Film Dictionary

June 6, 1988

The Everlasting Secret Family (1988) ***

Drowning By Numbers (1988) ***

May 5, 1988

Les Portes tournantes (1988) *

Francis Mankiewicz's least impressive film.

April 4, 1988

On s'est tous defile (1988) ***

Puissance de la parole (1988) ***

Simply Irresistible (1988) ***

Gercure (1988) ***

Amusing short film about catching cold in Montreal.

Gullah Tales (1988) ***

Oscar-nominated short film set on a slave plantation.

Here's the ultimate proof of just how powerful and effective this political ad is: it's also known as the "Willie Horton ad", even though it never mentions Willie Horton at all (he became a household name thanks to a different, earlier political ad). But nobody remembers that earlier ad, and everybody remembers that revolving door.

Felix Pommes strips (1988) ***

Appointments Of Dennis Jennings (1988) **

Uneven comedy about a patient trying to kill his psychiatrist (Rowan Atkinson).

The Cat Came Back (1988) ****

An Oscar-nominated cartoon about a man trying to get rid of a cat. A nice title song.

One Of Those Days (1988) ****

Superb cartoon about one horrible, terrible day. Hilarious from start to finish.

Super Powers (1988) ****

Brilliant Iranian cartoon about war.

Love At First Sight (1988) ***

A man falls desperately in love with a heartless woman.

Les Quatre voeux (1988) ***

Technological Threat (1988) ***

Human workers are being replaced by robots in this amusing cartoon. An Academy Award nominee.

Pas à deux (1988) ***

A post-modernist cartoon about dancing, co-directed by Gerrit van Dijk and Monique Renault.

Academy Leader Variations (1988) ***

Innovative variations on a single theme: 8,7,6,5,4,3,2. A co-production between USA, Poland, Switzerland and China. Animators include Jane Aaron, George Griffin, Stanislaw Lenartowicz and Georges Schwizgebel.

Tin Toy (1988) ***

Oscar-nominated cartoon from Pixar.

Lettre d'amour (1988) **

Animated film by Pierre Hebert.

Disconnected (1988) **

The upper half of the head jumps from one headless body to another. A simple cartoon, far less gruesome than its plot summary might suggest.

The Dingles (1988) **

An average cartoon about an old lady and her three cats.

The Writer (1988) *

Paul Driessen's unique graphic style is the main asset of this narratively incoherent cartoon.

A Nice Day In The Country (1988) *

A man is unable to open the door of his house.

Candy Jam (1988) *

Too much candy can be very bad for you. That applies to this film as well.

Arnold Escapes From The Church (1988) *

A rather confusing cartoon about religion...or something.

March 3, 1988

Trio en mi bemol (1988) ***

Yes Prime Minister: The National Education Service (1988) ***

Moonlighting: A Womb With A View (1988) ***

Yes Prime Minister: The Tangled Web (1988) ****

Superb writing in the final episode of the popular British series.

Golden Girls: Sophia's Wedding Part 1 (1988) ***

Sixth episode from Season 4 of "Golden Girls", with Quentin Tarantino playing an Elvis impersonator.

Sensual Escape (1988) ***

The Ghostess With The Mostess (1988) ***

February 2, 1988

Mississippi Burning (1988) **

Controversial drama about the murder of three civil rights activists in rural Mississippi in 1964. Blacks are portrayed as passive victims; virually all white Southerners come across as vicious, racist bigots. The only heroic figures are FBI agents (Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe).

Let's Get Lost (1988) **

Visually interesting documentary about the tragic life of Chet Baker, a West Coast jazz legend.

Bull Durham (1988) **

Beetlejuice (1988) **

Wacky and bizarre horror film about two ghosts (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis). They try to scare away the new occupants of their house (Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara and Jeffrey Jones) by hiring an "exorcist of the living" (Michael Keaton). Tim Burton's film has a great cast, good special effects and impressive sets. Weak script and unfunny jokes are the main liabilities.

Clara's Heart (1988) **

Whoopi Goldberg plays a Jamaican maid in this quiet little film.

The Navigator: A Medieval Odyssey (1988) **

Directed by Vincent Ward. A fantasy film about a group of medieval peasants who find a tunnel that leads to a modern city.

Stand And Deliver (1988) **

High school students from East L.A. are excelling in math thanks to efforts of an idealistic teacher (Edward James Olmos). Sounds corny, but it's based on a true story.