DANGEROUS MINDS and Other Reviews
Film reviews by Michael John Legeros
Copyright 1995 Michael John Legeros
Contents - DANGEROUS MINDS - THE CRUDE OASIS - WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE - Fall Preview
DANGEROUS MINDS
(Hollywood)
Directed by John N. Smith
Written by Ronald Bass, based on the book "My Posse Don't Do
Homework" by LouAnne Johnson
Cast Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance,
Robin Bartlett
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language)
Running Time 99 minutes
Reviewed at General Cinemas at Pleasant Valley, Raleigh (15AUG95)
DANGEROUS MINDS boasts a winning performance from Michelle Pfeiffer and that's about it. She's a marvel as real-life teacher LouAnne Johnson, an ex-Marine whose innovative teaching techniques help her in "combat" against a distracted, disillusioned inner-city "audience." She captures their attention by demonstrating karate, handing out candy bars, and, in the farthest leap from reality, getting them interested in reading by reciting the lyrics to "Mr. Tambourine Man." [ Insert sound clip of William Shatner singing same. ]
In *this* version of LouAnne's story-- which is believable for all five minutes-- the students can read *and* write, presumably because they're rarely distracted by sex, drugs, or rounds of ammo. Another stretch is Pfeiffer's character, who apparently has no life outside of the classroom. (A subplot with Andy Garcia as the boyfriend was cut. He probably kept blushing at her accent.) She spends all of her time with her students, the only students in the only period that we see her teaching. Talk about dedication!
The loss, here, is that DANGEROUS MINDS never goes far *enough* away from reality to make a difference. The soundtrack is juiced, but not the story. It's neither real enough, nor *unreal* enough to be interesting.
Grade: C+
THE CRUDE OASIS
Though it's already left Triangle theaters, Alex Graves' remarkable debut is certainly worth a look-see if and when it arrives on video. The story-- which plays like an inverted BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY-- centers on a depressed Kansas housewife (Jennifer Taylor) who, literally, meets the man of her dreams (Aaron Shields).
Shot for 14 days on mere $25K, this OASIS is hardly crude. Sure, the production values are modest, no duh, but Graves' writing and direction are both dead-on. Even blown up from 16mm, there's more dramatic potency here than almost all of the summer stock combined.
Grade: B+
WIGSTOCK: THE MOVIE
The subject of cross-dressing has already, ah, come out of the closet in recent films ranging from MRS. DOUBTFIRE to PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT. The novelty of men-as-women has passed, making a full-length documentary on the subject -- in the context of New York's annual drag festival -- seem like too little, too late.
Despite an endless array of towering wigs and colorful costumes, WIGSTOCK is a shrill, unfocused film with no real momentum behind it. There's virtually no story to hold the raw footage together. In terms of sheer spectacle, it's amusing enough; but it's camp without a sense of time, place, or purpose. Who are these characters? What is this event?? The film never tells.
BOTTOM LINE: What a drag.
Grade: C-
Fall Preview
The Great Saturation continues. Some 100+ films are scheduled for release over the next four months, from a host of Our Favorite Directors. Here's what *I'm* looking forward to..
September 9/1 - THE PROPHECY - d. Gregory Widen. Walken as evil angel. 9/8 - TO WOO FONG.. - d. Beeban Kidron. More drag queens. 9/13 - CLOCKERS - d. Spike Lee, w. Richard Price, p. Scorsese. 9/15 - UNSUNG HEROES - d. Diane Keaton. Drama w/MacDowell & Turturro. 9/20 - SEVEN - d. David Fincher. Pitt & Freeman track serial killer. 9/22 - SHOWGIRLS - d. Paul Verhoeven, w. Joe Eszterhas. NC-17. 9/22 - BLUE IN THE FACE - d. Wayne Wang. Informal sequel to SMOKE. 9/22 - CANADIAN BACON - d. Michael Moore. Comedy w/John Candy. 9/22 - THE RUN OF THE COUNTRY - d. Peter Yates. Drama with Finney. 9/27 - TO DIE FOR - d. Gus Van Sant, w. Buck Henry. Kidman stars. 9/29 - THE ADDICTION - d. Abel Ferrara. Walken with fangs. 9/29 - DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS - d. Carl Franklin. More noir. 9/? - THE INNOCENT - d. John Schlesinger. w/Hopkins & Rossellini. 9/? - STEAL BIG, STEAL LITTLE - d. Andrew Davis. Comedy w/Garcia.
October 10/4 - DEAD PRESIDENTS - d. Hughes Brothers. Bronx thriller. 10/6 - ASSASSINS - d. Richard Donner. Action w/Stallone & Banderas. 10/6 - FOUR ROOMS - Four directors, including Rodriquez & Tarantino. 10/6 - JADE - d. William Friedkin. Thriller w/Caruso & Fiorentino. 10/13 - HEAVEN'S PRISONERS - d. Phil Joanou. Thriller w/Alec Baldwin. 10/13 - MALL RATS - d. Kevin Smith. From the director of CLERKS. 10/13 - THE SCARLETT LETTER - d. Roland Joffe. Demi Moore as Hester. 10/13 - STRANGE DAYS - d. Kathryn Bigelow, w. James Cameron (her Ex-). 10/13 - THINGS TO DO IN DENVER.. - d. Gary Fleder. Indy mob drama. 10/20 - GET SHORTY - d. Barry Sonnenfield. Comedy w/Travolta. 10/27 - FAIR GAME - p. Joel Silver. Actioner w/Baldwin & Crawford. 10/27 - MIGHTY APHRODITE - d. Woody Allen. Comedy about married life. 10/27 - VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN - d. Wes Craven. Eddie Murphy with fangs. 10/? - COPYCAT - d. Jon Amiel. Holly Hunter hunts Harry Connick. 10/? - THE CROSSING GUARD - d. Sean Penn. Stars Nicholson & Huston.
November 11/3 - THE GRASS HARP - d. Charles Matthau directs dad. Capote story. 11/3 - HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS - d. Jodie Foster. Drama with big cast. 11/3 - THREE WISHES - d. Martha Coolidge. Fantasy in the `50s. 11/10 - ACE VENTURA 2: WHEN NATURE CALLS. d. Steve Oedekerk. 11/10 - CARRINGTON - w/Emma Thompson & Cannes winner Jonathan Pryce. 11/10 - CASINO - d. Scorsese. Gambling with DeNiro, Stone, & Pesci. 11/10 - MONEY TRAIN - d. Joesph Rubin. Action w/Wesley & Woody. 11/17 - THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT - d. Rob Reiner. Romantic comedy. 11/17 - CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY - d. Darrel James Roodt. Apartheid. 11/17 - GOLDENEYE - d. Martin Campbell. Pierce Brosnan as 007. 11/17 - JUMANJI - d. Joe Johnston. Based on the children's books. 11/22 - NICK OF TIME - d. John Badham. Thriller w/Depp & Walken. 11/22 - TOY STORY - d. John Lasseter. Completely computer-animated. 11/? - WAITING TO EXHALE - d. Forest Whitaker. From the novel.
December 12/15 - CUTTHROAT ISLAND - d. Renny Harlin. $70M of pirates. 12/15 - HEAT - d. Michael Mann. DeNiro, Pacino, & Kilmer. 12/15 - OTHELLO - d. Oliver Parker, Stars Fishburne & Branagh. 12/15 - SABRINA - d. Sydney Pollack. Remake with Ford & Ormond. 12/15 - THE STUPIDS - d. John Landis. From the children's books. 12/20 - SENSE AND SENSIBILITY - d. Ang Lee, w. Emma Thompson (!). 12/22 - FROM DUSK 'TILL DAWN - d. Robert Rodriquez, w. Tarantino. 12/22 - GRUMPIER OLD MEN - d. Howard Deutch. Sequel w/Sophia Loren. 12/22 - THE JUROR - d. Brian Gibson. Demi Moore & Alec Baldwin. 12/22 - NIXON - d. Oliver Stone. Anthony Hopkins as Mr. President. 12/22 - RICHARD III - d. Richard Loncraine. Stars Ian McKellen. 12/25 - DRACULA: DEAD AND LOVING IT - d. Mel Brooks. Count me in. 12/25 - MARY REILLY - d. Stephen Frears. Jekyll & Hyde w/Julia. 12/25 - TWELVE MONKEYS - d. Terry Gilliam. Sci-fi future thriller. 12/27 - AMERICAN BUFFALO - d. Michael Corrente. From the Mamet play. 12/? - BOGUS - d. Norman Jewison. Fantasy w/Whoopi & Depardieu (!). 12/? - BROKEN ARROW - d. John Woo. Woo!Woo!Woo! w/Travolta & Slater. 12/? - DEAD MAN WALKING - d. Tim Robbins. Drama w/wife Sarandon. 12/? - FATHER OF THE BRIDE II - d. Charles Shyer. Remake of sequel. 12/? - SHANGHAI TRIAD - d. Shang Yimou. Mob drama w/Gong Li. 12/? - SUDDEN DEATH - d. Peter Hyams. Actioner w/Van Damme & Boothe. 12/? - TOM SAWYER - d. Peter Hewitt. Jonathan Taylor Thomas stars. 12/? - WILD BILL - d. Walter Hill. Western w/Bridges & Barkin.
-- Michael J. Legeros : SAS Institute Inc. : "All of life's riddles are answered in the movies." legeros@unx.sas.com : - Steve Martin in GRAND CANYON 919-677-8000 x6735 :
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