Patrick Stoner welcomes your questions about movies and the people who make them. Send your questions to pstoner@whyy.org. Here's the current question and answer:
Q: Is this year of mediocre films going to improve in the final month?
A: Indeed!
The drought of good films is about over. Never in my memory has a year held back its quality films to such an extent as this one has. It's true that the trend began a few years ago for the studios to release their best hopes for the Oscars late in the year, but what was once a sporadic strategy became the norm this year.
I mean, how many excellent movies would you name as of mid-November? My short list would include L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, BOOGIE NIGHTS, MEN IN BLACK, DONNIE BRASCO, THE ICE STORM, BRASSED OFF, and perhaps COP LAND. Throw in some highly entertaining ones, like STARSHIP TROOPERS, THE FULL MONTY and CHASING AMY, and you have most of the ones that might pull off some awards.
Now, look at the list that you can put together from the Thanksgiving holidays to the end of the year:
- WINGS OF THE DOVE -- art house class with an edge.
- ALIEN RESURRECTION -- the series is revived.
- AMISTAD -- Spielberg frees the slave story.
- WAG THE DOG -- De Niro and Hoffman spark satire.
- THE MOUSE HUNT -- Nathan Lane gets played.
- SCREAM 2 -- it's baaccck: self-aware smart horror
- GOOD WILL HUNTING -- small and intelligent.
- KUNDUN -- Scorsese doesn't think China's funny.
- HOME ALONE 3 -- the Culkin kid is GONE, yessss.
- THE POSTMAN -- never count Costner out.
- BENT -- a narrowly focused, impressionistic, gay SCHINDLER'S LIST.
- TOMORROW NEVER DIES -- Brosnan was born to be Bond.
- THE SWEET HEREAFTER -- forbidden and controversial, but very moving
- DECONSTRUCTING HARRY -- Allen's relationships get even bouncier.
- TITANTIC -- surprise, it's good!
That ought to give you something to see over the holidays!
Past questions and answers.
