in front of a movie screen. With these and a
slew of other good movies about to hit theaters in the
next few months, you don't even want to risk blinking.
You may just miss something spectacular.
Clockwise from left: Vanessa Williams,
Nia Long and Vivica Fox in "Soul
Food"; Kevin Spacey in the Garden of
Good and Evil"; Ethan Hawke and
Gwyneth Paltrow in "Great
Expectations"; Brad Pitt in "Seven
Years in Tibet"; Ewan McGregor and
Cameron Diaz in "A Life Less Ordinary";
Michelle Pfeiffer in "A Thousand
Acres"; Dustin Hoffman and John
Travolta in "Mad City"; and Sigourney
Weaver in "Allen Resurrection."
I
Recycle The Daily
. .......... ..
ARTHUR
ANDERSEN
ANDERSEN WORLDWIDE SC
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
COME HOME TO OPPORTUNITIES IN...
ASIA MIDDLE EAST
MALAYSIA PHILIPPINES JAPAN S.KOREA
HONG KONG THAILAND SINGAPORE
INDONESIA TAIWAN BAHRAIN SAUDI
ARABIA SYRIA KUWAIT EGYPT JORDAN
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
We are seeking candidates who have permanent work
authorization in any of these countries with plans to
return home after completing their bachelor's or master's
degrees in fields related to:
" Business Administration (Masters of Business
Administration)
* Accounting
" Taxation
* Finance