Opening Films

by Inlander Staff
AMC Classic Film Festival -- It's week three of AMC's homage to the greatest films of all time, and you could do a lot worse with your Friday night than check out Wayne's World (1992; Rated: PG-13). Miss such gems as "Schwing!!" and "If she was a president, her name would be Babe-raham Lincoln"? They can be experienced once again on the big screen. Saturday, get your fill of that time-honored American tradition known as the movie musical with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds in Singin' in the Rain (1952; Rated: G). And finally, Roman Polanski's stylish, bleak noir Chinatown (1974; Rated: R) plays on Sunday, starring Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson.





**** Mystic River -- An excellent adaptation of the Dennis Lehane crime thriller and character study by screenwriter Brian Helgeland and director Clint Eastwood. Three urban boyhood pals grow apart and come together years later, each with inner demons. The thug, Jimmy (Sean Penn), is grieving over his daughter's murder; the investigative cop, Sean (Kevin Bacon) can't get over his wife leaving him; and possible suspect Dave (Tim Robbins) keeps reliving a horrible incident from his youth. Powerful stuff. (ES) Rated R





*** Runaway Jury -- Things heat up quickly in this adaptation of the John Grisham courtroom thriller. Fans of the book may be heated over the fact that the plot's been changed from a tobacco trial to a gun trial, but the story works nicely anyway. Honest lawyer Dustin Hoffman goes after a gun manufacturer whose weapons lead to a murder. Unscrupulous "consultant" Gene Hackman intends to tamper with the jury for the other side. But a whole other plot is going on between juror John Cusack and his wily girlfriend Rachel Weisz. Twists and turns galore. (ES) Rated PG-13





Texas Chainsaw Massacre -- When did Texas Chainsaw Massacre become so atmospheric and poignant? Apparently when producer Michael Bay and newcomer director Marcus Nispel got involved. The trailer for the remake of the 1974 Tobe Hooper original has all the dusty cinematography and somber young love of an Abercrombie & amp; Fitch ad campaign, and Marilyn Manson's ethereal background music further gives the whole thing an elegiac feel. Yet, this is a thriller, folks. The stars (Jessica Biel, Eric Balfour, to name a few) are young and gorgeous, the house is crawling with cannibals and there's both a chainsaw and a Leatherface to wield it. Scariness for miles. Rated: R





*** Veronica Guerin -- Cate Blanchett: the two key words that make Joel Schumacher's slim, short investigation of the late life and early death of the Irish journalist matter. Like the upcoming Shattered Glass, Veronica Guerin takes on the complications of the investigative journalist's life, but with mixed results. Taut, fleet and involving, Veronica Guerin still has a handful of implausibilities and takes a couple shortcuts too many in its real-life story of her life-endangering reporting on drug dealers and the IRA. But Blanchett aptly captures the steadfastness and endurance of the driven scrivener, who died in 1996. With the increasing number of murders of journalists in war zones like Afghanistan and Iraq, it could hardly be more timely. With Gerard McSorley, Ciaran Hinds, Brenda Fricker. (RP) Rated: R





**** Don't Miss It *** Worth $8 ** Wait For The Video * Save Your Money





& lt;i & Capsule reviews are written by Ed Symkus (ES) and Ray Pride (RP), unless otherwise noted. & lt;/i &





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Publication date: 10/16/03