Highlights, Lowlights

Maybe it wasn't a great year at the movies. After all, 1993 was so full of high points ("Schindler's List," "Time Indefinite," "The Remains of the Day," "Short Cuts") that anything that followed it was bound to seem disappointing in comparison.

But I can't agree with the dire predictions that the Academy Awards voters will have trouble coming up with five best-picture candidates, or that critics should have problems filling a 10-best list for 1994. It's just that many of the movies that made money and got the most attention were not very good.

While it's gratifying that such smart entertainments as "Forrest Gump" and "The Lion King" ended up battling it out for the No. 1 spot at the 1994 box office, the popularity of "True Lies," "The Specialist," "Stargate," "Ace Ventura, Pet Detective" and other stiffs is hard to explain.

Are audiences really dumbing down, following Jim Carrey and Sylvester Stallone no matter how low they go? Or is marketing to blame? The hype machine was certainly responsible for the short-lived success of "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," which was so heavily promoted that it made millions during its first days in release.

Yet something astonishing happened the second weekend: attendance at "Frankenstein" took a 67 percent dive. This must set some kind of record for lousy word-of-mouth. "The Flintstones," "Junior" and "Maverick," while more successful, also ran out of paying customers not long after their splashy debuts.

Meanwhile, such modestly budgeted modern classics as "Quiz Show" and "Ed Wood" could not earn back their costs, and such interesting but hard-to-sell family dramas as "Blue Sky," "Second Best" and "Imaginary Crimes" never found an audience. As a result, this may be the first Oscar contest in years in which most of the major contenders are box-office flops.

Of the films that played here in 1994, these impressed me the most:

1. "Quiz Show." A complex and provocative investigation of greed, ethics, class, discrimination and the corrupting influence of the media in the late 1950s. Robert Redford's finest hour as a director.

2. "Ed Wood." Tim Burton's joyful ode to the obsessive delights of low-budget filmmaking. Martin Landau's performance as Wood's desperate 1950s collaborator, Bela Lugosi, was funny, tragic and deeply felt.

3. "The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl." The year's richest nonfiction film, Ray Muller's three-hour portrait of Nazi Germany's most talented filmmaker was as fascinating as its subject - and far more revealing than Riefenstahl's self-justifying autobiography.

4. "Pulp Fiction." There were plenty of Quentin Tarantino imitators this year (including Oliver Stone's overblown "Natural Born Killers"), but Tarantino's own magnum opus proved that there's no substitute for the original. This explosive crime comedy featured some of the year's most quotable dialogue, as well as career-peak performances from John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson.

5. "Spanking the Monkey." In this inspired variation on "The Graduate," first-time writer-director David O. Russell locates the low-key horror as well as the cranky humor of a college student's aimless summer at home.

6. "Hoop Dreams." Steve James' three-hour basketball documentary could become the first nonfiction film to be nominated for an Oscar for best picture. It's certainly more suspenseful and involving than most of what passes for drama in fiction films.

7. "Four Weddings and a Funeral." The romantic sleeper hit of the year, Mike Newell and Richard Curtis' well-cast, genuinely witty British comedy deserves its surprising box-office success. Hugh Grant may never get another role as carefully tailored to his talents.

8. "Knocks at My Door." One of 45 movies eligible for this year's Academy Award for best foreign-language film, Alejandro Saderman's powerful adaptation of a Venezuelan play focuses on the ethical dilemma of two nuns hiding a political prisoner. It had its only American engagement at the Grand Illusion this fall. With Oscar's help, it may play elsewhere in 1995.

9. "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle." Alan Rudolph's best movie since "The Moderns" again deals with the personal follies of American artists who flourished in the 1920s. Intentionally or not, Jennifer Jason Leigh's Dorothy Parker and Campbell Scott's Robert Benchley make quite a case for platonic infatuation.

10. "The Last Seduction" and "Red Rock West." How to choose between these hilarious neo-noir thrillers from director John Dahl? I can't. Let's just call them the year's most entertaining double bill.

A second 10: "To Live," "Barcelona," "Three Colors: White," "The Hudsucker Proxy," "Eat Drink Man Woman," "Bullets Over Broadway," "Clerks," "Blue Sky," "Freedom on My Mind," "The Lion King."

Other good things: "Fresh," "Little Women," "Vanya on 42nd Street," "A Tale of Winter," "The Seven Mysteries of Life," "Just Like a Woman," "Forrest Gump," "Highway Patrolman," "In the Name of the Father," "The Slingshot," "Philadelphia," "Benny's Video," "The Blue Kite," "Coming Out Under Fire," "Raining Stones," "Sex, Drugs and Democracy," "Bitter Moon," "The Scent of Green Papaya," "Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould," "Careful," "Second Best," "I Like It Like That," "Imaginary Crimes," "What Happened Was . . . ," "Tito and Me," "Grief," "Clear and Present Danger," "Guelwaar," "The Accompanist," "Naked," "It Was a Wonderful Life," "The Browning Version," "Frosh: Nine Months in a Freshman Dorm," "For a Lost Soldier," "Strictly Propaganda," "Why Has The Bodhi-Dharma Left For the East?"

Best movies that didn't open here theatrically in 1994: "Bad Boy Bubby," "Because Why," "The Dupes," "Death of a Nation: East Timor," "Nobody's Fool," "Reflections on a Crime," "From Hollywood to Hanoi," "Pushing Hands," "Moving the Mountain," "Cuba Va," "The Secret of Roan Inish," "Eagle Scout: The Story of Henry Nicols," "Femme Fatale," "Stalingrad," "The Long Silence," "Son of the Shark," "Paul Bowles: The Complete Outsider," "Death in Venice California," "Killer" (aka "Bulletproof Heart"), "Pigs," "Bui Doi: Life Like Dust," "The Last Lieutenant." (Some of these were shown at local festivals; others are playing in New York or Los Angeles and will be eligible for year-end awards.)

Dubious and other achievements

Comeback of the year: Orson Welles, who made guest appearances in "Ed Wood" (Vincent D'Onofrio played him) and "Heavenly Creatures" (as a clay statue that comes to life). Thanks to a seemingly endless supply of projects that were left in various stages when he died in 1985, Welles also keeps turning out "new" movies ("Don Quixote," "It's All True").

Invisible comeback: Kathleen Turner was wickedly hilarious again in "Serial Mom" and "Naked in New York," but both movies disappeared from theaters before the word got out.

Annual Academy Awards Boo-Boo: The elimination of "To Live," "Three Colors: Red," "The Last Seduction" and "Red Rock West" from this year's competition - for reasons too idiotic to discuss.

All dressed up and nowhere to go: "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert," although Terence Stamp made it worth the trip.

Newest old movie (tie): "A Streetcar Named Desire," "The Conformist" and "My Fair Lady," all fully restored after years of neglect.

Oldest new movie: "I Love Trouble," a boring compendium of cliches from vintage thrillers and romantic comedies.

Most promising development for silent films: A series of presentations with live music, including the Matrix Ensemble's accompaniment to "Blackmail," Bill Frisell's jazzy music for Buster Keaton's "Go West," the Black Cat Orchestra's score for "Salome" and St. Mark's Cathedral's Halloween organ-scored presentation of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Sexiest scene: In "Blue Sky," when we first see Tommy Lee Jones and Jessica Lange together.

Most audacious moment: In "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle," Robert Benchley (played by Campbell Scott) gradually transforms stage fright into a nimble comedy routine.

Emperor's New Clothes Award: "Belle Epoque," the latest gorgeous, empty-headed European film to take the Oscar for best foreign-language film. Meanwhile, the academy continues to ignore the dynamic Asian cinema that has revitalized American art houses.

Department of Redundancy Department: "Star Trek Generations," "The Mighty Ducks 2," "Three Ninjas Kick Back," "The Next Karate Kid," "My Girl 2," "Beverly Hills Cop 3," "City Slickers II," "Leprechaun 2," "Death Wish V," "White Fang 2," "House Party 3."

Best arguments for sequels: "That's Entertainment III" (especially the new, extended laserdisc version), "The Naked Gun 33 1/3" and "Endless Summer II" (preferably with Bruce Brown's annoying commentary replaced by a Beach Boys soundtrack).

Best arguments for remakes: "Little Women," "Body Snatchers," "Black Beauty," "The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb," the first half of "Love Affair."

Worst arguments for remakes: "Mixed Nuts," "Little Rascals," "Intersection," "The Getaway," "My Father the Hero," "Simple Twist of Fate," the second half of "Love Affair."

Worst arguments for TV spinoffs: "Maverick," "The Flintstones," "Star Trek Generations," "Car 54 Where Are You?"

Best performances in movies hardly anyone saw: Fairuza Balk and Elisabeth Moss in "Imaginary Crimes," Mimi Rogers in "Reflections on a Crime" and "Killer," Jennifer Jason Leigh in "The Hudsucker Proxy," Karen Sillas in "What Happened Was. . .," Lauren Velez in "I Like It Like That," Melanie Lynskey and Kate Winslet in "Heavenly Creatures," Julie Walters in "Just Like a Woman" and "The Wedding Gift," Charlotte Very in "A Tale of Winter," Carla Gravina in "The Long Silence." As usual, these will be passed over at the Oscars, which are essentially a private club for movies that gross $10 million or more, and there will be the usual hand-wringing over the lack of good women's roles.

Funny how it works that way: "Oleanna" and "Disclosure," both written and directed by men, turned the leading male character into the chief victim in a sexual-harrassment case. James Cameron's "True Lies," which starred Jamie Lee Curtis as the helpless wife of Arnold Schwarzenegger (she can defend her husband only by dropping a machine gun that then accidentally goes off), wasn't much better. Women directors did have their revenge, turning men into sex objects in "Making Up" and "The Beans of Egypt, Maine."

Best performances in a lost cause: Robert Downey Jr. in "Natural Born Killers," Madeleine Stowe in "Blink," James Spader in "Stargate," Lena Olin in "Romeo Is Bleeding," River Phoenix in "Silent Tongue," Winona Ryder in "The House of the Spirits," James Le Gros in "Bad Girls," Whoopi Goldberg, Tina Majorino and Ray Liotta in "Corrina, Corrina."

Worst performance in a lost cause: Anthony Hopkins in "The Road to Wellville."

So "high concept" I forgot to laugh: "Junior," "Mixed Nuts," "Speechless," "Exit to Eden," "The Flintstones."

Missing in action: The Arab Film Festival, which held a brief preview in late summer, promised a major event in November, then vanished. However, the year included no less than two Mexican festivals, an African-American festival, a Polish festival, an Asian-American festival, a Strindberg festival, a Hong Kong series, an ecology-oriented series called Ecovision, and the biggest and best Human Rights Film Festival to date.

Candidate for cult status: Rolf de Heer's Australian wild-child satire, "Bad Boy Bubby," which deservedly won best-director honors at the Seattle International Film Festival.

Stop Them Before They Direct Again: Alan Parker ("The Road to Wellville"), Richard Donner ("Maverick"), Steven Seagal ("On Deadly Ground"), Jean-Luc Godard ("Helas Pour Moi"), Stephen Hopkins ("Blown Away").

Best child's introduction to another culture: Bernardo Bertolucci's "Little Buddha."

Outstanding local production: Gregg Lachow's "The Seven Mysteries of Life."

Funniest bit in a failed comedy: John Turturro and Robin Williams as suicidal master and panicky slave in Bill Forsyth's "Being Human."

Most spectacular directing debut: David O. Russell, "Spanking the Monkey."

A Star Is Born: Jeremy Davies, "Spanking the Monkey" and "Nell."

Uncannily good children's performances: Elijah Wood, Lexi Randall and Latoya Chisholm in "The War," Sean Nelson in "Fresh," Elisabeth Moss in "Imaginary Crimes," Jesper Salen in "The Slingshot," Tina Majorino in "Corrina, Corrina" and "When a Man Loves a Woman."

Annual Ratings Boo-Boo: The NC-17 for "Clerks" for profanity alone. Fortunately, it won an R rating on appeal. Still, why is it that ultra-violent movies ("Reservoir Dogs," "Basic Instinct") never seem to have the same problems attaining an R?

Worst voiceovers: The plague of narration (and uplifting music) that attempts to explain everything in "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The War."

A rose by any other name: Disney's "Renaissance Man" fared so poorly that it was reissued and retitled "By the Book." It still flopped.

"Springtime For Hitler" award: Martin Lawrence's grueling, tasteless and unfunny concert film, "You So Crazy."

Best beginning to a mediocre movie: The first half hour of "Stargate."

Best film within a film: The ironic use of the 1937 version of "A Star Is Born" to comment on the lives of one of its writers, Dorothy Parker, and her first husband in "Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle."

Best short subject: "The Wrong Trousers."

The Cecil B. DeMille "Light Touch" Award: Kenneth Branagh, for directing "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" as if the camera had been mounted on a pogo stick.

Most ingenious use of a low budget: "Clerks," which was shot for about $10,000. Lab work and prints brought the total cost up to $27,000.

Unrepeatable High Point of the Seattle International Film Festival: A lively critics' panel that nearly turned into a showdown between the new breed of critics (Entertainment Weekly's Owen Gleiberman) and the older generation (Time's Richard Schickel).

Most significant trend: The relatively new visibility of AIDS movies, including "Grief," "Savage Nights," "Living Proof," "One Nation Under God," "A Time of Witches," "Zero Patience," "Totally F # # # ed Up," "Speaking For Ourselves: Portraits of Lesbian and Gay Youth" and the surprise blockbuster "Philadelphia."

Most grating trend: A series of mediocre basketball and baseball movies, including "The Air Up There," "Blue Chips," "Little Big League," "Angels in the Outfield," "Above the Rim" and "The Scout." Only the documentary "Hoop Dreams" really scored.

Most exuberant dance number: Megan Murphy and Kara McMahon's dance on the beach with a Halloween skeleton in "The Seven Mysteries of Life."

Most embarrassing commercial miscalculation: "Wyatt Earp," which lost more money than any Western since "Heaven's Gate."

Best popcorn movies: "Speed," "The Mask," "It Could Happen to You," "And God Spoke," "Ready to Wear," "Guarding Tess," "Dumb and Dumber," "The Paper," "Serial Mom," "8 Seconds," "Naked in New York," "Reality Bites," "Social Guidance Classics," "Harmony Cats," the 1924 version of "The Sea Hawk."

Guilty pleasures: "The New Age," "Bitter Moon," "Desperate Remedies," "The War," "Threesome," "Kika," "It's Pat: The Movie."

Instant camp classics: "The Color of Night," "For the Moment," "Rapa Nui," "Mother's Boys," "China Moon," Demi Moore's performance in "Disclosure."

The 10 worst films of 1994: "The Road to Wellville," "The Specialist," "Radioland Murders," "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues," "Pontiac Moon," "Helas Pour Moi," "You So Crazy," "On Deadly Ground," "Blown Away," "Mixed Nuts."