While 1991 was the cinematic year of cannibalism, dysfunctional families and soul-searching yuppies, a look at the films in the first five months of this year indicates no discernible trends, except perhaps for the stars being paraded out in a diverse collection of vocations-from Jack Nicholson`s owning an attack-dog business (”Man Trouble”) to Tom Hulce`s serving as Stalin`s personal projectionist (”The Inner Circle”).
That said, here is an alphabetical list of some of the films scheduled for release through Memorial Day, along with tentative opening dates.
Aces: Iron Eagle III-Louis Gossett Jr. and three maverick fighter pilots join forces to combat a ruthless drug lord in the South American jungles in this thriller directed by John Glen. (January)
Alien 3-Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) arrives on an orbiting prison space station, only to be faced with battling the Alien while hindered by the lack of technology in this new world. Directed by David Fincher. (May 22)
Article 99-Howard Deutch directs this drama with comedic overtones set in the bureaucratic chaos of a VA hospital. The cast includes Ray Liotta, Kiefer Sutherland and John Mahoney. (March)
Back in the USSR-Frank Whaley plays a young American student who becomes involved with a beautiful, mysterious Muscovite (Natalya Negoda), and Roman Polanski, of all people, as a ruthless Soviet smuggler. Directed by Deran Sarafian. (February/March).
Basic Instinct-Michael Douglas stars in this psychological mystery as a San Francisco police detective investigating the brutal murder of an aging rock star. With Sharon Stone, and direction by Paul Verhoeven. (April 3)
Before I Wake-Kathleen Turner stars as a recently widowed mother who tries to understand her daughter`s mysterious withdrawal into her own silent world, while fighting authorities-headed by a local doctor (Tommy Lee Jones)- who want to take the child away from her. (April/May)
Best Intentions-Bille August directs Ingmar Bergman`s recreated account of his parents` life together. (May)
Border Crossings: Finland`s Mika Kaurismaki-Eight films by Finland`s
”other” prolific director, the brother of Aki Kaurismaki. Works include
”Paper Star” and ”Zombie and the Ghost Train.” (February at the Film Center of the School of the Art Institute.)
Crisscross-Goldie Hawn plays a single parent who has been abandoned by her husband (Keith Carradine) and must make some difficult choices in an effort to provide for her 12-year-old son at the end of the turbulent `60s. Chris Menges directs. (February)
The Cutting Edge-D.B. Sweeney and Moira Kelly star as mismatched ice skaters who are teamed for pairs figure-skating in this romantic comedy Paul M. Glaser directs. (March)
The Dark Wind-Based on Tony Hillerman`s novels, this murder mystery stars Lou Diamond Phillips as a Navajo police officer and Fred Ward as a Hopi reservation leader. The director is Errol Morris (”The Thin Blue Line”).
(January)
Deep Cover-A crime drama directed by Bill Duke (”A Rage in Harlem”) and starring Larry Fishburne as an undercover narcotics officer seduced by the drug dealers` lifestyle. (April)
Ferngully. . .The Last Rainforest-An animated film in which fantasy meets reality inside a great rainforest. (March/April)
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Folks-Tom Selleck plays a Chicago commodities broker whose luck takes a turn for the worse. Featuring Don Ameche and directed by Ted Kotcheff. (April/ May)
Gladiators-Shot in Chicago, this drama set in the world of underground amateur boxing features James Marshall and Robert Loggia. Rowdy Herrington directs. (March 6)
Hard Promises-In this romantic comedy, Martin Davidson directs Sissy Spacek as a woman who`s about to get married and William Petersen as her ex-husband who comes to the wedding. (Jan. 31)
Incredibly Hong Kong!-A new selection of 15 films, including Tsui Hark`s
”Once Upon a Time in China” and Ching Siu-tung`s ”A Chinese Ghost Story III.” (March at the Film Center)
The Inner Circle-A romantic drama about a loyal Soviet citizen (Tom Hulce) who becomes Stalin`s projectionist. Andrei Konchalovsky directs. (Jan. 17)
Juice-Ernest R. Dickerson, director of photography for Spike Lee`s features, makes his directorial debut in this story of four young men exploring the dangerous side of coming of age in Harlem. (Jan. 17)
Kafka-A surrealistic look at the enigmatic author (Jeremy Irons), who becomes involved in a diabolical murder mystery. Filmed mostly in Prague and directed by Steven Soderbergh (”sex, lies, and videotape”). (Feb. 7)
Light Sleeper-Paul Schrader, who wrote ”Taxi Driver” and ”Raging Bull” and directed ”American Gigolo,” again centers on characters living on the fringe of society. With Willem Dafoe and Susan Sarandon. (March)
The Mambo Kings-Adapted from Oscar Hijuelos` Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, this stars Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas as singing brothers who bring their music to New York from Cuba in the 1950s. With Desi Arnaz Jr. as Desi Arnaz Sr. (Feb. 28)
Man Trouble-Jack Nicholson stars as the down-on-his-luck owner of an attack dog business who falls in love with an upscale client (Ellen Barkin). Bob Rafelson (”Five Easy Pieces”) directs. (April)
Medicine Man-An unorthodox research scientist (Sean Connery) searches for a cancer cure in the South American rain forest and becomes romantically involved with another scientist (Lorraine Bracco). John McTiernan directs.
(Feb. 7)
My Cousin Vinny-Jonathan Lynn (”Nuns on the Run”) directs this comedy that features Joe Pesci as a Brooklyn lawyer who defends two college students (Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield) wrongfully arrested for murder in Alabama. (March 27)
Newsies-A musical about New York newsboys in the summer of 1899 who orchestrate a strike that threatens to bring the tabloid publishers to their knees. Kenny Ortega directs and choreographs. Christian Bale and Ann-Margret star. (March)
Once Upon a Crime-Eugene Levy directs Richard Lewis, Sean Young and John Candy in a ”madcap comedy whodunit” set in Monte Carlo. (March)
Past Midnight-A psychological thriller, with Natasha Richardson as a social worker who becomes involved with a client convicted of a brutal murder. Rutger Hauer co-stars and Jan Eliasberg directs. (February)
Radio Flyer-Two boys` dreams enable them to rise above the realities of life after their mother remarries and moves the family to a new town. Richard Donner directs Lorraine Bracco and John Heard. (Feb. 14)
Rock-A-Doodle-Don Bluth directs a musical that combines live action and animation, as a boy is transformed into an animated kitten while trying to save his family and their farm from a flood. (April)
Shadows and Fog-Woody Allen directs and stars in a comedy set in the 1920s and features Kathy Bates, John Cusack, Mia Farrow, Jodie Foster and Madonna. (March)
Shining Through-Based on the Susan Isaacs best-seller, this stars Melanie Griffith as a half-Jewish working girl from Queens who is romantically involved with her boss (Michael Douglas) and finds herself working in Nazi Germany as an OSS operative. David Seltzer directs. (Jan. 31)
This Is My Life-Screenwriter Nora Ephron (”When Harry Met Sally . . .”) makes her debut as a director in this comedy-drama that stars Julie Kavner as a single mother intent on becoming a stand-up comic. With Dan Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher. (February)
Until the End of the World-Wim Wenders (”Wings of Desire”) directs William Hurt, cast as a man who travels around the world in 1999 capturing images for his dying, blind mother (Jeanne Moreau) on a special camera. (Jan. 17)
Wayne`s World-Mike Myers and Dana Carvey star in this comedy about two young men who host a late-night cable-access TV show broadcast from their basement in Aurora. Da director is Penelope Spheeris. (Feb. 14)
White Men Can`t Jump-Wesley Snipes (”Jungle Fever”) is a legendary pick-up basketball wizard and Woody Harrelson (”Cheers”) is a newcomer who drifts into town in this comedy-drama directed and written by Ron Shelton
(”Bull Durham”). (March)