Studios betting teen flicks, reworked plots will fly in '99

January is a time to look back on the previous year. When it comes to the movies, however, studios usually hate doing that - seeing only a trail of box office bombs, with blockbusters that are few and far between. To help the studios reflect, the following is a preview package worthy of James Cameron's sizable ego. As a wise Jedi "once said, hold onto your butts."

Teen movies are back in full force, with fables and original stories galore. Here's hoping that flicks like "She's All That," "Cruel Intentions" and "Idle Hands" bring about a renaissance the likes of which hasn't been seen since John Hughes prowled the1980s.

Courtesy of MGM For those who miss "21 Jump Street," movie makers have put together a real treat in the form of "The Mod Squad." Rumor has it, the kids are very hip.

One visible trend with many upcoming releases is "too little too late" - where many films attempt to do something different and really only show something lame. Some examples of these are "EDtv," "The King and I" - an animated version of the classic - and "The Deep End of the Ocean." But, there should be more than enough coolness to go around with comedies such as "Mystery Men" and "Bowfinger's Big Thing" on the summer schedule.

"The Deep End of the Ocean" (Feb. 26) - This looks suspiciously like a feature-length version of the old TV movie "I Know My First Name is Steven." Michelle Pfeiffer plays a mom who loses her three-year-old son and has to cope with his return nine years later.

"Analyze This" (March 5) - Robert De Niro is a man in need of a shrink. This time out, the versatile actor is a mobster with some severe neuroses. Billy Crystal plays the doctor who helps him work through his issues.

"Cruel Intentions" (March 5) - Another feature chock-full of coolness. This teen re-visitation of "Dangerous Liaisons" should be able to get past the lack of skill in star Ryan Phillippe by showcasing the many talents of uberchicks Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Selma Blair. This will be silly, steamy and a great guilty pleasure.

"The King and I" (March 19) - Warner Bros. becomes the next studio to attempt an attack on the Disney animation empire. This will be the same as the film version, save the fact that the King's head won't glisten as much as it did before.

"EDtv" (March 26) - Matthew McConaughey plays Ed, a guy picked to lead a Truman Burbank-esque existence in front of the camera 24-hours a day. Woody Harrelson and Jenna Elfman are just two of the many skeptics who look on in horror and fascination - but will audiences sit still for a concept that has already be envisioned to perfection last summer?

"Go" (March 26) - Doug Liman follows up "Swingers" with this ensemble piece. Katie Holmes tries to free herself from the hell that is "Dawson's Creek," abetted by the luminous Sarah Polley.

"The Mod Squad" (April 2) - Claire Danes, everybody's favorite every-teen, straps on some mod fashion and attitude in this update of the classic camp '70s TV series. Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps help her regulate undercover.

"Idle Hands" (April 23) - Teen-mag "Tiger Beat" pinup Devon Sawa's right hand turns homicidal while the rest of him remains sane. His unpleasantness is balanced out by the devilishly handsome and sardonic Seth Green in this comedy-horror piece.

"Notting Hill" (Summer) - Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts team up with the crew from "Four Weddings and a Funeral." The sure-to-be-stuttering Grant plays the owner of a travel bookstore. Roberts, in a daring career move, plays the world's biggest movie star. If this movie doesn't break the bank, nothing will.

"Bowfinger's Big Thing" (Summer) - More like "Bowfinger's Big Cast," what with Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Robert Downie, Jr. and Heather Graham on board. Martin plays a producer who can't get a break, so he decides to make a movie with the action star of the moment. Whether or not the action star knows he's in the movie is another question entirely.

"Mystery Men" (Summer) - Movie gods Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy, Paul "Pee-Wee Herman" Reubens, Janeane Garofalo, Wes Studi and Kel Mitchell are a rag-tag group of pathetically untalented superheroes who must save their city when the local comic kingpin (Greg Kinnear) is abducted by evil baddies Lena Olin and Geoffrey Rush. Any movie that has a character named Casanova Frankenstein seems O.K., though.

Look out for many movies that people around campus don't know much about - beyond the fact that they want desperately to see them. Some of the most notable members of this category include "Rushmore," "Office Space," "eXistenZ," "Dick," "American Pie," "Eyes Wide Shut," "Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me."

Also, keep an eye out for a little-known independent film called "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" son May 21. Rumor has it that the force is back - in force, no less - and it has the power to sink the "big ship's" box office record to the bottom of the sea.

01-28-99