Another Labor Day has come and gone, and that means that summer is officially over. No more lazy days. No more mundane summer jobs. And no more cinematic blockbusters until Christmas.
Film fare this summer left something to be desired. Officially opening on Memorial Day, the summer season started off with what might have been the most over-hyped, but never over-panned, film "Godzilla." Could it be that the public has finally sent the message to Hollywood execs that the plot does matter? Don't count on it.
As long as there are mildly successful '70s television shows that can be re-made into schlocky movies, we don't stand a chance.
Case in point: for those of you who actually went to go see "The Avengers," keep your ticket. Because it seems like only 10 were sold they are somewhat of a collectors item.
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| Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Cameron Diaz poses for the hottest hairdo of the summer in "Something About Mary." |
Other major studio offerings included the two rocks-hurtling-at-Earth movies: the surprisingly successful "Deep Impact" and the Bruckheimer standard "Armageddon."
Disney's "The Mask of Zorro," while very entertaining (and I don't just mean because the film stars Caroline Zeta-Jones) performed far below expectations and will be lucky to break $100 million.
Most of the blockbusters made a lot of money, but as far as gross in relation to cost, no other movie released by a major studio can beat "There's Something About Mary." The raunchiest and funniest movie of the summer has been soaring for two months now and has accomplished two rare feats: it broke the $100 million without ever holding the number one spot and it finally broke into the top spot in its eighth week in release.
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| Courtesy of DreamWorks Pictures Steven Spielberg and his dynamite cast explode on movie screens this summer with the critically acclaimed "Saving Private Ryan." |
In "Out of Sight," George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez set the screen ablaze as a bank robber and a FBI agent caught in a odd relationship in one of the summer's top films.
While Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey put forth stellar performances in "The Negotiator," which received great reviews and sold very few tickets.
Attention Kevin Williamson: now might be a good time to explore a new genre. With the lackluster showings of "Disturbing Behavior" and "Halloween: H20," it appears that teens today are more interested in Leo and Matt than slasher films.
The upcoming sequel to "I Know What You Did Last Summer," aptly titled "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer," may rely more on the neck and hem lines of Jennifer Love Hewitt's outfits than on the movie itself.
Speaking of Hollywood's golden boy of the moment, Matt Damon made a guest appearance in the year's most incredible film thus far, Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan."
There are few important films that have been released in the past 10 years and this one is at the top of the list. Oscar should go knocking on Spielberg's door next spring, as well as the doors of Tom Hanks and any of the supporting actors.
That is too bad for Jim Carrey, who, for a month, had a decent shot at winning an Oscar. Moviegoers got to see Carrey's acting abilities shine in "The Truman Show," and were apparently pleased. The movie received incredible reviews and Carrey's fans were less fickle than they were two summers ago when he was excellent as a psychotic "Cable Guy."
Fall is now here and there is very little time left until the studios start giving "Saving Private Ryan" a run for its money.
And for all of you who are still who are suffering from Leo withdrawal, fear not. You can now own him in the mediocre film that millions of screaming teenyboppers helped make the most successful movie of all time.
09-09-98
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